Among the three strongest worldly bonds, which bond is the strongest?

[This question is part of a mahā satsaṅga or a great spiritual discussion between Swami and several devotees who had come from various places, seeking the clarification of their doubts.]

Swami replied: Compared to all other worldly bonds, the bonds with money, one’s chidren and one’s life-partner, are the strongest. But among these three, each of them could be said to be the strongest. The nature of the bond with one’s life-partner is like a wave, in that it rises and falls. Usually, it is somewhat low, but just before and during union, the strength of this bond jumps to the sky. The nature of the bonds with one’s issues (children) and wealth are approximately constant at all times, like a straight line. If all three bonds are represented on a graph, the bond with one’s life-partner appears as a peak (wave-form), whereas the bonds with one’s wealth and issues appear to be horizontal lines at about half the height of the peak. Thus, on an average, the strengths of all three can be said to be the same. They differ only in their nature.

But the bond with wealth always reinforces the bond with one’s issues. This is because, the person wishes to earn and save more and more money for the sake of one’s children. As a result of this reinforcement by the bond with wealth, the bond with one’s issues becomes the king of these three bonds. In kuṇḍalinī yoga, the bond with one’s issues is represented by a wheel located in the heart. This heart-wheel is called the anāhata cakra. Anāhata means that which has not been defeated by anybody so far. Cakra, in Sanskrit means wheel. It is also called chakkar in Hindi. In this context, it means a whirlpool of fascination. So, the anāhata cakra means the undefeated whirlpool of fascination for one’s issues.

All other worldly bonds lie below these three strong worldly bonds. If the devotee votes for God, when these three strongest bonds stand in competition with God, the devotee’s salvation is complete and meaningful. When a devotee’s bond with God exceeds these three strongest bonds in strength, there is no need to test the rest of the devotee’s worldly bonds, which are always relatively weaker. The devotee has certainly attained salvation from all worldly bonds. Salvation does not mean merely obtaining a relieving certificate from the old institution (worldly bonds). The cause for that relieving certificate must be the receipt of the appointment order to join the new institution (God). If you have been relieved from the old institution, but you have not received any new appointment order, what is the use of that relieving certificate? Hence, salvation is not the mere relieving certificate but the relieving certificate along with the appointment order from the new institution. In simple words, the bond with God must be the reason for the detachment from worldly bonds. Otherwise, mere detachment from worldly bonds could be obtained due to a number of worldly reasons. But such detachment cannot be called salvation or liberation since it has not been caused by the devotion to God. Such detachment from the world is like dismissing the employee from the job by the employer.

| Shri Dattaswami | Anaahata Chakra kundalini

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