Life versus Liberation
At present mankind is passing through a great crisis. Hatred, discrimination, murder, mayhem, panic of imminent war is fast spreading within human society gripped by envy and enmity. Mankind is, therefore, confused, wary and terrified. Man, who is the cream of God’s creation and the offspring of the nectar of Immortality (amrita) is gradually wasting away by consuming the poison which rages within him like a wildfire of unrest and anxiety. A state of frenzy has made him restless and distraction has expelled him from the land of peace. What curse makes man, who holds the right to the nectar of Immortality and Truth, whose existence is on the foundation of love and peace, confused, rudderless and lost? If we think deeply it becomes clear that a large part of mankind is diseased. As disease of the physical body makes the body lose its stability, and causes restlessness in a person, likewise, if the ten primordial senses (Indriya) and the mind become diseased, man falls from his true religion and under the influence of selfish ego, cannot think of anything beyond matters of self-gratification. Humanity has, therefore, become the victim of heretic senses and selfish mind. Social principles, politics even religious principles have become tainted due to people seeking selfish gratification. The diseased people have become desperate to satisfy their personal, sectarian and communal interests. They do not hesitate to cheat or even kill others merely to satisfy their selfish interests.
Human values are being easily sold away to petty and mean selfish desire for gratification. No great deed is possible out of these selfish thoughts. Instead, an end with great suffering from this poison becomes a certainty.
The six primordial vices (shad-ripu), the eight subtle bondages ( ashta pash) and the hundreds of instincts ( shata vritti) hypnotise the ten primordial senses (das indriya) and the mind, the leader of the physical kingdom, and engage them into wrongful deeds (byatikram). The desire for wrongful gratification gives birth to selfish thoughts and vanity. As a result discrimination, jealousy, hatred, strife and panic of war have made the life of mankind terror-stricken, restless and unstable. But this was not to be. The mind and the senses are endowed with enough power so that mankind can lead his life on a smooth and honest path and distinguish between, duty and the lack of it, religiousness and heresy, the right and the wrongful action. The reason for the disaster is that they have lost their sanctity under the influence of the primordial vices and have become engaged in the ways of the vices forgetting their own principles. As a result the sense of duty has been overcome by vanity. Man’s necessities have been invaded by wantonness. The all devouring attitude of sensual gratification has degraded human beings to the level of beasts. The vices have veiled humanity in mankind. However, the mind and the senses that have been cleansed through practice adorn a man in divine ornaments of simplicity, humbleness, tolerance, broadness and expansiveness. The life of mankind becomes fearless, confident, smooth-sailing and makes one eligible for spiritual pursuit. It also makes his birth as human fruitful by gradually filling him with the great joy of salvation.
Hence we can see that the only means to free mankind from the clutches of the disease caused by the primordial vices is to cleanse the senses. In today’s world many projects are being undertaken and a lot of effort is being directed towards maintaining peace. Huge sums of money are being spent to make human life on earth free from fear and ensure peaceful environment. Although unfortunate, but it is true that the will, the power to think or the suitable environment cannot be found for implementing the process that can cleanse the senses. Whatever can be seen is only a misguided effort to repress inimical powers at gunpoint. In certain cases it is noticed that false claims are being made to relieve materialistic persons of the problems arising out of inhuman deeds through mere bookish knowledge. Reciting from books can never dispel the darkness of ignorance; it requires enlightenment. Similarly to gain freedom from the clutches of the primordial vices, enlightenment through wisdom (jnan) is required. Religion is the other name of seeking the light of knowledge but unfortunately, the persons whose vision is limited to materialism make sarcastic comments on religion. A person who has fallen into the clutches of the primordial vices has a natural inclination for non-religious or heretic deeds like a person infected by intestinal worms has a tendency to eat sweets due to the action of the worms. This is because the worms gain strength from the sweets and slowly push the victim towards destruction. In a similar manner, those who have fallen victim to maya (worldly illusion) gradually degenerate through selfish gratification under the instigation of ripus (the primordial vices). The effect of deeds carried out from wantonness gradually make persons weak, pauper and exhausted like the victim of intestinal worms. It is quite natural that in this critical condition, they have neither the good intention nor the strength to adorn the principle or religion of humanity.
However, it is clear as the light of the day that each self-seeking person is eligible to adorn his true religion of humanity and for this the primary requirement is to cleanse the ten primordial senses (Indriya) and the eleventh sense or the mind. The meaning of cleansing is to get out of the clutches of the six ripus and ashta pash. Inherent in this process of cleansing of the senses lie the seed of search for the Self. The necessity of cleaning the dirt-like mal-inclinations within us is inevitable in order to rediscover our true Self. On rectification of the Indriyas the human attributes of simplicity, humbleness, tolerance, broadness and expansiveness blossom in a person which can expel the gloom of darkness caused by the ripus as shafts of light.
