The World of Make Believe, Ideology, Religion, and "Faith-Based" Reality

It should be obvious by now that yoga is not a self deluding system of make believe, where an ideal mental process or belief is proposed in order to change one's prior beliefs to conform to a perfect "reality". It is not an escape from "reality". That kind of faith based "reality" is common in many religions, political doctrine, ideology and all dogmatic fundamentalist belief systems. Many religions are based on ideology, "correct" beliefs (propaganda), conformity, memorization of the correct answers, conformity to doctrine and moral codes, and then an affirmation that such is "real" through "acts of faith and loyalty" that confirm or reinforce one's belief in their role/identity.

Herein we can find any of the common hand-me-down religions, traditions, political ideologies, or any other nationalistic, racist, ethnic, provincial, chauvinistic, or bigoted system. Especially Westerners once they have been conditioned at an early age to abandon their innate power and wisdom, while accepting their parent's and/or peers' belief systems, they become willing victims of continued propaganda and persuasion via the process of psychological transference where one belief is modified, improved, transported, incorporated, or psychologically transferred.

People who are lost in belief systems, "believe" that everything, as an external reality, is based on belief, or rather how we view it. That is only partially correct. What is not readily acknowledged is the unbiased/universal view, which of course is transpersonal and non-dual. Because of this omission, egoic beings commonly negate the possibility of clarity devoid of conceptual constructs, conditioning, or artifacts of delusion. Although this is justified as freedom of thought, it is an arbitrary delusion, not free unconditioned thought, but self limited delusion., which is a prison. By itself, it is a fixated belief, which prevents the viewer from an unconditioned and unfabricated view. Children, in general conflate free thought, with the freedom to make things up as they go. This runs the risk of infant solipsism and neologisms. Therefore, they become susceptible toward artificially improving/perfecting their belief system in an endless world of make believe, as long as they give themselves permission, the super-ego sanctions it, it appears logical (anumana, Skt.), while external authority and/or peers reinforce it (agama, Skt.), and/or it appears to be confirmed via selected and partial facts or data (pratyaksha) and dualistic views. Wishful thinking, so called positive thinking, and many similar systems that use affirmations to reinforce a basis of formulating "reality" falsely assume that reality depends on the ordinary mind become merely elaborate systems of self deceit, conceit, and delusion, which promise freedom but never deliver. Reality, is not what we think it is, rather it is much larger than the constructs of the conceptual mind. That kind of approach which does not depend upon pessimism nor optimism is designated as realism. Realism takes into account the whole. Profoundly, it is beyond conceptualization. Realism, being non-dual, universal, and incorruptible, abides perfectly balanced in the middle channel. That is the perfect place to rest one's mind.

~ Albert Einstein

Einstein had to question the "sacred laws" of physics in order to think outside its box. What he came up with was a far more marvelous integration that had heretofore been postulated. First, Einstein had to become thoroughly disillusioned with what he was taught to believe. Such fabricated/delusional systems fall far short of authentic yoga (realism), which is dedicated to the truth (satya). It is nothing other than realism. Although it is true that yoga will change the pre-conditioned mental patterning (citta-vrtti), it is based on the complete cessation (nirodha) of mental fabrications, not further modifications/distortions, lies, or fancies. Upon the *cessation* of the citta-vrtti (dualistic mindfields), then the yogi abides in the true nature of mind (swarupa-sunyam) in samadhi (see III.3 in the Yoga Sutras). This is a completely uncontrived, unconditioned, and unmodified natural state.

Such contrived make believe systems are very common. People tend to hold onto them tightly when their beliefs are challenged or confronted with conflicting data. Sometimes the conflicting data is ignored or even the messenger is shot. We will discuss this more in detail in I.9 when we discuss the limited mindset (citta-vrtti) of vikalpa, fancy, imagination, and conceptualization processes as make believe is a fancy (vikalpa) of the conditioned mind as well as a pramana, in so far it is considered by the "believer" to be a right view, and it is supported by pratyaksha, anumana, and agama. Again such is *not* the expansive view of yoga, where illusions are dispelled, delusion ceases, and true seeing (vidya) into the true nature of reality is achieved by understanding the true nature of one's own mind.

Following are a few examples of pramana. They can be broken down into two categories; i.e., one where the pramana is later proven to be false, but one at first thinks it to be true, and the second category is that the pramana appears to be true, but it is still limits our consciousness and spiritual experience (cit and sat).

A simple example on how ordinary perception (pratyaksa), inference (anumana), and external authority (agama) solidifies and reinforces a belief system (pramana) as a valid cognition is that of twins born in Nepal but separated at birth. One is brought up by the mother's family who are orthodox Hindus, while the other is brought up by the father's family who are devout Buddhists. Each having the same genetic intelligence, enter their respective monasteries and learn through programming their respective world views (pramana). Alter in life they meet and debate, never agreeing.

As long as they do not resort to blame, anger, ridicule, demonization, hatred, deference, or violence to the other group, one may conclude that there is no harm involved. However, what if these two were brought up as an orthodox Jew in Jerusalem and the other as an orthodox Muslim in Palestine? What if one was brought up as a German nationalist and the other as a French nationalist, one a white racist and the other a black racist, one a woman hater and the other a man hater, and so on? Obviously these would be extreme examples of how strong "so called", valid convictions may create conflict, harm, and violence, even serving as fuel for war, slavery, and/or murder.  

