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Introduction INTRODUCTION Though Shakespeare’s Macbeth says, “Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”, the book aims at elaborating the truth that human life is a divine gift offered by the Lord, full of love and joy, signifying eternal bliss. Chapter - by - chapter outlines of the book will help a reader grasp the essence of the “present” work effectively. The first chapter, ‘Death– A Gateway to Spiritual Bliss’ aims at diminishing the terror of death by showing that it is as natural as birth in human life. Description of the glimpses of near death experience proves that even after death eternal life, full of joy and light continues to exist in the form of subtle body. At the same time, suicide is strongly condemned as it leads a person to the hellish state of perpetual darkness and suffering. Different stages of death are described in a vivid manner to show that every person can get liberation that welcomes death as a gateway to eternal bliss. This chapter also offers a proper guidance to dying person for fearless acceptance of death for liberation and shows how relatives and friends can help one in the process of liberation at the time of death. Enlightening illustrations are given to show how noble persons, sages, saints and self realized persons attain spiritual bliss by facing death smilingly. In short, the chapter prepares one for a true spiritual journey in this very life time by removing one’s false fear of death and making one conscious of one’s own true Self. For one who has realized this truth, death becomes just a simple, natural event leading one simply from one door of bliss to such another door. The second chapter, “You are Immortal” takes one ahead of spiritual journey by revealing that one is a divine, immortal, blissful being. The chapter guides one on the path of knowledge leading to Self – realization. The detailed description of characteristics of an enlightened person may certainly enthuse and inspire a person seeking spiritual illumination during this very life. The chapter shows that gates of divine grace and spiritual bliss are open for all who are aware of their true Self. It is possible even for a busy house holder to realize the Self, if he is mindful in balancing the four purusharthas – Dharma (performing all duties in a sincere, selfless manner, with constant remembrance of the Lord), Artha (earning money honestly), Kama (gratifying natural sense pleasures with awareness) and Moksha (attaining spiritual bliss during this life time and liberation after death during his lifetime). The chapter makes it clear that a householder with right understanding and regular spiritual practice can realize the Self, just like a renunciate. This chapter also elucidates the topics - how marriage can be the merging of two souls into one, how parents should love their kids and how a person can attain job satisfaction. In short, this chapter awakens one’s true identity of the luminous blissful Self from one’s false identification with body, mind and sense. The third chapter: ‘The Devotees are My Heart’, glorifies the path of devotion leading one to God realization. The Lord is always waiting to embrace His true devotees. He loves them to so deeply that He considers them as dear and loving as his own Heart. Different modes of devotion like listening to His glories, remembering and chanting His names, meditating on His name or form, offering prayers to Him. Loving Him as Beloved Master/Friend/Father, surrendering to Him are elaborated through inspiring illustrations selected from Srimad Bhagavatam – (The ocean of divine love) as well as from the lives of great saints and great devotees of the Lord. Detailed description of a devotee of the Lord presents a touchstone before an aspirant to test his/her worthiness and weaknesses as a devotee. In short, the chapter shows a way in which a devotee can realize God through close intimacy with Him. The fourth chapter, ‘Nectarean Words of Wisdom’ aims at making us love the whole universe as our own family. Unfortunately, many wars have been fought under the name of religion. The followers of one sect or religion consider those of another religion inferior to them. Consequently, such superiority complex creates a wall distancing people of one creed from those of the other faith. But if we look in to the essence of all religions and their sacred books, we clearly find these two universal truths – 1. There is only One Supreme Lord in the whole universe. He may be known by different names like Brahman, God, Paramatma, Allah, Khuda, Bhagavan and so on. 2. Every human being, irrespective of creed, caste, color or country is divine, immortal and blissful by nature. Great prophets, great saints, sages, devotees and such enlightened masters are His true representatives and they have been repeatedly proclaiming these two truths for world peace from time immemorial. If rightly understood, both these great truths will create the utopian environment where there may be respect for all religions, tolerance and love in the world in place of fanaticism, intolerance and hatred respectively. Needless to say, such positive thinking will certainly create the environment of love, compassion, friendship, harmony and peace throughout the world. Enlightening scriptures of the world are essentially vast oceans of divine nectar. By taking such drops from these great oceans of nectar, the author has tried to fill up the cup of nectar for his dear readers following any religion. The nectarean words selected from the scriptures of the Hinduism (in previous chapters), the Bahai Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Zenisim, and Zoroastrianism, reveal our inherent but latent divinity, inspire us to be virtuous and compassionate for attaining true joy in the present life and liberation after death. Daily contemplation on golden excerpts may certainly be a great help to one’s spiritual practice. The fifth chapter, ‘Religion in Practical Life’, shows how the precepts of religion can be applied to daily life. One may offer whole-hearted, warm prayer to the Lord in a temple, or a church or a mosque or a synagogue but when one comes out of it, one’s attitude, to people is usually changed. We hardly find a loving master, an honest merchant a selflessly serving doctor and so on. One believes that religion and practical life are different things. As Swami Vivekananda says, ‘Religion is realization’. It is meant for realizing in practical life. One who practices the principles of religion like love, non-violence, compassion, truth, honesty, and selfless service to humanity is a religious person. Mahatma Gandhi had oneness of his thoughts, his words and his actions. His life itself was a living example of true religion. He rightly said, “My life is my message (to the world)’ The chapter in a very interesting manner through fourteen narratives, selected from the lives of enlightened persons, inspiringly illustrates the main principles of religion or spirituality practiced in real life. For example, it shows possibility of attaining spiritual enlightenment even by the most unfortunate persons like Patachara and the Egyptian boy. Patachara, was the most afflicted person in a worldly sense as she lost her husband, her children, parents, house, money – everything. She was on the verge of committing suicide but the compassionate words of Tathagata changed the course of her life and she could attain not only spiritual enlightenment but she could also become a chief female preacher of the teachings of Buddhism. In the same manner, a blind, poor and unfortunate Egyptian boy, saved from an attempt of suicide by jumping in to a deep well and inspired for a happy life by an unknown great man could become one of the foremost educationists and the minister for education of the government of Egypt. In short, every narrative has its own message to convey to us. PREFACE Only by the will and the grace of the Lord, the author has been able to place this book in your lotus hands. The author remembers with love and devotion Rev. Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa (Ganeshpuri) as he was fortunate in having the first sacred meeting with him at his own house in 1971. Since then with his graceful blessings, he has been enjoying the daily practice of meditation and bliss of spiritual life. His first visit to Ganeshpuri Ashram turned out to be a golden period in his life. It was there that he had a wonderful spiritual vision of divinity that absorbed his whole being completely in the soothing light of spiritual bliss and peace. Swamiji’s golden words of preaching, “Honor your Self, Worship your Self, Meditate on your Self, God dwells within you as you”, have made the purpose and task of his life as clear as a crystal. The main purpose of human life is to realize the Self through wholehearted love for God. Wide ranging topics directly connected with the uplift of human life - how to love the Lord whole-heartedly, how to realize the Self and enjoy spiritual bliss, how to be free from the tyranny of mind and senses, how to make the marital life happily harmonious, how to take loving care of kids, how to make each action in daily life a loving offering to the Lord, how to overcome the fear and terror of death, how to consider death a gateway to spiritual bliss, how to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death and how to help a dying person in his or her spiritual journey, elucidate the art of living happily and dying blissfully.
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