Shivaya Sadgurave Namaha!

[Guest guest]

DattaI 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

DattaHanumanSookti Manjari Bhakti Mala/December 2005Vedantic Thinking and Daily

AusteritiesTattva chintana saktopiNitya karma na santyajetNa hi soota

navaapatyaaPoorvam 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 DattaSri

Swamiji------------------------gurorangripadme ManaScenna Lagnam tata: kim

tata: kim tata: kim tata: kim

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