Query:
Is God Realisation the real goal of Human Life?
Vijay
Kumar:
Let me remind
you that the journey of self realization is not a piece of cake one can choose
from a variety of spreads. We do not have a choice... the path is totally unknown...
whom we call our near and dear ones are left alone... you become a lone stranger
in your spiritual pursuit of life. On the journey you may not find even one soul
proceeding on the path. It is only one or two persons at the most in billions
who proceed on the path of self realization and that too in a period of about
hundred years or so.
In
the last 150 years only Sri
Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana realized God. They wanted
to do it within their lifetime and were successful. Swami Vivekananda... the revered
disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa never pursued self realization as the goal
of his life... he in fact desired the well being of the poor and the downtrodden.
He spent his life doing that. It is not that he did not relish the path undertaken
by his Spiritual master Ramakrishna Paramhansa... but he knew that he had to have
a different goal in his life.
In
the initial stages of his spiritual pursuits when he came across Ramakrishna Paramhansa...
Swami Vivekananda desired having a darshan of God, and Almighty Creator. He was
not prepared for anything else other than having a direct darshan of God Almighty
before pursuing any form of spiritual practice. Ramakrishna Paramhansa tried hard
that it was a difficult wish but as Swami Vivekananda had a bulldog determination...
Ramakrishna Paramhansa ultimately succumbed to his wishes. He laid his leg on
the shoulders of Swami Vivekananda. The moment this happened Swami Vivekananda
was in a state of deep shock. He did not know what was happening but he desired
at all costs to remain in the same stage of illusion.
What had ultimately happened was that by Ramakrishna Paramhansa keeping his leg
on Swami Vivekananda's shoulder made him reach the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi
for a given moment of time? Swami Vivekananda experienced the best moments of
his life... he was face-to-face with God Almighty. The moment Ramakrishna Paramhansa
removed his leg he was so disturbed that he ultimately made Ramakrishna Paramhansa
keep the leg again on his shoulders. For quite some time Swami Vivekananda enjoyed
this state of absolute bliss.
It
was then and there that Swami Vivekananda decided that his journey of search for
a Spiritual master was complete. He promised Ramakrishna Paramhansa that he would
remain his most favored pupil forever. Ramakrishna Paramhansa who had divinity
within him also realized that whatever Swami Vivekananda was stating was truth
and accepted him as his favored pupil. Ramakrishna Paramhansa was right for Swami
Vivekananda never backtracked on his assurances.
Wanting
to proceed on the path of self realization is something like a child while strolling
in the market along with his parents desires for anything he sets his eyes on.
In the case of Spirituality...
desires and wants do not play much part. We need to firmly decide the goal of
life. Only then one can vigorously proceed on the path of pure Spirituality as
an earnest seeker. Wanting to reach the stage of self realization is like becoming
a Buddha in ones lifetime... not a simple task indeed.
In present times it is said by many that it is extremely difficult to follow the
path advocated by Mahatma Gandhi... what to say of becoming a Swami Vivekananda
in this life. And to reach the status of Ramakrishna Paramhansa or Maharishi Ramana
or a Buddha is beyond thinking. Those of us whom ever feel it this way are absolutely
correct. For it is not within the will of an ordinary mortal to become a Buddha
in his lifetime and especially in the present Kali Yuga the metal age.
In
Kali Yuga (the present metal age) everyone is inclined towards materialistic goals
in life. All desire fulfillment of their wanton desires. None wants to pursue
Spirituality as the goal of their life. All of us know our limitations! Why hope
for a goal we never shall be able to achieve in present lifetime. Your desire
to take care of your parents is a materialistic desire. In the field of Spirituality
and particularly on the path to self realization you shall have to abandon your
family members at a certain stage in life. One cannot do without it... it is a
must for sooner we near the Nirvikalpa Samadhi stage... we do not distinguish
between different human beings.
