Vivekachudamni-Post 65

Commentaries on philosophies constitute a thick jungle in which a roaming mind may easily get lost , in its own delusion. Therefore, true seekers of Brahman should , through right efforts , come to experience the  real nature of the Self  (60)

In this brilliant metaphor the Acharya woos both poetry and  philosophy with the ardor and fervor of a true and noble lover,  handling the philosophy and dandling the poetry, as it were. 

Here, he conveys to us the idea that mere philosophical  discussion is a dangerous jungle, dark and dreary, with luxuriously  growling poisonous weeds and prowling beasts lying in ambush,  ready to pounce upon innocent unsuspecting pilgrims. 

Upanishads  themselves are commented by many acharyas and eleven or more systems of philosophies have been derived from the Upanishads  themselves.

Vishista advaita; dvaita; advaita; sidda advaita; bheda advaita; for all what is the basis? Upanishad, Bhagwad  Gita; Brahma sutra. 

And if you take advaita itself, we have got countless number of original works; countless number of commentaries, countless number of sub-commentaries; countless number of sub- sub-commentaries; 

Now if we are not alert, and get into the trap, from which you may never come out. Therefore be very alert, Sankara  warns: Sabdajalam, the maze of Sastrik words, the layer of Sastric  words  is like maha aranyam; it is a like a deep forest

Into this jungle infested with dangerous flora and fauna, if  an unprepared or innocent mind, frail in strength, carelessly enters,  it might get attacked or destroyed by the lurking dangers. Even an intellectual Master, of great erudition and perfect scholarship can,  now and then, tumble down into unseen potholes and suffer mental  repercussions. So the warning given here by the benevolent Acharya  is of extreme service to initiates entering the portals of Vedanta. 

Therefore atah; therefore, prayatnat jnatavyam. Therefore, very alertly, concentrate on knowing the basic teachings; do not get lost in the frills of vedanta. 

Atmanaḥ tatvam, the essential free nature of oneself, jnatavyam, should be known; tattvajnaih; by the knowers of the truth, or by the seekers of the truth. 

A seeker should set about only after knowing the true  nature of the Self, through the method of Atma-vicara, when he has  fully acquired the necessary qualifications for it through upasanas and meditations.

Having imbibed the essence of scriptures, a sincere seeker should get into in depth meditation/ nidhidhyasana on the essence and strive to get the inner intuitive experience of SELF. He should not endlessly aim at merely learning  mroe and more scriptures and to become an erudite  scholor. 

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 64

Without knowing the supreme Reality, the study of the sastras is  futile. Having known the supreme Reality, the study of the sastras is  again futile. (59)

Here is an exquisite example of the use of a deliberate statement  of contradiction, to hammer a point into a student while creating  in him a sense of wonderment. 

The verse, even in its tenth reading,  leaves a staggering sense of amazement and confusion. Wonder is  an emotion in which there is a dizzy pause in thinking and at such  a moment of intellectual arrest, the verse filters through. When one  realizes the meaning fully, it goes straight into the deepest vaults  of one's heart cave. 

The paradox is resolved when we give a little conscious application of purified intellect on the word 'knowing' in both  the lines of the verse - 'without knowing' in the first and  'having known' in the second. 

In both cases 'knowing' connotes a different meaning, the literal and the indicative. In the first line it means 'intellectually understanding' and in the second line it means 'realizing'. 

if one goes on studying sastra, and the sastra does not make him independent of the need of Sastra, then such a study is of no use to him. It is nishphala.  

And when one  realizes Self, he gets independent of sastra, transcends all Sastras and transcends everything in creation, including creation itself.

This independence indicates the state of the sadhaka turned seer which is “Aham Brahmaasmi”. 

Sastra study is futile under two conditions. First condition sastra study is futile if it keeps you permanently dependent on any one of the four factors; or all the four factors; second condition is: sastra study is futile after the discovery of the independence.

In the light of these interpretations, the verse becomes a  clear statement of Truth. As long as we have no right intellectual appreciation of what the Vedanta texts indicate, all study of the  scriptures is futile. Again, when we have realized the Truth, study of the scriptures is redundant. 

Like Chinmaya wrote  on His commentary on some other verse from the same text- “ When I reach there, I do not exist, When I come down, I do not exist”

If this beautiful expression is applied to today’s verse, it would read thus:

“When I have realized Self, then I the ego is no more, I the intellect is no more, All the sastras grasped hitherto with that intellect does not exist/ are not relevant as texts aiming to make me evolve in my path, as I have already reached the ultimate goal.

And, when I come down from that state and walk on earth, I cannot express my/ that state, i.e. that state is beyond all Sastras/ all intellectual grasping of all knowledge”

However, even after discovery of independence, one may enjoy the Sastra, but  he does not depend on Sastra, but  what we call leela; as a krida, He  enjoys the sastra.

Long back, the author wrote an article on “ Worshipping form after realization”. Like one may continue to sing in praise of lord, one may undertake pilgrimage, one may stand in front of sanctum sanctorum and chant mantras even after realizing God/Self but all these acts are not arising out of dependence on God, for praying to God for relieving him of any suffering/ pain etc.

All such acts are like Krida in the sense that his boundless joy/ boundless Love/ Brahma Ananda  gets manifested/ gets splashed  in all  such actions of prayer/singing/worship. 

