Shri Dakshinamurthy

चित्रं वटतरोर्मुले वृद्धशिष्या गुरुर्युवा | 

गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं शिष्यास्तु छिन्नसंशयाः ||

Chitram vatatharormule vruddhashishyaa gururyuvaah | 

Gurostu maunam  vyaakhyanam shishyaastu chinnasamshayah ||

Behold under the Banyan are seated the aged disciples around and about their youthful teacher. It is wondrous indeed: the teacher instructs through silence, which in itself removes all the doubts arising in the disciples minds.

Shri Dakshinamurthy is a form of Lord Shiva. He teaches in silence (and yet) the students are freed from all doubts (about the Truth). Teaching imparted in Silence has traditiionally been regarded as the best method to reveal the truth of Atman (The Self) which is all pervading Reality.

Lectures scheduled for Feb 2012

Monday: Satsangh & meditation 4 to 6.30 pm

Tuesday: Tulsidasji’s Sunderkaand 6 to 7 pm

Wednesday: Vishnu Sahasranaam chanting 6 to 6.30 pm
Hanuman Chalisa 6.30 to 7.30 pm

Thursday: Nirvana Shatkam 11.30 am to 12.30pm
Vishnu Sahasranaam chanting 6 to 6.30 pm
Bhaja Govindam 6.30 to 7.30 pm   

Friday: Bhagavad Gita (chapter 3) 11.30 am to 12.30pm 

Sat & Sun:  Basic course in Vedanta 7 to 9 am

Panchdashi - Swami Vidyaranya

न  जातु  कामः  कामानामुपभोगेन  शाम्यति  |

हविषा  कृष्णवर्त्मेव  भूय  एवामिवर्धते  ||

na jatu kamah kamanamupabhogena shamyati |

havisha krushnavartmeva bhuya evamivardhate ||

Desires are never quelled by enjoyment but increase more like the flame of a fire fed on clarified butter.

परिग्यायोपभुक्तो हि भोगो भवति तुष्टये |

विग्न्याय सेवितश्चोरो मैत्रीमेति न चोरतां ||

parignyayopabhukta hi bhogo bhavati tushtaye |

vignaya sevitaschoro maitrimeti na chortaam ||

But when the impermanence of pleasure is known, the gratification of desire may bring the idea of "enough of it". It is like a thief who having been employed knowingly in service does not behave like a thief but like a friend.

Shri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Geeta:

 

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत | अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं स्रुजाम्याहं || (४ : ७ )

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharat| Abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srujamyaham|| (4: 7)

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय  च  दुष्कृताम | धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय  संभवामि  युगे  युगे || (४ :८ )

Paritraanaaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkrutam|

Dharmasamsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge|| (4: 8)

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, O Bharata, and a rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest myself. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of the wicked. For the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age, from age to age.

Maharshi Veda Vyasa

Maharshi Veda Vyasa (Krishna Dvaipayana) was born to Parashara Rishi and Satyavathi Devi at the end of the Dwapara Yuga and his birth is said to be with the blessings of Lord Shiva. He studied the Shastras under sages Sanaka and others. The Puranas say he received initiation at the hands of his twenty-first Guru, Sage Vasudeva.

He systematically compiled the Vedas under four distinct categories thus making them easily accessible. He also wrote the Brahma Sutras, for our quick and easy understanding of the ‘Shrutis’ (Upanishads). He wrote the Mahabharata, the eighteen Puranas and established the system of teaching them through Upakhyanas or discourses. Vyasa’s last work was the Bhagavata Purana which he wrote under the instigation of Devarshi Narada.

The Brahma Sutras or Vedanta Sutras (as they deal with Vedanta only) are divided into four chapters and each of these into four sub-sections. It is interesting to note that they all begin and end with sutras (aphorisms) which when read together mean, “The inquiry into the real nature of Brahman has no return.” It means going that way one reaches Immortality and no more returns to the world.

Vyasa is considered  a ‘Chiranjivi’, one who still lives and guides seekers and students of the Vedas. His Life is an example of one incarnated for the spreading of spiritual knowledge alone. His works inspires the students of Vedanta even to this day. He continues to live for the welfare of the world.

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.

Seek You, O Mother !

Verses from Bhavani ashtakam:

न तातो न माता न बन्धुर्न नप्ता न पुत्रो न पुत्री न भृथ्यो न भर्ता |

न जाया न विद्या न वृत्तिममैव गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि  ||

na taatho na maataa na bandhurna napta na putro na putri na bhruthyo na bharta |

na jaayaa na vidya na vrittimamaiva gatistvam gatistvam tvameka Bhavaani ||

I have no father, no mother, no associate, no son, no daughter, no spouse, no grandchild, no servant or master, no wisdom and no calling. In Thee is my only haven of refuge, in Thee my help and strength,
O Bhavani!

