Solving for Salvation
What are those 2 things rich, ultra-rich, supremely powerful are looking for?
When one gets money, power, and fame, what does still one strive for?
What can give true JOY (not momentary but in perpetuity) to oneself?
Life always starts with a Tangible, definable, measurable Goal.
If a goal does not exist, then one sinks into the darkness of Tamas (Lazy, destructive, negative, envious, apathetic, lackadaisical)
How does one figure out one’s Goal?
The easiest methodology to pinpoint or figure out one’s goal is by putting something which is popularized by everyone, understood easily having a common denominator, and is believed to satiate one’s desires, numerical number of Wealth.
Thus most goals initially (beginning of one’s life as one gains maturity and worldly know-how) are only linked to Wealth or Money or Net worth.
These are just terms, they essentially mean the same. Putting a Tangible Number to Oneself and One’s existence.
Are Sportspeople or artists, outliers to this mirage? Not really! For a sportsperson, it starts with succeeding in a global competition, and then it moves on to rewards in those events and rewards per endorsements. Similarly, artists whether musicians, painters, or sculptors, everyone seeks to be valued or tagged as per their work, the quantum of money their work fetches.
Next arrives the race to achieve within the shortest period of time that can be defined as reaching a certain milestone within a certain age.
As one progresses on the journey of acquiring wealth with age by one’s side, one looks for social acknowledgment or social recognition of the feat, one has achieved.
Without one realizing it, the goal of wealth has already shifted to fame and for an ongoing one. (Now one needs both in the shortest span of time)
Once a milestone is achieved in any of the three counts mentioned above (Wealth, Time frame & Fame) or a combination of two or all three, the next Milestone is in the waiting for one to look beyond and conquer. This never-ending journey really never ends and one fine day, one’s soul leaves one’s body.
Some on the other hand keep preparing for one’s existence or life after death and look for Salvation after death.
But can one attain the State of Salvation or Moksha whilst one is in one’s own body?
Before we proceed with this question, let’s probe into the questions we started the discussion with.
What are those 2 things rich, ultra-rich, supremely powerful are looking for?
Happiness & Peace (One may not agree on the face of it, deep down that is what one longs for).
When one spends time with family, friends, watching the screen, witnessing a live performance, traveling to new unknown or known places in luxury or comfort, everything is aimed at searching for that Peace & Happiness.
When one gets money, power, and fame, what does still one strive for?
Immortality
Everyone needs to leave the planet and all that is acquired from this planet is left on this planet.
The Soul only carried Deeds (Karma — Good or Bad). Also when one leaves the planet, whatever is left by the person is often dispensed to the offspring’s who seldom value it.
Hence one should give away more during one’s lifetime because it’s not the things that the person who receives remembers, it’s the feeling that emerged when one received the thing, and that’s what one remembers.
Thus Immortality can be achieved by giving generously and creating a climate while giving where one who is receiving wishes to remember it again and again. That will create Immortality for generations. Thus Vedantic (Advaita) Knowledge was always given in a format of Guru & Shishya (teacher & pupil), so that through knowledge and wisdom immortality sustains through generations and millennia.
What can give true JOY (not momentary but in perpetuity) to oneself?
There are two methodologies to achieve this perpetual state of Joy:
1. Attaining a state of KarmaYogi –
2. Aham Brahmasmi — When One is in Unity with Divinity, that’s Aham Brahmasmi.
It’s a simple state where one can at any point in time, for any period of time, under any state or condition can be in harmony with Universe and be Unanimous with Brahma — The Creator, the expanse of this Universe, the entire Cosmos.
The four Statements (Maha Vakya) of Upanishads (The ancient Vedantic scripture, which has answers to every question of life, before life, and afterlife) sum as:
a. Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि) — That is you
b. Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म) –Pure Consciousness of Oneself is Brahma
c. Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) — The Self (Atman or Soul) is Brahma.
d. Aham Brahman Asmi (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि) — I am divine, I am Brahma.
How can one start this Journey?
Sohum
Soham (सो ऽहम्) which means I am oneself with Universe or Ultimate Reality.
Sohan is made of two words Sah or So and Aham.
So or Sah, means “He,” and aham, means “I.”
I am he/she.
It is a universal and natural mantra that will help to identify oneself with universal reality (God).
It is the answer to the great philosophical question: Koham? (Who am I?)
Soham thus means my Individual Self is Universal Self.
Soham is a breathing process. So, it is the basis of our life. Our inhalation makes the sound “Soooo” and exhalation is “ham”. It’s on the same concept as Shiva and Shakti.
Every breath reminds us of the non-dual principle of Vedantic Philosophy:
We are one with the Universe.
One can close the eyes, spell out Soooo with sound or in one’s own mind and hold the breath for 1–3 seconds (depending on one’s comfort) and exhale with the sound of Ham or Hum.
Repeating this 27 times or 54 times or 108 times every day will enable oneself to find that Salvation that one seeks for after life even when one is alive on this planet. Practice is the Key to Moksha.
Gratitude to our Guru Dharm Pracharak, Bheeshma Pitamah awardee Padma Bhushan, Dr. Mrityunjay Athreya, and my fellow Advisory board members at Sarthak Educational trust and Sarthak Team member — Anurag Kashyap for having this Satsang and for making notes where knowledge could be imparted by our Guru.
Connect with me
Twitter: @beingsworld, Instagram: @beingsworld,
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siddhartha.rastogi,
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhartharastogi,
Medium.com: https://siddhartharastogi.medium.com,
