Vivekachudamani-Post 77

Now I am going to describe the discrimination between the Self and  the not-Self most elaborately. It is what you ought to know. Listen to it  properly and receive it well in your mind. (71)

Earlier the student had asked the Master about the discrimination between the Self and the not-Self (verse - 49). This verse onwards,  Sankara gives an elaborate description of the various layers of matter envelopments which together constitute the not-Self, identifying with which the Self behaves as though it is limited,  bound and conditioned to suffer as the samsarin. 

A mere repetition that, 'viveka' means 'discrimination' between the Self and the not-Self will not in itself be very helpful to a seeker unless he is able to realize the exact meaning of the Self as contrasted with the  perceived world of plurality. 

Here Sankara introduces the topic which is going to start from the next verse onwards. For that he gives the introduction; atma anatma vivecanam boddhavyam. So, among the seven questions that the student has asked, the main topic is atma- anatma vivecanam. 

So, discriminating between atma and anatma; matter and consciousness; this discrimination is that job. It is required because matter and consciousness are together; we are not able to separate them physically, we are not able to separate them experientially; even science has not succeeded in separating matter and consciousness. 

That is why, what is the nature of consciousness is a mystery for science even now. So many theories are there. 

Therefore, all our conclusions regarding consciousness are not science based; because science has not yet arrived at; it is not perception-based; perceptually we are not able to separate; they are all based on what? The scriptural data based.

And therefore Sankara says based on the upanishad, we are going to deal with the matter-consciousness separation; atma-anatma vivecanam boddhavyam; has to be known; idanim tava; right now that is going to be our task; tava, for you and tat maya samyak ucyate; that is going to be very clearly presented by me for you; 

I am going to very clearly present this division between these two and srutva, may you listen very carefully; and having listened; avadharaya; may you ascertain in your mind; it should not be my knowledge; it should not be scriptural knowledge; it should be your knowledge. So avadharanam means niscayah jnanam. 

The Acharya stresses the importance of this theme of discussion by saying that each student should not just listen but  must come through a process of independent, discriminative self-  analysis, to a firm conviction of the Truth of what is discussed hereunder. 

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Talk on bhajan “ Sai Sathya Palana “

 Dear All ,

Here is a talk on a bhajan “ Sai Sathya Palana “

Listen n contemplate 

Love 

Vivekachudamani-Post 76

 

Thereafter comes 'hearing', then reflection on what has been heard  and lastly, long, constant and continuous meditation on the Truth for the Muni. Ultimately, that learned one attains the supreme nirvikalpa  state and realizes the bliss of Nirvana in this very life. (70)

Sankara has already started an enumeration of the various  techniques to be followed by a person on his march towards  realising the eternal freedom of the soul. In this sloka, the Acharya  is outlining the different stages of practices which one must follow,  when one has renounced all pursuits of ego prompted, desire  ridden activities contributing to a life of sensuousness. 

An individual who has enough detachment from the enjoyment of finite objects, who has cultivated the four great  qualities and who has renounced all self-motivated activities, is fit for the process called in Vedanta 'hearing' the scriptures.  

It is imperative, that one must 'listen' to the exposition of  at least one scriptural text from a true Teacher. In this transaction  of wisdom, the Master also uses but finite words to explain the  Absolute, there is no magic formula involved. 

Therefore, the  student must be fully tuned to the Teacher so that the latter's  experiences may, in resonance, be amplified and conveyed to echo  in the heart chambers of the student. 

This 'listening' to the discourses (sravana), is to be followed  by inner arguments and final assimilation by the intellect in a  process called 'reflection' (manana), by which alone the ideas  in the text can become the student's own philosophy. 

Even  this intellectual conviction is not sufficient, for Vedanta seeks  a fulfilment not in merely propounding a theory to explain the  happenings of the world and the destinies of mankind but to lift  man to the highest pinnacle of evolution of cultural purity, so  that he may thereafter revel as a God-man on earth. 

Therefore, a person must attain Truth through a process of rediscovery of his real Self by detaching himself from his wrong and false identifications with the matter. This technique  of detaching oneself from the false, and rediscovering one’s identity with the Self through disciplined currents of constant thought flow is called 'meditation' (dhyana). 