While a seeker prays for attaining fulfillment, any prayer/worship emerges  from  a seer, out of his fulfilled state. All such acts arise from a  soul which has found its fulfillment.

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 63

Loud speech in a stream of words, the efficiency in expounding or  commenting upon the sastras, erudition gained, these bring only a little joyous , material satisfaction to the scholar but they are insufficient to liberate him completely. (58)

What is the aim of vēdantic study? The aim is to remove all types of psychological dependences which is called samsara.

Now this dependence, we classify into four types; One dependence is the dependence of the majority; dependence on the world; it is world dependence.

And then there afterwards, comes next one, dependence on God. So we say do not depend upon the world all the time; because the objects in the world are perishable; it does not last longer. 

Therefore, we say do not depend upon the world, start depending on God; is what we prescribe. 

And there afterwards they said if you have to drop God-dependence also, you should learn to depend upon yourselves; for that you should get the self-knowledge; you should discover inner strength; and for the sake of self-knowledge, you have to go to a guru. 

Therefore God-dependence is now switched over to Guru-dependence; and I replace God by Guru; 

Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishno, Gurur Devo Mahesvara; Guru sākṣāt ParaBrahmam, tasmai sri gurave namaḥ; 

tvamēva mātacha pitah tvamēva; tvamēva bandhuscha saha tvamēva; tvamēva vidyā dravinam tvamēva; tvamēva sarvaṁ mama dēva-dēva.

What does the  guru do when one approaches Guru and gives himself wholly to Guru? 

He hands  over the sastra to you. And he says you have to do sravanam. 

Do not stop with sravanam; you have to do mananam; and you have to do nidhidhyasanam; therefore sastra must be dwelt upon; you should dwell upon the sastra while studying; and after also;

And if this is not understood, all these four (world, God, Guru, Sasta)  can initially help you but these four themselves can become a bondage. 

One starts speaking on Sastra and believes himself to be an erudite scholar. 

The Yogasastra gives us the various subtle stages of metamorphosis  of a thought or a desire before it is expressed in the form of sounds  and words. Altogether it describes four distinct stages in the manifestation of a thought as an expression in words. 

First of all, the thought arises from or has contact with the reality of life in us  and at this stage, it is called 'para'. 

When it manifests sufficiently  for the ego in us to be conscious of it, it is in a state grosser than the  previous one and at this stage of its perceptible existence it is called  'pasyantl'. 

A thought of which we have become conscious passes  through a state of inner moulding in the crucible of language and  this state of transcribing thought into a series of symbolical sounds  for the purpose of conveying it to another is called 'madhyama'.  

And when actually the symbols indicated by the mind are relayed  through expressed audible sounds, the thought in its grossest  manifestation is called 'vaikharl'. 

By the term 'vaikharl', Sankara means the unproductive and noisy discussions on philosophy which some students of Vedanta  engage in. 

These gabblers are laughed at, condemned, and quite ignored by all the great Acaryas like Sankara. To the Rishis, an ounce of practice is more sacred than tons of discussion around a table. 

Our words have immense power. They channelize a creative force that express as action and ultimately create our reality. It is critical then that we learn to bring more accuracy, objectivity and positivity to our speech, as The Buddha enjoined his followers to do in his teachings on Right Speech, or maintain Noble Silence.

Love

Vieckachudamani Post 62

The beauty of the vlna and the proficiency of one playing on its chords  serve but to please an audience; they do not , by themselves , ever prove  sufficient to confer full sovereignty . 

In using analogies, nobody has yet come to the field of philosophy  who can rival Sankara's efficiency and perfection. According to him, the schools of philosophy which argue emphatically, describe beautifully and enunciate exhaustively, discussions that give clear intellectual pictures of the why and wherefore of this universe, are all nothing but the beauty of the words or the eloquence of the speaker. 

The player of an instrument with his proficiency may entertain the largest conceivable audience and for the time being, the listeners may even consider him the king of artistes. Yet, in effect, he can never gain sovereignty, permanent and complete, over the audience through the instrument. 

Similarly, the various schools of philosophy are intellectual entertainments no doubt, yet the seeker cannot gain the status of godhood by merely dabbling in philosophy. A king might entertain himself and his friends by playing the vina. But his empire is not consolidated, nor is order maintained among the people nor is royal dignity nourished through his proficiency in the instrument. 

Acharya Sankara wants to emphasize that any amount of  philosophical studies, even a mastery over all the six schools of  philosophy, cannot bring about a complete evolutionary fulfilment. 

Sankara says  one who studies apara vidya also is vidvan. Vidvan means vidyavan. One who studies para vidyā is also a vidvan. Because by definition vidvan means the one who has vidya. Apara vidya also makes a person vidvan; para vidya also makes a person vidvan. 

Even though the words are similar, their consequence, results are totally different. To convey this idea; Sankara gives an example. What is that example? He says the word Raja, 

The word Raja is derived from ranj, from the root ranj. The meaning of the word ranj is to please a person, to give joy; to give happiness. And Ranjanat Raja. A king is called Raja because he has to satisfy the people over whom he is ruling. Whatever is required, he should provide and he should keep the citizens happy. 

