Consciousness

Consciousness is Omnipresent. Consciousness is permeating and transparent and it is a non-activity (devoid of pulse or pressure).  Consciousness does not prove to be a unit due to its being all pervasive.  Consciousness does not prove to be the root cause of Cosmic order.  Coexistence alone is the root cause of Cosmic order. The constitutions are only in nature saturated in consciousness. This absolute energy is in, from and for human being in the form of evolved-consciousness.

Consciousness itself is the root cause of entire material and conscious entities being energized. As a result, continuously active nature evolves with effort, motion and constitution and evidences the stage of evolution in the form of living and non-living world. Therefore it becomes clear that material world has the seed of living and nonliving world in it.

Along with this it also becomes clear that human being - as combined expression of body and jeevan - has the seed of awakening, because every human being desires to become awakened. Awakening itself is the evidence of coexistence.

Entire units of Cosmic order are saturated in consciousness according to their receptivity, this itself is the effect . The result of this effect is the ceaseless-initiative of units. This ceaseless-initiative itself is at the root of activities of nature and this ceaseless activity itself in the form of effort, motion and constitution attains the potential, ability and receptivity to irreversibly transition in the form of conscious nature. The fundamental form of conscious nature is ‘constitutionally complete atom’.

A human being is found to have both conscious aspect and material aspect expressed in his behaviour and all functions performed through body have both material and conscious activities simultaneously.

- Manav Vyavhar Darshan, by Shree A. Nagraj.

Fragmentation and Coherence

Every unit is only a part in comparison of the countless all.

Every unit is constituted of many parts.

Coherence cannot be accomplished through fragmentation, because every activity is based on some constitution only. On this basis, fragmentation is found to be with conflict (heat or misery). This heat or misery again becomes the cause of fragmentation of another.

Nothing could be annihilated out of existence by fragmentation, because mathematically even after fragmenting many times something still remains. Fragmentation in humankind is recognized in the form of communities, while with coherence whole humankind gets recognized as one undivided unit.

- Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj.

Accomplishment of Awakening

"It is not possible to accomplish awakening through inhuman education where one deluded human being guides another deluded human being. An awakened human being only can pave the path of awakening of a deluded human being and this itself is the evidence of awakening in self."

Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Duties and Commitment

Duties are with distinction of desired, inspired and informed.

Deterministic reflection, contemplation, thinking, endeavours, experimentation, endeavour, occupation and exploration of one’s duties itself is ‘commitment’.  In other words, commitment is physical and mental perseverance to attain completeness in a definite action.

Taking the accountability itself is commitment in duties.

Acceptance and fulfillment of duties given by family, society and orderliness with commitment, discipline and truthfulness develops abilities at every level, i.e. successes with family, society and orderliness.  And in its opposite status, available abilities and successes also get nullified.

It is commitment that results in accomplishments of the objects of common aspiration and higher aspiration. It is commitment itself that results in accomplishment of resolution and realization in a human being.


Fulfillment of social obligations is from dutifulness and commitment whereby society evolves in the form of undividedness and universality otherwise it deteriorates.


- Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj.

Justice and Opportunism

Human beings who live in the refuge of justice only are the knowers of truth-untruth, religious-irreligious and justice-injustice, they have proficiency in instilling harmony in behaviour situations and they live flawless lives, from which itself the humanness is conserved.

Opportunist human beings are afflicted with perspectives of pleasant-unpleasant, healthy-unhealthy, profit-loss and their behaviour is pretentious – whereby only discontent, unrest and indefiniteness is achieved, because beliefs of ignorance keep changing frequently.  The aim of actions of an opportunist human being is also happiness, but he does not become successful by this method.

 - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Human being needs to appraise everything, including himself.

One who does not appraise something correctly, will not make or will not be able to make good-use of that thing.  Therefore appraisal of every aspect of human being is needed.

The appraisal of values is a conscious activity.  Appraisal is either realistic or unrealistic, which depends on the awakening or delusion of the one who is doing appraisal.

Correct appraisal happens only with complete understanding or complete awakening; otherwise there is either under-valuation or over-valuation.

Human being does appraisal based on his level of awakening.

 - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Determination or Belief

"Accomplishment with complete understanding of necessary law is known as ‘determination’ and endeavour with incomplete understanding is known as ‘belief’." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan, by Shree A. Nagraj.

Religion of Humankind

"The religion for humankind is happiness.  Human being is so much steeped in want of happiness that he cannot be disoriented from it even for a moment.  The definition of religion itself has been done in this way – “That from which one cannot be separated or that separation of which is not possible, is its religion.”  On the basis of this definition of religion – religion of material order is ‘to exist’ , religion of pranic order is to  ‘to grow’, religion of animal order is ‘want-to-be-alive’ and religion of humankind is proposed as ‘happiness’.  It has also been proposed that religion every evolved unit of nature includes religion of less evolved units." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

False sense of self

Until understanding of self becomes complete at the root of entire activities of human being in waking, dreaming, or sleeping states – there is false sense of self, which are beliefs of delusion.

At the root of ignorance is the false sense of self (absence of understanding) and at the root of knowledge is self-knowledge and absolute truth in the form of coexistence.

 - Manav Vyavhar Darshan, by Shree A. Nagraj

Knowledge is revealed by conscious aspect.

"Knowledge is revealed only by conscious aspect (jeevan) and only through thoughts.  Conscious aspect moves towards deterioration (delusion) or awakening based on its impressions." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Crime and wastage are unhelpful.

"Human being commits crimes only due to ignorance, extravagance and poverty and he wastes only due to lack of wisdom. Crime and wastage, both these are unhelpful for humanness and social harmony." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan, by Shree A. Nagraj

Essence of humanness is exposition of knowledge by human being.

