Desires, actions, and manifold anxieties are in reality all aspects that belong to the body and name. They are merely unfolding. And as they unfold, owing to ignorance of the Self (the real Self), in each circumstance, we experience attachment and abhorrence internally. Consequently, we get bound by merit or demerit karma accordingly.
Hence, the root cause of our bondage is our ignorance of the real Self.
Whilst we continue to believe the name and body to be our self, we will continue to suffer their effects. This wrong belief itself is called ego!
‘I am John (please insert your name here)’ is the subtlest form of ego. As a result of this wrong belief, further false beliefs of ‘I want this and that, what do I do to get it, will I be able to get it or not, I am suffering, I feel stressed, etc.’ constantly keep binding a chain of new karmas. And once we bind karmas, we will naturally have to suffer their effects. Such is the law of Nature!
Desires, Actions, Manifold Anxieties - A Natural Outcome of Our Hunt for Happiness
The ego hunts for happiness in this relative world. It settles for some happiness. Later, it experiences that there is no real happiness here, and so moves onto the next relative object. Once again he hunts for happiness. Again, he experiences that there is no happiness here either, and thus moves onto the next temporary object.
This cycle goes on life after life, for infinite lives, wherein one keeps taking different kinds of experiences and keeps concluding that there is no real happiness in this, there is something beyond this experience.
In the process, one is silently progressing on the path of development. And ultimately when he realizes the Self and experiences the Soul (which is the real Self), he tastes the real happiness, and hence settles there permanently.
We are bound through ignorance and liberated after the realisation of the Self
We have been bound by karmas owing to ignorance of the Self, and will continue to be bound until we attain the Knowledge of the Self. The experiential knowledge of the Self is called Self- Realization.
Self-Realization can be easily attained when there is a presence of a Living Enlightened person (Gnani Purush) amongst us. Today, we have such Enlightened person amidst us, with whose grace you, me and everyone who has a desire for it, can attain Self-Realization within less than an hour’s time, for no cost whatsoever.
Gnani does the grace by:
Separating the Self (Soul) and the non-Self (everything other than Soul i.e. body, name, ego, thoughts, words, actions, intellect, etc.)
Removing the wrong belief of ‘I am John’ and setting in the right understanding of ‘I am a Pure Soul.’
Giving the knowledge of ‘who is the real doer in this world’. This helps us rightly understand how actions actually happen and how one's desires are basically fulfilled’. This right understanding itself gets rid of the manifold worries and anxieties.
Ignorance of the Self, and hence believing ourselves to be the ‘doer’ is the key reason why we are bound in this world. Therefore, after Self-Realization, we do not get into this bondage again. Following the Enlightened One’s words, our awareness of the Self constantly enhances, and as it begins to prevail more and more in our daily worldly interactions with everyone, it helps us attain more and more freedom from bondages, suffering and misery.
To conclude: We are bound through ignorance of the Self and thus can be liberated through Knowledge of the Self i.e. upon attaining Self-realisation. Self-Realization can be acquired easily and effortlessly from Akram Gnani, the Enlightened being, who himself is liberated and has the gift of liberating others too!
To know more: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/self-realization/
Ambalal M. Patel was a civil contractor by profession. In June 1958, spontaneous Self-Realization occurred within Ambalal M. Patel. From this point on, Ambalal became a Gnani Purush, and the Lord that manifest within him became known as Dada Bhagwan. A Gnani Purush is One who has realized the Self and is able help others do the same. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan used to go from town to town and country-to-country to give satsang (spiritual discourse) and impart the knowledge of the Self, as well as knowledge of harmonious worldly interactions to everyone who came to meet him. This spiritual science, known as Akram Vignan, is the step-less path to Self-realization.