“You say that CeLiberation is only after liberation from the delusion of aims. But if I have no aims, I will have no motive to act, no desire to do anything,” said Sandy self-righteously. “To be successful and satisfied in life, we need to have a purpose!”

“Can you explain what you mean by success, satisfaction, and purpose?” Vivek asked.

Sandy appeared confused, and Neeraj came to his aid.

“I will consider myself successful when I do not have to struggle every day for my basic needs – for food, clothing and shelter,” said Neeraj. “But I would be satisfied only when I have a big house, a big car and a big bank-balance,” he added with a smile. “And the purpose of my life is to have a bigger house, a bigger car and a bigger bank-balance than my neighbour,” Neeraj said with a chuckle, making everyone laugh.

“And in the race to get there, we only get a bigger headache, higher B.P, greater fears of loss, and a more severe Heart attack,” Andrew retorted.

“No doubt, success gives pleasure – a sense of achievement, a boost to the ego. But why then is there a gnawing emptiness even with an overflowing bank account?” Indu wondered aloud. “If survival is all, as the theory of evolution says, then why this hollowness when we have accumulated enough to secure our survival? I wonder what true success is?”

“True success is when you can say, ‘I have everything, but I possess nothing.’ True success is when you are successful in being liberated from all Attachment,” Vivek explained. “And the AIMS from which you have to be liberated is A, I, M and S.” As he spoke, Vivek traced the letters in the air with his laser pen, and they got displayed on the screens for all to see. “AIMS is an acronym for the four Liberations of CeLiberation, in which ‘A’ stands for Attachment.”

“You said that the affect has to be experienced, but the side-effects are visible to all. So how are the side-effects of liberation from attachment revealed in one’s actions?” asked Cathy.

Indu stood up to answer. “It’s revealed when the detached person says, ‘Good bye AF-Ford, Good bye possessions, Good bye bank balance’,” she said, “I gave up all my cars, my gadgets and donated all my wealth and much more, for the opportunity of being part of the CosCon family.” Indu seemed attached to the things she had given up, constantly remembering them, and reminding others of her ‘sacrifice.’

“Detachment can only be attained by a higher attachment,” said CoCo Yogi Ma Anandi. It sounded profound till her shallow explanation proved otherwise. “Leave the attachment to your Teslecs, AF-Fords and BMWs, leave your bank balances and your properties, and attach yourself to the higher – to the CosCon mission.”

“But Liberation from Attachment is not detachment,” corrected Vivek. “Detachment implies withdrawing from the world, either because of fear or because we simply don’t care, and we develop a depressing indifference to the world. On the other hand, Liberation from Attachment implies being of this world, being full of life, enjoying everything in life, but with no fear of getting hooked to anything. Liberation from Attachment does not mean you should not own anything, but it is about ensuring that nothing owns you! It’s a state of mind – an affect. Once liberated from Attachment, you are attached to nothing, but you relate to everything,” explained Vivek in his own amicable style.

“By detachment, CoCo Ma Anandi meant non-attachment,” said CoCo Guru Gyan Dass, coming to the rescue of the abashed woman. “Non-attachment can lead to higher spiritual attachment.”

“But Sir, Liberation from Attachment is also not non-attachment, nor even a higher attachment,” Vivek explained patiently. “In non-attachment it is ‘you’ who negate your attachment to things, but in Liberation from attachment there is no ‘you’ left to be attached to anything!”

“Liberation from Attachment does not mean you have to actually leave anything,” explained Aruna.

“But even Buddha left his palace, his wife and child in order to seek enlightenment,” CoCo Guru Gyan Dass reminded.

“Buddha did not, but Prince Siddhartha did. Renunciation is the act of physically giving up something, and Siddhartha erred here, for he had not yet become the Buddha and had not experienced the affect of Liberation from Attachment,” said Nutsy.

“Buddha was affected by the sight of old age, sickness and death and proclaimed that suffering is the Truth of life, and the root of all this suffering is attachment,” said Guru Gyan Dass. “Sorrow arises not only from losing a thing, but also from fear of losing the things – it may be a rich man fearing the loss of his possessions or a poor monk fearing the loss of his begging bowl…”

“…Or a mother fearing the loss of her child,” whispered Varsha in a voice that conveyed the sorrow of ages. “The loss of her only child…” The pause, and the silence was palpable. “The sorrow is because of the attachment.” Clinging to her husband, she wept uncontrollably. She had perhaps not wept since the time of her son’s death. “I do not even seek happiness. I just want liberation from sorrow,” she said, with a catch in her voice. “It’s been two years and twenty-one days…” her voice trailed off.

