Beyond Liberation

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Beyond Liberation

Based on the Timeless Teachings of

India's Vedic Scriptures

Beyond Liberation

Based on the Timeless Teachings of

India's Vedic Scriptures

Preface

he Vedas are ancient Indian scriptures, containing all

the varieties of wisdom ever known to mankind.

Ultimately, all knowledge on every level can trace its origin

back to this immense body of literature. It answers

humanity's inquiries into the search for material happiness,

the pursuit of salvation through liberation, as well as the

path of self-realization through pure devotional service to

God. The Vedas describe God's impersonal, as well as

personal, qualities and His many different energies. Its

origin in antiquity, this timeless literature has been passed

down, unchanged and flawless, in its purest original

condition, from God to teacher to student through an

unbroken chain.

Conclusions concerning all possible circumstances are

found within the Vedic scriptures; even our frustrated

hankering for eternal happiness can ultimately be satisfied.

Modern human society is suffering from pain and

confusion, quarreling and harsh relationships, material

greed and hypocrisy. Many, though, are endeavoring in

their life's struggle to see things as they really are. We thirst

for a higher truth, yet are constantly misguided by the

dictates of our uncontrolled senses and deep ignorance.

Introduction

he purpose of this booklet is to outline three distinct

paths that people follow in order to achieve

happiness in life. Most people seek pleasure from what is

in front of them in the external world of objects and from

satisfaction of the body's sensory demands for all kinds of

pleasure. The second proposition is to renounce the

external material world completely and take shelter of the

peace found within the soul. The third, much more rarely

followed path, is one traveled by an awakened soul

who seeks to know his eternal identity in relationship

with God.

The following simple story illustrates that the pursuit

of any of these goals requires following a specific process,

just as if we were to become a lawyer we must qualify

by studying certain texts and going through the proper

channels to achieve our qualification.

Beyond Liberation

CAN YOU SHOW ME GOD?

nce, in India, there was a king who desired to see God.

Calling for his chief minister, he asked, "Can you show me God?

Can you clearly tell me what God is doing?" The minister,

although highly learned, could not immediately think of an

appropriate answer to the king's question, so he requested that the

king grant him three days to determine a suitable reply. The king

agreed but cautioned that an unsatisfactory answer would

drastically reduce his faith in him as a minister.

The minister returned to his residence and, with much

intensity, researched all of the books in his library with the

hope of finding an acceptable answer to the king's question. Two

days later, he still had not met with success. As he sat, lamenting,

in his library, his five-year-old son wandered over to him and

asked, "Father, why do you look so unhappy?"

"I am unable to find a reasonable answer to a question the

king has asked me and, as a result, I may lose my post in the court."

"What is the king's question?" the boy inquired.

"It is too lofty a question for you to understand, my

son. Don't worry your little mind about it."

However, his son was persistent and finally the

minister told him, "The king wants to see God and know

what He is doing. I have scrutinized all the scriptures but

cannot find a conclusive answer to this question."

The small boy smiled sweetly and replied, "Father,

this is simple. When you go to court tomorrow, tell the

king that the answer to this question is so easy that even

your small son can tell him how to see God and explain

what He is doing." The forlorn minister looked at his son

in disbelief, but his son reassured him, saying, "Don't

worry, Father, I promise I will not let you down."

The minister, now desperate, had no alternative but to

place his hope and faith in his small boy. The next morning,

they went to the royal court together. The king received his

minister and again inquired, "My dear minister, can you show

me God and tell me what He is doing?"

The minister humbly replied, "O King, this question

is so simple that even my young son can answer it."

Although he was surprised, the king turned to the boy

and said, "Very good. Well, my dear boy, can you show me

God and tell me what He is doing?"

The small boy said, "Dear King, please bring a large

pot of milk."

Although somewhat taken aback at this request, the

king complied.

"My dear King, is there butter in this milk?" the boy asked.

The king thought for a moment. "Yes, of course, there

is butter in the milk," he said.

"Can you show it to me?" inquired the small boy.

"Yes," replied the King, "but first, in order for the

butter to be seen, we must churn the milk."