Sankara says: suppose there is a person who has got a wonderful veena. you know veena is a musical instrument; He has got expertise in playing and therefore people have become happy because of his veena playing. Therefore, what he has done through his concert; he has done jana ranjanam.

Therefore, according to grammar rules, he also can be called; what; Rṇja; jana ranjanat, raja. So, what is the difference.

Even though he can claim himself to be a raja, what is the difference; that raja, the original one has got samrajyam, he has got a sovereignty over the kingdom; empire, whereas the vidvan does not have sovereignty over even his wife perhaps, we do not know or the people around or the small family. Therefore, the word raja remaining the same, one has freedom; another has no freedom.

Similarly, Yoga, Sankhya, Karma, Upasana etc.  are all good, they can purify you to some extent but ultimately, it is the realization of the absolute, freedom from Samsara which makes one the real master, the real King, Shehanshah of Shehanshah(s), emperor of emperor(s).

The term 'samrajya' has a reminiscent flavor of Upanisad  in ancient literature. This term is used for the kingdom of God within, in the heart of every individual.

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 61

Neither by yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by ritual, nor by learning, is Liberation possible. Only by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, not by any other means. (56)

None of the paths enumerated in this verse can take the student to his goal if he only mechanically follows it without an ardent and sincere cooperation. 

The Sankyan philosophy is one of the  main fountainheads of Vedanta. Vedanta has sprung from its early  roots and has ultimately reached a greater precision of thought and  perfection of detail from what was only an elaborate philosophy. 

According to the Sankyan philosophy, essentially dualistic,  the world is constituted of two intrinsic factors - Purusa and  prakrti. Spirit and matter. Spirit is the sentient, intelligent, knowing  principle, the vital factor, the source of all life that expresses through  physical forms. 

Matter is insentient, unintelligent and lifeless in itself but it comes to exhibit the characteristic of life when it is blessed with  a close proximity with the Spirit. 

Purusa by itself cannot achieve  or execute but when matter comes in contact with it, it is charged  with dynamism. 

Prakrti herself is inert; Purusa by himself has no activity.  But when they are wedded to each other, both seem to gather  divinity, might and power, as a result of each blessing the other. 

Liberation from the entanglements of prakrti is gained by  Purusa when there is discrimination on all occasions and in all  conditions, recognizing the eternal Spirit as separate from finite  matter. 

Thus, this duality between Purusha and Prakriti is there in the sankhyan philosophy.

The term 'karma' is here used to include and incorporate  the mimamsakas who believe that ritualistic activity, divine and  sacred, yields for them merits, to enjoy which they will be shifted to  other realms of intense pleasure. 

When these merits are exhausted  through enjoyment, they will return to physical forms for another  period to earn more merits to enjoy another round of utmost  pleasure. 

Upasana is not totally negated by Sankara ; upasana is negated after what you call integrating the mind; citta egagratha prapthi anantharam upasana; upasana is the only means of making the mind quiet; a restless mind can become quiet only by upāsana. 

Vedantic study is not to quieten the mind; vedantic study is made by an already quitened mind. Therefore, upasana is extremely important. If a person renounces that, he is again in trouble. 

What Sankara implies here is - grow out of upasana and commit yourself to vedanta sravana , manana nidhidhyasana.

The goal is in realising that the Self in us is the same Self  in every thing and being. 

To avoid any trace of doubt that might still linger in the  mind of the student that there are, perhaps, some methods other  than yoga, Sankhya and so on, which has not been described by  the Teacher. Sankara says pointblank, "And by no other means". 

Realization of the Self is the only method; there are no other means  by which our present experiences of finitude and limitations can  be destroyed, root and branch.

Love

 

Vivekachudamani- Post 60

Who else but oneself can help rid oneself of the bondage caused by  the chains of ignorance, desire, action and so on, even in a hundred crore of kalpas? (60)

The bondage felt by the mortal is caused by the ignorance of his  own real nature. This ignorance of his own all fullness in his  spiritual personality creates in his intellect, waves of desires with  which he expects to make himself full. Desires create thought  waves in his mind, and thoughts express themselves as action. 

These three - ignorance, desire and action - are together called  in Vedanta sastra as the "heart knots' (hrdaya granthi). These are  the cords that bind the ego (jiva) to the finitude and sorrows of a  mortal. 

What is avidya? ignorance; ignorance of what? In vedantic context, ignorance means ignorance of my own real nature. Ātma avidya ityarthaḥ;

And what is the next strand? kama, which is the consequence. How does avidya cause kama? Kama means desire; so my real nature is purnatvam; fullness. And if I am ignorant of my fullness; I am going to mistake myself as incomplete.

And once I have concluded that I am incomplete, then what happens? I have to struggle to make myself complete.

And this struggle for completion is called kamah; and the kama leads to varieties of karma;

In this enumeration of ignorance, desire and action when  Sankara adds 'and the like' he means, the residual impressions  (vasanas) that are left on the mind when a desire prompted activity  is consciously undertaken. These vasanas thicken the ignorance  by darkening desires, agitating thoughts and propelling us into a world of frenzied activity. 

The Acharya, naturally asks, who can save a man from the  chaos in his mind and intellect which is responsible for his rabid activities in the world of objects and his painful confusions in his  relationships with his fellow beings? The answer is contained in  the question itself; none but he himself. 

