Practice

Hari OM

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

There has been talk, in recent posts, of vairaagya. It takes practice (abhyaasa - to drill, to make habit of...) to reach an appropriate level of dispassion that is balanced.

For another point of view on this and to hear from another of the teachers within the mission, CLICK HERE.

Sw. Nikhilananda is head of the Delhi centre and a most inspirational speaker with a common touch. He finds examples we can all identify with. This transcript from a discourse he gave reads a little clumsily, (Indian English), but it is worth pursuing!

Vairaagya

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

Saadhana-chatushtaya. The four rules of practice. You have read about these here, before. (See label in the sidebar.) The thing, though, is that these are the workaday tools of practice. Having read them, now use them!  Over these four posts of February, then, you will be prompted to make the s-c a part of your daily life, that they become second nature to you and do not remain as just concepts written in words upon a page, but activities within your every thought, word and deed.

VAIRAAGYA

Detachment. This can seem cold. Perhaps a better term would be non-attachment. However, the first description and second description actually look quite different. What is allowed for with vairaagya is that we have already attached. It is the general state of the human condition, from the day we are born. We first attach to our mothers, then the wider family, then our extended family, then friends. As we do this, we are given 'stuff'. Things, objects of the world as we perceive it through our senses. The senses are what attach us and anchor us firmly in the external and distract us from our internal selves.

With practicing vairaagya, we may be able to attain a state where we can move about in the world but no longer get attached to anything; then we can be said to be in a state of non-attachment. It is still vairaagya but practiced at the highest level. We will then be in the world but not of it.

Your saadhana this week, then, is to notice your attachments. With the use of viveka, you should start to see what attachments are purely spurious and unwarranted, driven by our desires and greeds**. You should also begin to assess new input with a greater degree of judgement as to whether it is something you should invest anything of yourself in. Gradually, gently, knock off the weakest and most distant attachments - perhaps some that have not properly taken hold but show a potential of becoming chains to your spirit. Work your way inward.

** this is the point where saadhakas will often make Sankalpa - pledge - to release certain things. The obvious things are coffee, chocolate, wine and so on. Good enough places to start, but it is not simply about eliminating these things from one's diet, it is about sitting with oneself and looking at the vaasana which was the cause of the attachment to these things. Taste and desire for more of the same are obvious, the why for you is not so clear. This is where contemplation now plays its part. In this way, build your saadhana.

Vairaagya Veritas

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 eighteenth stanza is attributed to Sri Subodha, another of the senior disciples of Shankara-ji.

surmiNdrtémUlinvas>

zYya _aUtlmijn< vas>,

svRpir¢h_aaegTyag>

kSy suo< n kraeit ivrag>.18.

Sura-mandaritaru-muulana-vaasaH

Shayyaa bhuutalamajinam vaasaH,

Sarva-parigraha-bhoga-tyaagaH

Kasya sukham na karoti viraagaH ||18||

Sheltering in temples, under some trees,

Sleeping on the naked ground, wearing a deerskin;

Renouncing all idea of possession and thirsting to enjoy…

To whom will not dispassion bring happiness?.

One who is hypocritical can appear to be doing these things, as has been brought forth in earlier verses. Now though, it is put forward that those who perform these tapas - austerities - with right mind and intention of releasing worldly connection can only expect to indeed find a level of contentment which passeth all understanding.

Everyone can point to the other man who, it seems, is happier than they are and put a measure on it according to worth; but the only one who has the courage to declare - and truly feel - that he is himself happy is the one who has relinquished the passions and hungers for the world. He alone is really rich who has no more any use for the finite joys of this ephemeral world. There may be no home or shelter for such a one, causing him or her to seek comfort in sacred spaces; the clothing may be little more than rags and barely more than a walking stick and a mala may be owned - yet such a one is self-sufficient, holding an inner contentment which cannot be matched.

If we renounce externally, but do not address the desires and longing which arise within us, we will forever be held back in sorrow at what we do not have, holding an attachment to the external regardless of the illusion of renunciation. For it to be true, we must have full vairaagya - renunciation within our very being - to gain the contented joy spoken of by the sages.

Indeed, one can be a great and true vairaagi even whilst working in the world and even while living in a comfortable home. It is the state of mind and the intention of life which is the purpose being pointed out here. No matter how much one has, if one has true vairaagya it all becomes only oil to the wheels of life and if it is not there the vairaagi is indifferent to the fact, for the goal is not physical splendour, it is inner glory.

See, Don't Hold

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

VEDANTA IN ACTION.

This is the title of a publication from CM which, whilst it of course has items by Gurudev, also includes selections of writing from other well-esteemed Gurus from the Vedantic tradition as well as leading businessmen. Its focus is the working life. We shall be exploring these essays for the next few weeks on Workings-day as, clearly, they pertain directly to the premise of this section of AVBlog! As ever, you  are encouraged to read back over previous posts, to ensure full benefit.

