Fwd: Oh I Forgot

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Respected Sir:

 

The word smriti is elaborated in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, who

incidentally has been commanded by none other than our beloved Lord Sriman

Narayanan to go down to earth and spread the knowledge of (a) Yoga -for

understanding of the mind stuff (b) Ayurveda for good health free from

diseases and © Grammar: for clarity in speech.

 

Sage Patanjali has done a detailed study on the contents of the mind and

has very scientifically exposed the issues:

 

1. Sutra I-6 There are 5 vrittis (or modifications) occurring at all the

times inside the subtle mind stuff. These 5 are knowledge(Pramana), false

knowledge(Viparayaya), imagination(Vikalpa), sleep(Nidra) and memory(Smriti

..

 

These 5 are responsible so to say, disturb the normally (read

naturally) calm inner consciousness.

 

2. Sutra I-11 defines Smriti as "anubhutavishaya asampramushya smrtiyah"

In short memory is a modification which brings about recollection of stored

up experiences. Look at the very clever use of the word 'pramush' ,

literally meaning 'total theft'. I.e. no experience is ignored or left to

'fly' away or be forgotten. Every bit of experience is sucked up and

stored. There is total theft without us being aware. The theft is so

complete and absolute in that Memory operates always in the 'addition'

mode. To that extent 'memory' in its natural state is like a thief which

steals completely all experiences and hides them for future recollection,

reference points. It keeps on adding and never subtracting. Conversely,

this implies there is no loss of memory or forgetfulness. A stone is

thrown in the calm waters of a peaceful lake and the stone at the time of

sinking initiates a ripple at the point of impact. This ripple vibrates

into several ripples and the entire water surface is disturbed.

 

Remember, inside the lake it is still free, calm, unruffled. Once the

ripples peter out, the stone as it is remains submerged and occupies space.

To the extent of the stone, the free space inside the memory is occupied by

the interpreted impressions, all of which may or may not be true. Add

hundreds of stones over many years and what you see is that one fine day

the entire surface of the lake is full of stones and though the water is

there, the bulk of the volume is composed of the stones. Each stone is the

equivalent of a karmic inheritance. A burden on the clear surface of the

lake. A junk, a piece of unwanted dust. In the language of modern

psychology each stone is "jealousy, greed, lust, anger, impatience,

laziness, lethargy, ill feelings, extreme attachment, extreme hatred,

mis-conceptions, ego and so on".

 

Inside the mind each experience, each ripple etches a permanent impression

deep in the recess of the brain which form the samsaras.

 

It is also significant to note that 'memory (smriti)' is placed at the fag

end of the 4 other vrittis. This also is structured into the sutra very

cleverly. All the 4 earlier vrittis are the basis for memory to exist.

Dream is memory playing itself out during the vritti of Sleep State and the

other 3 are memory playing itself during waking state.

 

This is vouchsafed beyond doubt by the Upanisads where the 4th Turiya state

is the preferred and highest state where memory does not function in the

above referred mode and there is complete awareness but no storing up. The

differentiation between experiencer and the experienced object is severed

and only the experiencing remains.

 

3. Sutra II-39 "aparigrahasthairye janmakathamta sambodhah: By practice of

aparigraha i.e. non covetousness, the sutra declares that past experiences

can be recollected vividly and the individual can modify his/her behavior,

thoughts, habits to fit into these residual experiences and work them out.

This presupposes the person has reached a somewhat more mature spiritual

level with continuous practices and single-pointed devotion, that one can

do a call back and literally dig-up the past karmic residual dispositions.

Then having identified these one starts to act with a real sense of

"Nishkamya" attitude. What is subtly hinted between the lines is this

position is open to everyone whatever be the state he /she is in.

 

The opportunity to proactively work towards burning out the past karmic

deposits through yogic practices therefore is an excellent opportunity

provided by the Lord in his infinite wisdom.

 

4 Sutra II-1 emphatically declares "tapah swadhyaye iswarpranidhaniâ€.

Namely, rigorous self discipline, introspection and single pointed devotion

to the Lord. Here Iswarapranidhani is beyond doubt contemplation on our

beloved Sriman Narayanan.

 

5. Sutra I-23 gives the ultimate solution to a layman who is not versed

with the nuances of Yoga or any other spiritual pursuits. It tersely

commands "Ishwara pranidhanat va. Sage Vysya in his commentaries has

mentioned that for a person to whom nothing works he/she has the ultimate

solution in the Saranagati Tattvam. Again, the Saranagati is to none other

than our beloved Sriman Narayanan. The immediate example one can think of

who fits into this category is the story of Jada Bharata which many of us

may be aware - which was posted in one of the earlier responses.

 

Last but not the least, where do you find all these clubbed into a cohesive

process? In the Sandhyavandanam which incidentally is a command by the

Vedas themselves. Does it not therefore, become our highest duty to ensure

that this sacred nitya karma is done without let? But are we doing? No

intention meant to hurt/injure anyone but this question is for those who

are irregular or the non-doers.

 

Errors and omissions by the writer may be forgiven.

