Inquiry into the prescribed methods which are prerequisites to contemplation of brahman is important. Without prerequisites, the result cannot be obtained, this notion is well known. Just like you need oil, a wick and matches to light a lamp, you need some essential tools to light the lamp of knowledge. These are called the four-fold qualification in the Vedantic scriptures. One who has all these qualification is considered a foremost and fit seeker.
To obtain the result we need a process, and to perform the process we need materials. The result is liberation, the process is contemplation of brahman, and the materials are the four-fold qualifications.
We say that the real identity of liberation is the ending of misfortune and attainment of supreme bliss. This is said for the grouping of all desires and turning towards a single essence. In reality, the essence of the self which is perceived through the removal of ignorance is the same as liberation.
The following four qualifications are explained now : (1) discrimination (2) dispassion (3) six treasures (4) mumukshaa
(1) Viveka or Discrimination
The ability to investigate and examine the world is called discrimination. The ability to separate two things that are mixed up into one, and know what those two things are, this ability is called discrimination. Here, the real and the unreal are mixed up, truth and illusion (untruth) are mixed up, joy and sorrow are mixed up, inert and aware are mixed up. That is why all kinds of perverse thinking has begun to reside in our intellect. We are existence-awareness-blissful supreme brahman, but we think of ourselves as perishable-inert-sorrowful body. That is why, prior to the contemplation of brahman, it is necessary that our intellect gains discrimination of: what is real and what is unreal? what is permanent and impermanent? what is joy and sorrow? what is inert and aware? what is small (divisible) and all-pervasive (indivisible)? What is the cause and effect? For discrimination to arise, we need to define all of these, and also know how to distinguish one from the other. This requires a high degree of inquisitiveness combined with a subtle vision.
There is something called a scene, and another thing called a seer. Whatever is reported by the senses, mind and intellect, it is all a scene, it is all objects. That by which all of this is known is called the seer, the subject. Any and all scenes are the "this", and the seer is the "I". It is clear that there are innumerable scenes which are perishable, unstable and temporary. Objects in a scene are sometimes visible, sometimes not, but the seer is always present. The presence of a scene, as well as the absence of a scene, both cannot be experienced without a seer. But the seer does not expect a scene. In this manner, there is an eternal absence of the scene in the seer, and this absence is not different from the seer. The notion of the scene appearing in its substratum, which also is the basis of its absence, is an illusion. It is unreal. Therefore, only the seer is real.
Also, the seer is of the identity of knowledge, therefore it is aware. Since the scene is the object of knowledge, it is inert. If something is inert, divisible and perishable, it cannot give happiness, and this happiness cannot be experienced as distinct from our own illuminator. Therefore, the seer is of the identity of happiness, and the scene of the identity of sorrow.
There are several types of discrimination in Vedanta: 1. Seer-scene discrimination (explained above) 2. Eternal-transient object discrimination 3. Real-unreal discrimination 4. cause-effect discrimination 5. happiness-sorrow discrimination 6. substratum-superimposed discrimination and so on.
The shruti says: Look at this world. Anything created out of action is temporary, is perishable. In the same way, any world gained out of performing meritorious action will be temporary, perishable. By examining worlds (heaven etc.) in this manner, scholars gain dispassion towards action. How will eternal liberation come out of temporary results of action? Whatever is made of action, is temporary. Whatever is visible, will perish. Whatever is superimposed, that is temporary. Whatever appears is temporary. All of these statements are quoted from scripture.
There are two schools within Vedanta : the Vivarana Prashthaan and the Bhaamatee Prasthaan. They do not differ philosophically, but are different in their approach due to differences in the student qualifications. Shree Prakaashaatmaa yati, who is the student of Shree Padmapaada, who is the student of Shree Shankaraachaarya Bhagavaan, is the scholar of Vivarana Prasthaan. Panditpravar Shree Vaachaspati Mishra is the scholar of Bhaamatee Prasthaan.
