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SPIRITUAL VALUES SPIRITUAL VALUES

SPIRITUAL VALUES SPIRITUAL VALUES SPIRITUAL VALUES
IN THE GITA IN THE GITA
IN THE GITA IN THE GITA IN THE GITA
Swami Visharadananda
[An exposition of verses 7-11 of the 13th
chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Condensed from the
book Human Values, by Swami Visharadananda,
published by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashan,
Chamarajpet, Bangalore, pp.102. It was serialised in
different issues of The Vedanta Kesari from January
2009 to January 2011]
A monk of dashanami tradition, Swami Visha-
radanandaji lives and teaches at Vivekananda Yoga
Anusandhana Mahavidyapith, Prashanti Kutiram, near
Jigani Industrial Area, Bangalore, Karnataka.
C C
C CCONTENTS ONTENTS ONTENTS ONTENTS ONTENTS
1. Introduction 4
2. Amanitvam (Humility) 5
3. Adambhitvam (Unpretentiousness) 10
4. Ahimsa (Non-violence) 14
5. Kshanti (Forbearance) 22
6. Arjavam (Straightforwardness) 30
7. Acharyopasanam (Serving the Teacher) 36
8. Shoucham (Purity) 40
9. Sthairyam (Steadiness) 51
10. Atmavinigraha (control of oneself) 57
11. Indriyartheshu-vairagyam
(detachment towards the objects of senses) 61
12. Anahamkara (absence of ego) 68
13. Janma-mtyu-jar-vydhi-dukha-
doanu-daranam (Seeing the
inherent defects in birth, death,
old age and disease) 72
14. Asakti (Detachment) 77
15. Anabhishvangah putra-dara-grihadishu
(giving up extreme attachment to son,
wife, house and so on) 82
16. Nityam samachittatvam ishanishop-
apattishu [Maintaining equanimity of mind
in favourable and unfavourable circumstances] 91
17. Mayi cha ananyayogena bhakti-
avyabhicharini [by developing unswerving
devotion to Me by the Yoga of non-separation] 102
18. Vivikta-desha-sevitvam [living in solitary places] 111
19. Arati-jana-samsadi
[distaste for the company of people] 116
20. Adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam
(Dwelling upon the Knowledge of atman) 119
21. Tattvajnartha-darshanam
(Meditating on the reality of Self) 123
Introduction
Turning Within
The Bhagavad Gita outlines many values or virtues
which a human being should cultivate. Without these
values, a human being is not fit enough to be called a
human being.
All spiritual masters tell us that the human mind
is filled with many desires (vasanas). When these desires
are roused, our power of discrimination (viveka shakti)
simply goes away. Our mind then acts like a child that
just wants everything irrespective of it being good or
bad. A child is drawn to whatever that looks attractive.
A mind too, filled with strong desires behaves similarly,
not using its discriminative faculty.
Why do we have desires? Because we tend to
identify ourselves with our body-mind-ego. We forget
our divine nature, our atman-nature which is ever
fulfilled and free from all worldly needs. We forget
that whatever we want, we already have that. Do we
want to be a significant person? The fact is that we are
already the most significant being in the world. This
whole world exists because of this inner core of our
being. Drawing strength from it, the sun and the moon
exist. But we do not see the significant nature of our
Self because we have identified ourselves with our
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body-mind adjuncts (upadhi). It is this wrong self-
identity which is the cause of our problems and
sufferings.
How does one discover ones true identity?
Through the purification of our mind. The Atman is
ever pure; it needs no purification. It is only the mind
that has to be purified and not tman. When we say
we are impure, it is not about the Atman but the mind
which has to be made pure. Impurity of mind originates
in misunderstanding our real nature. This misunder-
standing has to be corrected. It is not that we have to
become Atman; we are already that. What we need is
to remove the false covering on our true being.
We often miss seeing this simple truth because we
are busy seeing something else. We are generally
outgoing and as a result we assume that only when we
get that external object of our choice, we will be happy.
Therefore we reject the inner joy (ananda) and run after
the external objects. Thus our life goes on, endlessly
and eternallyuntil we turn within. We are like a
stray dog that goes from door to door, in search for
some left over food. Similarly the mind goes after objects
here and there even when there is plenty inside. As a
well known saying goes:
|eq |t+ |nt|a |a
Rejecting cooked food, the fool goes begging.
Our mind also behaves in the same way. It goes
after objects here and there even when there is plenty
inside. It searches for fleeting joy outside when
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everlasting joy is right within us. How to change this
tendency of the mind? By setting right our attitudes
and developing a sense of detachment and right
perspective. Instead of running after objects and people
and making selfish claims such as I belong to them,
they belong to me, we should identify with our higher
nature. This means that we should loosen the evil
propensities (durvyapara) of our mind and work hard to
develop higher values (sadgunas). The first step in
cultivating vairagya is to confess that our understanding
is wrong and that we need to improve ourselves, by
turning within.
In the Gita, Krishna talks about developing human
values and enlists a number of divine qualities or
spiritual values. When we develop these divine qualities,
we get true peace of mind. These values help us to
become introspective and bring changes in our
personality.
The following is an elucidation of these values as
given in the five verses (13.7-11) in the Bhagavad Gita.
These verses are:
t|=t|-t|ret nt|-at*
ttt te= ut - tt||= r 7
Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forbearance,
uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness, self-
control.
t|-;t t=rt
*-t*tt|ntt=u= 8
4
The renunciation of sense-objects, and also absence of
egoism; reflection on the evils of birth, death, old age,
sickness, and pain.
e|a=| t rt|
|=t e|-tt|et|=et |-t 9
Non-attachment, non-identification of self with son, wife,
home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness in the
occurrence of the desirable and the undesirable.
| t=-t= |a|t|t
||aue|t|a*=ee| 10
Unswerving devotion to Me by the Yoga of non-separation,
resorting to sequestered places, distaste for the society of
men.
ttat=|=tt a-at=tuu=
a+at=||a t =at= at s-t11
Constant application to spiritual knowledge, under-
standing of the end of true knowledge: this is declared to
be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.
D D
Amanitvam (Humility)
Manitvam or pride is an aberration of mind.
Manitvam means adoring oneself (-tt|= +tt=t).
A self-conceited person considers himself as worthy of
everyones respect. He feels that he is somehow special
and holier and wiser than others. The right attitude is
that one need not feel inferior or superior to anyone
but have faith in ones and others divinity.
Self-conceit is based on some imaginary reasons
for ones superiority. It can be an assumed superiority
based on lineage (kula), class (jati), wealth (dhana), skill
(vidya), knowledge (jnana), beauty (rupa), youthfulness
(yauvana) and so on. Once this feeling of being superior
enters the mind, based on some imagined factor, one
develops a feeling that others should treat him as special.
Then one thinks, I am here to be served, others are
here to serve me. If I dont respect others, it is all
right, if others dont respect me it is a crime. One
looks for privileges and a special status in all walks of
life. He reasons thus: The world owes it to me, I dont
owe anything to the world and I am entitled for this
status! This is manitva or a sense of self importance.
A self-conceited person is also an extremely touchy
person. This is because he thinks he deserves more
respect than what others give. He gets offended for
simple reasons. He has tremendous expectations from
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others. This way his mind is busy evaluating, branding
and rejecting people. Whenever opportunity comes, he
thinks of punishing others or retaliates in some way or
other.
A self-conceited person (mani) is so occupied with
himself that he does not care or respect even the
respectable. This is so because he equates respecting
others with demeaning himself. He thinks even greeting
others is a compromise, a coming down from his status.
