Ramji,
Is it true that Ramanamaharshi and Papji taught that a person must go to a dimension where the jiva and Brahman meet; then the person returns to the world as liberated? The jiva goes through a gateless gate to another dimension? This sounds like experiential liberation, and we know what that does for a seeker. I certainly did not realize my Self in this way. It was quite ordinary. So the gate is actually gateless because there is no gate at all. You are right there staring at your Self all the time. So you have been overlooking your Self; therefore, there is no gate to realizing your Self. If this is what Ramanamaharshi and Papaji meant, their followers are interpreting them in ignorance. LOL!
Hi B….,
First, you need to separate Papaji and Ramana. Ramana was the real deal, Papaji not so much. In any case, this question is caused by confusing the end with he means. As you say, you can’t gain freedom because you are already free. It is just the removal of ignorance in the wake of knowledge. However it is very rare, a royal secret, because it is presented as a goal to be achieved by various means other than knowledge. Out of compassion Isvara revealed the Upanishads which present the experiential view for unqualified aspirants and the knowledge view for qualified inquirers. So a proper teacher provisionally accepts duality in order to help entry level seekers, which is always 98% of spiritually-inclined individuals seeking release from suffering. It reserves Self Knowledge, the direct path for the rest.
The notion that there is liberation after death in a heavenly state (brahmaloka) is found in the Upanishads. It is a sop thrown to good extroverted ritualists to give them hope. It is similar to the Christian view of salvation and is called krama mukti. You and I know that we don’t need saving, even when we think we do, but most don’t because they think they are the body.
Ram