Guru also can give assistance by teaching. Sastra also can assist the guru kripa can help; sastra kripa can also help; even Isvara kripa can only give assistance; but none of them can replace our Will or effort and therefore our freewill has to be appropriately used.

Sankara  asks; Atmanam vina kaha bandam vimochitum saknuyad. Who can remove the bondage? So who can throw away the bondage; remove the shackles; atmana vina; other than oneself. 

Even God cannot remove my bondage, guru cannot remove my bondage, sastra cannot remove one’s  bondage, if one  try to removes; if one works for the removal, they can all assist him.

The term 'kalpa' is used to indicate the entire duration of one  universe from its day of creation to the day of doom. It has been calculated that the life of the universe is one day of the Creator  which is equivalent to 432 million years, in terms of calculation of time, possible with our finite and limited time.

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 59

The actuality of things is to be known by a first-hand personal experience through the eye of clear understanding and not through the  report of learned men. The beauty of the moon is enjoyed through one's own eyes; can one appreciate it through the description by others? 

Sankara reinforces the idea in the above three examples with yet  another verse, hammering, as it were, the last nail on the coffin  of our doubts. 

The beauty, the brilliance, the soft glory, the queenly  dignity, the serene consolation, the message of love and leisure, of peace and quietude, which the moon sheds as it glides across  the springtime skies cannot, indeed, be captured in words but they  are experiences to be enjoyed subjectively only. 

The vision of its  majesty is to be perceived by one's own eyes and experienced in  satisfying suggestive silence. A blind man cannot enjoy the love  messages of a moonlit night. 

When the Self rises in the dark bosom of our ignorance and glides across the horizon of our experiences, that experience  cannot be described fully by us to another, even though he may  have experienced it himself. Each must experience it for himself, in himself. This analogy of moonrise is indeed the most poetic and by far the most appropriate example to indicate the soft silvery light  of knowledge that illumines, with its sublime peace and perfection,  the dark atmosphere in the bosom of the ignorant.

vasthu svarupam, vasthu means reality. The ultimate truth is called vasthu. So in Samskrit the word vasthu has got two meanings; one meaning is any object in the world is called vasthu.

But in the context of vedanta; the word vasthu has a specific meaning and this is paramarthika satyam; the absolute reality. And the corresponding opposite avasthu means mithya or unreal.

It is derived from the word  “vas”, to exist. 

vasathi; asthi, sarvadha asthi ithi vasthu; that which exists eternally. That which is unnegatable is called vasthu; in short satyam. So vasthu svarupam means the nature of reality 

svenaiva vedyam has to be known by oneself. The nature of reality has to be known by oneself through what means? 

Sputa bodhacaksusa; through the eyes of clear understanding; through the eyes of clear understanding; bodhah means jnanam, sputa bodhaḥ means clear jnanam, caksusa means eye; jnana caksusa  vedyam.

Many people think that there is a physical eye in the forehead and they try to open it; some people call it ajna chakram; and even ajna chakram is symbolic; there is no such thing called a physical or subtle eye; if at all you call it subtle eye it should be understood as antha karanam. 

Swami Sivananda writes on Grace (of Guru) and Self Effort.

“

Realization cannot come to you as a miracle done by your Guru.  Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Rama Tirtha have all done Sadhana. Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to develop Vairagya (dispassion) and Abhyasa (practice). 

He did not say to him, “I will give you Mukti(liberation) now”. Therefore, abandon the wrong notion that your Guru will give you Samadhi and Mukti. Strive, purify, meditate, and realize.

Guru-kripa-grace of a Guru-is very necessary. That does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid Purushartha, spiritual practices. The whole work must be done by the student. 

The Guru and the Shastras can show you the path and remove your doubts. Anubhava (direct experience) of the Aparoksha kind or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience. A hungry man will have to eat for himself. He who has a severe itching will have to scratch for himself.

No doubt, the Guru’s blessing can do everything. But how can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. 

Carefully follow, therefore the instructions of the Guru. Act up to his instructions. Then only will you deserve his blessings, and then alone his blessings can do everything.”

Love

vivekachudamani-Post 58

51. A father has his sons and others to save him from his financial debts , but to redeem himself from his delusions , he has to resort to  none but himself.

52. Exhaustion and fatigue caused by carrying a load on the head can be  relieved by others coming to one's help. But none , save one's own self  can end the pangs caused by hunger and so on. 

53. The patient who faithfully follows the right diet and takes the proper  medicine alone is perceived to recover from his illness; no one recovers  because another undergoes the treatment. 

Since Chinmaya has dealt with the three verses together, the previous verse is also referred here again, though there was a detailed commentary on the same in the previous post.

Chinmaya writes,

“In these three verses, the Master is trying to drive home the  importance of self effort upon the student. Any amount of hearing, study, intellectual thinking and logical discussion cannot by themselves bring about Liberation from our misconceptions and  false evaluations in life. 

In order to impress this idea upon the student, the Teacher  gives three verses with three different examples. These homely analogies which fall within the experience of everyone are given  to remove any possible misunderstanding of the student regarding  the technique of Self-realization. 

All the objective sciences in the world can be mastered by merely studying them. The man who studies the law of the country  with all its implications can become a lawyer; he who studies the  symptoms of diseases and their cures can become a doctor. 

An advocate of criminal law need not be a criminal himself, a doctor  need not himself be a patient to know the science of medicine. 