The audience sat in silence, in deference to her grief.

Grief is love madly seeking the beloved it has lost – the price we pay for delaying exposing our heart. Grief is really love – all the love we wanted to give – but now cannot. We can prevent grief only by loving completely from moment-to-moment, just as we can overcome the fear of mortality by living completely from moment-to-moment.

“We all know that attachment and the resultant fear of loss is the cause of all sorrow. What’s new in all this? Attachment and fear are two sides of the same coin,” CoCo Master Sri Ghantali Maharaj’s insensitive remark shattered the moment of reverential silence. “I can predict that the side-effects of liberation from Attachment would include a liberation from fear of loss. I am sure my CoCo Monks can add to the list of side-effects.”

“When we are liberated from attachment, we are liberated from Desires, and hence liberated from Discontent,” said Mukesh.

“No attachment, no Greed,” said Sandy, as the CosCon gurus smiled with encouragement at the prowess of their disciples.

“Liberation from attachment leads to Liberation from the rat-race,” said Indu.

“But when you are liberated from attachment, you do not have to stop running,” admonished Vivek. “But you keep running for the fun of it. You simply stop running towards something out of greed, or away from something out of fear. After liberation from attachment, you can enjoy everything, including your work. There is no need to give up your job, for after CeLiberation you work better, and your energy is not dissipated in needless attachments and fears. You will keep all your mansions, your cars, and your bank balances, without the associated tensions and fears of losing them. There is no need to sell your Ferrari and become a monk… rather there is no need to become a monk for CeLiberation can be experienced amidst life and work!”

“People become hermits to shun attachment and temptation. They profess to love humanity, but perhaps they can’t stand humans,” added Nutsy with a laugh.

 “We are tourists on the planet! So, we should live like tourists, always in a holiday mood, without any fear or worries,” said Aruna.

“Not tourists! After liberation from attachment, we are pilgrims – tourists without baggage,” said Nutsy with a twinkle in his eyes. “Now we have no fear of losing our baggage. All are born empty-handed, and all die empty-handed, but to live empty-handed, unencumbered by baggage – that is CeLiberation!”

 “We, in CosCon, are not attached to our possessions,” declared CoCo Master Sri Ghantali Maharaj. “We run charities, we feed hundreds, and we run dispensaries, hospitals, orphanages, free meditation centres.”

“A little CoCo nut, sits on his silly butt, sucking the people dry! For fear of insecurity, he puts up a charity, and says what a good boy am I,” hummed Ishan. The microphones weren’t sensitive enough to pick the loud whispered exchange.

“Once we succeed in fulfilling our low grumbles for survival and security, we strive to satisfy our higher grumbles of ego and self-esteem. We end up doing charity to win the approval of people, or ‘doing good’ in order to ‘feel good’. Rather, we must develop self-worth and self-esteem. Then we will not have to manipulate others or depend on them to get love and respect. True satisfaction is when you can say: I Love Everyone, but I Expect no Love in Return! And this will lead to liberation from the ‘I’ of AIMS…. the Liberation from Insecurity. Our insecurity is not merely about losing the things we are attached to, it is more about loneliness, dependence, and emotional pain – the insecurity of relationships.”

 “Join our CoCo monk ‘family’ to experience the security of belonging to a loving and caring group,” proposed CoCo Ma Anandi.

“My friends, it is the insecure who seek security. Making oneself secure is not the same as Liberation from insecurity,” clarified Vivek. “This liberation from insecurity too is a state of mind – an affect. And again, it has a host of side-effects,” he added with a laugh.

“Once one is liberated from insecurity, one would be liberated from dependence on others, and liberated from approval seeking,” volunteered Guru Gyan Dass, trying to set the ball rolling for his disciples to suggest more side-effects.

“Liberation from fishing for compliments,” complemented Mukesh. “It is the insecure who seek likes on their social profiles.”

The CosConners were merely stating the obvious by just manipulating words and were not able to add anything new to what Vivek had said.

“Very good,” complimented Vivek. “What else?”

“Liberation from insecurity leads to liberation from boredom and ageing,” added Nutsy, when no one volunteered to answer.

