Vairagyam - V

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Vairagyam V

Namaste Advaitins,

 

The Yoga sutras of Maharishi Patanjali offer a good deal of teaching

on Vairagya.

Vairagya is defined as dispassion towards things seen, like various

objects of pleasure and unseen, like things learnt from Shastras

like heaven etc.

Drishta-anushravika-vishaya-vitrushnasya Vashikaara Sanjnaa

Vairagyam (1-15)

 

Dispassion in seen and unseen objects, by recognizing the defects in

them

..

Tatparam Purushakhyatherguna-vaithrushnyam (1-16)

 

When the seeker by diligent practice is able to comprehend the SELF,

will be completely contented, then he gets dispassion even in the

qualities of seen and unseen things. Then the Vairagya is said to

be Supreme. Thus this Vairagya is said to be the Acme of Knowledge.

 

The first limb, anga, of the Ashta-anga Yoga Sutras is Yama,

restraint. This consists of Ahimsa = Non-injury, Satyam =

Truthfulness, Asteyam = Abstinence from theft, Brahmacharyam =

Continence, and Aparigraha =Non-acceptance of possessions. It will

be pertinent to note that Vairagya is a sine qua non for the

successful practice of each of the above.

 

It would be worthwhile to learn from real-life incidents the great

importance true adherents of Yoga accorded to Vairagya:

 

When Acharyal was touring in North India for the first time, a

highly influential and scholarly monk decided to test His sense-

control. So, he arranged for a belle to try to tempt Acharyal. She

entered the room where Acharyal was giving darsana just as the last

of the devotees were leaving and remained till she alone was left.

However, when she observed Acharyal, she was so overwhelmed by His

patent purity that she became disconcerted. Acharyal compassionately

asked her, "Mother, what is it?" At this, the girl simply broke

down. She was about to confess and seek Acharyal's pardon when the

monk who had sent her himself entered. He told Acharyal, "I knew

that You are a scholar par excellence. However, I wanted to

ascertain whether You are also a master of the organ of taste and

are free from fondness for valuables. So, some time back, I sent you

tasty dishes and jewels through people. However, You turned down the

offers. I finally wished to examine Your brahmacarya and, hence,

sent this beauty to try to tempt You. I now realise that You are so

pure and self-controlled that You are beyond temptation. I truly

acknowledge Your greatness and pay obeisance to You."

[ Told by Sri A. Ramaswamy]

 

Acharyal told me the following in 1987:

 

When I was about twenty years of age, two Bairàgi-s, who lived on

the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, came to Sringeri. They

wanted to have Paramacharyal's darsana and seek some clarifications

from Him. As He was in antarmukha, seclusion, at that time, they

were unable to approach Him. They met Me. One of them looked weak

and somewhat effeminate, while the other had powerful muscles and

resembled a wrestler.

 

In the course of his conversation with Me, the first one

hesitatingly said, "I have been leading a life of renunciation but

am not free from sexual desire. While I never misbehaved with any

woman, bad thoughts troubled me off and on. This was the situation

till a few months ago, when I met a Baba and posed my problem to

him. He gave me a large packet of medicinal powder and said that if

I consumed a little of it every day, I would obtain relief. I have

been sincerely following his advice. My desires have largely

vanished. I think that I have gained a great spiritual benefit.

However, my muscular strength has come down and my chest has become

a little like that of a female. My companion is in need of help to

deal with lust. He is hesitant to take the Baba's medicine because

he fears that his muscles will become weak. He wanted to ask Guruji

whether in the interest of spiritual growth, he should overcome his

hesitation and resort to the medicine. I wanted to ask Guruji if I

should continue with this medicine or whether Guruji would give me

some other medicine without the side effects. We have, however, not

had the good fortune of being able to talk to Him. Would You like to

keep and use some of the medicine that I have? I can replenish my

stock from the Baba who gave it to Me." I declined his offer.

 

The second person asked Me, "You are young. Are You not troubled by

sexual thoughts?" I answered that I was not. At this, both of them

asked, almost in unison, "Will You please help us and tell us what

we should do?" I answered, "Do not use the medicine. You cannot gain

any spiritual benefit by checking the sexual instinct through it.

