Tattva Bodha - Post 13

Tattva Viveka Kah?

Atma Satyam, tad Anyat Sarvam Mithya iti.

What is Enquiry into the Truth?

(The firm conviction) that the SELF is real and all other than that is unreal.

The Two Levels of Discrimination: 

Earlier when we were discussing Viveka, we were concerned with the discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent, or between the eternal and the ephemeral. 

That was the initial stage of the use of the intellect or Buddhi to come to an understanding of the defects of worldly life, so that the seeker may turn his attention away from it.

This definition is from the standpoint of one who is engrossed in worldly life. It is designed to lead him away from worldliness and begin the first steps in spirituality. It teaches the seeker to DETACH from the world. 

Now the seeker is being taught to take discrimination a big step further. 

Now the discrimination is between the Real and the unreal, between Sat and Mithya, or between the unchanging reality and the ever-changing apparent reality of this world. 

The mind is here being taken to a depth of analysis far beyond the earlier level of Viveka. 

This definition of discrimination is designed for the one who is already on the spiritual path and who needs to go further. It teaches the seeker to ATTACH himself to God. 

Jagat Mithya

MITHYA is used for that which has a “temporary existence” in the absence of knowledge. When knowledge dawns, then it is seen to be false. This category of existence is posited on the fact of our experience of this world.

This phenomenal appearance (Jagat) before us is only a relative reality, ever-changing, unstable, unreliable, never dependable, limited, subject to time and space, subject to decay and dissolution, having a beginning and an end. Characterized by these defects and shortcomings, everything here seen, perceived by the human individual consciousness, is but a mere temporary relative reality. 

And the individual soul that thinks of itself as the knower of this, or the seer of this, or the experiencer of this ever-changing phenomenal flux, which is called Samsara or the universe, is a non-entity or a mere illusion/Mithya.

All the waves we see in an ocean are the various objects in this creation which arise, grow, reach the peak, recede and perish at the end. 

And, the ocean itself is this creation, which appears to be real but on a careful observation, with a higher level of discrimination/Viveka, one does realize that ocean itself is not eternal. 

Then, what is the ultimate reality?

Brahma Sathyam

Imagine that I was in a dark room. There was no current at the time and so, except for a candle, I was in darkness. Immediately the truth flashed to me - "This darkness is not the reality." 

What exists is only brilliant sunshine scattering in all ten directions, pervading everywhere, prevailing always without change, without anything to bar or hamper it, filling everything with light, radiance, effulgence, brightness. That is the reality where everything is seen clearly; this darkness is only a temporary condition.  

As the earth rotates, the sun will rise and the whole place will be flooded with light. Even when I am lighting a candle and thinking 'I am in darkness', there is only light and light only. 

This darkness is a temporary superimposed condition due to certain limiting adjuncts. The light is the reality; this darkness is a passing unreality, a relative reality. The positive factor is the reality; the negative factor is a temporary mode or condition.

And what is that Truth? Anando brahmeti vyajanat (He knew bliss as Brahman). Those who have drunk this honey, this bliss, declared: “Sweetness, sweetness, sweetness, everything is sweetness, sweetness beyond description; all is beauty, auspiciousness, bliss.” 

And that is the reality that is everywhere present in all its fullness, always, always unchanging, without contradiction, successively borne out by the experience of all mystics, of all times - ancient, medieval and modern.

What a tremendous realization! What a tremendous realization that at this moment the bliss of Brahman pervades everywhere within and without! 

Therefore, this is a discipline. This is an exercise you must be engaged in: “This is nothing, it cannot come in my way, it has no power. It is Mithya, it is only a false appearance. I am living in the reality. Who can assail me?” 

Then each day will be a victory. Each day will be an ever-progressive liberation. They are not meant only for books or scholars or pundits or ultimate realization; they are meant for now also. 

Thus, in the wave and the ocean example, neither wave (the created objects) nor the ocean (the creation itself) are real. What is real is the water - The Brahman.

As shared earlier in a talk, this Brahman is the eternal, changeless and self-illumined Chaitanya.

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 12

MUMUKSHUTVA

Adi Sankara says, 

 “DURLABHAM TRAYAM EVAITAT DEVANUGRAHA HETUKAM

MANUSHYATVAM MUMUKSHUTVAM MAHAPURUSHA SAMSHRAYAH”

(Manhood, burning desire for liberation (Mumukshutvam), the capacity to completely surrender to a man of wisdom - These three things are rare indeed, and wherever they are found, they are due to the Lord’s own Grace)

- (Vivekachudamani)

1. In this life, one takes so much for granted. What one does not realize is that, just being born as a human being is a rare blessing in itself. Amongst the multitudes of billions of organisms (living beings), only a few are given the opportunity of being born as humans. That by itself, should be considered as our privilege and utilized with utmost respect.

2. Even if one is born as a human, not everyone gets the desire or drive to work towards liberation (Moksha). A very few of the few beings are inspired with this desire.

Swami Chinmayananda writes - 

“To employ in life, a deep discriminative understanding and to perceive the ultimate futility of all the ordinary mundane pursuits of life and thereby discover an enthusiasm to seek a nobler path of self-redemption is rarest of all!!”

3. In spite of being inspired to attain Moksha, not everyone is lucky enough to get the company and proximity of the learned and enlightened.