But Atma-vidya is gained only when it has brought about a  complete regeneration of the individual who studies it. After gaining the objective knowledge there must also be a subjective achievement. 

Let us see the 3rd verse quoted in today's post, verse no 53.

The Teacher, not satisfied with these two striking examples, adds yet another verse to drive home to the student the necessity  for conscious personal effort. He says, 'Only those patients are cured of their ailments who faithfully follow the prescribed diet and take the right medicines themselves.' 

To come back to your natural healthy condition; which means removal of the unnatural condition; your sadhana is two-fold. What are the two sadhanas? 

Medicine taking is the main one to cure the disease, but as important as medicine is the pathyam (this a Tamil word) which means the discipline/diet we must observe, the Do’s and Don’ts we have to follow. 

Without pathyam , medicine is useless and there is another person who observes all the pathyam, but he does not take medicine. Then also it will not work. Therefore which is important if somebody asks, I should answer both are equally important. Both are equally important.

For getting moksha  also, two things are there; pathyam and oushada seva. 

Medicine in the context of Sadhana

Vedanta Sravaṇa Manana Nidhidhyasana, is the medicine. Without the study of scriptures moksha is never possible; whether the scriptural study is for long time or short time; that all depends upon the condition of sickness. 

But at the same time, sastra warns that any amount of  sravaṇa manana nidhidhyasanam you may do, it will not give you any benefit, unless you follow the pathyam also. Without the pathyam, all your study will make you a wonderful scholar. 

Pathyam in the context of Sadhana

Sadhana chatuṣṭaya sampatti is the pathyam.

What is the level of viveka? What is the level of vairagya? What is the level of sama, dama, uparama, titiksha  and finally and most importantly what is the level of mumukshatva?

It is observed by the author that even after decades of sadhana, few sadhakas are  unable to get closer to Self Realization. 

The problem is in their pathyam- Sadhana chatushtaya

Somewhere they are lacking in viveka or vairagya. Without viveka, vairagya, mumumkshatva is impossible and without 100% tivra Mumukshatva, even after 10/20 years of sadhana, one can be pulled by Samasara, by the objective world, by relations, by attachment and the sadhaka is pulled down to zero level in their sadhana/ in their purpose of God realization.

Coming back to the three examples, Sankara  has chosen such examples, that we are not acquiring anything new. We are only removing something. So therefore, hunger and thirst problem he has given. Here also our aim is what? removing the hunger and thirst and upon their removal,  health is the natural condition of a person. We never acquire health. 

Similarly, samsara   is unnatural; or struggle is only to remove the unnatural samsara and once the unnatural samsara  is removed; liberation is not acquired; you come back to your natural state of liberation.

In short, each one of us must walk the path by himself but properly guided by the instruction of the Teacher and the scriptures. 

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 57

 

A father has got his sons and others to free him from his debts, but he has got none but himself to remove his bondage. (51)

Every human being has to fulfil the four purusharthas, dharma, artha, kama and moksha. So this is the duty; in fact, the intrinsic urge of every human being. 

So artha and kama is the fulfilment of the needs of the lower personality. Just to have physical security and also physical pleasure or entertainment, every human being needs from the level of one personality.

And if a person grows higher, a little bit more; he no more happy with the near fulfilllment; he feels that he has to do something to the society, something to the other people, the need for fulfilllment of certain values. 

These are all higher needs of an individual; they call need for self-esteem. I want to be a dharmic person; I want to tell the people that I have given so much money for the institution; these are the needs of the higher ego. The lower ego needs artha kama; the higher ego needs dharma. Everybody wants to present himself or herself as dharmic person.

And then still when you go to higher ego; there is the spiritual need which is called need for mōkṣa. They call it hierarchy of need. First security; then entertainment; then self-esteem; then self-actualisation; in our language, artha, kāma, dharma and moksha. Mokṣa is also a need in the sense that mōkṣa indicates the highest growth that a human being can achieve.

And this is also a need, because if you study any being in the creation, even a plant or animal, you find one thing common to all and what is that; everything is growing, growing. 

A plant. You need not request a plant to grow; it is natural urge to grow. And if there is any obstruction like ceiling or something, if you keep the plant inside the house, it will go through the window and grow. 

An animal also wants to grow. How much? maximum as much as it can grow. Therefore, growth is not something which you choose but growth is something which is intrinsically thought by all beings; it is a natural urge. But the only difference between animals and human beings is, in the case of animals, the growth is only physical.

But in the case of human being, the growth is not only physical but also emotional. By emotional growth I mean the capacity to love, care etc. for all the entire humanity. Love for all. Similarly, intellectual growth, i.e. knowing about everything. 

That is why science cannot remain quiet because they want to know what is star. they want to know; ‘they’ means what? the entire humanity wants to know. Knowledge wise growth and spiritual growth. All these are the innate urge of every human being. And moksha represents the highest growth possible; that is purnatvam; the infinitude.

Dharma Artha kama needs can be fulfilled by ourselves and we can fulfill these needs helped by other people also. I can fulfill by myself or even if I do not have time or capacity to fulfill; the other people can fulfill my needs.

For example, any ritual can be taken up by son, if father is aged and is not able to sit and perform the ritual. Within the family, one can earn and feed the other.

