Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2017 pm, Sofia) 

(continues from the previous Friday)

“The individual soul bereft of Krishna consciousness has many ideas and activities created in the mind by the external energy. They have been existing from time immemorial. Sometimes they are manifest in the wakening state and in the dream state, but during deep sleep [unconsciousness] or trance, they disappear. A person who is liberated in this lifetime can see all these things very properly.”[1]

So, these are the four different levels of consciousness. The ancient tradition, the ancient wisdom of yoga discusses the human structure in many, many different ways. The first state of consciousness is our awake state – when the senses are directed outward. The second state of consciousness is the dream state – when the functions of the senses are directed inward. Therefore you see dreams, it’s a dreaming state. The third one is when you are asleep, but you don’t see dreams. They say that on that platform you are connected to the causal level of reality, to some higher kind of inspirational sphere. And ultimately the forth level is called ‘the forth level’ – this is the spiritual one.

These are the different levels, the different methods of how our consciousness works. They say when you fall asleep you leave your body. And when you are awake from this dream, you return to your body – hopefully. Fortunately, this is under a precise system, so it’s not that you fall asleep and somebody else will come back to your body and we will return to somebody else’s body. Therefore when you are awake, you will say: “Oh, I had such a good sleep!” It’s a very unique, very strange thing that although you were out, still you remember something, right? That means your identity is not changed, not affected. ‘I had a good sleep!’ Although when you were sleeping, you felt that: ‘I am flying’, or ‘I am swimming in the ocean.’ You didn’t know that you are sleeping.

If we achieve a liberated state of consciousness, then we see the functioning of the consciousness of all these different levels. This achievement is called jivan-mukta – liberated during the lifetime. Although living here, you accomplished perfection. I think we all like this state. But I am not sure that we are all ready to pay the price for achieving it.

Do you like freedom? I think we all like freedom. Do you enjoy full freedom? Not so much. So, here is an objective: we like something, but we don’t posses it. Therefore we have to be careful about this and understand properly what is freedom. Because usually when people think that they are free, they are motivated by some unseen factors. So, freedom is a very high concept. And just to tell you a small, little secret: ultimate freedom comes from total commitment. (big sound of motor-horns outside) Yes, and now you didn’t hear anything. This is the nature of the secret, sorry.

(to be continued)

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.11.12