Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Story 17 - two types of liberation
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 17 - two types of liberation
Shuka continues:
A person should contemplate on the form of Lord and not get deluded into the worldly objects. Those are fools who crave for temporary pleasure which is got from the external sense objects. The sense objects should be accepted as they come and a wise person will never crave for them. Instead, the complete attention of a wise person will be towards realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. Hence, each moment he will be contemplating on the cosmic form of the Lord and thereby will realize the Lord who is all-pervasive and his own very nature.
Thus, a wise person will contemplate on the form of Lord with four hands, the world as his body etc. (those who are unable to contemplate on the reality of all-pervasive Lord).
Unless a seeker is able to realize the Lord as his own very Self, he should contemplate on the cosmic form of the Lord. And when such a person realizes his own nature of Lord, he gets liberated here itself. There is neither time, nor its effects of the world in the ultimate reality. There is neither the Prakrithi or Nature of the qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas nor the Mahat tattva (cosmic mind or Brahma as we know) in the ultimate reality.
Such a being who contemplates on the Lord as one’s own Self gets liberated here itself and rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord.
Other people who contemplate on the Lord are liberated at the end of the Kalpa. When they leave the body (at that time, they contemplate on the Lord) and thereby they go to higher paths (which are mentioned as Devayaana marga) and reach the abode of Brahma (brahmaloka or Satyaloka). There they enjoy all pleasures including the eternal bliss of the Self. And at the end of the kalpa, they get liberated by merging into the ultimate reality of Lord or Brahman (from whom the world is created and unto whom the world enters into).
Therefore, a person should with all his effort hear, sing and remember the glory of the ultimate reality of Lord at all times and in all conditions (place – meaning that beyond time and space). This way he gets liberated here itself.
Explanation
Sruthi or scriptures mention two types of liberation. First of all, it is essential to know what liberation or mukthi is. Mukthi is not going to vaikunta or kailas after death or going to heaven and enjoying with beautiful damselfs. Mukti is enjoying of eternal bliss and removal of sorrow completely.
Thus, that state where there is no sorrow and there is only eternal bliss is the state of Mukti or liberation. In such a state, there is eternal bliss and hence no desires are present. Desires arise because of imperfection.
A person will have desire to earn more money because the he is not perfect or complete in terms of money. A person strives or desires for higher posts because he is not complete in respect of posts. Therefore, imperfection or incompleteness is the cause of desire. This desire is the cause of all problems as it leads to sorrow when the desire is not met and happiness (temporary) when the desire is met. When the desire is met, it again rises to a higher desire.
As Manu says in manu smrithi that trying to eliminate desire by enjoying them is like pouring ghee in fire (it will not extinguish fire but fire will burn more than normal!!!!).
This desire is present only for satisfaction and contentment. The desires are all towards removal of sorrow and gain of eternal bliss. When eternal bliss is present, then there is no desire. Money, power, women etc are desired only for the sake of happiness. If happiness is not got from them, then they will not be desired.
It seems to the individual that these external objects give happiness but they give happiness only in the beginning. In the long run, they give sorrow alone in the form of craving for the happiness which was enjoyed previously.
But when eternal bliss is achieved, then there are no desires and such a state is called Mukti or liberation.
Shuka here first states that a wise person will never crave for external objects because he knows that they will lead to sorrow only and they will not give him eternal bliss. Once this is known, then the wise person strives for that which will give him eternal bliss. That object which is capable of giving eternal bliss is Lord or Self. This Lord when searched and realized as one’s own very nature makes one rejoice in the eternal bliss which is inherent in the Self itself. We all are of the nature of eternal bliss. But at the present time, we are unaware of the bliss due to ignorance about our own nature of Consciousness or Lord. We consider ourselves as the body-mind complex because of this ignorance. When ignorance vanishes, then the wrong notions that I am the body etc. vanish. When these vanish, the individual realizes his own very nature of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This is what is termed as Mukti or liberation in Vedanta.
The way to attain liberation has already been mentioned by Shuka as contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord at all moments, at all times. Here shuka says that a person remember the Lord at all times and in all places or conditions. It should not happen that since a seeker is in the midst of many people, he doesn’t remember the Lord. This is only part-time prayer and will have part-time benefit alone. Real prayer or devotion is that in which the devotee always thinks about the Lord. Not even a single second passes without remembrance of the Lord.
Liberation is of two types. One is sadyo mukti or immediate liberation. Other is krama mukti or gradual liberation.
When a seeker continuously contemplates on the Lord and is devoid of any desire or conditions, he merges into the Lord here itself. Thereby he gets liberated here itself – in the world – while living – and this very moment. This liberation is thus also called Jeevanmukthi (liberation even while living). Therefore, we find jeevanmuktaas like Janaka among others in the scriptures. Sri Chandrasekhara Bhaarathi swamigal of Sringeri was a world renowned jeevanmukta. Similar was the case with Sri Chandrasekharendra saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi.