Moksa condition is possible in two stages, just as  before sleep, there is a period of dozing followed by the deep sleep  state. During dozing, we are conscious that we are 'going to sleep' and that our conceptions and perceptions of the outer world are  slowly and steadily becoming obscure. But the deep sleep state  is a period when we are neither conscious of the outer world nor  even of ourselves. 

Similarly, in meditation also there is a hazy period of  awareness, wherein we are conscious of ourselves nearing the Transcendental and that state of samadhi where there is still  a vestige of the ego is called 'savikalpa samadhi'. 

The egoless moment where the subject alone is, revelling in its own glory when the yogi experiences the infinite bliss of pure Existence, that state  is called 'nirvikalpa samadhi'. 

Tataḥ vidvan avikalpam parametya vidvan; 

tatah; thereafter; thereafter means sravana, manana nidhidhyasa anantharam; as a consequence of these three, vidvan etya, that intelligent person, that discriminative person attains jivan mukthi. And what is that jivan muktiḥ? 

Param; param means the ultimate, that is Brahman or Reality; Param means Brahman, param brahma etya. He attains param brahma. And what type of param brahma? Free from division; what type of division? Subject-object instrument division.

How does he attain division-less-ness? He understands that division belongs to the matter. Division belongs to matter. It does not belong to consciousness. Division belongs to matter; division does not belong to consciousness. 

And that division less consciousness I am. Therefore, I am space-like division less consciousness; in which consciousness all the divisions of matter are floating.

This is the experience of godhood  and after this Isvara darsana, there is no falling back into the  values and impulses of the lower, worldly life anymore. 

He insists that a Muni experiences the bliss of Nirvana even here and now. Muni in Sanskrit, in its etymological meaning, has an import equivalent to 'a man of discriminative reflection'. 

Love

vIvekachudamani- Post 75

 

For Liberation, first comes extreme detachment from finite objects of sensual satisfaction. Then follow calmness, self-control, forbearance and complete renunciation of all selfish actions. (69) 

This is a text which not only expounds Vedanta but is also full of practical instructions to a real seeker who wishes to be fully established on the path of spirituality and maintain his progress in his programme of self-development. 

Any true seeker will be impatient, not only to understand the nature of Liberation but also to get a detailed discussion on the specific cause and conditions under which final Liberation from the pains of mortality and the  sorrows of finitude can be had. Here the Acharya enumerates the conditions of the mind in which the true wisdom can blaze forth. 

In this sloka, Sankara emphasises the acquisition of the four-fold qualifications as the first stage, because to pursue moksha, one should have a value for moksha . 

The first goal is discovering that the moksha is the only goal; once you have discovered that fact, the next goal is moksha; therefore knowing the importance of moksha  is the first goal; then pursuit of moksha is the next goal. 

Among the four fold qualifications, the capacity to be completely detached from the craving for things known to be finite and perishable is considered most important. 

A discriminative intellect (viveka) can grow and fulfil itself only when there is full detachment (vairagya). Without developing sufficient disinterest in the acquisition, possession and enjoyment of the sense objects of the world, we cannot enter the portals of true wisdom. 

When we become acutely conscious of the finite and impermanent nature of the world of objects, our minds, which are always a thirst for stability, continuity and perfection,  will immediately be repelled from their usual playgrounds, the by-lanes of sensuousness, where we spend a large amount of our vital energy every day. 

Even though you are a gr̥ahastha, even though lot of duties are there; if you remove all your other actions, you are as good as a sanyasi. 

Tatva Bodhaḥ says: "svadharma anushtanam eva uparathi." 

And in Gita also Bhagavān says "Anastritha karma phalam karyam karma karothiyaḥ, sa sanyāsi cha yōgi cha, na niraghnir nacha kriyaḥ". 

So a grhastha is also a sanyasi, if he is able to allocate time for spiritual pursuit . And, such a sanyasa is called uparathi.

Then some more qualifications Sankara said before;. samo, dama; uparama thithiksha; sraddha and samadhanam; and later mumukshatvam; all of them he enumerated before; that we have to remember in this context. In short, sadhana chatustayam acquisition.

Love