Tattva Bodha - Post 5

Viraagaha kaha?

Iha swarga bogashu Ichahaah ahithyam

What is dispassion?

The absence of desire for the enjoyment (of fruits of one's action) in this world and also in any other world.

As a result of one's discriminative capacity (Viveka), when one differentiates between the real and the unreal in the world outside or in the world within, all false values automatically drop off.  

When once a thing is understood to be full of bitterness, pain and imperfection, rare is the man who will continue to court it.

Thus, Vairagya born out of Viveka is what is called as detachment.

The author (in his teens) interacted with a sanyasi while he was in Mathura. The sanyasi was from the West and had opted for sanyas and was staying in Brindavan in an ISKCON ashram. He was young and energetic. 

Author asked him one question - "If you ever happen to like a girl and want to marry her, what would you do"?

The answer was - "I shall leave this sanyas and marry the girl".

The reason for narrating this incident is not to undermine that sanyasi but to drive home one point strongly.

If the sanyas was taken up out of differentiating between real and unreal and out of a strong conviction to discard this world and take up spiritual Sadhana and evolve spiritually to realize SELF, then the possibility of marrying would have never ever been there for that westerner turned sanyasi.

How Vairagya Dawns 

Note how Vairagya arises in the mind. Once, through Viveka, one is able to clearly see and know the transitory and perishable nature of all objects in this world, then, to the extent one is able to know / experience this unreal / anitya nature of all objects in this world, to that extent - dispassion towards the same sets in!! More you are aware that some thing is unreal / ephemeral, more you develop dispassion or Vairagya towards that!!

An irresistible feeling arises in our mind, viz., that the finite can never satisfy the Infinite within us, that the changing and perishable cannot satisfy the changeless and deathless nature of ours. 

Love.

PS - While Vairagya has been described in the traditional way it is understood for centuries (detachment / dispassion developed for that which is known as unreal through Viveka), here, the author would like to give a newer and more positive dimension to "Vairagya".

Vairagya need not be due to dispassion / aversion for unreal things. 

Vairagya could also be (and is most preferred) due to our Love / our craving for that which is eternal and for that, we could prostrate and bid goodbye to all other  things / all other companions / all other objects that have been closer to us until then. In this case, even while discarding all that is ephemeral or temporary, there is no dispassion / negative feeling developed. We just say within, "My gratitude to you for being with me in my life all through, now I am taking off for a higher journey towards SELF, so I may not be able to be with you from now onwards, Prostrations and love to you!!".

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 4

Nithya Anithya Vasthu Vivekaha kaha?

Nithya Vasthu Ekam Brahma Tathvyathiriktam Sarvam Anityam
Ayameva Nitya Anitya Vastu Vivekaha

What is discrimination between real and unreal?

Brahman alone is real, other than Brahman everything is unreal.

This is what is called discrimination between real and unreal.

We read on the 4 qualifications or the Sadhana Chatushtaya in the previous post.

Let us know about the first 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, 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 know 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.

An example is given to differentiate between fact (Nijam) and Truth (Sathyam).

A king had a beautiful queen to whom he was so attached due to her beauty that he spent most of his lifetime with her, engrossed in her beauty.

The queen dies one day and once she dies, the body is kept for couple of days due to some reason and the same king, who was so attached to her physical beauty, is not able to go near the body due to its bad smell.

The beauty of that queen during a certain time phase is FACT or NIJAM, which is relevant / valid for a particular time. Readers may co relate so many such FACTS in various phases in their own lives. 

However, after a particular time period, the Fact is no more a fact, when the body is dead. 

However, the one Truth SAT - CHIT or SELF or GOD beyond a form, is not a mere fact but it is TRUTH for all times, in all yugas.

Viveka or Discrimination is to know clearly the difference between That which is / are unreal or just fact(s) and, That which is eternally real, the only TRUTH (Our existence in pure canvass / the Knower who is changeless who is self illumined in and through all Koshas, all states of consciousness and even beyond all of them).

That Eternal Truth is our true nature - Divine SELF.

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 3

               Saadhanachatushthaya Sampanna Adhikarinaam                         Moksha Saadhana Bhootham

Tattvaviveka prakaaram vakshyaamaha

(Those who follow the four-fold qualification (Saadhana Chatushtayam), which are the means for liberation, are told about the mode of discrimination).

After prostrating to his Guru (as given in the previous post), Sankara starts the text by telling the qualification that the seeker has to be endowed, with which he will be able to enquire into the Self and thereby realize one’s own nature of Self.

The first verse in Brahma Sutras starts with these four qualifications, thus:-

Athato Brahmajijnasa

Now, therefore, the enquiry into Brahman.

Atha: now, then, afterwards; 
Atah: therefore; 

Brahmajijnasa: a desire for the knowledge of Brahman (the enquiry into the real nature of Brahman).

Sutra literally means a string. It serves the purpose of stringing together the flowers of the Vedanta passages.

The word Atha is not used to introduce a new subject that is going to be taken up. It is here to be taken as denoting immediate consecution.

The enquiry of Brahman specially depends upon some antecedent conditions. The enquirer should be endowed with certain spiritual requisites or qualifications. Then only the enquiry is possible.

So, in the path of Jnana, even for a Self-enquiry, the attainment of the 4 qualifications is a pre-requisite.

Atha: now, then, afterwards; Atah: therefore - These expressions denote that, now, after having endowed with the Sadhana Chatushtaya, the four qualifications, the disciple is qualified for Brahmajijnasa - Enquiry into the Brahman.

Saadhana Chatushtayam kim?

What is Saadhana Chatushtayam? 
What are the four-fold qualifications?

a) nitya anitya vastu vivekaha
     Discrimination between the real and the unreal objects.

b) ihaamutra arthaphala bhoga viraagaha

     Dispassion towards the enjoyment of fruits of one’s own
     action here and hereafter.

c) shamaadi shatkasampattihi

     Six Disciplines starting from shama etc.

d) mumukshutvam cheti

     Burning desire for liberation.

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.

The above four qualifications in a seeker would help the seeker understand what Vedanta wants to say, better than those who will be exposed to this knowledge without any prior mental preparation. 

Author has dealt with these 4 qualifications in a previous theme.

He shall reproduce the relevant extracts from those posts in the next posts.

Love.