“How can it liberate you from ageing,” asked CoCo Ma Anandi, eagerly. Her short-term goal was to be as youthful as her young rival, Ma Mythili, and she was keenly looking forward to walking the ramp during the fashion show on the CosCon Annual day. In the yesteryears she had been a showstopper multiple time.

“Liberation from insecurity enhances the appetite for risk taking,” Nutsy explained. “This leads to openness to new relationships, openness to experimenting, and to seeking new adventures. Curiosity, wonder, and risk taking, prevent boredom and ageing of mind!”

 “Not my age for bungee jumping,” said Ma Anandi with a nervous laugh.

“Well, it’s not just adventure sports at the SSDD resort; this risk taking can be even in simple day-to-day activities – like willingness to try out a new dish at a restaurant!”

“Insecure people, low in curiosity, prefer activities and ideas that are tried, tested and familiar. People high in curiosity prefer things that are offbeat and new – they find quirky things appealing, they read more books, eat a wider range of food, and enjoy life more! And it seems they are a bit higher in intelligence too,” said Nutsy, then looking at Ma Anandi, he added with a mischievous smile, “Liberation from insecurity also leads to liberation from doing the cat-walk!”

“What catwalk?” blurted Ma Anandi, wondering how Nutsy had read her mind. “Why would I want to walk the ramp?” she protested.

“I’m not talking of a fashion show; I’m talking of our daily life,” said Nutsy with a laugh. “Most people are always on the ramp, doing a catwalk, self-conscious, feeling they are under a spotlight – that all eyes are on them.”

“Liberation from Insecurity leads to liberation from masks,” said Kishore. “Insecure people try to hide their true selves behind masks and fear revealing their true face. With liberation from insecurity, one is always one’s natural self. The world is no longer a stage, and all relationships are authentic and truly loving.”

“When there is no insecurity, one is liberated from living life on other’s terms in an attempt to appease them.”

“I think liberation from insecurity should lead to liberation from superstition & rituals. We indulge in them because of our desires and fears,” volunteered Sharika.

“That’s good,” said Vivek, encouraging the youngest Bud.

 “Liberation from insecurity provides liberation from mistrust. It is the insecure who are afraid to trust others,” said Rashmi. “They even fear trusting their own self, and try to put the responsibility of their actions on some god, saying: In god we trust!”

“Liberation from insecurity also leads to liberation from fanaticism,” said Aruna. “When people feel insecure about their ‘faith’, they become fanatics. Create a doubt in the mind of a believer, and he will cling to his belief even more. Remind someone of his mortality, and he will seek more fervently the solace of some theory of after-life.”

“Liberation from insecurity also leads to liberation from the custodians of faith,” said CC.  “The Priests and Pandits prey on people’s insecurity and weaknesses to generate huge profits for themselves.”

“Liberation from insecurity even leads to liberation from the gods,” said Aruna. “It is religions that create a god and then instil a fear of god in their believers, and push them to pray for forgiveness.”

‘It’s the Cosmology determines soteriology story,’ mused CC.

“Well, praying for forgiveness of sins is nothing but a seeking of anticipatory bail,” responded Nutsy with a laugh. There was scattered laughter in response.

“Perhaps through prayer they also try to seek a seat reservation in heaven,” added Sid, with a wry smile.

“We can become truly spiritual only when liberated from insecurity,” said Matt. “Religions trick us into doing things out of fear and greed – they invoke the fear of hell and the desire for heaven. But the one who is liberated from insecurity and attachment always does what is right, regardless of what any authority or religion insists – and that is Spirituality!”

“Good people do good things; bad people do bad things; but it takes religion to make a good person do bad things,” quipped Ishan.

“In liberation from insecurity, there is liberation from strings,” Nutsy said with a smile. “Once one is liberated from insecurity, then all relationships are with the ‘no strings attached’ tag. There is liberation from the need to condition the loved one and the person we love feels free. There is no expectation or motive attached to the sharing of such love and hence there is no insecurity about losing the same, and the giver also feels free. That is unconditional love.”

“Conditions’ in love convert it into a business deal – the opening of a profit and loss account that can make neither the giver, nor the receiver happy. In True love, you love because you overflow with love – motiveless, unadulterated, overflowing, universal love! You have no insecurity, no fear of your love being rejected, nor any desire for your love to be reciprocated. A person liberated from insecurity is not attached to the results of his actions,” said Vivek.

