After wandering aimlessly through repeated birth and death cycle in 8.4 million wombs, the blessed Lord, our eternal father through His immense grace, has bestowed us with this human birth. Having come upon this human body, the individual Soul can very easily attain Salvation.
Therefore Goswamiji Maharaj has said –
“Bade bhaag manushya tana paava. Sudurlabh sab granthi gaava.
Saadhan dhaam moksh ker dwaara. Paayi ne jehi parlok sanwaara.”
(Manasa, Uttar. 43/4)
God has therefore given us this human body, so that the ‘Jeev‘ (Embodied Soul) can free himself from worldly bondage and forever attain peace i.e. nothing more is left to be done, known or attained (Krta-krtya, jyaat-jyaatva, praapt-praaptva). But the sad part is, that man turning away from his main purpose (uddeshya) has become entangled in worldly pleasures (bhog) and in accumulation of material objects (sangraha). Occasionally, few men with the mercy of the Saints or by the grace of the blessed Lord engage in their spiritual aims, then too they lack a firm (drdh) resolution (nischay) and determination in pursuing this path. Without a firm resolve, his life will not be filled with spiritual achievement (saadhanmai). Because his life does not become filled with spirituality and devotion, he can superficially learn, speak and write about the Lord’s pastimes, but he can never attain eternal peace. To make this life spiritually perfect and blissful, it is essential that an aspirant accept these two points with a firm resolve.
1) Nothing is mine, there is nothing I want, and I have absolutely no relation with anyone and
2) Only God is my very own.
The first point, is to bring about detachment from the world. And the second point is to bring about a relation with God and God Realization. By firmly accepting the first point, one attains liberation (mukti) and by accepting the second point firmly, one attains devotion (bhakti).
An aspirant inclined towards discrimination (vivek) of real and unreal, accepts the first point. The end result for both types of spiritual aspirants is complete fulfillment – nothing left to be done, nothing remaining to be known and nothing remaining to be attained (Krta-krtya, jyaat-jyaatva, praapt-praaptva). At this point, human birth will be a completely fulfilled.
These points do not need to be learned, they only need to be accepted by the Self (swayam). Things that are learned, can be forgotten, but those accepted from within cannot be forgotten.
Therefore accept with a firm resolve 1) nothing is mine, there is nothing I want, and I have absolutely no relation with anyone and 2) Only God is my very own.
Now a doubt may arise that when nothing is mine, then why should I serve mother and father? Why should I protect the objects and things. When I want nothing then what is the need for food and water ? When I have no relation with anyone, then why should I help, be of some service to others? When only God is my very own, then why should I serve the husband? The main reason for all these doubts is that an aspirant accepts the above two points by staying one with the body. The main cause for bondage is the identification of “me-mine” with the body. Therefore regarding the self (swaroop), Goswamiji says –
Ishvar Ansh Jeev Avinashi Chetan Amal Sahaj Sukh Raashi (Manas, Uttar 117 / 1)
Now let us think about these points –
‘Ishvar Ansh Jeev’ — Jeev (embodied soul) is an inseparable fraction and God is the ‘Whole’. God has also said this in Gita, ‘Mamaivaansho jeevaloke’ (Gita 15/7). Just as God is an embodient of ‘Sat-chit-anand,’ (Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute) like that ‘Jeev’ (embodied soul) is also an embodiment of ‘sat-chit-anand.’ Just as all children have equal rights on the mother, like that all beings have equal entitlement on the eternal father, God. Just as some prince, forgets that – ‘I am the king’s son,’ then the king is stupefide and at the same time he feels very sad, similarly, seeing man indulging in worldly pleasures and hoarding, God is very sad, that instead of attaining me, he is taking a downward trend – ‘maampraayaiv kaunteya tato yaanyadhamaam gatim.’ (Gita 16/20).
An aspirant must be proud of the fact that God is my very own, and I am God’s –
‘As abhimaan jaayi jani bhore | Main sewak Raghupati pati more.’
(Manas, Aranya. 11/11)
We are the children of God, the eternal father, the owner of the three worlds, then why should we beg in front of the insignificant, mortal world? He who turns to the world, the world makes him their slave, their servant. But he who turns to God, God Himself becomes their slave – ‘Aham bhakt paraadheenh’ (Srimad Bhagwat. 9/4/63); ‘Mein to hu bhagatanka das, bhagat mere mukutmani’! Leaving God, our eternal well-wisher, and desiring the world, is such foolishness !
‘Abinaashi’ – God is imperishable; therefore ‘ansh’ (fraction) of God is also imperishable – ‘avinashi tu tadviddhi’ (Gita 2/17). Though being imperishable, it develops affinity for the perishable body and the world –
‘Mamaivaansho jeeva loke jeevabhootah sanaatanah |
Manahshashthaani indriyaani prakrutisthaani karshati ||
(Gita 15/7)
The Ātmā (self), an eternal ray (part) of My own self, having become a Jīvā (embodied soul) in this world; draws to itself (assumes them as his own), the five senses and mind as the sixth, which are seated in Prakṛti (nature). 7
The inseparable part of Prakṛti is so loyal, that is always remains established in Prakṛti (Nature) – ‘prakṛti-sthāni’. But Jīvā, though being an ‘ansha’ of God, assumes it’s affinity with the body, which is ‘ansha’ of Prakṛti (Nature) ! Due to this assumed affinity it remains trapped in the birth and death cycle.
