How to come closer to God? … Become one with God is the question that disturbs many but the journey… spiritual path that is necessitated is difficult to travel! One can never come closer to God via path of religion … path of rituals! For becoming one with God one needs travelling path of Gnana Yoga … path of absolute wisdom!
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi … the two spiritual stalwarts who gained enlightenment in the past about 150 years amongst 8 billion people existing world over started their spiritual journey via path of Bhakti Yoga! But finally both switched to path of Gnana Yoga (path of absolute wisdom) to reach stage of enlightenment in their lifetime.
Coming closer to God meant one reaching stage of enlightenment, also termed self-realization … God realization! As is the common belief … one could never come closer to God by indulging in path of rituals … path of religion! Coming closer to God meant our soul atman after gaining absolute purity finally merging with God … the ultimate source of life in cosmos! God … the cluster of all pure souls atmans in cosmos at a given moment of time cannot be realized that easily!
In present times, one could not reach God via path of Bhakti Yoga alone! The path of Karma Yoga never leads one to God … no matter what! One reached stage of enlightenment (Kaivalya Gnana) only by cutting across shackles of karma … samsara (worldly life) forever! As long as single trace of karma remained one could not realize God … reach God! Removing dross impurities within soul atman is what spiritual path was all about!
For removal of dross impurities within our soul atman … travel of spiritual path was necessitated! It is only through path of contemplation. Human beings finally reached stage of self-realization … God realization! Coming closer to God meant our soul atman finally merging with God forever!
This became possible when complete dross impurities within our soul atman removed forever! A soul atman in its purest form finally liberating self from cycle of birth and death forever … entered abode of God … Kingdom of God (Vaikunta) … a point of no return!
If human beings could truly realize the essence of wisdom contained in 700 shlokas verses of Bhagavad Gita, one finally reached stage of enlightenment! Reaching stage of Kaivalya Gnana announced, our soul atman finally liberating self from cycle of birth and death forever and reaching Vaikunta! Dominated by a bloated ego … glare of material riches most human beings pursued materialistic goals of life!
Can such people ever be expected to communicate with God, reach abode of God in their lifetime? Following materialistic goals of life is distinct from travelling spiritual path! Though materialistic goals of life were necessitated for physical manifest domain of life yet, for reaching God in present lifetime … one needs indulgence in path of truth … path of self enquiry as preached and advocated by Ramana Maharshi.
In fact, we are primarily a soul atman on its cosmic journey of 8.4 million manifestations that entailed an earthly travel of 96.4 million years.
As a soul atman, we have manifested human form to work out our karma, remove dross impurities within! Human form is the highest manifest stage in cosmic life cycle! It is only in human form our soul atman finally succeeded in reaching stage of enlightenment … Kaivalya Gnana. God realization could never be reached in any form of manifestation other than human beings!
Only those who exhibited willpower demonstrated by Swami Vivekananda is fit enough to travel spiritual path, reach end goal of life, stage of self-realization. God realization! Spiritual path is not that easily travelled as many worlds over thought. Remaining immersed in rituals, one could never gain a closer relationship with God, no matter what! Nearing end of life also does not mean one gets closer to God! The essence of life never laid in rituals … path of religion!
If Ramakrishna Paramahamsa can do it … so can others! If Ramana Maharshi succeeded in reaching God in his lifetime, so can we!
Becoming one with God in present life time is difficult yet, not impossible! If we have the will, God always shows the way! Having a distinct goal of life is very important for becoming one with God in present life time.
This article is an 'Ashirvachana' given by His Holiness Late Sri Balagangadaranatha Mahaswamji, 71st Pontiff of Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamstana Math