Sadhana Panchakam - Post 18

The intellect requires to be fairly purified to assimilate spiritual ideas or to sustain the spiritual way of life. An impure mind will not be able to support a life of refined ideals, and will actually rebel against and criticize it. 

 

When after diligent Niyata Karma (duties) and fiery Prayaschitta Karma (expiatory actions), our Karma gets reduced and some degree of purity of mind is attained, the eyelid over the “Eye of Knowledge” gradually lifts up and we begin to get a glimmer of the most important turning point in spiritual life – “Recognition that sense pleasures are riddled with pain.” 

 

This is the step that finally pulls the mind away from Maya’s external glitter and draws it inwards towards the ever-luminous Self.

 

Sufficient amount of purity is needed to recognize this fact. An impure mind cannot see it. The cleaning out of Karma is mainly to render our minds sufficiently pure to recognize this truth about life:

 

“Worldly pleasures are evanescent and fleeting. They carry with them no hope of lasting happiness. An ounce of happiness is drenched with tons of sorrow.”

 

This was the point that Dr. Kuppuswamy in Malaysia, came to see as clear as daylight. He took it to heart and acted with the courage of his conviction. He forthwith returned to India, abandoned the life of luxury he had got so used to, and became a wandering Sadhu.

 

He had come to the turning point in his life. He was only thirty-six years of age when the call came to him strongly to renounce worldly life for something unimaginably higher. Out of the inner realization of today's sadhana panchaka instruction, Swami Sivananda was born, and the whole creation bowed in gratitude to God for giving such a saint to the world of spiritual seekers.

 

The Defects in Pleasurable Objects:

 

i) Dullness of Mind: A bout of pleasure is followed by enormous dullness of mind.

 

Rich foods and overeating bring on dullness and lethargy. It is the same with every other form of sensual indulgence. Notice how little a good student eats, because he wants to be alert to study.

 

ii) Objects are Infinite: The objects of the world are infinite; and so logically we need infinite time to enjoy them. We cannot have them all in one lifetime. We need many lives to enjoy all that we desire. This really means there is no end to worldly life. It is a never-ending chase from one object to the next.

 

iii) Objects are Impermanent: Even when we get some pleasure it is not lasting. The objects are all impermanent, so the pleasure from them is also impermanent. 

 

iv) Pleasures Enslave: Since the pleasure from an object is impermanent, we need to obtain it again and again in order to satisfy our desire. This means we become slaves of the object of pleasure. Our mind is not free, but is locked to the objects we desire.

 

v) Pleasures Scatter Our Attention: Every pleasure we are attached to takes away a slice of our attention. With mounting pleasures, our attention becomes completely scattered. Our energy follows our attention and gets dissipated into numerous channels.

 

This leads to stress and tiredness. There is no energy left for the spiritual journey.

 

vi) Pleasures Get Intensified: In addition to enslaving us to the objects, the pleasure itself needs to intensify in order to satisfy us. We need stronger and stronger doses of it to obtain full satisfaction. We are thus addicted to pleasure as an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol – we need more and more to satisfy ourselves. In the end we are totally demoralized by our addiction to pleasure.

 

Defect is in seeking pleasure from objects, not in the objects 

 

In Yoga sutra, a verse says, pleasures and pains are caused by the manifestation of these vrittis of the mind which have been designated as afflictions, or klesas. Avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, abhinivesa – this fivefold complex of affliction is the cause of the various sufferings that we undergo in life, as well as the various joys that we experience. 

Thus, the objects as they are cannot be regarded as sources of pleasure because the same object can act adversely or positively, as the case may be, in respect of different individuals. What one likes immensely, the other may dislike wholeheartedly for various reasons.

 

While ‘like’ is the background of a pleasurable experience in respect of an object, ‘dislike’ is the opposite thereof, so the moment we dislike an object, it ceases to be a source of pleasure. 

 

Therefore, the pain is not in the objects, the pain is in seeking pleasure from the objects, caused by Kleshas and vasanas.

 

We are embarking on the “Nirvana Shatakam” session where, we come to learn, know and ultimately experience the truth that anything other than me, the pure essence, is but an object and I am not anything other than me, I am not even my mind, my intellect, my memory, my ego.

 

When I come to realize that I am not all the objects at all and I am beyond all of them, I am pure consciousness, I am Pure Bliss, then I no more seek pleasures from any thing in this world and therefore, no pain can touch me!!

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 17

Sankara commenting on this mantra explains that the wise one is like a swan which drinks the milk separating it from the water whereas a person of little wisdom, due to the lack of discrimination, chooses the pleasant for the sake of bodily wellbeing.

