Six Stages of Realization
There are six stages that I thought could be the different ways to attain realization.
Stage 1:
A child is born with complete innocence and is totally ignorant about the ways of life and everything around it. It tends to learn and experience everything around as it grows up through the various sources that are provided to it through nature and by nature. This is the right stage to imbibe the basic forms about God. This is generally done by telling stories about HIM and of various ways depicting HIS presence. These stories depict Him as a SUPREME HUMAN but with all the emotions and the normal lifestyles as any human. They are explained as HIS divine ways of making us realize the TRUTH about life. The stories include the various holy places to implicate the importance of those places as places of worship to carry the children to the next stage.
Stage 2:
As the child grows up it begins to explore the world. It is then old enough to learn more about God. This is the rightstage to introduce it to the various hymns and holy chanting. These hymns and chanting create the roots of vibrations within. The child begins to learn more and more about itself and everything around because of the curious nature. It tends to explore the truth behind the stories told and relates them to its own experiences.
Stage 3:
The vibrations thus created need to be connected with various other positive vibrations outside it and be enhanced. This is done by the different kinds of services to God. It includes visiting temples, taking part in various religious rituals, etc.
Stage 4:
The fourth stage lets us realize that GOD is OMNIPRESENT, that is to realize that HE is present in everything and everyone around us as much as within us! When this stage is attained our mind becomes the temple or a place of sanctity, and in this process we begin to release positive energy that glows from within us!
Stage 5:
The fourth stage is automatically enhanced to the fifth stage. We learn to surrender ourselves to the Almighty. Thestage helps us to free ourselves from the so called burdens of life and realize that whatever happens around us is by only because of HIS mighty will!
Stage 6:
The final stage is that of absolute realization. This is when we attain the oneness with HIM. The stage that frees us from the illusions of the materialistic world and unites us with the SUPREME POWER!
Self Realization
When the Atman is attracted by the bonds of Karma it tends to become heavier and heavier, attains a self, such as a human body, and strives to relieve the bonds. But if the Atman does not get attracted to the bonds of Karma it stays free. Only this free state of the Atman can attain Liberation!
When we do something 'good' or 'Godly' we consider it as an act of the virtuous or 'Punyam' and when we do something 'bad' or 'against the wishes of God' we consider it as a sin or 'Paavam'. Every action that we do carries equal weight of both Paavams and Punyams. This consideration of Paavams and Punyams is what I have termed as the bonds of Karma. Thus the attraction towards these bonds binds us to the life cycle of births and rebirths, in turn binding the Atman to a continuous cycle of births and rebirths making it difficult for the liberation.
But if we could detach the Atman from these bonds of Karma it gets lighter and lighter and finally is set free. The form of the Atman which is completely free from the bonds of Karma is the perfect form that merges into the Parama Atman and thus gets liberated!
This kind of detachment is possible when we refrain ourselves from considering that we are the doers of all the actions. Instead we should consider the actions as that done for Him and by Him! This is termed as Total Surrender!
P.S. : I visualized this as light flowing all over without any particular path. The intensity of the light gets dimmer and dimmer as it gets heavier and is the brightest when liberated!
Music versus Colors
Nature has provided us with its gifts in abundance. But two of the most enchanting form the essence of it, namely, music and color. Music in different forms is greatly relished and absorbed as the eternal energy for the soul. Whereas, colors, when applied and absorbed into all that we see around, enhances the beauty. In this write-up I have tried to bring about the subtle similarities between the two.
According to the ancient scriptures there are two types of sounds. One is the vibration of the ether or the sound that is not produced by striking, such as the sound of the universe. The other is the sound created by striking of objects present, such as the man-made sounds. Sound is gathered from the universe and woven together to reach and fuse into the Supreme.
The origin of Indian music is said to have rooted from the Vedas. According to the scriptures it is believed that God Himself is the sound of the universe. Of the four Vedas, Sama Veda is chanted in definite music patterns. The hymns are sung using three notes. Thus Indian musical notes are evolved from three notes. These three notes are then scaled to form the seven primary notes on the basis of 22 intervals. The notes are named as Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. These seven notes are not arranged in equal intervals. The first and the fifth note always remain in their position. The other five notes change position within their intervals. This leads to the formation of different ragas.
There is a perfect balance in the universe. This balance is based on time measure. In classical music this time measure is defined as Tala.
There is a saying in Sanskrit, "Ranjayathi iti Raga" which means, that which colors the mind is a raga. Raga colors the mind through the notes and embellishments. It also flows according to a specific emotion and the mood adopted by the musician.
On similar understanding, there are two phases of colors, black and white. All colors are said to originate from white and are absorbed in black. Black and white are considered as the two ends of the color line.
According to the ancient color theory there are three basic colors derived from white. They are Red, Blue and Yellow. Other colors are derived on the basis of mixing and scaling these three colors. They together form the seven basic colors namely Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. These colors form the basis of all the colors in the universe. These colors are further classified into numerous shades of differentiation. Colors are also a powerful communication tool that can dramatically affect moods, feelings and emotions.
These two special forms of art create an infinite space of harmony within the limits of nature and beyond! They have a profound effect and can engross all forms of life in a divine bliss.
