SPIRITUAL SOLUTION TO MONASTIC PROBLEMS II Preventing The secularization of Monastic Life

Preventing The secularization of Monastic Life

Ma Bhabatarini (Kali)

Preventing The secularization of Monastic Life

Sister Nivedita wrote in her 'Introduction' to the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda: "No distinction henceforth between sacred and secular." This statement does not mean that we can lead a secular life as we please. What Swamiji wanted

Sri Sarada Devi

was not the secularization of the sacred but the sacralization or spiritualization of the secular. Spiritualization (Swamiji called it Divinization) of our whole life-that is what Swamiji taught. In fact, the secularization of monastic life is a major problem that monastic institutions all over the world have to deal with in modern times.

Great changes are taking place in the society we now live in. Three revolutions have played a crucial role in the creation of human civilization: the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Electronic Revolution. India missed the Industrial Revolution but has taken to the Electronic Revolution in a big way. The country is now flooded with various electronic goods, and computers have come to play a major role in the daily affairs of Indians. This is true of our monastic centers also. The Electronic Revolution is bringing into existence a new society the Knowledge Society. These changes are unavoidable and inevitable, and our

BANERSHAR SHIVA LINGA

monastic life has to adapt itself to these changes. But, more than that, we have to learn to lead an intensive spiritual life in spite of these changes. Addiction to computer and TV programs makes the mind restless, extroverted and causes attention deficit disorder (ADD). Addiction to computers occurs only when people do not have a higher spiritual goal to strive for. Advaita Vedanta posits three kinds of reality-pāramārthika-Satta (the ultimate Reality of Brahman) vyāvahārika-Satta (the empirical reality of the world around us) and prātibhāsika-Satta (illusions such as the appearance of 'snake on the rope' or 'silver on the shell' etc). But the Internet has created a fourth kind of reality known as 'virtual reality'; this is only another kind of illusion. Our Sadhus may use computers but should carefully avoid computer-generated illusions which can destroy the soul's spiritual aspirations and quest for God.