"Realization in coexistence itself is exposition of knowledge.  Study is in, from, for realization in coexistence.  Knowledge itself is evidenced in the form of wisdom and science.  This is the essence of humanness in knowledge order." - Madhyasth Darshan, Shree A. Nagraj.

Resolution and Problem

"Resolution itself is evidence of effortlessness and Problem is with friction and suffering.  Resolution and Problem for a human being are with distinction of conscious and material.  At the root of material aspect - prosperity itself is resolution, else there is problem.  At the root of conscious aspect – realization itself is resolution, else there is problem." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Gratitude

Human being’s entire behaviour depends only on gratitude and ingratitude, and it gets evaluated and appraised as such.


Whoever had given help for advancement towards awakening, its non-acceptance itself is ingratitude.


Gratitude gives rise to honour, honour gives rise to simplicity, simplicity gives rise to naturalness, naturalness gives rise to humanness, humanness gives rise to coexistence and gratitude evolves in, from and for coexistence.



- Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

United in Right

“Human beings are united in right and fragmented in wrong.  The reason for this fragmentation (mutual conflict) is mysteriousness and consumerism.  Upon awakening all fragments get united by becoming complementary and useful for each other." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

One can distribute only what one has.

"The one who is not happy, he cannot make others happy.  The one who is not happy, must be in misery and one can distribute only what one has." - Manav Vyavhar Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj.

The need for clear understanding and commitment

"Despite being informed of deterioration, in the absence of having clear understanding and commitment, human being helplessly moves towards his downfall in delusion." - Madhyasth Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj.

Knowledge

"Human being is a unit of Knowledge order."  - This is a key postulation of Madhyasth Darshan.

Being a unit of Knowledge order means:-

1. We humans can do only what we know.
2. We humans don't even know what we don't know.
3. We humans need to know all there is to know, because partial knowledge does not satisfy us.

(1) We humans can do only what we know.  

This is something we can verify in our own living and in the living of those around us.  We can eat, because we know how to eat.  We can speak, because we know how to speak.  We can cycle, because we know how to cycle.  We can't ride a plane if we don't know how to ride a plane.  This is simple enough.


(2) We humans don't even know what we don't know.

It is not possible for me to say what I don't know!  To see is to know.  The "unknown" is blind spot of my seeing or knowing.

Positively speaking, it is possible for me to say or reveal what I know.  Knowledge is communicable in words.

(3) We humans need to know all there is to know, because partial knowledge does not satisfy us.

If I (a human being) don't know what I don't know, I can become conceited that I know everything.  However conceitedness is unacceptable and dissatisfying to me (a human being).  Human being is not satisfied until he achieves realization in complete knowledge.  Conceitedness gets manifested as friction or conflict or misery in human living.  This friction itself is the thirst for knowing more.

There is essential knowledge which every human being has to know, to lead a contented life.   This essential knowledge is qualitatively subtler than skills.  Essential knowledge is the base or foundation on which knowledge of skills and arts rest.  It is important to recognize this distinction.  Essential knowledge is not mysterious and it is not meant for select few.

To know the "unknown" is an existential need in human being.  We humans anticipate and thirst for essential knowledge.  Knowledge alone defines our being.  

 There are two ways of knowing the "unknown".

(1) Exploration (anusandhan)

(2) Education (adhyayan)

Exploration for essential knowledge requires the seeker to silence the chatter of his thoughts and then perceive the realities directly in existence.

Education requires the seeker to understand from the teacher who knows or who has achieved realization in essential knowledge.  In the absence of realized teacher, education has no meaning whatsoever.  As mentioned earlier, it is possible for one who knows to reveal or say what he knows.  Such revelation of knowledge by realized teacher is the source of inspiration and guidance for the student.

Both education and exploration result in realization in the seeker.  Realization means dissolution of unknown.

Madhyasth Darshan is a proposal for education.

Science and Wisdom

The word "Science" evokes the images of laboratory, mathematical equations, logic, accuracy, technological advancements, etc.  The word "Wisdom" evokes the images of saintliness, common sense, intuition, contemplation, religion, etc.  In common terms, Science deals with material world and Wisdom deals with conscious world.  Broadly speaking, material world is considered tangible and conscious world is considered abstract.  In this way, Wisdom became mysterious while pursuing the abstract.  Science became corrupt from its fixation with tangibility.  The alignment in Wisdom and Science has remained elusive for humankind thus far.

In the light of Madhyasth Darshan, material world and conscious world can both be studied and understood.  This understanding or knowledge forms the common basis of Wisdom and Science, by which alignment in the two has become possible.

Wisdom is to have answers of every why.  Science is to have answers of every how.  It is only upon realization in knowledge of coexistence that the answers of every why and how start emanating from oneself.   It is to become Scientist and Wise at the same time!! This itself is the meaning of being resolved or samadhan.  Such living is also called as Awakening.

Therefore - Science is not about something "outside".  Wisdom is not something "abstract".  Both Science and Wisdom (which is the true meaning of Religion) get evidenced by an awakened human being in his living.

Friction and Effortlessness

All human-beings anticipate to live with effortlessness.  We don't want any friction in our living - in our understanding, in our behaviour, and in our work.  Friction is misery, which is unacceptable to us.

Friction is from attachment - which is to get attracted or be repulsed.  Effortlessness is when there is centeredness in one's living.  What is the nature of this attachment?

