The patric religions and ideologies envision a hierarchical worldview, in which the levels (whether they be chakric, or corporate, or social, or political) build on top of each other. Each succeeding level is held in higher esteem than does the preceding, and each succeeding level is held to be closer to the truth than the preceding. The matric religions and ideologies envision a holistic worldview, in which the totality of human beingness is held in similar esteem and seen to be worthy of nurturing and existence.
I am of the belief that the two must combine, in a way that checks the disagreeable features within each other and synergize to create the best of all.The hierarchical worldview is frequently visualized as a triangle, or a pyramid. The holistic worldview is visualized as a circle, or a sphere. The complete worldview I see as being visualized as a triangle within a circle, or a pyramid within a sphere.
The hierarchical and holistic approaches are both ways of attaining at divinity. Both the pyramid and the sphere are perfect, and
indestructible. It is impossible to destroy a sphere because there is no space in it to invade it and shatter. It is impossible to destroy a
pyramid, because its sides are arranged in such a way as to make destruction impossible.
Both are perfect; but both are also incomplete. Both likewise possess capacity for right and capacity for wrong. The hierarchical model leads to excellence, but also leads to cruelty and coldness and contempt for what is held to be lower levels. The holistic model is encompassing, but lacking the quality consideration ends up seeing all things as equal and thus fails to lead to improvement and excellence. In combining the two it becomes possible for the two models to check each other in capacity for wrong and to synergize in a way that makes the best of both.
The triangle however increases in worth as it rises above the foundation. The combination of the two arrives at a correct conclusion:
That all things are equal in inborn worth (sphere) but entirely distinct in accomplished worth (triangle). The sphere enfolds, nurtures and gives life to all levels and the entirety of human beingness. The pyramid motivates and structures and leads toward higher places. When the two combine, life is served; so is improvement. The sphere prevents the pyramid from becoming cruel and oppressive and instead imparts beauty and goodness and kindness toward life at all levels. The pyramid prevents the sphere from becoming ensnaring and static and therefore guides toward excellence.
Both the sphere and the triangle serve and take away freedom. The sphere frees from cruelty and coldness but also is capable of being
devouring and entrapping. The triangle frees from ensnarement but also is capable of stomping, controlling and brutality. The freedom is served, as it does in the government of checks and balances, when the two levels must compete with each other and check each other’s wrong, while combining at what is right to achieve a greater state than each is capable of doing.
The two levels of attaining divinity therefore must both work together and work to check each other. The holistic gives life and goodwill to all and makes the process beautiful rather than cruel and soulless. The hierarchical motivates toward self-improvement and guides people to make the most of themselves and the most of all. Like Quaballistic pillar of mildness and pillar of severity, the sphere and the pyramid work together to make the most of human existence: To make the lost of human experience through the the sphere’s awareness and goodwill and kindness, and to make the most of humankind through the pyramid’s rigor, motivation and demand.
In combining the sphere and the pyramid, are combined two great approaches to wisdom. Both, I repeat, being perfect; but both being in and of themselves incomplete. The two complete each other and check each other’s capacity for wrong, while together combining to do what each is in of itself incapable of doing. It is held in holistic approach that the heart is a way toward knowledge and wisdom – that, being created in divine image, it contains in itself blueprint for truth. It is held in hierarchical approach that the mind is a way toward knowledge and wisdom. Both are capable of knowledge and wisdom; but they know and are wise in different ways. The way at which the mind and the heart both attain at the same truth, is to be seen as the consummation. In the interim is
possible wrong in both cases; and in checking each other in doing wrong, while guiding each other to consummation, both the holistic and the hierarchical reduce the wrong done while improving each other and helping each other be its best and make the most of life.
The holistic and the hierarchical, the heart and the mind, like female and male, are of equal truth and of equal value. They synthesize to
make the most of each other and most of self and to make likewise what has not existed before. The holistic nourishes and heals and
replenishes; the hierarchical motivates and guides. When the two come together in mutual understanding, is achieved a state of affairs that’s both kind and excellent. And as they check and balance each other, what is eliminated is the wrong in each other, while allowing the right in each other to blossom and achieve more magnificent state of affairs than one of which either is capable.
