*seeking* immortality !!

[Guest guest]

namaste.

 

I was reading a commentary on mahAmr^tunjaya stotra last evening

and there is this rather routine statement there that ".. there

is an innermost urge for immortality which abides in the hearts

of all human beings...". This statement (that the human seeks

immortality) is not unique for this stotra. We see similar

statements in any book on spirituality. One of the puruShArthAs

is moksha, which is immortality.

 

Now, is that true? What is the meaning of this seeking of

immortality ? Frankly, I do not see it that way and I would

be interested in hearing the List members' views.

 

Who is seeking this immortality ? Is it the Atman? Obviously,

the Atman is not. Atman does not seek anything.

 

Is it the jeeva, through its intellect ? If it is, then

obviously, the answer is No. The *jeeva* can never be immortal.

If the jeeva aspires to be immortal, it is on the wrong

understanding and the wrong path.

 

Then, what is the meaning of "It is in the innermost urge of

every human being to be immortal" ? Is that not an unattainable

urge (by the jeeva) ? Or to put it in a different way, is it

not an unnecessary urge ?

 

Yet, it is said that the most important puruShArtha for a

spiritual human is moksha. How do we reconcile these seemingly

contradictory sentences? The only way is the one given by

paramaguru shri shankarAcArya: The jeeva, in its ignorance,

thinks itself to be the limited one and seeks moksha, rather

than recognizing itself to be the unlimited Atman in which

case there is no seeking of moksha. So, moksha and seeking it,

like all all other concepts, is in the realm of ignorance.

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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