 

Bhagwad Gita says "Sin" is mistake committed by an ignorant individual ego against its own divine nature as the eternal soul.  

 

"Pati iti Papam". That which protects our ignorance and ignorance created wrong notions and negative tendencies is sin, the result of which is agitations and sorrow in the end. When we do prohibited actions, do not follow scriptural injunction, do not keep our resolve, compromise with our ideal it is 'sin'. 

 

In our mind, a deep liking for pleasure is created, so even though we want to get rid of that inclination, secretly we keep enjoying it. As long as we 'secretly enjoy it' it can't go away. Desire pushes us to commit that sin. 

 

The seats of desire are senses, mind and intellect. Desire first veils our knowledge and then makes us commit sin. We are not open to any reasoning once that happens. 

 

In the present, desires arise through sense perceptions e.g. when we see/hear/taste/smell/touch, it creates desires. 

 

Bringing to memory 'enjoyed objects in the past' can also create desires. Another way we sustain desires is through our intellect, by imagining, daydreaming and planning about future sense pleasures. 

 

To wash away the sins, we have to first control our sense organs. By a higher goal, we can conquer lower urges. By emotions like love to God, respect to elders, we can control sense organs. 

 

By noble ideals of intellect we can control our mind. However if we make Atman, which is superior to intellect, as our goal, then we can kill desires and wash away sinful tendencies. 

 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares the general proposition that as one acts, so does one become. Performer of good actions becomes good and of bad actions becomes bad. 

 

Since human beings perform acts according to their attributes (guna) and inclinations (svabhava) born of nature, enlightened persons perform acts as ordained by scriptures and unenlightened persons perform acts as influenced by the senses. 

 

With determined mind and resolve one can change performance of one’s actions from negative to the positive, accepting the fundamental proposition that entire human race having been born from Prajapati have equal opportunity to become enlightened devas without being unenlightened asuras. 

 

Sankara explains that devas and asuras are nothing but the organs, like the speech and the rest. How can the organs become devas and asuras. 

 

They becomes devas because they  are shining under the influence of thoughts and actions taught in scriptures’ and asuras because ‘they are influenced by their natural instincts and actions, based on perception and inference and directed to visible ends’. 

 

The bench mark is performance of actions, paapa and punya being within the reach of every one, the position of the Lord being only that of Saakshi, Witness, dispensing justice according to the performance of enlightened and unenlightened actions.

 

Karma is the aggregation of the luminous actions as well as non-luminous actions, it being accepted that the cause-effect syndrome does not cease with the death of the body, balance of the aggregation of previous life being carried forward to shape the future life. 

 

Till the cycle is terminated by performing desire less actions, without giving rise to results, the self continues to seek gross body to work out the effect of the previous Karmas. 

 

Enlightenment is the natural state of the Self and the moment the unenlightened obstacle on mind ceases to obstruct the vision, the Self shines in its own luminous light, even as the space reveals the deep and vast extent, once the clouds intervening the vision are removed.

 

Cleansing one’s Mind of the impure sensory influences and supplemented by ethical and moral actions, one becomes enlightened to the Brahman, which is the Source of all effulgence. 

 

Sankara says, the auspicious and in-auspicious results caused by ignorance can only be destroyed by Wisdom along with daily purificatory rites and rituals. The important purpose being termination of taints in one‘s mind.

 

In a session on “Vasanas”, the author concluded thus:

 

Egoism is the first Asuric (demonic) son of avidya (ignorance). Egoism has two Asuric daughters - raga and vasana. 

 

There is an intimate connection between Vasana and Raga. 

 

Raga is attachment. Mamata (mine-ness) is due to raga. If you want to kill raga and vasana, you must annihilate egoism. If you want to kill egoism, you must first kill avidya. Focus on destroying avidya; raga and vasana will die by themselves.

 

Just as a washer man removes dirt through dirt, just as a traveler removes the thorn in his foot through another thorn, so also the impure mind should be slain by the pure mind.

 

He who has annihilated the lower or the impure mind, drives away rebirths to a great distance from him. The pure vasanas with which the sage performs actions cannot produce rebirths for him.

 

All impure vasanas are fried when you get knowledge of the Self or Brahma Jnana. Meditation, japa, kirtan, practice of pranayama, Brahma vichara, study of religious books and satsanga generate pure vasanas.

 

When the mind is freed from the desires for objects and when it rests in the Self or atman, you will enjoy eternal bliss. 

 

When the mind is freed from all cravings or longing for objects, when it is controlled in the heart, when it attains the reality of the atman, a jiva attains moksha or the final beatitude of life.

