Kailash and the Enlightened

This story is from the divine life of Shri Ramana Maharshi. Once a young boy having a lot of curiosity about the heaven, Kailash and Vishnu Loka, came to meet Shri Ramana Maharshi. He asked Shri Ramana Maharshi “Where is Kailash?”

Ramana Maharshi replied “Kailash is just here”.

But the young man was not satisfied with the answer and asked again “please answer me properly”.

Ramana Maharshi replied “Sadguru sitting on his seat and disciple asking him questions is itself the very nature of Kailash, if we look at it from the view point of only body. But if we look at it from the perspective of the real Self (Swaroop), then the truth that comes out of this question (and answers by Guru) is the real Kailash”.

Kailash cannot be understood as a creation, existence or non-existence. When one realizes that nothing in this visible world is real, true or eternal, that very moment Kailash exists everywhere, pervading the whole world. The moment its cognized as “KAILASH exists”, with complete awareness of its Existence, one understands Kailash in its true sense. “Sat” is the substratum from which the existence of the body (and other objects) is manifested. When human being is described as infant, child, and young or as old person, these are the four stages of only a body and not the stages of one’s real nature. One has to note it carefully.

The young boy then asked further. “It’s said, that when an enlightened (person) experiences himself as Kailash, he /she is beyond all happiness and sorrows. But actually even such enlightened person also looks happy or unhappy. How is this possible? For example, when Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans didn’t get ‘Darshan’ of the goddess Kalimata, he used to be very upset, but when he could get her ‘Darshan’ he used to be overwhelmed with joy.”

Ramana Maharshi replied “Whatever you are talking now is all with reference to the body only. But one can not make any inference about one’s status of Moksha (Salvation) from his/her (bodily) actions. Because the enlightened person may not look and act different than the common man. It’s important to think or to know of his/her actual, real status. This status of Moksha (Salvation) doesn’t depend on consent / recognition from any other person. The stages of infancy, childhood, and youth are over one by one as body grows. The sleep is over, when one wakes up (from sleep). Therefore, if one wishes to have real happiness, one has to wake up, think, study spirituality and then decide his/her own 'Kailash' or 'Vaikunth' and one should not ask undue questions.”

Translated by: Mrs. Sneha Mahajan

 

|| Hari Om||

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