Moksha

Liberation from suffering is the goal of every living being that has lived in the past, that is living in the present, and those who will be born in the future. By using the body wisely we can easily reach our goal of merging the Atman with the Paramatma.

The Atman or Soul went through 8,300,000 births (Reincarnation), death, and rebirth, before we are put in this human body. We are present in this Samsara (playground of the Lord) because of our past Karma (good and bad actions.)

Lord Krishna warns that the mind is the seat of emotions that will follow wherever the senses lead them and then choices will be dictated by desires. Driven by selfish desires for material possessions, one strives to achieve their desires and motives by any means during their lifetime. Achieving material possessions is not a problem, however to spend one’s entire life in pursuit for selfish reasons is a waste of precious time on Earth. Wasting all one’s life to attain material possessions is the mistake that all humans have made in previous births. Until one realizes their mistake and make proper changes, one will continue to be born into different bodies repeatedly in this Samsara until their tendencies (personality) are burnt out and their Vasanas or Karmas are eliminated.

The Truth can be realized by developing our personality by practicing austerity, purity, compassion, non-coveting, patience, honestly, sanctity, reason, absence of anger, non-violence, and truthfulness. In addition one has to follow the three Yogas or Paths, which are - working for the Supreme (Karma Yoga), meditating and serving the Supreme in loving devotion (Bhakti Yoga) and realizing the Supreme through knowledge of the Atman (Gyaan Yoga).

Moksha can be realized when person’s ignorance (Maya) which is characterized by the notion “I” and “mine” is destroyed through the knowledge produced by the realization of the true nature of the Self. When desires are completed as a duty for the welfare of others and there is no reward expected for one’s actions performed then one’s ignorance is taken away.

He who renounces all activities, one who is free from all limitations of time, space, and direction discards all identification with the objects of names and forms. He will then worship his own Atman, which is present everywhere which is Bliss Eternal and Stainless.

This individual becomes All-Knowing, All-Pervading, and attains Immortality.

Information taken from Atma Bodh, Kindle Life, Bhaja Govindam -(Books written by Swami Chinmayananda)