All
become one for us. Everyone... every living being is like children of God for
us. Even animals and insects are prone to harm by us. We even take care of the
plant life for we have realized that we had ourselves lived that stage long back.
Every atman the soul within while starting on cosmic journey initially manifests
the form of an amoeba (single cell formation). This is the first manifestation...
the first body taken by an atman the soul within. Subsequently we evolute into
a multi-cell formation, then as insects, plants, animals and finally the stage
of a human being. This total journey takes a total of 8.4 million manifestations...
not a small journey by any measure!
This
journey of 8.4 million manifestations normally requires 96.4 million earthly years.
We reach the stage of a human being after having lived 7.3 million lives starting
from an amoeba up to the stage of animal life. Thereafter even as a human being
there are 1.1 million types of manifestations which one is required to undergo.
Yet, as a human being we can always curtail cosmic journey and realize God within
any life we desire. We may be passing through the stage of 7.4 millionth manifestation
yet it is possible to curtail the journey and realize God.
It is as if we do not
take the staircase up to the top of the building containing 8.4 million stairs...
having crossed the barrier of animal life... every Human being can take the shortcut
and catch the lift straight up to the top. This requires very severe austerities
and penances to be performed. If we desire to cut short the journey of one million
lives that would approximately mean 11 million earthly years then we require to
act as Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana did. In whatever stage of manifestation
Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana may have been... they cut short the
journey and took the lift of their spiritual life straight up and realized God
within their lifetime.
In
whatever stage of manifestation as a human being we may be... we can always cut
short the journey by following the path of jnana yoga. The path of jnana yoga
entails practicing Neti (not this, not this) as practiced and advocated by Maharishi
Ramana. While practicing Neti and establishing control over the five senses and
the mind... we ultimately reach the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The Shavasana
pose in yoga plays a very important role while pursuing self realization as a
goal of life. Moments before we reach the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi we are also
required to establish a permanent control on our sexual endeavors and we need
to practice becoming a perfect celibate for a minimum period of 12 years in continuation.
It is only then our
kundalini shall get awakened... the sooner the full awakening of Kundalini occurs
and the sahastra puspa in our brain opens up fully... we realize God that very
moment. And the moment we realize God... the complete wisdom contained in the
cosmos becomes available to us on a permanent basis. We may have never read Bhagavad
Gita or the
various Upanishads yet, whatever is contained in Bhagavad Gita and
Upanishads becomes like ABCD to us. It is as if we had written the Bhagavad Gita
and the Upanishads in our earlier manifestations of life. It is a feeling beyond
ecstasy... it is the stage of pure bliss... it is this stage when we come across
God face-to-face on a permanent basis.
Now onwards we can have a communion with God every moment of our life... it is
not like that we have a darshan of God for a few moments and then everything is
back to normal as happens with most human beings on Mother Earth. Everyone experiences
the power of God every now and then but this experience of power is very intermittent
and for very short periods of time. Only after reaching the stage of self realization
that one can communicate with God every second of his life. It is a feeling that
can never be expressed in words for we have transgressed the domain of senses
and the mind.
Having
realized God one becomes a pure Atman soul... all dross having removed... our
atman the soul within gains back its pristine glorious form. It is like reaching
the Mount Everest of the spiritual life. Edmund Hillary was right when he stated,
"the moment he reached the top of the Mount Everest he was the saddest person
for there was nowhere else to go further. He had climbed the highest mountain
peak on Mother Earth... he had reached the pinnacle of his career".
Having
realized God one retains the body so that one can disseminate the wisdom contained
in the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads to the masses. This is the one and only
reason why god realized souls continue living after having realized God. Having
reached the 8.4 millionth manifestation... the cosmic life itself has come to
an end. There is no further manifestation for our atman the soul within... from
this stage we can but attain salvation (moksha in Hinduism) and finally reach
Baikuntha (the abode of God... known as the kingdom of God in Christianity).