Human being is a combined expression of jeevan (conscious aspect) and body (material aspect).   Attachment is delusion of jeevan.  Delusion is jeevan's believing itself to be the body which it is enlivening.  Jeevan thirsts for fulfillment.  Jeevan (incorrectly) believes that it is body because it gets a sense of fulfillment from sensory activity.  This belief of jeevan itself is the core issue.  There is no getting away from this!  This belief is so ingrained in entire humankind's mindset that every single aspect of human living presently is projecting and reinforcing this delusion.

Centeredness in human living is possible when jeevan achieves complete understanding.  The root of friction in human living is due to lack of understanding.  This lack of understanding itself gets manifested as friction in thoughts (as problems) and as friction in work (as mistakes) and behaviour (as injustice).  The leverage point for achieving effortlessness in living is in achieving the understanding.  We can save so much energy and time of our lives which we keep wasting in struggling, fighting and then repairing the damages, if we spent some dedicated effort in understanding.

Skills and Knowledge

Knowledge is the basis with which jeevan functions.

Skills are acquired on the basis of Knowledge.

Jeevan has the knowledge of the four instincts (food, sleep, fear, and coitus) and five senses (speech, touch, sight, taste, and smell) - that's how we humans are able to express those activities.  This knowledge is there with jeevan apriori.  Skills can be acquired on the basis of this knowledge of instincts and senses.

The knowledge of instincts and senses is manifested in the domain of subtle-activities (mun, vritti, and chitta) of jeevan.  It is not manifested in the domain of causal-activities (buddhi and atma).  Skills too are therefore in the domain of subtle-activities of jeevan only.  Skills don't have any causal-aspect to them.  Example of Skills are - Walking, Talking, Eating, Doing farming, Learning a language, Using computers, etc.

Knowledge of Jeevan (jeevan gyan), Knowledge of Coexistence (sah-astitva darshan gyan), and Knowledge of Conduct of Humanness (manviyata poorna acharan gyan) is in the domain of causal-activities (buddhi and atma).  This knowledge gets manifested on buddhi and atma as a result of study in coexistence - as understanding and realization respectively.

This Knowledge is expressible in words in the domain of subtle-activities (mun-vritti-chitta).  However knowledge gets understood and realized by causal-activities (buddhi and atma).

The subtle-activities as imagination (kalpanasheelta) need to get attuned to realities, so that the causal-activities (buddhi and atma) can be satisfied.

Having the Knowledge would mean becoming fulfilled.  Knowledge then can be manifested by human-being in any situation, anywhere, at any time.

Once Knowledge (of causal aspects) is attained, the Skills get utilized purposefully.  In the absence of Knowledge, the Skills are misused or abused.  Knowledge and Skills are not at the same level.  Knowledge is causal.  Skills are subtle.  Material-nature is gross.  Causal has control over Subtle.  Subtle has control over gross.

Word, Definition, Reality, Understanding

Word is merely name of a reality in existence, while definition explains the word and purpose of that reality in existence; the purpose of language becomes clear upon understanding the reality.  - Madhyasth-Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

Centeredness

Orderliness of nature results from its "activity of centeredness" (madhyasth-kriya).  Nature is as countless units.  There is not a single center of all units of nature.  Nature is in decentralized form.  The basic form of orderliness of nature is atom - where a center can be identified as nucleus.  Each atom has a nucleus, which is responsible for the activity of centeredness.  The nucleus of an atom has its centeredness effect - which is called the environment of centeredness.  The orbiting particles of atom are in this environment, and their activities of attraction and repulsion remain restrained.

Omnipotence is the law of centeredness, and this law is all pervasive.  Omnipotence is present at all places as Space.  The activity of centeredness is the way this absolute-law gets manifested by units of nature.

The particles in the nucleus are not "special" or "different" compared to the particles that are in the orbits of an atom.  The particles of atom function according to their position.  Nucleus does the centeredness function, and orbiting particles do attraction and repulsion function.

Centeredness function is responsible for balance in present status and also for tendency for advancement.

continued.

Eternal-Presence

The activities of nature are present for us to see (understand).  Is there an order in these activities?  Understanding can only be of orderliness.  That which is not orderly cannot be understood.

Madhyasth-Darshan explains the orderliness of nature to be in the form of eternal-presence (nitya-vartman).  All that exists is eternal-presence.  Eternal presence means continuity of being.  This continuity of being is not static.  It is dynamic.  Being is dynamic. Dynamic-being (sthiti-gati) is the way any unit of nature evidences its presence.  Each evolution-stage has its way of continuity of being - or its eternal-presence, or its way of balance, or its way of permanence, or its way of tradition.

Eternal-presence requires understanding the aspects of religion and innate-nature.  How does a unit of nature maintain continuity of its kind?  Is continuity at all possible with struggle?  Continuity is possible only when essentially there is orderliness in all units of nature.  When all units work in harmony with each other with one unifying and unchanging law.  Would orderliness be possible at all, if there were different laws at different places, at different time of the day?  Would orderliness be possible if each unit of nature worked according to its own law?

Eternal-presence of an evolution-stage is about its centeredness.  While Omnipotence (satta) is the law of centeredness, the units of nature adhere to this law of centeredness in accordance with their evolution-stage.

continued.