This results in what poet Kalidasa calls as denying
respect where it is due (pujyapuja vyatikramah). In other
words, when we do not respect (puja) those who are
worthy of respect (pujya), then our personal growth
gets obstructed. This is a serious flaw in ones character.
A self-conceited person looks for those who praise him.
When somebody respects him, he feels happy and he
thinks that here is a person who understands him, truly!
He keeps a group of sycophants around, because he
wants to listen only to his praise.
If we want peace of mind, then this sense of self-
adoration should be removed from our mind. We
should realize that we are quite vulnerable. If somebody
praises us, we immediately feel so good that we look
forward for such fondling again. As cats like fondling,
we like our ego to be fondled. Our ego wants to be
appreciated and recognized because we have some
emptiness and smallness in our personality. That
smallness seeks a cover up through self-importance.
This is what is called narcissism or self-love. A self-
centred person cannot even think of others welfare.
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One of the reasons for this is lack of care and love in
ones younger days.
One can never have peace of mind if one is looking
forward to people who can praise him, boost his ego,
and be fodder for this fire of self-importance raging
within. He may hunt for peace of mind all his life but
he can never get it until he corrects himself. Peace
comes when one is emotionally independent. If a person
is busy evaluating, eliminating and punishing others,
where is the time for him to have inner peace?
Our scriptures mention that self-praise (atmashlagha)
is not a virtue of cultured people (shishtachar). Says a
Sanskrit adage:
n|a =ta =ta
Listening to ones praise leads to loss of merit (punya).
If we enjoy somebody praising us, we are unaware
of our punya thinning down. So, if someone praises us,
we have to request him not to do so. Not only should
we avoid listening to our praise, we should also desist
from any attempt at self-praise. Whether others praise
us or we praise ourselves, our meritorious acts diminish
(punya-kshaya).
There is an interesting story told in Puranas. A
person who had a lot of punya went to heaven where,
on account of his punya, he was offered Indras seat.
Indra was asked to vacate his seat. Indra was in a fix.
So he played a trick. Indra started praising the man
and asked him to give details of his great achievements
on earth.
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And the man fell for it. He opened the flood gate
of his ego-centric acts. He went on narrating all his
achievements at length. This self-glorification started
reducing all his accumulated punya and when it was
sufficiently low, one gentle push by Indra was enough
to send him tumbling down out of the heavens! The
moral of this story is that self-praise is undesirable.
It is bad manners even to listen to ones praise or
make others speak of ones deeds. A person who is
solid inside does not need to listen to his praise from
outside. He is convinced about his own strength. Only
when one lacks something within that one needs
constant confirmation from others. For example, if one
is not well versed in something and when someone
praises, What a scholar you are!, one gets excited
because one knows that one is not up to the mark and
here is a much wanted help!
The opposite of self-conceit (manitva) is humility
(amanitva).
How do we develop humility? First of all we must
value it. When we value humility then we will be on
guard to protect it. Whenever we are praised, we should
become cautious and be on our guard. Whenever people
praise our achievements, we should transfer it to our
team or organisation or ultimately to tman.
Praise can make a person susceptible. Looking
forward to it again and again would be like a drug and
it may really make us fools. It will make us believe that
we possess that which we do not really have. If we
take what others say seriously then we will land into
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serious problems. This feeling of self impor-
tance is very deep in us. By introspection, one has to
find out why one has developed this and then carefully
develop a sense of reality about ourselves.
We should daily check up whether we are moving
towards humility or not. Do we like to hear praise or not? If
we like it, is there any basis or not? If there is a basis, how far
is it really there? Are we puffed up or are we hurt? In either
case, is there some problem in us? Just as if there is a pain in
the body, we slowly massage it, giving us a soothing effect.
Since that is a sore area we feel relaxed. So also, if we like
praise or are hurt it means that there is a sore area in our
psyche. Praise is an ego massage. We feel soothed by it. Self-
importance shows that we have sore areas in our
psychological self. Our psyche is wounded and when that
particular area is touched by praise, it feels good. One needs
to come out of these wounds, if one needs true freedom.
D D
Adambhitvam
(Unpretentiousness)
Unpretentiousness (adambhitvam) means no desire
to show off. Pretentiousness (dambha) is an act of
showing off ones qualities or possessions (svadharma
prakati-karanam).
We may have some skill or information or a
quality, and we want to exhibit it. We want to
demonstrate it in order to exchange it with some profit
(labha), fame (khyati), respect (puja) and so on.
A person who is pretentious wants that other
people should respect him and call him a great person;
he wants to gain fame or profit out of this. This is the
intention behind a persons desire to show off. For
example, he may be a charitable person, but that is not
sufficient; he wants everybody to know that he is
charitable. People exhibit themselves through dress
(vesha), language (bhasa), skill (koushala), conduct (achara)
and so on.
For instance, one may dress up as a religious
person, with a long beard, rudraksha mala, vibhuti, and
the like. In itself this is not wrong but once we do it in
order to gain others attention and praise, it becomes
pretentiousness or a kind of exhibitionism (dambha).
We are free to possess things but why do we want
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others to know it? What is the intention behind that?
We may wear a rudraksha mala. There is nothing wrong
in it. But why do we want to show it outside? Is it to
show to Lord Shiva? Even if it is inside ones clothes,
He knows! When we try to impress others with our
religiousness, we become pretentious and lose sight of
the goal of life. In Kali Vidambana, it is told
=t t= |eat= t t r;tnt|==t
t = =te= n e=tt=t|=
Koupinam (loin cloth), bhasitalepah (ash smeared on the
body), darbha (a particular sacred grass), rudraksa malika
(necklace of rudraksa beads), mounam (a pretended
observation of silence) and ekasanam (sitting in one posture
for prolonged duration)with these six things even a fool
can pass off his life smoothly.
People may look at him with wonder and say,
Indeed he is a great yogi, he does not move, he sits
like a stone! In how many ways do people show of
themselves! A learned person, on the other hand, does
not need to exhibit.
Only if we are introspective, can we spot out our
mistake. We may, for instance, on a given day, examine
why did we speak in a particular way. When we
scrutinize thus, we begin to look into what we really
want and how to correct ourselves. We realize that it
was uncalled for but still we spoke! When there is a
pressure inside, we blurt out something at first chance!
Then the pressure gets released. We speak out
something not because others want to know, but we
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want others to know how great we are! Such type of
exhibition is a disease of the mind. We may be quite
good otherwise but we should have maturity and
strength not to exhibit it. If there is an attempt to
exhibit, it shows that we need to correct ourselves.
-a et|rt=t=t tt-trt=
Those who lack inner stuff, they are given to much show
outside.
When there is only little inside, there is an intense
urge to show out; then all pomp and show come out.
Empty vessels make jarring noise. A person feels that
unless he exhibits himself, he will be rejected and will
not be taken seriously! To be acceptable in society as a
person of knowledge or an important person, different
tricks are used by the mind. But the reality is quite
different! The need to prove oneself comes because of
the basic need of wanting to be appreciated by people.
Both self conceit and pretentiousness are manifestation
of the same sickness of mind: a compulsive urge to
prove oneself.
So, we should try to fill up this inner vacuum. We
should examine if we are happy with ourselves. If we
are happy with ourselves, then why do we want others
to recognise us? If there is a need to be recognised by
people, then it shows that we have not accepted
ourselves. There is thus a need to set ourselves right.
We should remember that only when we have
integration of personality that we get true respect. Those
who are phoney, their fake life cannot be hidden from
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others for long. The best way will be to be transparent
and relax. This is the second spiritual value the Gita
wants us to develop.
