Spiritual Progress
(Vinod Anand)

What is the subject of the enjoyer? It is the mind. The mind undergoes physical as well as intellectual experiences. The experience of spiritual bliss is psycho-spiritual and partly mental by nature.
If all feelings are through the mind, it follows that these feelings are born within the vibrational scope of the mind. All existence in this universe is vibrational.

Physical and intellectual happiness, both of which are enjoyed by the mind, are therefore vibrational.

Mind-experiences fall within the scope of the following five types: Anukula vedaniyarn or relaxed nerves, pratikula vedaniyam or stressed nerves, avedaniyam or when the function of nerve cells stops, nirapeksha vedaniyam or indifference to pain or pleasure and apluta vedaniyam that is non-lateral or multilateral.

All human progress is through the experience of these feelings. Wherever there is progress, one or more or all of the expressions of these feelings are present. In the realm of physical progress, we find only two of these experiences, and they are primarily physico-psychic. The experience of pleasure in the physical body means relaxation of nerves. Relaxed nerves emanate the peculiar mental vibration which is called anukula vedaniyam.

Where there is tension or the striking on the nerves, another kind of vibration is generated, expressed through pratikula vedantyam. The other three expressions of feelings are not present in the physical stratum. What we call progress in the physical stratum is only the awareness of anukula vedaniyam in the physical body.

We either fail to see or purposely ignore the corresponding pratikula veaaniyam. In the psychic sphere there are four expressions of feelings: anukula vedaniyam, pratikala vedaniyam, avedaniyam and nirapelcsha vedaniyam. So anukula vedaniyam in the psychic sphere would mean that state of the mind which provides more food for it.

It would naturally result in a corresponding increase of pratikula vedaniyam also, so that the balance of the pendulum may be maintained in the vibrational sphere. The first two expressions balance each other in the intellectual sphere also.

Relatively speaking, indifference to pain or pleasure — which is called nirapeksha vedaniyam — is in effect psychic suppression or repression. This is an unnatural state of mind and whether it lasts five minutes or 10 minutes, five days or 10 days or even a period of years, when the control is removed, it finds expression. Psychic suppression or repression, therefore, is unnatural and does not lead to progress.

What is avedaniyam? In ordinary circumstances it is unnatural, when the function of nerve cells stops or is forcibly stopped. In other circumstances it may amount to refusal to admit the existence of the mundane world. It is a denial of crude physicality; whatever exists is only illusory Therefore, the ultimate effect of avedaniyam is also visible in the first two forms of expression.

None of the four aforementioned expressions of feelings exist in the spiritual field. The reason is that as the goal is not finite, the states described above do not exist. Only one form of feeling is expressed in the spiritual realm and this is apluta vedaniyam.

This expression is either non-lateral or multilateral. Being non-lateral, it does not allow the formation of reactive momenta and being multilateral, it is immune to the effect of reactive momenta. Thus, there is no question of minuses; there are only pluses. Apluta vedaniyam is a movement from negativity to positivity and this alone can be termed as real progress.

Author's Bio: 

VINOD K.ANAND: A BRIEF PROFILE

Born in 1939, and holding Master’s Degree both in Mathematics (1959) and Economics (1961), and Doctorate Degree in Economics (1970), Dr. Vinod K.Anand has about forty five years of teaching, research, and project work experience in Economic Theory (both micro and macro), Quantitative Economics, Public Economics, New Political Economy, and Development Economics with a special focus on economic and social provisions revolving around poverty, inequality, and unemployment issues, and also on informal sector studies. His last assignment was at the National University of Lesotho (Southern Africa) from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that he was placed as Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of North-West in the Republic of South Africa, and University of Allahabad in India, Professor at the National University of Lesotho, Associate Professor at the University of Botswana, Gaborone in Botswana, and at Gezira University in Wad Medani, Sudan, Head, Department of Arts and Social Sciences, Yola in Nigeria, Principal Lecturer in Economics at Maiduguri University in Nigeria, and as Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria. Professor Anand has by now published more than 80 research papers in standard academic journals, authored 11 books, supervised a number of doctoral theses, was examiner for more than twenty Ph.D. theses, and has wide consultancy experience both in India and abroad, essentially in the African continent. This includes holding the position of Primary Researcher, Principal Consultant etc. in a number of Research Projects sponsored and funded by Universities, Governments, and International Bodies like, USAID, IDRC, and AERC. His publications include a variety of themes revolving around Economic Theory, New Political Economy, Quantitative Economics, Development Economics, and Informal Sector Studies. His consultancy assignments in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Botswana, and the Republic of South Africa include Non-Directory Enterprises in Allahabad, India, Small Scale Enterprises in the Northern States of Nigeria, The Absolute Poverty Line in Sudan, The Small Scale Enterprises in Wad Medani, Sudan, Micro and Small Scale Enterprises in Botswana, The Place of Non-Formal Micro-Enterprises in Botswana, Resettlement of a Squatter Community in the Vryburg District of North West Province in the Republic of South Africa, Trade and Investment Development Programme for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises: Support for NTSIKA in the Republic of South Africa, and Development of the Manufacturing Sector in the Republic of South Africa’s North West Province: An Approach Based on Firm Level Surveys. Professor Anand has also extensively participated in a number of conferences, offered many seminars, participated in a number of workshops, and delivered a variety of Refresher Lectures at different venues both in India and abroad. Dr. Anand was placed at the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla in the State Himachal Pradesh, India as a Fellow from 2001 to 2003, and had completed a theoretical and qualitative research project/monograph on the Employment Profile of Micro Enterprises in the State of Himachal Pradseh, India.