Science, Religion & Spirituality

SCIENCE, RELIGION &

SPIRITUALITY

Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon, Ph.D.

•The Spiritual State of Mind is the Ultimate State of Happiness.

•It is this State of Mind which Rajnish called Orgasmic, Saints call Peaceful, Psychiatrists call Tranquil, and drug addicts call Getting High.

•I found pleasure in wine. I found pleasure in women. And I found pleasure in spiritual experience. Only the last one was permanent. ---A King

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon

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ISBN: 1424111269 (paperback)

PublishAmerica

Baltimore, MD

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr. Mika N. Singh, Ph.D. history of religion, Harvard University for reading the manuscript and valuable discussions. To the audiences at my seminars in Canada and USA, and local congregation for finding time to listen my views and for asking intriguing questions, I am highly grateful. To my family and friends, you know who you are, I am thankful for your loving trust and inspiration.

I am also thankful to that higher power who kept me focused and who blessed me with grandsons Jaydeep and Vikram on August 31, 2005.

CONTENTS

A Word

1. THE POWER OF SPIRITUALITY

What is Spirituality?

The Spiritual Need

Man to God

Science, Religion, and Spirituality

The Value of Spiritual Living in Everyday Life

2. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND NEW CONSCIOUSNESS

What is Religion?

Religions and Attitudes

Religious Deals

How Religious Preachers have Kept the Word God Alive!

Religious Wars and New Consciousness

Religious Beliefs

3. THE UNIVERSAL DIVINE MIND

The Concept of Universal Mind

Focus of Mind (Dhayana)

Time to Focus Our Mind (Amrit Vela)

Purification of Mind

A Timeless Mind (Akaal Moorat)

4. A FREE MIND

Mind Without Fear

Mind Without Enmity

Existing Beyond Time

5. SPIRITUAL LIVING I

Be Thankful and Enjoy What You Have

Surrender

Non-Attachment

6. SPIRITUAL LIVING II

Patience

Forgiveness

Ego-Unhealthy Creation of Our Own Mind

The Ultimate Achievement

7. GOD AND SPIRIT

The Concept of God and Spirit

If God or Spirit is Part of Each Person, Why do So Few People Realize It!

A Universal Message

How Spirit Controls Fear of Death

Prayer

Concept of Soul and Reincarnation

8. EVIL –THE ABSENCE OF GOODNESS

Evil: A Matter of Choice

Evil, Hell, and Heaven

Someone is Always Watching Us

A Wicked Mind

9. FULL LIVING

Get A Life

Attitude and Actions

Pain and Pleasure

Happiness Grows

Love, Friendship, and Strangers

Our Own Actions

Test Your Spirituality Level

References

Back to Contents

A Word

Religion without science is blind.

Science without religion is lame.

Albert Einstein

Science and religion have traditionally been treated like oil and water-- they don't mix. The reason for this polarization is embedded in the idea that religion is a form of subjective fundamental belief whereas science is objective verifiable phenomenon.

Science is concentration: it is action, it is effort, it is challenge. Spirituality or religion is a totally different world: it is relaxation, it is let-go, it is acceptance-- it is not concentration at all. So how can we reconcile them? How do we reconcile work and rest?

Philosophically reconciliation is not possible: work cannot be rest, rest cannot be work. If we try to create a synthesis we will destroy both, the beauty of both. Work is work, rest is rest. But work done well brings rest, and if we have rested well in the night; in the morning we will feel so vital, so alive, and so full of energy, that work is needed. Rest prepares for work, work prepares for rest-- it is a circle. Similarly after periods of concentration we need relaxation; and after relaxation we are ready for concentration. Science is concentration, Spirituality is relaxation. They are half-circles; with both together the circle is perfect and complete. In nature, reconciliation is already there: day brings night, night brings day. They are half-circles; with both together the circle is perfect and complete.

In existence observe, and see how polar opposites are functioning together, hand in hand, as complementaries. That has not been done yet for science and religion; in fact, humanity was not at such level to do it up to now. Everything needs a particular time, a particular environment, in which to be done. The East has lived religiously-- that is one pole-- and because it has lived religiously it has not been able to produce good science.

The West has lived scientifically, and because of its science it has lost track of religion and spirituality. Now for the first time in this space age and internet, the East is no more East and the West is no more West. The earth is becoming one: the earth is becoming one global village. This is the time when the reconciliation between science and religion can be seen, can be understood.

Humanity is entering into a new phase; a new consciousness is to dawn. For at least ten thousand years, as far as consciousness is concerned, nothing new has happened. There have been Buddhas and there have been Albert Einsteins, but we are still waiting for a Buddha who is also an Albert Einstein or an Albert Einstein who is also a Buddha. In his last days Albert Einstein, however was very interested in spirituality and religion. The day is coming closer and closer.

