What is Moksha and how do "Rituals" and Dharma help
Moksha is nothing but the cessation of all suffering.
What does that mean? Cessation of this feeling that "you" the body is suffering. "you" the mind is suffering. This feeling that makes you feel that you are suffering that is leading you to be sad (or happy really).
Suffering is literally in our heads. How do I know? The Burning monk. He proved that you can train your brain with your eyes closed to ignore your body's suffering. But he was emotionally suffering that led him to take this action. He was suffering that the catholic dictator was destroying the Buddhists temples in Vietnam.
You can over come all sorts of suffering (physical and emotional) by going to the next level.... by being the burning monk but without having to close your eyes. You can become a mere observer (Ramana Maharishi (sarcoma), Ramakrishna Paramahansa (throat cancer)). How do I know these two did not have any emotional suffering either? They lived through the times of the British, but they were not interested in any thing like freedom for the country or the suffering of the people due to colonization and of course had no interest in accumulating wealth or having a good time to keep their own bodies and minds happy.
When we can gain a capacity to observe the suffering as a third person without identifying that suffering as happening to "you" you have attained moksha/liberation/nirvana/God Realization. In that state you are the ONE. You are NEO.
Ok now that we have established what Moksha is, let us now understand what do rituals have to do with Moksha.
Rituals, what do they really entail:
- Discipline
- Pranayama
- Meditation
- Sacrifices
- Doing it for God.
- Doing it because that is your dharma
- Doing it for some entity that is not you.
What is the core teaching of Bhagvad Gita?: do you karma, and give up your interest in the outcome. Essentially do what you ahve to do, i.e. your dharma, be a father, be a husband, be a doctor, a developer whatever, and perform your duties like a duty. Let go of what "they will give you".
When you live life like that you are training your mind constantly to be an observer without attachment to outcomes. That is why even karma yoga works in progressing you in your spiritual endeavors. But do it fully. Keep training your mind. How you get there is irrelevant. Keep training your mind NOT to be attached to outcomes.
The more hedonistic you are, the more you are attached to the outcomes to give you the dopamine hit. you are the rat that incessantly is pulling the trigger in the expectation of getting the dopamine hit.
The great Rishi's of India, understood that something this simple is impossible for most people to get. Hence they created a program around your life through rituals and sacred days and sacred ceremonies where you will train your mind over and over and over again to give up something, give up eventually your interest in the outcomes and totally commit to the lord. Do it for the lord.
Suffering is the result of attachment. Attachment to the body results in "experiencing" pain. Other emotional suffering is related to attachment to things/people outside of this body.
Of course I have no clue how to understand how a realized yogi would do if they suffered with ulcerative Colitis/Crohns that give you bloody stools and pain in your belly all day and if left untreated lead to fistulas and all sorts of other complications. Can they sit through all this without reacting to try to resolve that? I need to ask a Guru.
Our Rishis's are the greatest beings ever to have walked this planet. I am ever grateful. I am ever grateful. I am ever grateful. To have been born in this culture/religion/system that made me come to this realization and finally understand how all this is connected.
But I am a long way from 3 person "observership" of my suffering. I hope God will grant me the capability, the strength, to finally get there because train all you want, but that final set, that final realization is not attained through your efforts, but only through the blessing of a Guru or God himself.
got a phone call. will continue from here.
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