Dear Sir! Pranam! In one of your Article it is mentioned that " Every created being is destined for final liberation ) Moksya). In this regard I would like to cite an organisation, having centres in 1000s in India & abroad that there is no complete liberation of any created being. Every one is bound to take birth time & again, there may be a gap between one birth and the other.Would you please throw some light on the issue.

ANSWER:  Different people are ofcourse entitled to different view points. There is no point going into endless arguments. However the Sanatan philosophy has very definite and logical as well as unambiguous views on Mokshya, some of which I state below. Adhyatma is a matter of one’s own understanding of different view points depending upon one’s own level of consciousness of truth. One must fall back upon one’s own intellect and the interpretation of truth has to be buddhigrahya or acceptable to reasoning as the scriptures say. Otherwise it becomes mere mental game or an opinion.

In the articles of AHWAN, we have dealt exhaustibly such topics as the purpose of our existence, the final destination of all, the question of rebirths, relationship between Atma and Paramatma etc. Please refer to ‘Question of continuous development’ (August/September 2000 issue), Concept of many births (October/November 2000 issue), why we seek happiness (February 2001 issue) and Atma Paramatma Parts 1&2 (March and April 2006 issues). Hopefully you have had occasion to browse through them.

Ultimately everything returns to its source. There can not be a never-ending and purposeless endevour. All extend out of Brahman and return back to Brahman as the sparks flying out of fire fall back to fire. That is the upanishadic concept. If the final union with Brahman is eliminated then Brahman the Supreme soul and the individual souls have to coexist permanently, separated from each other. That is absurd and assumes that beyond Brahman there can be other independent entities in the creation.

Jiveiva Brahma na parAh. Brahman is the source and ultimate destination of jiva. Further if mokshya or Satchidananda (the absolute truth, its realization by being one with it, and the bliss that ensues from the realization) is eliminated, what purpose remains in the creation at all?

Attainment of blemishless perfection, gnosis and bliss is the purpose of life ( and lives). We eventually achieve that status, That is moksya. That is the end of all miseries. We then cease to be what we are now. As the river looses itself on reaching the ocean, so do we on reaching the state of Brahman.

YathA nadyah syandamAnAh samudre astam gacchanti nAmarupe vihAya (The Mundaka Upanishad).

There are many more such pronouncements such as in The Bhagavad Gita:

Tatah padam tatparimArgitavyam yasmingatA na nivartantnti.

(That is the goal to seek, on reaching which one does not return.)

If scriptures as seen by our seers, are our pramAnas (proof) on matters of Adhyatma, and not any individual intellect, then one pursues one’s sadhana to realize that.

QUESTION 3 FROM SRI SURYAKIRAN

 There are so many Swamis nowdays. Are they all enlightened enough to preach to others?

ANSWER: A tongue in cheek question? Well!

Most Swamis preach and they love to preach basking in the adulation of disciples around them. But the primary function of a sadhak swami is to first preach himself and constantly practice his preaching on himself.

A guru’s first disciple is he himself.

 Sadhana never ends until the final mokshya or liberation. Swamis who can not remember this all the time are indeed a miserable lot.

One can impress a group of listeners for a while with excellent oratorical skill, but soon, others find out the hackneyed sounds of an empty vessel. ( As Confucious commented more or less in these words about modern times: In the past they gathered knowledge to improve themselves. Today it is to impress others.) Swamis and Gurus can not expect others to change until they themselves have changed. Otherwise no one benefits much. A blind can not lead another blind.

The foremost concern of all sadhana is the development and enlightenment of one’s own self. A flower has to first make its own inner core fragrant. When the garden around is filled with fragrance, it is only the derived benefit from the flower.

Having said so, one must ofcourse see the other side of the coin. There are still many – and their number is growing- dedicated sadhaks who follow and practice the scriptures with sincerity and respect. Away from the limelight and in deep contemplation they keep spreading the truth of adhyatma around them. As Lord Krishna assured, they are dear (priya) to Him. Their tribe will never be lost.

 QUESTION 4 FROM SRI SANTOSH MANUSHYAN

 (Taken from e-mail) -Could not the human race eradicate poverty in this world and remove disease? What is God’s contribution towards this?

ANSWER: Who said man can not rise above the sufferings from poverty disease etc.? He certainly can.

At the outset, there are some related issues that cloud our understanding, which we must clear. Poverty, disease, ignorance etc, they all create physical suffering that we know. But strangely enough, almost all of us spend more time and energy in brooding over the suffering and much less time in trying to come out of it by putting up that extra effort that is called for. Have you noticed that? Blaming the fate, the circumstances and some one or something other than ourselves comes so naturally to most of us.

A few ofcourse set examples by succeeding against all odds. But only a very few try to emulate them. All of them await divine intervention- some kind of easy way out.

Man takes long time to reconcile to the fact that the cause of misery of any kind is not externally imposed. It is the outcome of man’s own actions.

God created this world, not to make us miserable. But He certainly laid down the system that every effect has a cause, to constantly teach us the lesson that as we sow so shall we reap- good or bad.

Then it is the ‘religion’ that codified human behaviour in all fields of life so that man may be encouraged to lead a righteous way of life – an ethical and spiritual way of life that will keep misery at bay and happiness at hand. Religion, which has God as its source, constantly reminds us to live in divine consciousness  and in conformity with divine principles. For reasons as discussed in AHWAN so often, man commits mistakes and has to atone his mistakes by going through misery.

Agate visamamdashah daivam arhayate narah

Atmanam Karmadosanca na socatyapanditah

When misfortune strikes man immediately blames the fate, but the fact that it is the result of one’s own wrongdoing eludes the unwise. (See AHWAN December 2000 issue)

A spiritual approach to life takes the pain out of misery.

Granted that a total ideal way of living and by every one around may be difficult to imagine, but the ancient wise seers based on their collective experience have also said that;

Swalpam apyasya Dharmasya trAyate mahato bhayAt.

Even the smallest effort of right kind produces great results and protects against great misfortunes.

Those who know, they know. Yah pasyati sah pasyati.

QUESTION 5 FROM Ms YASMIN MISTRY

 What is the meaning of Sanatan?

ANSWER: If I have to give a brief answer, I would say – ‘What ever existed, what exists and what shall exist forever – that is sanatan.’

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