Spirituality Self
Realization:
How do you Attain it? by Pradeep Joshi
How do you
define Self Realization? Realize what is body or physique and what is
self? Besides the physical body, there exists some thing like “Self”
which is an integral part of one’s life which is a guiding lamp and
which is always effulgent. To realize its power and impact, one needs to
assume that it is not only the body or the brain power that guides our
life’s actions but there is something beyond.
Self realization can be defined simply by saying that a person who
believes that body and self i.e., soul are entirely two different
things, is on the path of self realization or soul searching. Self or
the Soul is real whereas Physical body is relative or unreal. What is
real and what is relative has to be clearly distinguished. If one can
clearly demarcate both the things, then a person is on the path to
understand the power of soul or Atman. The more one is aware that both
things are different, he is on his path of reaching the state of
self-realization. That will enable him to learn more what soul is and
how to gain access to it, so as to reach greater benefits of
enlightenment. Another assumption is that every one is a pure soul- you
and me! That feeling will be a cleansing factor of all the negative
faculties one has within himself. With that feeling one can bring in
good vibrations in the others and bring them on the positive aspects of
life.
Just as the whole Universe presents to us a colossal picture from the
macro view point, the body or physique also points at its myriad aspects
and the myth, at the micro level. Unfathomable are both the Universe as
well as the body or physique with their infinite and myriad operations
and mechanism.
How the Universe with Sun and Moon, Planets and Stars came into
existence and in the same manner how the physique or body of a human
being or animal or even plant life came into being on their own is
beyond one’s comprehension. Who created the intricate parts of the body
of a human being, or an animal, a bird or different varieties of plant
life are the greatest wonders in our life’s study which is always
unending or infinite. It all seems that the Scientific infrastructure of
Nature governing the planets and the body/physic has been available from
the beginning of life in the Universe. We could call it as existence of
“Law of Nature”- self born or auto-created and it continues for all the
time as if it is programmed for all the time to come! Births and Deaths
continue and other natural phenomena also occur , without being
monitored by any authority excepting the Law or force of Nature! It is
as amazing as how electricity is created which in turn generates light
and energy!
Secondly, within this intricate physique how life is put into it which
is invisible to the naked eye and it does not have any shape is also
another exciting phenomenon. What controls its operation is no doubt,
breath i.e., prana the function of which is also beyond one’s
comprehension. Who places the breath in a proper manner and who
supervises or monitors its constant operation so that man continues to
remain alive, is also another unsolved riddle.
In the same way, a man has been able to investigate and research how the
Universe is made of, he needs to make a similar investigation as to how
a physique is constituted. This effort leads one ultimately to the study
of self or Atman.
Atman or Self-realization is a state of bliss one can attain when one
assumes “that state is one of birthlessness or a deathlessness”. One
gets away from the fear of death to a state of vibrant life, from
darkness of ignorance to light of knowledge and from an unreal world to
real. A self realized person feels that the real one i.e., Atman never
dies and it is only the body which deteriorates as one ages. Atman or
Self is a permanent phenomenon whereas body or physique is thus purely
transient or temporary and is bound to decay on aging. Sages have
attained the state of bliss through yoga and meditation. To prepare
their mind to gain access to bliss, they mastered the true discipline of
yoga and meditation. In other words, if one can get mastery over
scientific yoga and meditation which implies “Pranayaam” i.e.,
control of deep breathing technique as taught by Patanjali, they
find an easy path to reach the state of bliss. Attaining the state of
bliss through the technique of deep breathing and single minded focus,
needs some preparation like renunciation and getting rid of
materialistic pleasures because these attract and influence more the
mind and actions even though one cannot get total happiness through
acquiring them. A multi-millionaire is never contented and still wishes
to have more and more wealth and that greed affects his health and life
style besides limiting his thinking power. Besides getting over the
materialistic pleasures, one needs to conquer negative faculties like
Sense pleasures, Ego, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy if one seeks spiritual
bliss and contentment and acquire that state of “Sthita Pradnya”
as described in the Bhagvad Gita.
With all this background for attaining the state of bliss or
self-realization, one can ask why we should at all get into this kind of
exercise! Firstly, through investigating into the depths of mind and
self, one gets into the realms of vast and infinite knowledge and
enlightenment, which ordinarily with a common man’s daily life of stress
would have not been possible. At that level, one solves the greatest
riddles of life and science and always invents a new path towards
solving any problem. That state of bliss can only prepare the mind to
open new vistas of knowledge. Sages, Saints, philosophers and Scientists
have found new discoveries and innovations and reached new horizons of
knowledge only through a spiritual eye or following a spiritual path.
