Pre-requisites for Realization ?

[egodust]

Gummuluru Murthy wrote:
>
> I like to bring in another point on which I would like to see the
> List-members' views. I submit that Realization will not come with
> practice. What I mean is, that one cannot consciously practice toward
> that end. A person's ajnana will be removed when he/she is ready for
> it. No preparation by the individual is either required or even
> possible. If a person is ready, a mental change takes place in the
> person without the person's efforts. I emphasize the word "efforts"
> here, because whenever an effort is made, it is a conscious act which
> cannot lead to vairaagya. This may be the kartutva-bhaava which
> Sri Sadananda was referring in some of his postings.
>
> Even apeksha on mumuuksha (i.e. the desire to be freed from the
> worldly miseries and the birth-death cycle) would not be there.
> The person will simply be enjoying the bliss of nirlipta, completely
> detached from the world. That does not mean that the person withdraws
> to Himalayas. It can happen in the middle of a city while living with
> wife and children. The mental peace settles of its own accord.
>
> It is a mystery (to me) what decides when a person is ripe for
> Realization. I think it is indeed what Shri Nageswara Rao calls
> Shri Lalitha's grace. It ultimately is, as seen by the human mind.
>
> Shri Shankara lists 40 criteria for a vedic student (Saadhana Panchakam).
> While they are important criteria, I believe they do not lead to
> Realization. If a person is ripe for Realization, we see these
> qualities automatically in the person. The same with celibacy and
> sannyasa.

Doubtless this is one of the most difficult questions to resolve.  One that
plagued me for many years.  Perhaps it's best to assess it in terms of the
vantage point of one's awareness: is there believed to be a separative ego
in existence or not?  If the belief is yes, then effort is also part of this
belief--and *within that mayavic construct*, effort, free will, dharmic
sadhana, etc are all applicable.  Whereas, if/when the belief in ego gets
shattered, effort, free will, etc are also seen as fantacies.

Regardless, it appears the case that each jiva is preordained as to when and
how moksha eventuates.  Nevertheless, the yogamarga--whether one believes
they're choosing to follow it or not--is itself all part of the prefixed
destination.  It has to be admitted, for example, that a satvic mind is an
indispensible prerequisite for a person to be capable of handling moksha.
And such satvic mind has to develop *somehow*.  So the cultivation of
discrimination and detachment are inevitable, and in fact the very effort
put forth [*within* the mayavic construct, mind you!] is *also* a result
of Grace.  As Sankara says, to be born as a human is the result of grace;
to have the desire for liberation is the result of grace.  If we expand on
this theme, each upadhi must be considered the result of arul.

The whole thing is a driving mystery, really.  The more we philosophically
brood on riddles like this, the more entangled we'll get.  It does have its
purpose, though...to a point.  And this is the mind's own merciful device in
its secret plot to burn itself out!

peace.peace.peace

namaskaar.