Question::
It is said that “true death” is far more difficult than “physical death”. Why so? What exactly is “true death”?
(or)
What is “Liberation”? How different is ‘spiritual liberation’ from ‘death’?
(or)
When is “individual” said to be truly born? When does the ‘true birth’ of the individual happen?
(or)
When does “self-consciousness” or “I” or “Ego” emanate?
(or)
When can one attain “true poise”?
(or)
What is “true immortality”?
(or)
How does mind function BEFORE & AFTER “realization”?
Answer:
(Extracted from Meher Baba’s literature, which is a copyright of Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust(©AMBPPCT), Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Bharat/India)
The beginning of the true existence of the ‘individual self’°° occurs at the moment when “consciousness” in the course of its evolution adopts its first human form.
- This also represents the terminal step in its evolutionary development.
- This is the ‘moment’ when the ‘limited individuality’ is crystallized as the “I” that exhibits the basic characteristic of self-consciousness.
- This is the ‘true birth’ of the ‘individual’.
The ‘true death’ of the individual occurs at that moment when he transcends his ‘limited individuality’ or ‘separative consciousness’ by being taken up in the ‘truth consciousness’ of the unlimited and undivided being of God.
The ‘true death’ of the individual consists in the complete disappearance of the ‘limiting ego-mind’ that has created the sanskaric veil of ignorance.
‘TRUE DEATH’ IS A FAR MORE DIFFICULT PROCESS THAN ‘PHYSICAL DEATH,’ but when it occurs through the grace of the Master it takes no longer than the twinkling of an eye. This ‘dissolution of the ego-mind’ and the ‘freeing of the soul from the illusion of separative limited individuality’ are known as “liberation”.
[Differences]
1)
a) The SANSKARA-RIDDEN ‘EGO-MIND’ can never attain any real poise. It vacillates in constant rhythm to the alternating dominant sanskaras. Consciousness can attain true poise only when the ‘ego-mind’– with all its attendant sanskaras terminates.
This is effected through the emergence of the 'unlimited' and 'ultra-sanskaric' individuality, that comes into its own upon the inheriting of conscious eternal existence, which is “true immortality”.
b) The ‘infinite poise’ of consciousness in REALIZATION should not be confused with the semblance of sanskaric equilibrium that is approached by the limited ‘ego-mind’ in discarnate life in the hell- or heaven-state. Such ineffable poise is unapproachable by the ‘full consciousness’ in man as long as it remains clouded by the slightest traces of the ‘limiting ego-mind’.
2)
a) At the time of taking on a new physical body, the 'good' and the 'bad' sanskaras of the individual are almost in balance. However, there is always a slight ascendance, at this time, of either the 'good' or 'bad' sanskaras. They are never in perfect balance, nor do they in any manner “overlap” or “cancel” one another. ‘Complete poise’ can exist only when the two opposite classes of sanskaras are so qualitatively and quantitatively opposed that they exactly cancel one another.
b) When opposite sanskaras are not only equal in ‘strength’ but are also in exact qualitative opposition, they cancel each other and can no longer act as semi-automatic subjective propelling forces but are transmuted into consummate understanding that is free from opposing reactions to life. This is the state of “liberation”.
3) a) The seeming balance that is approximated by the individual before each birth may be compared to a tug-of-war in which ‘opposite forces’ are active, although neither may predominate. The matching of forces then has only to be slightly disturbed and the entire situation becomes subject to change. In the same manner the pseudo-poise of sanskaras present at the time of birth has only to be slightly disturbed in order to imprint the sanskaric pattern for the individual life. b) In the “state of realization”, the OPPOSITE TYPES OF SANSKARAS INTERPENETRATE EACH OTHER in such a manner that they cease to exist as opposing forces. The resultant is not a state of sanskaric tension but a state of complete internal neutralization in which the sanskaras has ceased to exist as ‘propulsive elements’. This is not a mere state of exact mathematical equalization of opposites, but a state beyond the opposites– of ‘true poise’, rooted in unbroken consciousness of ‘infinite unity’.
4) a) During the entire long period preceding realization, the ‘mind’ acts in each single circumstance according to the dictates of the preponderant sanskaras. As in a tug-of-war, there is movement in the direction of the greater pull, but that ‘motion’ represents only a small proportion of the total energy spent, for most of it was used up in the opposition of forces. b) In realization, there is an entire DISAPPEARANCE or CANCELLATION of the 'sanskaras' such as would occur in a tug-of-war when the opposing parties finished the game and stopped pulling in ‘opposite directions’.
5)
a) On the other hand, in near equalization of sanskaric tension, there is only a temporary arrest of express activity. Then when some 'new' or 'outside' factor upsets this equilibrium, “reactions” occur which show that the ‘situation’ had been quiet not because of lack of propelling forces, but rather because they had temporarily cancelled one another.
b) With the annulment of the sanskaras, the individual is freed permanently from all sanskaric determination. As a consequence, for the first time, the individual's life can express itself without “latent” or “patent” inhibitions, for it functions in the limitless understanding of truth.
– Meher Baba
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°° Not to be confused with the manifestation of the “individual soul”, which occurred at the very beginning of the long evolution process through the various sub-gaseous, gaseous, stone, metal, vegetable, fish and animal forms.
See “God Speaks”, by Meher Baba
Source ::
Listen Humanity, Pg :: 107-110
© AMBPPCT, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