Why one should aim at Self Realization is also a moot question for all
of us. This brings us to the context of “Karma” and theory of
“Recarnation” which has also been often quoted in the Vedas and Bhagvad
Gita. Karma is not based on Destiny but on the choices one makes in his
life time. These choices lead to future “effects” which may carry on in
to the next life time. If actions are good, one can assume results that
will happen ultimately will be good. Vice versa, if one’s actions are
bad, then bad things happen to him. Prarabda karmas are one that
are carried from our past lives. Sanchita karma is based on the
way you act because of your past life. Agami karma is the karma
of present life over which we do have control. One is said to get rid of
karma through in-depth meditation and with love for God in which case
karma can be detached from the Soul or Atman. Although this is not an
easy solution, it is said if that happens, “moksha” or liberation from
this world or mundane life which is subject to recycles of births and
deaths, can be experienced.
Lord Krishna in Bhagvad Gita states;
“O
Arjuna, both you and I have had many births and death by rebirth. As
a man casting off worn out garments takes new ones, so the dweller
in the body casting off worn out bodies enters into others that are
new.” Krishna further says “From the highest planet in the material
world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated
birth and death take place. But one, who attains to my abode, never
takes birth again.”
Through
experiencing and attaining Self realization, one can get rid of the
cycles of births and deaths and attain Moksha or liberation or
enter into abode of God. If one believes in this theory through the
knowledge of Bhagvad Gita, he is supposed to attain the state of bliss
and liberation from the world’s miseries. Getting “Moksha” or
“Beatitude” is nothing but the “State of Bliss” one gets in his mind at
some stage after going through an ordeal of Tapasya (penance).
That is equivalent to saying “getting into Heaven”. There is no separate
Heaven or Paradise on earth or on any planet but one can seek both God
and Heaven in one’s own heart. That is one of the reasons why it is
often said that “your body is a temple” and respect it.
Ishavasya Upanishad and Bhagvad Gita deal with different aspects
of attaining self-realization. This is an in depth study in itself and
needs a separate review beyond constraint of space and time. Also the
opening verse in Isha Upanishad contains the hidden truth behind the
power of Atman and Brahman, a combination of which leads one to
“Fullness” or the achievement in life. (Atman is “Jeevatma” which one
enjoys all materialistic pleasures in life after birth and later works
towards attaining bliss of mind- going through successfully, the stages
of Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga and Jnana yoga as stated in Bhagvad Gita).
When that Jeevatma merges with “Paramatma” the Super Consciousness ( all
Supreme Power- in other words, God the Almighty ) in the minds of every
one, that really is the Moksha i.e., liberation from the recycles of
human birth and death.
What is this World? The following verse in Isha Upanishad explains:
“The
invisible Brahman is the Full. The visible (the world) too is the
Full. From the Full (Brahman), the Full (the visible universe) has
come. The Full (Brahman) remains the same i.e., invisible, even
after the Full (the visible universe) has come out of the Full
(Brahman).”
As soon as
the human mind becomes aware of the world around it, it also becomes
seized with the question as to what is the world that so surrounds it.
This question marks the beginning of all knowledge as the mind will
always strive to achieve that “Fullness” in life! Then Jeevatma i.e.,
Soul or Self in human being merges with “Paramatma” (the Supreme
Consciousness) WHO is supposed to live in every Jeevatma i.e.,
individual Soul.
July 30, 2006
About the Author
The author is engaged in community
service over the last 20 years. He reads spiritual literature
extensively and is always keen to know more on the subject. He is merely
a student in the study of spirituality and this write up represents his
views on this difficult topic. He is open to corrections or any comment
that add to his thoughts and knowledge! He can be contacted on his
e-mail;pradjoshi@aol.com
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How do you
define Self Realization? Realize what is body or physique and what is
self? Besides the physical body, there exists some thing like “Self”
which is an integral part of one’s life which is a guiding lamp and
which is always effulgent. To realize its power and impact, one needs to
assume that it is not only the body or the brain power that guides our
life’s actions but there is something beyond. 