Part 2:Fulfillment Through work

On Karma Yoga (by Swami Vivekananda) cont'd

Overcoming Past Impressions

Work, but let not action or the thought produce a deep impression on the mind. Let the ripples come and go: let huge actions proceed from the muscles and the brain, but let them not make any deep impression on the soul.

How can this be done? We see that the impression of any action to which we attach ourselves remains. We may meet hundreds of person during the day and among them meet also one whom we love; then on retiring at night, we may try to think of all the faces seen , but only the face of the loved one is before us in the mind. Attachment to that individual left its deep impression. Physiologically, the impressions have all been the same; every one of the faces seen were reflected upon the retina and the brain took the pictures in… yet there was no similarity of effect upon the mind. Most of the faces, perhaps, were new and therefore had not been stored in memory till now; but the one face which we glimpsed, for perhaps seconds, was remembered from previous meetings. Repetition had ensured impression. We may not even have seen that face for a considerable amount of time, but the feeling associated with its frame left its impression upon the mind. Attachment ensured the lingering impression, you see.

Therefore, to avoid lasting impressions which bind us in attachment, we must become unattached. Let things work; let the brain centres work; work incessantly; but let not a ripple conquer the mind. Work as if you were a stranger, a passer by, in this world. Work incessantly but do not bind yourselves; bondage is terrible. This world is not our habitation, it is only one of the many stages through which we are passing.

Remember the great saying of Saankhya, "The whole of nature is for the soul, not the soul for nature." The very reason of nature's existence is for the education of the soul; it has no other meaning. It is there because the soul must have Knowledge and through Knowledge, free itself.  If we remember this always, we shall never be attached to nature; we shall know that nature is a book that we are to read, and that when we have gained the required Knowledge, the book is of no more value to us.

Instead of that however, we are identifying ourselves with nature. We are thinking that the soul is for nature, that the spirit if for the flesh and, as the common saying has it, we think that man 'lives to eat' and not 'eats to live'. We are continually making this mistake. We are regarding nature as ourselves and are becoming attached to it; and as soon as this attachment comes, there is the deep impression on the soul that binds us down and makes us work not from freed, but like slaves.

...tbc...

Adopt Non-attachment

Hari Om

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

Much of the application of Vedanta in life is about vairagya - learning the skill of involvement without attachment. It is a life skill which holds everyone in good stead who is willing to make the efforts to hone it. A fortunate few are born with an inherent ability to walk in the world but be not of it. Majority, though, get caught up in egoism, emotionalism and all the other wear and tear of life.

Vairaagya may be a Sanskrit word, but it is not a condition which is exclusive to those of Sanskrit heritage. It is a life condition applicable to the entirety of humanity. Releasing all sense of 'me-ness' and 'my-ness' is a most freeing state.  It is not, as Gurudev points out, that one must adopt a state of distance and harshness; it is not that life has to be miserable in order for it to be deemed as 'spiritual'; nor is it a place of hiding in order to avoid the ups and downs of life.  It is a state of constant emotional balance; a place of clear seeing resulting from determining correct value (via viveka) of all things and happenings in life; a condition of acknowledgement and moving on to whatever comes next, without the need for over-reaction or a hankering to linger.

Vairaagya permits us to experience each moment for the value it has and move on from it gracefully. In vairagya, there is no rushing the thing to avoid pain, nor holding the thing to try and maintain joy. These two conditions are present in every moment and if we do not permit each moment to be what it is, we alter our ability to live life fully.

A vairaagi is not unfeeling; the tears will come as will the laughter. However, a vairaagi does not wallow in sorrow nor get lost in high emotion.

Enjoy life, but let not life enjoy you!

Ever In A Spin

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.

Continuing posts prompted by the prasaadam grantha, "Gita in Daily life" by Sw. Tejomayananda. Please note that technical terms used here, which have been discussed previously, will not be elaborated or translated. The labels cloud on side bar can be used to access specifics if you are new or require refreshing as to meanings.

Last week we saw how Bhagavad Gita advises 'samataa' (equanimity) towards the world of objects. We ought always to treat things and people equally, avoiding as much as possible personal preference and prejudices.  This week let us explore Equanimity in Experiences.

Chapter 12; shloka 1

With regard to experience, the Gita propounds the principles given per the saadhana chatushtaya; most specifically the equanimity is typified by the requirements of vairaagya.  This is the withdrawal of our excessive reaction to things and circumstances. It is further supported by titiksha, one of the shamaadhi-shatka sampatti. In a number of verses thorughout, Sri Krishna reminds Arjuna not to get caught up in the extremes of the world. Balance in regard to the pairs of opposites (usually given in examples such as heat and cold, joy and sorrow, honour and dishonour… शीतोष्न सुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः /shiitoshna sukhaduHkhesu tathaa maanaapamaanayoH. BG 12:18).

