It Is Within

Hari OM

Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.

We are following the text "Beyond Sorrow" in which we explore the nature of suffering and how to manage and move through difficulties. Now for the final words, provided by HH Pujya Paramagurudev Swami Tapovan Saraswati Maharaj - the Sat Guru of Sw. Chinmayananda. (Again, this essay has been summarised for presentation here and you encouraged to purchase your own copy of the publication if you can.)

SEEK HAPPINESS WITHIN

Of all the objects of veneration, the Self is the most venerable. It is of the nature of Sat (Existence), Chit (Consciousness) and Aananda (Bliss). It is sought by everybody. It shines by itself, like the sun, in every heart and at all times; why rush here and there looking for this light? If there is a hive of honey in the corner of the room why fly all over the world in search of sweetness? The Self itself is the world. Realising this, how can one say one is ever away in a foreign land? One can only ever be present, here, now, in this place. Whether the body is engaged in action or whether it sits rock-still in meditation, it is all the same for the Realised one, who finds everlasting joy in the Self. Within.

In that Ultimate Truth there is no room for plurality. It is an enormity beyond capability of most to comprehend, therefore is designated as an object with such appellations as "God", "Ishvara" and such like. That One Self, being conditioned into various bodies as a jiiva (individualised segment), falls into the delusion of "I", the ego-self. When did this mighty illusion that "I am the limited body" originate? A question impossible to answer...if the Self, which is beyond space and time, originated at any time, be sure the great illusion had its origin at that very same moment. If with the help of the scriptures or logic we realise that this soul has no beginning, how can we conceive of a beginning of illusion?

The way to destroy this illusion is sought after by the wise. On its destruction, jiivaatmaa becomes one with Aatman, Brahman… That One. The very universe, all its elements and the things composed of them, are in a constant state of change. How can they be permanent and real? Billions of billions of universes with their movables and immovables once existed; if they were all real, where have they gone now?

Let the universe be what it is, what is the use of investigating its nature? On the contrary, we ought to think of that Supreme Self - Man should give up other thoughts and concentrate upon the meditation of Brahman. Everything unreal and dependent is of the nature of sorrow. For the unwise, untruth appears as truth. True Bliss is Real and Eternal and not inert. The one who desires happiness ought to seek solace and comfort in the Supreme Self. As worldly existence is of the nature of sorrow, everyone in the world should try their utmost to escape it. Spiritual life is the sole remedy.

This does not mean that sorrow ought not to be faced. Simply by refusing to engage oneself in worldly activity, one cannot get rid of sorrow. What would be the state of the world if everyone became a renunciate of action? We have to achieve happiness and peace not by running away, but by remaining fixed in the thought of the Supreme and facing the sorrows. It is everyone's duty to do their most to make this sorrowful world a place of joy and happiness.

Give up the delusion this body is the Self. This body is only inert matter like stone and earth. It cannot function by itself; it is worked by an independent spirit of the nature of Consciousness. Remember this always.

It is the vision of God that brings all worldly sorrow to its end. Work towards knowing "God". Sooner or later all creatures will reach that goal. It may take ages and ages, but it is bound to happen. Even as all water ultimately reaches the ocean, the jiivaatmaa must reach the Aatman. It is the final resting place.

Step On Up

Hari Om

'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days; Q&As; a general review of the week so far…

Each of the posts this week have stepped up the pointers to dealing with an every-crazy world; learn to withdraw. Practice being in the world but not of it. Oh yes, easily said and all that; but each small step made in a direction, made and re-made, will take one along a path. What has to be sorted is which path is being chosen. It is also good to know that one can change paths. It might mean a bit of 'cross-country', rough-under-foot work, but it can be done.

The spiritual path is not necessarily the easiest path, for it requires dedication and determination. The head can know what is right, but the body can be fighting it. The intellect can be working out plausible excuses for why saadhana is not being done.

Until such time as Realisation of Self is ours, we must be ever watchful of ourselves. At no time must we become complacent or lazy. It is much easier to fall down a hillside than it is to climb it. Then, what measures us, is our ability to stand up, dust off and begin the climb again. Miss  no steps, make each step firm before taking the next. Each of those steps will yield rewards of quality. The further one goes, the greater the rewards. Set your goals. Reach for them.

This Way or That Way

Hari OM

'Text-days' are for delving into the words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.

On Wings and Wheels is the publication we are delving into currently. It takes the form of a series of Q&As from devotees to HH Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. There are many sections and subsections to this book - not all will be given, but it is hoped that the general thought-flow will not be broken for those omissions. To obtain the full picture and essence of the discussions, do consider attempting to purchase the text from the link above; it is currently only available from India.

MORAL CONNOISSEUR

Q - at this point, a change in the discussion from the reference point of action to that of the subjective aspect; regarding the power in us which judges actions, is it an inexplicable faculty, a kind of intuition?

