A Perspective - 26

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Obstacles to Self – Realization-5: We are discussing the obstacles for

self-realization based on the Krishna’s statement in Gita 4-40, where He

states that 1. avidya (ignorance), 2. ashraddhaa (faith), 3. samShaya (doubt)

form there major obstacles. Here samshaya or doubts are concerning the validity

of the pramANa, that is Vedanta PramANa, as a means of knowledge. Doubts of a

student related to his understanding of the teaching must, of course, be cleared

by asking his teacher. Those doubts are normal and valid, as Arjuna did.

Therefore in the above sloka we are not referring to those doubts, but the

doubts related to the validity of Vedanta it self, and the truth revealed by the

Vedanta. Here the pramaaNa or means of knowledge is Vedanta mahaavaakyaas or

aphoristic statements that equate the individual soul to the totality.

 

If we say that Vedanta is the only pramaaNa, then question can be asked about

other religious masters who have not studied Vedanta or do not accept Vedantic

teaching. For this our answer is that Vedanta is a science, and therefore we

accept statements of any religious teacher that agrees with the science of

Vedanta – in essence it is the teaching that agrees with the oneness of the

substantive of individual, world and Iswara. It does not matter who says it, the

truth is the truth and that is the nature of any science, including Vedanta.

Since this statement of identity of subject, I, the world, and the creator of

the world, Lord, cannot be established by any other way or any other pramaaNa

other than by Vedanta, it becomes a pramANa. This is the ultimate knowledge,

veda anta, knowing which every thing else is as well known. The philosophies

that differentiate jiiva, the individual, jagat, the world, and Iswara, the God

or the paramaatma or the total

self (whether they are based on Vedas or not), are tentatively accepted only as

a stepping stone, until the mind of the student becomes mature enough to reject

such a dualistic philosophies and ascertain the oneness implied in the identity

relation. This method of approach is called adhyaaropa apavaada, that is,

tentative acceptance and subsequent rejection as suggested by the Vedanta

itself. Scripture itself uses this methodology as in the example of pancakosha

vivarana in Tai. Up. Here, initially, each kosha is considered as aatma, and it

is subsequently negated in preference to the next subtler kosha, until one

arrives at the pure sat-chit-ananda swaruupa aatma. Hence all philosophies,

Vedic or non-Vedic, are tentatively accepted as preliminary or preparatory

technology for the mind (chitta suddhi), but freedom or moksha can be recognized

only by the teaching of mahaavaakya, tat tvam asi or you are that totality. This

is not a fanatical statement but

a statement of a fact, since one cannot be free unless one becomes limitless

and one cannot become limitless unless one already is – and that teaching that

provides this understanding of advaita or non-duality is Vedanta. Any dvaitic

philosophy will not lead the seeker to moksha, since moksha by definition

involves freedom from all limitations. In dvaita, each limits the other; hence

neither one can be limitless. Furthermore, that the truth is something else

beyond me is illogical, since I can negate everything else other than myself, as

in deep sleep state. The thing that can never be negated alone is the absolute

truth, which is called Brahman. Hence logically also I cannot but be Brahman. If

I have doubts about this fundamental truth, then Krishna says there is no

salvation either here or in the higher lokas – na ayam lokaH asti, na paraH,

na sukham, samshayaatmanaH| -4:40.

 

Hence Krishna’s strong statement that those who have doubts about the teaching

itself therefore do not attempt to purify themselves to appreciate this

teaching. Hence they will neither achieve in the material world or in the

spiritual world. They loose out in the material world also as their extroverted

minds get cocooned in the sensuous fields contributing only to their further

down-fall. One falls deeper into the ocean of samasaara - kRitimahodadhou

patanakaaraNam – says Bhagavaan Ramana. One gets caught up and moves from one

whirl-pool to the other -says Shree Vidhyaaranya in Pancadasi.

 

Since one has to have clear understanding of identity relation between

individual and the total as the essential truth (mahaavaakya), and if there are

exceptional cases of religious masters who have not apparently gone through

Vedantic shravana-manana-nidhidhyaasana, it is implied that they must have been

exposed to that knowledge in the last life. Shree Krishna, in fact, declares

that those who have progressed spiritually in this life but due to some

obstacles have not realized, they will be born in the next life in a conducive

environment that helps them in their rapid progress. He says that such a birth

is rear indeed. This may sound like begging an issue, but the fact remains that

there is no freedom for an individual soul unless he recognizes that he is

indeed limitless, i.e. aham brahmaasmi has to be understood, in one way or the

other. The teaching of that absolute truth is Vedanta or the ultimate knowledge.

