Bondage and Liberation

by Sri Ramen Basu

Sometimes I feel that I am a bonded laborer. The question remains: 'Who feels that? Why bonded?

I go through the routine of the day and feel that I am scripted. Each day I go through the same movements – wake up, eat, entertain myself -in fact, go through the required motions of the day and end up going back to sleep, to the not-knowing state of bliss. Some changes of the routine come and I go through those also according to the given circumstances. But, when I feel that I ought to change that script, I feel helpless because repeated attempts do not change thought patterns and habits as my mind want them to be. It is no doubt, a very subjective feeling. The question pops up: Am I the subject or an instrument of a destiny of my own doing? I'm ignorant definitely, compared to our highly evolved Gurus and other realizers... and I reckon I don't know either the individual self or the Supreme Self.

What keeps my mind attached to the body senses, intellectual and emotional pursuits? I have often questioned myself: What would liberate my soul? I have been told that the human mind and sense of ego are the causes of bondage as well as liberation of the soul. There is, by now, no doubt in my mind that a desirous mind, at least three quarter full of worldly thoughts, binds one to Maya. I have also been told and read, that a non-desiring mind, free from worldly thoughts, is conducive to liberation, to realize the Self.

Qulities or gunas can be characterized as sattva, raja and tama. The characteristics of the triple gunas function in the following ways:

When tama gunas are prevalent in mind, it remains immersed in the body senses. The Soul, therefore, can't avoid attachment to the body and the mind. The body senses assert control over the mind, although the true nature of the Soul is free.

When raja gunas prevails in mind, it becomes distracted and when engaged in self-centered or ego-tainted activity, the mind becomes restless. Restlessness will not let the Soul or Real Self shine freely and peacefully.

When sattva gunas are prevalent in mind, it strives to achieve blissfulness and/or Knowledge. It is however still attached, and mind being attached remains bonded.

There are methods to help one increase the sattvic qualities and thus diminish and eventually eliminate tamasic and rajasic influences. Popularly it is called 'the cleansing of mind'. A thoroughly cleansed mind according to Sri Sri Babathakur becomes, 'Aman' (no-mind) which eventually leads to liberation, to Self realization. Bondage and liberation are but states of mind - desirous and desireless. In my individual experience I find that, only when tamasic and rajasic gunas fight and thus become tired, the sattva gunas in me prevails. Sattva can also be trained to prevail through, for example, sincere spiritual practices like satsang, meditation and japa. Thus I am in despair as I can't get rid of desires and am unable to follow any practice for the length of time required.

Experiences of my life up to the mid-thirties were a continuous struggle between tamasic and rajasic aspects of mind. I was at my wit’s end. At that juncture of life I was introduced to Sri Sri Babathakur by a well wisher. A ray of hope suddenly appeared. A bright sun shined; a chance meeting with Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur changed the perspective of my life. I still remember the day He held my hand, a support I felt that would never fail me. As time flew by, I came closer to Him and I learnt through His teaching ‘Who am I’. Days in and days out, His utterances poured into my head and I tried to figure out what it all was about. He talked about Self identity and said that it is the One Self who is the Self of all. This is the very basic spiritual Truth I gathered. I tried to identify with that. Now I know that the soul is ever free. It is but Maya or Prakriti that makes the Self experience the bondage or gunas or forces of Nature.

So far so good. Years passed by, and I continued to listen to the talks of Sri Sri Babathakur. I heard of the ‘Science of Oneness’, the 'Real I' and the 'conditioned I'. At the same time I had seen His everyday life. He is the Being in Being, where His becoming is a wonder to his followers and devotees and one may glimpse the 'Absolute I' in a human form. I have faith in Sri Sri Babathakur's words that all are certainly That, but the difference is that He and His words are one and the same, whereas for me the experience of that state still is missing. The originality of Sri Sri Babathakur shines incessantly. To give an idea about His originality, I take the help of two of His dictums... He lived these words which showed how original He was in thought, words and deeds.

All Divine for all time as It is

Creation is a sportful dramatic same side game of Self Consciousness

I do not intend to delve into the tattvic (teaching) aspects of these dictums. All I can say is that I have seen a human being who has Direct Knowledge and who shared that Knowledge with all who cared to listen.

The utterings of Sri Sri Babathakur contain the initial impetus towards Liberation. Hearing from a Sadguru about Self-knowledge and internalizing those utterings are like a breath of fresh air that brings forth the possibility to spread my wings and fly. The caged being finds an open window to pass through. After coming in contact with Sri Sri Babathakur I have tried to follow His instructions. Only slowly can I fathom the impact of His words on my life.

Everybody says that Knowledge is freedom. But what kind of knowledge is discussed here? Material knowledge can liberate one from some worldly miseries and is comfort or ego-stroking oriented. But, there is a hitch: there is no end to such thought pattern unless faith, belief and determination rein-in adhering to the injunctions proclaimed by a Self-realized Soul.

Through internalizing the Knowledge inculcated by Sri Sri Babathakur and reflecting on it - mind, which causes the bondage, gradually becomes free from the heavy influences of tama and raja. The beginning of the stabilization of Direct Knowledge is rather difficult. I am still grappling to reduce the knowledge impressed on my mind through inherent tendencies and social-behavior needs.

Once Sri Sri Babathakur asked me, ‘Are you Self or not Self?’ I could not but say that I am Self. Then he uttered the great dictum :Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art). That was a revelation to me. Direct Knowledge dawns from the complete focus of mind on the above great dictum. Continuous practice of reflection on the above words, along with the control of inner and outer sense organs, is imperative to reach such a state of absorption of the mind. Ignorance is, no doubt, destroyed by practicing the above great dictum. Once the cause is negated, the Jiva is sure the Witness Consciousness that exists and that is verily the Self.

As a consequence of the destruction of the cover or Avarana of spiritual ignorance, the distraction (Vikshepa) is destroyed. Man (jiva) thus becomes free from bondage, but... the process may take a life-time for the sincere and capable practitioner. Only for the very best of practitioners, Self-realization may occur in one life, but for ordinary ones largely bound by Maya, it may take several lives to achieve any level of realization.

On stabilization of the Direct Knowledge, there is contentment in knowing that whatever is to be done in the present life is achieved. Delight or bliss ensues. Delight or Bliss herald the end of the perception of miseries in life and true equanimity reigns supremely. One may ask: What are the signs of a liberated mind? Delight or satisfaction of reaching the intended goal of having got a human life reflects in the behavior pattern in various positive ways along with the cessation of sorrow. All the above tattvic knowledge, I have gathered from the speeches and writings of Sri Sri Babathakur. In Him I have seen the tattvic knowledge come alive as He, to me amongst many followers and devotees, represented Knowledge Absolute incarnate. His is, was and always will be the 'Real I' whereas my 'I' is conditioned. To get the conditioned mind freed from the triple gunas seems to be a life-long struggle of mine, not to speak of my incessant effort. Only His Grace will enable me to overcome the present conditioning. In this article I have tried to delineate the concept of bondage and liberation in life through the Perfection of Conscience (which is nothing but purification of mind and intellect) and thus promote the increase of sattvic influences.

There may be other paths towards Liberation, like the path of devotion or great sacrifices, which are not touched upon here. Whichever path seems suitable to the conditioned self should be used; all paths, if sincerely followed, lead towards the one goal of a human life: Self-realization.

Hari Om Tat Sat