Mukthi Is of Four Kinds

Worship, with fixity of consciousness and purity of feeling and free of all extraneous thought, becomes itself Bhavasamaadhi. As a result of this Bhavasamaadhi, the Lord appears before the inner eye of the devotee, in the form which he has chosen for worship. The vision is not merely a matter of imagination, it is a “face-to-face” experience. Without difference of location, he can abide in the presence of the Lord, in the self same place. This is called Salokyamukthi. Besides being always with the Lord, as in Salokyamukthi, Bhakthas realise all that they see as the glory of the Lord. The experience is referred to as Samipyamukthi. Existing ever with the Lord, witnessing always the glory of the Lord, and becoming suffused with God-consciousness is Sarupyamukthi. This is the final fruit of Bhakthi Sastra. But at this stage, there is yet a trace of differential feeling. So, the Adwaitha Siddhantha will not admit it as the highest. Simply because the Bhaktha has Sarupya or the same Rupa as the Lord, we cannot take it that he has the powers of Creation, Preservation and Destruction, which the Lord possesses. It is only when all trace of difference disappears, and unity is attained that the highest stage is reached. This is what is called Sayujya. This comes of Divine Grace, won by the Essence of the sadhana of each. It cannot be claimed as the fruit of effort. The Bhaktha will aspire for this merging or Aikyam. He wishes to serve the Lord as he pleases and to experience the joy of the Form which he has attributed to the Lord. But the Lord out of His Grace, gives him not only Salokya, Samipya and Sarupya but also, Sayujya! Bhakthi Marga results also in the attainment of Brahma Jnana. Even if the Bhaktha does not crave for it, the Lord Himself vouchsafes it to him. The Sayujyamukthi is also referred to as Ekanthamukthi.

-Prema Vahini by Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

GURU PURNIMA

Remember this day with gratitude and reverence

Remember my Master’s ever-smiling form
His Compassion for one and all
His boundless Grace
He kindled a lamp in me
Of Love
Of Truth
Of Knowledge

Remember all Masters
for the Truth they unfold
In their Eternal Presence
With gratitude and reverence

Some with a name
Buddha, Christ Kabir and many more too
The nameless rishis of yore too
Who express the Truth that is
Simply with no intent
For a patent

Reverence for the Truth
That flows
Through them
And reaches
Just as the Ganges
Flows down from Shiva’s locks
Eternally
To reach each and every one
That wishes to Know

HAPPY GURU PURNIMA!

Sri Aurobindo and ...

.... the Mother

After a long time, I went one day. It was to one of my favourite destinations - Pondicherry. And as it has been always, the travel has been mindless or rather totally mindful or may be even beyond mind. Got back from night duty at 1.30 a.m and was vaccilating whether to spend my off day travelling to Pondicherry from Chennai or not...

1.30 a.m. slowly drifted to 3.30 a.m. and I was feeling so fresh with not a wink of sleep in over 24 hours! And the wake up call of the cuckoos was ringing in my ears and I decided to push off.
Got ready, took the 5.45 a.m. bus to Pondicherry via the East Coast Road. Reading Savitri, watching the sights of the Bay of Bengal and looking at a Tamil film running on the DVD in the bus, I reached Pondy by 9 a.m.
Sat at the Samadhi for an hour in meditation. No thoughts but just being. And then walked out quietly to amble along the rocky beach waters skirting the Union Territory. And when I returned to Chennai by 4.30 p.m. and had a really sound sleep for an hour and a half like never before. It was a quiet journey to the home of my Spiritual Mother.