While Nirvana is the liberation after death, Self-Realization gets us liberation while alive.

Moksha begins with Liberation and Nirvana happens when one attains Ultimate Liberation! 

Moksha happens in two stages:

1. The first stage of Moksha is attained when Self-Realization happens. As a result, we experience liberation from all unhappiness in this life. This is how we get liberation while alive. Here itself we feel, “I have become free.” The awareness of freedom prevails all the time as we realize, “I am really a pure Soul and these worldly things have nothing to do with the Soul.”
2. And later, when we get free from all our karmas, then the second and the final stage of liberation is achieved. It is called ‘Nirvana’ or the ultimate salvation. There is no rebirth thereafter as there comes an end to the wandering that has been going on since infinite lives.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, the Enlightened being, specifies:

“Liberation (Moksha) is your own nature. Your own nature is Moksha itself. But to realize your nature, would you not have to do something? Your nature is Moksha, but because you are not aware of this state, you are not experiencing the bliss from it. You do not have to go to any place for Moksha. Freedom from all pain and unhappiness is the first stage of Moksha, and the second stage of Moksha is liberation from the worldly life!

Once you attain the first Moksha (liberation while alive), you will see the second Moksha (liberation after death) right in front of you, it will come to you on its own. The first liberation is in the form of ‘causes’, and the second is in the form of ‘effect’. After freedom from ‘causes’, you can carry on with your worldly duties of marrying off your children and all that. There is an intent of freedom even in that. And right now, the effect Moksha is not possible. I myself remain in the causes Moksha, all the other work gets carried on by itself. Once one attains the awareness of liberation, one only has one or two lifetimes then.”

There are two pathways to attain liberation:

1. The Kramic path and
2. The Akram path

Kramic path is the common traditional path where a person renounces worldly things and slowly climbs up one step at a time towards the ultimate goal of moksha.

The other path is the Akram path, which is an exceptional path and is indeed a wonder in this present age, because on this path, we are not required to acquire or renounce anything. We can attain liberation even while living our worldly life, just as Emperor Bharat did – he fought battles, enjoyed his royal life and yet attained liberation! This is possible by receiving Self-Realization directly with the grace of the Living Gnani, the Enlightened One!

How is this Liberation like?

Liberation from the Darkness of Ignorance

In a home which had no power (light) and where we were living our life by lighting a little lamp, suppose if full light arrives, will there be any change at home? Yes, indeed! We will continue to eat and drink what we used to, but earlier we were stumbling every now and then, there would be clashes between husband and wife, there would be difference of opinions and conflicts with children. Now, after Self-Realization, all conflict shall go away!

We will continue to eat and drink what we used to, and our wife and children too will continue to remain the same. Our life will remain the same but all conflict will leave from our life. It is because now there is light (of knowledge) in our home!

Liberation from Mistakes

After Self-Realization, we can ‘see’ our mistakes. Mistakes now come in our ‘vision’! We continue to see more and more mistakes as this vision of seeing the mistakes blossoms; we begin to see even minute mistakes.  As many mistakes we see in the awareness of the Soul (Self), we get liberated from those mistakes forever.

Liberation from the Bondage of Karma

During Self-Realization, one gets the experience of the Soul. Param Pujya Dadashri says,

“The experience of the Soul means the destruction of the experience of, “I am the body.” When the experience of “I am this body” goes, new karma ceases to bind you. What more could you want? We can understand what ‘John (please insert your name here)’ was previously and what he is now. That difference is due to what? It is due to the experience of the Soul. Previously, there was the experience of, ‘I am this body’, and now there is the experience of the Soul.”

Therefore, come let us too receive Self-Realization directly with the grace of the Living Gnani, the Enlightened One, and attain liberation while alive!!!