Self Realization

[AmIHindu]

Namaste to all of you,

Hinduism believes in reincarnation. After so many birth and after so many good deeds we get, this, life of Human Being. In Human Being life we have chance to get Self Realization and merge with The Supreme. As per Hinduism, we have been given this life of Human Being only to get Self Realization, so our all the efforts should be directed toward that goal. We all know this, but due to Senses, we perceive this world in different manner and we forget the mail goal. Sometimes we try to cheat other whereas many a times we cheat our Self.

So how many of HDF members think that putting in right - correct efforts, this life of Human is enough to get to the Supreme.

Yeah, of course, grace of GOD is necessary but BG itself has mentioned Purusarth - Hardwork is required.

I would say, this life is enough to get Self Realization but it is only due to my efforts in wrong direction,may be I am much involved in Maya. So I take my responsibility here and not doing the correct practice or not putting in right efforts in correct direction.

[Anirudh]

Namaste AmIHindu,

I am not learned enough to participate in the poll.


I am attracted to your post for two reasons. First one being the handle name you have chosen. Second this thread reminds me an important portion of Baja Govindam. I think Shankaracharya has answered this poll.


punarapi jananaM punarapi maraNaM
punarapi jananii jaThare shayanam.h .
iha saMsaare bahudustaare
kRipayaa.apaare paahi muraare

[R Gitananda]

... As per Hinduism, we have been given this life of Human Being only to get Self Realization, so our all the efforts should be directed toward that goal. ...

Namaste

I disagree that human life is "only" to get Self Realization. The four purushaarthas are dharma, artha, kama and moksha and I think the order is important. Dharma should be my first consideration in all of my actions. I should be taught this as a child and have a firm understanding of it before I go out to build wealth. Then I should start the process of building wealth (artha), get married to someone who will help me uphold dharma and then with that foundation bring children into this stable situation and enjoy family life (kama). With that approach I am modeling for my children the sat (sattvic) way to enjoy the objects of the senses.

As I age the acuteness of my senses will gradually lessen and my attention will gradually be turned inward. At long last I can seek moksha with the foundation of a lifetime of study of shastra and other sadhana. The final process of renunciation can happen within a short period of time as happened with the Pandavas.

Now consider the many young sadhakas who tried to short-circuit this natural process and took premature vows of sannyasi and then ended up breaking them and therefore disgracing themselves because they had not had their fill of enjoyment of the senses. Even Sri Adi Shankara although he technically did not break his vows (because he took over another's body) had to seek a tabling of a debate he was having with a housewife so that he could enjoy the objects of the senses for awhile in order to get the necessary insight which would allow him to finish the debate victoriously.

Prahlada Maharaj wanted to renounce but Sri Vishnu ordered him to enjoy his kingdom; Sri Krishna encouraged Arjuna's desire to take his sister as a second wife and on the battlefield of Kurukshetra when Arjuna wanted to renounce he ordered Arjuna to win the kingdom and enjoy it. Further, in the Gita Sri Krishna praised King Janaka (who was a big-time enjoyer) as a perfected being. There are also many examples of perfected sages living a happily married life and some actually taking more than one wife. Sri Rama and Sri Krishna also set examples that one should enjoy within the constraints of Dharma and then renounce enjoyment at the proper time. Therefore dharma, artha, kama and moksha - and the order is important.

Hari Aum

[charitra]

on the battlefield of Kurukshetra when Arjuna wanted to renounce he ordered Arjuna to win the kingdom and enjoy it.

Naamaste. Whilst agreeing with most of what you said above, I must point out that Krishna’s nudging of Arjuna to fight is not so much for Arjuna’smaterial benefit, eventhough reaquisition of kingdom becomes a secondary fruitful gain to him(Arjuna). Krishna on the other hand reminded Arjuna of his RajaDahrma (kshatrya dharma) to uphold dharma and defeat evil, even lose his life in the attempt, and that argument becomes central theme of his (Krishna’a) case to send Arjuna to kurukshetra war. A seemingly minor correction to your post, but then we cant send wrong message to the beginner here.

[AmIHindu]

Namaste,

It is perfectly okay with me if you disagree.

Namaste

I disagree that human life is "only" to get Self Realization.
Dharma should be my first consideration in all of my actions.
I should be taught this as a child and have a firm understanding of it before I go out to build wealth. Then I should start the process of building wealth (artha), get married to someone who will help me uphold dharma and then with that foundation bring children into this stable situation and enjoy family life (kama). With that approach

Yeah, those four stages are important in our life, but the final step - last step is moksh which is self realization. Moksh from the cycle of life and death. So the purpose of life is moksh - self realization.

I am modeling for my children the sat (sattvic)
way to enjoy the objects of the senses.

That is good you will model you kids sattvic way to enjoy objects of senses.But we get moksh only when we go beyond enjoyment of the sense objects. So far we indulge in sense object, Moksh is toofar from us.

As I age the acuteness of my senses will gradually lessen and my attention will gradually be turned inward. At long last I can seek moksha with the foundation of a lifetime of study of shastra and other sadhana.

Yeah, that is the idea of vedanta that we go through four stages and final seek moksh but this generally doesn't happen.

Prahlada Maharaj wanted to renounce but Sri Vishnu ordered him to enjoy his kingdom; Sri Krishna encouraged Arjuna's desire to take his sister as a second wife and on the battlefield of Kurukshetra when Arjuna wanted to renounce he ordered Arjuna to win the kingdom and enjoy it. Further, in the Gita Sri Krishna praised King Janaka (who was a big-time enjoyer) as a perfected being.

Here you are looking at the Karmafal of these characters and not the hardship they went through.
Prahlad undergo very much difficult time through his father then and then after he got Darshan of Shree Vishna. So when he got the Darshan he was a self realized. Here enjoyment of kingdom was not the purpose.
Arjun denied to fight the war, but then Vasudev gave him Gita message - Knowledge - Vasuedev showed him what is dharam and what is adharma. He fought for Dharam. He killed his grand father - and and his 100 cousin brothers, who were on side of adharma. Wining and enjoying the kingdom was not the purpose. King Janak was also self realized.

You gave 3 example who enjoyed kingdoms only after self realization. After self realization, they were just there to complete their rest of karma, and not for enjoying.

There are also many examples of perfected sages living a happily married life and some actually taking more than one wife. Sri Rama and Sri Krishna also set examples that one should enjoy within the constraints of Dharma and then renounce enjoyment at the proper time. Therefore dharma, artha, kama and moksha - and the order is important.

Hari Aum

I think you misunderstood my post. I am not at all against marriage, but living this worldly life, it is difficult to observe Dharma. When I say difficult to observe Dharma, that doesn't mean people do not observe Dharma at all but many a time it is very hard to perceive the situations due to our indulgence of sense objects.
All the lives are progressing towards moksh but the it a matter of time. Some lives will get moksh - in this very life and some lives will have to take some more births to reach the destination.

Definition of Dharma is also different depending on the person.