An intelligent young man who like to ask many questions one day raise a
straightforward question like this: "is it true that soul home can only be
found after death?". Certainly, but not the ordinary death, it is the
death of the ego and small self. Once the ego and small self dies, by then the
door of soul home will naturally opened.
Sadly, in this age almost all human activities magnify ego and small self.
In the world of sports, school, sales, people are driven by trophy and prize
winner. Even in the spiritual world many people compete each others in order to
be called being better. The result then is predictable. On the one hand such
kind of competition brings joy to limited number of people temporary, on the
other hand of it brings suffering to huge number of people for a long time.
For that reason, on the path of Tantra in particular, in the early stages
of the journey the ego is slowly destroyed. There are many ways which are
available in this case, from prostrations, or the way what Master Marpa did to
his disciple Milarepa which was very painful. A holy teacher shared his story
that he keep sweeping and mopping everyday just to keep the ego constantly
shrinking everyday.
On the path of meditation, big ego is symbolized by someone who are carried
away by the river of thoughts and emotions. That's why many people are such
dangerous when they get angry. Through the deep practice of witnessing, one
learns to swim to the bank of river. The unique characteristic of Western psychology
is analyzing. That's why it's called psychoanalysis. And Eastern psychology put
much emphasis on the the importance of witnessing.
In the practical language of meditation, learn to recognize body as body
not as yourself. Learn to recognize mind as mind, not as yourself. Learn to
recognize emotion as emotion, not as yourself. Learn to recognize forms of
thoughts as forms of thought, not as yourself. That's how exactly to swim to
the bank of river.
Anyone who deeply practice to witness like this, one day they can be
standing in the bank of life river. The important characteristic of spiritual
seekers who has successfully become a witness, all fears including the fear of
death disappears completely.
That's why one of the widely known Milarepa's message is like this:
"death is not death for a yogi, it is a little enlightenment". In the
life of yogis, death is no longer followed by fear. It is only a small stream
of enlightening life.
At this stage, death is as simple as the falling dry leaves, it is as
natural as water in the river kiss the lips of beach, it is similar to the
clouds that fall into rain. There is no fear, there is no sorrow, there is no
tears. Death is something which is very natural.
Some people call total freedom as a state without birth and death. A
viewpoint that is worthy of respect. As light which can only be understood in
the darkness, the state without birth and death can only be understood in the
cycle of birth and death.
While the ordinary people were born here because of having karmic debts,
the totally liberated souls were born here riding the surfboard of compassion.
Life is actually full of waves, but the liberated souls are here riding the
surfboard of compassion.
Author: Gede Prama
Photo Courtesy: Twitter @ybh4618.
Photo Courtesy: Twitter @ybh4618.
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