Kings employed eunuchs in their harems because they were confident

that the eunuchs would not be tempted and misbehave with the women.

However, none regards those eunuchs as great celibates. None deems

that they became spiritually great on account of castration. On the

other hand, all of us regard, sage Shuka as established in

continence and as spiritually great. His body was intact but he was

so free from desire that even damsels in the nude did not care to

cover themselves when he passed them. A dumb person does not lie but

he is not looked up to as one who never lies. A person who is

unconscious is not revered as a Yogin just because he is free from

all thoughts of the world. Incapacity does not confer spiritual

benefit. The medicine with you temporarily and partially reduces you

to the state of a eunuch. It is, as far as gaining spiritual benefit

is concerned, no better than castration. I shall provide you a

medicine that will enable you to be rid of lust and to gain

spiritual benefit."

 

Then, I asked them to go to Sharadamba's temple, spend half an hour

gazing at Her with devotion and to pray to Her with faith to rid

them of lust. They returned after half an hour. I told them, "In the

Durga-saptashati it is said that all women are the Divine Mother's

forms. Whenever you are tempted by the sight of a woman or think of

a female with desire, immediately think of the gracious Divine

Mother. Feel that it is She who is in the form of all women. Also

implore Her now and then from the bottom of your heart to free you

from lust.Need not contempt for women to be cultivated to combat

lust?" asked the muscular Bairagi. I replied: "No. Just as desire is

bad for your mind, so is hatred. Both likes and dislikes are

impurities that agitate the mind. The scriptures speak of seeing the

defects in an object just to neutralise a pre-existing attachment

born of the notion that the object is pleasurable. The aim is

definitely not to generate hatred. Shuka certainly did not hate or

look down upon any woman. He looked upon everything as the Supreme

Brahman" The Bairagi-s left Sringeri shortly thereafter.

 

They returned after about a year. This time, both the Bairagi-s

looked healthy and muscular. On seeing Me, they joyfully

said, "Swamiji, Your medicine is very effective and has no side

effects." I clarified that it was not My medicine and that what were

working were Sharadambà's grace and their dedicated efforts. During

this trip, they had the great good fortune of getting

Paramacharyal's darshana and blessings.

[sri R.M. Umesh]

 

 

Pranams to all,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v" <subrahmanian_v

wrote:

>

> Vairagyam V

> Namaste Advaitins,

>

> Sir,

By resorting to unnatural methods to check the impulse of

libertinism is not the solution, as is evident from the account given

by you. One has to be deeply aware of one's motives, and to be seized

of the short-lived nature of all pleasures, which are only of the

nature of titillation of the nerves. More than the physical aspect, I

think, it is the constant rumination on such thoughts that is harmful.

Because of the notion that oneself is the body, nourished during

countless births, and the attendant variegated nature of such

impulses, gloating over one's bodily strength, this basic impulse is

so subtly ingrained in the karana sarira itself, the basic cause of

objectivity. We have to have philosophical discrimination as well as a

feeling of the triviality of these pleasures compared with the bliss

of mouna that one gets in even the fleeting glimpse of something

beyond thought. Violent yogic approaches to counter this

insurmountable problem will surely be counter-productive. I read the

account of a sadhu coming to J.Krishnamurthy, lamenting over his (

sadu's )action of mutilating his vital organ to overcome this problem,

little realizing that the body is only a convenient medium to

perpetuate all these things, and that the whole drama is enacted in

the mind unbrokenly. He starts growing breasts, as the physical

anatomy and secretions have to do something to identify an

individual's sex. J.K takes pity on him and tells him that he has done

violence to the body like committing suicide. We have to understand

the position at which we are placed psychologically, and proceed from

there. Accepting one's weakness is greater than pretending to be pure,

because once we accept our position, we will have greater

understanding, and the scope to go beyond our limitations. What one

has to understand is the fact that none of the contact-born pleasures

will be consummated without a residual element resuscitating its urge.

 

Sankarraman