Beating down the Ego : Some Feasible, Tried and Tested Techniques

Usually many blogs and articles end with a disclaimer. This blog is starting with a disclaimer. Disclaimer: Although this blog mentions several methods of beating down the ego, these are all remedies suggested/practiced by some of those great souls whom the author had the good fortune of knowing personally.  The author himself is certainly not fit to be in the category of these great practitioners. Hence the author must be merely seen as a compiler of these techniques and it should not be mistakenly assumed that the author himself is an accomplished practitioner.

We all know that some amount of ego or ‘I’ ness is necessary for us to feel our earthly connections. We all know the value of human emotions and some degree of love and attachment for our family, people, nation of birth etc.  If there is absolutely no ego, a person literally belongs to the entire cosmos. This might not be desirable at certain stages of our sojourn on earth.

However, in today’s world, we find innumerable instances of people causing suffering to others or suffering themselves, all because of a hugely bloated ego. Many autocratic leaders of countries suffer from terrible megalomania. Just as a recent example, the leader of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has decided that he could play the role of investigator, jury, judge and executioner – all rolled into one and kill drug users and pushers, summarily,  without any fair trials. These bloated ego people are happy to bring terrible suffering, violence and calamities upon others, to feed their huge ego. Let me share another example from the life of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. When Saddam Hussein was in the middle of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and was looking for a way to end the war (which he had himself started), he invited his ministers to give him candid advice. Taking Saddam’s invitation at face value, his ill-fated health minister, Dr. Riyadh Ibrahim advised Saddam to temporarily step down to promote negotiations with Iran.  For his honest advice, Dr. Ibrahim was sacked soon afterwards.  Then, within a few days, Dr. Ibrahim was arrested by the Saddam regime. According to Wikipedia, Ibrahim’s body, cut into several pieces, was delivered to his wife the next day. This is the level of cruelty and violence that people of extremely bloated ego are capable of inflicting upon fellow humans and other living beings. 

There are millions of such instances where men and women have inflicted cruelty, mindless violence and suffering upon others to feed their bloated ego. Shakespeare says this about the relationship of ego and hunger for power/authority.

“But man, proud man,

Dress'd in a little brief authority,

Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd—

His glassy essence—like an angry ape

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven

As makes the angels weep; who, with our spleens,

Would all themselves laugh mortal.”

― William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

The ancient Sanskrit sloka (verse) said to be from ancient Hitopdesha starts with ‘vidya dadati vinayam…..’ (knowledge gives humility). In other words, the indication of true expertise and deeper knowledge is humility (a much trimmed down ego).

Anyway, this blog is not about providing evidence of how a bloated ego is extremely damaging. There is enough evidence all around us and in the pages of history. This blog is about methods adopted by wise people to shrink/beat down their ego.

Besides being needed for our own well-being and harmony, a highly reduced ego is also a necessary requirement for certain spiritual achievements. I have known someone who was into meditation for several months but was not getting the desired results. This person was a great achiever, had created immense wealth, practices charity and was appreciated and praised by his family and friends. Hence, he was not able to understand where he was going wrong. When he approached his guru he was advised to reduce his ego.  Although he initially felt annoyed at his guru, after some contemplation and further advice, he found some practical ways to reduce his ego (I have included the techniques suggested by him in this blog).  Shortly after he started using the ego burning techniques, he found renewed spiritual growth.   In fact, an initial angry reaction against the person who suggests we need to reduce our ego is the first sign that our ego is oversized. As mentioned in the blog ‘An introspection Framework’ (http://karmasutratkos.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/an-introspection-framework.html), the ego is surprisingly cunning and often manifests itself in the form of anger, jealousy etc.

Dwelling on why reduced ego is sometimes required for certain spiritual practices to bear fruit, let me use the analogy of driving the car. When we are driving on a straight road, we can drive at a higher speed, but when negotiating a bend, speed needs to be reduced or we are unable to safely make that turn. Similarly, when we are involved in a quest for spiritual growth and wisdom, if the ego is bloated, then it is difficult for our mind to negotiate the path of introspection needed for assimilating certain insights. Minds which carry too much pride about their own self, culture, nation, family, race, achievements etc.  often lose the mental perceptual sharpness and objectivity required for spiritual advancement purposes. (In my book Karmasutra, I have referred to this ‘perceptual sharpness’ in more detail and referred to it as ‘cosmic sensitivity barrier’ which needs to be thin.)

{Having said this, if we are looking to only acquire certain ‘siddhis’ or ‘special psychic powers’ then this condition is not applicable. That is because in order to accrue certain powers, mere ability to use some aids is needed (tantra, mantra, yantra or techniques to communicate with certain other non-visible cosmic entities/energies). Hence, even very egoistic people are able to obtain certain psychic powers.  However, it must be remembered that true spiritual growth is not merely about gathering certain psychic abilities.}

Now, having talked about the desirability of having a reduced ego, without further ado, let me come to the gist of this blog on practical ego-burning techniques. I must also add that this is not the final or comprehensive list. If other readers can find/add other ego-reduction techniques, I would happily welcome their additions to this blog. 

• Seeking Help – In most Western nations, we are encouraged to be independent. However, those who seek to keep themselves humble ask for help.  Egoistic men want to do everything themselves not because they like to work more, but often because they loathe to show the humility to ask anyone else for help.  For example, even when lost in the middle of a crowded city, not able to make sense of a map, some of us do not like to ask for directions, because when we ask for directions we need to humbly seek help from another human being.  If asking for the smallest help from anyone puts us off, it is an indicator of an oversized ego. 

It is not without reason that rules among some orders of Eastern tradition monks specify that they have to eat food obtained by begging for food, on a daily basis. If they receive excess food on a particular day, they are also prohibited from storing it.  This act of begging for food and often facing ridicule keeps them humble on a daily basis.  Of course I am not suggesting that we should all adopt this stringent technique. Perhaps, we commoners can practically implement this ego-burning technique in minuscule ways, for example, by asking our friends or acquaintances for advice even when we are intellectually capable of solving an issue, or asking for directions or asking for other small help. For men who pride themselves on their charm/good looks, a good win-win method is to request a beautiful lady for sensual company. If she rejects the man, it is a good ego-busting technique for him (for which he should thank her) and in the rare situation that she accepts it, it is anyway a good, enjoyable sensual celebration.

• Indulging critics – We love people who praise us and tend to avoid those who do not support our opinion. In more sophisticated organisations including the business world, this is much more subtle. If we are managers, we like people who give us more public appreciation and enthusiastically declare that our plans will work the best. We tend to dislike people who point to possible flaws in our plans. If they are subordinates we tend to side-line them as much as we can officially. In private, we call them ‘trouble makers’. 

We love to have around ourselves, those who laugh hysterically at our jokes. In fact, cracking a ‘not-so-funny’ joke and noting those who actually pretend to laugh the loudest is one way of identifying those who are seeking to flatter us.  

In such a milieu, perhaps it is still practically possible for us to seek out and reach out to our critics and meet them in person. Having a meal with them and listening to their critical opinion is a sure shot way to reduce our ego. Inviting people whose political opinions and world view is completely different from ours or those we find ‘difficult to agree with’ is a good way to reduce the ego.  