D D
Ahimsa (Non-violence)
Ahimsa means not giving pain to living beings
(pranipida varjanam.) One should resolve not to inflict
pain or injury on others. Whether one is ready or not
to truly practise this in life, one should make efforts to
practise it. Even though one may be merely on the way
to reach a place, one should not despair or lose ones
spirits (margasthah navasidati.) One should have faith
that one will reach the destination sooner or later. One
should keep walking (margasthah).
First of all, one should value ahimsa, and avoid
hurting others. Hurting others or acting violently takes
place in three ways: physical, verbal, and mental.
Hurting others physically is the worst and the
grossest form of violence. But even before one does
this, one often hurts others through ones words. This
happens when one curses others verbally. To think ill
of others is mental violence. Thus, hurting others
through thinking, speaking and doing, are all part of
violence. One should keep a check over all these three
forms of violence.
To practice physical ahimsa means respecting
others life as one respects ones own life. This includes
not ill-treating or misbehaving with others. We want
others to respect our life; we do not want anyone to
harm, hurt or harass us. In the same way, we should
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respect and treat others. We might injure others
unknowingly and certain form of violence is inevitable
in the course of our daily life. For example, we may
step on some worms; or burning a lamp may kill some
insects or while sweeping a place, we may end up
killing some creatures. All these are unintentional acts.
But one should not indulge in wanton killing or injury.
As far as possible, we should avoid hurting and causing
injury to others. One should be sensitive towards other
living beings.
Next comes practising verbal non-violence. One
can control causing physical hurt or injury to others
because it is visible. But controlling violence through
words is difficult because one is habituated to speaking
without being aware of its effect on others. Many people
when they speak, do not care whether their words
hurt others. They utter words which might smack others
in their sensitive areas (marmasthanas). They have a
lashing tongue and lack understanding of how words
can hurt others.
In order to practice verbal non-violence, we should
remember that it is not easy to heal others hurt feelings
but to hurt others is easy. Hence ones words should
be carefully watched and chosen before uttering.
Whatever we speak should be good (hita), brief (mita),
sweet (madhura) and true (satya).
One should always practice measured speech
(mita). One should be to the point. When one makes
references to needless issues, one commits mistakes
and often has to pay for them later. Hence one should
speak briefly and only when really necessary.
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While speaking one should be truthful (satya) as
well as pleasant (madhura). When one speaks, it should
be soothing to others and not frightening. Others should
feel relaxed with us and not uneasy. They should feel
as if they are under the shade of large tree, giving
them a feeling of comfort and goodness. One should
take care that ones words do not hurt others. This is
what Sri Krishna calls as the austerity of speech (Gita,
17.15).
Speaking ill of others in their absence also amounts
to verbal violence. This is so because our criticism of
others in their absence creates in the minds of listeners
an image of the persons criticized and as they are not
present, they cannot defend themselves. One may speak
ill of others in a casual way but the listener will form
an opinion about them based on ones words and, if
the listener is equally immature, he might further relate
it to others. Thus, this will build up a negative
atmosphere and make us distrustful of each other. One
should avoid this at all cost.
Sarcasm is another very serious form of verbal
violence that needs to be checked. To speak sarcastically
means to have a hidden idea to hurt the other person
through ones seemingly simple words. To ridicule
others or laugh at them when they are in trouble is
also a verbal violence. Says one Sanskrit proverb:
gacchatah skhalanam kvapi bhavateva pramadatah, hasanti
durjanaha tatra samadadhati sajjanah.
If, out of carelessness, someone slips on the way, evil-
minded people laugh at him. The noble minded, however,
try to console and help him out.
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What is there to laugh about a person who slips
and falls? He is already hurt, and instead of giving him
a helping hand, if one laughs at him, one does violence
to him. Laughing in itself is a good thing, but when
one laughs at others misfortune it is indeed cruel. The
entire Mahabharata war took place because Draupadi
laughed at Duryodhana at the wrong time and that
pierced his heart like a spear. Then he said, I will take
revenge for it. What all she had to face as a
consequence of her laughter! She was dragged to court
by her hair by Dushasana. He tried to disrobe her and
ultimately the war happened! The seeds of Mahabharata
war lie embedded in Draupadis laughter.
If one laughs at somebody like that, it hurts that
person which in turn creates many a problem in life.
Even a smile is not always an innocent act; smiling at
others, with a malicious intent, can also hurt others.
We have to be sensitive and be aware when to speak
and when not. Not speaking may also hurt others.
Sometimes when we do not speak, this itself speaks
volumes of our attitude. When one is supposed to say
something and if one does not do it, it may mean that
one may have something against that person. When a
person needs some kind words and if you withhold
saying them, then it shows you are capable of
withdrawing what may be a kind of life-support for
the person. This hurts the person. At times, one shows
total indifference by just not speaking. We should be,
therefore, careful and understand how in different ways
we are likely to hurt others.
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Hurting others really begins at the mental level. If
one thinks ill of others, one cannot hide it for long;
sometime or other it will come out through ones words
or actions. Mental anguish is like a fire. First it is a
mere spark, a mere idea in the mind. When this fire
grows in intensity, it comes out in words and when it
assumes greater form and intensity, it gets expressed
in physical form.
Why do we think ill of others at all?
It is because we cannot tolerate, accommodate or
digest others prosperity or progress; or it is because
of some other hateful feelings in the heart. Then only it
becomes a form of violence. A spiritual seeker should
learn to introspect and look within, instead of bothering
about others. True introspection and deep thinking alone
can eliminate these things from the mind.
As these faults make ones thoughts focused on
the negative side of life and makes one unhappy, one
should learn to understand and correct them at the
earliest. Only when we have a clear understanding of
these inner mechanisms can we understand our divine
nature. A mind which is busy thinking of others faults
always is like a housefly looking for a wound and
relishing it. The housefly cannot help it because sitting
on the filth is its nature. An impure mind is also like a
housefly, searching for filth outsideothers faults and
weakness. Such a mind cannot have peace. If one is
eager to look at others shortcomings, one will surely
find them!
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If a person is violent in this manner, it shows that
there is a deeper problem in his mindset. Only a person
who is hurt within in some way can think of hurting
others. He or she cannot be nice towards others if he
or she is mentally bleeding inside. Such people condemn
others and want to see them as enemies. They think
that the whole world has conspired to put them in bad
situation and everybody else is responsible for their
problems! When everybody else is held responsible for
ones suffering what comes out is only a feeling of
retaliation and anger. They think that others as
responsible for their misery and hence it is good to pay
them back!
When one has pain in ones mind, one spits poison.
We cannot expect cool breeze from raging fire. The
wind coming from fire would be hot only. So we have
to first soothe the person within. Then only the mind
becomes soothed and calm.
We should ask ourselves: Why are we hurt? Why
are we wanting to hit others or damage things? There
may be some unfulfilled desires which may be causing
it, and one should attend to it. It is like cleaning up a
bad wound. The wound has to be surgically opened
and the toxic matter, the pus, has to be drained out.
Only when it is properly cleaned and dressed that it
will heal. The mind too should be similarly healed.
Then only one gets inner peace.
One way of doing this is to learn to accept what
cannot be changed or altered. We often forget that it is
our own Karma which comes back to us in many ways.
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We can understand only when our mind is relatively
quiet, secure and educated through right thinking. But
in order to bring the mind to that point, we have to do
some initial work. This means we should learn the art
of self-examination.
