Initiation into Reality

world

Preface

All world religions have a mystical tradition, the deeper content of which usually stays hidden. It is referred to as ‘Secret knowledge’. However, it is not to deny this knowledge to people that it is ‘secret’. Rather, it remains hidden because it is almost impossible to express its essence in words. For this reason, mystics mostly use symbols or metaphors when they want to reveal the hidden gold to spiritual seekers.

The mystical knowledge is, in fact, the heart of each religion. Where religion is not correctly understood (and consequently people lose interest), most likely it’s because the mystical heartbeat is no longer perceived. When this is the case, people lose touch with their source and therefore lose insight into the meaning of existence.

To the extent that the great world religions have lost their mystical heart, we can say: this book surpasses religion. When we listen to the mystical heartbeat of each religion we say: here all religions come together.

How religions come together in this book is best shown by formulating the essence of the book as:

The Absolute has become you,

Your Self is the Absolute.

So, uncover the Absolute!

Initiation into Reality aims to open you to the truth of this statement, and to guide you toward your own experience of the Absolute. The Absolute is Reality.

The realization of the Absolute, Reality, changes your life completely. Some characteristics of the Absolute given in these pages are: the timeless, the eternal, the imperishable, the good, perfect peace, pure love, God… So, it is no wonder that the insight into that Absolute gives your life a totally different meaning. A completely new, spiritual dimension is added.

In this book, it is also stated that the cause of all the misery in the world is the fact that man is not conscious of his relationship with the Absolute. Because of this, we just live from our ego without contact with the ‘source’: the roots of our existence. Although we need this contact, this reunification with our source, we are almost never aware of this need.

In essence, man is a religious, mystical being. Our primal spiritual need for reunification with our source, however, remains hidden because of another fundamental need: namely, our sexual need. This we know, but we do not understand it properly.

It is, in fact, our primal spiritual need for reunification, which makes us look for what we think will make us happy. In a positive way, this will usually lead us to seek security in a perfect relationship, a family or a career. In a negative way, this can lead to the glorifying of the ego, the longing for power and the satisfaction of desires.

Mankind’s tragedy is that real mystic wisdom, as I will try to explain, is apparently no longer available. Why not? Did we all lose this knowledge? Has this knowledge not been revealed before? Of course it has. This knowledge dates back thousands and thousands of years, but its meaning is no longer understood. Because of our ignorance of the spiritual Reality of existence, and the fact that as a result we live separated from the mystical source of life, it is with the mind that we vainly try to solve our human problems.

When the primal need for reunification with the source of our existence cannot be fulfilled in a satisfying way, we become lonely, depressed, or sad. Another way of responding to our lack of ‘contact’ with our primal source is the ‘inflation’ of our ego. All kinds of human disasters can be created this way. This is the origin of crime, war, exploitation, discrimination, and all other negative things.

We all know that in politics (national as well as international), one is seriously looking for ways to manage the constantly growing problems of the world. Where is one looking for solutions? Everywhere but where these solutions will really be found. The only real solution for all human issues is found when humanity opens to wisdom. Mankind without wisdom will, by losing the understanding of the meaning of life, annihilate itself.

Living from wisdom, from insight into Reality, leads to taking responsibility, to the preservation of life. But who still has this existential wisdom? It looks as if one is not even allowed to speak about it. Is this still a taboo?

The purpose of this book is twofold: first, to put the mystical essence of life into words as clearly as possible; and second, to guide you on several paths to enlightenment. The source for this is the mystical knowledge of ancient India, as revealed by their ‘Rishis’, sages.

Should you have any doubts about whether you will be able to fathom the mystical secret to be revealed, please understand this: the fact that you have this book in your hands shows that you have an interest in spirituality. As the so-called secret is hidden in your own soul, all you need to do is to listen quietly to my words, and the recognition of their meaning will arise from within by itself. When you try to put the spiritual concepts you are about to discover into practice, although it won’t always be easy, please keep in mind that every effort has its value.

In Part I of this book, the foundation necessary for understanding mysticism is provided. Because the Eastern way of thinking seems totally different from our Western way of thinking, we will make a bridge between East and West. The limits of reasoning are also explained. Next, the meaning of the term ‘enlightenment’ is explained, as well as the enormous importance of insight into Reality. Then insight into Reality is built up in four steps. In the process, the concept of ‘time’ is also investigated. From an enlightened point of view, time does not exist. Reality is not bound by time or place. It is the eternal ‘now’.

The use of the word ‘Reality’ is essential. Mystics use this to emphasize that the realization of the Absolute (or whatever synonym is used), is not a fiction or a hallucination. No, the ‘experience of oneness with the Absolute’ means an intense, existential ‘now’ experience. Any description of this is inadequate. To those who have had an experience like this, perhaps the following description will be meaningful. It is the experience of ‘the fullness of the void!’