“That is the philosophy of nishkam karma advocated by the Bhagvad Gita,” said Guru Gyan Dass. “Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani. Chapter 2, verse 47. This means ‘You have only the right to work but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.’ The Bhagvad Gita said this thousands of years ago. So, what’s new?”

“Nothing,” replied Vivek humbly. “There is nothing new under the sun, but you cannot step into the same sunlight twice. Each ray of sunshine is an unrepeatable and new ray of light, and each experience of the ancient truth is a new experience.”

“I agree! The Truth in the scriptures, and in the Gita, is ancient, but this eternal truth must be experienced afresh by each one for it to become one’s experiential Truth! This truth is as old as the universe and as young as the newborn – and it must be experienced anew by everyone,” said Nutsy.

“So, according to you this profound effect of liberation from fruit of action – which is the essential teaching of the Gita – is merely a side-effect of CeLiberation!” exclaimed the Guru.

“It is the result not only of liberation from attachment and liberation from insecurity, but also of liberation from recall of memory. Only when there is no recall of the deed done, can there be liberation from the expectation of return. Only when you forget what you have done and for whom, can you truly give and forget; only when you forget whom you have forgiven and for what can you truly forgive and forget.”

“Hmm, so is this the ‘M’ of AIMS – liberation from recording and recalling of Memory,” Matt exclaimed.

“It’s a liberation from recall and replay of Memory,” corrected Vivek. “But that’s as good as liberation from recording, for if a memory is not recalled and replayed, it is as good as not recorded!”

“Liberation from memory! That’s something new! It is not mentioned in any of the scriptures. We only talk of liberation from attachment, and if you extend it, we can say that the scriptures mention liberation from insecurity. But liberation from memory! That’s cunningly ingenious,” commented Guru Gyan Dass.

“It’s the essence of CeLiberation,” Vivek pronounced calmly.

 Mukesh, who had been looking up the Cosmic Web to confirm what Vivek was saying, interrupted. “It’s not even mentioned on the Cosmic Web – this affect about loss of memory. You have just cooked it up,” he accused.

“This concept is the result of my self-observation. But don’t take me on my word. Trust your logic,” said Vivek.

“I want liberation from attachment and insecurity, but I don’t want to give up my memory,” Kishore said, almost in tears. “Our memories are all that we have.”

“CeLiberation is a package deal – you either get all its affects in one go, or you get nothing. You cannot say you have got some affects, and so you are partially enlightened. It is an all-or-none phenomenon. Either you are ‘fully’ enlightened, or you are not!” Vivek declared. “So do join us tomorrow to know the rest of the package. You are now free to enjoy yourself. Those who are craving for a fix can go to the Junkie in the Infinity Plains below,” he announced. “Be back tomorrow”

“Before we jump ahead to lose our memory, I want to ask a question about the A and I of AIMS,” said Kishore who not only seemed reluctant to be liberated from memory but was still clinging to attachment and insecurity. “Don’t you think that we need some basic level of attachment and insecurity in order to be motivated to act? If I feel totally secure, I would have no reason to get up and do anything! And if I am totally non-attached, then for whom would I do anything?”

“We always need a reason to act,” Cathy agreed. “I have seen that once a person has the abundance to fulfil his basic needs, he creates another set of needs, so that he has something to do! He says he needs a bigger house, needs to be more popular, needs to make a painting, and gets busy fulfilling those needs,” she observed.

“These are not needs but wants, arising from attachment and insecurity – a bigger house, greater popularity, even painting. Your body’s basic needs for food, air, water, safety and shelter are actual physiological needs essential for survival,” Vivek clarified. “There’s a difference between these, and wants arising from attachment and insecurity.”

“Cuckoo, Cuckoo, goes the stomach at regular intervals, signalling the need for food at regular intervals,” added Nutsy. “The cuckoo in the cuckoo-clock calls when the need arises, then goes quiet when the need is fulfilled. When your Cuckoo self is hungry, it ‘needs’ food. Once the need is satisfied, it is forgotten till it again arises,” he explained. “But wants arise from attachment and insecurity, and are never satisfied. Wants are like the pendulum of this cuckoo clock – ever swinging, ever restless, stretching the ‘need’ of the present moment into a restless ‘want’. Weighed by attachment and insecurity, the Pendulum self keeps swinging – it ‘wants’ food even when the body is not hungry. And the rat-race continues so long as one feels insecure, even if one has an overflowing bank locker,” explained Nutsy.

