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Liberation
“Liberation is not just escaping from all
suffering when we are alive.
It is being free from the cycle of death and rebirth.”
Before climbing any further, one must stop and realize what this journey is all about. We human beings want God, we want to go to heaven, but we cannot arrive at our destination without realizing who we are and who God is. Most of us seek God because God is the ultimate source of happiness. But we don't take the trouble to realize where God is. Is God living in some distant planet, some heaven up in the skies? If we live with this ignorance, we will never realize God.
Therefore, as we climb the Ladder to Heaven, we must go on a quest, overcome ignorance and realize the truth about God. God is a power beyond human comprehension. If I ask you to close your eyes and see me with your ears, can you do it? You would say that it is not possible. Only the eyes can see. Similarly, we human beings have not been given the sense perception to perceive God. It is only when we realize this truth, that we can climb the second last step to heaven – Liberation and move towards the Ultimate Goal of Heaven.
What is Liberation all about? Once we pass the step of realization and win the battle with our own body, mind, and ego, then we will be liberated and are free to move towards what we call heaven.
Liberation has 2 steps: First, we must be liberated while we are alive. And second, we must be liberated at death. What happens to a person who is liberated when alive? Although we live in a body-mind complex, one who is liberated has realized the truth. He overcomes ignorance and lives blissfully and peacefully without suffering the triple suffering of the body, mind, and ego. A liberated being lives in the body, but knows we are not the body; is troubled by the thoughts of the mind, but realizes that we are not the mind. A liberated being transcends the ego and is free from this world of allurements and attractions.
How then does a liberated being live? A liberated being lives in Yoga or Divine union, having realized that he is none other than the Soul which is nothing but a manifestation of the Divine. He lives as the Divine instrument, doing the Divine will. This is known as the Yoga of action or Karma Yoga. The liberated being also lives with Divine love and devotion. This Yoga of devotion is called Bhakti Yoga. The next form of Yoga that fills the life of a liberated being is the Yoga of education or Gyana Yoga. Such a being continues to live educating himself on the knowledge and wisdom that he has already acquired but goes deeper into it every day that he is alive. However, the most important yoga is Dhyana Yoga or Yoga of meditation or silence. This is considered to be the most important because it is in these moments of Divine silence that the God within communicates with the God that is universal and omnipresent. One becomes conscious of Divinity.
One who is liberated continues to live in Yoga or Divine union till the moment of death of the body. The body dies. For average human beings who have not realized the truth and are not liberated, the ME – the Mind and Ego is reborn based on their Karma. But a liberated being is not reborn. Such a realized Soul is liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth and climbs to the ultimate step on the Ladder. However, if the realized being loses the war and falls prey to lust and craving, such a being may not be liberated.
As kids, we all played the game 'Snakes and Ladders'. Don't we remember the big snake at 99 that could bite us and take us back to 1 to restart the game? So also, is the game of life. If the snake of desires, lust, and cravings attacks a realized one, just one step before the destination, then he would have to start his climb again.
Liberation is not an easy game. A very tiny group of human beings are fortunate to be liberated and to move to the final step of Unification. Most of humanity continues to suffer because of what is popularly known as the cycle of death and rebirth. Most religions of this world advocate the Ultimate Goal of life as Liberation. Some call it Moksha or Mukti, the Buddha called it Nirvana, and the modern world calls it Enlightenment. Whether you call it liberation or salvation, it is the same destination that is given different names or titles. The Ultimate Goal of a human being is to escape from suffering, to be liberated from returning to earth and to become one with God. Are you ready to climb the next and ultimate step from liberation to unification?
Liberation
TAKEAWAYS