Rather than underscore the conflict between religion and science and point to their mutual exclusivity, we need to unravel the strands in both and see the extent to which one augments the other. In this book a formula has been developed to advance the compatibility of science and religion. A scientist can't deny the incredible awareness and intelligence that exists in life, in nature, and in us. It's being a scientist that makes us spiritual.

It’s religion based on spirituality, which helps many of us deal with ups and downs in life and keeps the mind tranquil. And it’s spirituality which helps us deal with life-crises. I hope this book will provide personalized answer to the questions which conform to our nature as both rational and religious human beings.

There is no value anymore in articles that gave titles such as Is God Dead? If he was, the likely culprit was science, whose triumph was deemed so complete that what cannot be known (by scientific methods) seems uninteresting, unreal. Now we are using science to complement our spirituality. It is this new notion that prompted the writing of this book.

American youth are returning to religion but a different kind of religion. A major poll reveals a breadth of tolerance and curiosity virtually across the religious spectrum. And everywhere, a flowering of spirituality (Newsweek, September 5, 2005, Spirituality in America). Furthermore, survey shows that more than 95 percent of Americans believe in God, while 90 percent meditate or pray (Dean Hamer, Harvard University, The God Gene); but regular church attendance is declining in America and Europe.

Everywhere we look, the spirituality is on the rise. In Catholic churches the worshipers pass the small hours of the night alone contemplating spiritual communion with God. God to them is just more than somebody you visit on Sunday. For those who've chosen this new flavor of Catholicism, the nourishment comes daily. Younger generation of American Muslims finds its shared faith is erasing the old boundaries that separated their immigrant parents. They are looking to achieve a more God-centered Islam. There are Jews who are seeking God in the mystical thickets of Kabbalah, in order to experience an intimate connection to the Almighty. Zen and innumerable other threads of Buddhism, whose followers seek enlightenment through meditation and prayer, find the divine within that helps them make peace with themselves. Also, in the rebirth of Pagan religions the followers look for God in the wonders of the natural world (Jerry Alder, Newsweek, 2005). Personal- transcendent experience of God is at the heart of much of what we do.

Whatever is going on here, it's not an explosion of people going to church. Gallup poll cited by Time in 1966 showed 44% attending worship services weekly. Now, researchers who have done actual head counts in churches think the figure is probably more like 20 percent. The fastest-growing category on surveys that ask people to give their religious affiliation, says Patricia O'Connell Killen of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, is none. But spirituality, the impulse to seek communion with the Divine, is thriving. The 2005 Newsweek/Beliefnet Poll found that more Americans, especially those younger than 60, described themselves as spiritual (79 percent) than religious (64 percent).

The new generation of 21st century is not looking for a solid theology and be orthodox to the core, but to experience God in their own life? Young people got tired of hearing that once upon a time people experienced God directly, says historian Martin E. Marty of the University of Chicago. They want it to happen for themselves. They don't want to hear that Joan of Arc had a vision. They want to have a vision. Rather than being about a god who commands you, it's about finding a religion that empowers you spiritually.

Along with diversity has come a degree of inclusiveness that would have scandalized an earlier generation. According to the Newsweek/Beliefnet Poll, eight in 10 Americans—including 68 percent of evangelicals—believe that more than one faith can be a path to salvation, which is most likely not what they were taught in Sunday school. One out of five respondents said they had switched religions as an adult.

You don’t need to switch your religion or be a yogi living in a cave far away from the civilized world to be spiritual to realize spiritual practices [of the East]. Most of us have homes, mouths to feed, bills to pay--we live in the temporal world. Here’s a temporal metaphor to explain how the daily practices enhance our lives: Our bodies are like a car; they carry our soul around; they're a vehicle for our consciousness. And if you take good care of your spiritual-self, your ride becomes less bumpy, your human experience becomes a little more enjoyable, and you avoid many of those stresses that take away your enjoyment. You don’t need to go to some ashram in India or expensive spiritual and meditation centers either, because the book provides various spiritual philosophies of the East and concepts of the West. The practices that you should be able to follow yourself.

The guide teaches how to observe the mind, to live in gratitude and to discard expectations. The guide also provides a value-based framework to life and tools with which to build the superstructure. The benefits of focusing on our spiritual-self include tranquility, increased production, a resurgence of vitality, mental clarity and joy of living.

This book is not about creating a new religion, sect or movement, but in fact is about loving every religion. The understanding of science, religion, and spirituality will put us on a road to love and happiness irrespective of our faith.