I have enumerated the
advantages and the pitfalls one shall face while proceeding on the path of self
realization. It is up to you to decide whether you want to pursue this goal of
life or not. In the present scientific age it is also not necessary that we need
to go to the jungles (deep dense forests) searching for a forlorn place wherein
we could meditate in silence. In the present Kali Yuga one can definitely achieve
god
realization even while living the life of a Grihastha (Family man).
It was only in the earlier years when science was not that developed that people
ventured into unaccustomed areas searching for a place of solitude.
During
those days... it was really difficult for one to have practiced Spirituality even
while living in the family. As science had not yet developed much... everyone
was required to work hard physically. In the Spiritual domain we are required
to think and work more and more mentally than physical. It was just not possible
to maintain a balance between the two during those days. However best we may have
desired to pursue the Spiritual goal of life... we always needed the presence
of a Spiritual master and in those days... true Spiritual masters resided in forlorn
and places of solitude.
Nowadays
we have everything compiled in form of books. It is only up to us how we can gather
the pearls of wisdom contained therein. We may or may not get a Spiritual master
these days yet, one can always realize God taking God Almighty himself as the
Spiritual master. This is possible as happened in the case of Eklavya... one who
desired to learn archery from the best master available in those times Guru Dronacharya.
As Eklavya belonged to a lower caste... guru Dronacharya who desired Arjuna to
excel in archery bluntly refused Eklavya to accept him as his pupil.
After having failed all attempts, Eklavya did not become disheartened. He made
a clay replica of Guru Dronacharya and practiced archery. He became the best archer
of his time even excelling Arjuna. The moment guru Dronacharya learnt of this
he asked Eklavya for guru Dakshina (guru Dakshina is the obeisance paid by a pupil
to his master for the teachings imparted for in those times there was nothing
like fees which a pupil was required to pay to his master regularly... in the
guru Shishya parampara... the student is required to pay guru Dakshina at the
end of the studies... never before).
In
the case of Eklavya as the teachings were never imparted by guru Dronacharya yet
he asked for guru Dakshina as Eklavya had made a clay replica of his and had become
the best archer of his time. And in form of guru Dakshina, guru Dronacharya desired
Eklavya to cut his right thumb and present it to his master! Guru Dronacharya
knew very well that without a thumb one could not practice archery any further.
What a shame for a Guru like guru Dronacharya who never wanted anyone to get ahead
of Arjuna, his best pupil in the field of archery and hence the wrong desire.
Guru Dronacharya
ultimately suffered for his folly in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. To compensate
for his folly guru Dronacharya had to lay his life in the battlefield owing to
a small illusion created by Lord
Krishna. When an elephant by the name of ashwathama died in the battlefield
and knowing well that Yudhistra spoke truth and only truth all the time... guru
Dronacharya enquired of Yudhistra who had died... Yudhistra shouted, "Elephant
(in a very low voice) ashwathama had died". On hearing this that "ashwathama his
dear son had died" Guru Dronacharya left his mortal frame there and then.
Our complete life is
governed by the Karma we perform. We reap what we sow... nothing more or less!
Whatever be our Karma in present life... we shall always face the fruits of our
Karma in the present or the future lives. If we desire to gain Punya... we definitely
need to practice Punya Karma. Practicing sinful acts we cannot absolve our selves
from gaining papa Karma that shall ultimately lead us to the domains of hell (Naraka
in Hinduism).
Desire
of being able to look back into your past lives... is the silliest thing any Human
being can ever expect in this life. If you would come to know that your mother
in present life killed you in one of your past lives then what would be the result
in present life. Furthermore, if you come to know that your best friend in present
life was the reason that your life was cut short in the immediate previous life
then what would be your reaction? Would you not try to avenge the wrong doings
of past lives? Would you be able to still trust your mother or your friend?