(Here I am giving a broader definition

of Vedanta as that which teaches the identity or oneness of jiiva-jagat-Iswara,

which are called mahavaakyaas). Hence Shankara says in VevekachUDAmaNi: na

yogena na saankhyena karmaNaa no na vidyayaa| brahmaatmaikatva bodhena mokshaH

siddhyati, na anyathaa| Neither yoga, sankhya, karma, or mere study of

scriptures gives the freedom. Only thing that liberates an individual is a clear

understanding of the identity of individual soul and Brahman as advaita, and

nothing else.

 

In the previous posts, we have presented the three major obstacles to

spirituality, based on Gita. Goudapaada in his Mandukya Kaarika in advaita

prakaraNa considers four more obstacles for spirituality. Before we go into

this analysis we will first recognize that the aatma vidya or knowledge of

advaita provides two fold benefits for the seekers. One is the owning up one’s

own freedom from limitations, which is primary and that is jnaanam. The second

is an emotional transformation of the mind. This is called jnaana phalam or

fruits of the jnaana. As a result of jnaanam, the mind of a jnaani becomes

strong, healthy with no emotional disturbances when faced with the objects,

people or course of events due to praarabda, which can be pleasurable or

painful, during the span of his remaining life. This emotional transformation or

freedom is the secondary benefit or avantara phalam and contributes to his

jiivan mukti. Even though scriptures talk about the

emotional benefits like calmness, contentment, fearlessness, compassion, love,

etc – all these emotional benefits are not derived uniformly by all the

Vedantic students. All the students do not derive the benefit of the

jiivanmukti, even though the teaching was the same for all students, that too by

the same teacher, as one finds for the students in Kenopanishad. The disparities

among the students arise due to differences in their mental preparations. There

is a gradation in the fitness or qualification or adhikaaritvam or in the

required saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti among the students, and therefore the

fruits of jnaana are also graded. Hence saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti plays a

great role in aatma vidya. Goudapaada classifies students broadly into three

categories – manda, madhyama, and uttama - depending on their maturity or on

their four-fold qualifications.

 

For manda, Vedanta does not produce jnaanam or jnaaa phalam (jjivan mukti). For

uttama adhikaari, he gets both jnaana and jnaana phalam, just by listening to

the teachings, shravanam and mananam. The uttama adhikaari student is like

Nachiketa of KaThopanishad. We are not concerned about this uttama adhikaari.

The discussion is therefore about the other two, madhyama and manda. For

majority of us who are in the middle or madhyama, Vedantic knowledge is

received. We have no doubts whatsoever. That is we understand Vedanta. Jnaanam

is there, but this knowledge does not result in emotional transformation or

derive the benefits at the emotional level. The knowledge is full, but jiivan

mukti is not there. Jnaanam and samsaara seem to co-exist for us. For jnaanam to

get transformed into jnaana phalam, the obstacles preventing the transformation

have to be slowly resolved. This is the role of Nidhidhyaasanam. Here the

intellect and the mind are still diverged

resulting in having knowledge but that knowledge is getting blocked at

emotional level by the pressure of the remnant vaasanaas. Such a dichotomy seems

to be there – knowledge is full but no jiivan mukti – jnaanam and samsaara

seemingly co-existing together. This is because of incomplete saadhana

chatuShTaya sampatti or the four fold qualifications. Let us take a simple

illustrative example for this. Let us say we have a tank full of water, but no

water is coming when we open a tap. Obviously there must be some block

preventing the water in the pipe line. To solve this problem, what is required

is not adding more water into the tank, but removing the block that is

preventing the water from gushing through the pipe-line. Similarly in the aatma

vidya, the cause for the block is insufficient preparation or jnaana yogyataa.

This required jnaana vairaagram, that is knowledge generated dispassion, is not

fully developed giving rise to raaga and dvesha

or likes and dislikes, which still control the mental moods. It is like I know

smocking is bad (knowledge is there) but I am still tempted to smoke when I

smell a cigarette. Thus habits of the past still haunt the mind. Krishna calls

this as rasa or lingering taste for sensuous enjoyments. He gives a method of

overcoming them too, which we will discuss later. In Ch. 4, He suggests

knowledge based dispassion or jnanena karma saynaasaH, or in shot,

jnaana-karma-sanyaasa yoga, as the title of the chapter suggests. This is also

called vidvat sanyaasa. Here the dispassion is generated by the emotional mind

abiding in the intellect that has clear understanding of the mahaavaakya. For

nidhidhyaasana, is bhoutika or physical sanyaasa necessary? We will address this

question in detail in the next post. For the time being we understand that

Saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti is necessary, and all other things are only

instrumental or helpful aids.

