Question::
What for is ‘life’? What for is ‘death’?
(or)
What is it that is absolutely necessary for ‘Self-realization’?
(or)
It is said that an ‘individual ego’ can be transmuted into an ‘individual soul’. Is it true? How come?
(or)
What for is ‘incarnate life’, in terms of consciousness?
Answer:
(Extracted from Meher Baba’s literature, which is a copyright of Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust(©AMBPPCT), Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Bharat/India)
‘Above incarnate life’ in birth and ‘beyond discarnate life’ after death, the soul is- one indivisible, eternal existence. The gestation of ‘individualization of the soul’ begins with the evolution of its consciousness. Consciousness begins to evolve in incarnate life, and its evolution becomes complete only in incarnate life.
Simultaneously, with the evolution of consciousness through the evolution of forms (bodies), sanskaras°° begin to accumulate. The evolution of ‘form’ and of ‘consciousness’ (and with it, the individualization of the human ego-mind) is complete when the soul attains the human form for the first time. But because of the accumulated sanskaras, the fully evolved consciousness of the soul remains entrapped in illusion and therefore is not directed towards the soul’s self-realization (God-realization).
For Self-realization, all ‘sanskaras’ must be completely wiped out to enable the soul– as the ‘individualized ego’ to be transmuted into the ‘individualized soul’ in the conscious state of God.
Further, the sanskaras that began to accumulate in an incarnate life, have to be wiped out in an incarnate life. In order to be wiped out in toto, sanskaras must be annulled or cancelled through the process of exact equalization or perfect qualitative and quantitative balancing of all opposite sanskaras, whether good or bad. This is extremely difficult, for the sanskaras have a natural tendency towards preponderance of one opposite over the other!
While unbalance of the opposite sanskaras reaches its maximum in an incarnate life, near balancing is achieved after death– during a period of discarnate life, through the intense subjective pleasure or suffering in the states known as heaven and hell.
Each ‘incarnate life’ is an opportunity for the realization of one’s true self.
Each ‘death’ or ‘discarnate life’ is an opportunity for achieving a semblance of balance to start another birth, with its further chance at Self-realization.
If the opportunity were fully taken, one incarnate life could be sufficient to make the individual realize this goal; but it is well-nigh impossible to attain the initiative and longing to do so without getting involved in the illusory maze of innumerable opposite experiences.
The contact of a Perfect Master is invaluable in calling a halt to the dizzy gyrations of incarnate and disincarnate lives in illusion, and awakening the individual to the real knowledge of self!
– Meher Baba
°° ‘Sanskaras’ are the habit patterns and the ‘unconscious motivations’ remaining from previous actions in this, and in past lives. They are the propelling forces which so largely determine the “actions” of the individual, and leave him so little opportunity for positive action aimed at ‘progressive understanding’ and ‘development’ of his own nature.
Source ::
Listen Humanity, Pg :: 97-98
© AMBPPCT, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Bharat/India
