Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Shad Darshan – Vedanta philosophies (contd.):
Swaminarayan philosophy – Moksha
Atyantik Kalyān or Moksha Part II
Dharma, Gnan, Vairagya, and Bhakti coupled with Mahātmya (the knowledge of the greatness and the glory of God) are considered as the pillars of Sanatana Dharma, Ekantik Dharma, or Bhagwat Dharma and have to be achieved to their perfection to transcendent maya and to attain God’s abode. The devotee of God who achieves them to their perfection is called the ekantik bhakta. Such an ekantik bhakta is superior to all other devotees, is dear to God, and is known as the Gnani (knowledgeable) in Bhagwad Gita. “Teshām gnānee nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir-vishishyate | Priyo hi gnāneeno’tyartham-aham sa cha mama priyaha ||” (Bhagwad Gita; 7. 17) Meaning, “Of those, the one with the gnān is the best because he is always engaged in me and is devoted to me alone. I am exceedingly dear to a person with gnān, and he is dear to me.” “Udārāhā sarva evaite gnānee tvātamaiva me matam |”(Bhagwad Gita; 7. 18) Meaning, “They are all indeed noble, but I consider the one with gnān to be my very soul (ātmā).”
Just as Brahm and Parabrahm are two distinct entities, the soul (jiv or atma) and Brahm are two distinct ontological entities. So, no one can be Brahm. Soul can only achieve the highest achievable enlightened state, be like Brahm, and then humbly serve God, but it cannot be Brahm. This is because both the soul and Brahm are two distinct ontological entities. Therefore, leveling with Brahm is the highest desired state. Absolutely no one can be like God. No one can level oneself with Parabrahm (God). Even after achieving the highest level God is always realized and experienced transcendental and most blissful. As one transcends further and further, the Supreme Being seems to be greater and greater, giving the feeling of more and more joy and pleasure that is indescribable. The joy and pleasure of that bliss is like reaching the higher and higher tips of the tallest mountain or going higher and higher, farther and farther deep into the space and observing the universe with our own eyes.
Just as God is free from kāl (time or aging), karma (deeds), and māyā (worldly attachments or ignorance), after death the devotee of God also becomes free from kāl (time or aging), karma (deeds), and māyā (worldly attachments or ignorance) and forever resides in the humble service of God in His abode.
According to the Swaminarayan philosophy, only after realizing Brahm, that is, after becoming “brahmrup” jiv gets true eligibility to worship Parabrahm (God). “Brahm vidāpnoti param” (Taittiriya Upanishad: 2. Brahmvalli Adhyay, 1. Pratham Anuvāk, Shlok-1). It means that, “the one who knows Brahm (Akshar) attains Parabrahm (Purushottam).” One who doesn’t worship Purushottam by becoming “brahmrup” cannot be said to have attained the final or ultimate liberation. “Brahm bhutaha prasannātmā na shochati na kānkshati | Samaha sarveshu bhuteshu mad bhaktim labhate parām ||” (Bhagwad Gita: 18.54) Meaning, “One who has become brahmanized (brahmrup) remains joyful, grieves nothing, desires nothing, and behaves equally with all beings deserves to offer me one’s supreme devotion or bhakti.” Only those devotees who are free of worldly desires are dear to God.
There are and there will be many spiritual souls who have or will attain the highest spiritually enlightenment state known as brahmrup, kaivalya, nirvana, etc. As long as they believe in a single higher authority to guide them it is fine. But if they do not believe in any higher or supreme authority or believe themselves as God or the Supreme, then there will be either no God or there will be many Gods but without any Supreme Being. It is like an institution either without any head or with many heads but no presiding or judging figure to control them. The said institution may last longer and be well organize for sometime but not for many billion years – the age of universe.
