Advaita Bhoda Deepika # 22

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CHAPTER VI:

VASANAKSHAYA

THE ANNIHILATION OF LATENCIES

 

1. This chapter succeeds the five earlier ones on

superimposition, its withdrawal, the requisites of the seeker,

hearing, and reflection. To the disciple who after reflecting on

the Self has gained direct knowledge, the master further says as

follows.

 

2. Wise son, the shastras have nothing more to teach you;

you have finished them. Henceforth you must meditate on the

Self. The scriptures say: 'Dear! the Self must be heard of,

reflected and meditated upon'. Having finished reflection, you

must proceed with meditation. Now give up the shastras.

 

3-6. D.: Is it proper to give them up?

M.: Yes, it is proper. Now that by enquiry you have known

what need be known, you can unhesitatingly give them up.

 

D.: But the shastras say that to the last moment of death,

one should not give them up.

M.: Their purpose is to teach the truth. After it is gained,

of what further use can they be? A further study will be so much

waste of time and labour. Therefore leave them aside. Take to

unbroken meditation.

 

D.: Is this statement supported by scriptures?

M.: Yes.

 

D.: How?

M.: They say: After repeatedly hearing from the master about

the Self, reflecting on It and directly knowing It, the seeker should

give up the shastras even as the pole used to stir up the corpse in the

burning ground is finally consigned to the burning fire of the

corpse. From a study of the shastras let the seeker of Liberation

gather an indirect knowledge of the Self and put it into practice by

reflecting on It until by experiencing It a direct knowledge is gained;

later like a gatherer of grains who takes the grain and rejects the

chaff, let him leave the shastras aside. The man desirous of liberation

should make use of shastras only to gain knowledge of the Self and

then proceed to reflect on It; he should not be simply talking

vedanta, nor even be thinking of it. For talk results only in so

much strain on speech, similarly thinking on the mind, no useful

purpose can be served by either. Therefore only know just what

need be known and give up tiresome study. Controlling his speech

and mind a sensible seeker should always engage in meditation.

This is the teaching of the shastras.

 

7. Wise son, now that you have known what need be known

from them, you should efface the impressions left by your studies.

 

D.: What constitutes these impressions?

M.: It is the inclination of the mind always to study vedantic

literature, to understand the meaning of the texts, to commit

them to memory and constantly be thinking of them. Since

this inclination obstructs meditation, a wise man must overcome

it with every effort. Next the latencies connected with the world

(lokavasana) must be eliminated.

 

8. D.: What are these latencies?

M.: To think, this is my country, this is my family pedigree

and this is the tradition. Should any one praise or censure any

of these, the reactions of the mind denote the latencies connected

with the world. Give them up. Later on, give up the latencies

connected with the body also (dehavasana).

 

9-13. D.: What are they?

M.: To think oneself to be of such and such age, young or

old and desire the full span of life with health, strength and

good looks. Generally thoughts pertaining to the body indicate

these latencies. Ambition in the world and love for body distract

the mind and prevent meditation on Brahman. Since all objects

are ephemeral, they must be eschewed. Then the latencies

connected with enjoyments (bhogavasana) must be given up.

D.: What are these?

M.: These are made up of thoughts like: this is good and I

must have it; this is not so and let it leave me; now I have

gained so much and let me gain more, and so on.

 

D.: How can this be overcome?

M.: By looking with disgust upon all enjoyments as on

vomit or excreta and developing dispassion for them, this can

be overcome. Dispassion is the only remedy for this mad craving.

After this, the mind must be cleared of the six passions, namely,

lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.

 

D.: How can this be done?

M.: By (maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha) friendship

with the holy, compassion for the afflicted, rejoicing in the joy

of the virtuous and being indifferent to the shortcomings of

the sinful.

 

Next must be effaced the latencies connected with the

objects of the senses (vishayavasana) such as sound etc. These

latencies are the running of the senses such as hearing etc., after

their objects.

 

D.: How can these latencies be effaced?

M.: By a practice of the six-fold discipline consisting of

sama, dama, uparati, titiksha, samadhana and sraddha,

withdrawing the mind from going outwards, controlling the

senses, not thinking of the objects of the senses, forbearance,

fixing the mind on the Reality and faith.

Next all latencies connected with mutual attachments must

be overcome.

 

14-15. D.: What are they?

M.: Though the senses are restrained, yet the mind always

thinks of objects: 'there is that; there is this; it is such and such; it

is this-wise or otherwise' and so on. Because of brooding over

objects, the mind gets attached to them, this constant brooding is

called the latency connected with mental attachment.

 

D.: How can this be checked?

M.: By practising uparati which means desisting from all

thoughts after concluding by proper reasoning that they are

only fruitless daydreams.

 

16. When in the right manner, all this has been accomplished,

the greatest evil-doer, namely the latency connected

with wrong identity must be put an end to, even with great effort.

 

17. D.: What is this latency connected with wrong identity?

(viparita vasana)

M.: Owing to beginningless Ignorance the non-Self is

mistaken for the Self as 'I am the body' from time immemorial,

this Ignorance is hardy and can be ended only by the practice

of Brahman.

 

18-20. D.: What is this practice?

M.: It consists in discarding the body, senses etc., as being

non-Self and always remembering that 'I am Brahman',

remaining as consciousness witnessing the insentient sheaths.

Meditating on Brahman in solitude, speaking of or teaching

only Brahman in the company of others, not to speak or think

of anything but It, but always one-pointedly to think of

Brahman, is the practice.

 

So say the wise. By this transcend the ego and then proceed

to eliminate the idea of 'mine'.

 

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Taken from Advaita Bhoda Deepika

as published by Sri Ramanasramam

Tiruvannamalai 2002.

 

To be continued...

 

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