Nitya -Anitya-Vastu-Viveka ..... sadhana chatushtaya

[Guest guest]

Dear advaitins,

 

After reading all the esoteric discussion here the past few weeks, it

is time to remember ADI SHANKARA'S Sadhana chatushtayam" specially

the first step...

 

person seeking desirous of learning Atma Vidya should have four

basic qualifications. They are called as Sadhana Chatushtaya

(sadhana=spiritual pursuit, Chatushtaya= a set of four). They are,

 

1. Nitya Anitya Vastu Viveka

 

2. Ihaamutra phala bhoga viraaga

 

3. Shama Damadi Shatka Sampatti

 

4. Mukukshatva

 

Nitya Anitya Vastu Viveka

 

(nitya = permanent, anitya = impermanent, Vastu= object, Viveka=

discrimination)

 

The capacity to discriminate the permanent from the impermanent is

called Nityaanitya Vastu Viveka. Viveka is discrimination acquired

after thorough analysis.

 

In the worldly affairs, we usually consider objects that outlive us

as permanent. Sometimes, even though we know that an object will

perish after some time, we still develop liking and longing for it.

Take for example, a flower garland. We know that it will not last for

more than a few hours. Still we like it and decorate ourselves with

it.

 

Also, when an objects stay for sometime and then perish, we tend to

argue that the object's existence was real atleast for that period.

Our logic is 'because we are seeing that object, its existence must

be real'.

 

Let us extend this logic to the treasure we see in our dream. We do

not consider it to be real even during the dream period. We deny its

existence even for that period. We catagorically say 'the treasure

did not exist even when we were seeing it in the dream'.

 

Therefore, there is a flaw in our logic because, in one place we say

that the existence is real because we are seeing it, and in another

place we say that the existence is unreal although we are seeing it!

If something we see were to be really existant, then we must accept

that the treasure we see in the dream should exist too. If we accept,

then we should be able to show the treasure. If it is not possible to

show it, we must be in a position to answer questions such as 'where

did it come from?', 'where did it ge?' etc., etc. Obviously there are

no answers to these questions. Therefore it can be firmly said that

the treasure did not have real existence.

 

If we can accept that 'mere visibility is not the proof of

existence', we will have to accept that anything that we see need not

be real and need not be present even when we are seeing it!

 

Therefore, Vedanta says, ' only that which exists in all the three

divisions of time - past, present and future is real (Nitya Vastu

=real object). Even if a thing ceases to exist in one of the

divisions, is to be considered as non-existent in all the three

states' (Anitya Vastu =unreal object).

 

When viewed from this stand point, Parabrahman alone is the Nitya

Vastu. Therefore, the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas and the Upanishads -

all have declared that the manifest creation is unreal.

 

This knowledge is called as Nityaanitya Vastu Viveka. This is the

first of the four steps.

 

 

http://www.dlsmd.org/sdr/01-sdr%20jan/0104.htm - 4k - Cached

 

HARI AUM!