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Posted in Hinduism - Philosophies, Moksha - Part II, Navya Vishishtadvaita, Shad Darshan – Vedanta philosophies | Comments Closed
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Shad Darshan – Vedanta philosophies (contd.):
Swaminarayan philosophy – Moksha
Atyantik Kalyān or Moksha Part I
3. Atyantik Kalyān or Moksha (Final redemption, Liberation, or Salvation) in Swaminarayan philosophy is considered as the liberation or complete detachment of the soul from its causal body (karan sharir) in this very same birth and after the death, to attain spiritually enlightened brahmanized or “brahmrup” state, and to stay in the company of other liberated souls (Akshar-muktas) and Aksharbrahm humbly serving Parabrahm Purushottam Narayan (God) in His abode (Akshardham). A truly brahmrup or brahmanized state always accompany the utmost servitude towards God, realizing His greatness and supremacy. A true brahmrup person is the one who worships Parabrahm (God) in the master-servant manner (swāmi-sevak bhāv). A mere brahmanized state, leveling of oneself with God without showing devotion (bhakti) to Him is not considered as a Moksh. Secondly, just to believe or to show-off to be brahmrup is one thing and to be actually brahmrup is totally different thing. If one believes oneself as brahmrup and stops there and never progresses higher to achieve a brahmrup state, then, one is taking a risk of deviating or skewing from spiritualism by forthcoming hurdles. Mere self-realization or atma-realization (ātmanishthā), known as (ātma-gnān) just provides stabilization of mind in the extreme situations of pain and pleasure, happiness and sorrow, but does not give the guarantee of peace of mind, gratification, and moksh at the time of death. To cultivate Brahmgnān (transcendental knowledge) that Parabrahm Purushottam Narayan (God) is distinct, cause, supporter, and inspirer of Brahm and then to worship Parabrahm in the master-servant manner after uniting one’s soul with the Brahm is the safest (nirvighna) and the best (shreshtha) path towards the transcendental enlightenment (param-pad) and the ultimate liberation (moksh). Only such a brahmanized person knows the true glory and power of the God, as it is, in real sense, others can just describe God as per their own intelligence but cannot enjoy and share enjoyment of the bliss of God. The incomplete realization or the flaw in understanding the nature of God is the worst loss of all losses. By incomplete realization of Brahm and Parabrahm one cannot experience the true bliss of Purushottam Bhagwan (God) and one cannot become an ekantik bhakta (true devotee). Only by profoundly associating with an ekantik bhakta of God one can truly understand the nature of God.
After a long period since Mahabharat, in worshiping the Supreme Being, during Buddha’s and Mahavira’s period ethics and vairagya was dominated, after fall of Maurya Empire and beginning of Pandyan Empire (King Pandyovijaya) or Sunga Empire (2nd century BCE) through the beginning of the common era and during early centuries, dharma and karma-kānd (Vedic rituals) became dominant, in Shankaracharya’s period gnan dominated, and after Ramanujacharya’s period bhakti became dominated. When Shri Swaminarayan came, he reestablished Bhagwat Dharma or Ekantik Dharma by rebalancing all four: Dharma (religious and social vows), Gnan (atma-gnan), Vairagya (worldly dispassion), and Bhakti (devotion or navadhā bhakti) with Mahimā or Mahātmya (true understanding of the glory and greatness of God) in worshiping Purushottam – the Supreme Being. He explained that only by strictly observing Dharma, only by achieving Atma-gnan, only by cultivating Vairagya, or only by doing Bhakti, such as, kirtan bhakti, seva bhakti, dāsya bhakti (servitude), or Navadhā bhakti, one cannot get liberation unless and until one gets rid of one’s svabhāv (habits), prakruti (nature or temperament of a person), dosh (flaws or vices), and vāsanā (infatuation). Only after getting rid of habits, bad temperament, attitude, vices, infatuation, and other flaws, one can be brahmrup or brahm-like and only after becoming brahm-like one can achieve or earn the true and the highest status of worshiping and pleasing God for His bliss.
Tags:abode, akshar-muktas, Aksharbrahm, Akshardhām, ātma-gnān, Atma-realization, ātmanishthā, attitude, Ātyantik, bad temperament, Being, Bhagwan, Bhagwat, bhakta, bhakti, bhāv, bliss, body, Brahm, Brahm-like, brahmanized, brahmgnan, brahmrup, causal, cause, Darshan, dāsya bhakti, detachment, devotee, devotion, dharma, dispassion, distinct, dosh, Ekāntik, Empire, enlightened, enlightenment, Final redemption, flaws, glory, Gnān, God, Greatness, habits, infatuation, inspirer, intelligence, Kalyan, kāran, karma-kānd, king, Kirtan-bhakti, liberated souls, liberation, Mahābhārat, Mahātmya, Mahimā, master-servant, Maurya, moksh, moksha, Narayan, Nature, Navadhā, nirvighna, Pandyan, Pandyovijaya, Parabrahm, param-pad, Philosophy, power, Prakruti, Purushottam, realization, religious, rituals, salvation, self-realization, servitude, Seva Bhakti, Shad Darshan, sharir, shreshtha, Shri, social, soul, spiritualism, spiritually, Sunga, supporter, Supreme, svabhāv, swāmi-sevak, Swaminarayan, transcendental, true, ultimate, Vairagya, vāsanā, Vedānta, Vedic, vices, vows, worldly
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Shad Darshan – Vedanta philosophies (contd.):
Swaminarayan philosophy – Brahm
Brahm, Akshar, or Aksharbrahm: Part IV
The abode of Purushottam (God) is known as Akshardham. Swaminarayan philosophy describes that, once reaching in Akshardham the souls get another type of body than the worldly body. It is called aprākrut or divine, brahm-like, body called brahmmaya tanu. The souls are now known as Muktas of Akshardham or Aksharmuktas. Because Akshardham is beyond the space, time, karma, and maya, space-time doesn’t reach there, along with that the ordinary light also does not reach there; maya doesn’t reach there, so, maya’s inherent characteristics called three gunas also doesn’t reach there; and karma or deeds doesn’t reach there, so the soul’s destiny or fate is determined by God’s will only. In other words when the soul becomes completely free from these attachments of influencing factors, then only goes to Akshardham. This is the reason why Akshardham or Brahmdham is called in the scriptures as the final destination of the souls. Secondly, because of the above mentioned transcendental nature of Brahm or Brahmdham, there is no aging there, no decaying there, no gender differentiation is there, or not any of the physical worldly characteristics of the body is there. Moreover, material wealth does not reach there, bodily relatives and their relations are not maintained there, worldly sensual pleasures or pain, comfort or sufferings does not reach there.