“Hickory, dickory, dock; not the mouse but a rat ran up the clock,” CC hummed, then smiled as he imagined the weight at the lower end of the pendulum to be in the shape of a running fat rat – keeping the pendulum swinging, never letting it rest.

“But our needs are not just for food and shelter,” said Andrew. “Humans have a hierarchy of needs – besides the basic survival and safety needs, we have social needs, self-esteem needs, and then the self-actualization needs.

“The hierarchy of needs evolved as life evolved. From the necessity to fulfill basic needs of survival and safety, the evolution of the emotional brain of mammals produced the psychological need for love and belongingness, respect and recognition, and with the development of the rational and creative prefrontal neocortex emerged the need for self-esteem and self-actualization,” CC said. “But attachment and insecurity give rise to a hierarchy of wants…”

“But how do you decide whether love and belongingness are ‘needs’ or ‘wants’?” interrupted Cathy.

“Good question,” commented Vivek. “We can check and see if love and belongingness pass the test of needs.”

“What’s this test?” enquired Cathy.

“The test for an actual need is that the deficiency of the needed thing can be harmful, its excess painful, and when satiated, the need disappears till a fresh need arises again. When you feel the need for food, you grumble about it and strive to fulfil it, and when the need is satiated, following a full meal, you feel content, and the need vanishes – like the cuckoo in the clock vanishes, and comes out again when fresh hunger arises. Also, we do not try to ‘over-satisfy’ the need, for if we eat more than needed, it becomes unpleasant,” Vivek explained, then continued after a pause, “In addition, we are not attached to our need, nor do we have any desire to maximize it – like we are not attached to our hunger, nor do we have a desire to maximise it before we eat. But ‘wants’ are never satisfied, never completely fulfilled, and keep getting maximized – we keep wanting more and more… the pendulum keeps swinging back and forth.”

“So do love and belongingness pass this test?” Cathy asked.

“Well, mammalian brains have evolved to a level where love and belongingness have become survival needs. A deficiency of physical strokes can psychologically scar an infant for life and even endanger the survival of an infant,” said Vivek. “And an excess of mothering love can be smothering.”

“Even the social and self-esteem requirements are needs. We need to be recognized as competent and worthy,” Vivek stated. “A deficiency of social recognition can lead to depression and a feeling of worthlessness.”

“And an excess of recognition, as in the case of celebrities, makes them weird and uncomfortable and they try to avoid it,” voiced Matt. “So, even this passes the test of needs.”

“But sometimes, even if one has name and fame, one craves for more,” Cathy pointed out.

“It is the inferiority-complex riddled pendulum-self that continues seeking virtual strokes of approval for their shaky ‘ego’ constantly depends on others for assurance of their worth,” Nutsy elaborated.

“All these needs that you have discussed are ‘deficiency’ needs which can be detrimental to the healthy development of the individual if they are not fulfilled,” said Cathy. “But Maslow, who proposed this hierarchy of needs, also talked about growth needs, like the need for self-actualization! This need does not fulfill the test of needs. Man can survive without self-actualization and without seeking the meaning of life. Its deficiency is not harmful; its excess is not painful. And whereas motivation decreases as deficiency needs are fulfilled, motivation increases as growth needs are met – one gets more encouraged to ‘grow’ as one starts actualizing,” she pointed out.

“I agree that man can survive without ‘growth’ needs, but he will not feel fully human,” Andrew countered. “The need for Self-actualization – to fully unfold one’s potentials, and to become everything that one is capable of becoming – arises from the need to become more fully human.”

 “Man cannot live without meaning – cannot act without a reason to act… Indeed, man would become insane if he is deprived of purpose,” protested Neeraj. “Even a madman will feel offended if he is told that he acted without purpose… He would defend himself by offering some reason – any reason, however absurd.”

“Indeed, we need meaning and purpose for our mental well-being. As logical beings, we are so desperate for meaning that we willingly accept even absurd meanings of life,” said Mukesh.

 “So, what about my desperate search – my meta-grumble-need for meaning and purpose?” asked Andrew. “Is it a need or a want?”