As per the Vivarana Prasthaan, knowledge of brahman occurs only through hearing. Therefore, they incorporate real-unreal discrimination and cause-effect discrimination under the broader umbrella of discrimination. But, as per the Bhaamati Prashtaan, hearing needs to be followed by contemplation and meditation to accomplish knowledge of the essence. Therefore, they only consider eternal-transient discrimination, which results in dispassion in life, as true discrimination. However, Shree Shankaraachaarya defines discrimination as follows : "Brahman is real, and the world is illusory. Such a resolution is called eternal-temporary discrimination". This is why real-unreal and cause-effect discrimination should also be considered under the broader definition of discrimination.
What is real and what is illusory? We will see in brief. In Vedanta, real is defined as "abhaadhatyaam satyatvam". When the knowledge of the absence of something can never happen in any place, time, object or situation, that is termed as real. "I do not exist" - such a knowledge can never occur to anyone at anytime. That is why the true meaning of the term "I" is real.
"That which remains as an effect is real, or that which is timeless is real, or that which is the object of knowledge, cannot be obstructed and cannot be seen by any other means is real". All these definitions of the real are from other traditions, but they are not helpful in the realization of the real that is of the identity of the knowledge of the identify of the self and brahman, and they have defects as well. That is why we will not pursue them further.
What is unreal or illusory in Vedanta? That which appears in the substratum of its absence is termed illusory. In other words, If something appears when there is nothing there, then there is an illusion of that object. It does appear to the senses, but is illusory. For instance, you are walking on the road and you see a saint coming from afar. You become eager to meet him. But when you come closer to him, you see that it is your wife wearing an orange sari. An illusion of a man occurred in a woman. In other words, the illusion of man happened where there was no man. So then, that man was an illusion, and the illusion was destroyed upon knowing the woman. The illusion also was in the heart and the correct knowledge was also in the heart. That which is invalidated by correct knowledge is illusory, this is the definition of illusion from the emphasis on awareness. The first definition emphasizes the known, the second, the knower.
So now, the term "I" means the self in deep sleep, but the term "this" does not mean the world. Therefore, the world appears in the "I" in which it is currently absent; That is why, in me the self, the world is illusory. This is explained in the shruti as well. The Chhandogya says that there was one undivided brahman prior to creation. The Taittiriya says : That from which the world arises, that upon which it is sustained, and that into which it dissolves, that is brahman. This proves that brahman is real and the world is unreal.
Discrimination has other definitions in other traditions. In the tradition of Shree Raamaanujaachaarya, discrimination means the discrimination of food, which means pure-impure food discrimination. He says that if you consume pure food, your mind will be pure. If you consume impure food, you will get an impure mind. Food is naturally pure. It bcomes impure when it is mixed with something impure, when it cooked in an impure vessel, when it is made with an impure state of mind, or when it is earned from impure actions.
The Yoga and Saankhya traditions have seer-seen discrimination. It begins with the discrimination of happiness-sadness and culminates in the absolute distinction between the seer and the seen. They say that the upcoming sorrows are to be discarded, and there is no happiness anywhere. This is because happiness gives sorrow in the form of desire as a result, enjoyment gives rise to sorrow after the enjoyment ends, after the enjoyment ends it gives rise to the sorrow of attraction and aversion born of impressions, and the thought flow that tries to stop sattva-rajas-tamas also gives rise to sorrow. In reality, happiness-sorrow discrimination is also incorporated into the Bhaamati Prashtaan definition of discrimination.
Result-action-oriented people conduct right-wrong-action discrimination. One should understand Vedantic discrimination as uniquely different from all of these.
(2) Vairaagya or Dispassion
The result of discrimination is a single pointed decision. If you think a lot, but do not come to a firm decision, then what good is discrimination? "The body is unreal, temporary, inert and creates sorrow, whereas its witness, I, am real, eternal, aware and of the identity of bliss". Such a decision is discrimination. "Brahman is real and the world is illusory". Such a decision is discrimination. This discrimination finds its conclusion as follows. The knowledge that any external object that comes inside us will leave us. What is not here now will be born but will die. What is not the "I" will go away after it has come to me. Whatever has been brought to us from somewhere else will run away. Whatever has been created in time will perish. Contact with anything other than the "I" will certainly end. So then, any object, place or time obtained or created through action is perishable. All action-created worldly and other-worldly objects and situations will generate dispassion in that person who has begin his investigation into brahman. The result of discrimination is dispassion.
