A Perspective - 27

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Obstacles for Self-Realization -6.

 

We are discussing about the madhyama adhikaari, who has sufficient four-fold

qualifications, saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti, to have clear understanding of

Vedanta, but not sufficient enough to have the jnaana phalam or the fruits of

the knowledge. Most of us fall into this category. Thus he has jnaanam but not

jnaana phalam to be a jiivan mukta. The mind is still habitually entangled in

the changing diversities of the world. To change continuously is the nature of

the world. To expect the changing world to remain conducive all the time to ones

likes and dislikes is inherently faulty. Not to be affected by the changing

world requires a disciplined frame of mind that can witness the events happening

in the world objectively, without emotions getting on the way. Even though

jnaani understands he is pure existence-consciousness-limitless, due to

lingering vaasanaas or habitual notions due to praarabda, emotional

transformation of the mind is incomplete. In

effect, the emotional mind does not abide in the knowledge of the intellect or

the habitual notions come in between the mind and the intellect. For such a

person only nidhidhyaasana is prescribed by Vedanta. Hence nidhidhyaasana is not

for gaining any new knowledge but for making the emotional mind to abide in the

knowledge that has already been gained through shravana and manana.

Nidhidhyaasana is not for manda adhikaari. For manda adhikaari who has saadhana

chatuShTaya sampatti at the lowest level, karma and upaasana yoga are

prescribed. Nidhidhyaasana is not needed for uttama adhikaari since he gets both

jnaana and jnaana phalam by shravana and manana, since his mind has already been

purified by saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti. Hence Nidhidhyaasana is required for

madhyama adhikaari who has half-baked with four-fold qualifications. He gains

the knowledge but not the fruits of knowledge due to lingering vaasanaas. How do

I know that I have jnaanam but

not jnaana nishTa. After the study of Vedanta under a competent teacher and

understood the essence of Vedanta without an iota of doubt then I have learned

what needs to be learned. In principle, that is all what is needed. However for

many of us, the mind seems to get agitated whenever we are transacting with the

world. This is due to emotional involvement with the world due to attachments to

things and people. This implies that the saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti needed is

incomplete. Hence nidhidhyaasana is prescribed by the scriptures to internalize

the learning that has already been taken place. It is like current switch is on

and the bulb is in good condition, but still no light is coming. The brighter

and brighter light will start beaming forth as one starts rotating the rheostat

switch slowly. Thus knowledge is there but for it to express in all its glory,

the obstructive emotional attachments or raaga dveshas have to be reduced

further.

 

What is to be done in Nidhidhyaasana? Nidhidhyaasana is defined as dwelling

upon the teaching that has been gained via shravana and manana, by remaining in

the teaching, as often as possible, as intensely as possible, as long as

possible, as repeatedly as possible. It is essentially living in the teaching

itself. This dwelling on the teaching can be done by selecting any or all of the

methods listed here. These include: 1. Repeated listening to scriptures –

shravana – mind to dwell on the teachings. 2. Repeated reading of the

Shaastras or reading the notes prepared. 3. Repeated writing, while the mind

dwells upon the teaching 4. Discussions of the Shaastras with those who have

shraddhaa on the teaching (advaita-list-serve comes in handy in this regard) 5.

Teaching of the Shaastras to others, if one can manage to get some one to listen

to. 6. Contemplating on the teaching in a secluded place (essentially meditation

on the teaching). In all these

saadhanas, mind is essentially dwelling on the Vedanta teaching. Since the

teaching is centered on the self-itself as Brahman or the totality, whatever is

not aatma (which then is anaatma) is slowly reduced to mithyaa that includes the

likes and dislikes. In the nidhidhyaasana, the physical posture is of secondary

consideration as it is predominately a mano vRitti, i.e., a contemplation using

the mind. Therefore mind should be awake and available without getting high

jacked by any other thought. Any physical posture that keeps the mind conducive

for contemplation on the teaching without falling asleep is the right posture.

In essence, the posture should be such that mind should not be dwelling on the

posture or become conscious of it during contemplation. In this regard, one can

also employ aShTaanga yoga meditation stages to keep the mind alert and

contemplative. Shankara discusses the application of the ashTanga yoga steps for

self knowledge in his

anubhuutiprakaashika text. Here chitta nirodha involves only withdrawing the

mind from the extroverted pursuits and investing in the teaching of mahaavaakya

gained through Shravana and manana or enquiry of the nature of the self.

