SELF-REALISATION OR GOD-REALISATION. ( Part Three.)
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By Dr. K. ESWARA DUTT.
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All of us are ‘Nothing but
Atman, the SELF’. WE
are the ‘SOUL with a BODY’. We need to directly
‘COGNISE THAT ATMAN’. The ‘
ATMAN’ is ever present. To deny the ‘ATMAN’
is to deny our own existence. Unconditional worship, unswerving devotion alone can
ultimately lead to ‘ SELF REALISATION’.
The
SELF is a mere ‘ WITNESS’. SELF
is the illuminator. This body is illumined. Illuminator
(the SELF) and Illumined (the
body) are different. In deepest meditation , the ‘Jeevatma’
realizes that he is none other than ‘PARAMATMA’. The
knower and the known become ‘ONE’.
Hence, ‘Knowing the SELF is being the ‘SELF’. GOD cannot be known as separate from
you , as emphasized in Bhagavad
Geeta.
‘SELF’ alone is : ‘SAT
CHIT ANANDA’. Meaning: EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS AND BLISS.
SELF alone was, is, and
will be. ‘BEYOND ME THERE IS NAUGHT’, Says
LORD KRISHNA. SELF alone is ‘EXISTENCE’ and ‘REAL’. Everything else is
nonexistent and unreal. Because, that
which was, is and
will be is ‘REAL’.
SELF alone was, is and will
be. Hence, SELF alone is ‘REAL’. Everything else is ‘UNREAL’. That which was not
there yesterday, and seemingly present
today and will not be there tomorrow is ‘UNREAL’.
This body was not there yesterday, seemingly present today and will not
be there tomorrow, Hence , it is
“UNREAL”. That is, this body is a
delusory superimposition upon me, ‘THE SELF’.
When delusion is gone, ignorance is gone, the same ‘ JEEVATMA’ realizes
that he is none other than ‘PARAMATMA’.
When delusion Is gone, the same snake becomes the rope. But,
the snake never existed in a rope. Hence, Upanishads declare that we are ‘The
SOUL with a body, which is a delusory superimposition upon us’. That is ‘REALISATION OF NON-DUAL BRAHMAN’. That is when
‘ DUALITY and FEAR OF GOD ‘ will
disappear. Why do you have to be afraid
of yourselves? Fear of GOD is because of DUALITY. Because, as LORD KRISHNA says: GOD or SELF is ‘AKARTARAM’, GOD is
actionless. This is very difficult to accept. AS LORD
KRISHNA says: All actions belong to
‘PRAKRUTI’. Lord KRISHNA further
states: I, the GOD, am not responsible for your sense of agency,
for your actions, but it is your nature, Prakruti
and Swabhava that is
responsible. All actions belong to mortal body, mind and intellect. Hence, we need to take responsibility for our actions , as long as we are identifying with our body and not blame ‘GOD’ for what happens to us. We are responsible for our actions. ‘ We
are punished by our SINS, and not for our
SINS by GOD’. SINS are nothing but ‘ VASANAS’.
Hence, the importance of ‘VASANA PURGATION’ as a
pre requisite for worship and meditation
unconditionally.
For unconditional worship, we need
‘Vairagya
(Dispassion), Viveka (discrimination) and control of the mind and ‘INTENSE YEARNING FOR LIBERATION’ , What LORD KRISHNA CALLS: ‘MOKSHA
KANSHIBHIHI’.
Liberation is from the bondage of
‘IGNORANCE’. Ignorance is delusion.
‘Vairagya’ is a very important
concept in ‘SELF REALISATION’. Dispassion is not entertaining
desires and then suppressing them. That will lead to DEPRESSION, Dejection and despair. It is also, not developing indifference to the enjoyment in this life , hoping
to have a better life in the next world,
’SWARGA LOKA’.
This type of ‘VAIRAGYa’ will
not take ‘JEEVATMA’ anywhere. It will only perpetuate
repeat birth-death-rebirth cycles.
It will not lead to realization of ‘SELF
KNOWLEDGE ‘ Which is already there in us. True ‘VAIRAGYA’ is to
develop indifference to various sense objects
out of realized knowledge that everything in this finite world is
ephemeral, transient and perishable. This is ‘TRUE VIVEKA’
and ‘VAIRAGYA’.
