Generally people accept the
concept of immortality of the soul on the basis of inherited faith or
tradition, but there lurks a doubt about its authenticity. Let us not accept
this concept blindly without reasoning. It could be hearsay? If you are told to
sit for meditation and are asked to conceive; "I have died", it may
appear a dimple proposition; but when you actually begin to do so, it would be
impossible to think that you as individuality have ceased to exist. It would
not be difficult to have such a simple imagery for those who have been
practicing the elaborate exercises of one think about one's death, although an
image of one's dead body is formed in the mind, at the same time there is
awareness. "I am standing aside looking at it". This "I" is
ever vigilantly, ever present. Try as one may, one cannot conceive the death of
this "I" - the seer. The analytical faculty of one's intellect (Vichar Buddhi) thus
insists that the soul ("I") is immortal. In this way deep within
human consciousness is entrenched an unwavering faith in the immortality of the
soul. By no endeavor whatsoever can this intuitive faith are rooted out. It is
based on numerous past experiences of death (of the body) in earlier births,
beyond which the soul has continued to exist. When a person becomes unconscious
because of shock or under the influence of drugs, this "I" remains
wide awake and alert. Otherwise, on regaining normalcy, how could a concerned
person know that he had been unconscious? Firm faith in one's real self as indivisible, immortal and
beyond the reach of physical, sensory perceptions, is an essential
pre-requisite for starting on the path of self-realization. Until the seeker
develops such a faith, one cannot have unqualified, absolute belief in immortal
and eternal existence of one's Real-Self and keeps on relapsing to the old
accustomed narrow outlook, in which one considers the body as the self, thus
rendering all efforts for Self-Realization meaningless. Hence the seekers are
advised to concentrate on developing a deep conviction of immortality of the
Inner S elf - the real "I". First become fully convinced of the
immortality of the soul, only then take up spiritual Sadhana. Even in the
course of progress of Sadhana it is advisable to periodically remind oneself
about this reality of the Inner-Self. Later such perception will prove to be of
great help in experiencing. Awakened Awareness of one's soul (Atma-Swoaroop Sakshatkar).
The
Inner-Self is immune to physical forces
During meditation visualize that
your Real Self is getting separated from the body, that it has the potentiality
to overcome the constraints imposed on it by the five basic elements of which
the body is constituted, namely - Aakash
(either), Vayu (Air), Agni (fire), Jala (water) and Prithivi (earth)
respectively. Scriptures tell that these
five are the everlasting primordial constituents of all forms. Conceptualize
that your Inner-Self is no longer confined by the body.
Henceforth, in the following discussions
wherever the words "I", "MY", or "ME" are
mentioned in the test, these refer to the soul speaking on behalf of the
individual being.
Conceptualize: Now "I"
have acquired independence. Therefore,, "I" can now fly all over the
space (Aakash) like birds., whenever
"I" so will. Now the force of air can no more obstruct MY movement or
speed in any way; nor can it dehydrate ME. (Sole being a supernatural entity -
without water as its constituent).
Further visualize going through a
huge column of fire. "I" am passing through it comfortably without
feeling any heat or pain. How can the soul, which is supernatural, be burnt?
The access of heat is limited to heat-sensing, the inflammable organs of the
material body. Similarly, the soul (ATMA) is free from the effects of earth
(Prithivi) . In other words, no element of the physical world can touch
"ME", nor can it create least the obstruction in "MY"
freedom.
0 comments:
Post a Comment