 

Therefore, nidhidhyaasana is not silencing the mind, but involves mental inquiry

or vichaara on the essence of the advaitic teaching – Brahman satyam- jagat

mithyaa and jiivaH bhramaa eva na aparaH, Brahman alone is real and the world is

just apparent projection on Brahman and jiiva is none other than Brahman. To

abide in this understanding, any or all of the above methods can be practiced at

the seat of meditation. One can even meditate on anaatma that is a worldly

object with name and form to see the truth behind that object. When I meditate

on anaatma, I have to see the mithyaa aspect of the name and form and shift my

attention to the Brahman or pure existence as the reality that lends existence

to the object.

 

The next question is how one should meditate? Bhagavaan Ramana gives

illustrative examples. He says in Upadeshasaara- aajyadhaarayaa srotasaa samam,

sarala chintanam virala tatparam. He says the contemplation should be – like a

flow of ghee or flow of river. The ghee example is to illustrate sneha bhaava or

love for the goal, just as ghee sticks to the fingers, the mind has to stick to

the goal. The river example is given to emphasize the persistence to reach the

goal, in spite of small or large obstacles that invariably come on the way. For

small obstacles the river joyfully jumps over with gurgling joyful noise, and

for large obstacles she gracefully goes around, even taking few steps backward,

without loosing sight of the ultimate goal to reach, namely, the ocean where its

identity with name and form gets dissolved. The mind should be constantly

dwelling in the understanding of the truth, in spite of any incidental obstacles

that arise. Hence

Bhagavaan Ramana says it should be continuous flow of thoughts (sarala

chintanam) rather than with starts and stops (virala chintanam). Initially it

will be of the later type but as the mind gets absorbed more and more it becomes

continuous flow of thoughts. Abhyaasa (constant practice) and vairaagya

(withdrawal from attachments) that Shree Krishna emphasizes again and again are

the essential ingredients - abhyaasenatu kounteya vairaagyena ca gRihyate.

Obstacles do arise, since the nature of the world is to change. Changing set-ups

will never be all the time conducive to ones mental liking. However their impact

is reduced by understanding that they are all mithyaa or have no absolute

validity. This recognition becomes increasingly factual as the mind start

abiding in the knowledge of the self. Thus by recognizing the higher nature of

oneself and recognizing the lower nature or the falsity of the worldly objects

and people, one slowly transcends the

emotional attachments so that the mind does not get affected by these local

interactions as it becomes immune to them. It is similar to how one regards the

incidents in the dream after one is awake. The effect of this mental

modification is whatever that comes in the course of the time is intrinsically

accepted as part of either praarabda or Iswara prasaada. Externally the

jnaani’s BMI will act as required but internally one gets established as

saakshii for all the external happenings. Emotional involvement will decrease

leaving intellectual or objective actions needed for the changing circumstances.

This is an evolution rather than a revolution, just as a flower-bud slowly

blossoms into a beautiful fragrant flower with all its glory. In nature every

beautiful creation evolves into perfection. Therefore, it is not like I become

jnaani on one day and jiivan mukta on the other day. I discover my real nature

and abide in that knowledge as the mind

slowly evolves until I discover that all are in me but I am not in them.

 

We recognize that nidhidhyaasana does not give any new knowledge or new

experience. It removes the obstacles in the mind arising from deficiency in the

saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti so that jnaanam that is acquired will give rise to

jnaana phalam. Moksha is not a result of any meditation – it is our very

swaruupam or intrinsic nature. Knowledge is nothing but recognizing and owning

my nature. Nidhidhyaasana is not for expectation of moksha, but to remove any

expectations of moksha. Vedanta is very clear that knowledge can be gained by

only through 6 sources of knowledge. Meditation is not a pramANa or a means of

knowledge. The source of knowledge is guru-shastra upadesha shravaNam. If

shravaNam so far has not given knowledge – then continue some more shravaNam

until doubt free knowledge takes place. If this does not happen in this life

nothing is lost, since shravaNam will continue in the next birth. Once I am

exposed to Vedanta, that knowledge can

never get lost. Therefore, samaadhi abhyaasa or practice of meditation is not

meant for giving any extra experience confirming Vedantic teaching. The people

think that there is some kind of advaita anubhava or experience to be gained

after study and some aachaaryas seem to endorse or encourage such an idea. There

is no experience which is going to validate this knowledge. Meditation is not

meant for extra knowledge. Patanjali, the master of nirvikalpaka samaadhi, did

not seem to have gained the knowledge, since in the end he d to dvaita

as reality. Therefore nirvikalpaka samaadhi is not a proof for advaita. Every

one, including the stanch dvaitins, experience advaita during the deep-sleep

state, but no body gets up from sleep as jnaani. In fact after experiencing

advaita in deep sleep state, a dvaitin vehemently argues in the waking state

that the truth is not advaita. Therefore, the purpose of nidhidhyaasana is to

firmly abide in the advaita

jnaanam that is gained by shravana and manana, so that mind is under control

without any distractions due to emotions. As the mind dwells on the teaching

more and more, the teaching get absorbed to the core and expresses itself in

terms of jnaana phalam.

