This human life is a turning point. It carries tremendous responsibility and liability. It is only through the human life-form that one is degraded or diverted to other life-forms. From here, Soul encounters four diversions into infernal, animal, human or celestial existence.
After acquiring a human form, the Soul can pass through these other life-forms such as those in celestial world, animal world or hell for up to a maximum of eight lives, but then it returns to the human form. And it is from the human life form only that the Soul’s wandering comes to an end.
Liberation Cannot be Achieved from Any Other Life-Form except the Human Form.The human life form exclusively holds the right to liberation. If one gets a human life form and is blessed to obtain the means and circumstances congenial to liberation, then his liberation will occur.
If one knows how to successfully fulfil the purpose of the human life, liberation is possible; and if one does not, then the human life becomes the instrument for increasing one’s endless wandering and suffering. In all other life-forms, there is only release from that life-form. In the human form there is release, but at the same time there is bondage for further life forms.
Comparatively, the human life is an easier form of bondage (like an imprisonment). The trees and animals are life-forms we refer to as ‘Tiryanch Gati’. They are subject to severe imprisonment. Hell is severe-most life imprisonment. Life in hell is so excruciatingly painful that if one were to describe it exactly, we human beings would die of fear just by listening to it. It is thousand times more painful than the pain of being boiled in water. Those in hell are subject to the pain of near-death experience over and over again, and yet death eludes them. They are doomed to a life of suffering and that is why death will not come to them. They have no choice but to suffer pain and misery.
Celestial world too is a kind of jail, like a house arrest. The celestial beings in heavens have all comforts and luxuries, but they cannot achieve liberation. The atmosphere there is dazzling and intoxicating. There is such abundance of happiness that leads to a state of intoxication. One cannot remember the Soul at times like this, unless the celestial being is Self-realized. So, they are subject to mental restlessness, jealousy and other emotions that torment them. Therefore, the celestial beings too wish for a birth as a human being in a moral and pious family , so that they can meet a Gnani Purush. Only after meeting a Gnani Purush and attaining Self-Realization from him, can one break free, otherwise one is doomed to wander between the four different life forms.
‘The body you have acquired is to rid your misdeeds, the veil of karma need to be shed to see God.’The human body is acquired to purge oneself of one’s past mistakes and settle past accounts. This body has been acquired to settle each and every circumstances that arises with equanimity and to realize the Self.
The Soul is Our Real Form
All our life, we learn a lot of worldly knowledge and develop in worldly life. But ultimately when we realize, ‘who am I’, then no more learning
is required. The Soul is truly who one is. The Soul is an eternal element, totally separate from the body. Knowledge and Vision (Gnan and Darshan) are the intrinsic properties of the Soul.
To See and to Know is the real nature of the Soul. No other eternal element but the Soul has these attributes. That which moves, speaks, eats and drinks is not Soul, but where there is any knowledge or ignorance; sympathy or feeling, there lies the Soul. The Soul is spread throughout the entire body. Wherever pain is felt; the Soul is present there.
In infinite lifetimes of birth and death of bodies, the Soul always remains the same; it is immortal. For innumerable births, the Soul has had to accompany the body-complex. Only when the wrong belief about one’s real identity is gone, one becomes independent.
To Realize ‘Who Am I’ is the Ultimate Purpose of Human LifeWhat causes bondage of the human soul? Ignorance of the Self.So what will liberate it? The opposite of what binds it i.e. knowledge of the Self.As long as we believe ‘I am the doer’, we keep sowing karmic seeds. This is how every human being, in the ignorant state, creates his own new birth himself. Whatever creation we do, is how we will be. As is our creation, so is our form.
Self-Realization is acquired upon meeting a Gnani Purush, who with his divine powers can destroy the dense layers of deluding karma sitting over our Soul for endless lifetimes, and make us realize ‘who am I’. Until then, we have to keep on wandering within the four life forms.
It is only in the Human Form that an Encounter with a Gnani Purush will bring about LiberationIf you encounter a Gnani, salvation is yours! Now that you have this rare opportunity of having acquired a human life form, get your work done. ‘The Soul has spent endless lives for the body. If the body were to live just one life for the Soul, your purpose will be fulfilled.’
By encountering a Gnani Purush and establishing a connection with him, the body, which for endless lives had been a foe, becomes a friend. So we must meet Gnani, while in this human body, and get our work done. Complete your connection and swim across to the other side (liberation).
Until One Attains Liberation, the Purpose of the Human Life is Service to Others
While attaining liberation through the knowledge of the Self (Self-Realization) is the ultimate purpose of human life, the purpose of life
until one is liberated is to be of service to others.
Service to others means that you use your mind, your speech and your actions for others. One serves others through the medium of the mind, speech and body. All birds, animals and plants live to serve humans, but humans forget their duty and become selfish. They live for themselves. But when one uses his mind, speech and body for serving others, he will have achieved the value of human life
Just by continuous inner contemplation of, ‘Let this precious human life not go to waste,’ we will have fulfilled the goal of his life. It is our inner intent that will bring results.
To conclude, the transmigration into all the four life forms stems only from the human form and it is also only from the human form that liberation is possible. Therefore, in human birth, we must ensure that we improve our next life by serving others, by meeting the Living Gnani and attaining Self-Realization, and from him, learn how to settle our past karmas with equanimity, at the least never hurt others, so that we can soon attain ultimate liberation!
To know more: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/self-realization/
Ambalal M. Patel was a civil contractor by profession. In June 1958, spontaneous Self-Realization occurred within Ambalal M. Patel. From this point on, Ambalal became a Gnani Purush, and the Lord that manifest within him became known as Dada Bhagwan. A Gnani Purush is One who has realized the Self and is able help others do the same. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan used to go from town to town and country-to-country to give satsang (spiritual discourse) and impart the knowledge of the Self, as well as knowledge of harmonious worldly interactions to everyone who came to meet him. This spiritual science, known as Akram Vignan, is the step-less path to Self-realization.