As such, it is seen that the rectification of the Indriyas is the only route to attain humanity, or, in other words, to escape from the clutches of all kinds of jealousy, enmity, unrest, injustice, immoral conduct, anarchy and repression. Now, the question is – what is the process of rectifying the Indriyas? This is known to all that the whiplash of conscience returns a person to his senses. It is the constant gnawing of conscience that brings repentance in a person for his wanton and selfish gratification. The conscience constantly makes the person, who has lost his orientation instigated by the ripus, alert of the harmful consequence of the activities carried out in contradiction to the principles of true religion. But, alas! Does this wake him up from the illusory slumber? Can a person accept advises of the conscience? No, it cannot. Moreover, ignoring a close ally like the conscience, he sends him to exile(dormancy) because the person who has been completely subjugated by the ripus is in a state of drunken frenzy. An intoxicated person can never think properly, neither can he behave in a civilised and disciplined manner. It is also not possible for him to give proper regard to a well-wisher because reckless conduct is the inevitable end of an intoxicated person.
God, the Creator, resides in mankind as Realisation(Bodh) to make such a reckless person conscious through rectification. However, in the material world this realisation acts as worldly perception. Whatever has been created is material or worldly. Again anything that is material is transitory or perishable. In this transitory world, only Realisation is formless ( nirakar) and eternal. Only realisation is the basic element of existence and regulator in all creation. Amongst all that is created only man can perceive that which is beyond the material guided by realisation. Therefore, mankind is above all creation and is called the child of the nectar of Immortality (amritasya putrah). Due to this even devas or angels are desirous of human birth. The Creator also often appears on this earth in human form in order to liberate all beings, end irreligiousness or reinstate the principles of righteous practice. At the root of all praises sung in greatness of human birth lies the principle of Humanity which is the true religion of all mankind and Humanity is inseparable from the Truth Absolute. This means that the potential to express in the form of the Truth Absolute exists in all human beings. In this context, it can be said that the entire creation follows their respective nature or characteristics(religion) with the exception of man who has fallen from his true character or religion and follows alien religion (nature or character). It is intended to behave in the manner as per principles laid out by the Creator. To act in a manner in contradiction to this leads to disaster. But this is beyond the control of man because although he is born as human the humanity within him lies dormant shrouded in ignorance of worldliness. In this state man cannot be called a true human from his action and behaviour, although bearing the physical features of a human being. The veil of ignorance makes him oblivious of his true self. All his deeds are the fruits of his egotistic perception that ‘I am the doer’. This perception gives man the attributes of ordinary mortal. As an ordinary mortal, the mind remains engrossed in the thoughts of eating, sleeping, procreating, preserving, earning and rejecting. From each subject of such thoughts innumerable thoughts arise. Consequent to the constant churning of these thoughts that emanate from illusory perception, make man forget his true Self and live the life of ordinary mortal experiencing happiness and sadness, profit and loss, grief and fear.
Now, the question is what is the means of liberation from the bondage imposed by materialistic knowledge? In what way the dormant attributes of humanity can be awakened within man? Down the ages holy men or saints, gurus, devotees(sadhu-guru-vaishnava), even Avatars (the human manifestations of the Supreme Consciousness) have laid down innumerable sermons and instructions in this regard. As such, what is the need to say anything new in this subject? Human mentality undergoes changes with the change of era and as such, it becomes necessary to re-state the same messages in a different manner acceptable to the contemporary world. Even then, it is extremely difficult for ordinary persons to comprehend the messages of scriptures and also to follow them. Again it is not possible to perceive divine philosophy in the state of a worldly mortal. It is as fruitless as trying to sow seeds in hard rock. Then what is the solution? It is true that the egotistic conviction that ‘I am the doer’ is as hard and impenetrable as the rock. But we must not forget that humanity, the true religion of mankind, burns eternally deep within man although in a dormant state. While existing in the state of this egotistic perception, this dormant humanity beckons silently. It is the duty of all persons to respond to this call as this is the greatest work in one’s life as a human being. The thoughts that remain constantly active within the boundaries of eating, sleeping and procreating, are necessary for physical existence, directed in a righteous and disciplined manner. If they follow the path of indiscipline, wrongful excesses, they hasten the downfall of a person. It is difficult for a person whose egotist perception makes him overconfident, to have faith on divinity and any interest in discussions of spiritual subjects. Divine devotion remains a far cry. Then what is the beacon that will guide these lost people on to the right path? It cannot be denied that although living in the kingdom of ego, man has the attributes of logic, intellect and conscience. It is also logically accepted fact that human life is not for mere existence or enjoyment of physical pleasures. Each person has something to do to gain liberation from mortality. Devotion to the divine is the only medicine to attain liberation. The Supreme is not at all fond of flattery or dependent on others. He does not wait for a person’s actions. The need for praying or divine devotion is for personal