Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-29)

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Namaste.

 

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

advaitin/message/27766

 

For the previous post, see

advaitin/message/28462

 

 

SEC. 18: SHAMA AND DAMA (Continued)

 

Even when the objects in the outside world though

perceptible to the ears, the eyes, and the tongue, are not

within the reach of these senses, the mind may be thinking

all the time about the experiences pertaining to those

objects. The control of these thoughts is what is called

control of the mind. It is not at all easy to be achieved.

What is to be successfuly attempted at first is, even

though the desires in the mind do not vanish, at least in

the outer world of activity the indriyas may be restricted

not to graze around – in other words, dama (control of the

senses of action). A vrata, a fast, a starving of the eyes

from objectionable sights, avoidance of sense-pleasures on

certain days – such are the efforts that must be practised

with some persistence. This will lead to the mind being

trained for the paractice of shama and becoming a little

more mature. When the sense objects are not around, it may

be possible to control the mind from thinking about the

experiences with them and the mind may remain at rest; but

once we come out from that solitude to the outside world,

immediately the ears will long for movie music from the

radio and the tongue will yearn for that tasty coffee or

other drink it used to have. Thus each indriya, without

even the prompting of the mind, will run after its old

vAsanA. Independent of the reins the horses now are ready

to run! Now again the ‘weapon’ of ‘dama’ has to be used.

Thus controlling the indriyas from running after the

external objects, inspite of their availability around, the

other weapon of ‘shama’ of the mind has to be applied so

that the mind also does not run after them. Thus the

processes of ‘dama’ and ‘shama’ have to be used alternately

as well as simultaneously until one is really sure that one

has achieved the needed control of both kinds. The

finishing line is of course the total peace that one

obtains at the fulfillment of ‘shama’.

 

Thus what can be somehow accomplished is the process of

‘dama’. In the Mahanarayana Upanishad, with great sympathy,

it prescribes ‘dama’ regimen for a Brahmachari and a

‘shama’ regimen for the renunciate muni who has renounced

everything. “The Brahmacharis hold that ‘dama’ is supreme,

and revel in the implementation of that; whereas the

dwellers in the forests (the munis) hold that ‘shama’ is

supreme and revel in the implementation of that”

(Narayanopanishad: 78 – 3,4). The intended meaning is that

both ‘dama’ and ‘shama’ are to be started right from the

Brahmachari stage so that when one gets to the stage of

sannyasa, one can attain the total fulfillment of ‘shama’.

 

Where the mind finally calms down and settles, that is the

Atman. When the mind stops, the Atman shines. Even in the

previous stage, the senses would have stopped running

involuntarily and the mind would have of its own volition

controlled the senses. Thereafter the residual vAsanAs of

the mind would be the ones still to be eradicated. This

eradication happens when ‘shama’ is totally achieved. Such

a complete cessation of the mind will generate the

realisation of the Atman. Thus it is that ‘shama’ is the

final calming down. That is why we say “shAntiH shAntiH

shAntiH” and also refer to it as “Atma-shAntiH”. The word

‘dAnti’ (controlled mind and senses) is also of the same

kind. The controlling action implies a force, whereas what

follows is ‘shAntiH’. In other words it is not ‘control,

then shAnti’ but ‘control, that itself is shAnti’.

 

All the great people pray mostly for the controlled calm of

the mind. Lord Krishna also advises us:

 

Yato yato nishcharati manash-chanchalam-asthiraM /

Tatas-tato niyamyaitat Atmanyeva vashaM nayet // (VI – 26)

 

The use of two words ‘chanchalaM’ (wavering) and

‘asthiraM’ (unsteady) to describe the turbulent nature of

the mind is significant. By whatever prompting this

wavering and unsteady mind runs outward towards objects,

from each such prompting shall the mind be pulled back and

drawn into the confines of the Atman, says the Lord.

 

 

(To be Continued)

PraNAms to all students of advaita.

PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

Latest on my website: Shrimad Bhagavatam and advaita bhakti. Introduction.

Chatushloki Bhagavatam. Vidura and Maitreya. Kapila Gita.

Dhruva charitam. JaDabharata, Ajamila Stories. Prahlada Charitram.

 

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

 

and succeeding pages.