If
I desire to travel to Bombay from New Delhi (travel from the stage of an amoeba
up to the stage of 8.4 millionth manifestation)... and having reached the destination
is there a plausible reason why we require looking back in life. Having realized
God why would anyone want to go back into the past
life even if there was a plausible reason. If God has desired people
could travel back in time then it would have been a reality. It was not so. God
never desired one to pursue the past... come whatever may we can never travel
into the past nor can change the past. Whatever has happened is history and should
be forgotten forever. Yet, we have the power to mould our Karma in present life
in a fashion that we can always penance for the wrong deeds done in the past.
If we have
wronged someone in the past and we are yet to face the fruits of our actions of
the past life... then we can always absolve our selves by practicing austere measures
and nullifying the effect of the papa Karma of past lives. The sum total of all
the residual Karma of past lives of which we have yet to reap the fruits... is
known as prarabdha Karma in Hinduism. And this prarabdha Karma can either be positive
or negative in nature depending on the Karma of our past lives.
If
the balance of prarabdha Karma is positive in nature and we have to reap the positive
fruits of life in present life then it is possible that we might be lucky and
are rewarded with a jackpot... in an instant we can become from an ordinary mortal
to a famous person... one who is materialistically full of riches. Alternatively,
if we have the balance prarabdha Karma of a negative nature then it is just possible
that we may die an untimely death or face some other calamity which is just beyond
our control. There are mantras to get out of the clutches of the negative prarabdha
Karma... In other words we can nullify the negative effect of the bad Karma of
past lives... it is only a few years from now that I shall be detailing these
mantras in form of e-books I shall be publishing as time passes by and the society
becomes more receptive to such Spiritual wisdom.
In
a nutshell you are the best judge of your own destiny... form a goal of life which
is not out of any compulsion or binding. Spend some time before you arrive at
a decision. Consult your inner
self... your atman the soul within... the sweet small inner voice of
our Atman soul which seems to come from within us and always guides us on the
right path. Also consult your seniors in whom you can place your trust. Even juniors
can sometimes become guide of our lives. Once a firm decision has been taken...
the journey of life is already half complete.
Thereafter if you decide to pursue self realization as the Spiritual goal of your
life... practice Neti, and adopting the Shavasana pose... meditate on the Almighty
God, the Creator of the cosmos. Practice absolute celibacy for a continuous minimum
period of 12 years. Establish absolute control over the five senses and the mind...
and it is not far from now that you shall realize God within this life.
Also read through the various
essays on my homepage related to Karma, Dharma, Meditation and much more as you
may desire -
Meditation
meaning - Spiritual
meditation - Dharma
definition - Karma meaning
More
Self Realization related links...
Achieve
Self Realization - Realize
God - Stage
of Nirvikalpa Samadhi - Nirvikalpa
Samadhi - Vijay
Kumar... the Man who Realized God in 1993 - Achieved
Self-Realization - Attain
God Realization - How
to attain Self Realization - Nirvikalpa
Samadhi - Communion
with God - God Realization
- Path of God
Realization - Self
Realization Essays - Realize
self realize god - God Realization
- Siddhi
and Self Realization
May
God bless you!
Always
there to clarify your queries (send
your query),
Vijay
Kumar "Atma
Jnani"
Vijay Kumar... The Man who Realized God in 1993 on Self Realization.
For more details on self realization- self realization fellowship center visit
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realization. Send
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Full text of query:
It is very pleasant and thrilling to know somebody who has realised God and even
more so to know that he is ready to clarify my doubts. Please forgive me if anything
in this letter is inappropriate. For some time, I am also feeling that God Realisation
is the real goal of Human life. And I want to do it in the present life. I don't
know exactly why but I feel that for doing that I must must go to a place in solitude
without any disturbance and meditate until the goal is achieved.
But
honestly speaking there is still a sort of fear or concern for my parents, society
fear of failure etc. I am sure you must be now aware of all your past lives. Can
I be reminded of my past lives so that I appreciate all the effort that I have
already made to come upto this stage even, and now I must end this journey? What
do you think is the shortest and best possible way to realise God? And finally,
what do you think of me?