 

Now the question is what the remedies are. For uttama adhikaari, there is no

problem and therefore his case is of no concern to us. In the case of manda

adhikaari, the saadhana sampatti level is very low. Hence the saadhaka or seeker

has to concentrate on the karma yoga and the upaasana yoga, which will prepare

the mind to gain the knowledge. For him the Vedantic study will have less

impact compared to karma yoga and upaasana yoga. We do not have to tell him that

he need not have to attend the Vedanta classes. Many a time he automatically

drops them because the mind is not ready to hold on to the teaching due to his

extroverted-ness. We hear people saying that they want to attend the Vedanta

classes, but they do not have time; implication of this being the study of

Vedanta is not of their priority. Some even do not want to hear about it

thinking that this is only for the old or retired people, who have nothing else

to do. Krishna gives the statistics

– of the thousands of people, very few are really interested in this

teaching. Of those who are interested, very few make an attempt to realize, and

of those who make an attempt very few really succeed- manushyaanaam

sahasreshu….Hence for manda adhikaari, even if he attempts Vedanta study, the

shravana itself becomes another form of karma yoga, as purifier for the mind.

The process will continue until his mind becomes more mature when he starts

recognizing that Vedantic study is more important than any other activity in

life, and hence his priorities change. From the initial state where he felt that

he did not have time for Vedanta, he evolves to the state where he feels that he

does not have time or interest for other things in life. His mind is becoming

more mature. Vedanta refers to such a mind only in the Mundaka sloka –

pariikshalokaan karma chitaan brahmano… –the one who has recognized the

futility of extroverted life-pursuits in giving

eternal happiness – the advise of the Upanishad is for him to approach an

aachaarya for serious Vedantic study.

 

Madhyama adhikaari has the ability to receive the knowledge. He is the one who

says I understand Vedanta, but…That –but- means there is no difficulty in

receiving the knowledge but jnaana phalam or jiivanmukti status is not derived.

This madhyama adhikaari need not have go back to karma yoga and upaasana yoga.

He can keep doing whatever he is doing as his daily routine without the need of

any special concentration on extra karma yoga. What is required now is

Nidhidhyaasanam to internalize the teaching. The saadhana, now in the form of

nidhidhyaasana, will convert him from madhyama to uttama adhikaari – the block

gets freed- jaanam itself converts into jnaana phalam. We will now look into

what is involved in Nidhidhyaasanam.

 

Nidhidhaasanam:

 

Nidhidhyaasanam depends on manonigraha, that is, control of the mind. The

reception and conversion of the knowledge both depend on the control of the

mind, which is one of the six mental disciplines, shaadhana shatka sampatti. Of

these, shama is manonigraha or mental discipline. Here it represents the entire

saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti too, that is, all the four-fold disciplines. The

lack of this mental discipline expresses in many ways. First it expresses in

terms of a sense of insecurity for myself, and then for my-people who depend on

me. It is essentially a manifestation of ahankaara and mamakaara. Knowledge

should give freedom from this sense of insecurity -abhayam pratishTaam vidate,

says Ti. Up. The second expression of this insufficient preparation is lack of

freedom from sorrow due to things, people and their behavior around. This

results in lack of peace of mind. Jnaanam should give ever lasting peace –

shatam-shivam advaitam .

 

Jnaani will have everlasting peace – peace that paasth understanding. Others

get peace of mind occasionally when things are conducive to their likes. All

the three noted above put together (i.e. sense of security, freedom from sorrow

and peace of mind) is jnaana phalam. Thus both jnaanam and jnaana phalam depend

on the saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti. There are no exceptions to this. How do we

know we have the requisite saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti? In olden days when the

student used to live with the teacher, by observing the student for a length of

time, the teacher would find out. The teaching is given only for those students

who are ready. At present times, where we do not have such gurukula systems, we

need to evaluate ourselves. Two questions to be answered; one is how to get the

saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti and second how to check what we have is what it

requires. We will discuss these in the next post.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda