Sri Bhagavan
Defines Spiritual Enlightenment
(or Mukthi)
Bhagwan has given many
definitions for enlightenment (or mukthi). In this video
he gives one that involves the senses, and explains how the
mind can interfere with our liberation.
Below it
is a printed version of his talk (that I edited slightly
for ease of reading and brevity).
Sri Kalki, Avatar of
Enlightenment (04:42)
Sri Bhagavan
Speaks on: Mukthi (Enlightenment)
Mukthi could be defined in various ways. The general
definition which I give for mukthi is "the liberation of
senses." At this time when you see, you do not see without
the interference of the mind. If you can see without the mind
interfering, that is mukthi. If you can hear without the mind
interfering, that is mukthi. The same applies to smell,
touch, and even thought.
Thought also can be observed without your getting involved with
the thought. Now when you are thinking, you think you
are thinking, but it is actually possible to see thoughts flow as
though they are independent of you. This is a physical
reality.
Actually you can see thoughts. When you can watch all
thoughts coming into you and going out of you, this is
the state of mukthi. That is the complete liberation of the
senses from the control of the mind.
Whenever the mind is in control, you're not living. When
the mind is not there, then you're actually living. So when
people ask me, "What is the purpose of life?", my answer is, "If
you are living, you won't ask that question. The purpose of
life is to live."
What does that mean? To truly live life, the senses
must be independent and free of the mind. What's happening
now is that you are not at all experiencing reality. Reality
to you is what is flowing through the senses. Now, at all
times, you are interpreting whatever data is coming into you.
You look at a tree and you say it is a big tree, small tree,
green tree, mango tree, or this or that. All the time
comments are going on. When you sit down to eat food, you're
not just eating food. You start worrying about the office, or your
family, or this or that, or comment on the food itself.
The food is not being experienced.
That's why I say if you experience reality as it is, then you
will just experience bliss. You will see that the world's
creation is perfect. It is the most beautiful thing, and that
you're already in heaven. You have made it into a hell.
It is possible to liberate the senses from the clutches of
thought. Thoughts aren't necessarily required, so why should
your thought interfere? There is no need for thoughts
to interfere before you can actually experience.
When the senses become free of the control of thought, or the
mind, then we say you have discovered unconditional joy,
unconditional love. Such is this joy that you will
feel you are connected with everybody. You discover true
love.
This true love and true joy are not separate. They
are all one and the same, and this is a natural occurrence.
That is what you are designed to be. That is what the human
being is supposed to experience all the time.
Since you do not experience that now, you lives have become
miserable. And to escape that misery you have created various
escape routes through which you are escaping from your
misery all the time. This misery itself is because you are
not experiencing reality. That is why people take to alcohol,
or to drugs, or sex, or whatever. Everything in your
life has become meaningless.
The mission of the Oneness Movement is to help you experience
reality as it is. When that happens you will discover
unconditional love and unconditional joy. You will feel
connected with everything and everybody. You won't feel that
you are a separate individual.
You will not live for yourself alone anymore because
yourself has become everybody. You will live for the sake of
humanity. It is not a concept or some imagined thing.
This is a day to day reality once you become enlightened.
And thousands of people have already gotten into this state.
