Thursday, December 21, 2006

On Liberation

Give up all your doubts. Resort to moral courage. Be a supreme doer of actions, supreme enjoyer of delight and supreme renouncer of all!

7 Stages on the path to Liberation

1. Study the scriptures and keep company with holy men (satsang)
2. Spend time in reflection and internal inquiry on things learned on part 1 and on yourself
3. Non-attachment or psychological freedom from the material world and its objects
4. Process of gaining freedom from conditioning and tendencies (vasanas)
5. State of bliss resulting from freedom from vasanas
6. Realization of self-knowledge
7. Turiya (Liberation)
8. Turiyatita (beyond liberation)

Individuality (jivahood) exists only as long as desire for pleasure lasts. After you have gotten over your vasanas, the term individuality loses its meaning as it is commonly defined since your perspective and point of reference both change.

Reference: Vashishta’s Yoga, The Story of Bhrngisa