The nature of experience is that it can only ever be within the physical realm - but remember that the physical, as far as Vedanta is concerned, is absolutely everything down to the smallest particle; ie from gross to subtle to subtlest. Therefore, using the example given, we can find that heat and cold pertain specifically to the body (gross), whilst joy and sorrow are experiences of the mind (subtle) and to experience honour or dishonour, our intellect is engaged (subtlest). There is not one among us who can escape these things. Regardless of our position in life, in society, geographic location… every single one of us is mechanically built to have a response to the external world. The estimation of our relationship with things/others comes down to our psychology and whether our balance is more towards the body, the mind or the intellect. One of the fundamental tasks of any who would follow philosophical injunctions is to assess themselves and these interactions and seek to modify them. Every spiritual philosophy requires this!

How to attain this balance; this equanimity? First we must understand (discriminate = use our viveka) that equanimity means freedom from personal preference. It is a neutralising of any excessive leanings, which permits us to remain stable whenever challenge arises. What is the measure of being imbalanced? Any sense of elation or deflation. If we insist on a specific thing and refuse to accept any alternative, on having that want met we will feel a sense of elation/satisfaction to some degree. Conversely, if that want is not met, there will be a sense of dejection/loss and so on. The merest twinge we have of having bettered another or of having been deprived in some way, is what haunts us.

This happens all the time, but we are so used to it that we do not keep tabs on how our ego is at all times seeking to have the upper hand, be it in elation or deflation! This is largely what drives commerce and society. We are constantly placed in a situation of comparison as to whether we have, or have not. At the mental level, this can manifest as the controlling and submissive behaviours which can mar our enjoyment of life. At the intellectual level it might manifest in attitudes of elitism. What is more, no two situations are the same and neither is any one situation experienced the same way by any number of individuals. What will always show, however, is the one person who has the most balanced response to whatever is happening. You will all know someone like this; someone who appears to be unaffected by the vicissitudes of life. There is a tranquillity about them and they are easy to engage with, even when having differences. These people understand the fluctuations and impermanence of life and therefore meet it as it comes without getting overly affected.

For those who follow a spiritual path, the acceptance is that everything happens according to the will of the Spirit and how can we become agitated by such a force? Whether one is inclined to say "Ah, 'tis God's work", or whether you are of the school of thinking that everything is driven by karma or whether you are a Vedantin, able to see all as false except the One Great Truth; at all times the importance is keeping the physical being steady.

A Sanskrit proverb; आगते स्वागतं कुर्यात् गच्छन्तं न निवारयेत् /aagate svaagatam kuryaat gacchantam na nivaarayet - "when something comes, welcome it; when something goes, do not stop it."

Whatever level of philosophy you hold at this point in time, ensure that your understanding is that things and people and situations will come and will go. Whether you become dizzy with the fluctuations, or remain centred throughout is your choice.

Control of Mind

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 have been learning that the saadhana chatushtaya are a key component of spiritual pursuit. Every spiritual philosophy in this world requires of its genuine aspirants that they prepare themselves with methods of self-control. Not for purpose of dogma, but irrespective of it. With the sole purpose of 'tilling the inner field' in preparation to receive the fullness of religious experience.  In the process, they are likely to find themselves becoming better human beings.

It has been highlighted that viveka is required as a first step; to begin to perceive all that appears to be 'real' actually has no reality, for everything which can be perceived is impermanent. In spiritual terms, only the permanent can be Real and this can, then, only be the cause of all cause and effect. The first and only causative agent out of which all else has arisen. Having grasped the need to truly 'see' a tool is required to begin cutting away the peripheral 'stuff' and that tool is vairaagya; the dispassion towards all the objective world. Not detachment, but a proper ordering of  function and form in the scheme of things, freeing one to act with greater meaning and clarity.

It is worth mentioning, briefly, here that vairaagya is considered to have three qualities of its own. 

मुण्ड/munda, which is a weak application of dispassion; vairaagya can only be maintained for short duration and does not meet the bigger challenges particularly well. It is, however a start!

मध्यम/madhyama, which is a middling application. There is dispassion to the objective world, but the interest remains for objective practices such as performance of puja (worship) and japa, or acting within community and such like - with a specific view to gaining spiritual 'brownie points'… to increase positive karma and boost chances of an improved 'next life'. This also has merit, for at least improvements are made.

तीव्र/tiivra, which is the intense and very strong application. One with this has no desire for anything of the now, nor thinks of a 'hereafter' (which is also a perishable concept). The sole desire of this vairaagi is to gain the Knowledge of Self. Nothing can distract such a one.

As can be seen, it can take some doing, this gaining of appropriate and balanced vairaagya! What other tool is available to help we poor mundas and madhyamas on our path?  There is the shamaadhi-shatka sampatti, the six-fold wealth.

As with many Sanskrit texts, Tattvabodah has begun with the voice of the Guru (remover of darkness), the aachaarya (teacher), making observations what is going to help the shishya (student). The alert student asks questions of the script and now, being thiivra vairaagi, wishes to know what are the six qualities which support the seeker.

