VIVEKA, VAIRAGYA,
SAMA, DAMA, UPARATI
Dear
Readers,
This post is
meant to bring in more clarity on Sama, Dama and Uparati.
Let us look
at this diagram carefully and then proceed.
VIVEKA
- Discriminate
between real / unreal, Self / non-Self, Eternal and ephemeral.
- The
faculty provided to human beings for discriminating between real and unreal,
right or wrong is our Intellect or Buddhi, as shown in the diagram above.
- Based
on the above diagram, in practical life, Viveka is to filter all thoughts
through Buddhi, before they pass through the gateway of Manas – mind, to get
converted to actions, through senses.
VAIRAGYA
- In
the above filtering process, to develop non-attachment towards all those
thoughts / words / actions which are not approved by Buddhi.
- Wherever
possible, we have to avoid those actions totally, wherever not avoidable,
(movie/dress example) develop non-attachment towards such actions.
- Detachment
sounds negative whereas non-attachment means, even if we have to involve in
certain things (dressing, movie example), still, we have to stay non-attached
to such things.
SAMA
- Once
we are non-attached to things which we have to take up being in the world/we
are able to totally avoid the unreal/transient things without affecting our
life as householder, then, tranquility of mind through exercise of such vairagya.
- Whenever
this tranquility is a little disturbed, we have to exercise restraint on our
internal organs BCA, (Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara as per diagram) which push
our thoughts through the mind for actions.
- By
putting in a timely effort to check the vagaries of the mind, we can prevent it
from becoming fragmented or dissipated. This requires effort, self-will,
mastery over the mind, and a great deal of patience. Every effort needs to be
made to restrain the mind. This is the essence of the practice of Sama.
- The
Task of Sama: Disturbances arise from sub-conscious Vasanas (impressions,
manifesting out of past memories stored in our Chitta), requesting satisfaction
of certain desires. In Sama, all such requests are scanned by the intellect and
either permitted, if they are in accordance with Dharma, or rejected if they
are anti-Dharma.
DAMA
- In
case, Sama is not achieved and the CA (Chitta and Ahamkara) are forcing mind to
act without cognizance / consensus of Buddhi, then control of senses is
required.
- Senses
here, are the external senses. They are the five organs of perception that
bring in knowledge of the external world, and the five organs of action to
express action in the world. All ten are considered Bahya Indriyas, and are the
subject of control in Dama (all these 10 sense organs are shown in the diagram
above).
- The
Task of Dama: Due to the rebellious mind, sometimes the Sama officer is
deluded and allows a bad request to go through to the senses. Here, the second
officer Dama has a chance to stop it from being fulfilled by not allowing the
sense organs to act on the order given by the mind.
UPARATI
- Defined
as “Conquest of the Mind” in Viveka Chudamani - The freedom from
mental disturbances renders the mind one-pointed. This makes it a perfect
launching pad for further sadhana.
- Defined
as “Strict observance of one’s own Dharma” in Tattva Bodha, and it is based on the key factor involved in the actual practice or process of
Uparati.
- Defined
as total sense withdrawal, with absolute satiety, in Sanyasa, the
Upanishads use this definition for the word Uparati.
The essence
of Sanyasa is a perfectly controlled mind which has no attraction for worldly
pleasures, and the renunciation of all unnecessary actions, so that Sadhana may
be pursued.
The essence
of definitions of Viveka Chudamani (Conquest of Mind through sense withdrawal)
and Tattva Bodha (Strict observance of Swadharma) result in definition as
per Upanishad (Total sense withdrawal, resulting in SATIETY).
Hope this
post brings much required clarity on the three virtues covered so far. We will
move to the fourth virtue - Titiksha, in the next post tomorrow.
Love.
