Vedantic thinking...Eligibility

[Guest guest]

Jaya Guru Datta

 

I wish to share my experience realting to the following Sookti Manjari taken

from the

December/2005 issue of Bhakti Mala.

 

Towards the end of 1996, a western teacher showed up speaking of Advaita. I was

very

attracted to this type of knowledge and gained valuable insight. The notion that

there was

nothing to do because ÒYou are ThatÓ predominated for a while. Holding this

thought, my

ego grew ever bigger and I continued to indulge the senses and have as much fun

as I

could thinking there were no repercussions since I was living in THAT. After

some time I

realized the folly and saw how the goal is so easily mistaken for the path.

Talking the talk

of ÒYou are ThatÓ was not attaining THAT. There were many questions remaining

unanswered.

Many of my close friends who were very well versed in talking this Vedantic talk

could not

understand what I would gain by accepting the various tools given us by Sadguru

Sri

Swamiji. Beyond what was written above, I was unable to give a logical

explanation. This

discourse is the first I have heard where Sri Swamiji makes it very clear. He

saved me from

aimlessly walking down this dangerous path.

Sri Guru Datta

 

Hanuman

 

Sookti Manjari Bhakti Mala/December 2005

 

Vedantic Thinking and Daily Austerities

 

Tattva chintana saktopi

Nitya karma na santyajet

Na hi soota navaapatyaa

Poorvam tyajati putrakam

 

(Purport: Despite being deeply interested in inquiry of the Supreme Reality, one

should not

give up the daily austerities prescribed by the scriptures. Just because the

second son is

born, the mother does not abandon the first)

 

There is a lot of craze about Vedanta in recent times. Why call it craze?

Because people

engage in Vedantic arguments and discussions even without knowing whether they

have

the eligibility or not.

 

What eligibility does one need to learn Vedanta? Not many seem to bother about

this

question. Even those who bother about it simply think that being able to

understand

Vedanta alone is the prerequisite. And, armed with such an attitude, they are

eager to

forge ahead.

 

The main catch in Vedanta is that every thing appears as though it is easy and

understandable, but leaves unanswered questions deep inside the heart.

Therefore, Lord

Krishna has called his teaching (the Bhagavad Gita) as `Raja Vidya Raja GuhyamÓ.

It means,

that the knowledge that he imparts in the Bhagavad Gita is king- both in its

content and

its secrecy.

Objection: Whey should this knowledge be a secret?

Reply: Because, men of intelligence can grasp anything if it is logical.

However, just

because they are able to grasp, it does not mean that they strictly adhere to

it.

 

Objections: What is there in Vedanta that requires strict adherence?

 

Reply:

Everyone is familiar with the Vedantic dictum-ÒAham BrahmaasmiÓ-`I am BrahmanÕ.

Vedanta also says that the world is unreal and Brahman is the only reality.

These tenets of

Vedanta were known to Hiranyakashipu, a demon. When Hiranyaksha, his brother was

killed, it was he who consoled his mother using his Vedantic knowledge. He even

preached

to her about the transitory nature of this world and reminded her that Brahman

alone was

real. On the other hand, he also declared, ÔI am BrahmaÕ.

 

Because of the Vasanas (tendencies) of his past lives, as he went on chanting

ÔAham

Brahmaasmi,Õ he began to think like this- ÒI am Brahma! I am the all-pervasive

and all-

powerful Brahma! There is no one who is superior to me! All the angels should

fall at my

feet.Ó Gradually, as he began believing, it seemed to him that the Veda Mantras

also

supported this view. This is the mischief of the intellect.

 

Let us see if the sentence ÒAham BrahmaasmiÓ carries the same meaning that was

attributed by Hiranyakashipu.

 

A farmer was returning home late in the evening. It was dusky. As he was walking

along

the ridge of his field, he spotted someone squatting at a distance. He thought

it was a

bandit. The farmer stopped, slowly removed his footwear and tiptoed from behind.

He was

carrying a strong club in his hand. When he was near enough, with all his

strength, he

struck the bandit. But it was not a bandit. It was a blunt and short tree, which

had been cut

just that day. From a distance it appeared as someone crouching. The club with

which he

struck this stout and short tree bounced out of his hand.

 

It was then that the farmer realized that it was the remains of a tree. He was

indeed

relieved. ÒOh I see! That bandit I saw is in fact this treeÓ- he exclaimed.

 

What is the real meaning of this sentence? Does it mean that there was indeed a

bandit

and only now the bandit has become a dwarf tree? No. ÒThe bandit was not there

then, and

not there now. Even when I was under delusion, what existed three was only a

dwarf tree.

Now, even after I got over the delusion, what remains here is just a dwarf

treeÓ-this is the

real meaning of that sentence.

 

Similarly, when we say ÒAham BrahmaasmiÓ, the correct meaning would be-the

entity ÔIÕ

does not exist at any point of time. The true object that existed, existing and

exists is

Brahman aloneÓ.

 

For this meaning to become comprehensible, that meaning should be first

experienced.

