Guest guest Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 Dear Friends,Hari OM Before I continue sharing my understanding of the phenomenon of 'death', let me say something about 'Immortality'. Immortality ,according some thinkers and religions, is the continued spiritual existence after death of body. Immortalty also refers to the remembrance of a person even after death of his/her body on account of something done,committed or achieved by him/her while he/ she was alive. For example, we in India consider Mahatma Gandhi as immortal as he was responsiblefor achieving the political and economic freedom of India from alien rule by adopting the path of Truth(Satyagraha). To quote another example, Swamy Vivekananda who propagated the essence of Hindu Philosophy(Sanatana Dharma) in western countries and thereby is considered to have put India in the philosophical map of the world is also considered as immortal. We can go on citing examples of people who have achieved 'immortality' Now,we all are mortals in the sense we have to leave this body one day or the other. Even those who are considered immortal had a body and they had to leave it. As a mortal we are bound- bound to this body on account of identifying with body, mind and Intellect. For example, we say ," I am running temperature. Or I am shivering" etc. etc. Now who is running tempeareture and which is shivering? My body only is running temperature and it only is shivering. But, I have substituted myself for the body. Then who makes me say this? Is it the Self or Atman? Not at all. The Atman is not limited by any adjuncts(upadhis) as it is Pure,unattached(Nirlipta) and is present everywhere and at all times. Bondage occurs because we consider ourselves as limited and separate. It is our ego or false identification which makes us say this. We consider ourselves as superior to others on account of either birth, wealth, colour, race,academic and other attainments etc. etc. Our egocentric existence is our bondage. Freedom from bondage comes out of understanding that God only exists as all beings and things in the Universe and the moment we 'realize' and not merely understand intellectually our true identity or the Divinity in us and thereafter conduct ourselves and live in that understanding we are free. Thus immortality can not be achieved as long as we continue to be egocentric and have not imbibed 'universality' in our thought, action and speech. (to be continued) G.Balasubramanian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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