Realization of the self, the doctrine is best understood when we believed in existence of god, existence of world of souls’ atmans, belief in doctrine of reincarnation rebirth and most important of all the belief that we are primarily a spiritual being on its cosmic journey and not the manifest physical human form as we commonly believed.
Our belief in God means our belief in the fact that everything cosmic was created by God, Brahman in Hinduism, the one and only God existing in entire cosmos.
Understanding God is itself an anomaly. If we say the whole cosmos was created by God, then God has to exist outside the system. What if God existed within the system and still created it? Difficult to believe but the absolute reality of cosmic life is so. This fundamental of life relating to God is well detailed in Hinduism scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads (independent spiritual treatises).
As detailed in Upanishads it is when Brahman (God Almighty) explodes self with a big bang, the present cosmos formed. And what is God Almighty? The cluster of all souls’ atmans in cosmos in their pure form is what we can define as God Almighty. This cluster of pure energy, the size of half a thumb unable to control itself in its prime pure state explodes with a big bang giving rise to a new cosmos, a new journey of life.
Does this mean size of Brahman at the time of big bang was size of half a thumb yes, Upanishads say so. This also proves that God Almighty and souls atmans were intimately connected. If an individual grain of sand is an independent soul atman the whole mound God Almighty. If an individual piece of a puzzle is an independent soul atman, the completed puzzle God Almighty. With the explosion of Brahman (God Almighty), all souls’ atmans scattered all over cosmos at unimaginable speeds. In the melee they gathered impurities.
To cleanse themselves of dross impurities within starts cosmic life cycle of every soul atman. No sooner life supporting planets evolved in cosmic system souls atmans immediately start manifesting life. The first manifestation by soul atman is form of amoeba (single cell formation) which further evolves into multi-cell formation, then insect life, plant life, animal life and finally the soul atman manifests human form for the first time.
Born a human being we can easily understand the meaning of self realization as in Hinduism.
Realization of self stems from the fact that the self we are talking of has to be different from physical manifest body. Our inner self, the spirit existing in heart is our soul atman. This soul atman as explained above desires regaining its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form at the earliest. Having cleared 7.3 million manifestations in insect, plant and animal life in human form we have a maximum of 1.1 million manifestations before reaching stage of self realization, god realization.
From spirituality point of view self realization, god realization stands for that state when in absence of dross impurities within a soul atman reaches cosmic end of life, 8.4 millionth manifestation. This is the state when one becomes a Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed… an enlightened one, a bodhi a Jina forever.
Realization of self means realizing our true inner self, becoming a pure soul atman in the cosmic journey of life. And how realizing self can become a reality?
Hinduism scriptures say indulging in spirituality as detailed in Bhagavad Gita any human being world over could easily reach state of enlightenment, becoming a pure soul atman forever.
For one to realize our true inner self, our separating religion from spirituality is necessitated. Indulging in religion (path of rituals) one never reaches god, becomes enlightened, realizes self.
Self realization is possible only by indulgence in spirituality. And spirituality demands our indulgence in contemplation (chintan) to understand the hidden underlying abstract truths of life contained in scriptures of different religions of world. To demolish ego forever, to overpower five senses and mind forever our indulgence in path of jnana yoga (absolute wisdom is necessitated) and at this stage 700 shlokas verses contained in Bhagavad Gita come to our rescue.
The darkness of ignorance can be removed only by indulging in jnana yoga never bhakti yoga or karma yoga. In the present Kali Yuga (Dark Age, metal age) state of self realization can be reached only by indulgence in spirituality that promotes indulging in jnana yoga (absolute wisdom contained in scriptures of different religions of world).
To cut short spiritual journey one single scripture Bhagavad Gita suffices. Here again lay the anomaly. The original gist of Bhagavad Gita containing 700 shlokas verses in Sanskrit with English transliteration is available for mere $1 from Gita press, Gorakhpur, India but there were no true takers. Despite available for a pittance, none world over seems interested in self-realization, reaching state of enlightenment. The reason is apparent; none wants to indulge in contemplation (chintan) as demanded by Hinduism scriptures, path of spirituality.
Only a very ardent traveler of spiritual path like Swami Vivekananda can cover the entire journey of spirituality to reach God in one’s lifetime. Does this mean one truly must become a Swami Vivekananda in real life to reach state of self realization, god realization… yes spiritual facts say so! We need developing willpower exhibited by Swami Vivekananda for travelling spiritual path successfully. That is the minimum we have to do. Only then we can become a Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa or Maharshi Ramana, the two spiritual stalwarts in the last about 150 years amongst 7 billion people existing world over who succeeded in reaching state of self realization, god realization in their lifetime.
Self realization, god realization no doubt in a limited time span of 70 to 80 years of earthly life is difficult to achieve but not impossible. We can do it only if we seriously want to.