According to yoga, such conflict is not inevitable, rather they are due to citta-vrtti which are to be liberated. The human mind can change and a wider vision embraced. That is the assumption of functional yoga. 

A common example is that the world was once thought to be round because people observed (pratyaksha) that the horizon appeared to be flat, then inferring (anumana) that the earth was flat, and this was then confirmed by the church and kings (agama). Later some one came along and "proved" that the earth was round and thus people fixated on that. In reality the earth is not round but spherical and even that has many subtle "anomalies", twists and turns to it. That is the theory or picture of it still does not conform to what it really is. Not even modern scientific theory can account for the shape of the earth and its many changes, yet the earth is-as-it-is despite our many theories of it. That is-as-it-is is direct non-dual perception known when the dualistic tendencies of the mind are put to rest.

Similarly, at one time in Europe it was considered to be proven that the universe revolved around the earth. Advocates used certain observations (pratyaksha), reasoning (anumana), and the church and kings (agama) to back them up. If you disagreed you ran the risk of being tortured and killed. Of course today we know that was a "mistaken view" (viparyayo), but one may ask how many mistaken views do we hold today that are generally considered pramana and how is that holding us back from vital and functional living?

Another strong example of how pramana can be destructive, which is very common, occurs when someone, who has been disempowered and programmed to be insecure, dissociated, or extracted from their intrinsic wisdom, then becomes dependent upon an external authority figure, a father, priest/pope, religion, bible, president, or other strong authority type/authoritarian rigid system. One becomes dependent upon such an external order for their own self worth, position in life, identity, sense of security, meaning and purpose, etc. One develops thus a great need (and fear) to believe in this authority as a substitute for their own reality. Anything that contradicts this conditioned holding pattern appears as a threat to one's very identity and survival.

Pramana thus can become a comfortable refuge, lens, filter in which to see the world and hence, "self", but also one's prison. So paradoxically, when evidence (pratyaksha) is presented that is contradictory to this external authoritarian system (agama), the soul who has become disempowered and extracted immediately takes that as a threat to "self" (as they feel they have no alternative) and defends the agama compulsively even to a point of becoming aggressive or violent if need be. This has an ironic twist because one's freedom and true happiness is based on recognizing one's attachment to these prisons and transcending them. It doesn't matter if the attack is perceived as being an attack on the belief system itself or on the individual means to which it has become concluded (agama, pratyaksa, or anumana). It doesn't matter if the perceived attack upon the belief system is viewed as primarily religious, political, racial, nationalistic, ethnic, or cultural, the information (pratyaksa) itself is attacked, the other person is attacked, the other person's reasoning (anumana) is attacked, and the other persons authority (agama) is attacked. In some cases the messenger of such contradictions to one;s dearly held belief system is physically attacked and murdered as a the final solution in removing "the problem". These are common occurrences due to pramana-vrtti that effective self awareness will disclose and defuse. In order to manipulate others, exploiters first attempt to extract the victim from their inherent wisdom and thus disengage them from their critical thinking powers and ability making them dependent on "authority". Here confusion (avidya) is the root kleshic of the citta-vrtti. Then in turn the attachment (asmita-raga) to that mindfield (pramana-vrtti) becomes a source for hatred, scorn , rage, and aversion (asmita-dvesa klesha)

Another example is the club mentality. People who have compromised their own values and inner feelings are subject to being corrupted by the join the club mentality, which is none other than play our game and as a team member we will mutually support and propagate illusions, ideology, propaganda, and lies that serve the club. One becomes rewarded as a valuable part of the club --as a team player. But woe to some one who would blow the whistle, reveal the truth, disclose that the emperor is wearing no clothes, then one will be excluded, banished, and even punished (persecuted). One is threatened to conform to the dominant ideology, doctrine, or belief as gospel or become an outcast or worse. Such is not uncommon small town mentality (provincialism) often found in corrupt situations and commonly utilized to maintain control and power by putting down dissent or minorities. In institutionalized racism even the victims are coerced to think of themselves in terms of the dominant force or power structure. In that milieu free or independent thinking and honesty is strongly discouraged. Here the kleshas of greed, desire, self advantage, and fear have created the attachment to this vrtti, and as a consequence adherence to the vrtti, in turn increases the kleshas of increased asmita-dvesa (antipathy) and insecurity if not adhered to, while promising reward (asmita-raga) if upheld.

Similarly in many small towns there exists a "good old boys" mentality. This is the way "it is". Don't rock the boat and you will be rewarded. Play the game and pretend and you will be accepted. But if you speak up, tell the truth, or reveal the lie there will be enacted serious consequences - punishment. Hence adherence (raga-klesha) to those vrttis obviously produce more asmita-dvesa (kleshas of associated with antipathy or aversion).

Likewise the same thing taken on a larger scale is the totalitarian state. Democracy presupposes that people are capable of thinking things out for themselves and hence capable of making a functional decision. Such is a threat to exploiters -- those who would capitalize on one's stupidity, loyalty, and enslavement. Authoritarian states,, tyrants, and totalitarian regimes use such tactics as "conform", tow the line, obey, be loyal or suffer. Obey and be rewarded, disobey and be killed or punished. In that environment fear and punishment rule i.e., terror. The more terrorized people are the more they will be persuaded to conform to the sate which promises to protect them as long as it commands their loyalty. One key tactic is to strip the slave of their own sense of inner authority, sense of innate wisdom, self confidence, or ability for critical and creative thought. Once that is achieved, then obedience to the ruling authority remains unquestioned.