25 Jun 2023
[Smt. Chhanda asked: Padanamaskaram Swami. Can there be salvation from a specific point of view only? Does salvation not mean liberation from all the angles? Please clarify this doubt? At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda.]
Swami replied:- Temporary liberation from one or many worldly bonds from the angle of time by putting some self-effort is called Vairaagya or liberation. Permanent liberation from all worldly bonds from all angles spontaneously due to attachment to God without putting any self-effort is Moksha or salvation. Vairaagya is necessary in the beginning stage of spiritual effort (sadhana). To develop attachment to God, suppose you want to visit a Satsanga (spiritual discussion) and for this purpose, you have to get rid of your house and family for sometime. By putting some self-effort you will be free from house and family to attend the Satsanga and this is temporary Vairagya, which requires your strong forcible effort. After some time, suppose you are attached to God completely due to the effect of spiritual discussions and due to that all the worldly bonds are permanently and spontaneously dropped away. This is the permanent salvation or Moksha in which the cause is the attachment to God and not your effort. Both Vairagya and Moksha involve the process of liberation from one or many bonds. If liberation is attained by effort, it is not salvation or Moksha, but it is temporary liberation from a specific point of view, which is called as Vairagya.
Q. If a soul has conquered three types of egoism, is it necessary for it to pass the Eshanatrayas separately to get liberation?
[Padanamaskaram Swami! In continuation to my previous question, please clarify my following doubt: If a soul has conquered three egoism: masculine, caste (being Brahmin) and knowledge, is it necessary for it to pass the Eshanatrayas separately to get salvation/liberation? Does it also have to take a female birth finally for salvation? At Your divine lotus feet Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Gopikas were born as females, uneducated in lower caste so that they got rid of three types of ego. If you have studied a course for one year, is it not necessary that the candidate shall face the year-end annual examination to get a pass certificate? If the candidate declares that the study itself can give the certificate, is it sufficient to declare the candidate to have successfully completed the course? Or, do you think that if the class teacher declares the success of the candidate without examination, will the public acknowledge such degree? One has not only to be justified in a work, he must also appear to public that he is justified in the work. Therefore, all the formalities are essential in any work.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★