Source of Immortality Shri Ramnath asked a question to Swami as to why human beings feel and talk like immortals Every human being is a composite of three bodies which are the outermost gross body and the pair of inner most subtle and causal bodies. The inner most subtle and causal bodies can never be separated. The causal body is like gold and the subtle body is like its ornament. The ornament cannot exist without gold. But the gold can exist without the ornament. In a realized soul, the subtle body which is a bundle of qualities subsides and only the causal body or the soul is left over. Only in an ordinary human being does the subtle body exist, which means that the subtle body exists along with its causal body. Thus in every ordinary human being, both the subtle and causal bodies co-exist as if integrated, so that we should use the word Jeevatman. Jeeva is the subtle body and Atman is the causal body. In the case of any ordinary human being, the Jeevatman exists, covered by the gross body like the golden ornament kept in a box. In the case of a realized or liberated soul, only the Atman exists in the gross body like a lump of gold in a box. In any case, the gross body is mortal, because it is a form of matter, bound in a regular shape, characterized by high entropy. Entropy is a scientific word which means irregularity or freedom which is spontaneous in the nature. The five elements are forced in a regular form of the gross body and every moment these five elements are trying to separate and go into free-state or randomness. Thus the gross body is mortal, which is known to everybody by the name of death. The innermost Jeevatman is the immortal as long as the ignorance of the soul (Avidya) continues. The qualities are vibrations of the soul and the soul is pure awareness (Chit). These qualities continue as long as the realization of original nature of the soul does not take place. Once the human being realizes that he or she is that undisturbed pure awareness (soul), the vibrations or waves subside and thus the qualities disappear. Thus the gross body is immortal [remains] up to the death and the subtle body is immortal up to self-realization. The self is subject to blind ignorance which leads to the superimposition of the self (soul) on the subtle body and gross body. The pure awareness, in fact, is temporary and disappears in deep sleep and arises on awakening. But the awareness or the soul is essentially the inert energy in its basic form which is eternal and will never be destroyed. Even in the Maha Pralaya this basic inert energy remains, preserving the design of the world like the information chip of any electronic instrument. Of course this basic inert energy was also created by God and it is the first created item. It can disappear if God wishes so. But God will never destroy this basic energy containing the design of the world. It is like the film of a cinema or a CD of an electronic instrument. In this sense, the basic inert energy is immortal. It is the source of awareness and awareness is the source of all qualities and feelings including ‘I’. Thus the gross body, the subtle body and the awareness are not immortal. But the essential basic energy-form of this awareness, is immortal, which is referred to in the feeling of immortal Atman or immortal Brahman. This basic immortal energy in the gross body is called as Atman. The same immortal energy, in the entire universe is called as Brahman. Thus there is only a quantitative difference between Atman and Brahman. In fact the matter is also a form of this basic energy. All forms like light, heat, sound etc. are also this basic energy. Thus Atman is in continuity with the external cosmos since the gross body is also another form of itself. The immortality of this basic energy called as Atman or Brahman, continues through the superimposition and thus the gross body or the subtle body is also felt as immortal. Though the mortality of the gross body is seen in the death of other human beings and though the mortality of the subtle body is seen in the realization of scholars, and though the mortality of awareness is realized before and after deep sleep, still all these three items (gross body, subtle body and awareness) are felt as immortal due to the superimposition of the immortality of the basic energetic form of the soul. If the superimposition is analyzed and remembered continuously, the ignorance disappears in course of time. By knowing this concept once, the knowledge is attained but by remembering the concept continuously, realization comes. The end of realization is determination [or establishment in this knowledge]. You must hear this self-realization and know it from Sadguru (Shravanam). Then you must constantly remember this concept, repeatedly every day (Mananam). After sometime, determination is obtained (Nididhyasa). The identification of the determination is your practical behavior in life (Karma). This self-realization cuts all your worldly bonds and relieves you from stress. Starting from hearing, till the final determination, the constant guidance of Sadguru is required. Otherwise you may get misled into the wrong direction. Without the guidance of the Sadguru, it would be like treating your illness by yourself by reading pamphlets or information given with medicines, without going to an authorized physician. This self-realization established by Shankara is fixing yourself to the basic immortal energy or ‘becoming’ your Self. This is called as Advaita. The state of Advaita [monism or non-duality] can be retained continuously only by the grace of God in the human form called the Sadguru, who guides you. Shankara stressed on the importance of the grace of God in this path (Ishwaraanugrahadeva). The Lord is different from your self. His grace is required to succeed in this path. If you are that God, does it mean that Shankara said that you should have grace on yourself? Written by His Holiness Shri Datta Swami website address: universal-spirituality.org e-mail address: [email protected] Jai Guru Datta
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 14:30:01 +0000
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