The other type of mukti is that in which the individual is not able to completely shed off desires and it takes him the complete life time for desires to get removed. At the time of death, such an individual remembers the Lord and thereby he follows the upper path called Devayana (through deva loka among other worlds). Such an individual reaches the brahma loka and attains liberation at the end of the kalpa. Since this liberation is had through various worlds (proceeding through various worlds) and at the end of kalpa, it is called krama mukti.
Srimad Bhagavatham itself has already mentioned the krama mukti of Bhisma where he merged into Brahmaloka after remembering the Lord and shedding off the mortal coil.
The difference between both types of liberation is that in gradual liberation, the seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord only at the end of kalpa. Till then, he will be facing problems in the form of sorrows and sufferings for the body etc. But in jeevan mukti, the seeker realizes the Lord here itself and hence he merges into the Lord here itself. Once the seeker realizes the Lord, then there is no individual seeker there – but there exists only the Lord.
One may ask here that aren’t jeevanmuktaas seen as living and talking as individuals?
This is the view of the ignorant alone. The ignorant person sees various things which are not real but only temporary. But for the jeevan mukta, there is nothing other than Lord. Even the two types of liberation is meant for the ignorant and so that he gets liberated here itself and now itself (and not after going to Brahmaloka and at the end of the kalpa).
Therefore, Srimad Bhagavatham stresses that an individual should try to get realized here itself and at this moment itself. Thus, shuka concludes this chapter by telling that a person always hear, sing and remember the glories of the ultimate reality.
The ultimate reality is that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Whatever is seen as different things are in fact the Lord Each and every object that is seen is the Lord alone. Everything that is seen is pervaded in and out by the Lord and are only mere illusions seen in the dream of world where there is only Lord and no objects.
When this reality that everything is Lord is remembered and a person remembers this reality constantly, he gets liberated here itself. Hearing about the reality is hearing about the Lord from people who have known the Lord, from the various scriptures.
Singing about the reality is always talking about the Lord to various people and discussing about the Lord.
Remembering the reality is constant thought of the Lord amidst all actions let it be professional, personal or worldly.
Thus, when these three are constantly practiced, the individual realizes the Lord who is in his heart and his own very nature. When this is realized, no desires are left and the seeker rejoices in the eternal bliss which is the ultimate aim of any being in the world.
Thus, we have to strive to get liberation here itself and now itself without wasting time and births.
Shuka continues:
A person should contemplate on the form of Lord and not get deluded into the worldly objects. Those are fools who crave for temporary pleasure which is got from the external sense objects. The sense objects should be accepted as they come and a wise person will never crave for them. Instead, the complete attention of a wise person will be towards realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. Hence, each moment he will be contemplating on the cosmic form of the Lord and thereby will realize the Lord who is all-pervasive and his own very nature.
Thus, a wise person will contemplate on the form of Lord with four hands, the world as his body etc. (those who are unable to contemplate on the reality of all-pervasive Lord).
Unless a seeker is able to realize the Lord as his own very Self, he should contemplate on the cosmic form of the Lord. And when such a person realizes his own nature of Lord, he gets liberated here itself. There is neither time, nor its effects of the world in the ultimate reality. There is neither the Prakrithi or Nature of the qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas nor the Mahat tattva (cosmic mind or Brahma as we know) in the ultimate reality.
Such a being who contemplates on the Lord as one’s own Self gets liberated here itself and rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord.
Other people who contemplate on the Lord are liberated at the end of the Kalpa. When they leave the body (at that time, they contemplate on the Lord) and thereby they go to higher paths (which are mentioned as Devayaana marga) and reach the abode of Brahma (brahmaloka or Satyaloka). There they enjoy all pleasures including the eternal bliss of the Self. And at the end of the kalpa, they get liberated by merging into the ultimate reality of Lord or Brahman (from whom the world is created and unto whom the world enters into).
Therefore, a person should with all his effort hear, sing and remember the glory of the ultimate reality of Lord at all times and in all conditions (place – meaning that beyond time and space). This way he gets liberated here itself.
Explanation
Sruthi or scriptures mention two types of liberation. First of all, it is essential to know what liberation or mukthi is. Mukthi is not going to vaikunta or kailas after death or going to heaven and enjoying with beautiful damselfs. Mukti is enjoying of eternal bliss and removal of sorrow completely.
Thus, that state where there is no sorrow and there is only eternal bliss is the state of Mukti or liberation. In such a state, there is eternal bliss and hence no desires are present. Desires arise because of imperfection.
A person will have desire to earn more money because the he is not perfect or complete in terms of money. A person strives or desires for higher posts because he is not complete in respect of posts. Therefore, imperfection or incompleteness is the cause of desire. This desire is the cause of all problems as it leads to sorrow when the desire is not met and happiness (temporary) when the desire is met. When the desire is met, it again rises to a higher desire.
