Introduction to Vedas and Vedanta - Part 20

VIVEKA

We read on the 4 qualifications or the sadhana chatushtaya in the previous post.

Let us know about the 1st Qualification- Viveka (Discrimination) in today's post.

Viveka is the intellectual ability to discriminate between real and unreal or what is described as Nitya and Anitya.

This viveka is a slow process. We live our life… we begin with many desires and ambitions. We fulfill each of them. Yet we find an emptiness inside – that emptiness inside is the feeling of being wanting… (remember the tanpura example) which leads us to imagine that by doing something else we will become fulfilled.

Slowly we begin to understand that no matter what I do, no matter how many ambitions I fulfill, the emptiness inside does not seem to go.

Then what is the solution? This is where all the paper-back knowledge comes in handy… you read a book, or you go for a satsang. There you hear that the TREASURE you have been looking for all your life is within you… is you.

It is not out there in the changing world – the changing world cannot give you what you are looking for … you are looking for PERMANENCE – permanent happiness and permanent security…… that is God … who is your True Self. So turn your attention now to God, who is your True Self…. who never deserts you. God is permanent happiness and God is permanent security.

So Nitya vastu is GOD who is your TRUE SELF. Now there is a longing to get one's TRUE SELF. So far one was happy with the crumbs of happiness given out by life.

Now, one understands it is anitya - temporary…. and the interest in gaining anitya happiness and security etc simply drops.

Discrimination or Viveka is the 100 percent conviction that the Self alone is real and that objects are apparently real.

Discrimination is the sense of right judgement and understanding to differentiate between the permanent and the impermanent.

The Anitya or impermanence comes in the form of various situations, opportunities and pleasures while the permanence is the VERY SELF, the TRUE nature of One's SELF.

While one may be very intelligent at surface level, it is the subtlety of the intellect to delve into things / events / happenings / relationships etc. and to clearly discriminate between what is TRUE and what is FALSE, or rather, what is FACT in the context of present time and phase and what is TRUE always, irrespective of the time, irrespective of situations.

That Eternal Truth is our true nature - Divine SELF.

Love.