Those who are able to achieve their spiritual goals, can make this earth a worthwhile place to live, make this society a worthwhile society to belong to and exist in, make the world full of true love for each other and end hatred and crime.

The central focus of this book is to improve the state of our mind. By improved state of mind or spiritual state of mind or sharpening our faith, we can add an extra dimension to everyday life. It's the balance between material, psychological, and spiritual dimensions that make a wholesome life, and this union brings feelings of comfort and security. However, this unified perspective cannot be forced on anyone until his or her consciousness is prepared to accept it.

"The language of the head is words.

The language of the heart is love.

The language of the soul is silence."

Back to Contents

Chapter 1

THE POWER OF SPIRITUALITY

A spiritual person sees not only himself in the world,

but the whole world in himself.

The enlightened mind sees all things, not in process of becoming, but in being, and sees himself in the others. In universal consciousness each is All, and All is each. Man as he is now has ceased to be the All. But when he ceases to be an individual, he raises himself again and penetrates the whole world-- says Plotinus. It is not unusual for the individual to feel that the whole world has become his own body, and that whatever he is has not only become, but always has been, what everything else is. It is not that he loses his identity to the point of feeling that he actually looks out through all other eyes, becoming omniscient, but rather that his individual consciousness and existence is a point of view temporarily adopted by something immeasurably greater than himself. The enlightenment or awakening is not the creation of a new state of affairs but the recognition of what always is.

What is Spirituality?

Spiritual life is invisible comfort like fragrance in a flower,

taste in a fruit, cream in a milk, and fire in a wood.

Many spiritual masters have described spiritual power by different names. Buddha called the enlightened one; Christ and Messiah also meant the same. St. Paul called this state the peace of God that passeth understanding and Richard Maurice Bucke named it cosmic consciousness. Guru Nanak described as realization of ultimate truth. In Zen it is satori, in Yoga it is samadhi or moksha, in Sufism it is fana, in Taoism it is wu or the Ultimate Tao. Gurdjieff labeled it objective consciousness, Sri Aurobindo refers to it as illumination, liberation, and self-realization. Dante said, trans-humanization into a God. Likewise, enlightenment has been symbolized by many images: the thousand-petaled lotus of Hinduism, the Holy Grail of Christianity, the clear mirror of Buddhism, Judaism's Star of David, the yin-yang circle of Taoism, the mountaintop, the swan, the still lake, the mystic rose, and the eternal flame are all different imagings of the same phenomenon.

How does an individual describes the spiritual power may seem quite different and even opposed? As one and the same pain may be described either as a hot pang or as a cold sting, so the descriptions of the enlightened experience may take forms that seem so different. One person may say that he has found the answer to the whole mystery of life, but somehow cannot put it into words. Another will feel that he has experienced, not a transcendent God, but his own inmost nature. One will get the sense that his ego or self has expanded to become the entire universe, whereas another will feel that he has lost himself altogether and that what he called his ego was never anything but an abstraction. One will describe himself as infinitely enriched, while another will say he has not a care in the world. A theist may call it a glimpse of the presence of God. Rajnish called it orgasmic, saints may call peaceful, psychiatrists may call tranquil, and drug addicts may call getting high.

Characteristics of a Spiritual Person in Everyday Living:

Regardless of the experiences mentioned above, some of the characteristics of a spiritual person include:

1. An absence of need to dominate others, kindness, forgiving, mercy, compassion, peace, joy, acceptance, non-judgment, joining, and intimacy.

2 A spiritual being focuses on authentic personal empowerment, utilizes multidimensional thinking, and believes loving guidance is available.

3. He/she feels connected to all of humanity and practices a life without desire to control someone or to prove that he/she is right and the other person is wrong.

4. He knows a dimension beyond cause and effect. He is motivated by morality, serenity and quality of life.

5. He knows a violent response to evil as participating in evil and focuses on what he stands for.

6. He feels a sense of responsibility and belonging to the universe. He has a tendency to extend love and help others rather than feel enmity and competition. So he loves everybody and all His creations, never spread any hatred, instead spread and give love to others.

7. He shares other's grief, and helps the poor and down trodden people.

8. His mind is not controlled by anger, fear, lust, greed, attachment, false ego, or envy. He kills his ego and become an utmost humble person.

9. He kills his doubts and distractions of mind. Only the ones who kill their mind's doubts (duality) achieve salvation.

10. He achieves a high spiritual condition of his mind and heart; and has a spiritual heart and mind that are saturated with divine wisdom.

11. He has chosen a path that leads to the discovery of the Truth, and started to pursue the path to salvation. He leaves the life of hypocrisy and become merged in Truth.

12. He is always trying to become a completely truthful person; and has been elevated spiritually to a level where others are blessed by his company.

