[Advaita-l] Re: Advaita-l Digest, Vol 9, Issue 7

[Aravind Mohanram]

>>>The moderator has declared this topic closed. But, since you have raised, this will be my last reply. 


A conception of being a servant of some entity, however great or good that entity may be, can never be called liberation. Slavery or bondage may be the more appropriate word for that state. 

>>> We see the servant-master relationship ina mundane way and so it appears as slavery and so despicable/not glorious. But, service done out of pure love cannot be considered slavery. For example, a mother's love for her child and service out of this love can never be called slavery. No sensible will say that the child is maintaining the mother as a slave. Similarly, the living entities in their pure state engage in loving service to Krishna out of pure love and this gives pleasure to Krishna and in turn gives them greatest pleasure and that pleasure is ever-increasing unlike the mundane act of service, which after sometime can lose steam. Ofcourse, this is according to vaishnavas. 

The tendency to be free is the more natural tendency of living entities that I know. 

>>>The living entities possess complete free will in their liberated state and they use this free will not out of compulsion but out of pure love in Krishna's service, because of His all-attractive nature.  And, this is considered the perfect use of their free will. For example, in the material world, we misuse our free will and engage in animalistic activities, and suffer reactions. 

Krishna is called Hrsikesa (Arjuna addresses Him as such many times in the Gita), because of He is the master of senses. Whenever our senses are engaged in serving ourselves, that conditions us to this world, but when we engage in the service of Hrsikesa, our senses are purified and we revive our original consciousness (hrsikesa hrsikena sevanam..).

Indians, for instance, wanted freedom from British rule. As regards the tendency to serve, that may be the natural tendency of masochists, but advaita is for rational and sane people. 

>>>After getting freed from the British, they are now serving themselves. So, that tendency to serve is always there. This is pure common sense and should make perfect sense for 'rational and sane people'. For example, just like in the western countries, we see that people when they have nothing to serve, they will serve dogs or cats. If we don't serve God, we will end up serving maya or the material energy and suffer results accordingly. This is probably one of the reasons why even advaitins recommend bhakti, to engage the mind on something higher. Also, one cannot serve and understand God with pure devotion, as long as one is not humble. As long as one is proud of his accomplishments/material possessions, he'll be frustrated. This humility and compassion for fallen souls is the hall mark of great devotees (I should say transcendentalists). For example, Prahlad maharaj was so humble and selfless, even when offered liberation by Lord Nrsingha, he declined it and prayed to be 
 engaged
 in His service so that He can try to deliver more souls from the cycle of birth and death. This humility and compassion is also displayed by great transcendentalists in the modern age (atleast, whom I have personally seen/heard/read about) including Sri Kanchi Paramacharya, Srila Prabhupada, and even personalities such as Gandhi. And, by their actions, simplicity and humility they teach the world and that's why they are renowned as acharyas ( except Gandhi who, although he had sattvic qualities, he was still serving people on the bodily platform). 

Thanks.

Aravind.




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