True Discipleship-Article based on Swami Vivekananda's teachings

May 20, 2004

My acknowledgement and thanks to the author C.S.Shah.

--------------------------------

(Based on the lecture of Swami Vivekananda delivered in San

Francisco, on March 29, 1900)

The ideals of teachers and disciples vary in different

cultures. 'There are hundreds of teachers, but it is hard to find

one true disciple', so goes a saying. The single most important

qualification to attain spirituality is the attitude of the pupil.

Right attitude opens up the door to spirituality, and that attitude

is to accept that 'my true nature is divine and I have to realize

this divinity within'.

Yet, how difficult it is to realize this self-evident truth! Ages

and ages pass before we begin to catch a faint glimpse of it. God is

truth; we hear about this, some even write volumes about this! But

in reality we do not see God. All our actions betray our confusion

and disregard for this Truth. It may be that in the heart of our

hearts we do not want to attain truth! An occasional soul, defying

all these constrains, wants to realize this truth and overcome

illusion, and such a yearning soul is a fit person to become a

disciple.

To become a disciple great preparations are necessary and many

conditions must be fulfilled. Following are the five important

conditions laid down by the Vedantins.

1) The sincere aspirant must give up all the desires for gain in

this world, and in the life to come. Even comforts of the heaven

should not tempt him to deviate from the path. Desires indicate want

and incompleteness. But this is a falsehood. According to Vedanta we

are always full and do not want anything. All knowledge and bliss is

our own; we are that. Then to hanker after illusory riches and

luxuries, to brood over the condition of the world, or to attempt to

improve the social conditions is but ignorance. The world and the

heaven are but related to senses. Happiness and pleasure derived

there from are only transitory and incomplete. Therefore, the

disciple giving up all such falsehood seeks to know the truth and

truth alone.

2) The second condition is that the disciple must be able to control

the internal and external senses. External senses are visible organs

situated in different parts of the body, such as eyes, ears, nose,

etc. internal sense organs are corresponding centers of sense

perception situated in the brain. We constantly react to the

activities of these groups of senses. It is quite obvious that if

the sense objects such as beautiful person or scenery are nearby,

our visual sense organ is drawn to them. The same is the case with

music and sound, fragrance and smell, flavour and taste, touch and

contacts. Good or bad, pleasurable or painful, wanted or unwanted we

have to react to these sense perceptions; we cannot escape the

stimuli. Even though we close our eyes still internal organ of

visual perception conjures up dreams and world of imagination. In

short, there is no escape in waking or sleeping state.

The disciple must be able to bring all these senses under his/her

control. Is it possible? Yes, with repeated practice -Abhyasa, right

conduct -Sadachar, and discrimination -Viveka it is possible to

severe connection between internal sense organs and corresponding

external sense objects. In Yoga parlance, this is known as

Pratyahara. It is the function of concentration of mind. One example

can be cited. If one is totally immersed in reading a book, the

person does not hear the chimes of the bell or the clock although

the sound is reaching the ears! Moreover, he is also not aware of

the lapse of time nor does he notice his family members entering and

leaving the room. This self control and concentration of mind helps

in the process of Pratyahara.

Instead of being a slave to the mind, the disciple should cultivate

such qualities as would enable him/her to control the mind at will.

If he does not want to smell he should be able to overcome the sense

of smell! His mind should not react to offensive or pleasant smell.

This calls for great power of endurance, forbearance, also called as

titiksha. The mind naturally seeks comfort and behaves well when

everything goes well according to one's liking. But the moment

something goes awry, the moment any desire gets obstacle in its

fulfillment, it loses its balance. Despondency, anger, frustration,

and restlessness follow. Therefore, it is necessary to bear witness

to good and bad, joyful and miserable conditions with equidistant

poise. One should practice this by not reacting to the internal and

external stimuli. Bear all miseries and evil without any murmur of

hurt, without any thought of unhappiness, without any resistance,

remedy or retaliation.

3) The third qualification is that the disciple must have faith in

the words of the Guru (teacher). He must have conviction that the

teacher one has chosen (or the other way round) is not just a human

being. He is the spirit incarnate for his liberation. Out of

compassion and love the Absolute Consciousness, Knowledge, and Bliss

has taken the form of the Guru to lead the disciple from darkness to

light, from ignorance to knowledge, and from mortality to

immortality.