‘Chetan’ – Being an ‘ansha’ (inseparable fraction) of God, Jīvā is an embodiment of consciousness. All inert (insentient) things are the kind to meet and separate. Just as it is impossible for the ‘Amaavasya’ (no moon) night to meet the Sun, like that, it is impossible for the insentient things to have a connection with the sentient. Therefore the relationship of the sentient (conscious element) with the insentient (inert) is illusory and assumed, it is not actual.
‘Amal’ – Being an ‘ansha’ (inseparable fraction) of God, the self is free of flaws, free of any faults. Therefore it is said by the Lord in Gita –
anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
śarīra-stho ’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate
(13/31)
O son of Kuntī (Arjuna), the Self being without beginning and without attributes (modes of Nature), is form of Imperishable Paramātmā (Supreme Soul) only. Even though dwelling in the body, it neither acts nor gets tainted. 31
Passion – anger and as many faults that are there, they are all visiting; but due to identification with the body, the ignorant man believes that I am desirous, I am an angry person, etc. No flaws remain constant and all the time. Flaws come and go – ‘āgamāpāyino ’nityāh,’ (Gita 2/14); But the self always remains as-is. All flaws are only in the inert portion, not in the sentient portion. Therefore no flaws can ever reach the self. The self is always and constantly without any flaws (innocent).
‘Sahaj Sukh Rashi’ – The World is an abode of sorrow – ‘ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te’ (Gita 5/22); ‘duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam’ (Gita 8/15). It is only due to assuming an affinity, a feeling of me-mine with this sorrow-filled world, that this ‘jeev’ (embodied soul) experiences suffering. In reality, this ‘jeev’ is an inseparable ‘ansh’ (conscious part) of God, it is nothing but a bundle of joy. Therefore the moment it severs affinity with the body and the world, it experiences it’s spontaneous, inexhaustable, and everlasting joy. sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam aśnute (Gita 5/21); sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam (Gita 6/21), Just has even on having the ‘paras’ (philosopher’s stone) at home, an ignorant man goes door-to-door begging, in the same way, the ‘self’, though being a heap of joy, but due to longing for happiness, remains immersed in search of worldly pleasures and hoarding which are temporary, with the end result he undergoes great suffering – ‘pariṇāme viṣam iva’ (Gita 18/38).
The main reason for all the sorrow (unhappiness) is – desire for destructible perishable pleasures. No happiness can be achieved, without leaving desires. sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī (Gita 2/70). Desire for worldly pleasures cannot be erased with practice, rather it can be erased on experiencing transcendental joy. Therefore an aspirant should want that he become engaged in ‘Naam Japa’ (Divine Name repetition), rememberance of God (bhajan), loudly chanting His name (kirtan), reading stories of devotees of God etc. When he begins to relish ‘Naam Japa’ etc., then worldly relish will leave on it’s own. Just as in childhood, one experiences great relish in stones and pebbles, but when one developed relish in money, then the relish for stones-pebbles left on its own.
To serve others and to accept God as your own – it is only for these two things that human body has been acquired. Besides human beings, in no other form of birth, do beings have the eligibility or the capability, to do both these things. God too has this hope from human beings that man serves others, and accepts God as His own – loves God ! Just as Maa (mother) asks her son, tell me whose son are you? Then the child replies ‘I am your son’. On hearing this, Maa becomes very pleased. In this manner, God too wishes to hear from the men that He has made that they call Me their very own, and they love Me.
There is no other way to develop love for God besides sense of mine-ness (accepting God as your very own). Only God is mine, and I am only God’s – on accepting this, God out of His grace, bestows Love for Him, which increases every moment. Man’s life is complete (fulfilled) on the awakening of this love of God.
There are two types of spiritual aspirants – one with predominance of the mind ‘vivek’ (power of discretion) and another with predominance of the heart (feelings and sentiments). An aspirant with predominance of ‘vivek’, renounces the world through his discretion, and an aspirant with predominance of feelings and sentiments, sees the world as a form of God. Because all is only God – this is not a subject of ‘vivek’ (power of discretion), rather it is a subject of feelings and sentiments. As long as ‘vivek’ remains, then ‘sat’ (real) and ‘asat’ (unreal) both are existent. Therefore an aspirant following the path of ‘vivek’ (discretion), sees by separating the ‘sat-tattva’ existent element (God) from the ‘asat’ (transient world). As long as, God and the world are both separate in an aspirant’s vision, till then he cannot experience ‘akhand anand’ (uninterrupted bliss) in his life, rather sometimes he experiences joy and other times dullness. Sometimes he sees immense progress in his spiritual practice, sometimes he sees no gain whatsoever in his spiritual practice. The reason being that in the path of ‘vivek’ (discretion), the subtle existence of the renounce things (unreal) remains for a very long time. But in the vision of an aspirant with predominance of ‘bhaav’ (feelings and sentiments), everything along with, the sat-asat (real-unreal), para-apara (higher nature, lower nature), is all God only – ‘sadasaccāham’ (Gita 9/19); ‘apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām’ (Gita 7/5), therefore in his vision, there is nothing that is to be renounced. Therefore when the aspirant has predominance of ‘bhava’, the world does not continue to exist, only God exists – ‘vāsudevaḥ sarvam’ (Gita 7/19). For such an aspirant, along with uninterrupted bliss, ‘anant anand’ (infinite bliss) i.e. Love of God is experienced (realized), by the grace of God.
Narayan ! Narayan ! Narayan !
From “Saadhan ke do pradhaan sutra” by Swami Ramsukhdasji
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