Violence can be further classified into following
three categories: done (krita), provoked (karita), and
approved (anumodita).
Krita or done violence is when one oneself hurts
others by speaking or doing something.
Karita or provoked violence is when one does
not do it oneself but provokes others to do it. Go and
do this; I am there with you, one whispers! Supporting
violence in this manner is also violence.
Approved violence is also a form of violence.
One should be alert to this aspect also.
Sometimes we may not wish to support violence
but we may come under pressure for doing it. We
might contend that we do not have any choice and try
to justify it but this often means that we have
surrendered our discriminative faculty. No! We should
learn to use our thinking and our capacity of making
right choices. To bow down before the pressure of
unrighteous will is also approving it. It amounts to
approving injustice. Our society is full with many people
who lack strength to stand up for righteous cause. If
just a handful of people stand firm, that would make
tremendous change in the society.
Non-violence or ahimsa means, in simple words,
sensitivity to others. Do unto others what you want
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others to do unto you. As you wish to be treated by
others, do the same to others. If you become the cause
for somebodys tears, somebody will become a cause
of your tears in future. What is sin and what is merit?
Thus goes the famous adage:
Paropakarah Punyaya, Papaya Parapidanam.
To do good to others is merit or good and meritorious; to
trouble others is sin.
Says Mahabharata:
Piditanam anathanam, kuryat asrupramarjanam.
One should wipe the tears of the troubled and the orphans.
This compassion, or non-violence should come and
then only we are truly spiritual.
This means we should be watchful and vigilant at
every step. These days we are so careful about our
weight and keep counting calories. But what about the
weight of violence and its attendant evils that we keep
adding to our personality? We should be watchful over
what we think and how we behave. Then only can we
be truly non-violent.
D D
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Kshanti (Forbearance)
Kshanti or the capacity to forbear is one of the
important values that a spiritual seeker should cultivate.
If one wants to realize or experience the atman, or
have the Knowledge of the Self (atmajnana), one should
free ones mind from weakness such as violence (himsa),
hatred (dvesha) and anger (krodha). Cultivating higher
values like forbearance and non-violence are needed
not only for a spiritual seeker but even a commoner
also needs them in order to live a happy and contented
life.
Buddha says that if we cannot look after our mind,
how can then we gain Knowledge of the Self? If one
wants to protect or preserve water in a pot, you have
to protect the pot. A leaky pot cannot hold water.
Likewise, if we want knowledge, we should take care
of the mind. Taking care of the container (patra) which
would contain the knowledge is essential. As it is said
in Sanskrit:
It is not possible to protect what one learns by a restless
mind (na shiksha rakshitum shakya chalachittam arakshitam).
Mind, therefore, has to be taken care of first. Only
a mind that has been made strong with all these
spiritual values can become competent to acquire the
higher knowledge. Forbearance makes the mind
introspective and strong. This is what the practice of
23
forbearance is aimed atto maintain a peaceful mind.
A calm mind is an important pre-requisite for gaining
the Knowledge of Self.
To be forbearing one should be a strong person
(kshama prabhavidu). A man who is weak is devoid of
forbearance and cannot attain anything higher, not to
speak of the Knowledge of the Self.
Sri Krishna advices us that one should cultivate
forbearance (kshanti) in life. One should not have any
feeling of giving back in the same coin. Forbearance
means that one should not retaliate even when others
bring pain and sufferings.
A spiritual seeker should always try to check this
tendency to react or else any passing event will distract
and disturb him. In absence of this inner poise, he will
have a complaint against everything. This is not okay,
that is not okay, they have no sense of punctuality, no
cleanliness, and so onif we go on complaining like
this, there will be hundreds of things to complain about
and our life will be in total disarray.
There are people who want to always correct
others. They feel insecure and weak and cannot allow
anyone to take any advantage. They think that unless
others are quickly punished, they will do more mischief
and become uncontrollable. Unwilling to take any
chance, they want to nip everything in the budand
punish the wrong doers at once.
A weak person is very touchy about himself. He
likes to keep the people away because he often
misperceives others as a threat to his security and
24
progress. He therefore does not want to take any risk.
Forbearance seems meaningless to him.
We forget that even in rajanti (the art of managing
a kingdom), punishment (dada) is the last recourse.
First comes negotiation (sma), then inducement (dna)
and dissention (bheda) is the third. In dharma nti,
punishment is not even considered. The simple reason
is that to punish, one has to be hard-hearted (kahora)
which is least desirable in the case of a spiritual seeker.
We should punish the wrong doers but there should be
no haste in doing it. We must think before we react.
Retaliation or punishment is not the solution to
everything. Although punishment has a place in the
total scheme of life, we should be willing to give a
chance to a person to correct himself. If we want to
immediately settle our score whenever someone does a
mistake, then it means we lack forbearance.
Here we must remember that in administration or
in the matters of maintaining law and order, practice
of forbearance has different dimensionthat of larger
good. And hence, the rule of punishment has a role to
play there. Here we are speaking of a seeker of Self-
knowledge.
Why should one practice forbearance?
For our own good. If we keep retaliating for all
the mistakes others commit, we might end up wiping
out the whole world! We have to learn to forbear. If
we think over all the mistakes that we have committed
in life and if we had been punished for all our mistakes,
we would not be living today! We have been forgiven
25
so many times by so many people that matter to us:
parents, teachers, neighbours, friends and so on. It is
their forbearance that is keeping us alive. Reconciliation,
and not revenge, makes us grow and healthy in every
way.
We should teach our mind that nobody is perfect;
it is okay if someone does a mistake. This means let us
give him a chance to learn and improve. This giving a
chance is very important. Only strong can forgive and
have forbearance. We can lean on the shoulders of a
strong man only. Only a strong person can bear the
weight of a weak person. The purpose of practising
forbearance is to help others to grow. It is like providing
temporary support for walking to a man whose foot is
injured. To allow others to lean on us means allowing
them to take a little advantage of our goodness so that
they can outgrow their weaknesses and stand on their
feet.
A man of forbearance is aware that one commits
mistakes in order to help oneself to learn from them.
He knows that the person committing a mistake
deserves to be punished but he gives him a chance to
improve. For instance, if we do not give money to
children, they will not know how to use it, but when
we give it, they may misuse it. What to do then? We
have to take the risk and give them some money but at
the same time keep a watch over them. If we do not
take the risk, we will not allow the child to grow. The
child may not learn to understand the value of money
and its right use and may become either a miser or a
spendthrift. So, practice of forbearance in various
26
departments of life is like conducting a course in self-
development. We have to keep a check on misuse but
also give freedom to others. This is the core of the idea
of exercising forbearance.
Forbearance is the absence of desire to retaliate.
A Sanskrit saying tells: For a person who has the
weapon of forbearance, what could evil people do to
him? (kshama shastram kare yasya, durjanam kim karishyate).
This idea is to keep away from all unnecessary
conflicts. If you do not take part in a conflict, the conflict
simply gets discontinued. A quarrel grows when both
the persons keep answering back. Forbearance,
however, brings an end to it by breaking the cycle of
accusations and retorts. As goes the saying:
A fire that falls on a place where there is no grass, gets
extinguished of its own (atrinate patito vahni svayameva
vinashyati).
If we add to the fire of misunderstanding by
repeating our mistakes, the fire only grows bigger.
Hatred cannot be overcome by hatred. Only forbearance
or forgiveness can overcome it. Somebody has to take
the responsibility of putting an end to hatred. And this
can be done by a strong person and not a weak person.
Wherever there is a conflict, responsibility to end it lies
with the strong. If the weak tries to stop it, it is only
because of his helplessness.