What are they and why are the six inner qualities referred to as 'wealth'? Simply, the answer is a naming of the six. Shama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha, Shraddha and Samaadhaanam.  This of course prompts individual questioning by the shishya; but as a precis here, understand that the joy of having control over the sense, of being able to remain balanced through the thick and thin, the high and the low, to be able to be in the world but be little affected by it - this is to be considered as true wealth. Appropriately tuned, we can enter the fray of life, but always return to our core purpose of sitting in shravanam, mananam, nididhyaasana each day, being able to shake off the burdens the world tries to impose upon us. Treasure indeed! These qualities themselves take practice and the whole of Vedanta is here to help us in this smaller goal. One step at a time.  Guru-ji, Sw. Tejomayananda, says "Outer wealth decreases on spending and increases our sorrow. Inner wealth increases with use and decreases our grief."

Let us first, then, ask what is shama? The Guru tells us that it is control or mastery of the mind.

Left at this we could interpret it according to our current circumstances and may or may not be successful to a point. There is also, if not read in accordance with the spirit of Vedanta or if read by one with perverted and skewed views, scope to misinterpret it altogether, taking it to mean brain-washing. No such thing! It is imperative to remember that mind is defined as being a continuous flow of thoughts. Constant. Like spoiled children, our minds are always on alert for the new, the need, the trouble, the stimulus. Ever more in this world there are distractions glaring out attempting to lure us. By lure us, of course, is meant lure the mind! The mind can control us so much that we have no idea we are dancing to its tune. Fickly, flimsy, fun-seeking mind.

When we refuse to follow the mind's every whim, when we can brush away the distracting thoughts and refuse to participate in flights of fancy; when we can keep the mind from flying out to the world of objects and retain focus on the task in hand; then we can say that we are in full control of the mind. To do this we must be ever vigilant, just as a parent is of a child. Make no mistake. Mind will make every attempt to escape and the more it feels the control coming, the greater will be its outward surges.

Be gentle with it though. As will all children, it needs to know that there is a reward for positive behaviour. This is where the wonderful stories of the scriptures play their part. Reminding mind that there is purpose beyond instant gratification. In meditation, too, it will begin to find much benefit from 'towing the line'.

At first the benefits may not necessarily show in the spiritual field - indeed, it ought to be seen that in many areas of life, a well-controlled mind can flourish. It knows how to control all the urges which come up as reaction to circumstances.  Recall all the lists of negative and positive emotions given earlier? (Check the 'basics' label). Anger, greed, gluttony - so many things are there to which we give an inflated and damaging importance. All is mind. 

How to begin this though? Substitution and sublimation. Not suppression. We know we have only succeeded in suppressing when we find that the emotions keep re-emerging. We know that we have successfully sublimated when we can sense there is cause for an emotion - let us use anger, because that is high on the list - but we are able to withhold from basic, animalistic, explosive expression (or for those who tend to it, the 'flipside' of dropping into depression). Instead, we can find positive responses to the negative stimulus. The alert, controlled mind is able to take the precious time to formulate appropriate response to defuse a situation, or, if necessary, is able to walk away. The personality can say "Mind - what are you doing, every time you want to do this thing, to lash out or run away and not deal with things. Have you not learned this only brings continued worry? Come here now and don't bother over that matter. Do you have something worthwhile to add?" Continue to speak to your mind until it begins to believe you!  This is called sublimation - logical convincing of the mind to bring calm.

The mind which has been used to free reign is likely to fight back! There will be times when we cannot reason with ourselves.  This is where substitution comes in. "Okay, anger is there and even if it is justified, it is still not appropriate to react with same. So just let the other know the anger is there and that you are not going to respond right now." This way we satisfy the mind's need to express, but do so with minimal risk of escalation. Later, when we have walked away and the mind has settled a bit, we can follow up with the self-talk to strengthen sublimation.

This last has happened at the level of the organs of action. Shama you see, is all about the organs of knowledge, the jnaanendriiyas, purely internal. When we have to allow at least some action, albeit moderated and controlled - and speech is one of the karmendriiyas - where we have controlled those actions, this is the use of next of the 'wealth', known as dama.

This we will discuss next week.

SAADHANA.

Begin to closely observe your thoughts. Note how often you leave them to their own devices...

Standing Apart

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. Think again on the meaning. Seek to focus on the subject.

We saw last week that a key component of advancing spiritually is to develop viveka. What is it that can be the कारण/kaarana - the causative agent - for viveka? To develop full skill of viveka, we need to develop चित्त-शुद्धि/chitta-shuddhi (purity of mind/intellect) and चित्त-एकाग्रत/chitta-ekaagrata (single-pointedness of mind/intellect). (Note these terms - they will appear here and there!) Immediately you may think, but how do these get sparked?  This relates to पुण्य/punya, the fructification of merits within karma as part of  प्रारब्ध/praarabdha ('destiny').  Much later we will investigate this more. Know that, at this moment, the very fact that you are reading this and are now aware of chitta-shuddhi or ekaagrata means that somewhere in your history you have done sufficient 'good' to 'earn' this level of learning.

