<p>The seeker upon the direct path strives to concentrate on one form of the Lord having four arms, holding a discus, a lotus, a conch and a mace, standing in the lotus of their hearts no bigger than the size of the thumb.<br /><br />"The devotee whose time of dying is drawing nigh should abstain from all activity and choosing a quiet clean place, he should sit in it in a steady posture and withdraw his mind from external objects, and fix it on the 'owner of the field,' namely, his own Self, then merge this Self within the Absolute Being, in whom there exists neither ahankara (ego), gunas (attributes) nor still pradhana (undifferentiated matter).<br /><br />This is the supreme essence of the all-pervading Lord, on Whom alone he should concentrate, rejecting everything else as 'not this', including self-identification with the body. Shedding the body, he attains union with the Lord. This is immediate Liberation or release from transmigration."<br /><br />Those who choose the indirect path take their mind and senses with them at death to enjoy the illusory pleasures of the spheres: <br /><br />"While in the body they follow the path of sushumna (central channel of consciousness that runs through the spinal column where breath must be retained) and at death they first go to the home of the fire-god (Vaishvarna), where they clean themselves of their impurities, and then rise to the sidereal sphere which has the shape of a fish and is presided over by Lord Vishnu, ascending higher and higher, staying in each plane for millions of years to enjoy the fruits of their earthly penance till they reach the highest, Brahmaloka, where after another very long stay, the constituents of their bodies begin to disintegrate, each merging in the next higher element until all the gunas are re-absorbed in their original source, the Self, which is their true being, pure Spirit, the blissful Lord Himself. <br /><br />They who attain this state become liberated, they never return to the world of transmigration."<br /><br />And finally: "O divine Narada! There is only one Substance in existence and it is Lord Vasudeva Himself! Neither the material elements, nor karma, nor time, nor even the human soul have any substance of their own other than Narayana, Who is the aim and object of the Veda, all sacrifice, all yoga, all penance, all knowledge and all seeking. He is not only all these but their Ruler and Perceiver as well."<br /><br />The implication is compellingly clear: there are many paths having numerous names and forms, but the destination is only one. <br /><br />There is no place where the Supreme Self is not.</p>
<p>The seeker upon the direct path strives to concentrate on one form of the Lord having four arms, holding a discus, a lotus, a conch and a mace, standing in the lotus of their hearts no bigger than the size of the thumb.<br /><br />"The devotee whose time of dying is drawing nigh should abstain from all activity and choosing a quiet clean place, he should sit in it in a steady posture and withdraw his mind from external objects, and fix it on the 'owner of the field,' namely, his own Self, then merge this Self within the Absolute Being, in whom there exists neither ahankara (ego), gunas (attributes) nor still pradhana (undifferentiated matter).<br /><br />This is the supreme essence of the all-pervading Lord, on Whom alone he should concentrate, rejecting everything else as 'not this', including self-identification with the body. Shedding the body, he attains union with the Lord. This is immediate Liberation or release from transmigration."<br /><br />Those who choose the indirect path take their mind and senses with them at death to enjoy the illusory pleasures of the spheres: <br /><br />"While in the body they follow the path of sushumna (central channel of consciousness that runs through the spinal column where breath must be retained) and at death they first go to the home of the fire-god (Vaishvarna), where they clean themselves of their impurities, and then rise to the sidereal sphere which has the shape of a fish and is presided over by Lord Vishnu, ascending higher and higher, staying in each plane for millions of years to enjoy the fruits of their earthly penance till they reach the highest, Brahmaloka, where after another very long stay, the constituents of their bodies begin to disintegrate, each merging in the next higher element until all the gunas are re-absorbed in their original source, the Self, which is their true being, pure Spirit, the blissful Lord Himself. <br /><br />They who attain this state become liberated, they never return to the world of transmigration."<br /><br />And finally: "O divine Narada! There is only one Substance in existence and it is Lord Vasudeva Himself! Neither the material elements, nor karma, nor time, nor even the human soul have any substance of their own other than Narayana, Who is the aim and object of the Veda, all sacrifice, all yoga, all penance, all knowledge and all seeking. He is not only all these but their Ruler and Perceiver as well."<br /><br />The implication is compellingly clear: there are many paths having numerous names and forms, but the destination is only one. <br /><br />There is no place where the Supreme Self is not.</p>