Another dimension of forbearance lies in the fact
that whenever we are disappointed in life, we feel
hurt. A hurt person often behaves in irrational ways.
We should understand it and learn to forgive the person
27
who feels hurt and insecure emotionally. It is like a
small child who comes home from school and starts
kicking his mother. The mother wonders at his
behaviour and wants to find out the reason. She thinks
of all possible reasonsa quarrel with a friend or
scolding by the teacher and so on. She shows all the
patience and begins to cuddle the child and asks him
the reason. And slowly, comforted and accepted, the
child begins to sob and come out with the reason.
If we extend the same motherly approach and
understanding towards people who misbehave with
us, then we can handle them wisely. This requires much
patience and sympathy. When others upset us, it is
only mirroring our own personality. They are holding
a mirror to us. If we can find out why we are upset or
hurt, we will become more understanding and calm.
Forbearance is fundamentally an attitude of
understanding towards others. When a child drops
something, we do not get angry but if an adult does it,
we get angry and react violently. If we can see the
same mind of the child inside the adult, grown up
body, then we can be quite accommodating and calm.
Sensitivity is another thing that we should
remember. Just as the eye-ball that cannot tolerate even
the smallest of dust particles, and begins to water, so
also a sensitive mind begins to behave badly because
of some cause. The mind of a spiritual seeker is like an
eyeball which requires immediate washing and relief.
Since a spiritual seeker himself does not want to do
injustice or tell a lie to anyone, he becomes affected by
28
it as soon as he sees it outside. It gets on his nerves
and disturbs him. He wants to know why there is so
much of insensitivity in the world. Of course, if he
reasons out, he will find that all this is due to some
reasonones upbringing, fears or wrong attitude.
Without knowing these, we go on labelling people and
want to settle the score whenever we find a chance!
An insensitive person is like a person who is drunk.
He shouts and misbehaves because he is under the
influence of liquor. When one is drunk, it takes away
all ones sense of sobriety and then one is not in ones
senses. We do not immediately punish a person who is
drunk. He may shout, but we are patient enough to
accommodate him, and wait for his inebriation to come
down. Similarly, when a person is sick, he also does
not behave normally. He becomes short-tempered and
shouts at small, little matters. The people who have
had long illness often become short-tempered because
they start hating themselves. Seeing others hale and
hearty becomes intolerable for them and they become
irritable. Hence, the more we know the reason why a
person behaves in a particular way, the more
accommodating we become. If we do not understand
it, we react sharply and angrily. Developing this under-
standing of the causes underlying others behaviour is
part of the practice of forbearance.
Again, not to get disturbed by others is rather
easy but not to disturb others is quite difficult. We
must have so much of control over us that others do
not get disturbed by us under any situation. This self-
control is true forbearance.
29
We are often very sensitive about others
comments but are not aware of how our comments
affect others. Maybe we disturb others as much as others
disturb us! Our behaviour should be such that others
do not get offended and avoid us. This sensitivity and
understanding is true forbearance.
D D
5
Arjavam (Straightforwardness)
The word arjavam comes from the root ju meaning
straight (or absence of crookedness). When ones
thoughts, words and actions are united it is called is
arjavam or the quality of straightforwardness.
When one is psychologically well-adjusted, higher
values come into ones life of their own. And when a
man has higher values in life, he is peaceful. It is like
the case of a well-adjusted camera. When the aperture,
lenses and other parts of a camera are well-adjusted,
one can take a good picture. Similarly, when the mind
is well-adjusted, and is free from distractions, it leads
to introspection and the extrovert nature of the mind
is restrained. The mind becomes extrovert because of a
wrong sense of values (which in turn lay too much
emphasis on external issues in a wrong way). Only
when these wrong values are set right, one gets the
peace of mind (atmashanti). This is how arjavam finds a
place in the scheme of life.
Again, the mind adopts different defense mecha-
nisms to avoid tension and anxiety. Mental tensions
take various forms of defense. These defenses assume
forms such as repression, suppression and emotional
dependence. All these have to be addressed in order
to become free from these tensions.
Why does a man speak one thing and behave in a
different way? Why does he deny a problem even
31
though the problem is so evident? In one word, why
do run away from lifes problems? The reason is we do
not wish to face the reality. We should remember that
it is only by facing the realities of life that we can
develop a resolute state of mind. If we avoid facing
real situations, we will remain weak forever. Hence we
need to look into the causes of the defense-mechanisms
that our mind employs to run away from the realities
of life. When we face life, we develop true arjavam or
straightforwardness.
To be straightforward means removing the gap
between what we think, what we say and what we do.
This implies that our mind, speech and body should be
in consonance with each other. We need to align and
integrate all the three aspects of our personality.
To do this we should try to find out the inner
reasons for the lack integrity. Most often we lack
straightforwardness because of many inner pressures.
Take, for example, the pressure of overcoming emotional
or social insecurity. If we feel insecure, we feel
pressurized to behave in a way that is morally wrong.
In such situations, our mind tries to invent dubious
ways in order to escape from the reasons that are likely
to cause anxiety and tension.
When the mind becomes tensed thus, it tries to
find a shortcut to solve the problem or else tries to
deny the very existence of the problem. Often it chooses
to be blind or deaf to the problem. It behaves like a cat
drinking milk. While drinking the milk, the cat closes
its eyes thinking that others are not able to see it!
32
But then accepting the reality does not come
naturally to most people. As they lack strength and
proper thinking, they try to find shortcuts and avoid
facing the problem. They think that by not facing a
problem, they have solved it. They forget that not
accepting a problem is no solution to it. They look
forward for some miracle to happen in order to solve
the problem. Facing the problem? Well, they do not
find any wisdom in doing.
Thus the mind develops certain defense-mecha-
nisms to circumvent external situations. It either tries
to avoid facing the problem or behave in morally
unacceptable ways to overcome it. Let us discuss some
of these ways in which commonly people indulge.
Evading the Problem: This is what mind tries to
doas soon as a problem arises, it refuses to
acknowledge it. It does not even wish to see it. This is
like sweeping the dirt under a carpet. Though externally
nothing is visible on the floor, there is plenty of dust
under the carpet and it gives the impression that the
room is clean! Similarly, when a problem arises, the
untrained mind involuntarily wants to throw it out of
conscious mind. It then settles down into the unconscious
mindlike the dust under the carpet. The problem
does not disappear; only thing is that it is not on the
forefront or visible. When a problem is at the surface
level, it is felt and experienced. As the mind does not
want to face the problem (because it painful to face it),
it just tries to hide or overlook. Such a suppression of
the real situations pushes our fears and fancies about
problems into the subconscious mind. Then our mind
33
begins to be controlled by these unconscious impulses
and forces. It wants to postpone all possible solutions
to a future date which, of course, does not come.
It forgets that when even simple problems are not
resolved for a long time, they turn into urgencies and
crises. We can overcome problems only by solving them.
Rightly does the saying go: a stitch in time saves nine!
A spark left unattended becomes a huge fire. When it
is only a spark, it is easy to extinguish it but when it is
not done on time, it is overblown and the resultant
loss is enormous. Hence we should overcome this
tendency to avoid or bypass or postpone the problems.
Often when do not express something due to some
fear, we try to stifle it altogether. For example, since
exhibiting a bad temper is not a good decorum, we do
not express it. But how long can it continue? So one
day the lid gets blown up. If we cannot show anger on
other, it begins to show on our own health. It may
result in peptic ulcer or high blood pressure or eventual
heart failure. Hence we should learn to overcome these
inner pressures and face life.