‘ATMAN’ is
‘IMPERISHABLE.’ The ‘SEER’
and ‘SEEN’ are different. “ I, the SELF’
am the SEER. I am not the
‘SEEN’. How come, I am unable to have ‘this discriminative conviction?’ That
is because of my ‘Delusion’. When this
delusion is gone, ‘SELF’ automatically will shine through in all its
glory. Because, ‘SELF’ is already there in us. “SELF’
cannot be gained or acquired by
going to different places.
When RAMANA MAHARSHI was asked the
question: Where is GOD or SELF? Because, I want to gain him or acquire him or reach him or please him.
His answer was ‘God or SELF’ is you. You are it. Don’t look
for ‘GOD’. Realise that
which you already are. LORD KRISHNA said: ‘
Knowing the SELF is being the SELF’. GOD
cannot be known as separate from you. If you want to
know ‘GOD’ , you have to become ‘GOD’. There is no other way. This is true ‘VIVEKA or Discrimination’ as glorified in GEETA, Upanishads
and emphasized by
various sages like Sankara, Ramana , Chinmaya and others. Why can’t I get
it? It is my ‘Ignorance, Ajnana, Avidya, Aviveka, darkness and delusion. I need to make an effort to understand this ‘true concept of HINDUISM’
as glorified in Geeta, Upanishads
and Brahma Sutras.
Can ‘GOD’ be
known as an Object, some thing we can see or touch? GOD or
absolute pure consciousness cannot be known as an ‘Object’ . Because, SELF or GOD is beyond space, time, and causation. Absolute pure consciousness is
beyond perception. But, sages like Ramana Maharshi say that
you can experience what you already are. Thou art nothing but THAT. That
is Self-realisation.
‘Brahman’ is knowledge itself. BRAHMAN is the source of all other
knowledge. Brahman is the knower,
knowledge and that which is known.
Brahman is ‘Omniscient’.
Hence, SELF is beyond
space, time and cause. Hence, GOD is
beyond perception. That is why GEETA and
Upanishads emphasize that SELF-REALISATION
is Transcendental. In our deepest meditation when we
take higher and higher flights into the ‘Infinite BEYOND’, We realize we are none other than
‘BRAHMAN’.
Objective Scientists may look into time and space and causation of
various objects. But, the great sages
are ‘Subjective scientists’. They, in their deepest meditation, annihilate
Time and SPACE to realize their
true nature, ‘THE SELF or BRAHMAN.’ Because, Pure consciousness is beyond space
and time. Space itself is vast, boundless
and unfathomable.
How can one look for ‘BRAHMAN’ , the very creator of the space , in the
Space? That is not possible. Hence, Brahman
cannot be found in space , time and
causation. Hence, great sages , subjective scientists, in their deepest meditation annihilate time and space
to realize ‘THE SELF-The subject’
. Hence, the GEETA and
Upanishads are roaring with the
concept that ‘GOD is not an object of perception , but, a
subject which can be realized in one’s deepest meditation. In deepest meditation, when time and space are annihilated, the
EGO-IDEA’ disappears and Jeevatma realises that he is none other than ;BRAHMAN-THE SELF’. When delusion is gone , snake disappears in a
rope. When delusion is gone , Jeevatma disappears and
‘PARAMATMA ‘ shines in all its
glory. Hence, the famous maha vakya:’
Jeeva brahma ekatma purnam’. Thus, The illumined SAGE does not know
‘BRAHMAN’, He is ‘BRAHMAN,
he is SAT-CHIT-ANANDA, he is existence, consciousness and bliss.’ He is knowledge absolute, vision infinite ,
beauty absolute and Bliss infinite.
That Beauty absolute, that bliss absolute, that vision infinite and that knowledge absolute are not some thing that was gained, but realized , as ‘BRAHMAN’ is not some thing to be gained or found.
It is ‘MAYA’ that disappeared. Ignorance is gone. Ignorance is the one
that separates us from our true nature.
When Ignorance is gone, THE SELF
will shine in all its glory.
Unconditional worship, unswerving , unflinching devotion and deepest meditation to go deeper and deeper into depths of depths is the only way to realize our true
nature, ‘THE SELF—THE BRAHMAN’..
So, let us arise, awake and make an effort to realize our true
nature: THE SELF – TH BRAHMAN—THE
SUPREME REALITY’.
To be continued.
Dr. K. ESWARA DUTT.
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