Arriving on this mrutyu loka where everything deteriorates, has to die and to be discarded one day, the mortals have no option but to live and suffer. But one may ask the question: "Why suffer?" People think they are happy with enough to spend, eat and sleep, have good family life and large groups of friends and there is no dearth for resources for entertainment, parties, and all that. Suddenly, a bolt from the blue will shake the very foundation and the jiva realizes that "what all seen or experienced is not real". It is just illusion, transient; it is bound by limitations of time and space. It is built on nescience, avidya. It contains an yesterday (of memories and experiences) and a tomorrow (of hopes and expectations)! Both these yesterdays and tomorrows are not real since the 'yesterday' is dead and 'tomorrow' is unborn! "That which is depending on yesterdays and tomorrows can never be real, truth." For instance, i am not the same child that was crying for the milk, or going to school yesterday; so also, i am not what what i seem to be, or appear to be! i am the same 'achintya', achyuta, the unborn and the eternal consciousness, 'chit', chaitanya- 'that', 'spirit of the soul' that entered the clouds, entered the rain drops, and the soil and became the food and later on became a 'spermatozoa' in the father's body to enter the mother's womb to take birth! It is i only consciously moving everywhere as if entering a vehicle and coming out of it! If i do not know who i am, who else can tell me?
Almost all know their date of birth and do not know about anything before that, much worse about anything about the date of death or for that matter, where we come from and where we go from here after death. But, everything can be known from the scriptures- Upanishads like the kousheeataki, katha, garbha, atma. bhavana, chandogya, etc. Although it is we ourselves who entered this earth as a certain life form we do not understand what we were before and what we will be in the next birth! Rebirth is a certainty since all the karmaphala has to be spent before liberation. Due to ignorance, we do not understand that 'it is none else but we only entered the world through the would be mother's womb as a spermatozoa (from the would-be father)- full of energy, force, life, light, knowledge, intelligence, as if in a memory chip containing the blueprint of life- of genes, harmones, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, proteins, RNA, etc. carrying all that is required for a hundred years life (in the DNA)!
Now it must be clear that the jiva, though an immaculate spark of light, intelligence, life-force, energy forgets all about its true nature and suffers! It is the veiling power of Maya (ma ya- that which is measurable, reverse of which is ya ma that which controls) that brings the jiva into a world of dualities. Thus, the jiva suffers due to its own ignorance and needs an enlightened Guru to remind it of its true nature and end its suffering and break the shackles of chain of repeated births and deaths.
The earthly life is one of dualities- the day followed by night, happiness and joy followed by misery, grief, bereavements and sufferings. It is foolish to think "everything is alright". No body knows what next and complacency will not do. The jiva has to look beyond the 'comfort zone' and find the truth. The soul, the core of the jiva, 'the spirit of the soul' knows everything, sheds light as the instrument of cognition (consciousness and buddhi) but the jiva run by the fickle mind, perverted intelligence, and ahankar will not refer to it(soul)! Such an adamant ego will never see the truth and suffers due to its own folly..
Almost all know their date of birth and do not know about anything before that, much worse about anything about the date of death or for that matter, where we come from and where we go from here after death. But, everything can be known from the scriptures- Upanishads like the kousheeataki, katha, garbha, atma. bhavana, chandogya, etc. Although it is we ourselves who entered this earth as a certain life form we do not understand what we were before and what we will be in the next birth! Rebirth is a certainty since all the karmaphala has to be spent before liberation. Due to ignorance, we do not understand that 'it is none else but we only entered the world through the would be mother's womb as a spermatozoa (from the would-be father)- full of energy, force, life, light, knowledge, intelligence, as if in a memory chip containing the blueprint of life- of genes, harmones, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, proteins, RNA, etc. carrying all that is required for a hundred years life (in the DNA)!
Now it must be clear that the jiva, though an immaculate spark of light, intelligence, life-force, energy forgets all about its true nature and suffers! It is the veiling power of Maya (ma ya- that which is measurable, reverse of which is ya ma that which controls) that brings the jiva into a world of dualities. Thus, the jiva suffers due to its own ignorance and needs an enlightened Guru to remind it of its true nature and end its suffering and break the shackles of chain of repeated births and deaths.
The earthly life is one of dualities- the day followed by night, happiness and joy followed by misery, grief, bereavements and sufferings. It is foolish to think "everything is alright". No body knows what next and complacency will not do. The jiva has to look beyond the 'comfort zone' and find the truth. The soul, the core of the jiva, 'the spirit of the soul' knows everything, sheds light as the instrument of cognition (consciousness and buddhi) but the jiva run by the fickle mind, perverted intelligence, and ahankar will not refer to it(soul)! Such an adamant ego will never see the truth and suffers due to its own folly..
In fact, Shree Krishna repeatedly says, "Arjuna you are the one whom i like. I shall let you know the best of the secrets, 'the secret of the secrets' (guhytama guhya) . What is that 'secret' which is a secret even to God, paramatman? The secret remains a secret until it is revealed! So, there is no question of this secret being revealed at all.
Many a great seekers of truth have become totally silent after reaching there, the 'sat', the truth. Nothing will be known beyond that! Even to think of knowing 'that' (tyat/brahman) is utter foolishness for it can never be known; Bhagavan Krishna says, "Not by the scriptures, nor by the shrutis and smrutis, or the yoga the self be known"! In fact there is no way of knowing 'IT'/THAT/'sat'. If it is separate, different, 'the other' there is a chance of knowing it. Since it is the self of all, and no other, there is no question of knowing it! This is like searching for the gold chain which is already there round the neck!
The great search ends with the realization of the Self. This realization of the Self cannot be attained unless one comes out of the 'comfort zone' of the home and hearth, cozy life of security. The jiva is fed up of its repeated embodiments in forms, functions and names and wants to be released. The jiva has wound silken threads of desire, attachment, ego, so much so that it is unable to come out. Nobody can help it from outside. It has to make effort to cut through the self-created bondage, realized its true nature (sat chit and ananda) and get out of this rut. There is nothing to be happy and proud of anything here. This should be the knowledge; but it is not forthcoming! Satsang, svadhyaya, nidhidhyasana, and taking to solitary life is a must for 'self-realization'. Shree Krishna says, 'sarvarambha parityagi', 'ekantavaasi', is dearest to me. tasmaadyogirbhavaarjunaa ||
There are people calling themselves learned ones jnyanis, swamis fool themselves and fool others also talking as if they know everything. They advocate the principles of Charavaka. They do not know about Sage Kapila who is none else but Krishna, or Jaimini of the Sankhya (jnyan). Charavaka advises the jivas to enjoy so well that they will not repent (for having lost an opportunity?); Charavakas says, the Lord has thrown a banquet and offers whatever you wish; you may not get a chance again! But, these are poisonous words that push the already grief-stricken jivas to further abyss of ignorance and eternal bondage. The jiva looks for redemption, liberation, mukti and moksha and proper guidance is not forthcoming since all are sailing in the same leaky boat in the stormy sea.
Hence, the Lord only should take pity on the jiva and save it from further sufferings.The select verses about these- the words of Bhagavan as said (uvacha) in the Gita will be given in the next few blogs.
(To be contd....) ,
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