Delusion and Awakening

Every human-being lives in anticipation of happiness.  This is a "given" aspect of every human-being - something "innate" or "a priori".  Happiness is The Religion of All Humankind.  It is not a matter of belief or custom that I want to be happy.  I don't know what happiness is - but I want it!  Also my wanting of happiness is ceaseless.  There is no moment when I don't want happiness.  Whatever I believe would give me "happiness", I keep doing more and more of it - even if these endeavors keep getting frustrated.  When I get very frustrated from one pattern of doing, and in turn one pattern of beliefs - then I shift to another pattern of beliefs and another pattern of doing - until I get frustrated in that too.  Eventually I become tired of seeking "newness", since every pattern of doing and every pattern of beliefs only ends up in getting frustrated.  But this tiredness doesn't in any way abate the anticipation of happiness.  I have inexhaustible and continuous appetite for happiness.  I keep feeding this appetite in as much socially acceptable manner as possible - but there is a struggle all the time...  a sense of void....  This situation is not of me alone.  It is of all human-beings.  Collective form of this is called as delusion.  The thing with delusion is that one who is deluded doesn't believe himself to be so!

Delusion is due to humankind's ignorance about reality of existence.

Deluded human-being - like any manifestation of nature - is a reality.

Living in delusion is miserable for human-being.

Deluded human-being anticipates happiness all the time, but doesn't know what happiness is - and seeks for it in sensory-activities, since in those he gets a sense of happiness, which doesn't last....  but in the absence of not knowing the way out, he is bound to repeat his failures.

What is the reality of deluded human-being?

Every human-being (deluded or awakened) is a combined expression of jeevan and body.  Jeevan is the conscious-aspect.  Body is the material-aspect. Jeevan is the aspect which is either deluded or awakened.  All beliefs of delusion are essentially jeevan's believing itself to be the body which it is keeping alive.   Reality of a deluded human-being is a combined expression of body and deluded jeevan.


How can the delusion of jeevan be dispelled?

Delusion can be dispelled only from knowledge.  Only knowledge of reality can dispel delusion for human-being.  Delusion gets lifted when a human-being becomes able to see realities clearly - as they are.  Seeing realities as they are means realization in knowledge.

Realization in knowledge itself is happiness.  The anticipation of happiness can be fulfilled only with realization.

Realization in knowledge requires Study of existence - all that is.  Deluded human-being cannot see clearly on his own, because of delusion.  Deluded human-being is bound to project his state of delusion in whatever he may do, think, or say.  Study of existence therefore requires realization in knowledge.

Please follow closely to the above line of reasoning - and we can see that there is a deadlock here.


Realization in Knowledge requires Study of Existence.  Study of Existence requires Realization in Knowledge.  How can this deadlock be resolved?

This deadlock can be resolved only when there are two persons - one who studies and the other who teaches.  The teacher has the realization in knowledge.  Acquiring a post-graduate degree and getting a job in university doesn't make one a real teacher.  The real teacher is the one who has realization in knowledge.  Student studies in anticipation of happiness, for becoming liberated from the bondage of delusion.  Study happens in coexistence of teacher and student.  Study is not in, from, and for self.  Study is in, from, and for coexistence.  Education is an intervention.  Education is the way the beliefs of delusion get challenged - which is the way the spell of delusion gets lifted for student, and he becomes able to see the realities clearly.  In the light of teacher's realization the student studies.

The teacher takes responsibility for guiding the student and he never lets go of this commitment.  This is the reason the student trusts his teacher.  Teaching is an act of kindness, graciousness, and compassion.  The teacher inspires the imagination of student but he does not interfere in the student's free-will.  Which means that the teacher doesn't tell student to do this or don't do that.   It is the student who makes the choice, whether he wants awakening or he wants to stay in the delusion.  The teacher only tells what he is able to see.  The teacher also assures the student that he can understand and become awakened, if he chooses to do so.  The teacher appraises the student's progress towards awakening and shares this appraisal with him.  It is the teacher who tells what the student needs to understand to become awakened.  It is the student who tells whether he understood or not.  The teacher doesn't give certification for student's having understood.  Student himself has to stand up and say that he has now understood - and then he can ask the teacher to take his test! It is possible from this test the student and teacher find that there is more left for understanding.  In that case, education continues, otherwise there is graduation!  The education for understanding is not an endless process.  Study is to accomplish the understanding.  After the understanding is accomplished, the study is not needed anymore.  Accomplishment of understanding means realization in coexistence - which is the "graduation" (deekshant) of adhyayan, which is also the capability in student for living with humanness, and of imparting this understanding to others.

The study culminates in student's achieving realization like his teacher.  Hereafter, both teacher and student are able to see realities as they are - and they live happily ever after with this clarity.  This "happily ever after" collectively for humankind is known as Awakening.

Delusion is collective status of Humankind before Awakening.  Awakening is collective status of Humankind with Realization in Knowledge.

It is possible to distinguish delusion from awakening only from the reference point of awakening.

Now the question comes whether human-being remains totally opaque to knowledge in the purview of Delusion and becomes totally transparent to knowledge in the purview of Awakening?

Is there a grey-area or middle-ground between delusion and awakening?

It seems to be so...  I am now convinced that there is a middle-ground.

If there is no middle-ground between delusion and awakening, then we are ruling out the possibility of transition from delusion to awakening.  The awakened teacher will keep speaking from his world and deluded student will keep interpreting according to his world and the two will never converge.  In my association with Baba ji (Shree A. Nagraj) in last 7 years, this had been a central issue.  I used to find it most frustrating for not being able to identify that middle ground precisely.  I think I have some clarity about it now - which I would like to share here.

The state of delusion is not total opaqueness to knowledge - but there is a translucence to knowledge, or a blurred perspective, which is in the form of imagination (kalpanasheelta).  Even in delusion, one has a sense (bhas) and intuition (aabhaas) of what reality is.  But that's not enough to live wisely, to realize justice in relationships, to live religiously, to live truthfully  - and more precisely to live with humanness or human-consciousness.  It requires initiative (purusharth) on the part of student to transcend limits of his consciousness - either in the form of anusandhan (what Baba ji did) or adhyayan (what we are doing).  The study culminates in having a perception (prateeti) of reality, whose acceptance is called as understanding (samajh) or bodh.  Understanding results in realization (anubhav).  Realization is the basis of Awakening.