न जानामि दानं न च ध्यानयोगं न जानामि तन्त्रं न स्तोत्रमन्त्रं  |

न जानामि पूजां न च न्यासयोग गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ||

na jaanaami daanam na cha dhyanayogam na jaanaami tantram na stotramantram |

na jaanaami pujaam na cha nyaasayoga gatistvam gatistvam tvameka Bhavani ||

I am a stranger to giving in charity and to meditation, to the scriptures, hymns and mantras. I know not how to worship or to renounce. In Thee I seek refuge, in Thee my help and strength, O Bhavani!

विवादे विषादे प्रमादे प्रवासे जले चानले पर्वते शत्रु  मध्ये  |

अरण्ये शरण्ये सदा मां प्रपाहि गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि  ||

vivaade vishaade pramaade pravaase jale chaanale parvate shatru madhye |

aranye sharanye sadaa maam prapaahi gatistvam gatistvam tvameka Bhavani ||

In struggles, in grief, in travel, in danger, in waters, in fire, in the wilds, in the mountains, surrounded by foes, protect me my Savior! In Thee is my only haven of refuge, in Thee my help and strength, O Bhavani!

Narada Bhakti Sutra

Championing the path of devotion to the Highest, Sage Narada prescribes the way it is to be done in this life  ” Pursue and cultivate Love alone.” When we are in tune with ourselves, we are in tune with the Universe. We begin to see that all things in Creation are expressions of the same Love.

अभिमानदंभादिकं  त्याज्यं  || (नारद  भक्ति  सूत्र - ६४)  

Abhimandambhadikam tyajyam || (Narada Bhakti Sutra- 64)

 

Narada extols the methods of practice of cultivating and developing Love. He tells us to give up pride and vanity, cast aside hypocrisy and jealousy. These negative urges are great obstacles on the spiritual path. These mental habits bring agitations and dissipates our energy. The heart then no longer has the energy to grow and evolve. It's easy to love a perfect God, unblemished and infallible. But it is difficult to love fellow human beings with all their imperfections and defects. Remember, only when we love can we come to know someone. There is no wisdom without love. Unless we learn to love God's creation, we can neither truly love nor truly know God.

We must be able to see the thread that holds all the flowers together in a garland. Once we learn to see the Maker and all things made, as the Maker himself, then, this holistic perception leads us to ultimate perfection.

Bulleh Shah, a sufi poet, in his famous poem in Punjabi says, ”Je rab mildaa nahathiyaan dotiyaan .... ve Mian Bulleyan rab unhaanu mildaa atade dildaa sacchiyaan acchiyaannu”.

Roughly translated "If bathing and washing were ways to reach God then surely frogs and fish are closest to Him .... but Bulle Mian says it is the one with a clean mind and pure heart who realises God."

His poetry highlights his mystical spiritual voyage through the four stages of Sufism: Shariat (Path), Tariqat (Observance), Haqiqat (Truth) and Marfat (Union).

Dirt if any is the one inside. The rest we can simply wash off. The type of dirt that cannot be cleansed with water is the stain of hatred, envy, greed, anger that  contaminates the mind. The body can be purified through bathing, abstinence, fasting, but only love can purify the mind. Only a pure and clean mind is capable of realizing the fulfillment of devotion, such a devotion with no sense of distinction between the Lord and oneself.

”प्रेम  कार्यं , प्रेमैव  कार्यं ” || (नारद  भक्ति  सूत्र - ६६ )

”prema kaaryam, premaiva kaaryam” || (naarada bhakti sutra- 66)  

Love is to be accomplished, Love alone is to be accomplished. 

Intellectual miserliness

The shastras/ scriptures talk of moksha/ atma gyaan/ Brahman as a state of awareness/ consciousness inherent in us, realizing which, delivers us free from sorrow, suffering, all limitations and sense of bondage. This state, which is, our true nature of being, is eternal, limitless, of the nature of knowing and bliss.

This being so it also points to the fact that humans show a great sense of intellectual miserliness when it comes upon enquiring into it. Knowing that there is such a state of ultimate fulfillment we still do not seek it. This indeed is a wondrous mystery of Creation.

Misers are those who have enough money to spend but don’t have the heart to spend it on themselves or on others. The ones who do not have any money and therefore do not spend cannot be called misers. The misers do not spend as they are afraid of money going away or because their priorities are not clear and they are not clear about what the money is for.

The scriptures give us interesting definitions for misers. It is extended here to the disuse of one’s intellect (buddhi).