Denying the Problem: Another defense mechanism
is denying that there is any problem whatsoever. Take
for instance a person who has a problem. He is worried
and is restless. There is anxiety in his eyes. He is not
even steady while sitting. He pulls at the fingers of his
hands, kicks legs, or sighs now and then and yet he
denies the existence of any problem! This is called
denying the problem. What he does not realise is that
he is fooling himself.
34
We indulge in such denials only when we are
feeling insecure and apprehensive. We forget that if
problems are denied, we cannot solve them. First of all
we have to accept that there is a problem. Since we are
weak and timid, we try to deny the existence of
problems in hundred different ways. Though we are
insecure inside, still we do not admit our insecurity!
On the contrary, we go on denying itso much so that
we try to pretend that we are strong and wholly secure.
To deny a problem is actually behaving like an
ostrich. It is said that an ostrich just buries his head in
the sand whenever it sees a predator. Likewise, when
we are angry with someone, we want to avoid him or
her but inwardly dislike him. Unexpressed anger
controls us, though externally we may express that we
do not care for the person we are angry with. Burning
within but giving the impression that all is calm and
good outside is the root of all hypocrisy. This is how
all crookedness of heart takes birth and ruins our moral
life.
An example is often given in the study of
psychology. An alcoholics son may keep denying that
his father is an alcoholic. When the father is drunk and
has fallen down, the son wants others to believe that
his father is sick. He may even say that his father is on
medicine. He distorts the reality because he is frightened
to accept it. This is how our mind indulges in various
ways and means to avoid the problems of life.
Straightforwardness is just the opposite of all this. To
say what one thinks and to do what one says is a great
35
quality of mind and only a strong mind can do it. When the
mind is thus integrated, it becomes free from all conflicts and
becomes peaceful.
D D
6
Acharyopasanam
(Serving the Teacher)
Serving the teacher means to be respectful and
service-minded towards ones teacher. This is a spiritual
value for all students of spirituality.
Acharya means someone who himself understands
and follows (svayam carati) the truthor a valuein
his life and makes others understand and follow the
same (anyan carayati) in their lives. He stands as an
example for what the shrutis (the eternal values given
in scriptures) advocate through his behaviour. He
teaches others not only through his words and but
through his own example. Words coming from a person,
who lives and sees the truth, have a direct influence on
the student. To have shraddha and bhakti for such a
teacher is necessary for a student. It is at this altar of
service and humility that the mind learns how to grasp
the subtleties of higher life. He needs to keep his pride
(ahakra) under check, and for that he should serve his
teacher.
A spiritual teacher, however, should be an
inspiring person and not a just very knowledgeable
person. Whatever he says, should be reflected in his
conduct. If he says that no problem can affect us, it
should be expressed in his life. He should be an example
of his own teachings.
37
The term acharya also refers to the person who
imparts knowledge (jnana). Service (seva) to such a
teacher is a virtue. Seva is an expression of the attitude
of love and respect that one has. How do we express
our attitude? Through our actions. When there is
devotion in our mind, it is bound to get expressed in
the form of service. It is the attitude that becomes an
act of service. It is the physical or outer expression of
an attitude. A sense of gratefulness, for instance, is an
attitude. One gets that attitude when one recognizes
that one has indeed been helped. One feels indebted to
the other person. Only when one feels or appreciate
that one has received help or timely assistance, one
feels like giving back something in return. This is called
gratitude (upakra). Gratitude is an effect of the cause
called understanding or recognition that one has been
lent a helping hand and one needs to acknowledge it.
One feels the same way for what one has received
from ones spiritual teacher or acharya. The spiritual
teacher gives the student something unique. The student
was lost in confusion and was seeking solution to his
problems. The teacher gave a new directionor a
knowledge that opens up new directionto the
students mind. The student was searching for solution
to his problem in the outside world. He thought that if
he could get that something from outside, it would
solve his problem. But that solution, he discovered,
was temporary. For instance if one gets food, ones
hunger is appeased for the time being. But again one
becomes hungry and needs food. Same is true of other
problems of life. All solutions are relative, temporary,
38
subject to improvement. There is no permanent solution
to the deepest problems of life in the external world.
The spiritual teacher, however, turns our mind
within and helps us find an inner solution to lifes
problems. He gives us the idea that we are indeed
already fulfilled and are divine. We are infinite
knowledge, infinite consciousness and infinite bliss (sat-
chit-ananda). All our problems were actually born of
wrong understanding of our true nature. And that
wrong understanding makes us feel that we have a
problem which is actually non-existent! The discovery
that we do not have a problem (or our problem is
assumed) takes away all the need to worry. This
knowledge is so precious and so incomparable that no
other gift or gain in the world can take its place.
Moreover, such knowledge frees us from the endless
cycle of birth and death. It makes us liberated. No
coming back to the world (samsra) again. When one
receives this invincible knowledge from somebody, one
bends down ones head spontaneously to him. One is
filled with respect and gratitude.
The teacher is the person who can solve our deepest
problems of fulfilment and ever-lasting peace. He makes
us see our problems in the right perspectivethat
problems do not really exist. He tells us that there is a
solution to our problems. It does not mean that we
begin to feel that there is a problem and stop worrying
over it. He makes us negate our assumed problems.
How funny it is that even an assumed problem can
make us miserable! We become as much miserable as
much real do we think our problem is. For instance, if
39
you see a rope in semi-darkness, you may shirk back in
fear assuming it to be a snake. Snake may be real or
notional but in either case it frightens us. Notional
snake frightens us as much as the real snake. Likewise,
the problems of the world are also notional; the world
itself is notional. But it frightens us and makes us
anxious.
This fear, therefore, has to be removed. And this
can happen only through the instruction (upadea)
received from a competent teacher. When one sees that
here is a person who can make one see the ultimate
reality of life and can help one solve the deepest problem
of life and death, one becomes drawn to him and that
is how the inner change takes place.
Serving such a teacher itself is a great virtue which
leads to spiritual growth.
D D
7
Shoucham (Purity)
The next value which Sri Krishna speaks of is
cleanlinessinternal as well as external.
Generally speaking, only when the body is clean
that mind can be clean. Cleanliness has to start from
the gross level, the body level. Look at the way most
people live and conduct themselves. Indiscipline,
carelessness and shoddiness are the hallmarks of their
style of living. They litter the place with unwanted
things, drop garbage at odd places and even spit here
and there. This speaks of a disorganized mind. One
can find out the real state of cleanliness of a person by
observing his bathroom! People like to keep their
drawing room clean since outsiders visit it but to know
their actual way of living, one should step into their
bathroomas it is away from the public view, who
cares to keep it clean! Similarly, the top of ones working
table may look nice but only when we pull out its
drawer can we know how organized or disorganized
that person is. If the drawer is in a state of disorder,
overflowing with things, it shows that the user has a
disorganized approach to life. He is a lazy person.
A spiritual seeker, however, should be organized
in all his actions and style of living. Being organized
should become his second nature. He should be clean
and orderly. This is to be done not for pleasing others
but for ones own good.
41
First comes the external cleanliness. After the
external cleanliness (bahya shoucham) comes the inner
cleanliness (antar shoucham). Inner cleanliness means
keeping the mind clean. We should remember that it is
our behaviour which reflects the state of our mind. The
way we speak, react, request or acteverything shows
the state of our mind. At times, we might cleverly hide
the true state of our mind from others, but it surely
cannot be hidden from ourselves. Whether one lives in
a hut or a palace, it matters little; what matters most is
that we all live in our mind. Our mind is our first
abode. Spiritually speaking, we are caught in the mind
first and then in the body. It is said that first mind is
born, and it is the mind that shapes the body. Taking
hold of the mind is, therefore, very essential in order
to become clean internally.