Whereas when the question of moksa comes, there is difference. What is that? For the sake of the father, son cannot say I will get knowledge on behalf of you. When son gets knowledge, who will get moksha?; son will get moksha, father is not going to get moksha; and son cannot even hand over.

Therefore Sankara says your moksha need you alone have to fulfil; therefore never give a complaint, I have no time; do not say; you have to fulfil dharma artha kama; you have to do your duties due to your family. Your children; your wife; your husband. But never say I do not have time for moksha;

As they say, seven people can take a horse to the water front; but the horse alone has to drink. Similarly, children may be ready to provide all the conditions for knowledge, but the father alone has gain it; nobody else can do. 

Therefore, Sankara says: bandamocanakarta; a person who releases one from bondage is svyam eva; oneself only; tasmat anyah kascana nasti; other than oneself nobody else can do that. And when we say nobody else can do; it includes even Bhagavan.

Even Bhagavan cannot give us mōkṣa. moksha is my very nature. God  can give the condition for discovering this fact. 

Easvara anugraha is manuṣyatvam; mumukṣutvam; and maha puruṣaḥ samsrayaḥ; moksha  is purely the  effort of the mumukshu sadhaka.

And therefore, you have to work for that. And whoever is working has to be congratulated. 

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 56

The Guru replied , "Blessed you are. For you wish to attain the absolute Brahman by freeing yourself from the bondage of ignorance. Indeed , you have fulfilled your life and have glorified your clan." 

The Teacher's face now beams with a smile of satisfaction and soon, words expressing his joy, at meeting such a perfect student, flow out of him. The very fact that the boy has decided that he wants to be free from all his weaknesses, that he wishes to walk out into the boundless fields of perfection, has made him blessed. 

There are a few people for whom God realization has become the only pursuit of life; such are rare ones; and here the student happens to be one; who has dropped everything and who has come to find an answer to the question. And therefore the teacher says: dhanyaḥ asi; you are indeed the fortunate one; blessed one.

kr̥ takr̥ tyaḥ asi. In fact you are a fulfilled one. Liberated one. In fact this statement is not really true, because the student has come for liberation; how can the teacher even before the teaching, saying that you are liberated. 

In ordinary life too, we use expression such as 'baking the bread', when we know that bread need not be baked. In such cases,  we generally use the immediate future fulfilment to indicate the  present activity. 

Similarly, the enquiry into life and its relationship  with its cause, with a burning desire to live and accomplish the  ultimate perfection in one's own self, is the present activity which  will, in a short time, end in the final consummation of the purpose  of life. Therefore, the Teacher in anticipation declares that the boy  has fulfilled the purpose of his life. 

Here the idea is you have got a serious desire to remove this and you have come to the right place and therefore liberation is guaranteed.

Te kulam tvaya pavitam; you have sanctified your family by being born in that family. In the scriptures, it is said that if a liberated person is there in a family, it will bless not only the liberated person, it will bless seven generations, it is said. Not only the immediate family, but previous generations, previous generations; in fact the impact of a jñāni is so penetrating; and therefore you have sanctified your family.

Brahmi bhavitham icchahthi To release ourselves from the shackles of ignorance is not  merely to have knowledge but, transcending the ignorance- created projection of the body, mind and intellect, it is to live and experience Reality in Itself. Therefore, the Teacher says, "You wish  to attain brahmanhood, that is, godhood." 

yad avidya banda-muktya. So you are struggling to release or give up the bondage caused by ignorance. And by removing the ignorance, you are desiring to become become Brahman. 

Brahman means the infinite. Because Moksha is defined as Brahma bhavah. And that is why we say moksha does not come under selfishness because when we look at the pursuit of a person, that he withdraws from the society, withdraws from the family and goes to what you call serious pursuit of moksha, it looks as though she is utterly selfish. 

But the pursuit of moksha is the expansion of the I from identifying with one's family or one's society or community; through moksha he is expanding the I to identify with the entire cosmos.

Love

Vivekachudamani- Post 55

What is bondage? How has it come? How does it continue to exist?  How can one get out of it completely? What is the not-Self? Who is the supreme Self? And what is the process of discrimination between these  two (Self and not-Self)? Please explain all these to me. (49)

This is series of seven questions which the student asks the  Teacher, who will now take them up one by one and answer them exhaustively. 

1) Ko nama bandaḥ; what is the bondage that is talked about in all philosophical literatures? This word bandaḥ is used in all Indian philosophical literature and this refers to spiritual bondage, which is otherwise known as saṁsāra.

2) kathameṣa agataḥ; how did this bondage come; what is the cause of bondage; 

3) kathaṁ asya pratiṣṭaḥ; how does this bondage continue to survive? how does this bondage continue? pratiṣṭaḥ means what? Continuation; permanence; persistence; how does it persist; that is another better word; because you find in the creation anything that we experience goes away by itself in course of time; anything you see wears out in course of time but this saṁsāra bondage is such a unique thing, that it does not have a natural death; every other thing including stars have a natural death.

4) katham vimōkṣaḥ; how can we free ourselves or give up this persistent saṁsāra; that which does not have a natural death? Therefore we will have to specifically work for getting rid of this saṁsāra.