Retaining as ‘friends’, those who completely and publicly disagree with our Facebook posts especially on political/social issues or make fun of our messages/pictures/videos, is one ego-reducing technique. Based on the advice of one of my spiritually realized friends, I tried practising it myself and found it incredibly difficult to resist the temptation to ‘unfriend’ those among my Facebook ‘friends’  who were vehemently criticising my posts (especially those who were not too close to me). On my Twitter account also, despite my efforts, I sadly succumbed to the temptation to block those who abused me often. 

• Discouraging flatterers – A few years back I was watching the TV interview of a political leader who was asked why she did not discourage her followers from prostrating and falling at her feet when they met her. The leader replied that she did ‘forbid’ them from doing so, but her followers ‘would not listen’.  (In fact, a recent funny picture of an African nation’s sports minister giving a shamelessly flattering ‘bending handshake’ to his President was the butt of many twitter jokes. The picture is given below.) 

There is probably a good reason why the followers would not listen if we tell them not to flatter us. If the followers keep seeing that the leader’s flatterers get some advantages, they will never take the leader at face value. One way of reducing flattery is to find some simple, ways to punish or belittle those who flatter us. For instance, if someone in the office is always flattering us, (or in Indian context, touching our feet), then we can punish that person by deliberately reducing the access of that person to us. When flatterers start getting the message that there will be some form of punishment for flattery, the speed at which the culture of flattery disappears will surprise us.  I once went to a meeting of a revered spiritual leader, Dada Vaswani in Goa, India. He had come out with a novel solution to the problem of people touching feet. He would make it a point to touch the feet of all those who touched his feet. Seeing this, very soon, people stopped touching his feet, because very few people wanted to trouble an elderly spiritual person. 

As a corollary, another way to reduce our own ego is to touch someone’s feet. It is not easy if we are not born in the tradition where touching feet and seeking blessings of elders come naturally.  Jesus did this when he washed the feet of his disciples. Lord Rama and Krishna always touched the feet of learned rishis (seers) everywhere. A gesture of respect similar to touching the feet in Western or Middle Eastern context may be kissing the hand or touching the hand to the forehead. All these when done to others, reduces our own ego. 

• Criticising our own religion or family or tradition –  I am not saying that we should be constantly negative towards our own national culture or religious tradition. We are all born within a certain religious or cultural tradition because our overself  (sorry I cannot lengthen this article further by going into a detailed explanation of what I mean by overself – please refer to my book Karmasutra, if possible; otherwise, you can always get an understanding of what it means from the passage which follows),  before our birth has decided that this family or religious context is good for our advancement.  Hence, we should be happy and reasonably proud of our own culture, tradition etc.  It is therefore somewhat normal human tendency that we get upset when someone criticises our religious path, race, national origin or the cultural traits of our people. We tend to go into a defensive mode immediately.  

A sure shot way of reducing our ego is to evaluate the critic’s comment and agreeing with him/her if it is reasonable, instead of retorting angrily, ‘okay what about the bad things in your own religion?’  Hence, if I am a Catholic and if someone is criticising the Catholic Church for some reason, if his/her reason is justified, then I should agree to it and maybe contribute my own reasons to support this person. Even when the criticism is not reasonable we can maintain our silence and simply resist the temptation to go on defensive by attacking the practices in the other person’s religious traditions. Similarly, if I am of Indian origin and if someone is criticising India, then if it reasonable, I should adopt a supportive stance. In fact, joining the person in criticising our own traditions instantly reduces our ego and increases our bonding with that person. At the same time, we are also able to feel the psychological discomfort instantly, because our brain tells us that we belong to the same group that we are criticising. 

When we go to gym and work hard to burn our fat we can feel the pain and discomfort. However, this pain and discomfort is also the proof that our fat is burning away.  In a similar way, when we feel the discomfort psychologically, it is proof that we are burning down our ego. Therefore, this is a good and proven ego-reduction technique.  

• Attempting and looking foolish – If lot of people keep giving us praise for our intellect, this technique is a very good ego buster. One great person I knew personally used to practice this. He was working as a senior level government department official and was blessed with a razor sharp mind and great spiritual sensitivity. Once in a while, in large official meetings he would say something off-topic or somewhat silly. Other people in the meeting would immediately find flaws with his statements and those who liked him less would even ridicule him. He would cut a sorry figure for himself and pretend to look like a fool. He would do this charade every once in a while, without telling this to anyone.  This whole exercise kept his ego rather slim. (He was kind enough to share this technique and its efficacy with me, on the condition that I will not reveal his identity.) 

Another variation of this technique is to deliberately seek out the company of those (at least, once in a while), who are far more intelligent or better than us. If we are terrible at understanding finance or economics, we can seek out those who are wizards in the subject and discuss things related to Economics.  In their company, very often we are sure to look like a fool. 

In fact, people with bloated ego often seek out those who are weaker than them in some way, so that they can feel better. Egoistic ladies who look good sometimes seek out as ‘friends’, those who are much worse in the physical looks department, so that they will always gather more attention  by contrast and get to massage their ego. 

 If we feel a bit proud about our wealth, and want to keep our ego in check, we should once in a while seek the company of egoistic wealthy people. Through their snide remarks, they will make sure we look terribly poor.  One of my spiritually evolved friend, used to practice this a lot. He used to deliberately visit one of his egoistic ‘show-off’ classmate’s house once in a year. On every annual visit this egoistic classmate used to show my friend all the latest gadgets, household equipment, cars or other acquisitions that he had made in the year. By the end of the visit my spiritually evolved friend would feel like he was completely penniless. This technique works well. 

Another variation of this technique is to play some sport/game with friends who are far better than us. If we think about it closely, motivation to play any sport/game is directly proportional to our ability to win that game, at least once in a while. We like to play tennis with a person against whom we win the match, at least sometimes. This applies to most other games. If our opponent in the sport is an expert in the game such that we almost never win a single match against that person, we generally avoid playing that sport with that friendly opponent. We might pretend that game does not excite us or that we are busy etc.  One of the best ego busting games is chess, because it does not depend on luck but intelligence.  If we are constantly losing the game in chess, we tend to look like we are fools. This is a great ego- buster. 

• Waiting – This is another great and proven technique to beat down the ego. Egoistic people do not like to wait for another person. They get very angry if someone keeps them waiting. They make sure they come right in time for the train or bus because they do not like to be seen as waiting. If one is generally a punctual person, then reaching somewhere a bit early and waiting around is a great way of reducing the ego. Waiting for people who are disastrously unpunctual and not getting angry with them is another way of ego-puncturing. 

• Apologising in public – We all love to get praised in public and apologize, if at all, in private. Apologising in public, that too, in front of those who do not seem to like us, is a proven, superb ego burner.  However, even the type of public apology can burn more or less of ego. A simple apology like ‘sorry’ in public is undoubtedly an ego reducer. One spiritually aware academic that I know has a more intensive ego-burning variant of this apology. If he ever reached late for an engagement, for example to an auditorium or a venue full of students, he would first say ‘sorry’ for coming late (which in itself was rare considering he was a full professor and they were only students, much lower in the hierarchy). Then he would also go on to scold himself rather harshly, in public and not in a facetious, but in a matter-of-fact manner. He might say something like ‘I was extremely stupid to rely entirely on my diary when I am so dumb that I often forget to see it in time’. He would use the strongest words to berate himself. However, if the same mistake was done by someone else, he would rarely scold that person, or even if he did, he would certainly not use such harsh terms. 

