Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa - (KDAS-75)

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Namaste.

 

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

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For the previous post, see

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SECTION 60: IS AN ENLIGHTENED GURU AVAILABLE?

Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-133.htm

 

 

Guru is always depicted by shAstras as an *anubhavi* (one who has seen

the Truth directly): 'brahma-nishhTha' in Upanishads, 'tatva-darshinaH'

in the Gita. Such a person, who has truly realised Brahman - would such

a person be available in modern times? Don't worry about it. If you are

crying in true anguish with sincere mumukshhutA (longing for Release)

the Lord will not fail to show you such a one. Whether he is a

brahma-nishhTa or not all the time, you will be shown the best available

one and the Lord Himself will enter into him at the time when you are

being givn the mahAvAkya-upadesha. That is how it happens. That is how.

No doubt about it.

 

[Note by the Collator Shri R. Ganapathy:

Here the Mahaswamigal speaks with great conviction,

emotion and emphasis that he is passing on a great truth]

 

Just as the disciple is feeling the anguish whether an *anubhavi* guru

will be available even these days, the Lord is also looking for, with

the same anguish (!) whether a proper mumukshhu is going to come; so

such a person would not be missed by Him. Maybe He will not appear in

concrete form in the body of a human Guru, but it is possible that He

manifests as a subtle guru in the very antar-AtmA of the disciple and

grace him. But if I say it this way, it may turn out in this independent

age where humility is wanting, people might go with the impression:

"Even the Shankaracharya of the mutt has said so. A separate individual

as a Guru is not necessary. The Lord will come into us directly and

grace us from the inside". It is really very rare for such a thing

-without an external human guru, for the Lord Himself to come as an

internal guru -- to happen. Rare top-ranking mumukshus will have that

privilege. Or if there is an enormous amount of pUrva-samskAra from the

earlier lives, even if one is not a mumukshhu but just an ordinary

person, the Lord Himself on His own pulls him out and blesses him with

all grace. To make this the general rule is totally wrong.

 

SECTION 61: INVOLVEMENT IN ONE SINGLE GOAL

Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-134.htm

 

 

Now we have come to the stage where one has taken up sannyAsa and also

received the upadesha from the Guru. Afterwards what should the Sannyasi

do? Let me tell you that he should certainly not be doing what I am

doing now! [The Swamigal laughs]. I am getting into all sorts of

newspaper gossip; am I not? History, Geography, Local news all of it are

coming into my speeches and actions. A true SannyAsi would have nothing

to do with all these.

[Ra. Ganapthy adds a footnote here: The Mahaswamigal is describing

now the dharma that pertains to a SannyAsi

who is yet to reach his siddhi.

With great humility combined with humour

he laughs at himself saying he is

not following rules.

But actually he is a Jivan-mukta, an enlightened soul.

He can do anything, no rule will bind him. ]

 

 

All the time he has to be only in the thought of the Atman; that should

be his speech, that should be his goal. The Mundakopanishad says (II -

2) "Leave off all talk about anything that is non-Self. In the bow of

PraNava (that is, the MahAvakyas), mount the arrow of your own self,

shoot yourself at the goal and be fixed there". The one idea of the

non-difference between Jiva and Brahman should be the only occupation of

your mind. All other talk is only an unnecessary exertion for the

throat, says BrihadAraNyakopanishad IV-4-21. Lord Krishna builds it up

like this: *tad-buddhayaH tad-AtmAnaH tan-nishhTAH tat-parayaNAH*.

 

Keeping the intellect in the Atman, the life itself in the Atman, and

firmly established in that one Self, with That only as the goal (B.G. V

- 17) - this is how he should be. This is what He says in

"sannyAsa-yoga". When he talks in "vibhUti yoga" it is He who plays

all the other roles and those who know this revel in His thought only,

their very life in Him, exchanging with one another thoughts about Him

and narrating to one another the stories of His Glory and thus dance and

revel in great satisfaction about Him.

 

maccittAH madgata-prANAH bodhayantaH parasparaM /

kathayantashca mAM nityaM tushhyanti ca ramanti ca //

 

In the same context, Vidyaranya Swamigal talks about nirguNa upAsanA

(that is what a SannyAsi should be doing) and says: The only thought

being Brahman, the only conversation between each other being That, the

only teaching among one another is That - thus a Sannyasi has That as

his only occupation.

 

If there is a number of sannyAsis at one place gathered together, the

teaching of one another (bodhayantaH parasparaM) and the recalling to

one another (anyonyaM tat-prabodhanaM) take place. But such crowding of

several sannyAsis and their living together is not first of all

recommended as a good thing. Scope arises for attachment, enmity, hate,

competition, jealousy and differences of opinion. So after becoming a

SannyAsi one should hasten to a solitary place. No attachment or bondage

should be allowed to develop. Staying at the same place for more than

three days is taboo. The SannyAsi should keep moving. That is the

meaning of a 'parivrAjaka'. That is the Dharma of a Parama-hamsa

SannyAsi.

 

[Ra Ganapathy's note: But this does not apply to heads of mutts

who have organisational and training responsibilities.]

 

In sum, after one gets the upadesha, the Sannyasi has to have the only

goal of obtaining a direct perception of the advaita brahma-bhAva that

has been taught to him by his guru.

 

To achieve this, two processes - manana and nidhidhyAsana - are

prescribed. NidhidhyAsana may also be called nidhidhyAsa.

 

ShravNa, Manana, NidhidhyAsana - with these three the elaborate

presentation of advaita-sAdhanA comes to an end.

 

SECTION 62: SHRAVANA, MANANA, NIDHIDHYASANA - CHARACTERISTICS

 

(To be Continued)

PraNAms to all students of advaita.

PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.

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