It is not that we automatically have the purity and focus. It is that something, built up by long experience, we come to understand that there is a need to develop these things. Each act of hearing about God/Brahman /Allah/Manitou… even the passing words of a television interpretation (!)… lays the seeds of our spiritual growth and we develop more interest and reach a little higher (or inner). Through viveka we find that we develop the next part of the saadhana chatushtaya.

विरागः कः  (?)

इहस्वर्गभोगेषु इच्छाराहित्यम्।

viraagaH kaH?

iha-svarga-bhogeShu icChaar-aahityam.

"What is dispassion?

The absence of the desire for the enjoyments

(of the fruits of one's actions)

In this world and in heaven."

Continuing the text, there now comes one paada (sentence) on vairaagya. [Note that for this line, chanting is not provided. Listen back to last week's chants and note the rhythm; same now applies this paada.]

This is a word which some folk distrust; even misinterpret. Dispassion does not mean sacrificing enjoyment or taking an ever-harshly critical stance.  Neither is it to be uninterested or to lack 'verve'. The vairaagya of vedanta is about understanding our proper relationship with the world of objects. Objects/people/situations are the source of much enjoyment but also of sorrow (either at not having them or at their loss). Lost in craving, we allow these things to be our focus.  When one has corrected the 'view', understanding the utility of these things, we can continue to appreciate them, but no longer do they take a toll on our soul. Knowing the Truth of freedom in spirit and that all else is fleeting, we adjust our relationship with the world and in this sense develop 'lack of passion'.

Dispassion, then, is the strength to give up desire for the impermanent, knowing the prize of the permanent is before us. It is the absence of 'like or dislike' for this or that. We may find that in becoming disinterested in personal joy, we do now build a desire to bring joy or relief to others. Such measured interaction arises from viveka. That ability to move about the world with the constant thought "this is not Real, that is false" builds discernment to the level whereby we can release any personal 'investment' we may have in the object/person/situation.

All actions of the true vairagi are now dedicated with ease to the Greater Spirit. Universal Love will flow through such a person, with no pettyness or expectation of return. The vairagi is without fear and depends on nothing external for his or her joy. There is a peaceable and cheerful turn to their countenance whether they have much or little.

The passionate one lives for their own pleasure.  The dispassionate one alone can truly love all.

Viveka and Vairaagya are the wings of spiritual seeker.

 

What Qualification?

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. Think again on the meaning. Seek to focus on the subject.

Now we begin the text proper.

We found, through the mangala verses, that the adhikaari is one who has established saadhana chatushtaya. Surely then, more questions must follow in order to satisfy the enquirer as to the nature of this study and the prompt has come by mention of the saadhana... What is this qualification? What exactly is this 'viveka'? Also, what is the Truth into which we must enquire? 

(NB: the longer compound words, in transliterations will be broken with hyphens for ease of reading when chanting. There are no question marks in Sanskrit, rather the very words  का, कः, किम् /kaa, kaH, kim are themselves the query. Having had Swami-ji's example for the mangala verses, please now use the gaps in the chant recordings for your own repetition practice.)

साधनचतुष्टयं किम्  (?)

नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः।

इहामुत्रार्थफलभोगविरागः।

शमादिषट्कसंपत्तिः।

मुमुक्षुत्वं चेत्ति।

saadhanacatuShTayaM kim? 

nityaanityavastuvivekaH.

Iha-amutra-artha-phala-bhoga-viraagaH.

Shamaadi-SaTka-saMpattiH.

mumukshutvaM cetti.

"What are the four-fold qualifications?

The capacity to discriminate between permanent and impermanent;

Dispassion to the enjoyment of fruits of one's actions here and hereafter;

The group of six accomplishments beginning with shama;

And the yearning for liberation."

नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः कः  (?)

नित्यवस्त्वेकंब्रह्म

तद्व्यतिरिक्तं सर्वमनित्यम्।

अयमेव नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः।

Nitya-anitya-vastu-vivekaH kaH?

Nityavastv-ekaM-brahma tad-vyatiriktaM sarvam-anityam.

ayameva nitya-anitya-vastu-vivekaH.

"What is meant by discrimination between permanent and impermanent?

The Reality alone is eternal,

Everything else is ephemeral;

This conviction alone is the discrimination…"

Two are given here as the first is very straight forward. The four key skills of a spiritual student are the ability to discriminate correctly (viveka), to be objective and not emotionally caught up (vairaagya), to be self-contained by use of the six 'wealths' of personality (shamaadi-shatka-sampatti) and to have the burning desire to progress to fullest spiritual end.

