I feel the words of Sri Ramanuja, Sri Shankara, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramana, and anybody and everybody in the category of spiritual Masters, even great mystics of non-Vedic Religions,
bear The Truth’ in it with True Love for Bhagavan and compassion for Humanity. Their Bhakthi touches our heart, irrespective of their Philosophies, which are to be experienced by oneself ultimately. So every Spiritual Book, every Spiritual Teacher, is so beautiful and truthful for a Devotee or a Seeker after Truth. So why should we bother about Dwaita, Adwaita, Nirvana, Vaikuntha, Kailasa Prapthi, Goloka Prapthi, Kaivalya, or even New creation or Transformation Yoga, etc, because finally the human life must have The Same Goal, even though expressed differently.
The One book, Bhagavad Gita, interpreted with different, opposite explanations suited to the path and nature of the disciple, but The Goal must be the same. So one can follow his Path suitable to his taste, and enjoy all Spiritual Masters’ wise words, but everyone will, and should reach the same Goal ultimately.
The Goal of Human life should be Unique. What is this Goal? I feel it is “To know you and your Creator”. Then the rest follows. Till we discover our Creator and ourselves, we can’t keep anything beyond this, as our Goal…
It is perfectly fine to follow your inmost nature, which, at this point, seems to take you through a process of inner intellectual widening. It is always good to know different viewpoints as it helps to widen one’s mind. But the path has to be one, the path that opens us in response to the cry of your soul. When it comes, then all other things drop away, having done their work of widening, and one takes to the one road that one’s faith and aspiration point as guiding light.
Meeting the Creator is fine, but not all paths lead there or even to the same goal. This is so because the Creator is infinite and there are many planes, ways and aspects through which He reveals Himself to the seekers. It is the difference between knowing and doing. One can learn as many subjects as possible, but one takes up one or two or perhaps three to pursue to the end. Or else, to take another example, one can have the entire map of the city from above, but one walks on one lane to the other as one is led until one has seen the entire city. There are many boats plying the Ganga, each taking us to a different ghat. One must know which boat one can rely upon and which ghat one wants to go.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
Yes. On any boat we travel, we enjoy the journey, relishing the flow of the Ganges, trusting the Boatman: Sri Krishna – who will take me safely to the Divine Shore. He chooses all, not by my choice.
Yes, so Sri Krishna becomes the choice and not any boatman. And surrender to Sri Krishna implies that one trusts his wisdom and is happy when he takes us to this ghat or another. But one must be sure that one is indeed being led by Sri Krishna and not by the mind’s fancy.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