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 16

     

“Washing Away the Hoards of Sins”

 

Paridhooyataam: This strong term is used here with deliberate intention. It means “shake off violently”. The scars from old wrong deeds have to be shaken off in very much the same way as a dog shakes off water from its body by giving itself a vigorous shake!

 

The learning from Karma session (also the blog posts on KARMA theme) helps in fulfilling this instruction to a great extent.

 

Through Sadhana, through Purushartha, through exercising viveka , through not listening to the dictates of ahankara and chitta (MBCA session), one continues to collect white arrows (good results of action) and clears out the remaining red  arrows ( results of sinful actions of the past) through one’s prarabdha karma.

 

“Wash away” is a very strong and direct way of describing the above process. One cannot eliminate, one cannot erase, one cannot by pass, one cannot ignore, one cannot over power the effects of past sins. They can only be washed away, where, the detergent and the water used for washing away the effects of all past sins are Purushartha and surrender.

 

Also, there is a way to wash away through expiatory actions called Prayaschitta Karma when an aspirant is in early stage of spiritual sadhana and is not clear about various aspects of Karma, about various aspects of antahkarana, about the very purpose of his birth.

 

Prayaschitta is like the road tolls we pay. On the highway, traffic causes wear and tear of the road surface, and toll fees are needed to repair the road. In life, too, we have to pay with Prayaschitta in order to continue our journey. Hindu Dharma devotes considerable attention to this Karma as it plays a key role in reducing Karma.

 

Practical Aspects of Prayaschitta Karma (at the beginning of Spiritual sadhana) 

 

1. The Lord’s Name is the most common form of Prayaschitta Karma. It is a medicine that works wonders. All the saints are unanimous in their advice on the glory of the Lord’s Name. There is no escape from this Prayaschitta.

 

2. Devotional acts of service are a key part of Prayaschitta. The Lord in turn does His bit for us. He lifts the burden of the past and removes the stains of Karma. He also removes the tendency to do the same wrong again. How?? By rendering our heart purer when we are devoted to the Lord.

 

3. Apology and forgiveness work hand in hand as a pair. Apology draws forth forgiveness from the other party. Apology is the horse which pulls the cart of forgiveness.

 

4. Fasting, pilgrimage and penance – these are common forms of Prayaschitta in which one deliberately puts oneself through hardships. Traditional pilgrimage or Yatra is done without luxury and comfort.

 

5. A resolution should always follow Prayaschitta Karma – “I shall never do it again.”

 

Swami Sivananda fills our heart with great hopes when he describes “SIN”, thus:-

 

“The ignorant man only says: "I am a great sinner." This is a serious mistake. Never for a moment think that you are a sinner. You are the most holy one, you are the ever-pure Atman. Sin cannot touch you. You are above vice and virtue, Dharma and Adharma. Punya and Papa are mental creations only. Sins are mistakes only. 

An ignorant Jiva commits these mistakes during the course of his journey in this world on account of Avidya or ignorance. Through mistakes he gains experiences and marches forward in his path of spirituality. Every mistake is your best teacher. One has to evolve through sins and mistakes. These mistakes are inevitable. Some people become a prey to thoughts of sin. They ever brood: "We are great sinners. We have committed many crimes." This is a great blunder. 

Whenever thoughts of this nature worry you, you should think: 'I am doing Japa of Om. This will burn all old sinful actions. This will purify my mind. I am doing Tapas, fasting and charity. These are all great purifiers. 

I am becoming purer and purer. Nothing can affect me now. I am like the effulgent fire. I have become a holy person.' Assert, whenever such negative thoughts of sin trouble you: 'I am the Nitya Suddha, ever-pure Atman.' 

 

Hear the words of assurance of Lord Krishna in the Gita:

"Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet shall thou cross over all sin by the raft of wisdom. As the burning fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so doth the fire of wisdom reduce all action to ashes. Verily, there is no purifier in this world like wisdom; he that is perfected in Yoga finds it in the Self in due season." Ch. IV-36, 37, 38.

"Even if the most sinful worships Me with undivided heart, he too must be accounted righteous, for he hath rightly resolved. Speedily he becometh dutiful and goeth to eternal peace. O Kaunteya, know thou for certain that My devotee perisheth never. 

 

They who take refuge in Me, O Partha, though of the womb of sin, women, Vaishyas, even Sudras, they also tread the highest path. How much more easily, then, the holy Brahmins and devoted royal saints (attain the goal); having obtained this impermanent and unhappy world, do thou worship Me. 

 

Fix thy mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice unto Me, bow down to Me, having thus united thy whole self in Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, thou shalt come to Me." Ch. IX-30

 

Continued….

 

Love.