• Dealing with embarrassment - For most adults, falling down while walking is an embarrassment, more so for ladies who might be wearing skirts. The dictator of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe was returning to his country from a trip abroad in 2015. While getting down from a raised podium at the airport, he missed a step and fell down to the ground. Immediately after the incident, the security personnel of the President forced journalists present there to delete photographs of the incident. (I have given below, one such picture published in the online edition of Independent newspaper). 

                                                    (Source : Independent newspaper online, AP)

Egoistic people do not like embarrassments and will punish those who even see this sign of their weakness. For men, being caught in a restaurant without the money to pay a bill is a major embarrassment. Similarly, caught with trouser fly open or burping/passing gas in public is a major embarrassment. Of course, deliberately creating an embarrassing situation might not be practical for commoners like us, but how a person feels after an embarrassing situation is a good indicator of ego. If an unforeseen embarrassment leads to immense anger against someone - a subordinate, colleague or servant, or even against oneself, it is a sure sign of a bloated ego.  Capability to laugh at oneself when one is the victim of an embarrassing situation is a sign of a trim ego.  

• Treating those far less powerful than us, better – It is said in Indian mythology that when an angry sage once kicked the all-powerful Lord Vishnu in the chest, Lord Vishnu humbly enquired with the sage whether his leg was hurt by this kick. Lord Krishna who was an avatar of Lord Vishnu, is said to have shared with gusto, the beaten rice meal of his penniless, old classmate Sudama. 

I have known a Professor who was the head of a department team of teachers (HOD) in a university department, consisting of several other junior teachers. In most cases, if one of his junior team members neglected to do something, he would himself do it. If a junior teacher refused to take on (teach) a subject/course, he would cheerfully accept to teach it himself.  Some of the other teachers would even say ‘what is our HOD doing? He is letting so and so take advantage of him’. In fact some would even try to convince this professor to be more ‘strict’ and ‘demanding’ but the professor would have none of it. I have never heard of him using power (threat/coercion) to force a team member to do something. The Professor would always request using the most humble and respectful language, as if, he himself was the subordinate.   

There are three ways in which people treat those who are far less powerful than they are. People with bloated egos treat those who are far less powerful than them in a manner of disdain, insult, arrogance, or sometimes by completely ignoring their presence. People with moderate egos treat those with far less power in a nice, humane manner, but react with full force of their power and authority when this less powerful person behaves unreasonably or falls out of line.  Only people with true humility with far reduced egos will treat unreasonable or arrogant people who are far lower in hierarchy with indulgence. Therefore, how we treat people who are much less powerful than us in a situation where they are behaving a bit unreasonably and there are good grounds for us to come down like a hammer, is a powerful indicator of our ego.  

(However, there is one caveat. If avoiding conflict and using power is simply due to an extremely timid nature, then probably it is not such a powerful ego-busting technique. Of course, shyness and timidity usually go together with a reduced ego, but if a bad psychological constitution - for example, an abiding inferiority complex due to some deep-seated reason, is the cause for this timidity, then this compulsive avoidance of conflict amounts to making a virtue out of necessity). 

• Trust and forgiveness – Some of my great spiritual heroes used this technique to bust their egos.  It is said that Lord Ram the powerful warrior avatar of Lord Vishnu forgave Ravana after he was beaten in the war and then even approached Ravana in all humility. Imagine approaching a criminal who kidnaps our beloved lover or wife and imprisons her for several years. If we ever manage to fight this criminal and get back our spouse, will we ever want to see the face of this wretched person again? But not Lord Rama. Lord Rama asked his devoted younger brother Lakshmana to approach Ravana as a disciple, to gain Ravana’s expertise on statecraft. Similarly, while Jesus lay on the cross dying, one of his statements was about forgiveness for those who had harmed him.

Trust is another powerful tool used as an ego-buster. One reason why children do not have big egos is that they trust others easily. They are also very good at forgiving. They do not abuse their conscious memory system by retaining records of previous hurts or grievances and use these as excuses for unforgiveness or to stop trusting others. 

Not abusing our memory system to retain grievances, and forgiving and trusting people again is a good ego buster. One of my spiritually wise friends has often lent money to those who have not repaid him previous loans. While some might call my friend a fool, who refuses to learn, he is using this ‘being cheated periodically’ as an ego-reduction tool. 

Most religions have, in the form of some rituals or customs, some in-built ego reduction techniques. For example, the Catholic Church has the sacrament of confession where a person has to actually kneel down and confess his or her sins to a priest. Even a Catholic priest is expected to confess his wrong-doings to another priest. It can be a very humbling experience indeed to entrust our innermost secrets to some other human with whom we have limited intimacy. Similarly, among Hindus we have the ritual of offering our hair for gods. A good lock of hair is often an indicator of ‘good looks’ and therefore also our ‘ego’. To lose our crown of glory is indeed an exercise in humility. Prostrating before gods in temples or touching the feet of gurus or elders, suryanamaskar etc. are different traditions in Hindu – Indian culture designed to reduce our bloated egos and maintain this balance. In Islamic traditions, the namaaz and touching the forehead to the ground in prayer are acts meant to reduce the ego. 

Already this blog has become unusually long and perhaps a bit unwieldy. My humble apologies for that (trying to clumsily use an ego-busting technique here). As I mentioned before, this list is not exhaustive, but merely a compilation of the techniques used by some of my spiritually great friends/acquaintances. I thank them for kindly sharing these with me. I request other readers to add their own tried and testing ego-busting techniques. Wishing all my readers a great Kristu Jayanti (Christmas) season and Happy New Year 2017. 

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of the path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He may be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS 

An Introspection Framework

In Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, verse 21, Lord Krishna says that persons who are bereft of action and doing things only to maintain the body, relinquishing all conceptions of ownership, never incur any sin.  Although this level of perfection may be difficult to reach, we can always strive to reduce the barriers to our connection with the universe. In the book Karmasutra, this idea has been mentioned using the term Cosmic Sensitivity Barrier (CSB), in Chapter 1. How a thick CSB interferes with our ability to interact with the universe (or god, allah or ishwar or personal divine deity), if one prefers that nomenclature, is also dealt with.

Our CSB thickens over the course of time because we practice guile in our daily lives. We laugh when our boss at work tells us a joke, even when it is not funny.  Similarly, we tell people that we will keep in touch with them, when we have no such intention. In order to be considered close to our superiors at workplace, we pretend to agree with their views and flatter them unashamedly.  All these inconsistencies between our actual thoughts and our actual words and actions, build up the thickness of our CSB and then we find that the universe does not seem to be listening to us. We also seem incapable of receiving the communication from the universe. 

Some people are lucky that they are born with less guile. When they are angry they are unable to hide it. If they dislike someone, they are unable to pretend otherwise.   Despite living in the world, they seem unable to learn the tactics of diplomacy that the world seems to teach. Of these people, Jesus had said in Matthew 5:5 ‘Blessed are the meek’.  I have indeed met many such people and am lucky to count some of these meek ones among my friends.