The result of this combination is complete humanity and complete human experience, where life is made best it can be as are the living. People are motivated to be their best; they are also given (and give) goodwill and love and nourishment toward that purpose. The mind is improved; so is the heart. And the mind and the heart, both being made their most and both as such imparting of their fruits to the living, work together to make the most of human experience, both for humanity and for each human being.
Checking each other in each other’s capacity for wrong, and synergizing in where they are right, the hierarchical and the holistic express and give life to and empower and challenge and vitalize the totality of human beingness – leading toward most of human existence and most of humankind. Through its own efforts, humanity becomes its best and makes the most of human experience, bringing together both the holistic love and the hierarchical excellence to make life the most it can be. Love is served; so is improvement. And the result is the best of all worlds.
In holistic and hierarchical working together in synthesis, or synergy within the framework of checks and balances, is achieved the optimal state of humanity and the optimal state of life.
Addiction can be better understood if we think of it not merely as “substance abuse,” or performance addiction, but as a form of an
Acts of charity or dana are good deeds. It is only when something is left over or saved that it can be given away as charity or gift, and it is an act of sacrifice. A whole means the whole of what exists at a particular time, and it is divisible into parts. The same is true of all kinds of actions. Actions are different from one another; and in order to understand them, we should divide them into parts. There are some who believe that action gives satisfaction to the soul and not the mind; but we should examine this opinion carefully before accepting it. The origin of desire is knowledge, and animate and not inanimate objects derive satisfaction from it. This idea of satisfaction is described in the sacred books in various ways. The mind and the senses too have their share in satisfaction; and we can understand this from certain terms used in the text. But satisfaction is obtained only when a thing is transformed into something else.
Around 2,000 tribal men and women from different villages in South Gujarat, who had converted to Christianity, re-embraced Hinduism on Monday evening at a religious ceremony sammelan) at the Shivaji ground in Tapi district. They took an oath by the fire in the presence of Jagat Guru Acharya Narendra Maharaj and submitted affidavits that they won’t convert to Christianity ever again in the future. The people had started gathering at the venue since Sunday night listening to the Jagat Guru’s teaching before re- converting to Hinduism at the ceremony a day later. Narayan Solanki, a disciple of Narendra Maharaj in Tapi district, said, “There are many disciples of the Maharaj working in different villages of Vyara, Dharampur, Songadh, Mandvi, Ahwa-Dang, Vasda and so on. They visit these places and interact with the tribals who have been baptised earlier by various missionaries and convince them to return back to Hinduism.”
The sacred books of the Hindus (the Vedas) present a number of problems which have yet to be solved. These have been tackled by
Dharma may be defined as the highest good. Its idea is not limited to sense perception, and requires a proper teacher to explain it. It arises from action, which is the law of life. Success arises from action; and action cannot be renounced. There is action even when we do not see it, which is both eternal and universal. However, there is a difference between natural and deliberate action; and the subject matter of the Vedas is action.
We must choose the meaning of a word that suits the context best, as in the case of the word Svaru. Acting means drawing something near to one’s self. Action requires the use of a limb of the body, and different limbs perform different actions; and this is signified by
The highest end of action is purification; but this applies to deliberate and not accidental action. The idea of purification of material objects is part of the idea of sacrifice. The Vedas enjoin action, and not their fruit; but we need to understand their language correctly to grasp their idea. This may be illustrated by the idea of Heaven. Purpose, action and result are connected together like the limbs of
Ability of Human beings to communicate with the help of spoken and written language has given birth to an unknown quantity of literature. It ranges from very crude to highly refined works. Apart from some cave inscriptions, we do not have very early works of human beings as the canvas of time is of thousands of years. The earliest such known available creative work is the composition of Rigvedic hymns. Seers do not take credit for its creation, and only claim to be receivers. They are addressed as drashtas and this
