In spite of our knowledge of our spiritual dimension ,why do we slip momentaraily at times in the face of extreme odds...It is One without a second then such slippages look odd in themselves. It is a long process/practice or sadhana of getting established in Stithyapragya but when it happens it is instant thru the grace of God or Guru. Even after dawn of knowledge in our mortal state,it leads you to immortality then why such a slippage in mortal state occur?
—RajeevGaur, India
Dear Rajeev,
It essentially comes down to the ego, or more correctly, the attachments and desires that come from the ego.
Those egoic attachments and desires are deeply rooted in us due to the thoughts and actions we have put in motion that have led us away from our oneness in God. This is the essence of maya (delusion). Our task is to direct our energy and magnetism to be increasingly in tune with Divine consciousness.
It isn’t until we reach the state of a jivan mukta (freed while living) that we are safe from any effects of karma and ego attachments. At that point we still need to work out our past karma but we do not accrue any further karma. We are no longer in danger of slipping into delusion.
Patanjali mentions in the Yoga Sutras the concept of ‘smriti’ which means memory. Our goal, in a sense, is to remember who and what we really are: individual sparks of the Infinite Consciousness. It is through the various spiritual practices that we uncover that true reality within our own selves and live more and more in that grace.
Blessings on your journey,
Nayaswami Pranaba