"Exactly," replied the boy. "Similarly, there is a

process by which we can see God. When we follow that

divine process, God will surely manifest before us. Without

this process of devout spiritual practice, God is hidden

from our direct sight, in the same way butter is hidden

within milk until the milk is churned."

Upon hearing this wonderfully logical explanation in

response to his first question, the king was fully satisfied.

He then asked the minister's son to answer his second

question. "Now, can you tell me what God is doing?"

"Well," said the small boy, "you are inquiring from me

just as a student inquires from the guru, but you are sitting

upon a high throne and I am sitting before you on the

ground. According to etiquette, you should be sitting in the

humble position and I should be sitting on the elevated seat."

Seeing the truth in the boy's words, the king rose from

his throne and sat on the floor. The small boy ascended to

the throne.

"This is what God is doing," said the boy. "Sometimes

He puts us in a high position and sometimes in a low one,

according to the results of our previous activities. Sometimes

we take a seemingly exalted birth and sometimes we take a

lowly one. God is arranging these changes and awarding

different results according to our karma." The king was so

satisfied with the boy's answers that he proclaimed these

truths throughout his kingdom. He handsomely rewarded

the minister and his brilliant son with many valuable gifts.

WHERE TO PLACE OUR LOVE AND TRUST

As in the story, we understand the need to follow a process

to achieve our goal, but how are we to decide which process

to follow?

All of us are guided to follow some sort of instruction

throughout life. Social customs, national laws, sentiments,

parental instructions and peer pressure govern us. During early

educational years, our teachers guide us. We tend to adhere to

traditional values and accept the knowledge presented in

various textbooks. If we choose to ignore these guides and

listen instead to our sometimes uncontrolled minds, we may

find ourselves in a position where we are condemned by the

administrating government and dealt with accordingly.

We are free souls in the sense that we may choose the

authority in which we want to place our love and trust.

It is ultimately worth following the purest knowledge and

the highest authority because only they can successfully guide

us to an elevated, more peaceful state of consciousness.

Philosophers throughout the ages have presented numerous

solutions to life's difficulties. As astute as their philosophies

may be, none of them has offered a path as broad or conclusive

or as ontologically complete as the one presented in India's

ancient Vedic scriptures. All other philosophies and religions

of the world are rooted in these scriptures. The original

language of the Vedas is Sanskrit, which is the world's oldest

language. These scriptures, which have their origin in God

Himself, have been carefully passed down, unchanged, from

teacher to student for millions of years, since the beginning of

time. We will draw from these authentic scriptures to present

the following analysis of the goals attainable by a human being,

including the highest goal, a bona fide destination well beyond

all the inebriates of this world.

The Vedic scriptures proclaim that all persons,

consciously or unconsciously, pursue one of three distinct

paths. The three goals and the practices required to achieve

them are clearly described as follows:

1. Most of us follow the path of satisfaction of the material

senses, which we hope will bring us happiness. These senses

include the mind and intellect. Such external material

enjoyment is called bhukti in Sanskrit.

2. A few of us, desiring to taste the pleasures of our inner

selves, pursue the path of liberation from the sufferings of

this world. This type of liberation is called mukti.

3. Even fewer of us yearn to serve God with pure loving

devotion. The path of devotional service to God is called

bhakti, or bhakti-yoga, which literally means to link with

the Supreme Person through loving service.

If we carefully contemplate the above choices, we can

appreciate that every human being is striving to achieve

one of these goals.

CAN MATERIAL GAIN BRING REAL HAPPINESS?

Achieving happiness through material prosperity is the

first and most popular goal of life mentioned in the Vedic

scriptures. By acquiring wealth and fame or pandering to

sensual pleasure, we strive to enjoy our lives in this world

of physical experience. Anyone in this world can acquire all

kinds of temporary material pleasures if one's ambition is

sufficiently intense. Parts of the Vedic scriptures clearly outline this

process. These specific passages are compared to a wish-fulfilling

tree that can actualize all of our desires, as they deal exclusively with

assisting those persons inclined towards achieving material

objectives. Every variety of material pleasure that we could

possibly strive to obtain is described, including pleasures found on

the higher planets as well. Some call the higher planets "heaven"

because, in some ways, they appear to be similar. However, the

scriptures indicate that even these planets are not eternal and the

souls there must eventually return to this planet earth.

