Either Here or There

   "I am here because I am not there", some one boldly proclaimed! What is so strange about it? It is really significant to realize this truth. However, people talk of 'there' sitting comfortably 'here', little do they understand that they have to gt out of here to reach there. Many great preachers, philosophere and religious leaders commit this blunder and fool the people. They never realize this fact that one cannot be there unless leave here. In fact, the preachers who go on advising us to enjoy life and not bother about all these mukti moksha, liberation,mancipation, are misleading us. It is the craving of the soul to get back there from where it came here. This is realization.

   When we see some of the saffron-clad getting into trouble in sex scams, property disputes, etc it is evident that they are fooling themselves as well as fooling others. A saffron-clad person should develop vairagya before going in for a saffron cloth. It is not easy to get back there where we came from unless we make sincere effort to disentangle ourselves, break the chain, cut the shackles of desire, attachment, possessions, anthahkarana,  that bind us to this worldly relations. Now, it is clear that all saffron-clad, or even those who go by pure white apparels are not pure enough in their chitta, thoughts! The problem of this world is of desires and attachment. The enlightened soul, the Buddha said this. Desire it the root cause of all our bondage.

   This worldly existence, aihika prapancha, is the 'idam sat'. This cannot be easily dismissed applying the principle of 'neti, neti' of Shankaracharya. This is the principle of all those who follow Madhvacharya; However, it is not the truth. Our existence here, this worldly life, is one of bondage, avidya, ajnyana, sickness (mental and physical), old age, and death. These harsh realities have to be understood and the jiva has to develop wisdom, and renunciation in order to cut off all relation with the world. The world is illusory, maya, bound by by time, space and causality; maya is also death (ya ma), maya is also vidhi, destiny. Maya is delusion. Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises us through Arjuna "to cut this 'urdhvamula ashvattha' (inverted tree with roots up and fruits of karma below) with a sharp axe of self-knowledge, realization of the Self, Atma jnyan. 

   However, not all can reach this stage of maturity and realize the futility of earthly existence in one or two births. One has to undergo the mill, run through the cycles and finally become mature enough to turn towards one's inner Self. This requires a helping hand, the Guru. But the desire to cross the bhava sagara should come from within. It will not come from philosophical studies and lectures. People should enjoy life first and realize the futility of all this transitory nature of earthly existence and the strive for eternal happiness. One has to cleanse of what all acquired from birth and become just a month-old child that everybody wants to take in their arms and fondle, a bundle of love, at that!