The Hindu Article - Detachment, key to liberation

[Guest guest]

Date:24/01/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/24/stories/2003012400460800.htm

-------------------------------

 

Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Detachment, key to liberation

 

CHENNAI JAN.24. A scriptural text outlines all the important facets

of spirituality so that man can benefit from perusing it. Some works

elaborate only certain aspects of the subject, as their objective is

to give in-depth knowledge. Among the important scriptural works, the

Bhagavad Gita is considered a complete manual and it has a special

status in that Lord Krishna Himself taught it. The Gita has been

hailed as the quintessence of the Upanishads and has all the

important features of the Upanishads. The teaching of the different

topics in the 18 chapters of the Gita is in the form of a dialogue

between the Lord and Arjuna. Its 15th chapter is exhaustive in

itself.

 

This chapter can be broadly classified into five sections in which

all the salient philosophical concepts are subsumed. The opening

verse compares the manifold universe to the Asvattha tree (Pipal)

with its roots above and the trunks with leaves below signifying this

world of bondage, which is the field for man's actions. One may

wonder what the motive of this simile is. It draws attention to the

nature of the world in which we live and reminds the spiritual

aspirant that he must develop detachment towards the world, which is

possible only when his attention shifts to the Lord. This in short is

the objective of spiritual life. Unless a person's preoccupation

shifts from worldly engagements to the spiritual goal he will

continue to be entrapped in the cycle of transmigration.

 

In her discourse, Swamini Satyavratananda said the Katha Upanishad

also adopts the analogy of a fig tree to depict the Reality as the

Gita. This mighty Pipal tree is rooted in the unseen (Supreme

Reality) and the visible branches represent the manifest creation.

The leaves, which nourish and protect the tree, are compared to the

Vedas. Human beings have taken birth in the world because of Karma

and they enjoy the result of their Karma in the form of joy and

sorrow just as birds partake the fruits of the tree.

 

But, man is not condemned to be entrapped in the cycle of

transmigration. The following verse makes it clear that man can cut

asunder the firmly rooted tree with the axe of dispassion. He should

strive for the supreme state— liberation from rebirth. This is

possible by surrendering to the Supreme Being from whom the eternal

cosmos has streamed forth. The human predicament is succinctly

portrayed in a few verses to stress that it is possible for man to

overcome bondage by developing detachment towards the world.

 

© Copyright 2000 - 2002 The Hindu