Spiritual Life and Liberation

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Indian School of Spirituality (Adhyatmavada) is the beacon light in this materialistic age. The Vedas are the foundation of al l orthodox Schools of Indian Spirituality. The School of Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa), which is affiliated to the end portion of the Vedas, is now widely accepted by the spiritual seekers. There are three schools of Vedanta Viz., Davaita (Dualism), Vishista Dvaita (Qualified non-Dualism) and Adaita (Non-Dualism). Advaita is the culmination of all philosophy.

The goal of spiritual life is liberation of the soul. Spiritual life manifests the divinity of the soul in the mortal body. Liberation is possible only through purification of inner being and not through rational analysis of science. Spirituality is beyond the sense and therefore its approach is intuitive and not analytical.

This book deliberates on the precept and practice of spiritual life in the perspective of Vedanta philosophy. That soul, who has become desire less and fully enlightened through realization of Non-dual Brahman, is liberated in this very body.

The author is an Engineering Graduated from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, and Tamil Nadu. He later went on to pursue Masters Degree in Business Administration from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh.

Since his childhood he had had deep interest in Indian Spirituality and has dedicated his life in search of the ultimate Truth, Presently, he is residing at the Ashram in Prasanti Nilayam, the abode of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He is larding a spiritual life by pursuing spiritual at the Ashram. The is also the author of books entitles ‘Path of Knowledge ‘, Eight Minor Upanishads’, ‘The Gospel of the Bhagavad-Gita for Holy Life’ and ‘Sadhya Vandanam, Gayatri Vidya and Enlightenment’.

The Lord in The Bhagavad-Gita Declares that among all types of knowledge, Spiritual knowledge is that which an awareness of the eternal and all-pervasive divine principle, Secular knowledge, on the other hand, is related only to the investigation of existence. Spiritual knowledge proclaims the supremacy of Spirit over the Matter, Seekers of spiritual life Should therefore, reject the doctrine of materialist.

Spiritual life purifies the inner being and awakens the splendour of the soul. The goal of spiritual life is to realize the identity of the individual being with the Supreme Being which confers liberation. Liberation is to be attained in this very life itself and not in future life in heaven.

Every individual being can manifest ascending planes of higher existence in one’s own inner being though spiritual discipline. In this materialistic age, most of the people live identified with the physical body and consider its welfare as the only goal of life. ‘Health is wealth’ is the common precept of these people. They practice that Philosophy which maintains the physical body in good trim and grants maximum sense pleasures. The way to experience higher grade of happiness beyond this material plane does not become revealed to them because of excessive passion for the impure body. Those who seek liberation should give up the desire of sensual pleasures and strive for the higher grade of happiness by restraining senses and mind the through spiritual discipline.

Though purification of inner being alone one can ascend to divinity. This book prescribes various spiritual disciplines like Sense-restraint, Regulation of Praana, and Mind-restraint for attaining three-fold purification of physical being, vital being and mental being. Practice of Brahmacharya and meditation awakens the Intellectual faculty. Imbued with discriminative faculty of the intellect, the individual soul then becomes aware of its divine nature and seeks communion with the Supreme being in the spiritual heart. When ego (Aham) is also effected through communion with the Supreme Being in the spiritual heart, the soul experiences bliss and freedom of lswara consciousness of the causal plane. Gradually, the soul becomes aware of that Supreme Wisdom (Prajnana) which brings cosmic order in the creation. All knowledge of Karma and rebirth, bondage and liberation, and purpose of human life become revealed to it as open secret. Illumines with that wisdom, the soul them realizes the illusion of worldly existence and develops intense dispassion from worldly life. Having awakened various spiritual faculties and bestowed with integral knowledge (Samyak jhana), the embodied soul becomes fully enlightened and embraces the highest order of monastic life called Paramhamsa. This is the consummation of spiritual life which grants both Jivanmuki as Videhamukti. There is no gain higher than this. This is the final goal of spiritual life.

I have presented the philosophical and practical aspects of spiritual life in this book in two parts. The first part of the book deals with various spiritual practices which are essential for purification of inner being while the second part of the book deals with spiritual knowledge which is necessary for enlightenment and manifestation of divinity. I have used treatises like Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita and Advaita-Siddhi extensively to explain the fundamentals of spiritual life. Sanskrit text has also been incorporated wherever necessary. All quotations and English translations of the Sanskrit texts have been typed in italics to distinguish them from the remaining text.

I humbly offer this work to the Almighty and pray for His Benediction for all those who strive for spiritual life.