Advaita from scratch - Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses - 7

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Kanchi

Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaitam

 

KMDA – 7

(For KMDA – 6 see #44065)

(This series started with #43779)

 

Tamil

original starts from http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part4kural297.htm

 

Note: In these discourses, `the Acharya'

refers to Adi Shankaracharya. The speaker is the Kanchi Mahaswamigal.

 

The pleasant, and the good

 

What

is pleasant is one thing

and what is good is another. These are

respectively called preyas and shreyas in Sanskrit in the

Upanishads. What is pleasant to us is what is to our liking. This is denoted by

`preyas' – though the word is nowadays not very much in use. On the

other hand we hear the use of the word `shreyas' often. When someone is

blessed to have the highest good we usually say: `May all shreyas befall

on you'. What truly does good to an individual in his life is known by `shreyas'.

The word `preyas' comes from `priyam' and the word `shreyas'

comes from `shriyam'. And `shriyam' comes from `shrii'

meaning the Goddess Lakshmi of all wealth and prosperity. What does good to the Atman is real good,

real shreyas, nitya-shrii (permanent wealth).

 

We

usually hold on to preyas rather than shreyas. We fall into what

is to our liking. And then we realise that it actually leads us to unhappiness.

And then we come to understand that something which we dislike – a bitter

medicine – is what will be an antidote to that unhappiness. We may not like

that medicine or the treatment that goes with it but we have to accept it then.

Even though it is not to our liking we know it is only for a temporary period.

We would have liked to permanently keep on eating what we liked. If a

diarrhea or a dysentery did not interrupt us we would have done exactly

that. But our likes brought us on to accept what we dislike. To

take bitter medicine, to be restrictive in one's diet -- certainly these are

not something which we like to do. It is doubtless difficult to accept

them. But we know they are not to be a

permanent accompani-ment for us. So we take the bitter medicine, accept the

diet restrictions. And we regain our health. Now we are more careful than

earlier because we know otherwise we would invite trouble for ourselves. Whether we do so or not in actual practice is

a different story. But if we are wise that is what we would do.

 

Dharma medicine for the disease of

Karma

 

When

one is bound by the shackles of Karma that has arisen from the uncontrolled

actions following the runaway mind's fancies, the only way to loosen the bonds

of Karma is to willingly adorn the bondage of Karma arising from ShAstraic

actions. The rules that are prescribed for the ShAstraic actions may not

be very palatable to the mind. They will surely appear to be very restrictive.

However that bondage is not a permanent bond.

It certainly tightens but does not close up into a tight knot. When one

becomes mature and this Karma bondage unwinds fully, the restriction that

actions should be done according to the ShAstras also vanishes. For an Atma-jnAni

(One who has realised the Atman) there is no restriction, no rule. He has

transcended all the rules of Varna

(Scriptural category in society) and Ashrama (Scriptural category in

one's own life). For this very reason he is known as *ati-varNAshramI*

(One who is beyond Varna

and Ashrama).

 

But

a little while ago I gave a medicine–disease analogy. This analogy however does not fit in now

fully. There is a difference. A few

doses of medicine and a few days of restrictive behaviour cure the disease, if

it is an ordinary one. The Karma disease

can never be cured that fast. Like certain chronic diseases of the stomach and

the liver or certain genetic disorders of the heart, or certain life-long

diseases like hypertension or diabetes, one has to be kept under medication

almost all his life. Having earned through the mistakes of the mind a large

amount of the disease of Karma one has to keep on the antidote of Svadharma

actions all one's life. In order to encourage you I might have said a little

while ago: "To follow the ShAstras and act acording to their rules is

only for a temporary period of time; after a certain time they will all drop

off" – that was not right. You have to

follow the rules of the ShAstras and keep doing your Svadharma

for a long long time.

 

However

there is something positive here for our encouragement which I should not forget

to tell you. A bitter medicine never becomes a sweet palatable medicine. It

remains the same bitter medicine compulsorily imposed on us for the treatment

of the disease and we accept it for the reason we believe it will cure us. The rules of the shAstras are not

like this. Once we practise holding on to them, though unwillingly, in due time

we begin to `like' them and their power to give us something we really need and

now we begin to follow them with a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. Even

today we do witness many, who originally were total atheists, with no

self-discipline regarding ritualistic purity, but who, after a change in their

life, go full-steam with rituals, worship and self-discipline according to ShAstras

and they do all this with great conviction and satisfaction. Probably only

those who were extremely negative turn

extremely obedient to scriptural injunctions. We can see they are not

adopting these under any compulsion but do

it voluntarily and with pleasure. This

is the greatness of the ShAstra rules.

It is not a bitter medicine. Just as when the body is bilious or

infected with poison the tongue tastes even sweet things as bitter, so also

purely by the accumulation of bad thoughts in the mind the medicine of dharma

shAstras taste bitter to us. At the other extreme it is also said that

for one whose body has been infected by cobra-poison, even soap-pod (also

called soap-nut: cikaikkaai, in Tamil) will taste sweet. In the same

manner for one who is immersed in the poisonous glamour of sense-gratification,

the poisonous act of further immersion in senses will be very pleasant. Whoever

it may be, if one is intent on self-correction and is sincere about it, the Shastra-medicine

will soon taste good. The goodness is in

two senses; first it will be to his liking and secondly it will soon give him

beneficial results. Though the treatment has to go on for a long time, since he

has willingly taken to it and has begun to taste the `sweetness' of it, without

any compunction he can take the `treatment' for long!

 

DhArmic karma is not the direct route

to Mokshha

 

However,

I have to tell you this. Just the

actions done according to Svadharma by themselves would not release the

Atman from the binding with the mind. In other words the yoga of nishkAma-karma

(Desireless Action) will not lead you directly to mokshha.

 

What

is mokshha? It is the state where

the mind has vanished. No thoughts would

be there at that time. When thoughts are not there, there cannot be any action.

Therefore any yoga which involves action cannot lead you to the goal.

 

(To be continued in KMDA-8)

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

PraNAms to the Mahaswamigal.

profvk