What is inner cleanliness? Let us look at the general
state of our mind to understand it. Most of the time,
our mind is restless. It is sad, angry and jealous; we
have, as if, a boiler inside ussteaming and burning!
We might go to a hill station or river front or a place of
natural beauty with the idea of having peace of mind.
But the external scenery cannot do much unless our
negative feelings like anger, greed and jealousy,
simmering within, are got rid of. When jealousy or
hatred enters the mind, the person begins to burn in
his mind.
This state of mind needs to be corrected and the
process of correction is called spiritual practice (sadhana).
How do we improve our inner state of being and get
true peace and cleanliness of mind? Says a sutra from
the Patanjali Yoga Sutra (1:33):
42
t =rt |at ntt e n n t |tt
t=ta|-tet=
Maitr karu mudita upekm sukha dukha
puypuyaviaym bhvantaa citta prasda-
nam.
When one cultivates a feeling of friendliness for the happy,
compassion for the miserable, cheerfulness for the virtuous
and indifference for the evil, one attains inner peace and
cleanliness.
Yoga here tells us how to make the mind peaceful
and pure. This method is akin to replacing a burning
furnace by a water cooler. Of course, our mind gets
disturbed by the situations outside us but why do we
allow ourselves to get disturbed? We become upset
because our mind is not under control. Hence when we
deal with others, most of our reactions are all untrained
and wrong. Let us remember that as long as we live in
the society, we are bound to interact with people. What
we should learn is how to deal with them. If we know
how to adjust our attitude, we can deal with others
without getting disturbed. Hence the need to make
proper adjustments.
The above sutra classifies all people into four types:
1. Happy (sukhi)
2. Unhappy (dukhi)
3. Virtuous (puya)
4. Evil (apuya)
It also outlines four types of attitude (bhvana) for
each type:
43
1. Friendliness (maitr)
2. Compassion (karu)
3. Cheerfulness (mudit)
4. Indifference (upek)
The First type of attitude required to have a clean
mind (citta prasdanam) is to develop a feeling of maitr
friendliness towards the happy people. When see a
happy person, we should be happy too; we should
check our mind from becoming jealous or intolerant.
Instead of being uncharitable towards others, we should
accept them as they are. If we fail to do so, it means
our mind is sick and needs to be treated. If the mind is
happy in somebody elses happiness that feeling is called
friendliness (maitr bhvan). To become friendly is to
heal the mind of its sickness.
How to cultivate this feeling of friendliness? Give
freedom to others. Allow them to grow and stand on
their feet and not remain dependent on you. Then,
when you will see a person progressing and advancing
in life, you will feel happy. If we feel emotionally
dependent on others, wanting that others should praise
us or depend on our help, we cannot develop the true
feeling of friendliness. To be friendly is to be happy
when one is not needed. If one is not needed, then one
should feel happy that one has played ones role
successfully and other person is now standing on his
feet. Friendliness is wishing everyone to be independent
and happy.
Kalidsa, the great Sanskrit poet, says in a prayer:
44
e aa t | et ;t| +a
e =tt=t=t a e e =-a
May all overcome difficulties.
May all see what is auspicious.
May all get whatever they desire (which will make them
happy, without doing harm to others).
May all be happy everywhere.
This is the true spirit of friendliness which a
spiritual aspirant should cultivate.
The Second type of attitude is to have compassion
(karu) for the less-privileged people. Many people
are deprived of even minimal needs in life. To be
compassionate is to have a sincere desire to remove
others distress. We should not feel pleased to see the
sufferings of even those who are against us or disagree
with us. One should have a feeling of forgiveness and
be able to pardon all. We should never want anyone to
suffer or be miserable. Compassion means having a
pure heart and wishing good to all.
A compassionate heart is like the gold which has
been purified of all dross. Pure gold shines because it
has been heated in fire and all dross has been removed.
Likewise a purified mind shines forth because it has
undergone the necessary purification. If we are
compassionate and charitable towards those who are
suffering, then our mind is pure and we are truly
humane. And then we feel free from all self-centredness
and the anxiety born of it.
The Third type of attitude is the attitude of
cheerfulness (mudit). To find fault with everything and
45
everybody is a habit with some people. They think that
it is quite right and justified to pick holes in others and
find out where they err in life. So deeply entrenched is
this tendency in them that they find faults with even
avatars like Rama and Krishnaand what to speak of
ordinary mortals! It appears as if the whole world needs
to take permission from such persons to function! They
feel that others faults must be highlighted or else they
have not done their duty properly! It is a highly self-
centred and conceited approach to life.
The problem with such people is that they do not
know how to honour others talents and greatness. To
honour and recognise others talents is a kind of worship
(pratibha pja) which should never be neglected. If there
is knowledge and talent in others, we should encourage
and support it, and not try to discourage or destroy it.
This is true meaning of the worship of the goddess
Saraswati.
Similarly, when we see a person with noble
qualities, a sattvic person, we should feel happy. Such a
person, through his life and actions, will become a good
example to others and hence would become a
torchbearer of goodness and righteousness. Having a
feeling of cheerfulness and generosity (mudita bhvan)
towards the people who have some talent or greatness
(vibhti) in them makes the mind pure and clean.
The fourth and final attitude is the attitude of
indifference (upek) to evil. It is easier to practice maitr,
karu, mudit but indeed difficult to practice upek.
When we deal with the people who are negative
46
minded, they get on our nerves, and we lose peace of
mind. We should remember that the people with a
negative mindset have been there in all ages and times,
including this age. In such people, we see an
overwhelming expression of greed, delusion and anger.
They disturb us even though we do not disturb them.
Hence the best method is to practice indifference (upek)
towards them. Should we not correct them? Well, it
sounds quite inviting but it is not that easy. Often in
the process of correcting them we absorb their evil
tendencies and instead of changing their ways, we might
end up going along the same way! It is thus better to
keep away from themwe should be on our guard but
should not go headlong to correct them. There is a
higher power to do this work.
Hence a spiritual aspirant should try to avoid
them. This does not mean we should hate them but we
should be indifferent to them. It is not easy to change
their deep-rooted samaskaras born of their past karmas.
Instead of talking or thinking about them, it is wise to
keep away from them. By talking and thinking, we
unconsciously absorb their evil nature. So we should
practice indifference to them.
We need to change our habit of correcting others.
To correct or control others has become second nature
with usso much so that if we fail to correct others,
we feel disturbed. We should learn to drop a few things
in life. This does not mean dereliction of duty. The
idea is that what is not in ones area of activity, one
should not be poking nose into that. Let us stick to our
47
svadharma and not try to step into others svadharma.
Correction or punishing others is the svadharma of a
leader or a reformer, and not everybody needs to take
the law in his hands. We should understand the issue
in the right perspective. It may sound like running
away from responsibility, but surely it is not so. Our
responsibilities are defined by the type of role that we
have taken up. A spiritual aspirants responsibility is
not to go about correcting the society but become an
example of moral and spiritual virtues. And by becoming
an example, he corrects the society. He brings a silent
change in others through his own life.
To purify the mind, thus, means developing these
different kinds of attitudes and be adaptive in our
approach. It is not the objects or persons or even
situations that disturb us, it is our attitude or response
towards them that really disturbs us. It is our mind
which matters most. We are not bothered by what is
happening in other parts of the world. We are bothered
about what is happening to usor our reaction to what
is happening to us. So, what we need is an adaptive
approach to situations and persons.