Imagination is the seed for knowledge.  The reach of human-imagination is more than its grasp.  So while a deluded human-being has grasp over living in animal-consciousness, his imagination can take occasional leaps into the realms of higher consciousness.  This is the reason the method of study (adhyayan) proposed in Madhyasth-Darshan is possible.  In study the imagination of student gets inspired in the light of teacher's realization - whereby he can see (understand) realities which otherwise he wasn't able to.  These 'peaks', which are 'peeks' really, eventually culminate in student's imagination becoming attuned and aligned with reality - leading to a shift in consciousness in an irreversible way.  Which is achieving the realization (anubhav).  So imagination is the middle-ground between delusion and awakening, between student and teacher.  Imagination is the potential of human-being for awakening.

Innate-nature

The innate-nature (svabhav) of an evolution-stage (avastha) of nature is its purpose of being (raison d'être) in coexistence.

Innate-nature of an evolution-stage is its imperative behaviour for realization of holistic-orderliness.

Innate-nature of an evolution-stage is manifestation of its religion (dharma) with other units of its kind.

The innate-nature of an evolution-stage is understood by human-being only after seeing the pattern of its characteristics for a duration of time.

Innate-nature of material-order is integration-disintegration (sangathan-vighatan).  It is only after one observes the material-order nature for a significant duration of time that one understands that "purpose" (raison d'être) of material-order is integration-disintegration only.  The material-order serves the purpose of providing the raw-material or substance for evolution.  If integration-disintegration were not to be its innate-nature, the evolution of pranic-order forms would not have been possible.  If integration-disintegration were not to be the innate-nature of material-order, then constitutional-completeness in an atom would not have been possible.  It is imperative to have integration-disintegration as innate-nature of material-order - so that next orders could manifest.  Material-order is the cradle for the subsequent evolution-stages.  It is also clear that the integration-disintegration or bonding-unbonding is among units of material-order only.  Material does integration-disintegration with other material only.  The religion of material-order is to exist or material-order's defining criteria itself is - to exist.  To exist with other units of material-order integration-disintegration is the way.

Innate nature of pranic-order (vegetations etc) is life-enhancing and life-debilitating (saarak-maarak).

continued...

Religion

I used to think that Religion is about the customs and practices which one follows out of faith or belief.  I thought there are many religions and one's religion is either due to birth or due to choice.  One becomes a hindu if one is born in a hindu family, one becomes a muslim if one is born in a muslim family - and so on.  Sometimes we also hear about conversions of faith - which is someone "changing" one's religion, which required notifying to the registrar in a government office and some sprinkling of holy-water or some custom like that....  A hindu becoming christian, a muslim becoming hindu etc.  Religion, I thought, had everything to do with fundamentalism, blind-faith, followership, karma-kanda, post-retirement occupation - also of mutual intolerance.  Hindus would consider muslims to be "different".  Chirstians would consider hindus to be "different".  The owners of the house in which we stay are christians, and they live downstairs.  We have decent mutual understanding and for past 5-6 years we have been living here "peacefully", as peace is understood commonly.  Their three children, between the age of 3 years till 8 years, play with my daughter of 11 years.  I have often observed that there is an underlying feeling that we are not exactly the same - there is "us" versus "them", "their festivals" versus "our festivals", "chirstmas" versus "diwali"...  Tolerance was the ideal commonly given about these situations.  But isn't tolerance a compromise? An unresolved matter?  In which we don't really belong to each other, but maintain a facade by wishing "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Diwali" to each other, and maintain our safe distances....  and sometimes talking about "celebrating differences"!

In the course of translating Madhyasth-Darshan into English, it occurred to me - Is "religion" really a bad-word?  Religion is evoking such strong sentiments in people, is there a reality about it?  What is religion in reality?  What is my religion?  Would reality of religion be different for different people, or in reality we are of the same religion - it is just that we don't know it?  Is there anything wrong with customs?  What are customs in reality?

Is Dharma - that we talk about in Madhyasth-Darshan -  the reality of Religion?  It seems to be so...

So religion is not about the symbols and practices, but something innate to me - which cannot be separated from me in any which way...  So my religion is irrespective of my being born to a hindu family.  It is the same situation with every human-being.  Human-religion is one - and that is happiness.  The anticipation of happiness is inseparable from any human-being - whatever he may do.  So we humans are a common lot...  brothers and sisters really...  Also change of religion is not even a possibility.  Our religion of happiness is innate to us.

Do beings apart from humans have any religion?  Or religion - or dharma - a conscious phenomenon only?  It became clear that dharma is not something which I derive logically.  It is a reality about me, which is there - UNSHAKEN.  Which makes me wonder if there is such an aspect which is just there in evolution-stages other than humankind?  So it seems....

All material-world is of the same religion - to exist.  All plants are of the same religion - to grow.  All animals are of the same religion - wanting-to-be-alive.  And all humans are of the same religion - to want happiness.  And all nature's common-religion is to exist.  This religion is the foundation for all nature to be related with each other.  There is no denying it.  Religion is the basis of belonging.  There is no real basis of belonging without religion.  Religion has significance.  It is the most significant aspect actually....