However, even some of us who consider ourselves smart, intelligent, diplomatic, cunning and very skilled in the ways of the world might have a desire to increase our spiritual growth and communication with the universe (or god/allah/ishwar/personal deity etc.).  This post and the introspection framework given below are primarily meant for those in this category. Unfortunately, those of us who belong to this category might not be able to straightaway remove the CSB thickness. However, we could start by all working on reducing the impact of some stress-building emotions such as bloated ego, anger, fear etc. because many intelligent/rational people are blessed with the ability to introspect their actions and feelings.

Having said this, the rational mind is also very clever. When a person tries to reduce bloated ego, the mind assuages him/her that indeed humility has been achieved.  Then the mind slyly shifts the same suppressed ego into other variations of the ego, namely, anger or envy. A person who is extremely humble and avoids bragging might be notoriously short-tempered or find himself unable to lavish praise on anyone else.  If this happens, this is a sure sign of the same ego being channeled into other areas.

Those who are indeed capable of introspection might therefore be benefited by this introspection hexagon (figure given below) to see if all these six manifestations of negative emotions are balanced. The wheel at the center of the figure is the depiction of balance. It is rare to completely eradicate these feelings/emotions because they are often result of our human birth, but remembering this introspection hexagon can help us to self-examine, which of these are becoming bloated and disturbing our spiritual equilibrium.  (See figure below. Explanation follows.)

Let us have a look at the possibilities and see whether we fit any of these common categories:

• Bloated Ego re-channelized into Anger: A person who calls himself extremely humble might lose his temper at short notice with his family, friends or colleagues at work. This means the person has really not been able to get rid of the ego. A grudge or anger held against person/persons can later on be transformed into hate.

• Bloated Ego re-channelized into Jealousy: These people think of themselves as extremely humble, but always ridicule or belittle the achievements of others. They cannot stand someone else being praised. If this is true, it means this person has not been able to get rid of the ego.

• The bloated Ego can also be re-channelized into Shame, Guilt or Fear.

The hexagon can also be used for introspection into other negative emotions. For example, Fear can be re-channelized easily into Hate/Anger. Hence, if we are searching for fear inside us and we find none, we should also scrutinize our feelings of hatred and anger. Similarly, jealousy can easily change forms into greed. Greed can be for sex (lust), for power (often changing into megalomania, if unchecked), food or alcohol (gluttony) or money/wealth.  Jealousy also changes form easily into hate or anger against the other person who creates this jealousy in us. Similarly, fear (or insecurity) changes form easily into anger (or hate) against the person we perceive to be the cause of this fear. Politicians often use insecurity to stoke hate and anger against some community or race. If there is unemployment, this fear of lack of jobs is used by politicians to blame other communities and whip up anger/hate.  Racists use insecurity to create hate for other races. 

Fear also changes form into guilt. If we did not stand up to support my best friend in the workplace due to fear of annoying the boss, this fear quickly transforms into guilt or shame. Similarly, shame or guilt is often a cause for fear – ‘what if someone knows about this?’ ‘What if someone sees me here?’ Fear also can change form easily into greed. Fear of penury can lead to greed for money. People who have some inferiority complex in one area (a form of shame/guilt) can easily channel this into lust (having sexual conquests to re-affirm their worth). {In my book Karmasutra, and in other blogs I have never condemned sex with single or different partners, but I believe that just like gluttony is bad despite eating being healthy, lust is detrimental while normal sexuality (without undue guilt baggage and with mutual enjoyment and consent) is healthy.}

The point of the above discussion is that if we are trying to get better control over one of the above negative emotions, it is essential to also observe the other emotions carefully, to know whether the balance is being maintained and to check whether our excessive control on one emotion is leading to imbalance in other areas. This introspection hexagon will hopefully be useful for those who are blessed with the intellect and inclination for self-examination.  

This calm, dispassionate periodic introspection will reduce our CSB thickness in course of time and help us in our spiritual quest. As always, comments, additions to this model and criticisms are always most welcome. 

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of the path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He may be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS 

Trump: The Harbinger of the Age of Mahabali

On this historic day when Donald Trump has been elected the President of the USA, it is time for all those who are interested or dabbled in the realm of spiritual affairs to contemplate on the shape of the world to come.  Those who are really interested in the spiritual workings of the universe also know that most things which happen in the real world are reflections of decisions taken in the spiritual realm. Before these events happen in our real world, they have already been completed in the astral realm, as I mentioned in my earlier blog,  http://karmasutratkos.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/do-events-happen-first-in-spiritual.html

Those who are watching the spiritual world carefully know that the coming reign of Donald Trump is only the continuation of a process which had begun in the spiritual realm (looking after earth) some years back, namely, the process of creating strong Mahabali-type leaders in different corners of our world, who will boldly take humanity to their next stage of evolution (in the pyramidal figure given in the blog, I have shown the other Mahabali rulers, in my humble opinion). For those less familiar with the myth of Mahabali, the commonly held belief is that Mahabali was a wise, just, strong and great ancient ruler of Kerala (South India) who was known to be tough and aggressive. Yet the asuric Mahabali was also a great administrator and just ruler, to the extent that people of Kerala really enjoyed a peaceful, prosperous and tension-free life during his reign. In fact the gods were so upset with Mahabali’s popularity and strength that they took the help of Lord Vishnu to get rid of Mahabali.  People in Kerala celebrate Onam as a day on which Mahabali still visits them every year.   Of course, as is normal with Indian mythology, there are several variations of this legend, but I am only sticking to the most commonly remembered one. (Another great administrator who is often considered from the asuric bandwidth is Ravana. Despite being reviled by many in India, Ravana was a great ruler, spiritually-accomplished meditator and a great expert in statecraft and administration.)

Like Donald Trump, many of the other Mahabali leaders were unconventional in terms of their language, demeanour and temperament. Like Trump, these leaders spoke boldly on subjects which others politicians tend to avoid. Like Trump, the other Mahabali leaders shown in the pyramid also consigned many ideas of political correctness to the dustbin and upset lots of people in the process. When in power they followed tough and unconventional actions. Like Trump, these other Mahabali leaders have strong patriarchal mindset and typical macho behaviour.  These strong, non-establishment leaders are often tough on dissent but generally want to do good for their compatriots. These leaders do not like dissenters and want to punish those who dare to cross them. They move swiftly and decisively and have a much centralised decision-making process, with massive concentration of power in their own hands.  Despite all these characteristics, these leaders, like Mahabali, are generally wise administrators and just rulers.

Today, with the election of Donald Trump, an important node of the pyramid marking the era of the Mahabali has been completed. The other important nodes of the pyramid as depicted below are- Xi Jingping in China, Putin in Russia, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and Narendra Modi in India as shown in the figure below.

What does the creation of this pyramid signify for the world to come in the near future? In my humble opinion,  it signifies the following: 

• A period of emergence of strong Mahabali-type leaders in many other parts of the world from Philippines to Pakistan to Sri Lanka and Mexico, with strong emphasis on progress and governance.

• Emergence of strong decisive leadership worldwide which will not shy away from taking decisive military actions. This also means a general coagulation of forces on different sides of the battlefield on earth.

