WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY...
...YOU CAN GET LIBERATION BUT NOT GET HIM
Namaskar,
In various discourses Baba makes the very interesting and
thought-provoking statement that one can get liberation or salvation and
not get Him.
Baba says, "If you want mukti [liberation] or moks'a [non-qualified
liberation] from Him, if you are a suitable candidate then you may get
it from Him, but you will not get Him." (AV-2)
So the question is, what does this mean. Doesn't getting liberation or
attaining salvation mean becoming one with Brahma? How is it that one
can get liberation or salvation but not get Parama Purusa?
What is the crux of this knotty statement-- what is the significance of
this seemingly philosophical paradox.
IT DEPENDS UPON THE TYPE OF RELATION
The main point to keep in mind here is that although various types of
relations with Parama Purusa lead to mukti, or moksa, there are some
relations-- like madhura bhava or Vraja Krsna-- where one feels His
sweet and loving proximity in their day to day life, and there are some
relations-- like dasya bhava or Parathasarthi Krsna-- where one does not
feel that sweet bond of love and intimacy with Parama Purusa.
In the former one has Him in their tight embrace and in the latter not,
yet both lead to mukti or moksa. Let's take it a step further.
For instance, those bhaktas of madhura bhava will have that intimate
connection with Baba every step along the way as they attain Him; they
will feel His loving embrace and warm touch in their each and every
action on this earth. Because that is the very nature of the madhura
bhava relation: To have a very personal and intimate relation with
Parama Purusa while living in the world. Hence, they get Him.
Whereas those involved in the mode of dasya bhava (master-slave
relation), or in the case of Parathasarthi Krsna, those disciples will
not feel the sweet love of Parama Purusa while on their journey. So in
that sense they will not get Him. But due to their obedience,
faithfulness, determination, and grit, in the end they will be rewarded
with mukti or moksa. But along the way they will not have Him.
That is the inner working of Baba's above statement. And here it is
again for your review.
Baba says, "If you want mukti [liberation] or moks'a [non-qualified
liberation] from Him, if you are a suitable candidate then you may get
it from Him, but you will not get Him." (AV-2)
Because in a comparatively dry manner, those followers of Parathasarthi
Krsna or those sadhakas involved in daysa bhava (master-slave relation)
progress ahead on the path to liberation without feeling that intimate
closeness with Parama Purusa. They feel that they have to do something
to earn their liberation-- so they work hard for that and strive to
execute the plan and order of Parama Purusa, but in so doing they do not
feel close enough with Parama Purusa to desire and get His sweet
embrace. In which case they do not get Him.
HOW MADHURA BHAVA WORKS
Here Baba nicely explains how the bhakta of madhura bhava keeps an
intimate and personal link with Baba each and every day on the path.
Baba says, "Madhura bháva is a very exalted bháva, for this bháva fills
the mind with sweetness and bliss and leads the aspirant to the closest
proximity of the Lord. To a person who is predominantly a devotee of the
Lord, everything tastes sweet, there is nothing bitter in the creation
of Parama Puruśa. He is attracting you through the ectoplasmic world,
binding you through the bonds of love." (NKS, Disc: 27)
Baba says, "The spirit of madhura bháva is as follows: “He is so vast,
endowed with innumerable attributes, yet even then He loves me. He is so
great, yet He is still my most intimate friend, so very close to me.
What joy! What joy!” This is madhura bháva." (NKS: Disc 9)
So on the blissful path of madhura bhava, one wants only His sweet
proximity and one gets His intimate companionship. In a phrase, one gets
Him.
But the same thing does not happen in dasya bhava (master-slave
relation). In that case one may live a life filled with anxiety,
frustration, suffering etc-- but not bliss-- yet in the end due to their
sacrifice one may get mukti or moksa. Such is the drastic difference
between madhura bhava and dasya bhava. One gets Him and one not.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VRAJA KRSNA
AND PARATHASARTHI KRSNA
Another way to think of this whole phenomenon of getting mukti but not
getting Him is through the Baba's crystal clear distinction between
Vraja Krsna and Parathasarthi Krsna.
