Gita in daily life: Ch. 3 - Dharma Chakra, The Divine Will - Part2 of 2-

[Guest guest]

Namaste All.

 

This is part-2 on the Dharma-Chakra towards unfoldment

of the Divine-Will.

 

Part1:-

advaitin/message/26561

 

 

Before going on to second-part, we will draw a

physical-dharma-chakra and try and find out why some

of the daily actions do not fall within the chakra.

Second-part will deal with how to being them back to

the Divine-Will onto the wheel.

 

The following vertices (points) will be used to draw a

circle as described:-

a- actions done which one owes for immediate family

b- actions done for survival

c- pleasure-seeking actions done

d- actions done in the context of networks of

relatives and friends

e- actions done, which one owes for previous

generations

f- actions done for future generations

g- actions done for purely a benefit of known or

unknown people

h- actions done, which one owes to the Sages of the

past

i- actions done for Spiritual upliftment

j- actions done for the Divine-Will

k- actions received from Sages of the past, (k2)family

members, (k3)past/future-generations, (k4)relatives,

(k5)others

l- actions received from the Divine

m- actions received for Spiritual upliftment

n- actions done in accordance with one's nature

o- more actions-from and actions-to can be added.

 

One may draw a circle marking one point as

"(j)-actions done for the Divine-Will".

Then, marking all of the above (a) thru (o) wherever

one's actions(from,to) are involved and where

the actions can be directly related to the

Divine-Will.

 

In other words, (J), (L) are certainly marked in the

wheel, because all of us do some actions for the

Divine-Will.

Other points are marked only if they are directly

related to the Divine-Will and one is involved in such

actions either as a doer or recipient.

A point is marked on the wheel or off the wheel only

if one is involved in the particular action.

Otherwise, it is ignored.

 

One will be left with some points on the wheel, some

off the wheel and some in the ignored-list.

 

Those left on the wheel obey the rules of cosmic

dharma-chakra in the unfoldment of Divine-Will in

daily life.

Those points left off the wheel - one has to

investigate as to why they are off the wheel.

Those points in the ignored-list:- One has to

investigate their movement onto the wheel.

 

Why some points are off the wheel of dharma or falling

in the ignored-list:-

3:34 says, Attraction and Aversion are the enemies for

one to stray.

3:35 says, better to do one's dharma as per the

dharma-chakra than be off the wheel in isolation.

 

3:36 Arjuna asks, why does this happen ?

3:37 Lord says, 'desire' is the root-cause.

3:38,39: This desire envelops the wisdom and cannot

ever be satisfied, like fire to ghee.

3:40 The senses, mind and reason being the seats of

desire, they carry away the mind and Atma even of the

wise, like strong winds carrying away ships 2:67

 

Therefore, Lord Krishna gives a solution (3:41) to

master the senses first.

3:43 states how this can be done by restraining the

finite-self by the Divine-Will.

 

Why the Divine-Will and not by the body, senses, mind,

or intellect ?

Because, the Divine (Atma) is superior to all of them

(3:42) and none of body/senses/mind/intellect being

capable to conquor the 10-headed desire, and the

Divine-Will only being capable to master the 'desire'.

 

 

- Chapter 3 Concluded

 

Love and Kind regards,

Raghava

 

______________________

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[Guest guest]

advaitin, Raghavarao Kaluri

<raghavakaluri> wrote:

> Namaste All.

>> Other points are marked only if they are directly

> related to the Divine-Will and one is involved in such

> actions either as a doer or recipient.

> A point is marked on the wheel or off the wheel only

> if one is involved in the particular action.

> Otherwise, it is ignored.

>

> One will be left with some points on the wheel, some

> off the wheel and some in the ignored-list.

>

> Those left on the wheel obey the rules of cosmic

> dharma-chakra in the unfoldment of Divine-Will in

> daily life.

> Those points left off the wheel - one has to

> investigate as to why they are off the wheel.

> Those points in the ignored-list:- One has to

> investigate their movement onto the wheel.

>

> Why some points are off the wheel of dharma or falling

> in the ignored-list:-

> 3:34 says, Attraction and Aversion are the enemies for

> one to stray.

> 3:35 says, better to do one's dharma as per the

> dharma-chakra than be off the wheel in isolation.

