Kundalini etc.: Response to Sri Martin Gansten

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aUm namO nArAyaNAya |

 

/namastE Sri Martin Gansten. Let me reproduce your important question to a

statement made by Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan.

 

Sri Narasimhan:

Regarding what I stated on Kaivalyam, it was purely the view point of Shri

Ramanujar and not of any specific "kalai" ... I

have verified again that Kaivalyam aka Edu Nilam is indeed the athmanubhavam

and is the worst place to go according to Shri Ramanuja Sampradayam.

 

 

Sri Martin Gansten:

 

I find this highly interesting. May I ask precisely where in Bhagavad Ramanuja's

writings I might find these views on AtmAnubhava expressed? From my own reading

of his works (in the original), I have formed precisely the opposite impression,

namely that Ramanuja views AtmAnubhava as a

prerequisite for realizing God (e.g. in Vedarthasamgraha: AtmasvarUpAvAptir

bhagavatprAptigarbhA).

 

Visu:

 

I will try to answer your question. Recently I read a book in /tamiZ on

/tirup/pAvai and I have not yet recovered from the impact the book has had on

me. I just started memorizing the 30 songs completely with meaning and (am now

in the sixth. My answers are based on my understanding of /viSishTA/dvaitam as

expounded in the book. The book is easy to read as it moves from the concrete to

the abstract.

 

There is a subtlety involved in the concepts, and I will try my best to put it

on paper.

 

 

In the /artha paJcakam, we have the jIv/Atma svarUpam and the param/Atma

svaRupam. The pair (/param/AtmaH, jIv/AtmaH, being an inalienable pair, the

question focuses on the nature of the realtionship and the structures resuting

from that relationship. If the pair is inalienable, what are the duties that

accrue to each one of the two elements in the pair?

 

The answer must lead to an ultimate answer not leaving a further step

unexplored.

 

The jIv/AtmaH svaRupam has sevearl levels. For our purposes, let us focus on

two: Understanding and experience. The first is also called /Atma/svarUpam as

there is a need to know what it means. Understanding leads to /anubhavam ---

experience. The question is what to do with this anubhavam. Is this the

ultimate? Or as you say is it the prerequisite? It is clear that experience can

lead to understanding.

 

The answer is a very subtle one: /Atma/anubhavam, being joy could be an

obstacle. One must recognize that it could be an obstacle. Why? The ultimate is

the pleasure of the Lord not our joy, however wonderful it might be. Song No. 30

in /tirup/pAvai is cited in support of this that doing kaiGkaryAs to the Lord is

/Ananda/hEtu. That is one wants to do service, because doing so leads to one's

personal happiness. Such a point of view is an obstacle.

 

One should adopt the point of view that one serves for the pleasure of the Lord.

Recall an example that a servant (/dAsa) loves to do certain tasks because he or

she is happy doing that while the same servant avoids doing other tasks, because

they do not lead to joy. Obviously the master is not going to be happy.

 

So the ultimate /Atma/svarUpam is the realization that it is the pleasure of

the Lord that is one's pleasure. This is not possible unless one puts oneself as

a /dAsaH. This is called /SEshatvam, the principle that one is servant of the

Lord like /Adi/SeshaH Himself, and emulate His example. The best examples are

/SrI lazmaNaH, and SrI hanumAn. Song No. 9.

 

Thus /Atma/anubhavam, that is experience that is consistent with this

realization of /SEshatvam is a step in the right direction. If not it is

considered as an obstacle.

 

This kind of realization is called /svarUpa/jnAnaH, or understanding the

/Atma/svaRupa. Song No. 13.

Since /kaivalyam is an inquiry process that leads to the nature of the

/jIv/Atmah only, it is limited in scope. For full scope, one must examine the

pair in the context of the nature of the relationship. That is even the

experience is subdued and one adopts the /svarUpa/kruta dAsyam. Song No. 21. Do

not build your Curriculum. Exeperience is curriculum building.

 

I recall a statement of Mahatma Gadnhi:

 

I want to do everything like our heart does, like our respiratory system does

etc. That is doing the service of the Lord should be a built-in automatic

process oblivious to anything else except the fact of being alive in the Lord!

We are not even aware thatour heart is working or that we are breathing! So with

service in the Lord.

 

Everything on time like a time-clock! Everything perfect within the system of

the /jIv/AtmaH.

 

In this, one adopts gIta 18.66 (carama/slOkam0 /mAmEva Saranam vraja. No oe else

but the Lord not even the "I" of the /jIv/AtmaH. This is called anany/Arha

SEshatvam (no one deserves the /jIvAtmaH except the Lord). The realization of

this state and continuing as a pair in the continuous Service of the Lord is

/Sayujyam. /haNumAn is the example: Song No. 27. This is the ultimate. It is the

Lord Who is Happy and seeing the Master Happy, I am too as a /jIv/AtmaH.

 

I hope this makes it a bit clearer. I am sure that others will be coming forth

with more examples.

 

/vantanam.

 

/nalan/tarum collai nAn kaNtu/koNTEn.

Visu