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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Detachment, key to liberation

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 22. It is a paradox that man is curious to know

about everything in the world but rarely pauses to enquire ``Who

am I?''. It is an exceptional person who directs his query inward

and persists till he discovers the Self (his true nature). It is

not possible to explain anything about the Self to one who does

not know anything about it as this knowledge is a matter of

experience. So the scriptures try to take the spiritual aspirant

step by step through the process of negation of the non-Self to

indicate the nature of the Self.

 

It is a unique situation that man finds himself in, as far as the

knowledge of his Self is concerned, as he does not know his

nature fully, but, at the same time has the underlying awareness

of ``I'' in all his experiences. The hesitation to make an effort

to gain Self-knowledge in most cases is either due to ``the fear

of the unknown'' or due to ignorance. It is similar to a person

who shies from public speaking.

 

In his discourse, Swami Gautamananda said that it was imperative

that one made a beginning at some point of time. Saints who

realised God by following the path of Self-enquiry say that this

method involves following the ``I'' consciousness closely. It is

a very difficult path which leads the aspirant on by negating

first the body, then the breath (Prana), the senses, mind and the

intellect one by one, till the Self is discovered. In recent

times it was the Sage of Arunachala, Ramana Maharishi, who

attained realisation by this method. But all cannot adopt this

path.

 

Saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa while explaining the path of Self-

enquiry to one of his devotees advised him that it was not easy

to realise the Absolute Reality by treading this path and that it

was possible for all to follow the path of devotion with success

as the Supreme Being can be envisioned with a form through

devotion. When Self-knowledge dawns the ego gets obliterated.

This results automatically when the Self is discovered by Self-

enquiry, and for one who adopts the path of devotion, the ego is

effaced by the constant reiteration that one is God's devotee and

vassal.

 

Another insight that the saint made about the relative merits and

feasibility of these two paths was that devotion was more

suitable for this Kali yuga. This is all the more true for

householders because of their attachment to their family and

belongings. In the case of a recluse, attachments of the world

drop away on their own accord, whereas a householder must slowly

get over them by accepting everything he enjoys in life as due to

God's grace. Such an attitude will enable him to develop

detachment.

 

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