Just as rivers ultimately merge into oceans, you will also ultimately merge into Brahman, God; but that can create a misconception; that mōkṣa is a natural process. Here we say No; it is never natural; it requires our effort; our initiative; our hard work; and how can we do that? katham vimōkṣaḥ; how is freedom from bondage acquired or how is this shackle broken? This is the fourth question.

5) kaha asaui anātma; what is anātma? That is a technical word; if you translate into English it only means not-self. Ātma means self; ‘a’ means not; anātma means non-self; what do you mean by non-self. 

6) paramaḥ ka atma. What is meant by paramatma? paramatma means the real self; the true self; the supreme Self. Why we have to say the real self?

7) tayōrvivēkaḥ katham; how can one discriminate between; or differentiate; how can one differentiate ātma and anātma.

The student wants to know what is this individual personality and how do you dissect the individual personality and find out the what is the genuine-I and what is the non-genuine-I. Katham. How to do that?

In all the previous verses,  the Teacher spoke in terms of 'bondages', 'Liberation', 'not-Self',  'supreme Self', and the 'discrimination between the Self and the  not-Self', till now these terms were freely used but the student is  not satisfied with a mere understanding of the theories of Vedanta. 

He wants to live them in life. So he is now pointedly asking him to explain more clearly. Naturally, the Teacher catches the  enthusiasm of the student in getting clear answers to all his questions and and we shall see how beautifully he warms up to  the discussion.

Love

Vivekachudamani- Post 54

The sishya said , "Kindly listen , O Master! to the questions that I now  raise. Hearing their answer from your lips , I shall feel entirely satisfied."  (48)

The entire Vivekacudamani has, by now, changed from being a  textbook into an outstanding poem, a literary masterpiece because,  while writing this great work, Sankara often excels the philosopher  in him and becomes a poet to splash the entire power with brilliant  colors of pure literary genius. 

He has a special niche in  the 'poet's corner' and will perhaps be remembered as the noblest  poet who ever wielded a pen to bring about a cultural revival. 

Questions of the Disciple 

The very conversational style of this verse relieves the  monotony of the philosophy and brings into its arid fields the  touch of the human hearts and the thrills of a warm, pulsating  life. Here, an ignorant student reaches a seer, who is the fountain of knowledge and through a process of discussion, tries to attune  himself to his Teacher for walking out of dark ignorance into the  Master's brilliant domain. 

He says: Hey Svamin, Oh Lord, the Sishya is no more looking at the guru as even a person; he has raised the guru to the status of Bhagavan; therefore he is addressing Hey Svamin;

Moksha gita starts with the sishya addressing his Guru thus:-

The disciple said: O Merciful Master! I bow to thee. I have fallen into the dreadful ocean of birth and death. I am afflicted with the three kinds of Taapas. Save me, O Lord. Teach me, how I should cross this ocean of Samsara. 

 Oh Lord; ayam prasna maya criyate; a group of  questions is presented by me to you.

And for what purpose I am giving the question? You should not just give me prasādam and send me away. Questions are for answers. Therefore, he says yat uttaram aham srutva; I would like to get answers to these basic questions. 

So yat uttaram prasnanam uttaram; sapta prasnanam uttaram aham srutva; I would like to hear. In fact, the entire Vedanta  sastra is sapta prasna uttaram only. 

And I want to listen from whom? Bhavan mukhat. So do not say that the reply is in that book; go and read, do not say go to this person and that person; do not send me away; bhavan mukhat srutva; I want to hear from you only. 

And by listening to the answers, aham kr̥tarthaḥ syam.  kr̥tarthah means fortunate, blessed, fulfilled; that is best translation; fulfilled I will become.

kritaarta means moksha purushartah prapti. Philosophical fulfilment, which includes intellectual fulfillment, which includes emotional fulfilment, which includes even physical fulfillment. 

Rare are such disciple existing in present day world, sincerely treating their Guru (Essence ) as Swamin/ Lord, wanting/craving for getting all their spiritual  doubts clarified  only from their Guru- Bhavan Mukhat Srutva. 

Such verses elevate a sincere Spiritual aspirant to an inexplicable level. 

Love

Vivekachudamani- Post 53

It is indeed, through contact with ignorance that you, who are the  supreme Self, experience yourself to be under the bondage of the not- Self From this misunderstanding alone proceed the worlds of births and deaths. All the effects of ignorance, root and branch, are burnt down by the blaze of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two - the Self and the not-Self  (Verse 47)

Ajnana yogat tava paramatmanaḥ; so you are really the paramatma; the consciousness; you are really the consciousness, not the body. It isnot you have consciousness, it is not you have consciousness, but according to Vēdānta, you are Conciousness. It is an independent entity.

And now what has happened. Anatma bandaḥ; whereas now you are tied down to the body; the matter; now you are tied down to the matter;

What causes us, the supreme Self that we really are, to suffer these  bondages, and what exactly is that, which compels us thereafter to  struggle hard to regain our true divine glory through the delicate  process of Self-rediscovery is explained here. 

Just as a ghost vision is possible on a wayside post when  there is ignorance of the post, so too, it is the ignorance of the  Self in us that gives birth to the 'thought flow' called the 'mind'. 

The pure Consciousness or Life gets reflected in the pool  of thoughts and in our preoccupation with our mental life we  take ourselves to be this egocentric (jiva), which is nothing but  life conditioned by our own thoughts in a given pattern of time  and place. 