>

 

Namaste

 

It is surprising why no one has commented on the above remarks of

Raghavji. On my part, I have difficulties in understanding

Raghavji9's 'on the wheel' and 'off the wheel' markings. Instead of

anticipating his explanations , I would like to point out some

tricky shlokas in the third chapter which on the first reading are

likely to cause confusion.

 

These two shlokas are 3.33 and 3.35 of which 3.35 has been pointed

by Raghavji as being off the dharma-chakra.

 

Literally 3.33 says: Even a wise man acts in accordance with his

own Prakriti. While all beings do follow their own nature, what can

restraint do?

 

In one of my talks an intelligent listener asked this question. When

Krishna himself says that restraining our nature is impossible, as

in the above shloka, how do we ever expect to subdue our senses and

control them?

 

Regarding Shloka 3.35, the standard tricky question is: How do we

ever know what is our svadharma and what is our para-dharma? The

shloka says: Better is one's own duty devoid of merit than the duty

of another though well discharged.

 

Without discussing these two shlokas and their impact for our daily

life, the discussion on the third chapter cannot be said to be

concluded.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins

profvk

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk>

wrote:

>

> Literally 3.33 says: Even a wise man acts in accordance with his

> own Prakriti. While all beings do follow their own nature, what can

> restraint do?

>

> In one of my talks an intelligent listener asked this question.

When

> Krishna himself says that restraining our nature is impossible, as

> in the above shloka, how do we ever expect to subdue our senses and

> control them?

>

> Regarding Shloka 3.35, the standard tricky question is: How do we

> ever know what is our svadharma and what is our para-dharma? The

> shloka says: Better is one's own duty devoid of merit than the duty

> of another though well discharged.

>

> Without discussing these two shlokas and their impact for our daily

> life, the discussion on the third chapter cannot be said to be

> concluded.

 

_______________________________

 

 

Namaste Prof. Krishnamurthyji.

 

Yes. A wise man (I take him to be an advaitin) acts in accordance

with his prakriti *knowing fully well that it is parkriti through the

mechanism of guNAs that is acting*. That acknowledgement is enough

to keep him away from bondage to his actions. It will inevitably

lead him to advaitic spontaneity.

 

Restraint itself is an act. The credit for that too goes to

prakriti. That I am restraining myself is the result of certain

circumstances. Not everyone feels a need to restrain himself or

herself. Restraint, although I seem to be responsible for it, then

becomes the sweet expression of divine will. If I have a sense

of 'restrainership', then my restraint is not of much use because the

doership undermines all its purity, nay divinity. Perhaps, this

answers your intelligent listener who seem to be wanting to go about

subduing his urges with a sense of doership. In fact, all our common

commandments involving 'dos' and 'donts' are perilous in this respect.

 

If I am thus restrained by divine will without restrainership on my

part, my dharma is then helped, because I then know that my dharma

demands restraint and yet I am not the restrainer. Then, in due

course, I will be able to go about doing my duties, whatever they

are, in total surrender without conflicts even if the world thinks

that I am committing mistakes. (It is a fact that most wise men have

been criticized for their 'mistakes'! We have stories in our epics

too like Rama shooting Bali down in the middle of of a duel between

the latter and his brother, Sugriva; Yudihishtira uttering a lie to

unnerve Bhishma in the Mahabharata battle-field; Arjuna, persuaded by

Lord Krishna, killing Karna while the latter was labouring to pull

out his chariot-wheel stuck in mud, etc.). In that spontaneity,

there are no worries about swadharma because swadharma has then

merged with advaitic parA-dharma. I am then acting as advaitic

totality whatever be my actions.

 

Merit is the reward that one normally expects from one's actions. In

spontaneous actions with advaitic knowledge, there is therefore no

place for merit. If it still keeps coming, well, it will be accepted

with prasAda buddhi. Its place is in one's bag where one doesn't

even need to glance at it. The bag is not even carried! Whatever I

do in my roles, whether as a poor peasant or a billionaire, then is

supremely meritorious. There is no comparison (tAratamya) in my

world to differentiate between the two.

 

Conclusions:

 

1. All actions belong to the guNAs (parkriti) and not to me.

2. That I am restraining myself is divine will in operation.

3. These facts must be accepted for right understanding of advaita.

4. All actions performed from this understanding cleanse, liberate

and ultimately bestow advaitic spontaneity.