Dispassion is the weakening of attachment and aversion - neither friendship nor enmity towards anyone. But dispassion does not mean anger or disgust. Attraction and aversion should become extremely weak in our lives. Self power should be strong, not attraction or aversion. This is abidance in discrimination. The self is distinct from the body, and Ishvara is distinct from the world - abidance in this generates dispassion.
Dispassion does not mean living without clothing or under a tree! When your mind begins to feel at peace, understand that dispassion has come. The senses lose their restlessness, doubt and misunderstanding in the mind diminish, forbearance in life increases, you begin to lose interest in excessive action, and faith in the teacher, scripture and Ishvara increases, then understand that dispassion has arisen.
Reliance on any object other than the self goes against dispassion. Brahmaa-Vishnu-Mahesh, samaadhi, heaven - a decline in faith of even such things which are not the self is a sign of Vedantic dispassion, by which a person becomes self reliant. To be self reliant, all other kinds of reliance should be cast away.
In result-oriented action (dharma), there is dispassion towards the unethical and attraction towards the ethical. In devotion, there is attraction towards Isvhara and dispassion towards everything else. In yoga, there is dispassion towards the actions of the three gunaas! In Vedanta, there is dispassion towards everything but the self.
In the tradition of devotion (bhakti), there is a close relationship between dispassion and devotion. In the words of Tulsidas, knowledge and dispassion are the two eyes of devotion. The Srimad Bhagavatam says that knowledge and dispassion are the children of devotion.
Some people say that dispassion is the result of worship, whereas some others say that dispassion is the ornament of worship. The people of Vrinaaavana say that dispassion is the ornament of worship, but the lord like worship, whether or not it wears any ornaments. Such kind of analysis of dispassion is found in the "maadhuryakaadambinee" of Vishwanath Chakravarti.
The Yoga philosophy has two kinds of dispassion : inferior and superior. Lack of interest in objects of this world and other worlds which are heard and seen is called inferior dispassion. And the dispassion towards the gunaas which come out of the rise of discrimination between the purusha and prakriti is called superior vairagya.
Inferior vairagya is of four types : yatamaana (intial sense control), vyatireka (checking the level of control), ekendriya (subtle attraction) and vasheekaara (complete control of senses).
Shree Shankaraachaarya Bhagavaan says "Dispassion in the pleasure created out of result of action in this world or other worlds is the second method. The ability to see all objects of pleasure as defect-prone, which comes from the firm conviction that everything form the body to the world of Brahma is impermanent, which comes from hearing and scripture, this is dispassion".
You see and hear the goings-on in this world. What does not happen here? Husband and wife fight. Girls are sold for money out of greed. Understand what is happening behind the curtain. This disgust will generate the vision of defect (dosha buddhi). This is dispassion. Obtain dispassion by hearing, seeing and understanding the level of deception in this world! Everything is changing here - love, faith, company, everything. The body went from childhood to youth to old age! But the longing did not age. What is there to be enjoyed? Nothing. Enjoyment increases attraction and with attraction, prowess also increases. There is no enjoyment without disturbing someone else.
(3) Saadhana Chatushtaya or the Six fold wealth
There are six spokes in the wheel of dispassion. So when these six spokes move with force, the wheel of dispassion moves ahead. In other words, the fruition of dispassion results in the six fold wealth, which is the third qualification. "These six are shaanti, dama, uparati, titkishaa, shraddhaa and samaadhaan, by which a seeker can see his self in himself", per the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad.
a. Shaanti, shama, peace : By repeatedly looking at the defects of everything, by detaching from the sense objects and by focusing the mind on its goal, shama is achieved. In other words, dispassion towards the mental changes caused by desire and anger etc as well as the happiness born out of them is called shama. Mumukshus who are householders should detach themselves even from sanctioned desire and anger. Shama is not possible without robust dispassion. Shama is mental health. It prevents agitation of the mind.
b. Dama, daanti, sense restraint : Pulling back the organs of sense and actions from their respective objects, and establishing them in their respective receptacles is called dama. The power that restrains the senses is called dama. Guarding the senses from non-sanctioned objects is accomplished by rules (dharma). But a brahma mumukshui should guard his senses even against sanctioned objects. Even when an object is presented before the eyes, and even when there is permission to view it, preventing the mind from going towards the object in such a situation is the culmination of dama. Stopping the desire of the mind to go out is the practice of dama. It is clear that dama is the follower of shama, and dama is the inevitable consequence of shama. Therefore, dama is the maturity of dispasion. The dispassion in the senses is dama.
