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!
