Vivekachudamani- Post 70

A treasure hidden deep below under the earth can be found only when the exact site is known, excavations carried out and the earth, stones and so  on, hiding it are removed; never can it come out if merely called by name. 

Similarly , the pure truth of the Self which lies hidden beneath our delusion  and its effects can be attained through the instructions of one who is a knower  of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so on. But never can the  Self emerge and manifest itself as a result of repeating perverted arguments. (65)

In the course of the last several verses, Sankara has been trying  to bring home to us the utter necessity and urgency for self effort  undertaken in the right direction. 

That no amount of study and  philosophical dialectics can take one, even by a fraction of an  inch, nearer to the divine experience which is life's fulfillment,  has already been elaborately discussed. 

The same idea has been  brought out here which, we may consider, is the summary of a  library of books on spiritual literature. 

In order to explain this idea, Sankara paints the picture of  one digging for a treasure. One may wonder how the treasure  hunter's activities can be a theme by which spiritual technique can  be explained but a poet always sees much more meaning in a factual  happening than an ordinary matter-of-fact observer does. 

Sankara  says, three stages are required to own up the richness. Three stages are required to own up the richness; the wealth; the first stage is somebody must come and tell that the treasure is underneath; and he should give enough proof and enough data to convince me that there is treasure. 

Otherwise initially I will say you are bluffing; you are pacifying; how can there be treasure what is the source; I will ask umpteen questions; so the first stage is somebody should inform that there is a treasure and not only inform, convince also; this is called aptoktih; or apta vachanam; statement of a reliable person; a trust worthy person.

And what is next stage required? Now I know that there is treasure. So, I need not beg from anyone; I need not work to get money; it is already mine; and what is required; I have to acquire it; therefore what is the second stage; khananam; khananam means what digging; to remove all the earth which is covering the treasure. 

So, the earth is the obstacle, and therefore the earth has to be removed. So previously lack of information or ignorance was the obstacle; now the ignorance- obstacle is gone; because I know there is treasure; but the obstacle is now what? mud is there; therefore, I should go on removing the mud and after removing the mud, the job is called khananaṁ.

Then there is a third stage involved; what is that? When the actual treasure comes; for further protection lot of rocks are placed; protect it; and therefore final stage is removal of the rock covering the treasure; siladi utkarshanam; sila means rock; which are solid; previous obstacle was mud; which can be removed; relatively easily but later pratibandas are solid rock; 

once you remove the rocks also; then the wealth is in your hands; all the ornaments and diamonds jewels you can put on yourselves; all the money you can use for buying food and you can eat sumptuously.

So what are the three stages; removal of the ignorance regarding the treasure, removal of the mud and removal of rock??

Continued...

Love

From the prison of Humiliation to total freedom

 Dear Reader, 

If you have ever suffered insult / humiliation for no fault of yours , if you have complained to God ever as to why such things should happen to you , then , this talk is a must for you to listen and experience total freedom !!!!

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 69

Without eliminating his enemies and without bringing the entire land of his kingdom under his sway, by merely repeating I am the emperor ', one cannot become an emperor. (64)

Even God is transferring the self-knowledge to us only by one method; what is that; the upaṇiṣadic words. And therefore remember, words are extremely important; but what Sankara says is words are important as a means but words are not ends in themselves. 

Therefore do not hang on to words; do not hang on to books which are only containers of words; and what should you do? Give sufficient importance to the words as a means but do not give it more importance than that. From the words you have to come to what; from the śabda, the sādhanām, you will have to come to the artha, which is the sādhyam.

But generally what happens? in the case of seekers is: there are two extremes. One extreme is a person says knowledge is important, words are not important; so they do not study the śāstra itself. This is one extreme. Those who claim knowledge is important, words are not going to give liberation; therefore I would not go a guru; I would not study scriptures, etc. and I would do meditation; this is one idiot.

So without words coming from the guru; if the means is not there; how can a person get the knowledge? Therefore one extreme is what; those people who reject the words totally.

And there is another extreme group; those who hang on the words and words and words, study the upaṇiṣads by heart; bhāṣyams by heart; there are people who tudy the sub-commentaries byheart; all that is not necessary; but they hang on to the words and continue to be a samsāri; that means what; another extreme hanging on to words.

Who is the right person? The one who does not totally reject the scriptures and the one who does not hang on to the words of the scriptures, but the one who uses the word, grasps the meaning and drops the words.

In this verse, the Acharya is throwing a flood of light on the previous declaration. By an apt example, he is trying to make us understand that by mere verbal repetition nothing will be accomplished. A fool who, without annihilating his enemies and without bringing with his own might and power, all the provinces under his sway, just repeats that he is the emperor, can never become one for all his loud claims. 

Certain necessary conditions must be fulfilled before he can hope to gain the scepter and the crown and be recognized as the emperor. An emperor has no enemies within his own empire and everyone living in his empire is directly under his will and command. If these conditions are accomplished, he need not even announce or declare that he is the emperor, the world will do it for him. 

Similarly, if a seeker has successfully destroyed all his inner enemies of desires and thoughts, physical demands, mental appetites and intellectual wanderings and if he has established mastery over the vast province of the  waking, dream and deep sleep states of consciousness, he need not thereafter repeat 'I am Brahman'. For every cell in him, every  thought and every idea that rises in him will sing in chorus his sovereignty overall, always and in all conditions. 

The idea that man's self-effort in the right direction alone can make him rediscover for himself the spiritual essence in him to be  divine and all-powerful, is vividly brought out by the following exquisite verse, pregnant with suggestion, rich in melody, perfect  in flow and rhythm. 

Love