Object of the Soul

[FONT=&amp]I have written earlier about Self-confidence and this is to discuss the classification of human pursuits known as Kama (pleasure), artha (security), dharma (righteousness) and moksha (freedom). These four categories provide an ideal infrastructure for the accomplishment of all human ends, called Purushartha (object of the soul) in Sanskrit. Of the four categories, the first three are considered material goals whereas the last pursuit moksha is considered as a spiritual goal culminating in Self-knowledge. Even though all four categories are considered as required, all these goals should allow every life towards ultimate goal of freedom and without accomplishing spiritual freedom, life is not deemed as fulfilled. In fact, this spiritual freedom alone gives the sense of fulfillment at the time of death. Without attaining this spiritual freedom (moksha) the total sense of fulfillment cannot come and a life will always have more desires and associates pain and suffering that arises out of such unfulfilled desires at the end of life. Therefore, at best the first three categories of material accomplishments are considered as ancillary goals while spiritual freedom alone is considered to be the primary goal and ultimate objective of life.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]

The reason for the pursuit of pleasure, security, and values to be not deriving permanent happiness, is primarily because the happiness that they provide does not really reside in them, even if it appears to be so. If this were not the case, the happiness one derives from these categories should remain constant. However, one’s experience tells that one’s perceived happiness from desires and attachments varies over time. At best, the fulfillment of desires and attachments temporarily relieves the agitation in one’s mind that one feels from lack of it. When we get the object of our desire, we feel happy for a while, until our satisfaction is assailed again by another desire that takes the place of the previously fulfilled desire. This happiness we seem to experience temporarily actually comes from the appeasement of the mind which itself is transient in nature. This is one reason why we find them ultimately unsatisfying. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]

The second, and the most important, reason is that the three fold pursuits of pleasure, security, and values, are only peripheral goals leading to the ultimate goal of freedom (moksha) and for that very reason, inherently unsatisfactory. And the fourth human pursuit postulates freedom from the bondage and limitations of the first three pursuits. The pursuit of pleasure, security, and values creates two types of bondage known as creating stress of staying attached to the possession and strain of keeping that happiness intact especially when the mind wanders into other objects. If one doesn’t achieve those desires, one feels empty and lonely. When one does not have them, one craves for them and when one has them, one craves for freedom from them. This is the ultimate predicament of our worldly existence, called Samsara. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]

When one derives the understanding that the first three pursuits are inherently and ultimately not fulfilling, one starts wondering if there is something beyond these finite, limited, and time bound pursuits of pleasure, security, and values. The only reason one can derive to find these pursuits to be ultimately dissatisfying is because, deep down, what one has been really seeking all along is the abiding freedom from all limitations and dependence. In other words, one has been indirectly engaged in the pursuit of moksha, spiritual freedom that is inherent nature of every soul. This is the point where the true quest for limitless being, limitless knowledge, and limitless joy begins. [/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]There is a point when one begins to understand what one experiences in pursuit of objects in this world is pleasure and pain alternatively which are transient in nature. When one raises above this level and get unattached, one begins to truly seek the Bliss (Ananda Maya Kosha) that is permanent. The clarity that the Bliss resides in Self (Subject) comes as opposed to deriving happiness from the objects outside. [/FONT]

 

Dear Rohan,

Thank you for reading and responding to this post especially when I was getting ready to think that this post was orphaned by lack of interest. I sincerely welcomed your response and appreciation.

I am not an expert in the field to address those two questions. However, I am attempting to answer them to the best of my ability hoping that someone like Smt. Jayasala will correct me, if I am wrong.

In my view, most of us viewing each life as beginning and end in itself is a bad assumption. My Guru said if 21st hammer stroke breaks a stone, it does not mean it was very powerful but it only means the effort of the previous 20 strokes weakened the stone to yield and breakup into many pieces. Similarly, whatever effort we make in each life is not lost and continue to guide us towards the light. Age in a particular life can't be looked as young or old as a newly born child could be older than most of us because of the number of lives the child experienced when compared to us. Every effort we make towards the ultimate goal is invaluable and helps us obtain grace of the Lord.

