All our sufferings and difficulties are because of our attachment to our family, children, wealth and property which we have to leave behind when we leave the world! We have to cultivate non attachment if we want real happiness. It was saint Tiruvalluvar who said that one should catch the lotus feet of the Lord who is totally non attached! “ Patratran patrinai pattruga appattrai vidarku” Easier said than done! The moment the child sees the light of the day, it develops attachments galore! Father, mother, brothers, sisters, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother and various others who dote on the child and shower affection on the child! Born and brought up in that company and environment, it becomes virtually impossible to tear oneself away from the affection showered by them! Family ties are so thick and binding that release from it is practically impossible! In the meanwhile desires play their part and take the person far away from thinking about his future progress and liberation? This attachment is because of Maya or illusion which presents the real as unreal and the unreal as the real! Is it the fate of man to undergo this endless suffering from birth to death? Is there no other way for him to save himself from the agony? There must be a way to overcome the trials and tribulations of human existence.
Feeling sorry for the misery of mankind who are caught in the never ending cycle of birth and death, compassionate Sankara offers a solution which if faithfully followed, shall see him through all sufferings and finally liberate him! “ Sath sangatwe nissangatwam” says Sankara. Associations are very important in life. They influence the conduct and character of man. A drop of poison is enough to spoil a pot of milk! Association with the good leads to non attachment. Living with saints and sages, listening to scriptural stories, chanting the name of the Lord slowly but surely develop non attachment in any individual! This friendship and living together with the wise shall burn away the inner and outer impurities in man and keeps him ready for the next stage of progress! Non attachment doesn't mean that you should cut off all connections with family and children or runaway into the forest. It only means that you should just do your duty as a parent not more not less! Extreme involvement in worldly affairs is the root cause of sorrow! That should avoided.
“ Nissangatve nirmohatvam” Sankara points out that non attachment ushers in freedom from delusion or Maya! What is this Maya? It is the art of make believe! It makes you believe the real as unreal and and the unreal as the real! The world is unreal; it disappears finally! But we think it is real and ignorantly enjoy its silly pleasures! We mistake that we are the body whereas we are the indestructible Atma or the Soul, a chip of the eternal Reality, the Brahman! As non attachment develops slowly attachments drop down! But it is a difficult process! It is almost impossible to come out clean from delusion! Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, in the Bhagavad-Gita that His Maya is very difficult for anyone to cross, “ mama maya duratyaya”. Sage Narada had a bitter experience of Vishnu Maya in his life! Even Lord Siva was deceived by Maya when He fell to the charms of Mohini the beautiful damsel who was Lord Vishnu in female form!
Freedom from delusion or Maya brings in steadfastness, a feeling of steadiness and fixity of purpose! “ Nirmohatwe nischala tatwam” declares Sankara pointing out how one good quality leads to another better quality. Company with the wise and non attachment have now liberated him from delusion or Maya and he is ripe to enter into the next stage. He is now imperturbable in his faith and purpose! Nothing can shake him! This firmness is the most essential quality! Whatever obstacles come in his way, he is not perturbed. The accumulated effect of his non attachment, freedom from illusion and steadfastness takes him to the next and the last step which is the ideal for every individual to reach!
“ Nischala tatwe jivan muktihi” Sankara concludes! This rock like firm faith and steadfastness is responsible for the final emancipation of the individual! This is called “ jivan mukti”, liberation in this very existence! Mukti does not mean that one reaches it on account of his good karma only? after his death. It is possible to realize the Supreme Brahman through non attachment, freedom from Maya and firm faith and steadfastness!It is very difficult to find Jeevanmuktas in the present day world since mankind is fully immersed in materialism and does not find time for God and religion!Deserving examples of Jeevanmuktas are Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in our recent past! Sri Sankara counsels every Individual to maintain Satsang, develop non attachment and have unshakable faith in God and steadfastness in purpose! These virtues are capable enough to make one a Jeevanmukta, one liberated in life!!
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