Easy enough in words!  It ought to be noted here that almost the entirety of vedanta for most people is the practice and application of the disciplines suggested here. Majority of the prakarana grantha are for that purpose only - including this very one.  TattvabodaH is to a large extent an exploration of viveka, how to adopt it, what it implies and so on. Each text will build on the foundation laid by the one before it so, just as learning the multiplication tables in early school ensures easier grasp of higher maths, those who learn well the basics of vedantic saadhana can only reap benefits. Note the following for now (much elaboration will come in due course!);

Viveka does not mean that one becomes calculating and neither must it be used as an excuse for sticking to an idea or concept which can be demonstrated as erroneous by clearer thinking. True viveka permits the thinker to think more.

Vairaagya is not an excuse to become hard of heart or unfeeling. There are those who take up the intellectualism of vedantic philosophy and use it as a barrier between themselves and the world. This is a grave error. True vairaagya permits one to interact and have an effect upon the world, yet not be touched or damaged by it. For those who cry out 'how to be in the world but not of it?!', vairaagya is the answer!

Shamaadi-shatka-sampatti are six gems of wisdom for personal development.  Taking up self-assessment and adjustment based on these six can have profound benefits. For now, simply list their names; shama (peace of spirit), dama (peace of mind), uparati ('holding in'), titiksha (forbearance), shraddha (faith) and samaadhana (meditative nature).

Mumukshatvam is, as already mentioned, that state of spiritual hunger which drives one on in enquiry, despite setbacks from within and without.

From this then, clarity is sought as to the meaning of discrimination and the shishya asks of the guru, what is this thing called viveka, determination of what is permanent and what is not? Thus viveka is a little more elaborated. In simple terms, discrimination is to assess two things or situations and make a decision based upon the information gathered. Such basic assessment is available to all animals; eat this or that? Chase this or that? Safe or unsafe?

Only mankind, however, has the ability to use this talent in abstract terms. We can use this skill to extrapolate much more than simple survival methods; it is used not only to understand means of living, but also a purpose in living. Mankind has a sense of the ephemeral and has, with his intellectual capacity, the opportunity to investigate the unseen.  The assessment between two perishable things is referred to as anitya-anitya-viveka. Thus we are told that one who is truly seeking spiritual freedom will be able to determine that there is something which may be imperishable and thus we have nitya-anitya-viveka. The observant will note that in Sanskrit, to make a word into its negative, the prefix 'a' is used. Therefore 'anitya' is impermanent, ever-changing, and 'nitya' is the permanent, that one thing which never, ever changes.

Never, ever changes!

THAT can only be the causeless cause. Absolutely everything else changes. Be it the seconds of the day, or the turn of the cosmos. Change itself is a 'permanent constant' in life! With well applied viveka, however, we can come to know Brahman, That One upon which all change occurs, but which itself changes not.

The firm determination of what changes and what does not is called viveka. What then is this thing called 'dispassion'?

...next week!...

SAADHANA.

Practice your viveka. How? At this stage, ponder only on cause and effect.  Effects can only arise by cause. The flame on your gas hob, or the light in your bulb have a cause. Think on the cause of that cause then… yes there will be the endless scientific, chemical and physics-based explanations, but now you are giving mananam to that which causes even those sciences to arise…

"U"nder Scr"U"tiny

Hari OM

Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.

More on OM as focus of meditation. Today, some exploration of "U".

तैजस/taijasa does not directly mean 'dreaming' but more accurately refers to that state of consciousness within which dreaming can occur. Western science spends a good deal of waking hours on trying to quantify the dream state.  All sorts of myths have arisen (some given a pseudo-scientific twist) as to the nature of dreams.  There is a school of theory which suggests dreams as information processing (any number of scholarly articles can be found online for this)…

That last theory is the closest to the understanding given in Sanskrit tradition.  Taijasa is where the mind can unravel itself, ridding itself of all the unnecessary by running through scenarios.  It is this which gave rise to the possibility of 'interpreting' dreams, because certainly there are dreams which process our fear for us, or our worry, stress and so on.  It happens in taijasa so that we are free to operate without these things in vaishvanara.

At the level of the true meditator, though, the one who would seek to reach to highest being-ness, taijasa is the place to tear away all unnecessary patterns, the imprints of life, or  संस्काराः/samskaara-s.

A large part of spiritual practice is to purify.  This does not simply mean keeping good hygiene (though of course that counts!), but purifying the mind and the intellect also. Keeping our thoughts pure is a major challenge.  The yogi (active meditator) can utilise the taijasa "U" meditation phase to 'empty' the mind. Here it is possible to look objectively at what is arising from one's thought process and make a concerted effort to eradicate the unwanted, build in the wanted and to 'declutter'.  Over time, this becomes a subconscious part within vaishvanara also, so that even in waking state we are no longer bothered by our own inner distractions and are ever more 'present'. An uncluttered mind also then requires less of the decluttering process and one of the side-effects of an efficient yogic practice is the reduced requirement for sleep time in which taijasa can occur.  You will read often of it; indeed Gurudev was renowned for taking no more than three or four hours sleep in each twenty four. Here then comes the relation to 'maintenance', the caretaking of the universe and Vishnu; for that takes an ever-present awareness!