• An interim period in the world where reckless freedom of speech and fundamental rights will have less importance than the environment of security, material progress, stability and good governance. It will be a tough time for liberal journalists and others who dissent and differ from the mainstream perspective.  But the spiritual good news is that this pyramid is only there for a relatively short time, having been agreed upon at the highest spiritual levels for specific purposes as outlined below.

Eventually, the world will see the fight between these strong pyramid-force progressive, good governance leaders and the forces of fundamentalism/radicalism which want to world backwards through fundamentalism/radicalism and outdated thinking. This is one of the main purposes for which the pyramid of strong leadership is being put in place, namely for the purpose of coagulation/cooperation between similar type leaders and eventual cleansing of radical and regressive elements from the world. 

Everything has a pre-destined expiry period. When the pre-destined time gets over, this Mahabali leadership bandwidth across the world will be disbanded as quickly as it has risen. (In my humble assessment, the time period ends around 2030 AD). When the purposes for which these strong leadership nodes were created all over the world have been achieved, this leadership style will be replaced by more saatvic (divine, peaceful nature) personalities. In case of Mahabali, this was done by Vaamana avatar of Lord Vishnu. More saatvic leaders will replace these Mahabali leaders, in course of time. Meanwhile the time for coagulation, conflict and conquest - to proceed to the humanity’s next stage of evolution has come. The election of Donald Trump is the harbinger of this Mahabali era.

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of the path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He may be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS 

The Blood Circulation Perspective of Meditation

In my last blog, I mentioned that events occurring at the physical level happen beforehand at the astral or spiritual level. (The link to this previous post is http://karmasutratkos.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/do-events-happen-first-in-spiritual.html).

I also mentioned that in order to perceive the footprints of those events in the CSB (the ‘Cosmic Sensitivity Barrier’ area referred to in detail in Chapter 1 of my book Karmasutra: The Karma of Sex), we would need to silence our brain. Instead of using the term ‘silencing the brain’, there is another way to express this idea. This is simply an alternative perspective. I call it the blood circulation perspective of meditation.

The essence of this perspective is that in order to increase spiritual receptivity, we must maintain maximum blood supply in the brain area called the CSB, as well as in the superfine blood vessels above the neck. This helps enhance the overall sensitivity of the mind. One important point to note is that for our spiritual awareness, the quality, quantity and other parameters of the blood supply must be higher in the cosmic sensitivity region than in other areas of the brain. Some drugs and various other methods often maintain blood supply in certain regions of the brain, but this is not sufficient for spiritual receptivity. For example, if I am constantly keeping accounts or monitoring my business profits and losses, there may be excellent blood flow to the parts of my brain associated with mathematics, calculations and memory, but this may not result in spiritual sensitivity.

Similarly, some people chew herbs, consume energy drinks, ghutka, tea or coffee (which we might refer to as 'stimulants') to keep the blood supply active in the head area. This might improve brain function and mental sharpness, often temporarily, but there is little evidence that spiritual receptivity will be enhanced. Some drugs of a psychedelic nature may create certain perceptual or sensory experiences that resemble spirituality, but this is not the same as true spiritual receptivity.

Engaging in strenuous exercise such as running provides excellent pumping action from the heart, sending blood to most corners of the body at greater pressure. This is beneficial for the body and for many brain functions such as logic, quantitative reasoning and memory. It also promotes overall immunity and good health. This is because many health disorders originate from inadequate blood supply to certain parts of the body.

However, this exercise regime does not always significantly improve the condition of the Cosmic Sensitivity area. This is because the CSB does not merely require a voluminous supply of blood at high pressure, as is often the case with athletes. It requires blood to be delivered with optimal pressure, flow and other specific parameters. These are not achieved through exercise alone, but rather through meditation and, to some extent, through calming prayer or chanting.

In other words, if too much blood flows into other areas of the brain or body, or if the blood is not delivered at the optimal pressure, flow and chemical composition, then the cosmic receptivity area is not nourished sufficiently to enhance spiritual sensitivity. Therefore, if we wish to work on spiritual receptivity and sharpen our intuition, it is beneficial to minimise unnecessary blood flow to other areas of the body in order to keep the spiritually receptive area of the brain well nourished.

Another factor that hampers smooth blood supply to the CSB area is stress. If we are constantly stressed, rushing to catch trains or to meet deadlines at work, this lifestyle disrupts the blood flow in the brain's receptivity area. We can reduce this stress to a large extent through exercise, yoga and similar practices. However, while these activities can neutralise the negative effects of stress, they do not always sufficiently nourish the CSB.

As mentioned in Karmasutra, if we lead a life in which we must conceal many aspects of our thoughts or actions from others, this results in a different composition of blood flow that does not support spiritual sensitivity. I have explained this in the book as ‘congruence’. In fact, this incongruence between our thoughts, words and deeds is another form of mild stress. For true spiritual progress and for high-quality blood flow, there should not be too great a difference between our thoughts, actions and words.

In addition to these minor effects, there are other broader factors that draw blood supply away from the head region. What are the most common areas of the body to which blood flow is redirected? First, if we enjoy rich food and eat heavy meals consisting of meats, fats, alcohol, soft drinks, proteins or high-calorie, high-carbohydrate dishes, our digestive system becomes highly active. A large volume of blood is redirected from the above-the-neck region to the various organs involved in digestion. This explains why many people feel sleepy after a heavy meal. Smoking and excessive alcohol intake also introduce toxins into the bloodstream, interfering with the quality and characteristics of the blood needed by the spiritual sensitivity area.

Another major activity that diverts blood flow is sexual activity. After intercourse, a significant amount of blood remains in and around the genital area for some time before it can be redirected to the brain to nourish the spiritual receptivity area. Some people suggest that Shirsasana (the headstand yoga pose) helps bring blood back to the head. Indeed, Shirsasana can be helpful due to the effects of gravity, but if it is followed by a heavy meal that includes alcohol or by sexual activity, the blood is quickly drawn back downwards.

Bathing in water that is too hot or too cold, and significantly different from body temperature, can also cause shifts in blood circulation. Cold water baths certainly have health benefits, including improved blood flow. I do not discount these benefits. However, for the novice spiritual seeker, such sudden shifts can disrupt blood circulation. For the more advanced seeker who has achieved a degree of mental equilibrium, cold river bathing is excellent due to its cleansing effects on a spiritual level.

Too much sensory stimulation can also draw blood away from the brain and towards the stimulated organ. For example, if we watch television or films for extended periods, the eyes will begin to demand increased blood flow. This is one reason why meditators often keep their eyes closed, to minimise light intake. Our eyes are the main gateway for receiving information about the material world. Keeping them open allows this information to enter and immediately activates the information processing centres of the brain, diverting blood away from the CSB area.

Of course, in practical life, it is not always possible to meditate or pray with closed eyes. If we are working or travelling in crowded trains, we may not want to draw attention or invite judgement from others. In such situations, a useful compromise is to keep the eyes slightly open. For example, one can open the eyes to about 80 percent. This gives the impression that our eyes are open while reducing light intake by 20 percent. Although this may seem a minor adjustment, such small changes matter to those who wish to maintain their spiritual sharpness. Similarly, engaging in passionate, intense conversations for long periods also redirects blood flow. If we become too focused on boosting or inflating our egos, other areas of the brain receive more blood, not the spiritual area. I hope to write another blog post soon about some techniques for reducing ego, as gathered from great practitioners.

