There are three main components of a human being; Spirit, Mind , Body. Mind is the adhesive or connecting component between Spirit and Body. The characteristics of Spirit and Body are easily understandable and define-able. Spirit is indestructible and unchangeable whereas Body is destructible and changeable. These are two extremes of a human being. Interestingly the characteristics of Mind lie somewhere in between the characteristics of the other two components. It is indestructible but changeable and mercurial. A body without mind is just vegetation, or in COMA state, and a Spirit without Mind is completely unmanifested phenomenon: The unmanifested means:
The unmanifested is the Absolute, the pure and formless ground of being from which creation and manifestation arise. As such, the unmanifested is free from change, the unmoved mover. It also, necessarily, cannot be explained or comprehended in terms of any manifest reality.
The differentiation of human beings is a function of the Mind only and not of other two components, which are the same in every human being and an enlightened person knows this fact very well.
A human being’s sufferings are of two types; mental and physical; related to the two components; mind and body. Interestingly whatever the type of suffering BOTH BODY AND MIND SUFFER TOGETHER. The third component of a human being , Spirit, is completely free from all kinds of sufferings. Interestingly, a body without mind is also free from all kinds of sufferings.
All kinds of human sufferings relate to BODY+MIND combination only.
An enlightened persons becomes free from all kinds of sufferings, except, of course extreme physical pains.
All kinds of human sufferings relate to BODY+MIND combination only.
Spirit is completely immune to mental as well as physical sufferings. An enlightened person becomes free from all kinds of sufferings, except, of course extreme physical pains. However, an enlightened person uses the shield of stoicism to bear physical pain as well patiently. Some recent instances from Sikh history will be more than enough to prove the point. Shri Guru Teg Bahadur and some of his followers were given extreme mental and physical pains and tortures .
( Refer to the following extract from SikhWiki)
“In the summer of 1675, the Guru, along with some of his companions were finally brought to Delhi and asked to convert to Islam or else face the penalty of death. Guru ji was also asked to perform a miracle. Guru Tegh Bahadur averred that he would rather sacrifice his life than give up his faith and his freedom or belief or perform a miracle. Thus, under Aurangzeb’s orders, Guru ji and his companions were tortured. The Guru was chained and imprisoned in a cage and was tortured in the cruellest and the most inhuman ways for five long days. In order to terrorise him further into submission, one of his distinguished devotees (Bhai Mati Das) was sawn alive, another (Bhai Dyal Das) was boiled in the cauldron and the third (Bhai Sati Das) was roasted alive before the Guru.
Finally, the Guru himself was beheaded, under imperial warrant, in broad daylight, in the middle of a public square, the most prominent public place in India, called Chandni Chowk, of Delhi, on the charge that he was a stumbling block preventing the spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. The exact location of the beheading is marked by Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi. His martyrdom was yet another challenge to the Sikh conscience. It was then realized that there could be no understanding between an insensate power imbrued with blood and a proud people wedded to a life of peace with honour. The sacrifice roused the Hindus from their passive silence and gave them the fortitude to understand the power that comes from self-respect and sacrifice. Guru Tegh Bahadur thus earned the affectionate title of “Hind-di-Chadar” or the Shield of India.”
When it comes to man made sufferings, mental as well as physical, there is no parallel in the World History to the gory horror faced by Sikh Gurus and their followers. It is far more difficult to bear man made sufferings than self inflicted sufferings and natural calamities. It was the enlightenment of the Gurus and the Spiritual Strength passed on by them to their followers that made them bear all these hair raising cruelties and tortures with the chanting: TERA BHANA MEETHA LAAGE. The mental agony borne by Guru Gobind Singh, whose two innocent sons were buried alive in the walls, is again unparalleled.
ALL INDIANS IRRESPECTIVE OF CASTE COLOUR AND CREED OWE A MUCH GREATER DEBT TO THE SIKH GURUS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS THAN THEY OWE TO ANYBODY ELSE.
Authentic Sikh History of sacrifices of Sikh Gurus and their followers should be an essential part of School Curriculum in all the Indian Schools. This can be the greatest source of SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AND ENLIGHTENMENT.