A - No. You cannot call it intuition because it is with the help of what is known the one judges the situation. It is the discriminative faculty within the intellect. For one who can pause the mind more, his or her judgement or discriminating power is more. One who is disturbed, agitated, has a decreased assessment faculty; but when the mind is calm, judgement improves. Intuition is nothing more, really, than a highly attuned level of assessment and judgement - there is anticipation involved, but again this can only come from having gained experience.

THE CONDITIONED INTELLECT

Q - the intellect judges not only with the help of wisdom acquired, but as you said earlier, with the trigunas - do these conditionings colour judgement?

A - Yes, it is the intellect that judges and the intellect's judgement would change according to the moods, sattva, rajas, tamas.

Q - So conscience is intellect with its accumulated wisdom, conditioned by the moods?

A - Yes… and that's how mistakes are made. The intellect does include the experience of the past - watch how a child judges compared to a teenager or that one to an adult. It is easily seen that experience matters in one's judgements. Equally, the quality of one's temperament affects this; sattva is much the best environment to make decisions, whilst in tamas there will be a total lack of wisdom or care - or even interest.  If the mind is slightly disturbed, judgment and interpretation of the data will be confused. Then you act. At the moment you act only as the intellect judged; later you realise that it was a mistake. That is why we say that sin is only wrong judgement. There is a fine example given by Lord Jesus when Mary was to be stoned; he put it to the crowd that if any of them could claim to have made no errors in their lives, then by all means they must cast their stone upon her. In this way he was honouring the law of the land (as it was then) but enabling all to make their own decision about their judgement regarding stoning another human being. What a precise, beautiful, discriminative judgement - nobody dared touch the first stone!

REASON AND GOODNESS

Q - Does pure goodness equal pure reason - that is to say, is a purely rational man a purely good one?

A - The two are not dependent. Pure goodness arises from sattva. However, it is possible to be purely rational and be rajasic, or even tamasic. The rationalisig is done with the colouring of the gunas. It might be said that Hitler was a very rational man - he could make fine arguments for all sorts of horror. To be able to rationalise does not necessarily mean goodness; we can justify all our wrong traits if we put our mind to it!

Q - then would the rajasika and tamasika best be guided by the moral judgment of the sattvika, or should the person evaluate his actions according to his own judgement, albeit imperfectly?

A - The Gita states it; even though imperfect, you should continue to do your duties according to your station. It is better to follow one's own judgement, albeit imperfect, as this is the dharma. It is a complex matter of vaasanas, karma and so forth, which must be answered for during one's current dharma and therefore one's own judgement will correct - or add - to the debt. When the load of vaasanas is reduced, our judgment will become purer. 

Drop and Do

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.

We saw the 'thumbnail' version of the spiritual path, then the urging of the Guru look to that ultimate goal; now he points out the risk of distraction.

Maa kué xnjnyaEvngvR<

hrit inme;aTkal> svRm!,

Maayamyimdmiol< bud!Xva

äüpd< Tv< àivz ividTva.11.

Maa kuru dhanajanayauvanagarvam

Harati nimeshaatkaalaH sarvam,

Maayaamayamidamakhilam buddhvaa

Brahmapadam tvam pravisha viditvaa ||11||

Take no pride in your possession or people

In the youthfulness (that you have); time loots them away.

Leaving aside all these, knowing their illusory nature,

Realise the state of Brahman and enter into it.

The egocentric nature of Mankind is his spiritual downfall. As we read in yesterday's post, we tend to a false relationship with inert things and become attached to them. We say all the time, "my" and "mine", do we not. Due to this, we suffer much for the gaining of things and also at the loss of them. Wealth, social connections and family status, youth and vigour - these are tottering pillars upon which we build our sense of esteem, enjoyment and importance.

Wealth is never constant. It is intended for distribution - willingly or not! Relationships in this world, social status, popularity and power - all are entirely dependant upon the fancy of the moment, the mood of the hour. This world if illusory appearances is a field of preoccupation only to the delusory ego, which springs from one's own identification with the Perceiver-Feeler-Thinker in oneself.

Seek the Knower of it All! That which illuminates all experiences - the saakshi chaitanya - in the very core of your bosom. Realise that Consciousness presiding over all the inner experiences as the Consciousness Infinite Everywhere… Brahman.

What Holds Sway

Hari Om

Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality and become more congruent within our personality.

We are reading "Tips for Happy Living - jIvnsUÇai[ /jiivanasuutraani", by Swami Tejomayananda (Guru-ji). Choose-days writings are here to prompt deeper thinking on the choices made on a daily basis and seek to provide prompts for raising the standard of one's thinking and living. This text composed in format of Sanskrit traditional teachings, speaks directly to this purpose. As ever, the full text may be obtained from CM Publications - or your local centre (see sidebar).

As we move now into Chapter 6 of the text, Guru-ji takes up how it is that we are to understand our connection with items of possession. How do we prioritise our relationship with things and beings?