Many in this world who have not been fortunate

enough to hear about higher spiritual goals naturally seek the

gross pleasures of the body and basic sensual gratification, or

they seek subtle pleasures of the mind and intellect. This

material world is designed to facilitate such enjoyment

through the material senses of the mind, eyes, tongue, ears,

belly and genitals. The minds of most people in the world

today are occupied with the pursuit of flickering pleasures.

But what is the level of success achieved by anyone? Do we

know anyone who is happy all the time? Sometimes people

are so oppressed by material miseries that they can only think

of meeting basic survival needs, such as food, clothing and

shelter. Yet they can still experience some happiness upon

obtaining a loaf of bread. A wealthy person may experience

the same degree of happiness by purchasing a new yacht.

Both rich and poor alike enjoy the same movies or television

shows. Ultimately, the happiness of someone who is wealthy

is not greater than that of someone who is poor.

Unfortunately, in whichever situation we find ourselves in

life, we want to increase our happiness. We are very seldom

satisfied simply with the way things are. The reason is that,

fundamentally, we can never fully satisfy the material mind,

body and senses, as they are not eternal and, will perish

sooner or later. The soul is our real identity. It is eternal and

is prompting us to go deeper within ourselves to connect

with our higher spiritual natures. Only in this realm may we

find real happiness.

MATERIAL GAINS ARE NOT THE ULTIMATE PATH

By good fortune, some begin to understand the futility of

chasing ephemeral material goals and they inquire about

and seek out an authority who can guide them to a

deeper level of awareness. At this time, one may hear

scriptures, such as the Bhagavad-Gita, which explain, "An

intelligent person does not take part in the sources of

misery, which are due to contact with the material senses.

O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an

end, and so the wise person does not delight in them."

Realizing that our chronic pursuit of material pleasure

does not actually bring any real or lasting happiness, we may

long in our hearts to become completely free of persistent

material desires. We might then begin to seek liberation from

this cycle of constant activity in which all of our actions create

pleasurable and unpleasurable consequences. For every action,

there is an equal and opposite reaction, just as the movement

of a pendulum in one direction secures its inevitable swing

back the other way. Whatever happy state we may achieve is

transitory, followed by a miserable one not far behind. In the

same way, a small child seems happy one minute and is crying

the next. Even if our performance of worthy actions brings us

pleasurable results, the happiness we experience is only

temporary and, when it passes, misery again ensues. We thus

conclude that liberation from this cycle of performing actions

and receiving their reactions is the only goal worth pursuing.

Furthermore, the external material path does not bring any

lasting pleasure and is simply a cause of bondage.

Whatever is subject to decay is material, not spiritual.

Material gain always brings only temporary, flickering

happiness. The Vedic scriptures inform us that we are more

than our temporary, physical bodies. We are the eternally

blissful souls within these bodies. Therefore, transitory,

external pleasures do not bring us, as souls, any real happiness.

As we reflect upon these truths, our outlook will be

broadened and we may choose to turn to a path of inward

contemplation. As intelligent spiritual beings, why should

we settle for less?

THE PATH OF LIBERATION

Why do none of us wish to die? One great sage declared it

most amazing that in this world everywhere around us all

forms of life, including people, trees and animals, are dying,

yet we don't believe death will actually come to us.

The Vedic scriptures state that the soul is eternal in

nature and, therefore, never dies. They also reveal that the

soul is full of bliss, so it is inherent within our minds to

seek out our true and higher blissful nature, which is also

our real wealth and happiness.

The nature of the soul is to reside peacefully in the eternal

present, free from the dualities of past and future and from the

burden of material desires. The nature of an uncontrolled mind

is exactly the opposite. It is to be always restless and full of

desires, constantly engaged in the process of planning for one’s

future enjoyment. Understandably, the path of liberation from

the sufferings and sorrows of worldly life appears very

attractive. In fact, many of us pursue this goal and often

perform rigorous practices, called austerities, to achieve its end.

Pursuing liberation from the cycle of activities and

their ensuing results is certainly a higher and nobler goal

than endeavoring to enjoy material pleasures. Liberation

from the attempt at enjoyment of the material world is an

eternal aspect of the soul. One can reach this consciousness

by following these four practices:

1. Discriminate between what is temporary or perishable

and what is eternal or spiritual.