This is not the insomnia of the ill or the troubled.  It is a blissful claiming of the hours to be turned to spiritual pursuit with a mind and intellect now even more greatly sharpened.

It is by bringing in the  अभ्यास/abhyaasa (practice) of  वैराग्य/vairaagya (non-attachment) in the taijasa meditation and subsequently to vaishvanara that we can purify. Through this purification we also gain clarification. The dream state is not a place to stay.  Many think that, to avoid the waking state in which they feel troubled, dreaming (aka fantasy) is the place be. The elations which can be found there become their focus and they forget that dreams have no more substance than steam. There for a moment then gone, and waking must again be restored.  What truly assists a person, is to deal with the waking in a manner whereby it causes them least trouble.  This means putting everything in its rightful place. Dreams can be likened to making tours to foreign places.  We can learn from them, enjoy them, remember them or deem them forgettable, but each time we know there is somewhere else to go.  They are not "hOMe" and therefore we must continue to travel. In spiritual terms this is to move beyond the dream state.

In taijasa, then, we can learn how to be the  साक्षि/sakshi, the witness of our own selves, our inner processes.

SAADHANA.

Practice only U meditation for a while.  Become the witness of the thoughts.  Draw back from your inner and note what arises, how you can brush it away.  SEE your thoughts!!! Are they not amazing, crazy, inconsequent? Distracting certainly.  Occasionally something meaningful will arise.  Note it but see it also for what it is. Mere thought. Allow all to drop away. Keep p'U'rity as your focus.

Inner Decorum

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.

KINDLE LIFE. We continue exploring points raised by HH Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda-ji in the publication of this name. Remember, you can purchase, (very economically!), the book from  Chinmaya Mission Publications or if you prefer, the Amazon Link. Thus you can read Gurudev's words directly and bring your own voice to the discussion.

Chapter Fourteen now. Gurudev's topic herein is HARMONY AND POISE.

Societal living presents us with endless confusions and tensions, within our own selves and in the confluence of events outside ourselves. It can seem, at times, that there are challenges ever at our door, determined to bring us 'low'.  The wisdom of the Rsis is that, by seeking to live in 'harmony' with whatever comes our way, we can find the best method of overcoming the strife. Accepting that what comes to us is intended for our improvement, allows us to then adopt a stance of discretion and problems can be cleared with minimum fuss. Living this way is what brings a level of 'poise' which others can perceive and some tranquillity to our core being.  Practice of this enables and strengthens us and future problems not only appear less often, but are dealt with more calmly.

In many a study class on reading/discussing this, there are cries of protest! Life does this, that woman does the other, he is a monster, Nature did that to such and such a group… constantly the rebuttals are there about how 'cruel the world is'. There is competition between workmates, backbiting among our peers, immorality all around; and everything which takes place at local level becomes magnified when it occurs at national and international level.

The effect of all this is depends on how we react - and if we are 'reacting' then we are most likely sitting in our ego.  We are allowing our own basic natures and undisciplined thinking to dictate what we do and say.  What happens outside of us creates tensions, and what happens within us in trying to respond, is confusions.

Be clear; that which is external is going to happen. How it effects us depends upon how skilled we have become at self-control. If we surrender to the buffeting of the external, believing it has rule over us, we will be forever lamenting our circumstances. If we have worked on building our inner fortitude, developed strength of character, then we are more likely to understand which of the external circumstances we can make a difference to and which we can't, what it is that we can do to minimise the effects upon us and, in some cases, turn the disadvantage into advantage. The Rsis advise, "The life of harmony can be lived by rising above our limited egocentric view of things and happenings, expanding our mind to accommodate a constant awareness of the totality of the world, the entirety of mankind and the vastness and wholeness of the universal problems."  In current parlance, this is 'taking the world view', understanding the rightful place of all things.

Bulk of our troubles come from remaining rooted 'locally', when we perceive the world as being only this or that and expect the wider world to follow suit. We sit in our ego centre and build inner bastions which only add to our troubles; we may begin to hit out, seek to run our lives through others', or worse, to run theirs for them; and each event which arrives then becomes ever more fearsome to us, more threatening; we begin to see our problems out of context and they become larger than mountains!

Many mistake this concept of living harmoniously with all that comes as becoming 'doormats' to events, or an excuse for idleness in which there is no need to respond to circumstances. No, indeed, any who adopt this stance could be said to be worse than those who are throwing their arms about complaining, for the latter at least are raising awareness.  The harmony the Rsis are referring to is that where the practitioner is sitting in a secure and balanced inner silence, with a clear vision of how the world is truly working and that everything has its place in the Great Play of Life, no matter how ghastly or foreboding. True harmony is practiced even in the heart of the city, during the heaviest crisis and at the most joyous of times.  It is the titiksha of the saadhana chatushtaya manifesting as vairaagya.

