Vedanta - 'experience the joy of clarity of thought'

Swami Nirguna Akshara being received at the inauguration of the one year basic course in Vedanta on Sept 3, 2011 at the Aiyyappa Temple, Koparkhairne, Navi Mumbai.

The inaugural ceremony well attended by people in Navi Mumbai who got the oppurtunity  to hear the Master’s words of wisdom. Swamiji in his inimitable, simple and lucid style explained Advaita Vedanta. His talk on the benefits of the course, clearly motivated all those present to learn more about Vedanta. He used the analogy of clothes being tumble washed in a washing machine and explained how Vedanta similarly can remove all doubts and unanswered questions and help us experience the joy of “clarity of thought”. He was a source of inspiration to all the participants who have enrolled for the course. Swamiji blessed each of the participants who also received their books from Him. 

Swamiji addresses the participants.

 

Bhaja Govindam!

गुरुचरनांबुजनिर्भरभक्तः
संसारादचिराद्भव  मुक्तः|

सेन्द्रियमानसनियमादेवं
द्रक्ष्यसि  निजहृदयस्थं  देवं  || (भज  गोविन्दं)

Gurucharanaambujanirbharabhaktah, samsaaradachiraadbhava muktah | Sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevam, drakshyasi nija hrudayastham devam || Bhaja govindam ||

Cherishing your Guru’s lotus feet, you free yourself from the enslavement of the world soon (without delay), with the disciplining of sense organs and mind, come to see the Lord that dwells within your heart.

Saint Augustine beautifully defines ‘Faith’ as, “Faith is to believe what you do not see and the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” This faith and devotion to the Guru is necessary, as what the Guru says we may not immediately apprehend. With faith, that secret power of the mind to hold on to what we believe, we come to experience that fulfillment which the Guru indicates.

Hence, Shankaracharya, in this verse, addressing seekers urges them to keep up their faith in the Guru and come to be liberated from ‘samsara’ or the bondage of limitedness, sense of lacking and unfulfilled. This liberation is not in some time far away, but here and now, through the discipline of senses and the mind. A blessing by the champion of Advaita is indicated here, as He says, “May you come to experience the Lord that dwells in your heart.”

Disciplining the mind is required as we need to maneuver the flow of thoughts easily and be able to shift our attention from the ever changing world of names and forms, to that constant, ever lasting Self within us, we come to the realization/seeing of that Divinity/Lord.

Of spiritual gurus and seekers: real and fake - part II

Shankara enumerates in ”Vivekachoodamani”, the kind of thirsty questions that would arise in the mind of a seeker of spiritual knowledge:

को  नाम  बन्धः  कथमेष आगतः  कथं  प्रतिष्टास्य  कथं  विमोक्षः |

कोसावनात्मा  परमः  क  आत्मा  तयोर्विवेकः  कथमेतदुच्यतां  || ४९  ||

Ko naam bandhah kathmesh aagathah katham pratishtaasya katham vimokshah |

Kosaavanaatmaa paramah ka atma tayorvivekah kathametaduchyataam || 49 ||

What is this bondage/misery? How has it come about? Is there a way out completely? Who is the Supreme Self? How do we discriminate between self and not-self?

These questions give us an inkling to the type of questions to be put forth to a spiritual guru and the spirit in which we approach the master. They arise from the seeker’s observations on life. They demand explanations for the sense of limitation, helplessness and confusion that one experiences from time to time. Or they may come about from a serious curiosity in knowing the truth behind all happenings of the world, within and without.

A genuine spiritual master living absorbed in the Self, does not shower a greater share of his grace upon people of his choice nor can he withhold his grace from some others. He lives in joyous perfection, cheer and bliss and it depends upon the seekers who approach him to take a greater or lesser share of it. He does not direct one’s attention to himself and expect absolute obedience or utter admiration. Instead he helps one to appreciate and admire the true inner self.

The guru living in perfection, gives out knowledge in terms of his own intimate experience and its up to the seekers to get as much benefit as they can. An ocean does not ban anyone from carrying water from it nor on the quantity. The limitations are the limitations of the containers we carry with us. Just as the sun doesn't decide to light up house to house or room to room but its the walls that restrict the entry of sunlight into the house.

Of spiritual gurus and seekers: real and fake - part I

”There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe,” says a Sufi Master. ”Don't confuse power-driven, self-centered people with true mentors. True mentors are as transparent as glass.” 

If a seeker demands cheap, easy, effortless methods for highest gains then he sure becomes an easy prey for these self appointed ‘Gurus’. These unscrupulous gurus offer grace and glory of  curative strength, failure-proof talismans, even ‘God’s own vermillion’ all for a reasonable rate, of course, to the unsuspecting, desperate seekers. For one who wants instant and immense gains without any investment then to become such an unscrupulous guru is seen as the easiest way.