The answer to your second question, in my opinion, is yes. There are neon signs on either side of the royal super highway. When we experience spirituality, there are risks on either side and if we get sidetracked, we will loose the way and we have to find the ramp to get back on the royal super highway. As I mentioned earlier, life is like a free flowing river and its objective is to merge with the ocean of love. Both banks on either side are known as pleasure and pain. The river gets indulged in enjoying the pleasure or bogged down by the pain, it won't reach the destination.

I hope you find these answers clear enough and satisfactory.

Viswa

 

Dear Smt. Jayasala,

Thank you for your elaborate response. I agree with you that one should have Kama, Artha and Dharma for even attempting to seek Moksha. That is why I mentioned the following:

Attaining Moksha is difficult (not impossible) but no life can ignore the calling to attain Moksha. In fact, the life itself is created a) to face the consequences of past actions and b) to strive for liberation. The desire to attain Bliss is inherent in every life and that is why everyone seeks happiness. But resisting the urge to seek sensual pleasure would make the mind to seek more aggressively. That is why learned people suggest that we should never resist our thoughts and never deny the passion that each life is trying to pursue. The best way to handle them is to let them loose but become a witness to it by disowning them completely. When a life disowns its own thoughts and passions, they loose the energy and eventually seek what it came here to pursue. Sama and Dama are the two soldiers guarding the kingdom of Self and if one needs to enter it one has to control the mind and senses by becoming a witness of their vagaries. Life has a major free will to either resonate with the thoughts and passions or with the Self to pursue the ultimate goal.

Our desires are the threads in the cloth called mind and if we keep removing the threads one at a time, slowly the cloth will disappear. After all, our mind is a composition of all our thoughts and passions. My Guru compares the mind to a person who appears in the wedding as an important person and the bride's family thinks he is from bridegrooms and bridegrooms family thinks he is from the bride's family. When they all get together, the man who appears to be a VIP disappears.

Viswa

 

Dear Rohan,

Great questions. "Janthunam Narajanmam Dhurlabam" meaning "among the lives, to get a birth of human being is the rarest" states Adi Sankara in Vivekachudamani. He further states that "even if one is born as a human being, it is very rare to have Satwic qualities. Even after gaining all these rare chances, to have steadfastness on the spiritual path as explained in Vedic literature is yet rarer. Even if one achieves it, it is rare to have a correct understanding of the deep import of the scriptures. Discrimination between the Real and unreal, a personal realization of the spiritual Glory and ultimately to get fully established in the living consciousness that the Self in me is the Self in all. These come only later on, and culminate in one's liberation. This kind of a perfect liberation cannot be obtained without the meritorious deeds of many millions of well lived lives."

Whenever we have these type of questions, the only place to find answers is to read those wonderful teachings of learned seers. If we carefully analyze the lives of many saints in the past, we come across the traps they got into despite their constant pursuit of the Universal Absolute. The biggest of them all is the ego. Relinquishing the feeling of doing is very difficult as well. When one controls the mind and senses, the traps become visible with the grace of the Lord. That is why steadfastness is considered as one of the greatest traits one needs to make progress.

I don't consider spirituality is an independent thread running in each life. Spirituality is a way of life and it is blended always with our routine life. Speaking softly, standing up for righteousness, helping the lives around us, synchronizing thoughts, words and deeds, etc. are all considered as spiritual practices besides control of mind and senses. However, for ordinary mortal like me, resisting the vagaries of the mind and senses does not come naturally and I have to act as though I am feeding them what they want in order to take them where I need to take them.

Very rarely, we have children born with significant knowledge of the Truth even before they pursue the mission in life.

Viswa

 

Dear Smt. Jayasala,

Every word you utter is music to me and I have no objection in you correcting my mistakes or answering the questions of the seeker like Rohan. I get benefited whenever I read your responses. You are always welcome.

Viswa