FREEDOM & MOKSHAM - DESIRABILITY

MOKSHA -- DESIRABILITY

What is Moksha? - Is it freedom from wants? from births and deaths? from pain and suffering? Then Moksha is freedom from pain and suffering, freedom from wants, freedom from births and deaths. As freedom from something could be considered a negative accomplishment of sorts. Nevertheless, there is nothing more positive than moksha.

Once we say 'freedom', the question is 'Freedom from what?' and the answer is simply, 'Freedom from something I do not want'. No one wants freedom from what he or she wants. Do you want freedom from money, artha? No, you want money and do not want freedom from money. Do you want freedom from pleasures, kama? No, you want pleasures and do not want freedom from pleasures. You want the pleasure of living in Heaven, where there is no hunger, pain, suffering. You want the pleasure of enjoying music, gandharva ganam. You want the pleasure of gagana viharam in beautiful gardens with full of fragrance. Do you want freedom from dharma? No, dharma means discharging one's righteous duties, helping needy persons, doing good deeds which relieve pain and suffering of other and helping them - which are all sources for earning punya, name and fame to satisfy the ego of self which is an inherent desire of every human being (Then, are you not secretly wishing that there should be pain and suffering elsewhere and you should have the capacity and means to eliminate them?). Then we want Artha, Dharma and Kama and no freedom from many of these things plus we also want Moksha? i.e., then, freedom from what?

Then Moksha is not entirely freedom from artha or kama. That which artha provides, moksha cannot provide. What is artha? Is it actually money? Vedas (also) said what is artha. In which Veda and where? Rg Vedam - in Sri Suktam. Sri Suktam is in praise of Goddess Lakshmi. Sri Suktam defined artha, the money like this:

Dhana magnirdhanam, vayurdhan, suryodhanam vasuh, dhana mindro brihaspatihi, varuno dhana mavapnuthe .. .. puthra pouthra dhanam, dhanyam, hastyasvajavigo ratham.. .. ....
(Fire,air, sun, gold, indra (power), brihaspati (knowledge), water, sons, grandson, grains, elephants, horses, cows, etc.)

The above are all dhana, artha, that which are necessary for the fulfillment of desires and human well being. Then Moksha is not freedom from 'Artha' or 'Kama'. But, what Moksha provides cannot be provided by artha, kama and dharma combined. A person who is aspiring for desiring moksha also has the freedom to pursue the other three human ends, artha, kama and dharma, if he so chooses. This, then, is the real freedom and not freedom from these pursuits. Who is pursuing these dharma, artha, kama and mokshas? Purusha. Hence, these are called 'Purusharthams'.

Desiring artha and kama, then, we make certain efforts; and if these efforts do not seem to be enough, we make another final effort called prayer. Prayer is neither an artha nor a kama; it is dharma. Through prayer we want to gain some invisible result which will give us artha and kama. Although spiritual seekers do not pray for artha and kama, they do pray for knowledge and maturity, which again is for one's own sake alone. Desiring knowledge and maturity is also a kind of kama. This aspect of human personality is very important to the vision of Vedanta.

A wife is dearer to her husband not for her sake but for his sake, for his comforts and for his needs. Similarly, a husband becomes dearer to his wife for her sake, for her pleasure, for her security, and for her guide and guard, and not for his sake. If we understand that everything we do is for our sake alone, then our relationships should be very objective. Then only we will not go about saying, 'I did so much for you' - the starting point for all kinds of our trouble.

Agreeing everyone wants freedom from unwanted things, pain and suffering, what is it they want by obtaining freedom? Moksha? Yes. Every one wants moksha. It looks it is the thing to be obtained after dharma, artha and kama. It is another end of purusharthas. It is not another end; it is the end, the end behind all ends. We have to recognise that it is only the end when we seek freedom from all unwanted things and freedom from insecurity. Recognising this end is the culmination of one's life, the end of samsara -- insecurity and unhappiness. Seeking moksha makes one's life meaningful. Moksha do not prevent a person from seeking artha, kama and dharma. In fact, without them there is no life. Moksha is freedom seeing myself as a secure and happy person in the kingdom of Isvara, free from being insecure and unhappy and freedom from kama, krodha, lobha, mada, moha and matsaryams.

If once moksha is attained, then what is there to be achieved further? Only enjoying in BLISS continuously in the kingdom of Isvara?

Then where is the thrill in struggling, fighting and achieving something higher? In the land of Isvara all are equal, all enjoy the same status, all enjoy the same bliss, all are part of Isvara. Then, is it not better to live on earth? Where there is scope for struggling to achieve recognition with valour, knowledge and intelligence. To achive things, sometimes beyond the capacity of Devatas. Vikramarka was invited to Indra Sabha, because of his superior intelligence, to decide the issue of who was a greater dancer? Rambha or Urvasi? Has not Indra invited Dasaratha to help him in his fight with Rakshasas? Arjuna was also invited to fight with Rakshasas on behalf of Devatas. Has not Devatas bowed their heads before Great Sages living on earth such as Viswamithra, Agastya, Bharadwaja, Vyasa, etc.? Then, living on earth provides you the opportunity of achieving greater heights than Devatas. There is thrill and fame in it. Here is a story oft mentioned in philosophical discussions:

Once before a Sage, a baby-mouse sought protection from a chasing cat. Taking pity, the sage offered protection and changed the babyl-mouse into a beutiful maid. The maid devotedly served the sage with affection. On attaining puberty, the Sage wished to perform the marriage of the maid with a great person. So, looking at the sky, he approached the Lord Sun and requested him to marry the girl. Lord Son replied that he is not great as he is often covered and shadowed by Lord Megha. Then the Sage approached the Megha to marry his girl. The Megha replied that Lord Vayu is greater than him as he is chased and disturbed by Vayu. The Sage approached Lord Vayu for the marriage alliance. Lord Vayu said that A Mountain is stronger than him as he is obstructed by the Mountain. When the Sage Approached the Mountain, he regretted his greatness before a Mouse who drilled holes in it and the Mouse is greater than him. Finally, after realisation, the Sage converted the maid into its original form of a she-mouse and got married it to another he-mouse. The earth is round and back to square one. Therefore, is life on EARTH IS WORTH LIVING THAN ASPIRING FOR HEAVEN AND MOKSHA? A serious thought appears to be necessary? What do you say? Mahatma Gandhi used to say that when he is in doubt and confusion, he approached BHAGVADGITA for clearance of confusion and margadarshanam. He may be right. But, we have not yet made an attempt to study the BHAGAVADGITA in right earnest and spirit.

RAGHAVARAO U.V.G.V. DUGGIRALA,
FREMONT, Dt.29th August, 2008.