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.
The
closing shloka of the text is now presented.
Guaécr[aMbujin_aRr_a´>
s<saradicraÑv
mu´>,
seiNÔymansinymadev<
Ôúyis
injùdySw< devm!.31.
gurucharanaambujanirbharabhaktaH
Samsaaraadachiraadbhava
mktaH
Sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevam
Drakshyasi
nigahRdayastham devam.
O devotee of the lotus feet of the teacher
May you become liberated soon from the samsaara
Through discipline of the sense-organs and the mind;
You will come to experience the Lord that dwells
within you!
Faith
and devotion to the guru are necessary in order to ease the student's path and
level out the path of his pilgrimage. The tradition handed down from teacher to
teacher is so full of logic and precision that none who pay proper attention
can fail to resolve all their doubts and worries. When we have once embraced an
ideal to the very core of our intellect, belief in that ideal becomes natural.
Thus faith is the secret power in the human mind to carry him onwards and
upwards. To not have faith in the teacher and the taught only results in the
student going adrift and becoming even more confused and lost than if not
undertaking the path at all.
The
true teachers themselves are devoted and faithful to those who preceded them
and take no personal credit for what is taught. It is important to note in
relation to the text we have been studying, that Sri Shankara in pointing out
the need for faith in the guru is not saying 'have faith in me', but is
honouring his very own guru, Sri Govindaachaarya; thus the title of the text
applies not just to the Universal Being, but to the guru who brings this
knowledge to light.
It
is one of the peculiarities of the human being, though, to tend to buck away
from the wise; thinking ourselves wiser, or at least clever enough to figure it
out ourselves. There are the rare few who can indeed do this - but rare is the
keyword there! In school, in college or university, how many students genuinely
have an understanding of their subject to the stage where they truly know more
than their professors? Many may think so, but mostly it is not the case. If
they have any wisdom at all, it is to pay close and alert attention to the
professor and make as much of his or her knowledge into their own knowledge as they can… to
become professors themselves. This is the way in material subjects and is
equally so in the matter of spirit and philosophy. We can read as many high
texts as we care to, but translating the words on the page into proper
knowledge and living the essence of their meaning has to be demonstrated to us
by those with the experience. There is no getting round this fact. Therefore
the very first tenet of true spiritual pilgrimage - dropping the ego - can be
exercised by submitting to the guidance of a Guru.
One
of the great traits of the best of teachers is that they can break down the
very complicated into the simple. Those who have ego-pride in 'being
intellectual' will look down at such simplification and decry it as 'minor'
work, fit only for children. It could be argued that we are all children when
it comes to spirit - and is it not said that one must in fact become like a
child to rise to the Highest?
Thus
do not think of this song from Shankara-ji as being simplistic or 'basic'; it
is that for a very good reason. Many of us are not fit for anything more! We
have to start at the lowest part of the path in order to ensure we build it
well. If we attempt to start the path at a point above our heads, how easy will
it be to stumble and fall back down again?
In
conclusion, as is the tradition, we repeat the opening stanza (though really
speaking, for this 'song', that first verse ought to be chanted like a chorus
after each verse);
_aj
gaeivNd< _aj gaeivNd<
gaeivNd< _aj mUFmte,
s<àaPte
siÚihte kale
Na
ih n hi rúait fuk&|! kr[e.1.
Bhaja
Govindam bhaja Govindam
Govindam
bhaja muuDhmate,
Sampraapte
sannihite kaale
Na-hi
na-hi rakshati dukRng karane ||1||
Seek Govinda, seek Govinda
Go seek Govinda, you fool!
When the appointed time comes
Grammar rules surely will not save you!
Om
Tat Sat