When we become adept at this inner balance, most of the strife of life melts away and even the big stuff can be handled with greater levels of coping.  Where then to find this harmony and poise?  Through study of the classic principles of life as laid out by the ancient wisdom and the scriptures.  The groundwork has been laid centuries ago.  All that is required is that we read and practice.

Where The Road Forks

Hari OM

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

SAADHANA PANCHAKAM.

FIVE VERSES ON SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. Written by Sri Adi Shankaraachaarya. Please click on the relevant label and ensure to review the posts till date.

We are studying the fourth shloka.

Shloka Four. Paada Five.

Endure all pairs of opposites; heat and cold etc.  Here we have reference to vairagya. By existing on the physical plain, all the challenges of 'this or that' come up. Feeling hot or cold is a very basic one. Also whether something is sweet or bitter tasting, whether we have joy or sorrow to handle… There will always be a reaction to what is presented to us externally. Having our focus firmly placed upon the Higher, we can begin to detach somewhat from all these instinctual reactions; we can decided if anything is worth our reaction or not. Okay, so it's cold. Go put on a sweater and get on with things.  It's hot, wear the minimum without loss of grace and perhaps wipe down with damp cloth, then get on with things. Fine, the milk has gone off and you can't have that cuppa, drink water instead and move along with the day.

To detach ourselves from these menial matters gives space within to keep spiritual focus. The inconveniences will still be there, but they will no longer trouble us to the same extent - if at all. We learn to become an observer of events, even when in the middle of them. This is a very useful tool for the sadhak, as it protects us from the intense turmoil which can block our vision. Sure, we can still 'talk the talk' with others who remain trapped in the nonsense for we must understand that they have not the same vision, but we do not have to actually feel dragged down ourselves.

Paada Six.

Avoid wasteful talks. As has just been said, for social conduct we may have to engage in 'small talks'. Sometimes, too, we do need to vent frustrations. An advanced seeker, though, will endeavour to minimise the less consequential conversations. This verse, remember, is for the highly focused and advanced practitioner of Vedantic principle; as novices this can seem harsh and distancing. It does not have to be. Almost certainly all of you reading this will have experienced times when you have become detached from a conversation going on around you, wondering at the mundanity and unnecessary nature of it, is it not? When we are growing spiritually this happens almost as a matter of course - indeed not even in 'spiritual terms'; it is a case of maturity also. To be able to converse always on topics of a higher nature, with better value to the wholeness of our being (and here that means spiritual), with like minds, is ever uplifting. Find the people with whom you can bring forth your true inner being, who will help you to stretch your intellect and soul on its quest for improvement.  Know that the further along this road you travel, the less 'populated' it becomes… Quality versus quantity. 

Don't panic! It is a natural progression of life and you can still partake in social activity; it is just that making the choice to become immersed, or to remain as an observer is now under your control. Hence the next step -

Paada Seven.

Be indifferent. This refers most directly to vairagya as a method of saadhana. In the English language, 'indifferent' looks cold and unequivocal. It does not fully convey the essence and nuance found within the Sanskrit 'vairaagya'. Particularly for those people who are deeply affected by things, to see someone who apparently is not can lead to them throwing accusations of coldness, heard-heartedness and such like. This is their mistake and they are only adding to their own sorrows! If only they too could develop a little of vairagya. With this practice, it is possible to see and feel the angst and sorrow, or indeed the immense joys, of others; it is possible to commiserate or congratulate; but at the same time remain poised and at ease within, not succumbing to the carousel of agonies and ecstasies.  It is especially useful during those times and in those cases where it is not possible to do anything that will have any effect upon outcomes. An example is when there is a natural disaster or a horror incident - in these days of mass media when everyone with a 'smart phone' is not so smart and what they capture gets noticed and everything is done with a view to working on the emotions, we must learn to discriminate and moderate our reactions. If you can offer something to make a difference, what you can do, do… what you can't, offer up prayers that the Lord may carry out His will.

Paada Eight.

Save yourself from other peoples' kindness. This, at first glance, looks an odd thing. Again, remember the context. When we are advancing in spiritual saadhana, we are aiming to attach to the numinous, the Aatman, the universal spirit. This involves detaching from the mundane, the physical and material existence. This text was, as has been stated, written for highly advanced seekers and at this level and into the last shloka, the distinction between Real and Unreal is emphasised greatly.

Lessons can still apply to the novice though. As we develop our vairagya, and whilst having all compassion for those around us who remain lost in samsaara, our disentanglement must also include minimising any obligations which may be put upon us by others. Such folk may not necessarily realise that this is what they are doing. Some people use 'kindness and giving' as a passive weapon though! Very often folk who do this will refuse kindness and generosity offered to them in return, for they wish to retain the upper hand. The ways and means of social control are countless. Become aware of them and seek to release the chains of emotional entanglement, the 'setups' of expectation and petty demands. This does not mean that all giving should be rejected! Know that it is okay to accept without obligation. What is more, when giving yourself, be very sure that it is spontaneous and without expectation on your own part.