c. Uparati, cessation : Dispassion from excessive action is called uparati. It is not that we should stop worldly actions but continue social service or other auspicious action. Even rituals become obstacles to uparati. If shama and dama are found in a mumkshu, uparati will be present in him as well. The result of shama and dama is uparati. Even a god as mighty as lord Brahmaa could not answer the questions of the Sanakaadi sages because he was engrossed in action. This comes in the eleventh canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. What to talk of ordinary people then?
Performing actions becomes a habit, enjoying pleasures becomes a habit, reading and thinking becomes a habit. An action is taken up with enthusiasm, then for fun, and eventually, we cannot stay without performing that action. Name, form, object, person, situation and action - we cannot live without the support of any of these. In this manner, the habit of taking external support from everything becomes an obstacle to stopping thought flow. One whose mind is in shama or peace finds even thought flow burdensome, what to talk of a thought flow that seeks external support. That uparati born of dispassion is the highest which prevents thought flow from taking support from the outside world. There is dispassion from action, enjoyership, form, from everything.
d. Titikshaa or endurance : That thought flow which joyfully endures the assault of duality is called endurance. The capability to endure hunger-thirst, heat-cold, happiness-sorrow, praise-insult and other dualities is called titikshaa. Bearing sorrow is one thing, and bearing it with an attitude of penance is another. Therefore, the attitude of penance should be present in titikshaa. The Chhandogya Upanishad praises titkshaa as a penance in itself. Predominantly, titikshaa is dispassion towards the body.
The word titikshaa means "to brighten one's energy". The method of awakening our latent energy is to endure. If the power of speech flares up, try to remain quiet. Don't get involved with people who argue, just keep quiet. You will generate the power to cut their arguments within yourself. If you do not get a meal one day, go without eating food, don't ask for food. Next day, a plate of food will arrive. The power of digestion will also increase. Whatever comes, let it come. Don't waste your time fighting about insignificant things. Bear them without complaint. Your mental thought flow is meant to sit in the supreme blissful brahman, not for crying about your troubles.
5. Shraddhaa, faith : Dispassion from pride is called shraddhaa. People are proud of their family lineage, wealth, education, penance and so on. When we put or faith into someone, this pride goes away. Knowledge does not become firm in a pride filled mind. A proud person is hard. Because of this, he does not listen to anyone. Even if he does listen then it does not register in his stone-like mind. Hardening of the mind rejects the impressions of new knowledge. The mumukshu should not develop the pride that he knows everything, or that he does not need to ask anybody anything, or that he should only ask his peer.
We have not met the beloved, we have not seen the road, so there is no choice but to have faith.
That which is real is called "shrat". The intellect that imbibes what is real is called "shrat+dhaa". The real is obtained only through shraddhaa.
6. Samadhaana, non-complusive thinking : Shama, dama, uparati, titkshaa and shraddha - although all five could be present in a seeker, it is not necessary that he is free from manorajya (mental fantasy). When one gives prominence to one's individuality, he develops an attraction for various kinds of thoughts. Such a mind is scattered. Conversely, the quietening of all kinds of thinking and keeping the mind stable in the pure brahman at all times is called samaadhaana. It is also called samaadhi. Samaadhaana is the peace of the chitta, of memory.
Actually, all these six methods are variations of one thing, and that thing is peace born out of dispassion. The same peace in the mind is called shama, in the senses is called dama, in action is called uparati, in the body is called titikshaa, in the heart as feeling is called shraddhaa, and in the chitta or memory is called samaadhaana.
