I have understood this body of mine to be the product of ignorance, composed of flesh and blood and lit up by the perceptive power of consciousness. To those fortunate ones who long for emancipation it may be the great vessel by which they may procure Freedom. But to the unfortunates who only sin, it may be the guide to lower and miserable states of existence. This our life is the boundary mark whence one may take an upward or downward path. Our present time is a most precious time, wherein each of us must decide, in one way or other, for lasting good or lasting ill.
A profound truth from a saint. The body is a necessary and great vessel to attain emancipation. As Milarepa says, man has to decide his fate, "This our life is the boundary mark whence one may take an upward or downward path. Our present time is a most precious time, wherein each of us must decide, in one way or other, for lasting good or lasting ill".
Sankara lists human birth first among the three rarest gifts obtained through God's grace: human birth; the longing for liberation; and discipleship to an illumined teacher.
Sidha Avvai too regards this birth as very auspicious and rare.
“Rare indeed is to take a human birth, rarer than that is to be born with a perfect human form, sight, hearing and speech. Among them it is rare to see one who does austerities and charity. When one does austerities and charity the gates to Godhead is opened.”
To be born a human is a gift. Shantideva describes human birth as a rare gift. This human birth doesn't come easy. Agathiyar says to be born as a human, one needs sufficient merits or punyam, in the very first place. Simply said, it is as if we have to collect points in our daily activities and redeem them in exchange for this human birth.
Shantideva says, “Only as a human can you be devoted to God, the creator.” He explains that, “The human body is the vehicle for longevity, while the spirit is the vehicle for immortality.” Shantideva reminds us not to waste a rare opportunity to devote oneself to God. He says, “These human leisure, opportunities, and faculties are very rare to obtain and easily lost.” Finally he questions us, “If one squanders the chance to fulfill the aim of human life, how will such an opportunity arise again?”
Swami Muktananda quotes Sundardas in WHERE ARE YOU GOING?- A GUIDE TO THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, published by Syda Foundation, 1989,
The great Saint Sundardas wrote, “You have attained this human body through God’s grace. You cannot attain it over and over again. This human body is a priceless jewel. Do not throw it away.”
Swami Chidvilasananda mirrors her guru Swami Muktananda's thoughts and those of the other saints' in INNER TREASURES, a Siddha Yoga Publication, 1995,
“The Indian scriptures teach that earth is the place where you come to work out all your karma, the consequences of your actions, both good and bad. This is where you have the opportunity to learn the greatest lessons and ascend to the highest awareness. Even celestial beings want to take birth in this place. It is the work of the saints to awaken people from samsara, the world of the wandering, from this chakra, this wheel, the cycle of birth and death.’’
Just as Sankara mentions yearning and longing for liberation is rare, and the opportunity to become enlightened and break the shackles of birth and death, that comes along as a result of this longing, is very very rare, in “Atma” - “Reincarnation: The Soul’s Secret Journey”, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, The International Society For Krishna Consciousness, it is mentioned,
“In one human life, we can create sufficient karma to keep ourselves entangled in the cycle of birth and death for thousands of lives. As human beings we also have the rare opportunity to become spiritually enlightened with transcendental knowledge and the chance to break the endless cycle of reincarnation. It can take many lives, or you can do it in one lifetime.”The human birth is superior for all the above reasons. The Almighty has given man the opportunity to fulfill the purpose of birth; that is to reduce the karma baggage carried from previous births and not to create fresh karma. Man has a choice, to put an end to this cycle of birth by taking initiatives to exhaust his present and past karma; and by becoming aware, be ever watchful not to create new karma or to react otherwise. The previous good karma and the amount of tavam or austerities done in the past life determines the circle and spiritual life into which one would take birth next. Man with his sense of good and bad, can initiate good deeds like doing charity and service to humanity, thus finding means and ways to eradicate all his karma in a single birth. Hence the reason for Agathiyar and Milarepa to ask us to fully utilize this golden and rare opportunity to escape this cycle of birth.
Now since we understand that this birth is a gift, that it is precious, that we are gifted to be born a human, we must turn towards making this birth into a meaningful one. One has to remember and ponder over the blessedness that the human being has gained for it is the human who is offered the chance to become free from the cycle of birth and death. No other organism or living form has this feedom to choose or is a given a choice. As Shantideva mentioned, we should not fail to make use of this human birth or human form to find ways to break this cycle of birth and death and to achieve liberation. We have to appreciate this special gift of birth and take steps to be liberated in this very birth for we might not get another chance to be born as a human for years to come. We have to continuously remind ourselves that one could descend into the lower species where it would then not be possible to worship the Almighty and attain God realization and enlightenment.
From “Atma” - “Reincarnation: The Soul’s Secret Journey”, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, The International Society For Krishna Consciousness, we gather an idea about manifestation of the various species.
“All species are manifested in the early stages of cosmic creation, when the living entities (souls) are impregnated within material nature. These indestructible and eternal souls gradually evolve through the different species or types of material bodies, beginning with microbes and amoebas, rising through the fish, plants, insects, reptiles, birds and animals to the human and superhuman (demi Gods) species. So the evolution process is really an evolution of consciousness.”
Siddha Manikavachagar, amply expounds these manifestations in his THIRUVACHAKAM-SIVAPURAANAM that,
“Having taken all these life forms to achieve his present state vis birth as grass, worm, trees, various animals, stones, rocks and pebbles, various creatures, asuras, and devas, and having exhausted myself in doing so, I found the truth to exist under your feet and thus I entered your home, my Lord.”
From KARMA AND REINCARNATION - AN INSPIRED TALK BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI, Swami explains the reason for taking rebirth.
"Because certain seed karmas can only be resolved in earth consciousness and because the soul’s initial realizations of Absolute Reality are only achieved in a physical body, our soul joyously enters another biological body. At the right time, it is reborn into a flesh body that will best fulfill its karmic pattern."Swami continues,
"During our thousands of earth lives, a remarkable variety of life patterns are experienced. We exist as male and female, often switching back and forth from life to life as the nature becomes more harmonized into a person exhibiting both feminine nurturing and masculine intrepid-ness. We come to earth as princesses and presidents, as paupers and pirates, as tribals and scientists, as murderers and healers, as atheists and, ultimately, God-Realized sages. We take bodies of every race and live the many religions, faiths and philosophies as the soul gains more knowledge and evolutionary experience."
I never knew the extent of karma and its forces on our lives until I came to this path. The very first thing the Siddhas reveal to us is our past, in the hope that we understand why we are here. From there we have to slowly work our way; work to unwind the past karma, to exhaust them; and to cautiously tread, as gently as possible fully aware of our actions.
Lets understand more about karma in the next post.
Lets understand more about karma in the next post.