13. He has won over worldly hopes, desires, slander, gossip and back-biting and overcome the effects of the mammon snake. He rises over all the worldly ties.

14. His existence is not affected by time and age. He is not afraid of getting old or of dying young.

15. He sees no sin in the world to escape from.

16. Spirituality starts with faith. He starts with having a faith in higher power.

17. He accepts and obeys the Lord's Will; and prays for blessings of higher power.

18. Upon arising early in the morning, he cleanses himself in the name of higher power. Any feelings of sins, misdeeds and negativity are erased. He meditates on Lord’s name with every breath and every morsel of food.

19. By true living in Spirituality, he earns his livelihood and eats the fruit of his labor sharing the same with others.

20. Those who are engaged in the service of His creation are leading the Spiritual life. Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life in the service of needy and helpless humanity, is the example of Spirituality. So was Bhagat Puran Singh of Pingalwara in Amritsar, India who took care of the poor and sick.

21. Those who are able to achieve their spiritual goals, can make this earth a worthwhile place to live, make this society a worthwhile society to belong to and exist in, make the world full of true love for each other and end hatred and crime.

A non-spiritual person, on the other hand, lives in a state of fear and experiences anger, abuse, pain, greed, addiction, selfishness, obsession, corruption, and violence. He/she may hold grudges and seek revenge for perceived wrongdoing. He is only motivated for acquisitions' sake. He often experiences loneliness and separation from all others.

Enlightenment is but a recognition,

not a change at all.

--A course in miracles

Please remember, a life lived in a spiritual state of mind is no different than an everyday life but with an extra dimension added to it. God and spirit constitutes a person’s Self, it is not something to be attained by that person. It is omnipresent and is part of its nature that it is ever present to everyone.

The spiritual life does not lie away from the everyday life.

It is the everyday life, unmodified, but with an extra dimension

added to it.

--The Great Awakening

The Spiritual Need

Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.

--Paramhansa Yogananda

To satisfy the senses may be the major challenge for some of us, but it is actually the easiest part. Unlike these the mind and spirit require continual attention and stimulation. It is not until we assume responsibility for the enhancement of the total self that we can live a full-life.

Understanding others is wisdom.

Understanding yourself is enlightenment.

--Lao Tse

For the sake of simplicity, let us divide human life into 3 levels or categories of existence. All three levels, we may point out, are a normal part of the human life cycle. It's how we handle these 3 levels that create hell or heaven in our lives.

1. The first level of our existence as a highly evolved animal, would lead us to search for sensual pleasures such as lust, drinking, smoking, drugs and anything that satisfies or pleases the senses. Many people may spend their entire life right at this level.

2. The second level of our existence as we advance leads us to think more like humans since we live as a civilized society. That is to have a well-paying respectable job, a good house, an expensive car and other materialistic desires. All this is a normal characteristic of ego which requires strength, strategy and effort to achieve material possessions. Most of us spend our life rising only to second level.

3. The third or highest level of our existence demands something more than the first level of sensual pleasures and second level of striving to acquire materialistic living. It provides an extra dimension to the first and second levels! That third level is spiritual living, which we call the ultimate achievement in human existence. It is because of this desire, we find well educated, highly intelligent, extremely successful, and wealthy people looking for a spiritual leader or Guru. These are the people who desperately follow those who can provide some insight into spiritual philosophy.

A preponderance of spiritual Gurus happens to be from the east. One explanation for this is that western society has traditionally focused on action, and guidance for spiritual advancement has been relegated to secondary importance. This has led to a spiritual void. Owing to this spiritual void or need, 2500 or more cults exist in the U.S. alone. Cult leaders come from both east and west. Cult leader Jim Jones poisoned hundreds of his followers in the 1980s and David Kuresh led 86 people to burn themselves to death at Waco, Texas in 1993; Luc Jouret led over 50 members to forced death in Canada and Switzerland in October, 1994; a religious cult in Japan was held responsible for nerve gas incidence in sub-way killing of several people in March, 1995; Doomsday cult in Uganda set themselves ablaze burning 924 members to death in April, 2000. These are only few examples, and unfortunately, we are likely to see more of such instances in the future-- all in the name of spiritual pursuit. It's the understanding of spirit within us that can save us from cult incidences.

To seek spiritual power, there is no need to seek it through any occult hierarchy, any guru, any doctrine, says J. Krishnamurti. The important thing is to free our mind of envy, hate, and violence; and for that we don't need an organization. He calls people to examine their own hearts and minds to see the egotism and self-ignorance at the root of all sufferings and troubles; that is precisely what prevents enlightenment and spiritual power.

The spiritual power doesn't come from the same sources that feed our ego. Ego power is an important part of society in the