Beyond all these factors, as we age, the finer blood vessels begin to lose their elasticity and suppleness. As a result, we may require longer meditation sessions to achieve the same level of receptivity.

All these efforts, both large and small, become worthwhile when our spiritual receptivity sharpens and we begin to feel the imprint of events in the spiritual or astral sphere. This enables us to take corrective measures to prevent or at least mitigate those negative events from repeating themselves in the material world.

Through this post, I am not suggesting that everyone must avoid enjoying good food, the company of friends, or sexual activity. However, if someone is a genuine spiritual seeker and is wondering why their progress feels limited, this article may offer some technical insight. As I mentioned in my previous blog, everything shared here is based on my personal understanding, derived from various direct and indirect sources. Please feel free to disagree or disregard it entirely.

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of the path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He may be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS 

Do events happen first in the spiritual-astral realm?

I have written somewhat ‘controversial’ things in my book Karmasutra: The Karma of Sex, which has even led to some of my friends blocking me on WhatsApp or unfriending me on Facebook. Let me continue now and write some more ‘controversial’ thoughts on two questions someone recently asked me, namely: ‘Do events happen in our lives directly at the physical, material plane?’ and ‘Does our blood circulation have anything to do with spirituality?’ Needless to say, whatever is written below is my personal understanding, distilled from various direct and indirect sources. Please feel free to completely disagree with it or disregard it entirely. Due to a paucity of time, I will answer the first question in this post and the second question in another post, which I will put up in a few days.

As per my understanding, things first happen in the spiritual, non-physical world and are then repeated in our actual, physical, material world. For example, if a person is about to meet with an accident, it first happens in the spiritual-astral realm and then occurs in the real world. When something happens in the astral world, the same imprint is released into the physical world.

To help us understand this better, let me use an analogy from an earlier era namely,  that of the old, non-digital camera and film negative. When a photograph was clicked, there was some sort of impression on the negative. However, if we did not want the picture to be developed, we could expose the negative to sunlight or strong light and the picture would be erased. Hence, although the event was recorded and the impression made on the negative, the picture would never develop because the impression was erased by exposure to light.

A similar connection exists between events happening at an astral (or spiritual, non-material) level and at the material level. If a person is about to meet with an accident, the event impression first happens at the astral level. It then manifests at the material, physical level. Between the astral or spiritual impression and the actual event, there is a time lag, during which the negative outcome can be prevented, unless it is strictly mandated by a person’s strong karmic fate or mission on earth.

To do so, we must be aware of what has already happened at the spiritual-astral level. One way is by consulting genuine astrologers or psychics who are able to pick up this information from the spiritual realm. Some of us are fortunate enough to see glimpses of forthcoming events, poised to replicate at the material level, in the form of symbolic dreams. Most of us are not.

At this stage, it is pertinent to note that I am not referring to distant future predictions, but rather to events that have already occurred at the astral level. There is a subtle distinction between predicting the future and receiving information about events that have already taken place in the astral world. Although for the uninitiated both may seem like ‘future predictions’, to those who understand these matters, they are quite different.

Let me illustrate with an analogy. If I am waiting for a friend who lives about 20 miles away to come to my house for lunch, I might ask him a month in advance and he might say he plans to visit. This is somewhat like a prediction of the future through astrology or another method, where events are tentatively scheduled. However, various circumstances may arise in the meantime that alter the plan. On the other hand, if the same friend calls me on the day of his visit and says he is already halfway through the journey, there is a much greater likelihood that his arrival is imminent. I now know he is going to reach soon, unless something drastic intervenes. This is akin to an event that has already occurred at the astral level where it is impending and simply a matter of time before it replicates at the material plane.

Returning to the idea of perceiving what has already taken place in the astral realm, it is possible for each of us to gradually develop this ability. What usually happens is that the subtle impressions of events occurring in the spiritual-astral world are received in the cosmic receptivity area of the brain (which I have referred to as the CSB in my book Karmasutra: The Karma of Sex). However, since our minds are filled with too much ‘noise’ to perceive these subtle signals consciously, we remain unaware of what has occurred at a spiritual level. We only become aware of the event (for example, the accident) when it unfolds in the physical world.

How can we tune our minds to receive those very subtle vibrations of future events? The simplest way is through meditation. For those not trained in meditation, prayer is another means. The key is to enhance the sensitivity and sharpness of our minds by silencing them from within, so that even subtle vibrations from the spiritual realm can reach us. In my next post, I will elaborate further on this idea of ‘silencing the mind’ from the perspective of blood flow to the brain.

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of the path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He may be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS 

Contours of Compassionate Capitalism: Executive compensation levels

In my book KaRmasutra: The Karma of Sex, I wrote about the framework of Compassionate Capitalism (in Chapter 3 of the book). Some of my readers got back to me and said it is a bit idealistic. Some of them said that the fuel for capitalism is greed, and that when we remove greed, the edifice of capitalism will crumble like a pack of cards. Others mentioned that spiritual leaders strive to be poor anyway, and therefore the spiritually inclined would not want to be associated with a business in any case.

Let me start with the last argument first. I have heard a similar argument about politics. People have said that politics is a dirty game meant for the power-hungry, and that decent people should stay away from it. But these days, more and more people have realised that when decent people stay away from politics, the political climate in a country degrades. Even if a few decent, spiritually grounded people enter politics, the quality of political discourse improves substantially. Voters start to have a choice if they want to vote differently.

In a similar way, people without excessive greed must get into business. This is not a spiritual paradox. Those who have read the Bhagavad Gita can vouch that it does not prohibit people from engaging in business or trade, as long as it is done without undue attachment to money (greed). The Bible also says that the labourer is worthy of his hire. The Bible does not say that those who seek to enter the kingdom of God must not ask for remuneration. Nor does it say that the labourer must give away his product or labour free of charge. However, the Bible does warn against greed and obsession with material riches.

As the book KaRmasutra: The Karma of Sex (in Chapter 3) explains, giving away something free is not always desirable. In fact, there are many disadvantages to giving things away free (charity). If I stand by the side of a busy road and distribute apples free of charge, many people will take an apple even though they have no need of one, thus depriving those who really do. Very often, things which are obtained free are not valued and are casually thrown away or discarded. In terms of karma, when we give something for free, we place the person who has received it in karmic obligation to us. If I have given medicine to someone without accepting any remuneration, I have put the receiver in karmic debt to me, which needs to be repaid in this life or the next. Hence, for all these reasons, it is desirable to charge a reasonable, ethical price for any product. This is the way to do ethical business, and there is nothing spiritually wrong in being a businessman.

As explained in my book with several examples, negative karma accumulates when the price of a product is rapacious. When the price is set unrealistically high so that the CEOs, executives or owners of businesses make millions in bonuses and profit shares, it is greed that drives the business. When a retail chain sources a dozen bananas from Colombia for the equivalent of 25 pence and then sells each banana in the UK for 50 pence (that is, around £6 for the dozen), there is likely to be a profit margin of around 80 to 85 percent, even after all expenses are deducted. Is this a spiritually ethical profit margin? (The example and the numbers I have quoted are not plucked from my imagination, but are close to reality.) Why cannot the poor farmer in Colombia be paid a much better price for his efforts in growing the banana, while reducing the profit margins? Similarly, why cannot the lower-level employee in the corporation be paid a better salary?