यो  वा  एतदक्षरं  गार्ग्यविदित्वा  अस्मात  लोकात  प्रैति स  कृपणः  | (ब्र्हदारन्यकोपनिशद : ३ : ८ : १० )

Yo vaa etadakshram gaargyaviditvaa asmaat lokaat praiiti sa krupanah | (brhadaaranyakopanishad: 3: 8: 10)

“A miser is one who leaves this world not knowing that he or she is Brahman.”

Sri Krishna too urges Arjuna thus:

बुद्धौ  शरणमन्विच्छ  कृपणाः  फलहेतवः  | (भगवद  गीता : २ : ४९ )

Buddhau sharanamanviccha krupanaah phalhetavah | (Bhagavad Gita: 2: 49)

Seek refuge in ‘buddhi’ (right attitude) and apply it to achieve the highest. Those who put this intellect to limited use and work therefore to achieve limited results alone (dharma, artha and kama alone) and not for ‘moksha’ are misers.

This person is called a miser because he or she is given an intellect but does not use it. This ‘buddhi’/intellect is the discriminative power one is endowed with. Its primary use should be for gaining Self-knowledge. Moksha, the highest fulfillment, gaining which nothing remains to be gained. Misers whose aims are small and not ‘moksha’ underutilize their buddhi.  The misers with money, leave it behind unintentionally, for others to enjoy it, but no one can enjoy their ‘buddhis’ after they are gone.

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.

Vedanta as means to know the Self

Any knowledge to take place must have three factors: the object to be known (prameya), the one who wants to know or the knower (pramata) and the valid means of knowledge (pramana). Knowledge itself is called prama.

Vedanta talks of the Self (Atman/Brahman) as ‘aprameya’ or unknowable, since it is not available as an object of knowledge. If the Self cannot be known thus what is the point in studying the scriptures then?

Just as we come to know through ‘pramanas’ of a lot of things that exist but which are so far unknown. Like a new disease, for example. Having discovered it we say the disease “is”. Then we hunt for its cause and then say the cause “is”. Then the treatment ‘”is”. The side effects “are”. So on and so forth.

The Self is not available as an object of knowledge but it is not totally unknown. “I am” and “I know I am” is self-evident, self established/svatah-siddhah. Everyone’s Self "is" and that is already established only then can study of Vedanta or an inquiry into the Self be undertaken. Vedanta cannot establish the Self nor can any Guru/God. Vedanta has the status of a ‘pramana’ because it removes the wrong notions about the Self.

The Shastras/scriptures bring into our recognition something that already is, maybe totally unknown to us before. It removes all the superimpositions/projections we build upon the Self in ignorance. The knowledge in the scriptures is nothing but removal of ignorance. If ignorance is not removed there is no knowledge at all. Ignorance and confusion centered on the Self is there and the scriptures have the capacity to remove them.

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.

Prashnopanishad

Six students approach a Guru with their individual problems and doubts. They all knew that the great Rishi was fully capable of clearing their doubts and never doubted his perfection.

 “तानह  स  ऋषिरुवाच  भूय  एव  तपसा  ब्रह्मचर्येण  श्रद्धया  संवत्सरं  संवत्स्यथ  यथाकामं  प्रष्णान्प्रुच्छत  यदि  विज्ञास्यामः  सर्वं  ह  वो  वक्ष्याम  इति  !” 
(प्रश्नोपनिषद:१:२)

To them the Rishi said, “stay here for a year with austerity, celibacy and faith; then you may ask as you please your question; and if I know them I will surely explain everything to you.” (Prashnopanishad 1:2)

The Upanishad here clearly indicates the necessity of attunement between the Guru and the student. It clearly indicates the importance of austerity, celibacy and faith. Celibacy should mean avoidance of excessive indulgence in the world not just sexual abstinence. Austerity redeems the personality of the seeker, while celibacy relieves his psychological debilities and faith sharpens his intensity in meditation. The Guru / Hindu scriptures insist on this practice as they want good and substantial results for the seeker. The practice helps in the finite words of the Guru / scriptures passing through the intellectual comprehension of the student finally leading to his spiritual experience.

After a year of such living with the Master, the teacher promises that he will try to answer all the doubts “if I know”. This is not a declaration of his own lack of confidence or hesitation but shows extreme modesty of the man of wisdom even in the presence of his own students. A true teacher is he who knows no egoism or vanity.

Bhaja Govindam

"मा कुरु  धनजनयोवन्  गर्वं |
हरति  निमेषात  काल  सर्वं ||" (भज गोविन्दं )

Take no pride in your possession, in the people at your command, in the youthfulness that you have. Time loots away all this in a moment.