For that to happen, the ÔIÕ should go. This is amply evident from the true

meaning of that

sentence. Had Hiranyakashipu given up the feeling of ÒIÓ? Not at all. It was

exactly because

of this that he thought that he was all-powerful and all pervasive. That is what

made him a

true demon.

 

Even sages like Vasishta, Vamadeva and Shuka had received the same teaching.

They

understood the true meaning and were able to establish themselves in permanent

bliss.

How could the achieve it? They could achieve it because they gave up the feeling

of ÒIÓ

while contemplating on the dictum, ÒI am BrahmanÓ.

What does this indicate? It clearly shows that the eligibility to acquire

Vedantic knowledge

is not mere scholarship. One should be devoid of ego. This is possible only when

one

gives up the ÒIÓ feeling.

 

To be able to give up the ÒIÓ feeling, one should first know as to why that

feeling stuck to

us in the first place. The feeling of ÒIÓ owes its presence to the Vasanas

(tendencies) that

we have carried with us from our past lives. In other words, it is because of

the strong

impressions that have been created in our mind because of the deeds performed in

the

past lives.

Therefore if we have to get rid of this ÒIÓ, we should first get rid of our

Vasanas. The only

means available to achieve this is practicing daily rituals advocated by the

scriptures. The

scriptures have clearly stated as to what one should do everyday-from the time

one wakes

up till one goes to bed. These are referred to as ÔNitya KarmasÕ (Nitya=daily,

Karmas=actions, rituals)

 

Right from the moment we get up in the morning, we engage ourselves in various

actions.

Some of the actions go on as per rules of nature. We also engage in certain

actions

according to our convenience, for fulfilling our desires. The scriptures do not

prohibit

either of these. It modifies and fine-tunes these actions and suggests them to

us as

Ôrighteous actsÕ or Ômeritorious actsÕ.

 

Take for instance bathing. If it is done playfully, it becomes just that-a bath.

On the other

hand, if it is done by remembering God and chanting certain Shlokas (verses), it

becomes a

sacred act. Similarly, before we eat, if we offer the food to God and then eat

it, it becomes

a noble practice. The same thinking can be applied to other mundane activities

as well.

 

In addition to these, Sadhaks also engage in acts such as Homa, Puja, Tapas,

etc., these

act have been devised by the Almighty for the purpose of washing away the bad

Vasanas

that have accumulated over several past lives.

 

Therefore, till all the Vasanas have been washed off and Nirvikalpa Samadhi is

achieved,

one cannot afford to abandon these rituals. ÒI have understood what the Vedanta

says and

therefore I donÕt need to practice any ritualsÓ- is what some people think. This

is a

dangerous attitude because, if the Vasanas have not been thoroughly washed away,

their

roots can regenerate again and again. What is worse, they will multiply very

soon and also

give rise to newer kinds of Vasanas. By this, whatever little knowledge was

acquired will

also be washed away. It is because of these dire consequences that our elders

have urged

us not to abandon daily rituals. There is a beautiful example of this idea in

Yoga

Vasishtha.

 

Rama was barely 12 years of age when he realized with the help of his

extraordinary

intelligence that the worlds here and hereafter and the actions were meaningless

and

futile. The boundary of intelligence is only thus far and not beyond. He was

unable to

know what was there beyond such understanding. It was then that Sage Vasishtha

spotted

Sri Rama's eligibility to undertake study of Vedanta and began tutoring him in

Brahma

Vidya. All his teachings have been recorded by Sage Valmiki, who also has given

a detailed

description of the daily rituals that Sri Rama and Sage Vasishtha used to engage

in.

 

Sri Rama was still a seeker and a student of Brahma Vidya. It is understandable

that he

engaged himself in daily rituals But what about Sage Vasishtha? He was on

accomplished

Brahma Jnani. Why did he practice such austerities? He chose to practice for the

sake of his

students. He wished to set an example. Sage Vasishtha is a glowing example for

the

scriptural dictum that one should not abandon rituals as long as one is alive.

 

Everyone who is interested in Vedanta should understand this well. For someone

who is

completely established in Brahman, neither Vedanta nor the path of knowledge is

necessary. However, for those who are still in the middle level, rituals and

Satsang are as

important as study of Vedanta. Just because one has chosen to study Vedanta, it

does not

mean that one should not be under the impression that they should abandon the

daily

rituals. This is what the Sookti is stressing about. It gives a nice example of

the mother

and her two sons. The second son is the desire to study Vedanta and engage in

self-

enquiry. He is just born. He hasnÕt even opened his eyes properly. It is

therefore natural

for the mother to show greater care. Does it mean that she can abandon or has

abandoned

her first son? Not at all! Instead, she asks her elder son to watch while she

tends to her

newborn son. She teaches here elder son how to play with the new baby.

 

Similarly, a true Sadhaks will never abandon rituals even while being deeply

interested in

Vedantic pursuit. He will try to understand the Vedantic aspects hidden in those

rituals

and will lead a life in which self-inquiry and rituals go on harmoniously. Every

seeker

should emulate this example- is the message of the Sookti.

 

Jaya Guru Datta

 

Sri Swamiji