Covering to Discovering

by: Swami Dr. Prashantanand
H।O.D. Sociology Dept., Sambalpur University, India

It is a known fact that in this world everything has a protective cover, either made by nature or by man। We find birds have protective feathers; snails have a hard shell; and so on. They are made by nature. Even the Atma, a part of the real Brahm, when remains within a human body, is under five sheaths (Panch Koshas).

Man has also developed various types of protective and preservative coverings to extend the life and period of his natural decaying process- such as mummification। We have essentially mastered the art of covering in almost all the fields.

Now it is confirmed that covers are the integral parts of our life and living। We can't avoid them. Nature is made, maintained, and controlled by definite laws and there is no deviation, alteration, or modification. But we have a big doubt about the second type of cover, which is man-made. Man is the only animal in the world that violates, distorts, and even tries to not only alter but also have full control over nature and natural laws.

In this world of duality, everything has two aspects- positive and negative, uses and abuses। History is the evidence that various scientific discoveries have made our life very fast, comfortable, but not safe. Wheresoever power is concerned, whensoever it came in the hands of the human being, he has never been rational in using it.

COVERING:

Covers are misused when we try to hide our faults, misdeeds, and egoistic thoughts in the name of altruism। How does one do that? The mind plays tricks in the following ways:

1) Posing otherwise:
A pseudo man in society poses himself as a lion। But, in reality, he is a fox, putting only the mask of a lion on his face. Therefore, he wants so many protection and safety measures.

2) Using Mask:
Masks of varying degrees are used to cover the original personality। For instance, some people use paper or plastic masks that break very quickly. Some people use wooden masks- which take longer time to break and visualise the reality. Or they are so hard by heart that they love to live in falsehood. And still there are some individuals who are biologically idiots because they have put a very hard iron-mask, which can only be removed after death.

3) Masks in the form of one's own ways and means to fulfil the clashing interests:
Society is an admixture of clashing interests। Everyone is interested to fulfil his own interests by his own ways and means.

4) False Protection:
In the name of advancement and development, we have polluted so many things that made us go away from nature and natural protection।

5) Living in Falsehood:
We have been forced to live in an age of dazzling and glittering superficiality। Success is counted by how many million dollars they possess, no matter how they earned it. No one bothers for means. They are concerned only for ends. We have forgotten to look into the content and bother about the container only.

6) Internalization of Hypocrisy:
We have institutionalized and internalized the hypocrisy। In an effort of covering our wounds and black marks, we have professionalized in harbouring falsehood against truth and real life values.

DISCOVERING:
Removal of cover is necessary when one wants to bring a thing into use, and this is called discovering- a process from covering to discovering। In the language of spirituality, discovering means- Knowing oneself, the Supreme Power which is within and without us- the soul, the Brahm. Truth seekers and seers tell us- there are two ways to know thyself: By discarding the unreal by saying 'Neti, Neti'; for the thing which only remains at last is the Brahm, and the second path is by accepting everything as the manifestation of that Brahm alone. But merely by saying 'Neti, Neti' or by accepting everyone and everything as the form of Almighty Brahm, one only gets the intellectual or verbal satisfaction. He never gets the real taste of Bliss, i.e., Paramananda (Bliss). Bliss has to be experienced and that too beyond our sense organs, intelligence, and all external human efforts.

Moreover, it is a known fact that without a Perfect Master (a spiritual teacher), one cannot get even the glimpse of that Brahm who dwells within everyone and everywhere। The process of self-realization and discovering starts from within and after realizing the truth inside. All external efforts are only various means by which one may get inspiration, hints, clues, and a process to keep oneself away from world and worldly affairs for a time being. They are the means not an end.

In this world of falsehood where everyone is having a covering over his face, we should discover our real face through Brahm Gyan (Divine Knowledge) by a realised soul. Then only, we can lead a balanced life equipped with truthfulness.

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