5. There is no place for merit in advaitic spontaneity. Merit also

is divine will (Lord's prasAda). I don't need to run after or keep

account of it.

6. Performance of swadharma then is devoid of conflicts and question

marks.

7. Swadharma then is parA-dharma.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Madathil Rajendran Nair"

<madathilnair> wrote:

> Namaste Prof. Krishnamurthyji.

>

Not everyone feels a need to restrain himself or

> herself. Restraint, although I seem to be responsible for it,

then

> becomes the sweet expression of divine will. If I have a sense

> of 'restrainership', then my restraint is not of much use because

the

> doership undermines all its purity, nay divinity. * Perhaps, this

> answers your intelligent listener who seem to be wanting to go

about subduing his urges with a sense of doership. In fact, all

our common commandments involving 'dos' and 'donts' are perilous in

this respect.*

>

> In that spontaneity,

> there are no worries about swadharma because swadharma has then

> merged with advaitic parA-dharma. I am then acting as advaitic

> totality whatever be my actions.

>

 

Namaste, Nair-ji and all

 

At last you are there! I was puzzled all these days why there have

been no posts from you recently.

 

Well. Your explanation of the need to throw away

the 'restrainership' is excellent. This subtle point (I have marked

it above by enclosing it within * ... *) can never be over-

emphasized. Thank you for highlighting this.

 

But the second point about svadharma becoming 'advaitic para-dharma'

is too subtle to be understood properly. It has to be carefully

stated and handed over only to those having advaitic convictions as

firm as a Madathil Nair-ji!

 

With PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

Respected Advaitins,

 

Shloka BG 3:33 is indeed a tricky one.

 

Even Swami Vivekanand was highly perplexed and agitated by this verse. He

spent many disturbed hours

pondering over its exact meaning. I cannot quote the exact words but he

wrote something to the effect that this verse is a 'terrible' one. He

commented that if this verse is indeed true then nobody

would be able to control his/her wayward tendencies, and there would be no

hope for mankind.

 

Swamiji probably meant that even a wise person has a lot of lower

tendencies, and according to this verse, he will not be able to control

them, but will fall prey to them.

 

This interpretation is not consistent with the general tone of Bhagawadgeeta

which is reassuring and hopeful.

 

Can we look for a different interpretation? Here is an humble attempt.

 

We may start with the most obvious literal meaning and see how it works.

sadRshyam= in accordance with, like

cheshTate=acts

svasya= one's own

prakRte= nature, natural tendency

Jnanavan= wise man

api= also

*A wise man also acts in accordance with his nature.*

What is the nature of a sage or a wise man?

There is preponderance of Sattwik guna of Prakriti in his nature. So he

performs Sattwik acts.

(Actually a Jnanavan or realised soul is GunAteeta. He is beyond prakriti.

He should not even be Sattwik. But in actual practice we find that all sages

display 'saintly' qualities, which are of SAttwik nature. How is that? It

seems that when a realised soul or a GuNAteeta interacts with worldly people

he 'assumes' a little prakriti. The prakriti which is closest to Gunateeta

state is Sattwik. So a Jnanavan acts in accordance with his prakriti,

(which is essentially sAttwik.)

 

To give an analogy- a person staying in a town may have left it for good,

but if he happens to return to it for some reason he will stay at the house

of his closest friend. SAttwik is the closest friend of GunAteeta.

 

coming to the second half-

 

prakRtim= to nature

yAnti= go

bhootani= all beings

nigraha= control

kim= how

karishyati= will do, exercise

*All beings follow their nature. How will they exercise control?*

 

A saint is compelled by his Sattwik nature to indulge in kind and merciful

acts. How can he control himself from doing them? His mercy is so

overflowing that he cannot bear any misery or misfortune around him, and

goes all out to relieve it. How can he exercise 'nigraha' over his Sattwik

Prakriti?

 

A Rajasik or Tamasik person also acts according to his prakriti. Ordinarily

he is unable to change this behaviour. But as medicine man can modify a

patient's 'prakriti' by administering proper medicines, a Sadguru can modify

the Prakriti of his disciple and gradually change it to Sattwik. So prakriti

is not something immutable. But whatever prakriti a Being manifests at a

given time, he cannot help himself but act according to it at that time.

 

That is the simple and straightforward meaning of this verse.

 

Pranams to Vivekananda and all advaitins.

 

Ravi Shivde