As for experiencing spirituality as a practical science, most religions have some adherents who claim so. For every jogi/rishi, there is a sufi mystic, a jewish kabbalist, a budhist monk, a born again christian, who claims some such spiritual connection with the Mosth High.
Well, Religion is all about "God", and if there can be no personal experience, if it has to be just blind belief, then Religion becomes hollow.
But having said that, one must also say
Caveat Emptor - there are all kinds of people making all kinds of claims, and some of them are charlatans. So due diligence is a must.
The first thing on a practical leve we have to decipher is, What is God? What are the attributes that define Him?
It is probably not possible to fully answer that question! As Lao Tzu said, "He who knows, tells not - He who tells, knows not". Nevertheless, here is something more based on what has been gleaned from credible sources:
We relate to the external world through our senses - sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. The attributes of various entities in the external world are perceived through the senses. But the ultimate and sole Reality is formless, without attributes, and cannot perceived through the senses. It must be experienced through the intuition that manifests itself in a perfectly tranquil mind. The Bible puts it nicely:
"Be still, and know that I am God".
Although "God" cannot be described, the scriptures of India do stress one aspect of Divinity and that is
Ananda, which can be tranlsated as Joy or Bliss. This Joy is said to be the native state of the soul, which naturally manifests when the storm of delusion is quietened. It is independent of any external circumstances; it is beyond the fluctuations of happiness and sorrow that are an inevitable part of normal existence. For example, you may become happy if you are promoted at work, or may become unhappy when a project fails. But in the perfect stillness of the mind, you feel a Bliss that is beyond the ups and downs of the world.
In fact, if one thinks about it, attainment of Joy is the direct or indirect goal of all human activity. Where people go wrong, however, is by seeking happiness in external circumstances, instead of seeking the real Joy in the stillness of the soul.
This should not, however be construed to mean that it is all right to neglect worldly duties. In fact, an important message of Bhagavad Gita is that Man should conscientiously do his duty, without being unduly elated or depressed by success and failure. The conscientious performance of duties, in itself, becomes an act of worship which helps the seeker to attain a state of tranquillity. (This is called
Karma Yoga, or the Yoga of Action.)
So, "What is God" is a big question, and the attempted response given here is necessarily incomplete. To go further down this road, one will have to learn and apply the science of spirituality, and verify for oneself the truthfulness of the claims made. As mentioned before, Raja Yoga is the most scientific and effective approach, but there are other paths suited to people of varied needs and inclinations.
I Will conclude with a poem by
Kabir (13981518), a great saint of Benaras in India, an orphan who was brought up by a Muslim weaver family, and was a disciple of a Hindu sage Swami Ramananda. It nicely expresses one of the ideas I have been trying to put forward here - the Vedic
"Aham Brahmasmi", or the Biblical
"I and my Father are one":
THE river and its waves are one surf: where is the difference between the river and its waves?
When the wave rises, it is the water; and when it falls, it is the same water again. Tell me, Sir, where is the distinction?
Because it has been named as wave, shall it no longer be considered as water?
Within the Supreme Brahma, the worlds are being told like beads:
Look upon that rosary with the eyes of wisdom.
~Kabir (Translated by Rabindranath Tagore)
..explain of which words did i say that were of offensive in nature and i shall reply appropriately now here practice what U peace ok buddy? thanks. My friend watch for ur words use them carefully Islam doesn't permit a muslims to tell another muslim that Islam doesn't need u its not ur property to tell me if Islam needs me or not got my point good think before u speak ok? Again u need to learn to speak before telling me how to speak with ur speaking of half baked term again u have gone against the guidelines of Islam calling another muslim that he has no knowledge and ur with knowledge mind ur language and be careful next time with ur words. My attitude is/was positive and ur no one to tell me that my understanding and knowledge is half baked u don't even know me assumptions if u have any keep them to yourself i never self proclaimed or declared my self to be with huge fully baked knowledge didn't i say i am just a learner like you ? do u even understand what i said go back and read.