rectification. This rectification clears the way for liberation. But till such time as the analytical mind of a person shrouded in materialistic knowledge remains as unresponsive as granite, that is, it is incapable of bearing the seed of divine devotion, what should be the action of such a helpless man? When devotion is in a dormant state man carries out all action acting as his own lord. It has been mentioned earlier that the analysis of conscience is present in all persons. Each person must review his actions and his life with the help of conscience. This is the most important work of all human beings as it is the cause of liberation and that is why this type of work is also referred as spiritual work. In order to carry out this type of work it is necessary to self-analyse microscopically each and every action of ours and the intent behind. In every moment of one’s life the impression of one’s deeds is engraved in the pages of life as Karma. In the initial stage it is necessary to look at these impressions at least once a day. The impressions are painted in different hues depending on the type of karma, like noble or wrongful deeds. The nature of work(karma) is always expressed through these impressions. If we critically analyse the impressions engraved by our whole day’s actions, it will be clear which of our deeds had hurt others, which of these were carried out in self-gratification cheating others and which of these were caused by the instigation of ripus and wantonness and also their outcome. On the other hand we shall get to know which of our deeds had caused happiness to others by our behaviour, which of these had been done to extend our helping hand to the needy, how much sincerity have we maintained in our professional work, whether the work executed for our family has been done with the intention of carrying out our duties and also what had been their outcome. These analyses will show which of these deeds are desirable and which should be avoided. One must take a firm resolution to restrain oneself from the inhuman deeds that come to light from the analysis so that there is no repetition of the unwarranted deeds that result from dereliction of duty. This requires a person to remain alert and conscious always and hold in readiness the shining sword of conscience. It is true that all human being has conscience and it is only an endeavour on his part to light up his inner being through self-analysis with the help of conscience. If a person resorts to self-analysis instead of criticising others, can rectification be far away because the seed of self-realisation is inherent within rectification by self-analysis. Association with holy men, saints, monks, guru provides a person with an irresistible inspiration to forge ahead toward self-elevation. We have time reserved for everything. But whenever the topic of holy association comes up we want to escape from it on the excuse of other preoccupations. This is true that people have to labour day and night to earn their living. However, there is no dearth of time to view cheap movies, plays, for trivial socialising, gossips, modern-day politics that has no substance, unwarranted criticism, enjoying low graded, superstitious functions. This merely proves that we want to escape from ourselves by running away from holy topics. It is observed that ordinary people is more inclined to darkness than light. Of course, at the background of all these actions is the influence of the forces of darkness like shara ripu (the six primordial vices) and asta pash. The sun of humanity will remain behind dense dark clouds as long as this self-depriving destructive mentality continues to exist. This dense cloudy veil can only be lifted by divine power – mankind can only try. How far can the power of a being overcome the power of the ungodly (asur)? Even then the only means of gaining divine grace (ishwar kripa) is to carry out one’s work through endeavour. The meaning of kripa is ‘to achieve by doing’. As such, the work that leads a person towards liberation through rectification is an inevitable part of the works that he must carry out being born a human. Until the necessity for the deeds/karma, that should be carried out to gain liberation is felt by the world, the forces of the ungodly will continue to reign unchecked. Jealousy, hatred, strife, deceit and battle drums will continue to sound. The dark pages of human history will continue to be written due to the inhuman deeds carried out by human beings.
While concluding I cannot restrain myself from the lure of sharing some good news with all well-wishers, religious and noble people of this world. The moment has come to be free from fear, filled with happiness, relieved, confident and peaceful. The reason for this is the way the eternal inspiration is seen to be overflowing the minds of all people, it seems that within a very short span of time the irresistible and boundless wave of bhava of the great Avatari’s force is gearing up to rise in the holy land of India. This great divine bhava wave is lashing with a huge force and lightning speed on the shores of the human race of the entire world. Each and every individual of this world is going to be invigorated by the onslaught of this bhava wave; tearing away from the shackles of shara ripu and ashta pash, mankind is poised to be pledge-bound to become contemplative, deeply submerged in divine thought. The existence of ungodly power has no other way but to fade away when man becomes contemplative in sat bhavana ( thought of the eternal) because only divine thought can dispel the darkness of material illusion (maya) like strings of illumination. If on being contemplative in such a thought, mankind surrenders itself to the guidance of Sri Guru, the rejuvenating force of humanity illuminated in the glow of liberation will inundate the world with universal love. The curtain will gradually come down on the malefic forces of maya which is the root of all jealousy, hatred and strife.
If every human eagerly awaits that long desired, waited moment, this in itself holds the joy of fulfilment and the ecstasy that is experienced in remaining immersed in this contemplation can never be evaluated by the yardstick of materialistic analysis.