In today’s post, the focus is more on top executive compensation levels, which is one aspect of the compassionate capitalism framework. In many large corporations today, the take-home salary (including bonuses, perks, incentives, value of shares, and so on) is more than 100 to 150 times the salary given to their lowest paid staff. In other words, while the receptionist or the person at the till in a shop may be making £28,000, the CEO takes home more than £2.8 million per annum. (And this is a conservative estimate. A USA Today article says that in 2011, the median CEO annual pay of S&P’s companies was $9.6 million, or around £7 million. A recent Guardian article about executive compensation levels mentions that in 2015 the top bosses of the UK’s public listed companies earned an average of £5.5 million.)

Do the CEOs of corporations in the UK and US need to take 100 to 200 times the salary of the lowest paid employee in a company or corporation?

What is the karmically ethical compensation level of the CEO? Instead of making vague exhortations, I believe the time has come to develop a more actionable model. I would go with the idea that every layer of hierarchy should restrict itself to a maximum of 10 percent higher remuneration than the previous level, with the lowest-level employee’s salary as the base level in a company. This, in my view, is the karmically ethical course of action. Hence, if the person at the till in the supermarket is at the lowest level and has a take-home annual salary of £20,000, then the next layer of hierarchy – the supervisor – should take home an annual salary of £22,000 and no more. Even if the company has 15 levels in its hierarchy, the person sitting at the top will not take home more than £75,000 per annum (including bonuses, incentives and so on).

There are various advantages to this system. Firstly, it reduces the pay gap between different hierarchy levels and creates a more empathy-driven company. The CEO does not live in a fully owned 12-bedroom mansion while their employee five layers down in the hierarchy rents a studio apartment. This lower income gap empowers employees, encourages participation, reduces intimidation, and fosters closeness.

The second advantage is that if the top executives want to increase their own compensation, they will have to increase the base salary of the lowest paid employee. In other words, the system does not cap the CEO's compensation level, but only caps the percentage difference in compensation between successive hierarchy levels to 10 percent. If the top person in the company wants to take home a cool £1 million yearly compensation, no one stops them – but the lowest level employee must then be paid a cool £264,000 per annum (assuming a 15-level hierarchy).

In my opinion, this is a reasonable system for businesses that wish to operate ethically. If CEOs or top executives are paid substantially more than this calculation allows, then, in my opinion, the company has moved into the bandwidth of greed. We are creating ego-driven CEOs who think of themselves as demi-gods, separated from the ‘common’ employees by millions. This also creates the obsession in others to reach this ‘top executive’ level by hook or by crook.

People who receive indecently large amounts of compensation are no longer buying things they necessarily need, but things they use to show off and build their ego. Too much money often leads to enormous amounts of waste and excess consumption. At the cost of the global environment, billions worth of products are produced to sustain the health, comfort and leisure of those with excessive compensations, entertain them and their families, and fill their homes with gadgets they use infrequently, if at all. As often happens with the scions of oil-rich Arab sheikhs, extreme wealth leads to extreme boredom, which in turn drives the search for the next ‘high’ – in goods, drugs or experiences – many of which may not be positive.

This greed-driven capitalism must stop, or at least reduce. Otherwise, more and more parts of the Earth will become unliveable in the coming decades due to the harmful impact of our rapacious consumption and waste generation on the planet’s climate. Perhaps the human race may look to colonise other planets and move there en masse, but the root of the problem will still remain.

How do we turn a new leaf in executive compensation? I think the government making laws may not be the only answer. This drive for values must come from the very top of companies that claim to follow business ethics. The CEOs of companies must begin to apply this model to their own compensations voluntarily and publicly. The entire organisation must adopt the principle of a maximum 10 percent salary hike between successive hierarchy levels. This is the first step in compassionate capitalism. (As an aside, I do believe that even the CEOs of charitable organisations have the right to take karmically ethical salaries. In fact, efforts should be made to reduce the gap between the compensations in charitable organisations, government institutions, and private companies at similar hierarchy levels.)

The second step is to use part of the savings from reduced compensations to bring down prices of products and services, even when there are customers willing to pay high prices (often due to limited options), especially for staple products such as food and basic transportation services. Another part of the amount saved by reducing compensation levels can be paid to governments in return for their firm commitments to specific welfare or benefit schemes. For example, free libraries can be built, bridges linking remote areas can be constructed, more police officers can be recruited, roads can be widened, and more support can be given to the needy.

Of course, in the long run, we need to shape and guide society. We must train our children in this model of capitalism without greed. We must teach entrepreneurs not only the principles and practices of sound business, but how to practise compassionate capitalism.

There may be questions about the model proposed here. What if the salesman makes more money than his boss due to selling more and earning direct commission or incentives? What if a certain middle level of hierarchy earns more than a 10 percent difference due to overtime? Does the model require tweaking in the case of relatively flat companies? These nuances will perhaps need to be addressed in another post, without compromising the ethical foundation of the model.

This is just a sounding board for thoughts and ideas, a starting point for debate. The model and system proposed here can be tweaked and modified, but somewhere we must begin the discussion on the contours of compassionate capitalism, with executive or CEO compensation being just one area of focus.

We owe this to our future on this planet.

 

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback , Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He can be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS

The Nature of Evil

When we learn of groups like ISIS committing extreme violence, including beheadings and systematic rape, we experience profound revulsion and question the perpetrators' humanity. While we label such acts 'evil', its fundamental nature remains unclear. Is evil controlled by a powerful entity like Christianity's devil or demons? Or does it originate from Islam's Saitan? In Hinduism, irrational evil is often embodied by rakshasas. This blog explores whether these concepts represent the same phenomenon.

 

Based on my understanding, informed by interactions with a range of spiritual leaders and the study of relevant literature, I am of the view that evil (or forces commonly referred to as the ‘forces of darkness’) can indeed manifest in powerful and tangible ways. While the initial part of my reflection may appear dramatic or irrational, I would encourage readers to continue through to the end in order to gain a more nuanced and comprehensive appreciation of the nature of evil. A partial reading may leave one with an exaggerated or distorted perception of what ‘evil’ truly entails.

 

One commonly recognised form of evil is the highly dramatized portrayal we encounter in films such as The Exorcist. While this depiction may appear sensational, such events can indeed occur. A human being may become entirely possessed by a demonic or darker force, serving as a medium to demonstrate the reach and influence of such entities. Though occurrences of this nature are far rarer than popular media might suggest, they are not entirely fictitious. Several notable works by experienced practitioners in this field, such as Malachi Martin and Gabriele Amorth, document these phenomena.

 

In Hinduism, while there is no central figure akin to Satan, exorcisms are still performed by skilled occult practitioners and tantrics to dispel malevolent forces believed to possess individuals under specific conditions. Nevertheless, these are rare events. More often than not, what is perceived as possession is, in reality, a manifestation of psychological or psychiatric disorders. Still, rarity does not equate to impossibility. Possession, when it does occur, is a profoundly significant event in a person's life and, as various texts suggest, may even be determined prior to birth. Furthermore, certain environmental conditions must be conducive for such dark forces to enter.