Therefore, once the student has accepted discipleship, the first

reverence should be to Guru, and then to parents. Parents give the

body; Guru frees the soul. Guru knows what the disciple needs; he

knows the ability, capacity, and the aptitude of his disciple.

Initially, therefore, the teachings may appear contrary to the

expectations and liking of the disciple, but the disciple must

follow, obey, and persevere in the orders, suggestions, and

teachings of the Guru. This is called faith. If the teacher asks him

to jump from a hilltop, the disciple must first jump and then

question the rationality of such an order.

4) The fourth condition is that the disciple must have intense

yearning to be free, called as mumukshtva. Other than this, all

other desires bind the soul and therefore should be relegated to the

background. 'Desire is never satiated by enjoyment; enjoyment only

acts as the fuel to fire.' Desire is increased by desire. Our

natural constitution prevents us to understand this fact; only Guru

can extradite us from this cycle of desires - of birth and death.

5) The last condition of discipleship is the discrimination between

real and unreal. God alone is real; rest is unreal and transient.

All the time the mind should labour on this thought with full

devotion and dedication to the Guru. God only exists; everything

else comes and goes. Therefore, the disciple should seek only what

is permanent and should strive to become one with it. 'I am not this

body; I am not this mind; I am That, I am That' this alone should be

the mantra for a true disciple.

All these conditions initially appear awesome. One surely

says, 'this is too much.' To find even a single disciple who would

accept and adhere to such stringent conditions appears impossible.

In such a situation, rather than criticizing, it is better for a

disciple to say, "I cannot do it; that it is the ideal I accept, but

I am not yet ready to follow it." And just by showing such

sincerity, honesty, and humility, the fellow becomes fit for the

discipleship!

"

--

C S Shah

May 20, 2004

A nice essay. Swami Vivekananda was very great.

Chris

, "Latha Nanda" <lathananda>

wrote:

> My acknowledgement and thanks to the author C.S.Shah.

>

> --------------------------------

> (Based on the lecture of Swami Vivekananda delivered in San

> Francisco, on March 29, 1900)

>

> The ideals of teachers and disciples vary in different

> cultures. 'There are hundreds of teachers, but it is hard to find

> one true disciple', so goes a saying. The single most important

> qualification to attain spirituality is the attitude of the pupil.

> Right attitude opens up the door to spirituality, and that attitude

> is to accept that 'my true nature is divine and I have to realize

> this divinity within'.

>

> Yet, how difficult it is to realize this self-evident truth! Ages

> and ages pass before we begin to catch a faint glimpse of it. God

is

> truth; we hear about this, some even write volumes about this! But

> in reality we do not see God. All our actions betray our confusion

> and disregard for this Truth. It may be that in the heart of our

> hearts we do not want to attain truth! An occasional soul, defying

> all these constrains, wants to realize this truth and overcome

> illusion, and such a yearning soul is a fit person to become a

> disciple.

>

> To become a disciple great preparations are necessary and many

> conditions must be fulfilled. Following are the five important

> conditions laid down by the Vedantins.

>

> 1) The sincere aspirant must give up all the desires for gain in

> this world, and in the life to come. Even comforts of the heaven

> should not tempt him to deviate from the path. Desires indicate

want

> and incompleteness. But this is a falsehood. According to Vedanta

we

> are always full and do not want anything. All knowledge and bliss

is

> our own; we are that. Then to hanker after illusory riches and

> luxuries, to brood over the condition of the world, or to attempt

to

> improve the social conditions is but ignorance. The world and the

> heaven are but related to senses. Happiness and pleasure derived

> there from are only transitory and incomplete. Therefore, the

> disciple giving up all such falsehood seeks to know the truth and

> truth alone.

>

> 2) The second condition is that the disciple must be able to

control

> the internal and external senses. External senses are visible

organs

> situated in different parts of the body, such as eyes, ears, nose,

> etc. internal sense organs are corresponding centers of sense

> perception situated in the brain. We constantly react to the

> activities of these groups of senses. It is quite obvious that if

> the sense objects such as beautiful person or scenery are nearby,

> our visual sense organ is drawn to them. The same is the case with

> music and sound, fragrance and smell, flavour and taste, touch and

> contacts. Good or bad, pleasurable or painful, wanted or unwanted

we

> have to react to these sense perceptions; we cannot escape the

> stimuli. Even though we close our eyes still internal organ of

> visual perception conjures up dreams and world of imagination. In

> short, there is no escape in waking or sleeping state.

