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Sreyas & Preyas by Pujya Swami Atmanandaji

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Namaste:

 

Poojya Swami Atmanandaji, the founder of Vedanta Mission studied under the

guidance of Swami Chinmayanandaji and he is a great Vedantin.Let me take this

opportunity to thank Swamiji for granting permission to post this excellent

article on Sreyas & Preyas. Swamiji explains basic concepts and terms of

Advaita Philosophy in very clear terms.

(Source: http://www.vmission.org/vedanta/articles/index.htm)

 

warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

Sreyas & Preyas by Pujya Swami Atmanandaji

 

……… Kathopanishad says that every person will always get the

option of treading the path of that which is right & good – the

Sreyas, or succumb to the path of immediate pleasure – the

Preyas. Those who choose the path of Sreyas will make the

best of their lives, while those to succumb to the latter will

have to pay the price destined for the deluded ones.

……… To say that everything is predestined is to over simplify

the matters of life, and that also wrongly. We have to realize

the nature of our freedom, and the options which are available

to us in every situation. Whatever situation is got in the

present moment is certainly the result of all past actions put

together, and to that extent we can certainly say that this

present moment was destined to come, but that does not

mean that everything has already been written by someone

else sitting somewhere. Our real freedom is in the nature of

response we give. We have the freedom to respond, not to

respond, respond in the old way or try something new. It is this

basic freedom about which awareness should be brought about,

and about which appropriate preparations should be made.

……… While responding to a situation there are various

parameters in operation. What is the ‘real' goal for which we

are working, and, what is the state of mind with which we are

disposed – are two very important aspects which play a very

very profound role to chalk out the nature of things to come.

The term ‘real' goal implies existence of an understanding that

even though we appear to be planning & working for different

things we do have some ultimate goal for which we are

working. Lot of thought needs to be put for this, because our

whole life & efforts are guided by our goals. Understanding of

the real goal requires a great deal of understanding, and that is

when the necessity of philosophy is realised. To that extent

every one has to become a philosopher. Philosophy is not

luxury of few, it is a necessity for one & all. It stands for deep

understanding of life in a very holistic & thorough way. This

understanding encompasses fundamental questions about :

Who am I ? What is this world ? How has it come about ? What

is the real problem of man – bondage ? What is the way to be

free from it – the liberation ? How is this world run ? How do

situations come ? What is really in the hands of a man ? What

is the uniqueness or potential of man ? Each of these questions

directly effect our lives very profoundly, and therefore should

be gone into with due seriousness. Conscious or unconscious all

our perceptions and understanding effect us very profoundly.

Those who are conscious of them have to freedom to change

them – because they are basically their own understanding,

and those who are not conscious of these self-created

power-points theykeep on dancing to their tunes and suffer -

helplessly. Our understanding of life in fact draws a circle in

which we keep living for all times to come, till ofcourse we

change the diameter of that circle or even remove these

self-imposed boundaries all together. We have the freedom to

do all this, and that is what the compendium of the knowledge

of life - the Vedanta,is all about.

……… The moment we fix an extraneous goal for our self, then

that very moment we accept various fundamental facts of life.

When we think that our fulfillment lies in some object or

achievement yonder then we in effect say that ‘I am basically

a lacking being' and ‘I have to do something to be fulfilled'. All

these presumptions are completely baseless and do not stand

any enquiry. The fact is that – ‘that' which constantly

manifests as ‘I' in our bosoms is an infinite, transcendental,

self-effulgent & blissful existence, and the ‘means of

knowledge' of this is deep enquiry & contemplation of the basis

of Vedanta. Sravana, Manana & Niddhidhyasana of Vedantic

scriptures is the Pramana of the knowledge of Truth of life.

Vedanta not only reveals truth about us but also about the

whole perceptible world. Everything thing which is perceptible is

in the realm of time, and is therefore changing & ephemeral.

This is an extremely evident fact and really speaking requires

no logical validation. Thus when we keep an extraneous goal

then we simultaneously affirm our presumptions that I am a

limited & lacking person and the world outside is permanent and

capable of giving me that which I lack. When our life will be

based on these untruths then how can we ever expect to

awake to a state of cherished fulfillment & contentment.

……… The ideal way to live has to be one which is based on the

facts of life. The fact is that I am fulfilled and the world has

nothing to offer to me. Action is only meant to help us serve &

give. This alone should be our fundamental motivation – lovingly

serve everyone, selflessly, no expectations even of gratitude.

Our service should be as natural & effortless as is the fragrance

of a flower. There should be no doership involved. This is what

the path of Sreyas is all about. Let any situation come, never

let a sense of lack, craving or dependence enter your mind.

Even if you do not know these facts directly then also it is

worth believing. Holding your head high, with a loving heart,

and an enthusiastic disposition work on selflessly, for the good

of all around. Love is a strange thing : it increases only on

giving. The path of Preyas, on the other hand is one of delusion

& untruths. We can certainly get an object of our enjoyment

and seem to get fulfilled, but soon enough the life itself will

start revealing that there has been a fundamental error

somewhere. Lord Krishna says in Bhagwad Gita that ‘Know that

to be rajasic joy where there is pleasure in the beginning and

lots of pains thereafter'. It is like a diabetic eating sweets. It

will be pleasurable no doubt, but the negative consequences

will soon follow. To tread the path of Sreyas is to remain awake

all the time, then alone one will never stumble & get hurt. So

let us exercise our freedom and tread a path which may appear

slightly painful in the beginning but ultimately which alone is the

way to real fulfillment.

.

..

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