In Part II of this book, the most essential philosophy of the ancient Rishis of India, called Advaita Vedanta, is studied. Learning to distinguish between that which is absolute and that which is relative is the basis for understanding mysticism and enlightenment. In order to grow in the understanding of this, meditation is necessary. Although there are many different meditation techniques, I limited myself to the method belonging to Advaita Vedanta. This is meditation directly on the own Self, because that is where the distinction between the Absolute and the relative has to unfold.

Part III looks at two other very old Hindu philosophies: Samkhya and Tantra. In the section on Tantra, an attempt is made to explain the mystery of sexuality in relation to enlightenment. When sexuality is understood and experienced as the life energy with which the Absolute manifests itself in our being, the vision of the Absolute (Reality) may arise.

In Part IV, I use a totally different approach. Here, I explain the way to enlightenment through our daily life. It is essential in all our spiritual practice to see through the nature of the ego. This is so important because it is our ego, as the scriptures (and Gurus) teach us that prevents us from seeing Reality as it is.

Even if we are able to live in the world with a ‘thin’ ego, we still have to cope with the daily struggle for life, where we are constantly confronted with other egos. Understanding how to deal with the ego is good, but putting the knowledge in actual practice is often very difficult.

I would still like to invite you to give this a serious try. The stressful ego, which we are afraid of losing, should not be what really matters to us. Some courage is required to give up the false image that we want to keep up for others. If we manage to achieve this, however, the basic cause of stress and other mental suffering falls away. That which was so hard to give up is of little value compared to what you will find within yourself.

To protect you on this spiritual path through daily life, I will show you the way to maintain the necessary balance between living in the world with a thin ego and preserving and developing your spirituality.

Part V gives an explanation of the mystery of enlightenment through devotion to the Divine, which is pure love. In this, too, the Absolute is realized as the highest Reality. In the end, knowledge (Jnana) and devotion (Bhakti) lead to the same initiation into Reality. The Absolute is God. The impersonal and the personal aspect of transcendental Reality turn out to be one and the same Self. We see a testimony of this in the description of the life and vision of the Hindu Saint Sri Ramakrishna.

Finally, I would like to suggest that you do not read these texts as you would read a book. Consider the words to be spoken slowly and to you in person.

I sincerely hope that with this book I give you something that brings you much wisdom and happiness.

Part I

Basics of the Ancient Universal Hindu Wisdom

1.01 Introduction

Thousands of years before the beginning of our era, long before writing was invented, the Hindu wisdom was passed on orally from generation to generation. Just imagine: many old cultures, such as those of the Egyptians, Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, Greeks, and Romans no longer exist, nor have they for a very long time.

But the ancient Hindu wisdom, where the inner secret is hidden in its profound philosophy called ‘Yoga’ (to ‘yoke’ together) has its roots in even earlier times, and it still exists. This alone should make it worth trying to deepen our knowledge of this ancient wisdom.

Coming to know the Yoga philosophy may seem to be simple. You can read a few books, take a course in Yoga, or even go to India. In this way, you will discover easily why Yoga has survived all this time, and still has such an appeal for so many people.

But, no—it is not as simple as that. The Yoga we would learn about that way is only the outside shell, the surface of a secret mystic path that belongs to a culture which is not ours. If we want to avoid losing interest because of such a superficial introduction, we must first try to bridge the differences in spiritual thinking between the East and the West.

When we realize that our Western way of thinking is less different from the Oriental way than we thought, it will be easier for us to go deeper into the mystical Oriental secret.

1.02 East and West Can Meet

One of the most significant differences between the East and the West, centers on religion. Just compare Hinduism with our Christian tradition. In Hinduism, there are many gods and goddesses. In Christianity, we have one God. In Hinduism, one believes in reincarnation and rebirth. In Christianity, one believes in resurrection from death. Hinduism has the caste system, while Christianity celebrates the idea of love for our neighbor.

These characteristics may seem contradictory, but we can bridge these differences by understanding that Hinduism considers its gods and goddesses simply as a number of aspects of one spiritual principle, which are pictured as (super) human entities to make these aspects clear to the believer.

Both the concepts of reincarnation and resurrection from death refer to the immortality of the soul.

As far as the caste system is concerned, this originally just distinguished the different social levels in society, just as we still distinguish them in our Western society, to a certain extent. However, in actual practice, this system has evolved throughout the centuries into a social straitjacket unacceptable to us in the West. The Christian concept of love for our neighbor seems much more ‘human’ to us—but, with us too, practice does not always match up to theory.

Another difference between the religions of the Hindus and the West is the relationship between man and the Supreme Being. The worship in the East of gods and goddesses, saints and gurus (teachers), seems odd to us, but makes