Note: Here it should be stated that the relations of Vraja Krsna and
Parathasarathi Krsna are not related only with Sri Krsna. Here Baba is
using this as an analogy to show that in all the ages, one can have
different types of relations with Parama Purusa.
Baba says, "In the case of Vraja Krśńa, the devotee developed a unique spiritual consciousness. The one thought that filled a devotee’s mind was, “I want to go to Parama Puruśa,” and that journey passed through madhura bháva. Párthasárathi’s teachings were quite different. He said, “Well, you want to advance. That’s all right, but others must come with you. You must all come together.” This approach certainly impairs madhura bháva to some extent because it involves an element of roughness. If we are to use an analogy, we can compare a very sweet thick-skinned mango to Vraja Krśńa. You can easily peel away the skin and relish the sweet juicy fruit to your heart’s content – no trouble, only happiness. If someone asks you how sweet it is, you cannot express your delight in words and you illustrate the sweetness through gestures. But Párthasárathi Krśńa may be compared to a firm, ripe bel [wood apple] with a hard shell. You have to take some trouble to break the shell, and while breaking it you have to be careful not to let the fruit fall to the ground and smash into pieces. The pulp is no doubt very good for the stomach, perhaps even better than a mango, but it is not so nice to eat. It is not as juicy as a mango. If Vraja Krśńa can be likened to high quality cakes like gokulapiit́há or pát́i sápt́á, Párthasárathi Krśńa may be likened to sweets made of boiled, condensed sugar cane juice." (NKS, 'Six Stages of Realisation')
Thus in the relation of Vraja Krsna, one feels the inner sweetness and
personal love with Parama Purusa in a very close manner. And in that way
they get liberation or salvation.
In contrast, in the relation of Parathasarthi Krnsa, one does not become
ensconced in the devotional love for Parama Purusa, but rather the
sadhaka must overcome all sorts of trials and tribulations. And by that
way they reach up to mukti or moksa.
So on one path one gets the close proximity of Parama Purusa and the
other not. One path is full of His blissful love and the other not.
IN THE END BECOMING ONE MEANS GETTING HIM
Ultimately though, it has to be recognised that getting mukti or moksa,
means losing one's own identity and merging in Parama Purusa. That
culminating point is the same for all the accepted pathways as given by
Baba. Thus in all the ways-- dasya bhava, madhura bhava etc-- one will
ultimately experience this in the end.
So perhaps the best way to express the difference is in this following
analogy.
One can reach to a kingdom by walking for days and months across the
dry, hot desert-- sweating the entire way on that very tiring journey.
Or one can reach that same kingdom by riding easily in an
air-conditioned motor car along smooth, paved roads. Hence both
travelers reach the destination, but the first takes a rough path while
the other moves along a comfortable one.
Similarly one can get mukti without getting His sweet love along the way
or one can get liberation and feel His sweet embrace every step along
the way. Such is the difference between dasya bhava and madhura bhava.
So getting Him along the way means having a sweet and blissful life
where one feels that Baba is my most intimate and closest companion.
That is the way one can get mukti or moksa, yet also Him.
WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR AM
In our Marga, by Baba's grace, most everyone is on the pathway of
getting Him, of realising His sweet bliss in their life. Baba has made
the our Marga that way by giving us madhuvidya, kiirtan, Prabhat
Samgiita, sadhana, and so many other joyous practices that enable us to
feel His sweet touch and loving embrace.
Even then the more arduous path of dasya bhava or Parathasarathi Krsna
is accepted in our Marga, and some few persons may be moving in that
mode. So in their day to day life they may not feel very blissful as
they will not be getting Him.
But far and away, ours is Ananda Marga-- the Path of Bliss-- and most
every sadhaka in AM is joyously moving on that path, getting Him each
and every step of the way.
All in all this is a highly devotional topic and for more about this one
should read select discourses from Namami Krsna Sundaram. Plus in the
future, certainly others will write on this very topic.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we will all realise His infinite love and tight embrace
and get Him as we proceed along the path.
Baba says, "You are all His loving sons, His loving daughters. You are
sure to get Him; it is your birthright to be one with Him." (SS-24)
Namaskar
Madhusudan
