In order to solve problems related to terrorism in the name of religion, wars where only people are killed and properties damaged may NOT bring the desired results though it is necessary as a temporary measure. The FEAR and the immense sufferings that such wars bring about may serve to make many people THINK more deeply about such fanatical outbursts in the name of religion. However a long term solution seems to lie elsewhere - in changing the very fabric of the metaphysical understanding such religions presuppose.
The bakti literature abound with many useful insights on the GENEALOGY of such religious madness and the following verse of Appar is one of them. Very interestingly he sees that as long as religions remain tied to the historical, such religious frenzies and fanatical zeal where millions are killed in the name of religion is inevitable. Such religions keep the mind locked up within the historical, keep the mind fixated to the historical, thus transfix the notion of Mukti into immortality.
Thus it would appear from the point of view of Appar that unless the mind is made aware of the metaphysical understanding where the historical is transcended, fanaticism is unavoidable. The Bakti revolt was against such historical religions. It may be possible that the current world situation where religious terrorism holds sway something similar may happen and that the MEANING of the present crisis is precisely that.
Below I provide the relevant verse of Appar along with my elucidatory commentary. It should also be noted that the explanation provided is quite different from that possible within the framework of the metaphysics implicit in Bagavath Gita.
Appar 138
nilai valiyinRi engkum nilanodu viNNum
nitanaj ceytu oodu puram muunRu
alai nali anjci oodi ariyodu teevar
araNam pukat tan aruLaal
kolai nali vaaLi muuLa aravang kai naaNum
anal paaya niiRu puramaa
malaicilai kaiyil olka vaLaivitta vaLLal
avanaam namaoor caraNee
The false metaphysical castles, the Muppuram, are those which are generated because of the inherent constraints of the atomizing aaNavam, historicalising kanmam and the falsifying maayai. Because caught in these citadels, nothing is seen as permanent, all are seen transitory, impermanent and hence throwing the souls into uncertainties, metaphysical instabilities. Afraid of such a way of Life, Vishnu along with all the Devas ran away and took recluse in the Meru Mountain, the abode of immortality. But even here they were assailed by VaaLi, the Evil Power that enjoys killing and destruction. Taking pity on the plights of these Devas, BEING, the Absolute, singed to ashes the False metaphysical castles, making the Vasuki, the KundaliNi snake beyond their reach and the Meru Mountain itself unbearably hot so that it could NOT be used. Such a BEING , the Supremely Generous, is our recluse!
Commentary:
Appar brings in here another famous Saiva mythological theme to explicate another dimension of the historical and through that the need to ascend the historical and rest in the absoluteness of the 'ahistorical' ground, the BEING itself. The phenomenal religions are historical and in being so, are NOT absolute and hence they are essentially False Metaphysics or more specifically what is called acattu as opposed to cattu, the absolute. Our historical existence, as long as we do not try to transcend and rise above it and reach permanence of the Absolute Ground, is bound to be supremely unstable and hence deeply unsatisfying, breeding a kind of restlessness within, making us always search for this and that. Unsatiated, we grope in the dark feeling miserable and seeking a way out of it and in that even unleashing terrorism and wars.
The Metaphysics of Saiva Siddhanta , as an UNDERSTANDING that has reached the Fundamental Ontology provides an EXPLANATION of such human condition in terms of the concept of Mummalam, the aaNavam Kanmam and Maayai. The aaNavam is that which atomizes the mind by making the soul metaphysically BLIND and hence that which breeds DARKNESS in understanding that we articulate as IGNORANCE. This ignorance is NOT Avidya of Vedanta as the metaphysics of Vedanta does not acknowledge the Mummalam, satisfying itself with using more the ancient notions of mukkuNam, the Satviikam, Rajasam and Tamasam, concepts which are NOT metaphysically fundamental. The Guna concept does not serve to explain the presence of Metaphysical Darkness which is quite different from what issues forth because of Tamasam Guna.
The atomization of the mind caused by the infection of aaNavam is that which makes the soul historical and hence infected with karma, the need to ACT and through actions LEARN and through that illuminate oneself and through that REDUCE the inherent atomicity, the human finititude. However the need for PRAXIS as a factor of existence makes it DESIRE the physical and hence become infected with maayai. These are Mummalam in the sense that they are the factors underlying the generation of false metaphysics and hence false religions.
Such false metaphysics or false religions fixate the mind to historical and hence seen as the products of Vishnu and the devas, the Vishnu being Lord of the manifest world, the Purusha, BEING-as-the -Manifest -World. As long as the mind gets trapped by these false metaphysics, it can take only the impermanent as permanent, the non absolute as absolute , the false as true, i.e. live in the world of Acattu, described here metaphorically as the Three Castles, the Muppuram.
The mind caught in the uncertainties CREATES , through its efforts the Meru Mountain, the Universe deemed IMMORTAL, deathless . But this is NOT the absolute, the Cattu for in this Mountain crops up the devastating religious madness, fanaticism articulated here as the workings of vaaLi, another Asura but now that which enjoys killing mercilessly, the kolai nali vaaLi. The deep metaphysical uncertainty that false religions create generate also the notion of immortality which is STILL within the historical understanding and hence dangerous in a way. For to establish that one is RIGHT, one false religion has to vanquish another and hence virtually KILL OFF those who differ. The immortality of one's false religion can only be established by KILLING off anything that challenges it.
So life continues to be oppressive and miserable and it is only at this point that BEING, the Absolute comes to the rescue of these people. Through creating and promoting wars in which the FIRE burns intensively, HE destroys all the False Metaphysics and hence all the false religions. In the heat of the battle and the consequent RETHINKING of a fundamental kind, the historical is made to evaporate, turn to ashes and become NOTHING allowing thereby the ABSOLUTE to emerge and hold the ground.
The mind that rests in the Absolute, in the Cattu, attains the real Santhi that is the root desire of all and also makes the soul full of LOVE for all.
( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )
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