Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-11)

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

advaitin/message/27766

 

 

REASON FOR TELLING EVERY ONE

 

What we are supposed to be doing is to renounce the desire

for the fruits of karma; to try to do so. That itself is

formidable. Without a thought for the fruit of the action,

to keep on doing the present svadharma just to exhaust our

previous karma balance and thereby attain a purification of

the mind is an uphill task. Just to do this – not as a

means to be able to do the nididhyasana of the Jnana path;

but just to reduce the attachment to the fruits in the

karma path itself – we have to clarify our minds by

learning several abstract concepts and meanings and

practising several regimens of exercise. But as a matter of

fact, ultimately, all these are the same steps that are

prescribed in advaita-saadhanaa. To take sannyasa and do

shravana, manana and nididhyasana, there are saadhanaa

steps prescribed; the same steps are also necessary for

progress in the right way of doing karma yoga. But one need

not have to swim in such deep waters; it is enough to keep

oneself in shallow waters – the necessity is only that

much.

 

A History (of India) book for the fourth grader also

starts from Mohenjo Dharo civilisation, Vedic period,

Buddha’s times, Age of the Mauryas, Gupta period, Age of

the Turks, and Period of English rule, thus covering the

entire spectrum. And the same sequence of lessons is also

there for a student at the Master’s level. Certainly there

is a large difference between the two levels, but what is

taught at the elementary level is also needed here at the

higher level. In the same way, on the path of JnAna also

the subject-matter that occurs at the higher level are

also to be taught to the school students of the karma yoga

level, though in a smaller dose.

 

Going to Switzerland, playing ice skating there, and

having a pleasant sight of the lofty mountains there --

one may think that these are inaccessible and get a little

satisfaction by seeing them only in colour photographs.

But this very preliminary satisfaction sparks a desire to

look forward to an actual experience of these things and

makes one put in an effort for the same. Finally one may or

may not go to Switzerland. By going there one may not

obtain permanent happiness. But there is a spiritual world

which gives permanent happiness. This desire for this

permanent happiness is a must for everybody. Let the

actual attainment of this be far away. But that attainment

is our birthright and it is our only goal of life and we

must create a longing for ourselves in that direction. It

is to generate that longing, that this permanent happiness

is projected here as if in a photograph.

 

There is another reason also. Every one may not be ready

for the advaita saadhanaa right now. But that does not mean

that every one is at the bottom rung of the (spiritual)

ladder. There may be different types of people: those with

a little purified mind and a little of discrimination and

dispassion; and those with a reasonably good purity of

the three ‘karanas’ (trikarana-shuddhi) and of

discrimination and dispassion. For them to know the

Saadhana-regimen is to provoke their interest in an eager

thought : “Let me make a little more effort, correct myself

so that I may go in that direction”. Just because it has

been said that “here is a path”, they may start first of

all just to know what it is and then later to actually make

efforts to go along that path. Thus it all ends up turning

different types of people in the right direction. A mantra

or a Kundalini method, which might be disastrous if even

slightly wrongly done, must be protected as a secret

without being made available to all and sundry. Jnana-yoga

is not like that. By revealing it to all there is nothing

wrong.

 

One point has to be emphasized here. Though the Acharya has

prescribed Sannyasa-Ashrama only for those who take Jnana

yoga itself as their Saadhanaa; he has declared that

those who are not so qualified (though they should not do

it as a Saadhanaa exercise), should know about Atman and

should be at least aware of the thoughts of the Atman.

 

He has written a small expository work called

“Bala-bodha-sangrahaM”. ‘sangraham’ means a summary. The

very name ‘bala-bodham’ indicates that it is intended for

children. In those days an eight-year old child would have

his upanayanam. And then when the child goes for

gurukula-vasam, for the first few years, he still is a

child. It is for such children the teaching of Bala-bodham

is intended. It is designed by the Acharya as if a child

is asking questions and the guru is answering. The teaching

is actually an advaita vedanta education. The basic points

of advaita are all given there in a nutshell. He has also

mentioned the different angas (parts) of advaita saadhanaa.

Is it not clear from this that the Acharya never intended

the contents of advaita vedanta only for those who

paractise jnana yoga after acquiring all the preliminary

qualifications? Shouldn’t we understand from this that he

thought that nobody should be ignorant of the permanent

truths of advaita philosophy? A direct practice of it may

happen at any time; but the methodology of the regimen, the

path of saadhanaa, should be in the knowledge of every

one – that must have been the Acharya’s contention.

 

We usually think that the moment we speak of the Acharya,

it is only about advaita. His greatness however is in the

fact that he did not insist on it for every one. Just

because he has structured the philosophy of advaita so

strongly and beautifully he did not keep it as a regimen of

practice for all. He understood human nature very well. So

with great compassion and sympathy he allotted to certain

people only the karma path and kept advaita for the rest.

 

(To be Continued)

PraNAms to all students of advaita.

PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.

profvk

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

Latest on my website: A conversation on the Concept of God in Hinduism.

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/ConceptofGOD.html