Is Enlightenment A Myth?

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No, Enlightenment by no means is a Myth! Real Knowledge is Enlightenment

It is ‘light’!

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan explains enlightenment with the help of an illustration:

“If there was a thousand watts light bulb fitted into a clay pot, and the opening of the pot was closed tight, would there be any light around? No, you would not be able to see any light. This is the case with the ignorant self (our present non-enlightened state).

Within you, there is infinite light of real Knowledge, but the darkness prevails because of the layers of ignorance over the Self. With the grace and special powers of the Gnani Purush (the Enlightened One), if a tiny hole is made in the clay-pot covering the light bulb, the whole room will be filled with the light coming through (Self-Realization).

That much covering is broken and that much direct light comes out. This light increases as more and more layers are lifted and as more and more holes are made in the pot. And when the whole pot is destroyed and separated, detached away from the bulb, there will be a flood of full light everywhere (full enlightenment)!

When the Self becomes free from all the obscuring veils, it becomes capable of illuminating the entire universe. In other words, when it attains the power to Observe and Know all that is to be seen and known in the entire universe, that is Keval Gnan (full enlightenment)! The power of the Self that illuminates the entire universe is called Keval Gnan.”

Gnani Purush Gives You Gnan

Only the Enlightened One (Gnani) can give the real Knowledge (Gnan)!

What kind of knowledge? The one that helps you decide, ‘Who am I?’

Dadashri asks, “Have you ever thought about what is temporary and what is permanent in this world? When You, the real Self, who is permanent, mixes it up with temporary things, how can you find the answer? When your equation is wrong to begin with, how will you find the correct answer? Do you think it is a trivial or a major error to have not realized our Real Self?”

When Gnani gives Gnan, there is a direct experience of the Self. This direct experience is associated with the establishment of the right belief, which is permanent. This is the right belief of the Self. That is why pragna arises within.

The Direct Ray of Light of Gnan (the Self) is called Pragna

“When I give you Gnan (the knowledge of your Self), I kindle pragna within you, which will then alert you (about what is temporary and what is permanent) from moment to moment”, says Dadashri.

Everything in this world is unsteady, temporary and transitory, whereas the pragna is the part that remains still and steady. With pragna, you do not have to climb steps. Pragna takes you up on an elevator all the way to ultimate liberation.

Where there is Light, One does not Stumble

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Suppose there is pitch darkness in your home. How will you feel?

You will have clashes with chair, table, etc., isn’t it?

And what will happen if you have full light in your room?

If you have full light, there will not be any clash, there will not be any suffering, there will not be any worries, no doubts, no stress! With full light, you feel happiness and your close relatives also will feel happiness. This is what we experience in the light of the Self (Soul).

During interaction with any living being, this enlightened worldview results in bliss and total absence of any clash or disadjustments. One’s worldly life gets ideal only after one acquires the knowledge of the Self. This knowledge is such that in every circumstance, it renders complete equanimity.

Gnan (Knowledge) itself is the Self

One becomes what one knows. If the knowledge is deluded and wrong, the self too will be deluded. And if the knowledge is enlightened, the Self too is enlightened. It is because of ignorance of the Self that one believes ‘I am bound’ and when one attains the knowledge, ‘I am a Pure Soul, which is free’, then he becomes liberated. The differences of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ further increase that bondage. As the veils of ignorance over the Self are lifted, there is an increasing light and an increase in the fractions of Keval Gnan. When this progression becomes complete, it becomes Keval Gnan.

When one’s vision and the knowledge are fully enlightened, it gives rise to enlightened conduct. The enlightened conduct hurts no one. The One with fully enlightened conduct is God, experiencing eternal bliss; complete fearlessness, oneness and peace! The Self is light; It does not have any misery at all; nor does it have any fear whatsoever.

Why is it not common if that’s Who we Are?

Dadashri replies: “Not all living beings look for the Self. What are people looking for? They are all looking for happiness; no living being likes unhappiness. Whether it is the tiniest of insect or a man; no one likes unhappiness. Now they all do have happiness but they are not content. What is the reason for that? The happiness they have is not real happiness. True happiness is that which once you experience it, there will never be any more unhappiness. Everyone is looking for that kind of happiness. The experience of this happiness in human birth is called moksha (freedom from all forms of suffering – it is the first stage of moksha). Then, the ultimate moksha occurs when all karmas come to an end. But the first stage of moksha should occur here (in this life).”

Everyone wants permanent happiness, yet people do not get it. What is the reason for this?

“You have not found anyone who can show you or give you permanent happiness. If you ask the one who is experiencing such happiness to show you how you too can attain it, then your work will be done. But you have not found anyone like that. All whom you have met were themselves unhappy. Consequently neither their unhappiness nor yours has gone. Only the Gnani Purush is in permanent happiness; permanent bliss. He remains in moksha. Your problem will get solved when you go to Him otherwise you will have to keep on wandering from one life to another. How can happiness ever remain in this era of the time cycle? How can it remain without knowledge of the Self? Ignorance of the Self is itself pain.”

True Light can only be Given by Gnani, who is the Enlightened Lamp!

Does a picture of a lamp give light? No, a drawing of a lamp cannot give light. True light can only be given by a Gnani, who is the enlightened lamp!

Thus, liberation is in the palm of your hand if you meet a Gnani and if you do not, then you will not attain it even after a million lifetimes. Liberation calls for no efforts if one is fortunate enough to come in communion with a Gnani. However, extremely difficult and rare is such a communion. Even more difficult, a thousand times over, is one’s ability to recognize a Gnani!