Miscellaneous - Religion   

Path to liberation

CHENNAI: Human beings have the choice of following two paths in this world: the first is the path leading to fulfilment of worldly desires (Preyas) and the other is the path to liberation (Shreyas) from worldly bondage. While the majority who wish to indulge their sensory cravings choose the former and get entangled more and more in the cycle of transmigration by their actions, the man of wisdom opts for the path of Shreyas, which leads to eternal bliss by liberating him from worldly bondage because he knows that the joys of the world are short lived.

In his discourse, Sri S.N.Sastri said the Satasloki of Sankara explained these choices before man on the basis of the Katha Upanishad. Further the text elaborates on the consequences of pandering to sensory desires. When desire for an object sprouts in the mind, it craves for it and the sensory experience that will result by experiencing it. If the person is unable to obtain the object of his desire then he becomes angry, and when he succeeds in getting it he is intent on protecting it resulting in greed for material possessions and their upkeep. Thus these three—desire, anger and greed—are the cause of an individual’s spiritual downfall as the mind is swayed by one or the other. Keeping the consequences of succumbing to desires in mind, a seeker after liberation should remain always vigilant and stay attuned to his objective.

Due to primordial ignorance (Avidya/Maya) the individual Self (Jiva) is caught in the cycle of birth and death, which is known as bondage. This is akin to the concept of day and night seen in the world according to whether the sun is visible or not but in the sun there is no night or day. So in reality there is no bondage or liberation to the Self and it is because of Avidya that worldly bondage and its resultant sorrows are experienced. Liberation involves removal of this ignorance by Self-knowledge. The sense organs by nature are outward bound and the Self can be realised only by withdrawal of the senses from engagement with objects. By turning the mind inward with the aid of spiritual practices the mind will attain one-pointed concentration and grasp the blissful, eternal Self (Atman) within.

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