Self-Realisation - The supreme goal of sanātana dharma

We have learnt so far that the central philosophy of sanātana dharma is Self-Realisation which is to experience divinity within and without. The four goals of human life namely, dharma or righteous actions to fulfil one’s duties, artha or righteous means to earn wealth and fulfil desires, kāma or righteous desires that are to be satisfied by righteous means, and finally mokṣa or liberation from the cycles of birth and death that bind the self, by realising the truth of all existence as divinity, have also been discussed earlier.

We have also learnt that the knots of the heart namely avidyā – ignorance of our divine nature, kāma – unwanted desires, and karma – unnecessary actions undertaken to fulfil unwanted desires, distract oneself from the goal of life and thus render a person incapable of realising one’s divinity.

The guidance and company of an enlightened master or guru helps one overcome the influence of illusory world or māyā and forge ahead on the path of Self-Realisation. We have learnt about the qualities of a true Master and a true seeker as well.

Now, we are about to discuss what it means to be self-realised, what is ‘that’ state of existence like, how does it feel to be a self-realised person who has attained liberation – the highest human potential?

There are many who have interpreted and explained Self-Realisation including the idea of its attainment only upon one’s death, but those are way off the mark of truth. The first thing we must know is that realisation is not meant to be attained upon death, but it is the very existential reality of all. The word Self-Realisation or ātma sākṣātkāra is actually self explanatory. When we say we have realised, it only means that we have understood or accessed something that was very much with us, unlike achieving or attaining something that was not there before. Like the forgetful old grandfather who keeps his spectacles on his head and looks for it all around, till his grandchild tells him that it is right on his head, that’s when he realises that the spectacles are with him. Similar to this case where the spectacles were not lost and so could not have been found, but had been forgotten on one’s own head, likewise this realisation that we are divine is not to be found somewhere, it is right here within us, it’s just that we are looking for it in the wrong place having totally forgotten about it.

So with certain efforts and guidance when one realises divinity very much within ones lifetime, what does he or she truly experience? taittirīyopaniṣad’s ānandavallī declares that the Self-Realised person experiences supreme bliss equivalent in its quality and intensity to the bliss of Supreme brahman – the divine origin of all! Just to give you an idea of the quality and intensity of the bliss of brahman, ānandavallī explains that the ānanda experienced by Brahman is 10^20 times the ānanda experienced by a person who is in the prime of his youth, who is healthy, capable, intelligent and determined and who owns the entire earth and all the wealth that exists therein! Even with all the earthly efforts of a lifetime one can not fulfil this condition of being young, healthy, intelligent and super-wealthy to own the entire earth and all its belongings, which collectively consist of only one single unit of human bliss, but the experience of 10^ 20 times of this human bliss which is the divine bliss of brahman comes to the one who is Self-Realised and thus freed of all desires (akāmahata). Do not take this calculation too literally, for it is only a way of the great seers of upaniṣads to encourage people to abandon hankering after paltry worldly pleasures and motivate them to pursue the path of Self-Realisation.