Anatma bandaḥ means deha abhimanah; And what is the cause of this deha abhimanah?

ajnana yogath; purely because or ignorance. 

Purely because of ignorance; and when did ignorance come; it has been there right from birth; in fact, even as I am born, I find that I am born ignorant. 

The sorrows of life, the limitations of the equipment, the  imperfections of the world, the concept of likes and dislikes, the  pulls of pleasures and pains, the shattering concepts of merit and  sin - all these are effected by this ego. 

The ego ends upon its own funeral pyre lit by itself, which  blazes into a conflagration of knowledge. The fire arising from  a constant discrimination between the Real and the unreal,  between the Self and the not-Self, between the Spirit and  matter, is fanned into a blazing brilliance through steady vichara in  which all the effects of ignorance are burnt down. When ego ends,  we realise our real nature to be intrinsically divine, eternally free  and absolute Bliss. This is immortality. 

Sastra alone presents consciousness as a separate entity and by the study of that sastra, vivrkaḥ means discrimination between; tayorho; between atma and anatmanoho; matter and consciousness.

And it will produce what? bodhahvanni; it will be produce the fire of knowledge. So by the friction of enquiry, the fire of knowledge is produced; and why is the knowledge compared to fire; because ajñāna karyam pradahet samulam; this fire of knowledge will burn down; what?

ajnana karyam; ajnanam as well as its karyam; what ajnanam?; that I am Consciousness the separate entity is not known.

And what is its consequence? Since I do not know that I am consciousness, I take myself as matter; that matter-identification is karyam; ignorance is karanam; identification is karyam; So, the fire of knowledge will destroy the effect along with the causal ignorance; it will destroy the effect along with the causal ignorance. 

Where there is light, darkness cannot be; where knowledge  has come to rule, ignorance must quit. Where the cause has been  eliminated, the effect cannot remain. Where ignorance has ended,  all its effects - the five kosas constituting the three bodies, the  three planes of consciousness, the realms of pains made up of sense  objects, feelings and ideas - must end instantaneously, totally.

Love

Vivekachudamani - Post 52

Faith, devotion and the practice of meditation these are mentioned in the songs of Sruti as the chief factors that help a seeker to attain Liberation.  Whoever pursues these is liberated from the bondage of the body which is a projection mysteriously accomplished by his spiritual ignorance. 

The technique of vichara has been exhaustively analyzed and insisted upon. The power to do vichara is the very fuel which helps the spiritual vehicle to maintain its motion and what constitutes  vichara has also been explained. Here we are told of the practices we must follow, strictly and sincerely, so that our capacity to do vichara  may be increased and the vicara itself be rendered most efficient. 

In Kaivalya Upanishad, the student Asvalayana approaches the teacher Brahma and asks for this knowledge. And there Brahmāji straightaway starts his teaching by saying Sraddhaḥ bhakthi dhyana yogadavaih. 

That Sraddha bhakthi dhyana yoga of Kaivalya Upaṇiṣad, Sankara quotes here; that these three are the means of knowledge. 

Kaivalya upanishad says these three are the means of liberation; for whom? mumukshoh; for a seeker of liberation.

Sraddha yoga refers to Sravanam; and why is Sravanam called Sraddha yoga?; because Sravanam requires faith in guru and Sastra. Without faith in the scriptures; without faith in the guru; a person cannot come to a teacher for learning. Therefore, Sravanam should be supported by Sraddhah.

Next is Bhakti Yogah. In the context of this verse, we must not identify bhakti with  the meaning which we, in our ignorance, have  given it. It is to be rightly understood as our identification with  our concept of our Ideal. 

Suppose I have got reverence to the scriptures; what will be my approach? I would never say scriptures are irrational; unscientific or illogical; I say that I have not grasped its essence properly. The problem does not lie in the scriptures, the problem lies in my attitude and therefore what do I do; again enquire and again the same problem; again enquire; how long; until I understand it properly and when I understand properly; it will not be irrational at all; it will not be illogical at all; until then I have to continue. 

This reverential attitude of questioning my understanding rather than scriptural validity is called pramaṇika buddhi. Acceptance of the validity of scriptures. This is the Bhakti referred in this verse.

When thus we are truly aided by faith and devotion, we are  able to meditate properly and through meditation, we come to  realise our true nature. 

And then comes the last one; dhyana yogah; which is known as nidhidhyasanam; Sraddhah yōgaḥ is equal to śravaṇam; bhakthi yogaḥ is equal to mananam in this context and dhyana yogaḥ means nidhidhyāsanam.

So therefore, these three-fold jnana yogah, Kaivalya upanishad presents as a means of moksha. 

Moksha is from what; avidya kalpita deha bandhat; freedom from physical bondages or limitations and how have we got these shackles?

Because purely projected by ignorance, because purely projected by ignorance; that means I am a physical entity; as long as I am identified with physical body. 

I have to  understand that the physical limitations belongs to physical body, I am not limited by the physical body. How do you prove; in dream, when I am no more identified with the body; I no longer feel physical limitation. 

In sleep I am not identified with the body, I am a conscious entity, without feeling any physical limitation. Therefore physical limitations are incidentally felt; in jagrat and svapna, and they are dropped in sushupti. Whatever is incidental is not my intrinsic nature. 

Love