 

Om tat sat

Tat tvam asi

 

 

 

 

"Sudarshan K

Madabushi"

,

<mksudarshan2002@y oppiliappan

ahoo.co.in> cc:

Fwd:

Re: Oh I Forgot

07/10/04 02:08 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

tiruvenkatam, "Sudarshan K Madabushi"

<mksudarshan2002> wrote:

 

Dear Sri Sadagopan Iyengar,

 

Thanks. Looks like there is no other Sanskrit word for Memory other

than "smriti".

 

It's interesting you bring up the word "vismriti" to denote

Forgetfulness. When one reflects deeply, "vismriti" seems to be the

true and universal condition of Man, isn't it? We are all

entirely 'forgetful' of our past lives -- 'janmA'. We have no

recollection of our past "karma" nor how and why it has brought us to

our present state and condition of existence. We must ask ourselves

if this 'forgetfulness', this 'vismriti', is it a blessing or a

crippling handicap?

 

IN one way, it is a blessing because if the Almighty had not erased

the memories of our past 'janmA' before sending us to our present

one, imagine how heavy and oppressive would be the burden of carrying

with us a stock of painful recollections of past folly, failings and

flaws? So great would be such a burden that we would, I fear, simply

lose all hope of redeeming ourselves in the present life. Instead,

having had our memory erased by God, we all start, each one of us,

our respective present lives on a clean, shining slate (on a "tabula

rasa", as the Latin phrase says) with the hope still strong in us

that, this time around, we will somehow prove worthy and redeem

ourselves in the eyes of our Maker...

 

Looked at from that point of view, there is no doubt that our

Forgetfulness, our condition of "vismriti", is truly the source of

all fresh human hope. Ironic though it may seem, in Forgetfulness

there is indeed great spiritual opportunity for the Redemption of

Man.

 

>From another point of view, however, our state of Forgetfulness is

unmitigated curse too. It is 'vismriti' that makes us 'forget' who we

are, where we come from and where we are really going. It is because

we are 'forgetful' that we mistakenly think our present life and

existence is a new one and the only one we shall ever have.

We "forget" all the past 'janmA-s', and all the past opportunities

that were afforded to us in those, and to which we must be beholden

to the Almighty. It is the same 'forgetfulness', thus, that also

results in our frittering away our lifetime and yet another 'janmA'.

 

I was reading last week a brief biography of the life of

the 'nAyanmAr', the Tamil saint Sundararar, as narrated in the great

Saivite 'purANa' called "peria-pUrAnam". (Let me hasten to add here

that I am a firm SriVaishnavan by birth and belief, but I also

entertain a healthy interest in the rich bhakti traditions of the

Saiva siddhAnta). Sundarar was a great spiritual soul, one who was a

beloved of the Almighty. But he was born into the world in

circumstances that made him "forget" his true nature and his

great 'siva bhakti' and 'siva sambandham'. Sundarar was a handsome

man and was hence soon set to marry a beautiful maiden.

 

Destiny was about to drag the saint into the life of a worldly

householder when at the last minute, on the wedding altar, as it

were, the Almighty appeared on the scene disguised as an old

venerable Brahmin and claimed Sundarar as his own slave -- "Have you

forgotten you are my slave, O Sundara? How can you enter into

marriage and seek to lead your own life?". Sundarar and the rest of

the wedding assembly were shocked at the claim of the old Brahmin

stranger who seemed to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 

The wedding ceremonies were aborted and the assembled guests demanded

proof of the fact that Sundarar was a bonded servitor of the old

Brahmin. The Brahmin told the gathering, "Follow me, and I will give

you the needed proof!". Thus, leading Sundarar and the assembly, the

old Brahmin led the procession through the streets of the town and

into the temple of Siva. Entering the sanctum there, the Brahmin

vanished into it, leaving the whole assembly aghast!

 

It was then that Sundarar was able to recollect who he really was, to

whom really he owed his soulful allegiance in life. All of a sudden,

the recollections of his previous 'janmA-s', in which he had been a

slave of God in His own Kingdom, all the recollection came rushing

back to him with the force and intensity of an epiphany...

 

Sundarar's 'vismriti' vanished, so to say, and 'Forgetfulness' was

replaced with the one true memory ('smriti') that, although remaining

ever clouded in the consciousness of Man, is yet never erased out of

his soul -- the Memory of the Almighty.

 

"vismriti" is truly such a beautiful Sanskrit word indeed...

 

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

tiruvenkatam, sadagopaniyengar

<sadagopaniyengar@v...> wrote:

> dear shri sudarshan,

>

> "Smriti" appears to be the appropriate word for Memory.

>

> this can be seen in

>

> the Varaha Charama slokam, where the Lord undertakes to remember

His bhakta, even when the latter is no position to think about Him--

"aham smarAmi mat bhaktam"

>

> the Mukunda Mala slokam--"smarAmi nArAyaNa tatvam avyayam"

>

> the Ramayana slokam, "na smarati apakArANAm satamapi AtmavattayA".

>

> and "Vismriti" appears to indicate forgetfulness, while the total

loss of memory is probably called "Smriti bhramsam" (as in the Gita

sloka, "smriti bhramsAt buddhi nAsa:")

>

> thanks and regards, dasan, sadagopan