Hari OM
'Text-days' are for delving into the
words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.
TATTVABODHAH.
[You are reminded that reviewing the
previous week's posts will become essential as the meanings of the Sanskrit
terms may not be repeated. There may come additional or alternative meanings,
but all should be noted. As study progresses, the technical terms must
necessarily become 'second nature' to the student. When the Sanskrit is used,
the translation will fall easily into place - or likewise, if the English is
used, the Sanskrit term must easily come forwards.]
Please revisit THIS post and chant the mangala-charana. The chanting for the
oncoming posts was given last week - use the TattvabodaH label to access all
posts relevant to this text. We are currently
studying the text on the shamaadhi-shatka sampatti. You may wish also to review
the chanting of this section, which you will find here.
The last of the saadhana chatushtaya is now our study.
मुमुक्षुत्वं किम् मोक्षो मे भूयाद् इति इच्छा। /mumukshutvaM kim? moksho me bhuuyaad iti icChaa. "What is mumukshutvam? 'Let me attain liberation!'...this
intense desire is mumukshatvam."
Mumukshutvam, then, is not a 'practice' per se. It is a sense of
purpose which can be best served by the practice of all which has been
discussed thus far. However, not all who practice viveka etc fervently
necessarily have true mumukshatvam. Some say it is a birthright of those who
have exercised spiritual advancement in previous births and that this comes as
'grace of God' - a fructification of karma, if you will.
Just as the candle requires to have its wick lit, so it is that the
truly-seeking saadhak requires to have that inner desire for spiritual freedom
set alight by one who has gone before and who can relate the necessary items to
guide that student. The Guru. Sitting with the wise ( सत्संग / satsanga) is surely one
of the best ways to kindle that fire. There are levels of mumukshatva. तीव्र /Tiivra, super-strong in resolve, only
liberation will satisfy the desire; मध्यम /madhyama, middling, keen but still prone to
distraction from time to time; मन्द /manda, rather dull and somewhat indifferent to
the spiritual pull, postpones practice as life is rather more appealing; अतिमन्द /atimanda, no interest whatsoever in the spiritual goal, even though still happy
to associate with those who do. Mumukshatvam is the 'engine' behind the saadhak
but only the one with tiivra will truly attain high levels of spiritual
satisfaction. This is not to say the others must give up the chase! Not at all.
Every attempt along the spiritual road will be to the positive, thus do not
become disheartened!
There is a phrase; "complacency is the enemy of progress; a
happy slave is the worst enemy of freedom." If we are coasting along in life, never
questioning, just continually thinking that the status quo will do, how will we
ever rise above our current circumstances?
If we think that we are happy in our current condition, how will we ever
know that there is something better to strive for? So many of us do not even
realise we are bound in the wreaths of Maya!
This is the nature of mumukshatvam. It makes us question the sense
of bondage we have in life in such a way that answers will come and they will
help us to raise ourselves to ever greater heights. We will easily find that we
can surrender all in order to gain the kind of knowledge which will truly
liberate our spirit. Surrender what? पुत्र /putra - children, वितेषणा /viteshanaa - wealth, लोकेशन /lokeshana - name/fame. This seems harsh if we are happily in household life;
however at the level of tiivra, even that is no longer desirable. Fret not.
This is not a signal to run from marriage or responsibility. These things can
still be maintained and spiritual practice maintained in parallel. The
surrender of the three things mentioned is not necessarily at the physical
level, but within ourselves, by cutting away the desires for children, welath
and name, supplanting with the desire for spiritual betterment. Occasionally,
one who is touched by the grace, who has tiivra, will find the call
unavoidable. Generally, in such cases, the way is smoothed simply by that same
'grace'.
So how to assess mumukshatvam?
Svaroopa - fullness of desire is lit
Kaarya - guru upasadhana - sitting at the teacher's feet and serving
as advised
Avadhi - the release of pointless and worthless pursuits. Dedication
to spirit.
Know that mumukshatvam is dormant in all; those who at all find a
need to associate with spiritual life, at whatever 'strength level' are
answering the call of that desire.
एतत् साधनचतुष्टयम्। ततस्तत्त्वविवेकस्याधिकारिणो भवन्ति। /etat saadhana-catuShTayam.
Tatas-tattva-vivekasya-adhikaariNo bhavanti. This is the four-fold
qualification. Thereafter, they become fit for the enquiry into the Truth.
Here we
round off the section on the saadhana chatushtaya. We have been shown the
basics of what they are, what is involved in their practice and what we might
expect as a result of our dedication to such practice. No matter how much study
of higher texts we may undertake, unless we are applying them and their
'experiments' to our life and monitoring them through these paramaters, we can
make no gain. We must come to the need to enquire only within ourselves. It
cannot be at all forced upon us. The chatushtaya serve as the gardening tools
of our inner garden. The help in preparation of the mind. If the mind is unprepared, the even if one
hears and read this Knowledge, it is likely all to seem theoretical and abstract.
Even if appreciative of the concepts, until such time as efforts are made to
'own' this Knowledge, it will fall fallow.
Okay.
What is the 'Knowledge' we are talking about here? What is this 'Truth' and how to research it?... We
shall pick this up from next week.
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