Religion word evokes strong sentiments because it tries to address to this need to belong.  However in the absence of knowing the truth or reality of religion, we become fragmented, identifying ourselves with the customs, mannerisms, symbols, dress-codes....  The core reason of religion getting a bad-name, I feel, is its mysteriousness... its lack of openness...  I personally don't have any difficulty to conforming to tradition and customs, but somebody should explain to me its meaning or purpose also.  If I understand the meaning and purpose of religion, then I would only be happy to conform to customs - for it gives me a sense of belonging, a sense of camaraderie, which I cannot get from any other way....  And can that understanding be my own, so that I don't have to keep asking others?  Is there an essence of understanding after getting which I could derive the solutions for my specific day to day situations?  So it seems...

Realization in coexistence means a human-being to become established in his religion, by achieving happiness - not just anticipate it...  That would be the difference between one who is in illusion and one who has awakened.  The awakened person has achieved happiness by realizing coexistence, by having seen it, or having understood it.

I found that I was feeling shy in using the word "religion" for dharma.  I tried to put religion where dharma has been used in my attempt of translating manav vyavhar darshan - and it made sense.... A sample of which is as follows....

The religion for humankind is happiness.  Human-being is so much steeped in want of happiness that he cannot be disoriented from it even for a moment.  The definition of religion itself has been done in this way – “That from which one cannot be separated or that separation of which is not possible, is its religion.”  On the basis of this definition of religion – religion of material-order is ‘to exist’ , religion of pranic-order is to  ‘to grow’, religion of animal-order is ‘want-to-be-alive’ and religion of humankind is proposed as ‘happiness’.  It has also been proposed that religion of every evolved unit of nature includes religion of less evolved units.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion has some scholarly information about religion word, its root, and how it is commonly understood today.  The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that this word needed to be defined and used in English presentation of Madhyasth-Darshan.  I went through all the places where dharma word is used in Manav Vyavhar Darshan, and tried to see how religion word sounded in its place.  It made more sense... I bounced the idea with other people with whom I discuss, and they concurred in this decision as well.

What do you think? 

प्रमाण

हम "प्रमाण" किसे कह रहे हैं - इस पर हमको स्पष्ट होने की आवश्यकता है.  अभी विज्ञान विधि से प्रमाण उसको कहते हैं जो प्रयोगशाला में बार-बार दोहराया जा सके.  आदर्श-वाद में प्रमाण उसको कहते हैं जो उनकी पवित्र-किताब के अनुरूप हो.  इस तरह विज्ञान (भौतिकवाद) यंत्र को प्रमाण मानता है और आदर्शवाद शास्त्र को प्रमाण मानता है.

मध्यस्थ-दर्शन में प्रमाण को तीन स्वरूप में समझा गया है - (१) अनुभव प्रमाण.  (२) व्यवहार प्रमाण.  (३) प्रयोग प्रमाण.  यह एक मूल बात है, इसको ध्यान दे कर समझने की जरूरत है.  अनुभव प्रमाण का मतलब है - मैं सह-अस्तित्व रूपी अस्तित्व के मूल स्वरूप के प्रति बिलकुल निर्भ्रम हूँ.  व्यवहार-प्रमाण का मतलब है - मैं अपने संबंधों को सह-अस्तित्व के अर्थ में पहचान पाता हूँ, और उस प्रयोजन को निर्वाह करके उभय-तृप्ति को सिद्ध कर पाता हूँ.  प्रयोग-प्रमाण का मतलब है - मैं जड़-प्रकृति के साथ उत्पादन में समृद्धि को प्रमाणित कर पाता हूँ.  इस तरह जागृति पूर्वक मनुष्य स्वयं प्रमाण का आधार होता है.  या जागृत व्यक्ति स्वयं प्रमाण का स्वरूप होता है.

क्या प्रमाण की इस परिभाषा से हम सहमत हैं या नहीं - इस पर पहले सुनिश्चित होने की आवश्यकता है.  नहीं तो हम हर बात का प्रमाण या तो प्रयोगशाला विधि से खोजना चाहेंगे या किसी किताब में खोजना चाहेंगे.   आदर्शवादी और भौतिकवादी विधियों में मानव को प्रमाण का आधार नहीं माना गया है.  यही कारण है - उन विधियों से किसी भी व्यक्ति पर भरोसा करना बन नहीं पाता.  किसी भी व्यक्ति पर विश्वास नहीं होना, न ही अपने आप पर - इस तरह आदर्शवाद और भौतिकवाद में भय के साथ ही जीना बन पाता है.

मध्यस्थ-दर्शन के अध्ययन क्रम में पहले अध्ययन कराने वाले पर विश्वास करना बनता है.  अध्ययन कराने वाले को प्रमाण माने बिना समझने की बात आगे ही नहीं बढ़ सकती.  अध्ययन कराने वाला स्वयं को प्रमाणित घोषित करता है, और इसमें कोई फेर-बदल होता नहीं है - इसीलिये अध्ययन करने वाला विश्वास उस पर कर पाता है.  अध्ययन के सफल होने पर स्वयं पर विश्वास करना बनता है.  स्वयं के स्वरूप को समझे बिना स्वयं पर विश्वास करने का कोई तौर-तरीका ही नहीं है.  स्वयं पर विश्वास होने के साथ ही सब पर विश्वास करना बनता है.  फिर सबके साथ विश्वास पूर्वक जीना बनता है.  इस तरह विश्वास पूर्वक जीना ही प्रमाण है.

अध्ययन-क्रम में स्वयं में निहित "सुख की चाहत" और "ज्ञान की चाहत" पर ध्यान दिलाया जाता है.  चाहत अपने में कोई प्रमाण नहीं है.  चाहत प्रमाण की "अपेक्षा" है.   अध्ययन जब पूरा होता है, तब यह अपेक्षा पूरी होती है, उसके बाद प्रमाण की शुरुआत है.  यदि हम अधूरे में ही अपने को अनुभवी मान लें - तो यह अहंकार समझने में आगे बढ़ने से रोक देता है.  इस अहंकार के टूटने के बाद ही आगे और समझने का रास्ता है.  

