Chapter II, Hinduism, The Beyond Within, Summary and Analysis

Western thought suggests getting as far away from imperfection as possible, whereas Hinduism avows a purpose of by-passing imperfection altogether. The question then arises whether humankind can go beyond the variants of joy, knowledge, and being (things people really want) into a less circumscribed state of awareness. For example, the inhibitor of joy is pain. Physical pain can be conquered by focusing on that which distracts the mind from the pain itself. Ramakrishna, greatest of the nineteenth century Hindu saints, was able to withstand the doctor's probing of his cancerous throat before his death. There are countless examples even in the west where physical pain was overridden by another concentration, such as that of an injured player in sports who is so intent on the game that the pain is not...