This may also happen because many a person approaches a guru for every reason other than queries on spirituality. A spiritual guru is expected to have answers for financial, property, legal or marital issues. It is common sense that such issues need to be addressed by lawyers, counselors, financial advisers and so on, though a genuine guru may also offer advice on these. Even though one or all of these constitute our life experiences, one must approach a spiritual guru for better understanding of life and for spiritual evolution.

Are you in a relationship ?

There comes a time of reconciliation/agreement in the minds of spiritual aspirants, with the highest Reality, which we call Universal Truth, Nature or God.  A reconciliation that any and all prosperity or adversity, all good and all bad events in the world, happen due to the Will of the Lord.  This agreement with the Order of Nature or the Will of God comes about easily due to the influence of ‘Satsangh’ or in the company of Saints.

A similar idea is expressed in the Old Testament as, “God hath given, and God hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Guru Nanak says,"जो प्रभु कीनो सो भल मानो" All that is good to thee is good to me. He says it was on account of the Saints that he was able to have a continuous, unceasing vision of the Lord.

This vision of the Lord expresses through the Saints and this Love of God binds them together. Many Saints implore spiritual seekers to renounce those relationships that come in the way of God-devotion and engage in the only real relationship possible, which is with the Lord. 

Sant Tulsidas reiterates this point in his famous poem,जाके प्रिय न राम वैदेही, as a response to Mirabai's letter addressed to him. Mirabai had difficult situations in her family. She was troubled at home, her husband had died and her brother-in-law was giving her every imaginable trouble. She wrote to Tusidasji asking what she should do.  Tulsidasji gives certain illustrations to prove his point. He tells how for the sake of God, Bharata left his mother, Prahlad left his father, Vibhishana left his brother, the ‘vrajvanitas’/ Gopis left their husbands. In spite of the derelictions of duties they have earned praise and respect of the world.

Sant Tukaram too in his famous Abhanga expresses similar sentiments, ".... प्रह्लादे जनक विभीषणे बन्धु | राज्य माता निन्धु भरते केली || तुका म्हणे सर्व धर्म हरिचे पाय | आणीक उपाय दुखमूल ||"

Narsi Mehta in his poem (in Gujarati) says, "नारायणानु नाम जे लेता वारे तेने तजीये रे | मनसा वाचा कर्मणा करीने लक्ष्मी वरने भजिये रे || कुलने तजिये, कुटुम्बने तजिये, तजिये मा ने बाप रे | ....." He says it matters little whether it is the father or mother or anyone who stands in the way of God devotion, they should all be rejected.   

Thus the Saints urge seekers to shift our attention from being world (people) dependent to becoming God dependent. Instead of engaging/seeking permanency in the impermanence of the world, we must seek to develop Love for the Lord. Seek to be in a relationship with The One, who with attributes, form, etc or that, which without attributes, form, etc is The Eternal Truth.

Jnanam bandhah - Knowledge binds

ज्ञानं बन्धः | (शिवसूत्र: १: २)

Jnanam bandhah:  (Knowledge binds) Shiva Sutras: 1: 2

This sutra has two readings. One is Jnanam bandhah and the other Ajnanam bandhah.

When we say ‘Jnanam bandhah’ it means knowledge is bondage.What kind of knowledge binds? The knowing that I am different from / other than the Universal Consciousness binds. In the path of Shaivism, nothing exists or does not exist that is separate from the Chitprakash (conscious self). So having differentiated knowledge is binding.

‘Ajnanam bandhah ‘is not knowing / ignorance is bondage. Not knowing 'what' can bind? Not knowing our own undifferentiated nature binds.

So ‘knowing’ our nature as individual consciousness and ‘not knowing’ our nature as universal consciousness both cause bondage. We are filled with differentiated knowledge (belief in individual independent existence) born out of ignorance and are thus bound in the wheel of repeated births and deaths. This ignorance of our oneness with the universal Self is the cause of the sprout of ‘Samsara’.

Similarly, Adi Shankara in his Tattva Bodhah says,

अविद्योपधिः सन् आत्मा जीव इत्युच्यते | मायोपाधि सन् ईश्वर इत्युच्यते |
एवम् उपाधिभेदात् जीवेश्वरभेददृष्टि यावत् पर्यन्तं तिष्टति
तावत् पर्यन्तं जन्ममरनादिरुपसंसारो न निवर्तते |
तस्मात्कारणात न जीवेश्वरयोर्भेदबुद्धिः स्वीकार्या ||

Avidya or ignorance binds the Jiva or individual. He identifies himself with his finite actions and thoughts and of his own free will binds himself. Thus engaging himself to seek what he already is and continues the cycle of birth and death. Knowing the individual self to be that infinite Existence-consciousness-bliss alone liberates from the cycle of transmigration. Hence Shankara urges us not to accept this ignorance–born difference between individual and universal and realize the essential oneness.