“Neither,” said Vivek, who had been listening silently to their discussion. It is not the higher brain that is seeking; it is the whole living self that seeks meaning. This need for self actualization gives birth to all other needs in the hierarchy, and this need for self-actualization usually progresses through fulfilment of the lower rungs of the hierarchy, because sometimes progresses more intensely when the lower rungs are not fulfilled and one expresses oneself through art or whatever passion even on an empty stomach and even after being derided by society. The self-actualization that one pursues at the peak of the pyramid, after all basic needs are met, is merely the ‘want’ for actualization felt by the viractual I. When the ego considers itself separate, then it seeks a separate self-actualization, and this actualization is a want, not a need.

We are all hardwired to seek meaning, but whether this seeking is a need or a want depends on who is seeking and why! It depends on whether your ‘actual cuckoo self’ is seeking, or your ‘illusory pendulum self’, the ‘I,’ that is seeking. Or in other words, it depends upon whether you ‘need’ to seek meaning because you value and love your life, or you ‘want’ a meaning because you fear death,” Vivek explained.

“I think it’s both,” Andrew said after thinking awhile. “I value my life, and I fear death, but perhaps my seeking for truth started with the realization of my mortality,” he honestly admitted.

“Have you asked yourself why you are seeking a meaning of life? Has your quest started from necessity or from immensity? From fear of insecurity or fear of security?”

“But why would one have a fear of security?”

“I’ll explain this interesting aspect later. But first realize that your ‘want’ to establish some meaning that can survive death will continue so long as you are desperate to escape the chaos of life and the meaninglessness of death.”

“Can my want become a need? You explained how needs extended in past and future become wants. But can wants become needs?”

“Ah! Don’t despair, Andrew. The ‘need’ for seeking the Truth is always there – it has merely been overshadowed by the ‘want’ to escape death.”

“Oh, why does an individual have two hierarchies – one of needs, the other of wants? How and when does the need to know the meaning of life change into a want to escape death?” wondered Andrew.

“I thought you would have guessed by now!” said Vivek, surprised. “It’s because you are not one ‘indivisible’ individual having two hierarchies. It’s two separate selves, each having its own hierarchy – the cuckoo self with its hierarchy of actual needs, and the pendulum self with its hierarchy of illusory wants!”

“So, what if my quest for a meaning is a want? Even a want can be genuine,” Andrew tried to rationalize.

“A want is a genuine need of a false human being,” quipped Ishan.

“Many a true word is spoken in jest,” Vivek said after a pause, “You want to know how your ‘want’ to escape death can become a need to know the meaning of life? Well, Andrew, a need is in real time and can be fulfilled only in real time – you cannot fulfil your hunger in the past or the future. But a want is in illusory time that exists only in memory and can never get fulfilled in actual time, and so you always keep wanting!”

“So, how am I to stop wanting!” asked Andrew with a wry smile.

“It is our memory and imagination that extend a need into a want, that expand the actual present moment into illusory past and future, that stretch the moment of death into a lifelong fear of mortality,” explained Vivek.

“Sounds logical,” nodded Guru Gyan Dass, “But how is one to be liberated from memory?”

“Well, for that we must first understand how memory is formed,” said Vivek. “As you all know, formation of memory has an emotional link – things that have emotional significance are retained in memory, others are soon forgotten…”

‘Of course, the emotional limbic brain has an important role in memory formation,’ mused CC.

“Like our boring studies…” quipped Sid. “I think I must get emotional about Physics,” he added with a serious face, and everyone laughed.

“Yes, develop your Biology to have the right Chemistry with Physics!” Nutsy said wittily.

“Never heard of memory being lost in enlightenment,” muttered CoCo Ma Anandi.

“It’s not a loss of memory, it is a liberation from memory – a liberation from the cycle of karma if you understand it that way – for now no karma is recalled or remembered,” Vivek clarified.

“Is karma a person’s individual memory? Or is it recorded in God’s memory?” insisted Ma Anandi.

“Come on, God is not a petty account keeper,” countered Vivek, matter-of-factly. What is Karma? It is a theory propounding the carry-over of accounts of one’s deeds from one birth to the next, isn’t it? Don’t you realize that the genesis of this theory lies in our desire for reward not received in this life, and our need for justice and revenge not received in this life. Karma theory is an ‘off the cuff’ explanation about how some people are born luckier or worse off than others. It’s intellectual junk food,” Vivek explained.

Justice and fair-play were the cornerstones in his rational society. But CC now felt that they smacked of miserliness and vengeance, and appeared to be more of a business transaction, than love. Though everyone in their affluent society had an abundance of abundance, none had the overabundance to rise above justice and fairplay into the realm of love and gratitude.