Those who are blessed with the above three are truly fortunate. They should make use of every ounce of it and count their blessings along the way.

After Vairagya and Shad Sampat are attained, the mind moves towards the source of its own accord, because it has lost its hold now on external objects. It has no resting place in this objective universe. Purification of the mind and mental discipline form the rock-bottom foundation of yoga.

When this is effectuated, the longing for liberation dawns by itself. Mumukshutva is coupled with burning Vairagya. Self-Realization will come within the twinkling of an eye.

That aspirant who is endowed with these four qualifications should hear the Srutis (scriptures) from a Brahma Nishta Guru (Preceptor who is established in Brahman), and then reflect and meditate on the inner Self. He will soon get Self-Realization.

The Four Stages of Mumukshutva:

The spark of yearning for the Divine, whether it is small or big, exists in every human being. It is this spark which starts one on the quest for lasting happiness. It may be just a seed, but when conditions and circumstances are made favorable, it can germinate into an irresistible yearning for God that is unstoppable by any force on earth.  

In the process of growing from seed to tree, we identify four stages of growth in Mumukshutva, starting with the tree or full-blown stage.

i) Tivra Stage: In this stage one wants nothing but Moksha. The experience of the world becomes intolerable and only the balm of liberation would ease the anguish one feels. There is no waiting time left, he simply has to “let it go.” Such is the intense, burning aspiration for God at the highest level.

ii) Madhyam Stage: In this stage, one moves about like a pendulum between deep desire for God and forgetfulness of Him. The Shastras say that such a person will need three more births to get freedom.

iii) Manda Stage: This person knows about the need for Moksha, but postpones it or later. “This is not the age for it,” he says, when he is full of vigor and vitality. “I will see to when I am old.” Such a person, say the Shastras, gets liberation at the end of a Yuga.

iv) Ati-Manda Stage: This man thinks that attaining liberation is like winning a lottery, that he will just stumble on it one day! The Shastras say that such a person NEVER gets liberated, there is not a chance to “win this lottery”.

In author’s own experience, after His Master, the Lord of Lords, Sri Sathya Sai gave that one glance to the author in SK Hall in August 2010 during the Parthi Yatra and with that Swami ignited the fire of Mumukshutva in the author.

Without adequate interest in reading Srutis, he hardly knew what Mumukshutva really meant up to that period, but he experienced it in absolute terms and later, after a week or so, when he picked up Vivekachudamani and read the initial chapter, he could relate to his inner experience.

In the fire of Mumukshutva ignited by the grace of Swami who knew that in physical terms, that was the last glance He is giving for His devotee, the author comes back, takes up books on Vedanta treatise which he had never read much earlier and he experienced as though the whole Muscat city, the whole Oman country, the whole world and beyond the earth, even all the worlds, were burning in the fire of Mumukshutva lit up within.

Author has shared the experience not to talk about himself but to give you exactly what Mumukshutva means, as an experience, as a state of existence, in spiritual sadhana.

From that time onwards, in his pursuit of higher SELF, all other priorities, likes, dislikes in life took the last seat and from there, they disappeared very fast. 

When Mumukshutva is lit up to that extent, then, one develops such a craving for Moksha that he cannot settle down for anything else in life.

Hari Aum Tatsat.

Tattva Bodha - Post 11

SAMADHANA - MENTAL BALANCE

 Samadhana is concentration of mind. Be attentive always on that which you are seeking.

Your eye is always on that, like the consciousness of a target of a bowman who strikes it with an arrow. Concentration is the consciousness inside, fixing itself with its attention on that which it wants. 

When you want a thing, why should you not be concentrating on it? 

People say, “I want a thing, but my mind cannot go there”.  The reason is that you are not really wanting it. 

If you really want the thing, the mind must go there; and when the mind is not going there, you are not really wanting it. Thus knowing, concentrate your mind.

A commentator while writing on Sri Sankaracharya's 'Atma-Anatma-Viveka' writes: 'Whenever the ears are engaged in sravana - hearing, and the mind wanders to any worldly object or desire, and finding it worthless, returns to the performance of the three exercises (Sravana, Mañana and Nidhidhyasana) - such returning is called Samadhana'.

The mind is free from anxiety amid pains. There is indifference amid pleasures. There is stability of mind or mental poise. The aspirant or practitioner lives without attachment. 

He neither likes nor dislikes, he has a great deal of strength of mind and inner peace, he has unruffled supreme peace of mind. 

Some aspirants have peace of mind when they live in seclusion, when there are no distracting elements or factors. They complain of great tossing of mind - vikshepa - when they come to a city, when they mix with people. They are completely upset. They cannot do any meditation in a crowded place.

This is a weakness. This is not achievement in Samadhana. There is no balance of mind or equanimity in these persons. 

Only when a student can keep his balance of mind, even in a battlefield when there is a shower of bullets all around, as he does in a solitary cave in the Himalayas, can he be really said to be fully established in Samadhana.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita:

          'Perform all actions, O Dhananjaya,

dwelling in union with the Divine,

renouncing attachments,

and balanced evenly in success and failure.'

This is Samadhana. 

Again you will find in the Gita: 

'The disciplined Self, moving among the sense objects

with senses freed from attraction and repulsion,

Mastered by the Self, goeth to peace.'

This is also Samadhana.

Love.