210. Keys to HIS Abode

Krishna says, "Those freed from pride and delusion, evils of attachment conquered, ever established in the Self, desires having completely gone, well-liberated from pairs of opposites of pain and pleasure, such un-deluded reach My eternal Abode" (15.5). Essentially, these are the qualities of HIS Abode and once we attain even one of them, we are in HIS abode. Another indication is that HIS abode is not somewhere out there but is here and now waiting to be discovered. Krishna gave qualities or benchmarks to help us in the journey to HIS abode. These include being friendly and compassionate; being nir-mama (sans-I) and nir-ahankaar (sans -I am doer); not hating any being; balanced in pleasure and pain (sama-sukh-dukh) and forgiving (kshami); being ever-content and free of agitation; being free from jealousy, fear and anxiety; being free from expectations and selfishness in all undertakings (12.13 to 12.16). Being humble, forgiving; being dispassionate (vairagyam) towards sense objects; non-attachment and eternal equanimity towards desirable and undesirable circumstances (13.8-13.12). Krishna further says, "Neither the sun nor the moon, nor fire can illuminate that Supreme Abode of Mine. Having gone there, one does not return again" (15.6). In one way or another, all of us are on the path to HIS abode as we all look for that joy, fulfilment and freedom. Our general understanding is that maximizing the pleasure -of possessions, success, name and fame, is nothing but reaching HIS abode. However, every pleasure is invariably followed by pain which results in the swinging between pleasure and pain. Krishna says liberation from polarities is the hallmark of HIS abode. Reaching HIS abode is nothing but transcending the polarities of pleasure and pain. Once we reach HIS abode, we don't return back to the misery of swinging between polarities.