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Spirituality & Ethics Background Definitions The immanent, immanent self, or the individual spirit are terms used to denote the ultimate reality of the individual. Everything, all emotions, and all ideas of an individual can be explained and understood in terms of the immanent. At the same time, there is nothing, no emotion, and no idea of the individual in terms of which the immanent can be explained and understood. The individual is a manifestation of the immanent. The immanent is also referred to as God within. Introduction The article goes on to study character building ideas in order for ethical behavior patterns to become an effortless natural lifestyle. It further describes ethical and moral behavior; and enlists virtues and vices from the consideration of the spiritual ethic. It states that living a virtuous life shunning all vice is necessary but not a sufficient condition to achieve the ultimate goal. The Spiritual Principle For the sake of argument, the Universal Principle can be considered in three dimensions - the gross physical, the subtle, and the causal. We, as humans, can easily see the gross physical form. We can perceive the subtle. Although, we can intellectualize about the causal dimension of the Universal Principle, only some of us, in fact, do so and share that insight with others. It is not difficult to see that all human beings are virtually the same in physical structure. We also find that our needs and wants are also essentially the same. We all need air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and shelter to hide our heads. In addition, we all want comfort, we all want to be happy, we all want objects that we can use for meeting our needs or for satisfying our wants, etc. At the subtle level, we all have a mind that feels, intellect that thinks and the collection of mind body experiences that determines what we are at any one particular time. Here again we are all alike. Science has shown that at the physical and subtle levels, our apparent diversity is underlain by the unity of one single substance. Similarly, mystical experience shows that there is something at the causal level that energizes, animates, and enlightens both mind and body without which there would be no consciousness. It is due to this causal entity that our intellect thinks, we have awareness of our experiences, and we feel our physical existence. Mystical experience further shows the existence of a spiritual unity at the causal level underlying seemingly diverse consciousness in the universe. Thus, mystical and scientific experiences both point toward the existence of a unity underlying diversity in their respective animate and inanimate domains. Most of us are neither scientists nor mystics. We, however, are disposed to believing the scientific experience, as the physical world of science is within easier comprehension of our intellect. The subtler the physical reality, the more it stretches the mind. We can easily understand that all human beings have the same body parts, same bodily needs and functions, and the same mental faculties. We may look different, we may satisfy our bodily needs in somewhat different ways, our minds and intellects may work in different ways, but we do not have to stretch our imaginations to realize that we all get hungry just the same, we all bleed the just same, we all laugh the same, we all cry the same, we all have the same drives, we all have the same emotions, we all have the same weaknesses and the same strengths. We all are fundamentally the same physically both in the gross and the subtle dimensions. Not only human beings, but also all beings and all things in the universe, owe their existence to one single basic element. Although it stretches our minds, we are disposed to believing the scientific experience as truth. This is because the domain of science is perceptible by a number of human sense organs, where the perception of one sense organ can confirm or deny the perception of the other. On the other hand, we are not that open minded about the mystical experience. Mystical experience goes beyond physical unity to the unity at the causal and consciousness levels. The causal unity is discernible only by the intellect when it is in a certain mode. Mystical experience shows that all consciousness in the universe relating to any entity is one and the same. It stretches our minds to think of the consciousness apart from the physical. It stretches our minds even further to think of the consciousness as the causal basis of all entities in the universe. Because such an experience is beyond the normal comprehension of ordinary modes of intellect, it does not mean that it is any less valid. Some human beings are more inquisitive than the others. They are driven to search deeper to seek the truth beyond ordinary sense perceptions. After having directly perceived what they are convinced is the truth, they declare it to others, whosoever is willing to listen. The others then have a choice, they can either accept the discoveries as true or they reject them as false. When the body of testimony to a specific truth builds up, it becomes more and more difficult for others to deny it. Such is the case with the reality of the universe. Mystics and scientists have declared that there is a fundamental unity underlying apparent diversity. Denying this unity is the denial of truth. Accepting it is still merely an acceptance. Full conviction comes only with direct perception. Human Condition Thus, human beings may regard themselves as totally independent entities concerned with only their own needs; or as members of a family concerned with other members; or as members of an organization such as a city, church, society, or nation concerned with the general well-being of others in the organization; or finally, as connected with every being and entity in the universe through body and spirit. How individuals regard themselves varies with their state of mind. It also varies with their general state of evolution and development as cultured human beings, culture being related with the capacity to transcend personal needs and expand the field of vision to include other beings and entities in the universe. In the most developed form, persons regard themselves as integral parts of the Universal Principle; and in their least developed form , they regard themselves as totally independent and separate existents. The Moral Principle
The feeling of oneness with the entire universe is an ideal to be achieved in one’s lifetime. This is the ultimate in human development. Practical Considerations Ethics and morality have two dimensions - the inner state of the individual human being, and the individual’s behavior towards others. If the inner state of individuals is conducive to moral behavior, the individuals behave naturally in a moral way, or they have to make an effort at morality. For consistently moral behavior, morality must be effortless. For morality to be effortless, individuals must develop their inner nature to be consistent with moral behavior, i.e., that which makes for unity or oneness. To develop an inner nature conducive to seeing oneness in the universe3, individuals must live by some guiding principles. Traditional wisdom requires the following guidelines:
To behave in society in a way that makes for unity or oneness in the universe3, one must observe the following guidelines:
Tools of Separate Existence and Moral Evil
The list is not exhaustive. Any one of the enlisted mental diseases can lead to spiritual death if not checked at their earliest detection. Like any physical disease, an individual mental disease, if unchecked and untreated, can cause complications which lead to other diseases. The complications can then cause the abandonment of the goal of visualizing oneness in all and, therefore, one must remain ever vigilant against them. Development of obsessive attachment to personal concerns to the exclusion of universal concerns is a sure symptom of a mental disease since obsessive attachment and self-centeredness promote separateness and division both within, in one’s own mind, and without. Tools of Universal Unity and Moral Good
One has to use them judiciously. Drugs have side effects that one must watch for constantly. Drugs can also be addictive. At times, they become the goal rather than leading one to the goal. Again, one has to be constantly on one’s watch and stay focussed on the goal. A lifestyle practising virtues in a judicious and balanced manner should lead one to non-attachment freeing one from the confines of narrow self-interest, prejudices, complexes, and preconceived ideas. Successive degrees of non-attachment leads an individual from his own personality and animality towards collective concerns of family, society, church, city, nation and finally to universal concerns. One must keep transcending one’s own concerns towards collective concerns in general; and collective concerns towards universal concerns. Stopping this process of transcendence before achieving the goal of visualizing universal unity is stopping progress. It is only through non-attachment to lesser concerns that attachment to higher concerns can be achieved. One must always remains vigilant about getting sidetracked from the ultimate goal. Conclusions Acknowledgements References
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