The World Is Not Our Enemy!-1.

Our goal is the one non-dual Supreme Being.

However, we live our spiritual life in the midst of this outer world. We are obliged, therefore, to function not only in the inner spiritual world, but in the outer spiritual dimension—which is manifest as something gross, material, physical, with varied multiplicity.


Placed amidst these two seemingly different factors, we are required to consider the mutuality and interaction between the two.

Are they to be tolerated and suffered as a negative, minus factor in our life, or are they to be understood in a different light?

Are they meant to be understood, utilised and profited from in a way that, in spite of duality, there is no contradictory dichotomy between the two?


In this connection, is there something that nature has to offer us, some insight, some guidance?

Where there are dual factors, is opposition inevitable, or do dual factors provide two halves that ultimately go to make a whole—they complement and complete each other?

What exactly is the situation?


In the Gita we are told that we have to deal with the three gunas because we are in prakriti, cosmic nature.

And prakriti is made out of the three gunas.

So they are part of our life.

Sattva guna takes one upward, rajas plies on the horizontal plane and tamas takes one downward.

Seeming opposition, but the great insight given to us is that all three are necessary and each has a legitimate function.

They are indispensable.

SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA
To be continued ....