As Manu says in manu smrithi that trying to eliminate desire by enjoying them is like pouring ghee in fire (it will not extinguish fire but fire will burn more than normal!!!!).
This desire is present only for satisfaction and contentment. The desires are all towards removal of sorrow and gain of eternal bliss. When eternal bliss is present, then there is no desire. Money, power, women etc are desired only for the sake of happiness. If happiness is not got from them, then they will not be desired.
It seems to the individual that these external objects give happiness but they give happiness only in the beginning. In the long run, they give sorrow alone in the form of craving for the happiness which was enjoyed previously.
But when eternal bliss is achieved, then there are no desires and such a state is called Mukti or liberation.
Shuka here first states that a wise person will never crave for external objects because he knows that they will lead to sorrow only and they will not give him eternal bliss. Once this is known, then the wise person strives for that which will give him eternal bliss. That object which is capable of giving eternal bliss is Lord or Self. This Lord when searched and realized as one’s own very nature makes one rejoice in the eternal bliss which is inherent in the Self itself. We all are of the nature of eternal bliss. But at the present time, we are unaware of the bliss due to ignorance about our own nature of Consciousness or Lord. We consider ourselves as the body-mind complex because of this ignorance. When ignorance vanishes, then the wrong notions that I am the body etc. vanish. When these vanish, the individual realizes his own very nature of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This is what is termed as Mukti or liberation in Vedanta.
The way to attain liberation has already been mentioned by Shuka as contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord at all moments, at all times. Here shuka says that a person remember the Lord at all times and in all places or conditions. It should not happen that since a seeker is in the midst of many people, he doesn’t remember the Lord. This is only part-time prayer and will have part-time benefit alone. Real prayer or devotion is that in which the devotee always thinks about the Lord. Not even a single second passes without remembrance of the Lord.
Liberation is of two types. One is sadyo mukti or immediate liberation. Other is krama mukti or gradual liberation.
When a seeker continuously contemplates on the Lord and is devoid of any desire or conditions, he merges into the Lord here itself. Thereby he gets liberated here itself – in the world – while living – and this very moment. This liberation is thus also called Jeevanmukthi (liberation even while living). Therefore, we find jeevanmuktaas like Janaka among others in the scriptures. Sri Chandrasekhara Bhaarathi swamigal of Sringeri was a world renowned jeevanmukta. Similar was the case with Sri Chandrasekharendra saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi.
The other type of mukti is that in which the individual is not able to completely shed off desires and it takes him the complete life time for desires to get removed. At the time of death, such an individual remembers the Lord and thereby he follows the upper path called Devayana (through deva loka among other worlds). Such an individual reaches the brahma loka and attains liberation at the end of the kalpa. Since this liberation is had through various worlds (proceeding through various worlds) and at the end of kalpa, it is called krama mukti.
Srimad Bhagavatham itself has already mentioned the krama mukti of Bhisma where he merged into Brahmaloka after remembering the Lord and shedding off the mortal coil.
The difference between both types of liberation is that in gradual liberation, the seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord only at the end of kalpa. Till then, he will be facing problems in the form of sorrows and sufferings for the body etc. But in jeevan mukti, the seeker realizes the Lord here itself and hence he merges into the Lord here itself. Once the seeker realizes the Lord, then there is no individual seeker there – but there exists only the Lord.
One may ask here that aren’t jeevanmuktaas seen as living and talking as individuals?
This is the view of the ignorant alone. The ignorant person sees various things which are not real but only temporary. But for the jeevan mukta, there is nothing other than Lord. Even the two types of liberation is meant for the ignorant and so that he gets liberated here itself and now itself (and not after going to Brahmaloka and at the end of the kalpa).
Therefore, Srimad Bhagavatham stresses that an individual should try to get realized here itself and at this moment itself. Thus, shuka concludes this chapter by telling that a person always hear, sing and remember the glories of the ultimate reality.
The ultimate reality is that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Whatever is seen as different things are in fact the Lord Each and every object that is seen is the Lord alone. Everything that is seen is pervaded in and out by the Lord and are only mere illusions seen in the dream of world where there is only Lord and no objects.
When this reality that everything is Lord is remembered and a person remembers this reality constantly, he gets liberated here itself. Hearing about the reality is hearing about the Lord from people who have known the Lord, from the various scriptures.
Singing about the reality is always talking about the Lord to various people and discussing about the Lord.
Remembering the reality is constant thought of the Lord amidst all actions let it be professional, personal or worldly.
Thus, when these three are constantly practiced, the individual realizes the Lord who is in his heart and his own very nature. When this is realized, no desires are left and the seeker rejoices in the eternal bliss which is the ultimate aim of any being in the world.
Thus, we have to strive to get liberation here itself and now itself without wasting time and births.
# posted by vedanta : 9:42 AM