Alternative of Modern Education

We humans need education to live with sanity.  Unlike animals, who don’t need any schooling to do what they do – we humans need education in some form.  This need to know is innate to every human-being – much like need to grow is innate to every plant and want-to-be-alive is innate to every animal.  Modern-education, which is prevalent all over the world, is unable to fulfill this need, as is clearly evident.  Happiness or Knowledge is not taught in schools of today.  The roots of modern-education are in Science.  Putting another way, modern-education is rooted in beliefs of Science.  If we want a real change in the world, and not some cosmetic cover-up – we must take Science to task.  We must find out, whether Science has identified the ‘need to know’ or ‘need to be happy’ in human-being?  Exploitation of Earth and mistrust among human-beings increased many fold from advents of Science.  There is no technical or scientific solution for repair of these damages.  Now what should humankind do?  There is no going back.  We can’t start living like hunter-gatherers now, or go back to our fancied golden-age of distant past.  We need an alternative here and now.  I am happy to inform that Madhyasth-Darshan – propounded by Shree A. Nagraj - is the alternative of Materialism aka Science and it has the vision for realizing meaningful-education that addresses humankind’s need to know or need to be happy.  The study of human-being is now possible in, from, and for coexistence with Madhyasth-Darshan.   Modern-education has failed.  It is incapable of bringing about awakening in humankind.  The alternative of modern-education will require us to rethink from an alternative reference – which is not a continuation of prior references in human-thinking in any way.  The alternative of Madhyasth Darshan has now become available before humankind which has made “realization in coexistence” within grasp for whole humankind by way of education.  We will accept it based on our need to know, based on our need to be happy.

Main Postulations of Madhyasth Darshan

Following is a glimpse of main postulations of Madhyasth-Darshan propounded by Shree A. Nagraj, as I understand.

1. Existence, all that is, is orderly in the form of coexistence.  All reality is manifestation of coexistence.

2. Existence is infinite material and conscious units of nature saturated in all pervasive Omnipotence.  Space visible in between the units of nature is the absolute energy as Omnipotence, which is immanent to all units of nature, from which they are energized and therefore continuously-active.


3. Atom is the fundamental form of orderliness of nature.  Orderliness of nature is in the form of stability and definitiveness.


4. Nature has innate direction for advancement towards completeness, due to which there is evolution, progress, awakening-progression, and awakening in existence.  Every unit of nature is effortful towards completeness.  Nature is purposeful.

5. In the course of this existential-progression, there are four evolution-stages – with each unit in each evolution-stage being orderly in itself and participating in holistic-orderliness.  These evolution-stages are – material-order, pranic-order, animal-order, and knowledge-order (humankind).  Each higher-order includes the characteristics, essential-nature, and innateness of previous-orders into its fold, while having certain additional characteristics, essential-nature, and innateness which transcend the previous orders.  Each evolution-stage has its way of ensuring eternal-presence of its kind, in the form of tradition.


6. Human-being is a unit of knowledge-order, who has the need to know.  Human-being is not satisfied to live in the purview of body.  Human-being is a combined expression of jeevan (conscious-aspect) and body (material-aspect).  It is the conscious-aspect (jeevan) in human-being that has the need to know and need to be happy.  Unless the conscious-aspect (jeevan) is recognized precisely, human-beings are bound to mistake comforts for happiness.

7. Human-being’s innateness is happiness – i.e. it is not possible to separate a human-being from his want of happiness.  Existence in the form of coexistence is all there is to know.  Human-being has imagination – with which he can study existence, and fulfill his need to know by realization in coexistence, and with this understanding he can become resolved in all dimensions of his living.  Resolution itself is happiness.  Resolution is the existential-purpose of human-being.


8. It is with resolution that a human-being becomes capable of expressing his essential-nature of steadfastness, courage, generosity, kindness, graciousness, and compassion in his living.  Such living is called living in human-consciousness – which is characterized with evidences of justice, dharma (resolution) and truth.

9. One who has achieved realization in coexistence becomes a source of inspiration for others.  Such a person becomes a worthy teacher – for there is integrity in what he does, what he says, what he thinks, and what reality is.  Such a person can impart meaningful education to other human-beings.  This is the way tradition of humanness can be realized.


10. Awakening is the purpose of entire existence.  Only humankind has the possibility and need for awakening.  Meaningful education that imparts study in coexistence alone is capable of fulfilling this need.

Exploitation and Nurturing

The ultimate of human-awakening is realization in independent existence of self, while being in harmony with one’s environment.  Therefore, all activities that obstruct awakening are ‘exploitation’ and all activities which give impetus (support) to awakening are ‘nurturing’.  - Madhyasth Darshan by Shree A. Nagraj

साधना का फल

साधना करने वालों का संसार ने सम्मान किया है.  साधना का फल किन्तु संसार को नहीं मिला.  साधना करने वाले को साधना से कुछ मिला या नहीं मिला यह पता नहीं चला.  यह अब तक की कथा है.

साधना का फल संसार को मिलना चाहिए या नहीं?  इस पर आप शोध करिए.

मुझे साधना से जो फल मिला उसको मैंने संसार के सम्मुख रख दिया है.  यह उचित किया या अनुचित किया?

