A Perspective - 23

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Obstacles to Spiritual Progress - 2:

 

We are discussing the obstacles to our spiritual progress. Krishna says in Gita-

4th chapter – sloka 40 that there are three main obstacles for spiritual

progress: - 1. avidya (ignorance) 2. ashraddha (lack of faith) 3. samshaya

(doubts about the goal and the means). Here avidya is the moola avidya or the

fundamental ignorance about one owns self. The self-ignorance can only removed

by self-knowledge. For that scripture alone is the pramaaNa since the object of

investigation is the subject which cannot be objectified. We continue our

discussion in terms of the role of mahaavaakya in eliminating this

self-ignorance. Scriptures communicate the knowledge using words. Truth, which

scriptures declare cannot be described in words (yato vaacho nivartante apraapya

manasaa saha), is being described. Hence the need of a proper teacher is

emphasized by the scriptures themselves in order to unravel the truth using

words.

 

Analysis of the knowledge communicated by words can be classified into two

types.

1. Descriptive words 2. Introductory world.

We can think of four possibilities.

Case I. Let us say we learned about Mr. Jones either through books or through

words of those who knew him, but we have never met Mr. Jones. This knowledge we

have gained by the books or by hearing from a third party involves descriptive

words and it is only indirect knowledge. There is no anubhava or experience of

knowing Mr. Jones personally. I will say I am longing to meet Mr. Jones whom I

know indirectly. We have jnaanam but no vijnaanam.

Case II. Suppose we met a person without knowing that he is Mr. Jones and we had

some encounter and learned about him except that we do not know that he is Mr.

Jones. Here, we have anubhava or experience of meeting Mr. Jones, but we do not

know that he is Mr. Jones whom we wanted to meet. Here we have the knowledge at

the same time we do not have the knowledge of Mr. Jones although we had

experience of him. We still say I want to know Mr. Jones and want to have

experience of him. (We have anubhava but not supported by knowledge and

Knowledge not supported by anubhava).

Case III. Suppose when we meet Mr. X, and we were introduced as this is Mr.

Jones with all the qualifications that Mr. Jones has – that is we are directly

introduced to him and by way of introduction learned all about him. These

introductory words that describe Mr. Jones as I am seeing him directly, gives

the direct knowledge as well as experience or anubhava of knowing him

personally. Thus in the introductory word description we have knowledge plus

anubhava or experience (Vijnaanam).

Case IV. We have learned all about Mr. Jones through a book, but we never met

him in person. Here we have indirect knowledge but no direct experience. Suppose

I just ran into him in a party and someone introduced him as Mr. Jones about

whom I have studied. Now I have prior back ground knowledge plus direct

experience or anubhava to give me experiential knowledge (jnaanam and

vijnaanam).

The seventh chapter of Gita is entitled jnanaa-vijnaana yoga.

 

When Vedanta talks about Brahman – we have descriptive words – but when

Vedanta says you are that Brahman – then the words of the mahaavaakya form

introductory words. You are introduced as Brahman via the mahaavaakya, tat tvam

asi. Not only I have understood the real meaning of tvam by study of scriptures

and logic of anvaya-vyatireka, and the meaning of tat also by the study of

scriptures, and via equation of tvam = tat, the knowledge of the identity

between the two, introduction of myself is complete. It is not only description

but introductory words since tvam is myself who is directly present as I am.

Hence anubhava or experience of myself is all the time there (in fact it is

there in all experiences) now via scriptural declaration I have direct

experiential knowledge of my true nature via the mahaavaakya – tat tvam asi

– vijnaanam.

 

In Pancadasi, vidyaaranya says:

avaantareNa vaakyena parokshaa brahma dhiiH bhavet|

sarvatraiva mahaavaakyavicaaraat aparoksha dhii| 7-69

Brahman has been described in Upanishads using avaantara vaakyaas or indirect

statements or by taTastalakshanas as in: yato vaa imaani bhuutaani jaayante,

yena jaataani jiivanti, yat prayantyabhisam vishanti, tat vijijnaasasva, tat

braheti|– or janmaadyasa yataH – or yat adreshyam agraahyam agotram .. etc.

He is the creator, sustainer and annihilator of the universe or he is the sarva

adhiShTaanam or the substantive of the whole universe of things and beings from

which the whole world arose, by which it is sustained and into which it goes

back – etc. These secondary statements or avaatara vaakyaas –give only the

indirect knowledge of Brahman. However, when we understand the mahaayvaaka-s

such as tat tvam asi – You are that Brahman- it provides a direct introductory

statement, since the scripture is introducing you to you as entity different

from what you think as yourself. To make sure we heard it right, scripture

reinforces the introductory

statement nine times. However, In spite of the direct introductory statements

called mahaavaakyaas, the knowledge that is supposed to be immediate does not

take place immediately.

 

This is because of the doubts that how can the limited I be that limitless

Brahman, as it contradicts all my normal experiences and conclusions or

transactions involving myself and the world of objects. Hence, it is an

introduction of myself, which I cannot believe. No wonder that Krishna says, it

is a wonder of all wonders and it is a super or kingly secret since no one

believes if when the scriptures reveal the truth. Ascharyavat pasyati

kaSchidenam aascharyavat vadati tathaiva chaanyaH| aascharyavacchainam anyaH

SRiNoti SRitvaapyenam veda na chaiva kaSchit|| 2-29. There are many great

philosophers, who do not accept that introductory statement and reinterpret

these statements of the Upanishads as introduction of someone else, another

avantara vaakyaas or indirect statement about Brahman, or statement of

introduction that agrees with the previous misconception of the individual self

as I am not that.

 

Since scriptures cannot be wrong, or need not have to describe something that we

already know without reading scriptures (as in I am not that), and are revealing

a fact that I cannot know otherwise, even if I do not believe it, one has to do

vicaara or inquiry into these aphoristic statements to have the direct knowledge

of truth expounded in the Upanishads. The knowledge is now aparoksha or direct

since mahavaakyaas form direct introductory words, introducing the correct

description of -who that I am – is in contrast to what I think I am. Here the

obstacle for knowledge is lack of shraddhaa – or faith in the mahavaakyaas.

This can be illustrated taking the story of the famous missing10th man.

 

This will be analyzed next.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda