Dear All,
Few posts earlier, we concluded that we need to
have right kind of knowledge.
For acquiring true knowledge (or can we
say, Knowledge of truth!), need and role of a qualified Guru was adequately
dealt with in few posts.
As per the traditional teachings of Jnana Yoga,
a sincere seeker of truth is supposed to acquire 4 minimum qualifications even
before approaching Guru.
However, in this present world where a seeker
might be a grahastha who is into his worldly pursuits on one hand and seeking
truth on the other hand or, the time for him to seek truth has come, the Guru
calls the prospective disciple and teaches him the 4 minimum qualification and
then leaves him for some time to test whether he has really acquired
the 4 qualifications.
Four Means of practice (sadhana chatushtaya),
which include Six Virtues (shatsampat), are cultivated on the path of
Self-Realization by the school of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga.
These allow a clear, steady foundation for the
three stages of the practices of listening to the teachings (sravana),
reflecting on those teachings (manana), and deep contemplative meditation on
those principles (niddhidhyasana).
1. Discrimination (viveka): The first of the four
means is that of discrimination. It is the gradual unfolding of the ability to
explore and discern the difference between the real and the unreal (sat and
asat), the permanent and the temporary (nitya and anitya), self and not-self
(atman and anatman).
2. Non-attachment (vairagya): As a natural byproduct
of discrimination, there is a decrease in attraction to the objects of the
world and the inner desires for those worldly fruits. It is a process of gently
reducing the coloring of attractions and aversions in the inner field of
mind.
This dispassion does not mean abandoning one’s
responsibilities to other people or to fulfilling of one’s duties to society at
large. One who has successfully cultivated non-attachment is actually more
effective in the world, as well as more prepared for the subtleties of seeking
Truth.
3. Six virtues (shat sampat): Six virtues, areas of
mental training, and attitudes are cultivated so as to stabilize the mind and
emotions, allowing the deep practice of contemplative meditation to be
performed.
1) Tranquility (shama): Intentional cultivation of an inner attitude of tranquility, peace of mind, or contentment
is a foundation on which the other practices can rest.
2) Training (dama): Training of the senses
(indriyas) means the
responsible use of the senses in positive, useful directions, both in our
actions in the world and the nature of inner thoughts we cultivate.
3) Withdrawal (uparati): With a proper inner
attitude of tranquility, and the training of the senses, there also comes a
sense of satiety, or natural sense of completeness, as if no more of the
sensory experience need be sought.
4) Forbearance
(titiksha):
Forbearance and tolerance of external situations allow one to be free from the
onslaught of the sensory stimuli and pressures from others to participate in
actions, speech, or thoughts that one knows to be going in a not-useful
direction.
5) Faith (shraddha): An intense sense of
certainty about the direction one is going keeps one going in the right
direction, persisting in following the teachings and practices that have been
examined and seen to be productive, useful, and fruit bearing.
6) Focus (samadhana): Resolute focus towards
harmonizing and balancing of mind, its thoughts, and emotions, along with the
other virtues, brings a freedom to pursue the depth of inner exploration and
realization.
4. Longing (Mumukshutva): An intense,
passionate, longing or desire for enlightenment and liberation from the levels
of suffering that comes from the repeated cycles of suffering and delusion. It
is a longing that is so strong that it gradually swallows up all of the other,
smaller desires.
More on the above in next posts.
Love.