This abode of God, Akshardham, is filled with cool, extremely bright luminescence of divine light (different than ordinary light) irradiating from Purushottam. Laws of physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, or any of the worldly sciences doesn’t apply here, only the laws of spiritual science (brahmvidyā) or the laws of the Supreme Being apply here. One can think of any imaginable thing in the Aksharbrahm, but everything would be in the divine form. It is the final resting place of no return for the liberated souls (muktas) where all the souls are equally divine (divya), bright (tejomaya) and luminescent (prakāsh-yukta), equidistant from God, and forever enjoy the bliss of God. All souls here are similar in looks and brightness. There is no age differentiation, gender differentiation, skin-color differentiation, race differentiation, animal or plant (kingdom) differentiation, phylum, class, order, family, genus, or species differentiation among the muktas. They all look like Brahm and Parabrahm. The only difference is ontological difference, which is still maintained. All liberated souls (Aksharmuktas) are equally powerful but not as powerful, potential, and capable as Brahm, and Brahm is not as powerful as Parabrahm (God). God is omnipotent or all-powerful.
The essence of Brahm or Akshar is Parabrahm or Purushottam. Akshar, Brahm or Aksharbrahm is described, in the scriptures, as the body or “sharir” of Parabrahm and Parabrahm is described as “Shariri” or ātmā (soul) of Brahm or Akshar. Both Brahm and Akshar are the terms used synonymously in the scriptures. So, sometimes it is called “Aksharbrahm.” Brahm, Akshar, and Aksharbrahm are the three names of one and same ontological entity. It is described to be Sagun and Nirgun. Sagun (sa + guna, means, with attributes) Brahm has all the worldly attributes, whereas, Nirgun (nihi + guna, means, without attributes) Brahm is transcendental, divine, and without having any attributes. Sagun means gross form of Brahm and Nirgun means microscopic or subtle form of Brahm. Sagun Brahm is larger than even the largest objects combined. Its largeness or magnitude is such that countless brahmands look like mere atoms floating in its sagun form. Nirgun Brahm is subtler than even the subtlest object or an ordinary space in the atom so that it pervades everything. If we see in the eyes of ordinary space (Ākāsh), which is tinier than an atom, there is space everywhere and atoms are very far and wide. If we see in the eyes of superspace (Chidākāsh or divine space), superspace (Chidākāsh or divine space) is everywhere and universes are very far and wide looking merely like atoms such is the vastness of Brahm. Chidakash seems to be exactly opposite of Maya. Scientifically speaking, analogically, if Maya (the avyakrut form of universe and the multiverse) is Black Hole, Chidakash can be analogized as the White Hole, and the Archi Marg (the direct path or highway for the free soul leading to Brahmdham – the highest abode of God connecting Brahmrandhra of the body to the center of Aksharbrahm) can be analogized as the tunnel or the Worm Hole connecting the two.
Secondly, almost hundred year old, Big Bang theory may be true for single universe but the Steady State theory can be applied to the multiverse of Sagun Brahm. Brahm is eternal. It has no beginning and no end. It doesn’t contract or expand. It does not change its appearance, topology, shape, and size over the period of time. It is homogenous and isotropic in space and time. It is uniform in all directions. For the big bang theory, the scientists have few questions, such as, from where the matter came into the fireball, what or which force made fireball to explode, and what was the purpose or reason of creation of the universe from the fireball? The answers to all of these questions can be found from the philosophy of Hinduism even before the big bang theory was proposed.
Nirgun Brahm is all-pervading, subtler than the subtlest. The cool bright luminescence is uniform and homogenous in all directions. It follows the perfect cosmological principle. Brahm has no boundary. It is limitless. The original form of Brahm is described to be the divine personified form which is beyond three types of body (deh), three basic natural qualities (gunas), and three states of body and mind (avasthās) and always remains in the humble service of Parabrahm (God). It is this form of Brahm that a soul has to unite, level, or resemble with and attain the highest enlightened state called Brahmrup or Brahmanized state for salvation. No one can be like Purushottam (God) but one can be and has to be like Brahm for the ultimate liberation (Ātyantik Mukti).
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