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Orphic: Mysterious and entertaining; beyond ordinary understanding
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The story about Buddha is told as a story of a great realization that descended on a normal, regular human turning him into an enlightened one. But that is not how I read the story. I read it as a story about an enlightened youth who realizes that his path is not the path of ordinary men - striving for riches, power, safety - and who follows a different path, his own path. As he grows and matures, he comes into himself more and more, until eventually he realizes the entirety of who he is.
There is no “before” and “after” in the Buddha story, the way I read it. The Buddha is born as what he is, and his life, the choices he makes in his life, are all a reflection of his enlightenment.
The story of Ramana Maharishi, a youth who walked away from school because even then he knew who he was, even if he didn’t fully realize it yet, is the same story.
The story of Anandamai Ma, a little girl who always knew who she was, even before she realized it fully, is the same story.
There is no before and after. There is an enlightened one being born, and growing fully into themselves. As they grow, as they mature, as they expand, they see things, realize things. Those realizations don’t make them what they are - those realizations are an expression of what they are.
There is no before and there is no after in enlightenment. There is what is, what ‘s always been.
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Thank you very much for the question!
Does a past life or karmic connection exist?
Yes. A past life or karmic connection does exist.
Nothing in this world happens accidentally.
Every happening is preceded by a cause. It's cause and effect in function everywhere.
In our present practical life we see that for some objects, for some persons, we have a strong liking; and for some objects, for some persons, we have a strong disliking; and with regard to some objects, some persons, we are neutral.
From where does this strong liking and disliking come?
How does it so happen that for years together we are seeing some objects, some persons and feel no connection whereas with respect to some objects, some persons we immediately feel connected?
This is something which cannot be explained in any other way unless we bring in the theory of reincarnation, which speaks of a past life and also of a future life based on the past and present lives.
Is this all a concoction of some gullible religious fools or does it have a scientific basis? Those to whom the world of matter is everything and cannot see anything beyond matter are bound to ask these questions.
Certainly past lives or karmic connections are not the concoctions of gullible religious fools. It does have a scientific basis, but it cannot be proved in the laboratory of a Stephen Hawking or an Albert Einstein!
This is a science of a higher level or the subtle level and can be verified in the laboratory of our own minds.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras is that science which helps us in understanding these profound matters.
It's as much a science as any other material science is. The difference is material sciences are gross and Yoga Sutras of Patañjali are subtle.
In the second chapter of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, the साधन पाद (Sadhana Paada), there’s a Sutra which says,
अपरिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथन्तासम्बोधः॥३९॥
Aparigraha sthairye janmakathantaasambodhaha 2. 39
When (that very Yogī) stands firmly (sthairye) in Aparigraha or Non-possession (aparigraha), full knowledge (sambodhaḥ) of "the how, the what state?" (kathantā) about (his past, present and future)existences (janma) (arises)||39||
The Sutra says that a person who’s established in this virtue of non-possessiveness gets the knowlege of his past lives and future lives too.
The question is how many of us can practice this virtue and get established on it?
Before we dismiss past lives as concoctions of some religious fools, let's make an effort to get established in this virtue of non-possessiveness.
Patanjali that great sage is emphatically saying that such a thing is possible. It's not just something to be believed in. It can be experimented just like the material sciences.
How could I know that type of connection?
You can know that type of connection when it happens. This is one possibility.
The other possibility is through developing extraordinary powers of the mind which can show you well in advance about the type of connection that's destined to happen.
These powers can be cultivated by practicing the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali though the purpose of Yoga Sutras is entirely different.
Why that connection gets created?
That connection gets created because you wanted that connection to be created. Nothing can happen unless you want it to happen!
You might not be even aware of it when the connection happens. You may start wondering why the connection happened in the first place! You might not have wanted the connection in your present life.
In some past life you would have certainly aspired for that connection quite intensely but couldn't make it! In this birth you made it.
The connection however can happen in various ways. You can get connected to a particular person through a common friend, through social media, or through a direct encounter.
Thanks for reading
Nirvritananda
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