समाधान-समृद्धि पूर्वक जीने का प्रस्ताव संसार के सम्मुख प्रस्तुत किया है.  उसके लिए अध्ययन विधि बताया है. अध्ययन के लिए दर्शन, वाद, शास्त्र, और मानवीय आचार संहिता रूपी संविधान दिया है.  वह आपके अवलोकन करने के लिए प्रस्तुत है.

प्रश्न:  अध्ययन से क्या आशय है?

उत्तर:  अधिष्ठान के साक्षी में, अर्थात अनुभव के साक्षी में या अनुभव की रोशनी में स्मरण पूर्वक किया गया प्रयास अध्ययन है.  यह परिभाषा है.  इसका विवरण इस प्रकार दिया - अध्ययन के लिए जो शब्द का हम प्रयोग करते हैं, उस शब्द के अर्थ स्वरूप में अस्तित्व में वस्तु होती है.  उस वस्तु का ज्ञान हुआ, मतलब हमने अध्ययन किया.  वस्तु का ज्ञान तदाकार विधि से होता है.  हर मानव के पास कल्पनाशीलता है, उस कल्पनाशीलता के आधार पर तदाकार होता है.

प्रश्न: तदाकार से क्या आशय है?

उत्तर: अभी भी आप तदाकार विधि से ही चले हैं.  जैसे - चार विषयों के साथ तदाकार हो जाना.  पांच संवेदनाओं के साथ तदाकार हो जाना.  सुविधा-संग्रह के साथ तदाकार हो जाना.  इस तरह की हविस या मनोगत-भाव से तदाकार होने पर मानव फंस जाता है.  अब यहाँ समाधान के साथ तदाकार होने का प्रस्ताव है.

प्रश्न: अनुभव की रोशनी से क्या आशय है?

उत्तर: अध्ययन कराने वाले के पास अनुभव की रोशनी रहता है.


प्रश्न: अध्ययन करने वाले के पास क्या रहता है?

उत्तर: अध्ययन करने वाले के पास अनुमान रहता है.  मुझको समझा हुआ मान कर ही आप मुझसे अध्ययन कर पाओगे, नहीं तो मुझसे अध्ययन नहीं कर पाओगे.  आपका अनुमान जहां तक बन पाता है वहां तक आपको समझ आता है.  आपका अनुमान जहां नहीं बन पाता है, या हमारा कल्पनाशीलता जहां कुंठित होता है, वहां सच्चाई समझ में नहीं आ पाता है.  बिना समझे कुछ भी करने जाते हैं तो उससे गलती ही होगा, दूसरा कुछ होगा नहीं.  आदमी दो ही स्वरूप में रह सकता है - समाधान के स्वरूप में या गलती के स्वरूप में.

प्रश्न: कल्पनाशीलता इस तरह कुंठित हो जाए तो क्या करें? 

उत्तर: उसके लिए मूल से पुनः जिज्ञासा करना चाहिए.  आप पढ़ सकते हैं, और समझ भी सकते हैं.  आप पढ़िए, जो समझ में नहीं आता है - वह मुझ से समझ लीजिये.  यही इसका विधि है.  समझा हुआ व्यक्ति इस प्रकार समझाने की जिम्मेदारी ले और समझने वाला व्यक्ति समझने की जिम्मेदारी ले तो समझ में आ जाता है.

प्रश्न: यदि प्रस्ताव की सूचना है, और मेरी जिज्ञासा है तो क्या वह समझने के लिए पर्याप्त नहीं है?  या समझाने वाले की फिर भी आवश्यकता है?

उत्तर: - केवल सूचना होना और जिज्ञासा होना समझने के लिए पर्याप्त नहीं है.  समझाने वाले के बिना समझ में नहीं आता.  समझाने वाले के बिना समझने के लिए समाधि होना आवश्यक है.  समाधि के बाद यदि संयम में आपका लक्ष्य स्थिर रहता है तो प्रकृति से सीधे आपको समझ में आएगा.

इस प्रस्ताव की सूचना का महत्त्व इसको समझाने वालों के साथ ही है.

- श्री ए नागराज के साथ संवाद पर आधारित (अक्टूबर २००९, हैदराबाद) 

समझने में समय

प्रश्न: समझने में बहुत समय लगता है, तब तक जो स्वयं में असंतुष्टि है, उसका क्या करें?

उत्तर: - संतुष्टि तो आप ही में होगा.  संतुष्टि के लिए कोई गोली तो है नहीं की उसको निगलें और समझ गए!  आप अभी समझना चाहें तो अभी समझ सकते हैं, दो वर्ष में समझना चाहें तो दो वर्ष में समझ सकते हैं.  समझने के लिए समझने वाले और समझाने वाले दोनों की भागीदारी जरूरी है.  केवल समझाने वाला पर्याप्त नहीं है, समझने के लिए.  समझने में लगने वाली अवधि समझने-वाले पर निर्भर है.  जैसे - मैं अपनी बात को ५ सूत्रों में भी कह सकता हूँ, २५  सूत्रों में भी कह सकता हूँ, २५००० सूत्रों में भी कह सकता हूँ.  आपको ५ सूत्रों में समझ नहीं आता है तो आपके लिए मैं अपनी बात २५ सूत्रों में कहता हूँ.  २५ सूत्रों में नहीं समझ आता है तो मैं २५००० सूत्रों में कहता हूँ.  समय को लेकर परेशान न हुआ जाए.  समय निरंतर है - वह रुकता नहीं है.  प्रयत्न निरंतर है - चुप तो कोई रहता नहीं है.  प्रयत्न और समय का प्रयोजन के अर्थ में संयोजन होने से समझदारी फलित होता है.

- श्री ए. नागराज के साथ संवाद पर आधारित (अक्टूबर २००९, हैदराबाद)