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Date Posted: 10:49:59 03/06/04 Sat
Author: Hendrik - 10 Feb 2004
Subject: Four kinds of liberation

Ramdas spoke about four types of Mukti, viz., Sayujya, Samipya, Salokya and Sarupya.

Sayujya Mukti is complete absorption of the individual soul into the Cosmic Spirit, as in the Buddhistic Nirvana which is beautifully expressed in the "Light of Asia" thus: "The dew-drop slips into the shining sea." Shankaracharya defines Sayujya Mukti as an Advaitic realization which is experienced when the illumined soul shakes off its sense of individuality - in other words - when the soul awakes from its sleep of ignorance and knows that it is the only One eternal, infinite truth and existence, than whom there is none other. Here, God, soul and the world disappear into One transcendent reality.

In Samipya Mukti, the devotee enjoys the Lord's company. It is like being in the Heaven of the Christians and the Vaikuntha of the Vaishnavas. Here, the separateness between God and soul is maintained. The devotee enjoys the nearness of God. His one purpose in life is to serve Him and His devotees. He takes delight in speaking and singing of Him.

Salokya Mukti is a state of salvation, in which the devotee chooses to remain in the same realm in which God lives. He does not seek to be near Him. For, he feels His presence in himself and everywhere about him. In fact, through his inner experience, he knows that God and he are not different. But still he likes to remain separate from Him, in order to enjoy the bliss of sweet communion with Him. As examples of Salokya Mukti, we have Jesus, Ramakrishna, Kabir, Jnandev and many other saints of India and other countries.

In Sarupya Mukti, by continuous contemplation of God, the devotee is gradually transformed into His very likeness. Therefore it is said that the messengers of Vishnu look like Vishnu Himself. When your love for any person is intense, you are bound to become like him, not only in your inner nature but also in your external form. There is the instance of St. Francis of Assisi. By constantly praying to Christ and always tuning his mind with the divine personality of Christ, not only did he develop the divine qualities of Christ, but his body also underwent some changes - it was impressed with stigmata, the marks similar to the wounds on the crucified body of Christ.

-- Swami Ramdas, Call of the Devotee

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