>

> The disciple must be able to bring all these senses under his/her

> control. Is it possible? Yes, with repeated practice -Abhyasa,

right

> conduct -Sadachar, and discrimination -Viveka it is possible to

> severe connection between internal sense organs and corresponding

> external sense objects. In Yoga parlance, this is known as

> Pratyahara. It is the function of concentration of mind. One

example

> can be cited. If one is totally immersed in reading a book, the

> person does not hear the chimes of the bell or the clock although

> the sound is reaching the ears! Moreover, he is also not aware of

> the lapse of time nor does he notice his family members entering

and

> leaving the room. This self control and concentration of mind helps

> in the process of Pratyahara.

>

> Instead of being a slave to the mind, the disciple should cultivate

> such qualities as would enable him/her to control the mind at will.

> If he does not want to smell he should be able to overcome the

sense

> of smell! His mind should not react to offensive or pleasant smell.

> This calls for great power of endurance, forbearance, also called

as

> titiksha. The mind naturally seeks comfort and behaves well when

> everything goes well according to one's liking. But the moment

> something goes awry, the moment any desire gets obstacle in its

> fulfillment, it loses its balance. Despondency, anger, frustration,

> and restlessness follow. Therefore, it is necessary to bear witness

> to good and bad, joyful and miserable conditions with equidistant

> poise. One should practice this by not reacting to the internal and

> external stimuli. Bear all miseries and evil without any murmur of

> hurt, without any thought of unhappiness, without any resistance,

> remedy or retaliation.

>

> 3) The third qualification is that the disciple must have faith in

> the words of the Guru (teacher). He must have conviction that the

> teacher one has chosen (or the other way round) is not just a human

> being. He is the spirit incarnate for his liberation. Out of

> compassion and love the Absolute Consciousness, Knowledge, and

Bliss

> has taken the form of the Guru to lead the disciple from darkness

to

> light, from ignorance to knowledge, and from mortality to

> immortality.

>

> Therefore, once the student has accepted discipleship, the first

> reverence should be to Guru, and then to parents. Parents give the

> body; Guru frees the soul. Guru knows what the disciple needs; he

> knows the ability, capacity, and the aptitude of his disciple.

> Initially, therefore, the teachings may appear contrary to the

> expectations and liking of the disciple, but the disciple must

> follow, obey, and persevere in the orders, suggestions, and

> teachings of the Guru. This is called faith. If the teacher asks

him

> to jump from a hilltop, the disciple must first jump and then

> question the rationality of such an order.

>

> 4) The fourth condition is that the disciple must have intense

> yearning to be free, called as mumukshtva. Other than this, all

> other desires bind the soul and therefore should be relegated to

the

> background. 'Desire is never satiated by enjoyment; enjoyment only

> acts as the fuel to fire.' Desire is increased by desire. Our

> natural constitution prevents us to understand this fact; only Guru

> can extradite us from this cycle of desires - of birth and death.

>

> 5) The last condition of discipleship is the discrimination between

> real and unreal. God alone is real; rest is unreal and transient.

> All the time the mind should labour on this thought with full

> devotion and dedication to the Guru. God only exists; everything

> else comes and goes. Therefore, the disciple should seek only what

> is permanent and should strive to become one with it. 'I am not

this

> body; I am not this mind; I am That, I am That' this alone should

be

> the mantra for a true disciple.

>

> All these conditions initially appear awesome. One surely

> says, 'this is too much.' To find even a single disciple who would

> accept and adhere to such stringent conditions appears impossible.

> In such a situation, rather than criticizing, it is better for a

> disciple to say, "I cannot do it; that it is the ideal I accept,

but

> I am not yet ready to follow it." And just by showing such

> sincerity, honesty, and humility, the fellow becomes fit for the

> discipleship!

> "

> --

> C S Shah

May 20, 2004

Oh yes, I forgot...

I really like the part where he said jump first, then question.