 

A second, and more unsettling, version of evil is the notion of direct incarnation. While we may comfort ourselves with the belief that every human is a divine creation, a sentiment that holds truth, it is also conceivable that darker forces are occasionally permitted to send their own emissaries into the world. These incarnations occur within the laws of time and space, often to fulfil certain cosmic functions. In the Mahabharata, for instance, Kunti uses sacred mantras to invite divine beings into her womb, resulting in the birth of the Pandavas. Similarly, it may be possible, under certain circumstances, to create the conditions for darker entities to incarnate. When we study the lives and atrocities of individuals such as Idi Amin, Hitler, or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, we find compelling reasons to consider whether these individuals were not mere humans, but incarnations of malevolent forces.

 

The third and more common manifestation of evil, in my view, occurs when malevolent energies hover like an invisible yet potent cloud over a specific population or geographic region for a designated period. This is not accidental but permitted by a cosmic balance, an agreement, so to speak, between divine and dark forces. During such times, entire populations may fall under the sway of fear, anger, and hatred, and rational, compassionate behaviour is temporarily suspended. While a few key figures may be more directly influenced by these forces, the true corruption lies in the atmosphere, the emotional and energetic climate of the region.

 

Consider the Rwandan genocide. Over the course of several weeks, groups of Hutus set up roadblocks to identify and murder Tutsis, including women and children, often neighbours with whom they had previously lived peacefully. The descent into such inhumanity seemed to erase all moral compass. Similarly, in Nazi Germany, ordinary citizens working within the regime facilitated the extermination of millions of Jews, often without any apparent sense of wrongdoing. During the 1984 riots in North India, Hindus who had long coexisted peacefully with their Sikh neighbours suddenly turned violent, committing unspeakable atrocities.

 

This form of evil is recognisable when otherwise reasonable individuals begin expressing themselves through language steeped in fear, hatred, and resentment. This shift signals the growing influence of dark energies.

 

Indeed, in cases of direct incarnations of evil, as described in the second version, the surrounding region also becomes infected, much like the scenario described above. Just as certain soil, moisture, and temperature conditions allow particular plants or weeds to thrive, so too do fear, hatred, and anger create fertile ground for dark forces. In fact, when a community emits strong negative vibrations, such as fear, suspicion, and rage, it can act as a beacon for malevolent entities to concentrate their efforts in that region.

In ancient Hindu scriptures, rakshasas are often portrayed as masters of maya (illusion) and powerful sorcery. In areas of social unrest, dark forces often sow rumours or dangerous thoughts which are then picked up by human intuition and acted upon. For instance, during the India–Pakistan riots, certain Muslim rioters, upon encountering Hindu men claiming to be Muslim, devised the cruel practice of checking for circumcision as proof of identity. These kinds of ideas are not always born from deliberate human reasoning. They are, I believe, seeded by evil forces in the environment and picked up by those susceptible to them.

 

What, then, is to be done by those living in areas where evil is palpably present? The answer is similar to how one responds to extreme cold. One keeps warm. This may involve sitting by a fire, wearing warm clothing, or lighting a small flame to create a zone of heat. Likewise, in total darkness, the first instinct is to light a candle. In the presence of powerful evil, the imperative is to remain connected to the divine source, through meditation if possible. For those untrained in meditation, sincere prayer to cosmic divine forces offers a viable alternative. The goal is to remain spiritually protected and grounded, allowing time to pass while refraining from drawing unnecessary attention.

 

As shown in the film Schindler’s List, even in the heart of immense evil, small acts of light can exist. Oskar Schindler, at great personal risk, saved hundreds of Jewish lives. While such heroism may not be possible for everyone, staying aligned with divine principles is itself an act of resistance and protection.

 

Interestingly, great spiritual masters such as the Buddha rarely spoke about evil in the personalised terms seen in other traditions. This omission long puzzled me. Unlike in the Bible, where Jesus casts out demons and confronts Satan directly, Eastern sages focused on meditation and attaining nirvana, which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In these traditions, there is less emphasis on external forces like God or Satan, and more on inner transformation.

 

After deep contemplation, I arrived at what I believe is a consistent explanation. At higher levels of spiritual understanding, evil does not exist as a tangible force. What exists is ignorance. Lest this sound like a contradiction to all I have stated thus far, allow me to clarify.

 

Consider the analogy of fire and ice. Both are extreme sensations. Fire burns, ice freezes. Fire can inflict pain, and so can ice. But while fire is generated by fuel, heat, and oxygen, cold has no independent existence. It is simply the absence of heat. Likewise, darkness is not a substance in itself. It is the absence of light. The deeper the darkness, the greater the absence of even the smallest light.

 

Thus, the so-called forces of darkness or evil are, in essence, entities that arise where spiritual light and wisdom are absent. When true insight shines forth, bringing discernment, compassion, and clarity, these dark influences dissipate. This is echoed in the Upanishadic mantra, Asato Ma Sad Gamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya, "Lead us from untruth to truth, from darkness to light." These verses do not refer to devils or demons but rather to ignorance and enlightenment. Evil, at the highest spiritual level, is ignorance.

 

And yet, even if evil is fundamentally a lack of light, its effects in the material and psychological realms are undeniably real. Returning to the analogy, while cold is simply the absence of heat, the effects of extreme cold, such as frostbite, hypothermia, and disorientation, are painfully tangible. The same is true of spiritual darkness. Though it may stem from ignorance, its impact on individuals and societies can be deeply destructive.

 

This is why the earlier parts of this reflection must be read in conjunction with this understanding. While the metaphysical truth may be that evil is a deficiency rather than a force, its manifestations in our world are real, often catastrophic.

 

In this light, the Western conception of an all-evil Satan pitted against an all-good God appears, to my mind, overly dualistic and dramatised, a product of the binary thinking common in Western theology and popular culture. Films often delineate clear heroes and villains, good and evil. Yet, human experience, as we know, is rarely so absolute. Most people, and most events, exist in shades of grey.

 

From this perspective, Hinduism’s treatment of evil as ignorance, or a deviation from divine light, seems both more realistic and more compassionate. Even beings like the rakshasas are not beyond redemption. The demon-king Ravana, for instance, is often remembered as a great scholar and devout meditator who acquired many boons through penance and discipline. This reflects the inherent fairness of the cosmic order. Even those aligned with darkness can acquire merits through effort.

 

What emerges is a hopeful view. Even the most misguided beings are not irredeemable. Spiritual light, once perceived, can illuminate even the darkest corners. As the ancient Sanskrit prayer reminds us, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, "May all beings, everywhere, be happy." The promise of peace, joy, and growth is not denied even to those once allied with darkness. All may return, in time, to the path of light.

©Staju Jacob, 2016.

Staju Jacob is the author of path-breaking book Karmasutra The Karma of Sex, which deals with the karmic spirituality of consensual sexual actions. This book is available globally on various Amazon sites in Paperback , Kindle, Sony Kobo, Google books, Iphone Ibook etc.  He can be contacted on Twitter @KaRmasutraTKOS