RELATING WITH THINGS.

jfpdawRe_yíetnàai[n> ïe:Qtra>.1.

tsmaJjfpdawaRna< k&te àai[nae n ivnaziytVya>.2.

Jada-padaarthebhyash-chetana-praaninaH shreshthataraaH ||1||

Tasmaaj-jadapadaarthaanaam kRte praanino na vinaashayitavyaaH ||2||

Living beings are greater than inert objects.

Therefore, for the sake of the inert objects, living being should not be destroyed.

In the ladder of evolution, living beings are definitely superior to inert objects. Life is precious. A scientist told God, 'You have become obsolete; we can now create life by cloning.'  God retorted, 'Good! Try doing so with a dead cell!' Inert objects can be created and destroyed, but 'life' cannot be created - only destroyed.

Inert objects have their use and importance, but surely not more than life. It is indeed sad that wars are fought and families break up for the sake of wealth and property. Man is even willing to kill for the sake of money. 'Demons' are still about this earth - such people value dowry more than the bride.

SAADHANA

Ponder on this for the next seven days; how much do you possess - do you call as 'mine'. How do you feel about those objects? You think it is nothing? Try putting them away from you for that seven days… be honest to yourself about your reactions to this withdrawal...

Work Within Live Without

Hari Om

Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation

SOLITUDE. Does it serve a purpose for the meditator? Does it have to mean 'lonely'? We are going to explore the writings of a number of notable contemplatives of various backgrounds and explore the role of solitude in spiritual pursuit. These are from a collection published by Chinmaya Publications.

Swami Sivananda was the first Guru of Swami Chinmayananda (Gurudev); he was the founder of the Divine Life Society. Here are excerpts from his essay on "Calming The Mind".

Many great masters Realised the Self by doing spiritual saadhana (practice) while remaining in the world. This is plausible, but not feasible for the vast majority. Easier said than done, as it were. Lord Jesus was missing eighteen years; Prince Guatama (the Buddha) went into seclusion for eight years; Sri Rama Tirtha was a recluse for two years… many had taken up seclusion during their saadhana. You can make a beginning in the world, but when you have made some progress, you must shift yourself to a suitable place where you will find spiritual vibrations and solitude in order to complete the task.

Willpower can become weak for many people, as they have no religious discipline or training under appropriate guidance. This is why, quite often, when making a change to more spiritual living, it is necessary to find those quite, separated places; to remove the distractions of the world.

Calm the bubbling emotions, sentiments, instincts and impulses through silent meditation. You can give a new orientation to your feelings by gradual and systematic practice. Those who have attended to family matters, who have retired from service, and who have no ties or attachment in the world, can remain in seclusion for several years practicing meditation and tapas (austerity) for purification and Self Realisation; when the tapas is over, they ought to return to the world and share their knowledge with others.

A householder still engaged in matters of the world but with yogic tendencies and spiritual inclinations can practice meditation in a solitary and quiet room in their own home, with special attention to holidays and pujas. If you are a householder who wishes to undertake saadhana, you cannot all of a sudden sever your connection with your family. It sill haunt you in your solitude. Break the ties gradually. Build the family's understanding of your need for solitude one day at a time; let them know it is not lack of love for them, but for the Greater Love that you do this.

If you are such an aspirant, you need to be free of hopes, desires and greed. Keep the mind steady. Seek to reduce your possessions and balance your relationship with those which remain… these ought to be the bare necessities for keeping the body well and there ought to be no attachment to them. Those who want quick progress in meditation during seclusion ought not to engage with the world by any form of communication. This aspirant must reduce the wants and attractions of the world; there must be discrimination and dispassion, a true desire for liberation form the bindings of this life. There must be a level of serenity, gained by seeing and rooting out the vaasanas of the personality. There must also be fearlessness - a most important qualification. Self Realisation is not for the faint of heart or timid of mind.

Withdrawing all the senses from the external and focusing on the internal, a disciplined yogi now can enter the cave of his being. Make the mind single-pointed. It will require patience and perseverance. Regularity of practice is paramount. You should know the ways and habits of the mind. Introspect. Self-analyse. Self-examine.

You will be astonished how, no matter how far you think you have come, the mind now will seek to return to old habits and tricks! The more you attempt to still them, the more they will bubble up with redoubled force. Do not be discouraged! Never despair. Keep on keeping on with the saadhana. Meditation upon the Immortal Self will act like dynamite upon all thoughts and memories.

How can sense-control be tested in the forest or upon a mountain side where there are no challenges or temptations? The yogic student must learn to test themselves after growing sufficiently by entering the world again and putting all the theory into practice.

May you al attain success in yhoga and enter into blissful union with the Lord, through this disciplined self-control and constant meditation.

St Benedict

Hari OM

Sounds-day is for listening/viewing a variety of devotional items from and for all ages and traditions.

June 11th is the feast of St Benedict.