The Voice of Truth

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The Voice of Truth

 

 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna has said:

“O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), wisdom is clouded by desire. This constant enemy of the wise is as insatiable as fire.†[1] Admittedly, there is an entire school of religious thought that refutes this position as being of the less mature path of bhakti. They have voluminous advaitic (non-dual theism) scriptures of the jnana marga (way) that can be interpreted to support their claims. Regardless of this, there is universal agreement amongst all sects that due to adharma (unrighteousness of civilization) and the spiritual blindness ensuing from it, an embodiment of the divine state of perfection appears amongst humankind from time to time to establish dharma in the world. In our times Sri Ramana Maharshi came forth as an embodiment of that Perfection. His teaching is recognized and accepted as the mahayoga (great path to union with God)

through primarily the jnana marga. Although, he did say that to be a true jnani one would simultaneously become a true bhakta, and vice versa. To know the truth regarding the need for a guru to lead one through the perils of engagement with an enemy that roams freely in a world ablaze with its desire of unappeasable fire, let us listen to the voice of the Maharshi, and the comments of one who lived by his side. Bhagavan said:

“The guru is the formless Self within each one of us. He may appear as a body to guide us, but that is only his disguise…the function of the outer guru is to awaken the inner guru in the heart.†The guru realizes the ultimate truth that: “There is no being of the unreal and no not-being of the Real.†… “And yet, paradoxically, it is also an impediment to assert that no effort need be made, on the pretext that, as ‘there is no being of the unreal and no not-being of the Real’ one is that now and has therefore no need to strive to become That. It sounds plausible, but it is an impediment because it is the pseudo-self, the illusory unreal, that is saying it. The Master can say that there is nothing to achieve because one is That already; the disciple can’t…Bhagavan expected the devotee to make effort, even while appreciating the paradox that there is no effort to make. In the same way he

would say that for the Realized Man there is no guru-disciple relationship but added that for the disciple the relationship is a reality and is of importance.†[2]

The Enemy WithinWe cannot manoeuvre and progress towards victory over an enemy that outnumbers us, in such an inimical battlefield called the human mind, without soliciting real help. Without an experienced guide as the General of our forces, we may even court a fatal consequence. By legitimizing and even deifying our ego’s habitual heedless indifference to God, and by labeling its urges as the ‘inner guru’ or ‘voice of our spirit’, we inevitably fall into the death grip of pramada. In the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata epic, the blind King Dhritarashtra, who symbolizes the blindness of the ego, cynically asks the Sage Sanat Sujata: “What is death?†The Sage replies, “Pramada is death!†It should be understood that the definitions of Sanskrit words are subject to philosophical intention, and thus are prey to individual bias. Therefore disagreement and even argument concerning proper meaning

and usage are commonplace. Nevertheless, the most learned scholars agree that the ancient definition of the word pramada comes from its usage in this scripture. “Mada†means intoxication, when prefixed by “pra†it becomes intense intoxication to the degree of madness.. The ancient Saintly King Bartruhari, who became an enlightened Sage, used the word pramada in the correct spiritual sense indicated by the Sage Sunat Sujata. He proclaimed:

“Peetva mohamayeem pramada madiram unmatta bhootam jagatâ€

“This world (its inhabitants therein) has become mad after having drunk the wine of negligence (pramada: laxity towards the spiritual goal), which being of the form of moha (delusion), has overwhelming power to delude you.†The Sage Sanat Sujata is indicating that the presence of pramada brings about a spiritual death. Thus the spiritual madness that at first manifests as indifference, inattention and negligence becomes deadly because it is directed towards God. This is not to be defined as forgetfulness of the Self, unless one admits to a willful and belligerent forgetfulness. The secondary meaning of pramada is procrastination and laziness, it means not taking any immediate action to rectify this most soul-stripping heedlessness. One may say: “God’s grace is always there, so somehow I will get back on my spiritual feet.†But the fatality of staying

“dead level†without motivation to rise up comes upon us as pramada gives birth to its only-begotten son. This offspring of pramada is known in Sanskrit as duragraha. Duragraha means the adamant determination to do that which you know you should never do.The compound spiritual fracture of being indifferent to God and habitually partaking in negative action with utter disregard for the negative consequences creates a karmic bloodletting fatal even to the strongest constitution.____________________[1]

 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, verse [2]

Be Still, It is The Wind That Sings, Arthur Osborne, Sri Ramanashramam 2000, p. 76. -- Spiritual Teachings of the Masters from the East and West web site: http://www.spiritual-teaching.com