2. Renounce all desire for the temporal rewards and pleasures

of this world and also those of the higher heavenly planets,

which have been described as temporary in the Vedas.

3. Develop control of the mind and senses.

4. Attentively cultivate the desire to become a liberated person.

As previously mentioned, the Vedic scriptures are like

a wish-fulfilling tree that can give us anything we may

desire. They illuminate life's different goals and clearly

define the practical methods necessary to achieve them.

Liberation is described as a state of purified

consciousness wherein the soul realizes his individual nature,

thus becoming self-realized. The nature of the liberated soul

is to be completely self-satisfied and fulfilled. The soul resides

inter-nally in a blissful state of autonomy, beyond and free

from all desire to enjoy anything within this material world.

One can imagine such a state of consciousness with the

help of a material example. Suppose we have just finished

eating a healthy meal. As we lie back on a comfortable bed and

peacefully enjoy the company of our family members, all of

our senses feel satisfied. Because the senses are pacified at this

point and because we are not suffering, our consciousness is

able to dwell in the present moment. We are neither hankering

after nor making plans for our future happiness, nor are we

remembering anything from the past. Instead, we are relishing

the present moment through experiencing some cessation of

suffering in the material world. That internal "thought

generator" – the talkative, demanding mind – is switched off

momentarily. In this condition, we consider ourselves to be

happy. Such a condition is likened to the consciousness of one

who is liberated from desires because, momentarily, we have

no desires. Being satisfied, we appreciate for an instant the

essential present. This example is mundane, as the moment of

satisfaction is flickering and brief. In contrast, the fortunate

soul who achieves liberation from the bondage of material

desires experiences a much greater satisfaction. Furthermore,

that bliss is everlasting in nature.

CONTEMPLATING TIME

Within this world, there are three stages of time: past, present

and future. Generally, we find it difficult to reside in the

present moment because it is too painful, being filled with the

harsh "close-up" of our seemingly overwhelming responsibilities.

Also, inevitably, we suffer numerous miseries caused by

others, by adverse weather conditions or by our own minds.

We usually imagine a happier situation further on in life than

this current difficult one, so the mind reaches out to conceive a

plan, a future dream, to escape this present unhappy condition.

The mind's constant engagement is contemplation of how to

manipulate the material situation to our own advantage and

how to exploit external resources for our personal satisfaction.

The mind wants only to enjoy. All of us want to enjoy; it is our

nature. Throughout our lives, we try to solve the mystery of

not only just how this can be done, but also of how to enjoy at

every moment. This is our constant struggle.

The natures of the material mind and the spiritual soul

are quite different. The mind is an instrument for reaching the

soul. The soul has no desires to fulfill and is always joyful,

whereas the mind is the opposite, being full of desires. Since,

in this material state of consciousness, we tend to identify

more with the mind than with the soul, we suffer frustration

when these desires are not fulfilled. Only then, if we are

fortunate, do we grasp the concept that there is a deeper truth.

At this time, one turns inward towards the light of the soul.

BEYOND LIBERATION

At this point in our development, we find an amazing concept

to consider. The scriptures encourage us to journey still deeper

into a higher state of consciousness that is beyond even the

apparently blissful state of liberation from this world. In fact,

being free from all suffering is the negative aspect of real

liberation. The positive aspect is that the opportunity is

available to develop an intimate and loving relationship with

God. If, in the state of liberation, we retain our previous

identities as people of this world, rather than identifying

ourselves as pure servants of God, then we have not yet

reached our final destination. This type of liberation is known

as "impersonal liberation" and is not our highest prospect.

The cessation of all material suffering is the negative

aspect of highest joy. The highest joy is awakening our

original relationship with God Himself in a loving,

affectionate way. The bliss derived from impersonal liberation

is limited, because the soul is relishing a relationship only with

himself. This is a somewhat miserly affair, since loving service

to another being is not an important consideration. At this

stage, we have only tapped into a blissful aspect of our inner

self; we have not yet accessed the full-blown ecstasy of a

reciprocal and loving relationship with the Supreme Soul.

The highest joy attainable is described as a pure, unalloyed,

loving relationship with God Himself. Millions of songs

glorify the sweetness of relationships in this world. However,

neither the songs last nor do the flickering moments of love

described by them. Even if the loving relationship appears to

endure, it is ultimately terminated by inevitable death. The soul

constantly craves a more lasting relationship to be fully satisfied.

Any loving relationship requires the participation of

two persons. The word "love" is equally a verb, which means

it is active in principle, as in to love someone or something.

One type of bliss is the soul's joyous experience of freedom

from worldly sorrow. A greater source of bliss comes from

the soul's reawakened, eternally loving, relationship with

God. This kind of bliss has no boundaries at all.

WHAT IS TRUE LOVE?

Since the beginning of time, the soul has been crying piteously for

love and affection. Love is the most powerful force in the

universe, and we all crave to taste it somehow or other. We don't

want to experience it temporarily, but instead want to relish it

forever. This, in fact, is our birthright. We can experience so

much of life while our most central need, the need to love and be

loved, remains unfulfilled. Love's power is unimaginable. The

attraction of love is the most fundamental and formidable

element found in every circumstance in the world. All else can be

eliminated and forgotten if we come in touch with true love and

affection. When one questions or challenges the principle of love,

one has to accept defeat. Love is the most substantive principle.

The key to understanding the difference between the

two types of bliss mentioned above, one achieved from

impersonal liberation and the other attained by devotion to

God, is to appreciate the nature of love. Since "to love" is a

verb, it is implied that we must consider whom to love.

The bliss derived by achieving impersonal liberation comes

from the cessation of misery, which provides a peaceful state of

consciousness, free from gross material desires. However, this

state cannot be called love and, really, it has nothing to do

with love. In it, the heartfelt warmth of a loving

relationship does not exist. The highest state of absolute

and pure love can truly exist only between the soul and

God, both of whom are eternal personalities.

Our present nature, which has been conditioned by

countless births, drives us to exploit God's energy for our

own ends and has denied us an acceptance of His beautiful,

personal presence. This is because we seek our own power

and glory in life. This material endeavor usurps the

rightful, central place in our lives of that most precious,

wonderful personality, God. This misfortune leads us away

from a spiritual, theistic path to an impersonal, atheistic

one, where all-encompassing love is replaced by alldominating

fear. The sincerely inquiring seeker, however,

can only be misled for so long. Sooner or later, he will

raise his head and inquire as to the reality of eternal love.

THE PATH OF DIVINE LOVE

The path of devotion and loving service to God (bhakti) is

described thoroughly in the Vedic scriptures. The sages of

the past understood humanity's heartfelt needs and have

clearly instructed us how to achieve complete satisfaction

by linking with our supreme master and beloved Lord. In

the story of the king who wanted to see God, the king was

asked if butter was in the milk. He replied, "Yes, but a

process must be followed to be able to see it." Similarly, if

we desire to reawaken our eternal relationship with God,

we must follow the sacred process outlined by the sages and

heed their instructions. Without this divine instruction, we

can never awaken our spiritual relationship. This cannot be

done on the strength of our own efforts alone. Strength

beyond this world is required. Divine mercy and grace are

essential. From where and how can we obtain this power?

WHERE TO FIND STRENGTH

To tread the exalted path of divine love, we need knowledge,

support and strength from someone who is already situated

on the path. A person who falls into a deep well can only be

saved by one who is fixed on safe, firm ground above and able

to lower a rope. Similarly, we can only be saved from our

suffering condition by one who knows and understands the

essential truths of life. In fact, there is no other way out of our

dilemma! We must make it our priority to find such a person.

With this desire in our hearts, most assuredly, that representative

of God will soon come to us. Our only requirement

is to be greedy enough to meet such a personality. Then, by

divine arrangement, we will be led to him or her very quickly.

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

The Vedic scriptures describe the name of Krishna as being

the topmost name of God. In Sanskrit, Krishna literally

means "the most attractive one." God's Sanskrit name gives

us an insight into His personality. Even though Krishna is

the cause of everything and the supreme ultimate Truth,

He relishes astonishingly affectionate and intimate

relationships with an enormous number of family

members and friends in His eternal spiritual realm,

especially in Vrindavana, the most beautiful and charming

of all His abodes. These eternal friends and relatives are

with Him when He performs various loving activities so

wonderful and amazing, they simply stun the heart and

mind. These pastimes have been elaborately described by

great and saintly personalities who, in their meditations,

have witnessed exquisite exchanges of loving affection

between Krishna and those very close to Him.

