by: Vijay Kumar
Before we dwell on the subject of Self Realization we need to understand the real meaning of gaining self realization.
Nowadays so many self realization centres all over the world like self realization fellowship in Seattle, self-realization Boston, Atlanta self-realization and Mt. Washington Self Realization claim to offer self realization. Before one starts on the journey of self realization... the concept of self realization must become absolutely clear.
Self realization is the process by which any human being can realize his real self. And what does this real self mean? It means that our soul (atman) within our body which is the real self within every being (and for that matter every living being) reaches the fag end of its cosmic life.
No further manifestations... this soul (atman) liberates forever from the chain of manifestations. The dross having been completely removed... our soul (atman within us) becomes free forever. It shall not be required to manifest a body again.
Does this mean that the cosmic life cycle which every soul (atman) was required to pass through after manifesting a maximum of 8.4 million manifestations and an earthly journey of 96.4 million years has come to an end? Yes, it is so! And we can safely say that one has realized his real self.
Here we need to understand the relationship between our real self, the soul (atman) and the body taken by it. Unless this relationship is absolutely clear we shall never be able to understand the true meaning of self realization. The claim by many that they have realized self is arbitrary as in the last 150 years only two persons have reached the level of self realization.
Both Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana reached the stage of self realization in their lifetime. They reached the cosmic goal of their life... gained self realization before they left their mortal frame.
Self realization is not easy to achieve! Why would God the Almighty make the cosmic journey a long one and that too consisting of 8.4 million manifestations? It is not a simple joke. The process of self realization has to be understood in totality before one proceeds on the path of self realization within his lifetime and reaches the end.
The relationship between the soul (atman within us) and the body taken by it can be explained as follows-
Let us take a block of gold ore weighing about hundred kilograms. Let us presume it contains 1 kg of pure gold. Now this 1 kg of pure gold is the soul (atman within us) which is sandwiched between the dross (impurities) contained within the ore.
This 1 kg of pure gold cannot on its own separate out from the gold ore. It requires the requisite Machinery and the processing to separate out 1 kg of pure gold from the 99 kg of impurities contained within the ore.
Likewise every soul (atman within the body) requires a body to work out its karma and remove the dross within. As the manifestations continue... the journey of the soul which starts with taking the body of an amoeba (single cell formation) gradually evolves into higher manifestations... the multi-cell formations.
As the soul (atman) proceeds on the journey of life for it to gain self realization in the end... this multi-cell formation further evolves into insect life. With passage of time and passing of millions of years... this insect life further evolutes into plant life.
This plant life in the last leg of its manifestation evolves into animal life and finally takes the form of a human being. Already 7.3 million manifestations have passed before reaching the stage of a human being.
After having passed through such a long journey on the path of evolution... In the present life if a human being indulges in fulfilling wanton desires... it shall be made clear that such indulgences shall never lead to self realization.
Indulgences and fulfilling of wanton desires is absolutely contrary to proceeding on the path of self realization. It is only after reaching the stage of human being can a soul liberate itself forever from the cycle of birth and death... and finally reach the stage of self realization… Never before!
How lucky a human being is! It is only as human beings can one reach the stage of self realization. All the intermittent stages of heaven (Swarga) and hell (Naraka) never lead to self realization.
As clearly mentioned in the Hinduism Scriptures... even in the stage of a human being there are about 11 million types of manifestations. It is a long journey before one rarely reaches the stage of self realization.
We must really understand that self realization is not a goal of life... it is the end of the journey itself. After having reached the stage of self realization... every self realized soul has but to leave for the abode of God (Baikuntha as we call it in Hinduism).
All man gods like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed gained self realization in their lifetime... they cleared all the hurdles and reached the pinnacle of their cosmic life. The life for them had come full circle. Beyond self realization there is nothing left to be achieved in the whole of Cosmos.
Call it self realization or enlightenment... the moment one reaches this stage... there is nothing more which can be achieved further. It is after self realization when one leaves the mortal frame for ever... the process is known as having achieved salvation (moksha in Hinduism).
In short simple steps I shall define how self realization can be achieved by any human being...
Before we reach the stage of self realization we need to gain absolute control over the senses and the mind. The control of the senses and the mind can be established by practicing yoga in the Shavasana pose and also Neti as practiced and advocated by Maharishi Ramana.
The Shavasana pose in yoga and the process of Neti is a sure shot path to gaining self realization within ones lifetime. Slowly and steadily one reaches the stage of Nirvikalpa samadhi! This is the stage when one comes face to face with God the Almighty.
Having reached the stage of Nirvikalpa samadhi... gaining self realization is not far! We also need to practice absolute celibacy for a continuous period of 12 years minimum... this is an absolute must!
Those who dare not practiced celibacy... must leave the desire for ever gaining self realization within ones lifetime. It is just not possible. Practice of celibacy and that too absolute... Is a must! It has to be practiced at all costs.
Sexual indulgences have no place in the field of self realization. We have to preserve our cosmic energies... the monthly quota given to us by God failing which the awakening of the kundalini can never occur. Sexuality and self realization are absolutely contradictory.
Whatever was practiced by Acharya Rajneesh (nee Osho) was in total contradiction to the established practice of gaining self realization. Practicing sex and yoga is a taboo... if we ever need to reach the stage of self realization in this life... we have to stop our indulgence in sexual practices altogether.
The awakening of the kundalini carries with it the absolute guarantee of one having reached the stage of self realization. It is only after the kundalini is fully awakened does one reach the stage of self realization. The full-bloom has to occur... there is no escape whatsoever!
For the awakening of the kundalini... preserving and transmuting the cosmic energies to creative uses is a must. This monthly quota of cosmic energy available to every man and woman is the grace of God available to every human being. Why criticize God?
I again repeat that practice of absolute celibacy on the path of self realization is the most difficult part one shall encounter. And unless the kundalini energy is fully awakened... one can never hope to reach the stage of self realization ever.
I started in search of God when I was 11 years of age... proceeding on the uncharted territory of spirituality was sometimes very scary. None to guide... it took me almost 25 years before I gained self realization at the age of 37.
It was the most glorious moment of my life as the life itself had come full circle... everything contained in the Cosmos... every scripture belonging to every religion was now like ABCD to me. Reaching the stage of self realization just cannot be expressed in words. Self realization has to be experienced.
Having reached the stage of self realization... God has forbid me to earn money other than fulfilling my basic needs. I have maintained my body until the time I am able to disseminate those pearls of wisdom which I have gained with the grace of God on the path of self realization!
God has been graceful to me all throughout... imparting the sacred wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to the world community through the medium of Internet is the present aim of my life.
The doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita imparted by Lord Sri Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra contains those pearls of wisdom knowing which every human being becomes entitled to gaining self realization within ones lifetime!