Remember that this peace is part of the preparatory discipline. Therefore it is different than the peace of the true identity of brahman. The peace of the true identity of brahman is connected to non duality. It is not opposed to anything, it does not have the property of invalidation. Conversely, the peace that is being discussed, does invalidate certain things. As the peace of the mind or shama, it removes the thoughts of desire and anger. As dama, it removes the agitation of the senses. As uparati, it removes the agitation of action. As titikshaa, it removes the mechanisms of the body. As shraddhaa, it removes egoism, and as samadhaana, it removes the spontaneous vacillating mental castle-building. Truly speaking, the requisite arena for contemplation of brahman is spontaneous peace. The shruti says : "He who could not stop performing illegal actions, whose senses are agitated due to restlessness, who is not integrated and whose mind is not quiet, cannot attain the self only through his intellect". (Kathopanishad 1.2.24)
Naavarito dushcaritaat - "Dushcaritra" means performance of action that is prohibited by the smriti and the shruti, sinful action. A person transgresses the limits of the world and scripture only due to excessive desires (vaasanaas).
If such a person conducts contemplation upon brahman, what is the guarantee that he will not consider the non-brahman as brahman, due to the influence of desires? Therefore, the one who contemplates upon brahman should not do anything illegal. "Dushcarit" is another name for dirt. Dirt means sinful actions, sinful thinking and sinful desire. The seeker of truth should cast away all this dirt.
Naashaantaha - One who is agitated due to the restlessness of the mind is not qualified for the knowledge of brahman. "Naashaantaha" means one without damaha. Neither can such a person reduce excessive action, nor can he remain quiet in mind, even if he reduces actions. In addition to a sinful mind, this fuels lack of control and attraction/aversion. An agitated mind does not have the prowess to renounce. If desire enters, it slips. If anger enters, it starts cursing. If aversion towards a person or teaching arises, it will leave the truth altogether!
Naasamaahitaha - If one does not have samaadhaana, he cannot focus his thinking in one direction. The cessation of mental agitation born out of attraction and aversion is called samaadhaana.
Naashaantmaanasaha - One whose mind is not quiet, in other words, one without shama cannot contemplate upon brahman. Samaadhaana results in unique mental powers. So even if you have samaadhaana, your mind can be agitated, since you may begin thinking about the mental powers more often than the contemplation of the identity of brahman and the self! The lure of unique mental powers will lead the seeker astray.
One whose has these four faults cannot conduct contemplation of brahman properly.
The four fold qualification, when incorporated into life, can remove these faults. Without the four fold qualification, mere intellectual argumentation (tarka) cannot result in attainment of brahman. Argumentation does not have any aim, and it is not firm. An argument can be twisted on the left or on the right side. Today's argument can be refuted, if not today then tomorrow, by a better scholar. That is why both the shruti and the brahma-sootra condemn argumentation. In Vedanta, meemaamsaa or revered contemplation takes the place of argumentation.
(4) Mumukshaa
The final aspect of the four fold qualification is mumukshaa, the desire for liberation. This has been explained previously.
There are several levels of bondage imagined through ignorance, from the ego to the body. The desire to cut, drop and leave all these levels from the knowledge of our true identity is called mumukshaa. The "I" has identified itself with the disconnected ego. That identification extends to the body as well as the relationships of the body. The desire to leave all this identification - I am not someone else's, no one is mine, this desire is called mumukshaa.
So long as the "I have the mind" and "the mind is mine" exists, the door to knowledge will not open. The identification happens with the intellect, that is why the only method of attaining liberation is the true knowledge of our identity. If someone wants to "do" something for liberation, that mumukshaa is mild. If someone wants to worship a deity, perform japa, penance, take support of homa and so on, that mumukshaa is medium. If someone wants to gain liberation solely through knowing his true identity, that mumukshaa is supreme. Supreme mumukshaa arises solely through the grace of the teacher.
Swami Raamteertha has provided an illustration. A saint went to the Himaalayaas. Several people had gathered outside a cave. Some people were using prayer beads, some people were praying, some people were performing rituals, and some people were meditating. After asking, someone said that this cave contains evil spirits. They capture anyone who enters the cave. The cave was pitch dark, that is why we are doing all these efforts to remove the darkness. Hearing this, the saint laughed. He said, look here, all these efforts will not remove darkness. Light a torch and follow me into the cave. Darkness will vanish. When everyone went into the cave, killing snakes,tigers and crocodiles along the way, they did not find any evil spirits. It was all a play of darkness.
Just as darkness vanishes with light, so does ignorance and ignorance-generated entanglements. There is no need for any other method.
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