Our eternal home is in the spiritual world with Krishna.

There we experience the highest bliss and the most powerful

and ecstatic sense of self in our eternal relationship with Him.

Those who aspire to impersonal liberation ultimately aspire to

be Krishna Himself. That is not possible – just as you can never

be me and I can never be you. We can never be God, who

creates unlimited universes etc. The bliss of impersonal

liberation is self-centered, and, without any personal exchanges,

it is limited. However, when we enter into a loving relationship

with Krishna, in a sincere mood of rendering service to Him,

the bliss we experience is boundless. The goal of all our practices

is to reawaken our dormant consciousness, that is, to realize our

true nature as Krishna's loving, eternal servant.

By reading about Him and hearing about Him from

others, especially those who are knowledgeable about His

glorious qualities, we will constantly be inspired to come

closer and closer to Him. Then, when we leave this body at

the time of death, we can be with Him forever.

HOW TO MEDITATE

In this present age we are most fortunate that the process

prescribed to attain that blissful relationship with God, through

self-realization, is simply to chant God's holy names. Even Jesus

Christ begins his most prominent prayer by glorifying God's

name: "Hallowed be thy name." Krishna has implanted all power

and energy within His names, along with the opportunity to

enjoy the most fulfilling relationship with Him. This process of

Krishna and Radha

chanting is transcendental and, as our faith in it grows, the power

of the holy names will gradually illuminate our consciousness.

We can, in fact, achieve any of the three goals previously

described simply by chanting. If you are not convinced, try it for

yourself and personally taste the results. Chanting the most

powerful names of God, we begin the process of linking

ourselves forever with God or Krishna. This great chant of

deliverance is called the maha-mantra. It is as follows:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

If we practice chanting this mantra, we will definitely

experience a higher state of consciousness. Careful,

meditative chanting is recommended, although chanting at

any time, anywhere and in any condition brings increased

bliss. Chanting transports us into an ocean of love,

especially when combined with guidance from scripture

and wisdom from those whose loving relationship with

Krishna is already developed.

There are many names for God, such as Jehovah,

Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, Rama and Krishna. Of these holy

names, the Vedic scriptures describe Krishna and Rama as

the best and most auspicious names to chant for the greatest

results and benefit.

CONCLUSION

The intrinsic nature of the soul is to enjoy. Our aim and

objective in life is to become completely happy. We

attempt to accomplish this goal in three different ways:

1. We enjoy temporal pleasures through our gross material

senses.

2. We enjoy renunciation and striving for liberation

through our subtle senses.

3. We enjoy through our original spiritual senses as devoted

servants of God, Lord Krishna.

Individually, these three paths do not ultimately lead

to the same goal. The first two paths of enjoyment through

the material senses and impersonal liberation do not

necessarily lead us to the third and highest path of truth:

engagement in a pure, unalloyed, loving relationship with

Krishna Himself.

The degree of pleasure derived from the first path is

minuscule compared to the second one. On the scale of

bliss, the second path does not even register when

compared to the bliss of the third path, where we reawaken

our loving relationship with Krishna, God Himself. This

truth can only be understood and realized by the

practitioner.

The information provided in this little book is a

fraction of the vast amount of knowledge available in the

Vedic literatures. Here we describe a small portion of these

scriptures in very simple words. If, as a result of reading

this, you are inspired to inquire further from persons

dedicated to serving Krishna, this booklet will have been a

success.

If you would like more information on these

fascinating topics, the Hare Krishna movement has

translated many of the Vedic literatures into English, as

well as many other languages, for our eternal benefit. These

books are available everywhere. You only need to desire

one and, as if by magic, it will very quickly arrive in your

hands.

Hare Krishna

End

Om Tat Sat

End

_{(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swami jis great Devotees , Philosophic
Scholars, Purebhakti dot com for
the collection)}

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Friday, October 12, 2012