ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


Power of Practice

Hari OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
The text under study is BHAJA GOVINDAM, song of despair of time-wasting, by Sri Adi Shankaraachaarya.

Having given us a glimpse of how it might be to live in the Realised state, the next verse (thought to be penned by Sri Aanandagiri) softens things a bit towards those who are striving and dreaming only of ever reaching that condition.
 
_agvÌIta ikiÂdxIta
g¼a jllvki[ka pIta,
Sak&dip yen murairsmcaR
i³yte tSy ymen n ccaR.20.
Bhagavad-giita kinchid-adhiitaa
Gangaa jala-lava-kanikaa piitaa,
sakRd-api yena murari-samarchaa
Kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa ||20||
To one who has studied the Bhagavad Gita even a little,
Who has sipped at least a drop of Ganges water,
Who has worshipped at least once Lord Muraari,
There is no discussion (quarrel) with Yama, Lord of Death.

For the regular seeker, taking a pilgrimage is considered desirable action. One does not have to travel, as such, to be on yatra. It can be achieved by proper and thorough study of scripture; a little every day is most effective. If one can indeed travel to sacred places all the better. Among the most sacred in India, is the Ganges river, and it is then 'de rigeur' to sip of the waters. Muraari refers to 'the destroyer of egos'.

The scripture pointed to here in the verse is the Bhagavad Gita. In its eighteen chapters are contained all the essential teachings of the Upanishads and it is therefore a compact tool of learning in spirituality. A study of these chapters is an intellectual discipline by which we can come to understand what exactly is the secret Essence of Life, what exactly is the goal and what are the methods by which that goal can be reached.

The Ganges is considered to spring from the intellect of Lord Shiva and is considered the very flow of wisdom. Shiv-ji was the only being who could face the onslaught of her high powers and knowledge. In taking it all into Himself, and at the request of Sri Bhagiiratha, he gave out the Knowledge in a thin stream which could be more readily absorbed and handled by the country and its people. Not only does the physical Ganges nourish the country, but the spiritual Ganges keeps the seeker thirsting for more. There are those, in our scientific age, who would decry this tendency to deify a river. However, symbolism is important for all senior practices and understandings and for loyalty to a path. The national flags of any country are nothing more than bits of cloth crudely stitched together… yet they are imbued by all who believe in their homelands with a worth far beyond their material existence. Never deny the potency of symbols.

Having the intellect nourished by the Gita and the body nourished by the sacred water, what is required next is to have a guide, a pilot upon the stormy seas of life as we seek to find our way to safe harbour. Here it is suggested to use the form of Muraari. Withdrawing the mind from all other preoccupation, centring it upon the goal, calling upon the assistance of Muraari, we can reasonably hope for success. What we put in is what we get out.

In following this path we find that, in fact, death itself no longer holds any mystery or fear for us. Creation and annihilation are necessary for a forward movement, for progress. At all levels of existence it is going on. Nothing in the material existence is permanent - the Great Knowledge is that 'we' are beyond the material and are therefore without birth and death. It is a liberating understanding!