“So, besides the ending of Karmic cycle, what are the other side-effects of this affect of loss of memory?” asked CoCo Ma Anandi.

“Please memorise this – it is Not Loss of Memory, but Liberation from Memory!” Vivek corrected with a smile. “In loss of memory you lose your past data, but you still keep recording and recalling new memories from the present moment onwards, thus create a new past over a period of time. In liberation from memory, you are liberated from recall of all memories – old and new.”

 “Well, Mr. Vivek, if an enlightened person is liberated from his memory, then how will he remember that he is enlightened?” Mukesh sounded sarcastic.

The audience burst into laughter. Vivek had an innocent mind – a mind incapable of being hurt. He merely smiled and said, “An enlightened being never needs to remember that he is enlightened. He simply lives in the eternal present, in a state of CeLiberation.”

“And how does it feel to be in a state of liberation from recall of memory?” Andrew enquired.

“Well, imagine a computer with a processor and operating system and a high-capacity working memory or RAM and a hard disc whose read-write mechanism cannot read what is written. SO, though data is being written, it cannot be read and replayed! Now, since there is no recall from hard disc, no data projected onto the screen, so the screen is ever blank, with not even a screen saver to keep the screen engaged. There is no other background program consuming the RAM required for processing. But the screen springs into action whenever a software is activated, the required processing is done in the RAM, the result displayed on the screen, and then the screen again goes blank with nothing to re-read from the hard disk. This is living and dying from moment-to-moment. Even if new memory is formed, it is not readable and the mind is always quiet and peaceful. The deed is done and forgotten, and the computer is fresh and ready for the next operation.”

“So, when there is no recall of events, then there is no ‘past’ to ruminate upon. And since the future is just a ‘projection’ of the past modified by our desires and fears, now no new future is there to distract one from the Eternal Present!” Vivek elucidated.

“There is liberation from time, for there is the ending of time,” said Nutsy. “Time as past and as future is a construct of memory. In the liberated person, the time machine is gone! The liberated being is always engrossed in the eternal present, with no pressure of deadlines. He is more in touch with his biological clock and circadian rhythms… sleeps when sleepy, eats when hungry. His life is no longer a clock-work life, nor a dead-line life!”

“But how will one function without memory? How will we learn from experience if we have no memory?” queried Andrew.

“Well, this liberation from recall is only of the emotional and episodic memory. The functional memory still remains. And since it is unclouded by emotions, it becomes even sharper- the need is more clearly defined, the fear more realistically judged, the experience more fully and truly appreciated, the present more fully enjoyed!”

“When you say there is no recall of memory, do you mean to imply that the recording of memory is still going on?” asked Sharika. “Is the memory being written but not read?”

Vivek pondered awhile, becoming aware of what was going on within him, then said, “The recording is not under our control, but the recall is! Memories get strengthened only after repeated recall. Without recall, the recorded memory simply fades away,” explained Vivek. 

I feel that all the side-effects of liberation from attachment and liberation from insecurity are enhanced by the liberation from recall of memory,” said Andrew. “Yes, that’s an important side-effect of liberation from memory,” said Vivek. “What else?”

“And when memory is not recalled, boredom is gone, for now the every-day, ordinary experiences appear new and fresh each time and one is ever alert, ever aware, ever in wonder, ever in the Now,” Andrew reflected. “One becomes childlike, ever curious, ever full of wonder, for everything is seen as if for the first time!!”

“Well, I can see the same movie again and again with the same ‘first time’ feel!” quipped Sid. “Am I enlightened?”

 “We get liberation from guilt of past, from tensions about the future – and this leads to liberation from forethoughts and afterthoughts, from ifs and buts, from all cortical chatter. That’s true peace of mind!”

“After liberation from memory you become more honest,” commented Neeraj. “It’s not that you become moral. It’s simply because, even if you want to lie, you cannot, for the simple reason that a liar needs to have a good memory. If you forget the lie you told or the excuse you made you can easily get caught. So, when liberated from memory you have no choice but to be truthful,” Neeraj explained.

“Once liberated from memory, there is Liberation from dreams and nightmares,” Aruna added, obviously speaking from her personal experience. “I think dreaming is something like disk defragmentation, where the brain sorts out its memories and puts them in the right compartments. But when there is no recall of memories even in sleep, then there is nothing to dream about.”