If that person does not desire to attain ‘Bhagavad Dham’ (the Divine Abode) or progress on the path of pure devotion, will the power of the mantra be limited only to providing liberation from sins? Will their spiritual journey end there?
Or, is the power of this mantra so profound that, despite the person’s limited desire, it inevitably transforms their heart and leads them towards supreme devotion and a higher spiritual state? Can this mantra transcend the seeker’s limited desires and bring them to an ultimate transformation?
Liberation and transformation are two different things. Liberation is like throwing out the contents of the container and cleansing it. But it doesn’t change the nature of the container itself. That is why chanting is recommended regularly so that one can take a spiritual bath to cleanse the daily ‘sins’. This cleansing however is not synonymous with liberation. Liberation is when one remains untouched by good and evil. The roots and tendencies may remain but the soul is unattached, free, like someone who shuts himself inside a room and has no or little contact with the rest of the house which might remain in a state of disorder or dirty. It may be a first step towards transformation in those who are either destined or aspire for it. However transformation is neither inevitable after liberation nor synonymous with it. Transformation is much more difficult and exacting but also a complete process that takes the soul beyond liberation towards the Divine Perfection. It means to manifest the Divine Perfection through a transformed nature in earthly life.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