 

Q. Is it necessary for a jnaani to take sanyaasa for Nidhidhyaasana?

 

Shankara provides exhaustive discussion of sanyaasa in his introduction to 5th

chapter. This chapter entitled karma sanyaasa yoga starts with the Arjuna’s

question - which of the two, karma yoga or sanyaasa, is better. This question

follows after Krishna’s discussion in Ch. 4 of vidvat sanyaasa that a jnaani

can take. Karma yoga being a pre-requisite for jnaanam, an objector says the

choice between vidvat sanyaasa and karma yoga is redundant. Shankara agreeing

with the objection says that therefore the choice is not for jnaani to have

vidvat sanyaasa or karma yoga. The choice is only for ajnaani or ignorant person

between vividhiShaa sanyaasa vs karma yoga. ajnaani is the manda adhikaari

discussed above. For such ajnaani, Krishna says karma yoga is better in terms

of its efficacy to gain the saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti. We will discuss the

attitude or bhaavana of a karmayogi separately; but from the point for our

discussion, the question

therefore pertains to, is vidvat sanyaasa necessary for jnaani for embarking

nidhidhyaasana. Interestingly this is the topic of discussion during the last

Friday Bhashyam class of Swami Paramarthanandaji. What I am reporting here is

with his permission. Swamiji says, according to tradition, the vidvat sanyaasa

is necessary for nidhidhyaasana. The pramaaNa for this is Br. Up. wherein

Yagnyavalkya proposes to take sanyaasa for nidhidhyaasana, even though he is a

jnaani, and is able to impart that knowledge to his wife, Maitreyi. Implication

here is that what is good for Yagnavalkya should be good for everybody else.

With two wives at home, he might have felt more urgent need to take up sanyaasa

for nidhidhyaasana. Whatever is the reason, it forms a pramANa for the

traditional view. The fact is traditional sanyaasa system itself is not there

any more. Discussing purely on the basis of the issue, Nidhidhyaasana involves

manovRitti or mentally regurgitating

the teaching that is already received to get firmly established in that

understanding. Hence what is needed is a conducive environment to facilitate

the process. From that perspective, while external sanyaasa will be helpful, but

what is needed is internal sanyaasa or reduction of what Swamiji calls as PORT,

possession, obligations, relations and transactions. There is a change in the

bhaavana or attitude towards the world and transactions with the world, as one

firmly gets established in the knowledge. This he calls as shifting from

triangular format involving jiiva, jagat and Iswara to binary format of aatma

and anaatma, where everything other than aatma is anaatma, which is understood

as mithyaa. Whatever problems that arise during the course of the remnant life

are reduced to anaatma or mithyaa, and therefore they have no lasting value.

Alternately the jnaani understands that the pleasures and pains come and go due

to praarabda, and they are taken

as vibhuuti of the Lord. Praarabda is what one experiences and where one does

not have any control. Conversely whatever circumstances or events that one face

during ones life where one does not have any choice (that covers all the past

and all the future), can be taken as praarabda. Due to this, BMI will undergo

the pains and pleasures that come and go because it is part of the prakRiti, but

jnaani can stand apart and watch the drama of life. Hence Krishana says –

duHkheShu anudvigna maanaH, sukheShu vigataspRihaH, viita raaga bhaya kRodhaH,

sthitadhiiH muniruchyate-, ups and downs at the body level will not affect the

jnaani. It is taken as bhagavat prasaada or vibhuuti of the Lord. All prakRiti

is His maayaa only. Hence there are no emotional reactions other than wonder at

the beauty that permeates in all. Such a jnaani, who firmly abides in that

knowledge, Krishna says, is His greatest Bhakta. That is the very fulfillment of

life itself.

 

Next we will discuss the obstacles in the Nidhidhyaasana as discussed by

GouDapaada. .

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda