Death is not the end.
Death is not the end.
Man is not limited to a single
life. While this is a relief for those who seek the world, the very thought of
it terrifies those who understand the downside of physical life and therefore
seek liberation.
It is said the embodied being
moves from one life to another like a worm in the grass that leaves one tuft of
grass to latch on to another. What is this embodied being? It is the subtle
body that carries the impression of various lives and the sum total of karma
acquired. It moves from body to body to give expression to the karma and builds
more in the process, trapping the being into a seemingly endless cycle.
The mind that is busy projecting
the world survives death and again projects another viewpoint according to the
conditions that rise to be fulfilled. There is an endless journey experiencing
pleasure, pain and suffering.
Once the body is formed and the
ego takes over the being is helpless. It is forced to forget its true nature
and take on a personality, trends, and desires allocated to it. It is nearly
impossible for it to shake off this cage.
The most unfortunate person in
the world is the one who welcomes the ego and identifies with the body. Like a
rudderless boat that is tossed in a tornado within the ocean, it moves from one
situation to another unable to free oneself from the destiny that drives.
There are various steps one can
take to escape this fate. The Bhagavad Gita summarizes them into four;
- The path of selfless work, karma yoga
- The path of devotion, bhakti yoga
- The path of knowledge, discernment and contemplation, gyana yoga
- The path of awakening the power within oneself, raja yoga
All of these, practiced
individually or collectively, slowly separates the being from the illusion and
compulsion called life. The realization that one is not the body creeps in.
Like the ripe coconut the inner fruit starts separating from the outer shell.
That is the first step. The
ropes of attraction and desire for the world start becoming weak. The being
finds relief in detachment and seeks it more and more.
But the journey is not smooth.
It is observed that sufferings then surface. What is this suffering for? The
bonds of karma are much stronger and the debts have to be repaid. The results
of karma start bearing fruit and trouble the being. This period is very
troublesome for most. But the devoted being does not sink under the load. It
realizes the inevitability of such suffering and bears it with patience. It
gets more and more attracted to the Godhead and surrenders to the greater
force.
While the negative karma causes
trouble, the good karma protects the being and keeps it afloat.
This process has been compared
to that of cleaning an old and stained pot of ink. At first the embedded ink
that emanates on washing is of a very dark hue. One thinks that the situation
has only gotten worse as one is frightened by the dark flow. It takes time for
the situation to improve and there comes a time when the pot is truly clean.
How to face this suffering? It
is difficult. Karma of aeons of births bearing fruit overwhelms. The best thing
would be to approach a Guru and take up the mantra. The appropriate Guru often
appears at this point. Repeating the mantra with devotion does help.
Rituals too help. Visiting holy
places, doing the required penance, however symbolic, helps relieve the burden.
Many take up reading and reciting the scriptures. One also finds that he has
detached oneself and adopted the stance of a witness.
The pain and suffering also
needs other modes of countering. One can seek the required help. Friends are a
great asset in such times.
There is a benefit from such
suffering. One realizes with full conviction that life is not a bed of roses
but a trap from which one needs to escape. The cage becomes visible. Suffering
increases the intensity of ones desire for liberation. It is said that
suffering is the short cut to God.
It requires superhuman effort to
overcome the challenges that come on the path. However as one proceeds a great
internal change is slowly observed.
- The ego starts losing its grip on the person
- The dream nature of the world starts becoming obvious
- The process of witnessing may deepen. The adept witnesses everything , the awake state, the dream state, as well as the deep sleep state
- Positive qualities like love and compassion start manifesting
- One develops the simplicity of a child
- There is a desire for solitude and silence
- One becomes serious about the spiritual practice
- The mind that is given to the world is directed towards the divine
- One realizes that one is a traveler in this world and loses the fear of death
The road to heaven, it is said,
meanders through hell. One needs to visit the rock bottom before starting the
journey upwards.
Swami Ramdass advocated a three
pronged strategy for liberation;
- Dispassionately observing the world as it passes by
- Treating all beings as divine and all situations as put before one by the divine
- Constantly chanting the name of the Lord
The present Kali Yuga is an age
where a person can condense the suffering of hundreds of lives into one. The
Mother of Pondicherry was emphatic on this.
Strange are the ways of the
Lord. The path is difficult like walking the razors edge. However the one who
is truly surrendered to the Lord is protected despite unfavourable
circumstances.
Sri Aurobindo compares suffering
to the oven of fire that perfects the mold within.
Life may feel smooth and create
the illusion of permanence. That is the play of Maya; the most powerful
magician. But nothing is permanent in the manifested world. Nothing is real
either. The intelligent person is the one that keeps this in the back of the
mind and strives to achieve the unseen permanence that lies behind it.
The scriptures call that
permanence Brahman or Sat-Chid-Ananda that is ones real nature. It alone
exists.
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