Making the Mind Calm and Clean
Yoga is not an easy chair philosophy; it deals with
the problems of life, teaching and guiding us how to
maintain equanimity of mind (samatvam). In all situations,
one has to keep the mind calm. In reality, no situation
is good or bad in itselfeverything is relative. It
depends upon how we look at it. Instead of feeling
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victimised, we should look at tough situations as
opportunities to make us more mature and sensible. By
undergoing pain and misery, we learn to understand
the nature of our mind and the world. We become
more thoughtful and responsible. This in turn leads to
the purification of mind (citta prasdanam)
We should own up our karma and take things in
their stride. We have the inherent capacity to convert
every situation into a positive one. Even if things are
bad outside, one can change ones outlook. If a situation
is tough, one should carefully review it. We suggest to
our mind to be strong, humble, simple and remain
righteous and good. This is how it becomes a process
of understanding the life better.
Normally we think that we have no choice in the
matter. But to be happy or miserable is our choice.
The key is in ones own hand.
Whenever we get negative thoughts, we should
raise opposite and positive thoughts. When anger, lust,
greed and other inner enemies of ours raise their head,
we should raise thoughts contrary to them. If, for
example, mind is possessed with greed or desire for a
particular object, one should ask: why am I so attached
to this? Is it going to make me happy really? We will
soon discover that the real source of happiness lies
within. External happiness brings a lot of bondage. We
should analyse our mind and learn to see the
consequences of temporary happiness that we want.
Thus the mind will slowly become free from all
attachments and become pure.
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Let us conclude with a story.
Once, the king of a certain country wanted to
choose a successor. His idea was that the successor
should be capable to manage the affair without any
partiality. This meant that he should be free from all
temptations.
In order to make the right selection, the king hit
upon an idea and announced that the candidates
aspiring to be his successor will have to a reach near
the palace at an appointed time.
Meanwhile, he ordered the setting up of a
makeshift market, with numerous shops and glamorous
scenes with many objects all around. Many tempting
things were kept on display and everything was free
no one had to pay for anything that he wished to have.
All the candidates were required to pass through that
wonderful place in order to reach the palace. They
were asked to reach the palace before a certain point of
time. Many people entered the market place but most
of them got lost on the wayforgetting themselves in
enjoying various objects, dance and music. Only one
person withstood all the temptations and reached the
palace on time. The king was glad that he had found
the right man.
Such is the case with the ideal of seeking a pure
and clean mind, too. If one has an appointment with
the king of inner peace and purity, one should not
waste the time in the market place of temptations on
the way! We have a purpose in life. We want to become
free and spiritually enlightened. Hence we should be
50
willing to let go all the temptations on the way or else
we will not reach the goal.
Keeping the mind pure and clean is the greatest
virtue in life.
D D
8
Sthairyam (Steadiness)
Sthairyam means the sense of consistency and
perseverance in whatever one does. It is a well-known
fact that no real work can be done by fits and starts.
One should be consistent and steady. In order to do
things consistently, a person should be convinced about
its importance and the need to do it. And in order to
be convinced, one should have the right company. In
the context of living a spiritual life steadily and
consistently, one should live with the people who are
convinced that God- realization is the purpose of life.
One should talk to them and ask them how to go about
with life. This should be done with great earnestness.
To be steady is a sign of a stable state of mind. In
the Gita one finds Arjuna asking Sri Krishna repeatedly
about what is the best of actions in life. Krishna tells
him that moksha alone is the best, and sannyasa is the
way. But sannyasa is the best only if one is competent
and qualified to take it. If one is not qualified, doing
karma in the right way is the method. Having known
that moksha is the ultimate goal of life and the path of
sannyasa is the best, Arjuna was fair enough to realise
that he was yet not qualified for it. Sri Krishna knew
this too. Hence, Krishna tells him to fight the battle of
life. In other words, instead of taking a formal sannyasa,
Arjuna should do work; or be a Karma Yogi.
52
Arjuna was born in a kshatriya caste and thus had
a body-mind constitution full of rajas (the quality of
activity); he was best suited to do Karma even though
he wanted spiritual knowledge. Self-Knowledge and
doing Karma, as some believe wrongly, are not opposed
to each other, but are two links in the same chain.
Karma, rightly done, leads to purity of mind which is
the primary condition for gaining Self-Knowledge.
Arjuna understood this scheme of life clearly. The
scheme is this: do your duty (svadharma), which will
purify the mind (chitta shudhi) and then finally giving
up external action, one will deeply reflect and meditate
over the Vedantic Truths. These are the well-known
three steps about sadhana: first listen to the truth
(shravana), then deeply reflect over them (manana) and
finally, having cleared the mind of all doubts and
impurities meditate on the truth (nididhyasana). Through
this process one gets established in the knowledge about
the truth and finally becomes fit to attain jnana or Self-
Knowledge.
After understanding the scheme clearly, the person
has to find out where he stands in that scheme. In
some cities or large campuses, they show the road map
of entire place and then mark out You are Here.
Having known where we stand, we then chalk out the
path to our place of destination. Similarly we should
know where do we stand in this the cycle of worldly
existence (samsara chakra). This means evaluating
ourselves, the state of our mind, the state of our
maturity, our emotional strengths, our understanding
of the ways of the world and our mind and so on. The
53
scriptures tell that once we realize where we are, next
we should take the path best suited to us at that stage
of life. We must keep to this inner order of steps. For
this we should know what we need now and be
determined (purusharatha nischaya) about it.
As life is short and has many pitfalls and
temptations, we have to quickly decide what we want.
Do we want to spend our life only struggling with the
outside? Correcting others or correcting ourselves? If
we think that we need to change before changing others,
then we should turn within. This approach is different
from others who are busy correcting others. It is like
becoming an athlete. If one wants to be an athlete, he
should spend his time building up his stamina, do
workouts, do exercises and jogging, toughen his body
and be willing to face challenges in the race. He should
not be blaming others and correcting the ground for
his running. Similarly, the mind of a spiritual aspirant
should be taught how to adjust itself to the lifes
situations by repeated preparations. When the goal
(lakshya) becomes clear then the way (marga) too becomes
clear. If one is not clear about the goal, the mind keeps
shifting from place to place and learns nothing. If you
go on digging a well at several places, you will not get
water anywhere. On the other hand, if you keep digging
in one place, you will get the water. One should thus
be steady in ones efforts.
To be steady or committed to one way of life, one
needs clarity of understanding and clarity cannot come
without deep thinking and analysis. Says a Sanskrit
verse:
54
=tet|v*ta -t=ta,|-at n-t=ta t|a
et tetrt=t =t|-a et |=|=ta ,tt -t e t=t ==|-a
When two pieces of dry twigs are rubbed, fire is ignited
(kaht agnirjyate mathyamnt).
If earth is dug, it gives out water (bhmi toy am khanyamnt
dadti).
If there is enthusiasm nothing is impossible (sotshnm nsti
asdhyam kicit).
[Hence] If you start towards the right direction and keep
working, you will reach the goal (margrabdhh sarve yatna
phalanti).
The point is that we should not waste our efforts
in constantly changing our loyalties. Human life is so
precious and the time allotted to us is so limited. We
should not waste our efforts and time in trying our
hands at different places and doing things sporadically
and inconsistently. It could be a great subject to study
how human beings start and leave things half done!
Again, merely taking an initiative is not sufficient.
We should have commitment to it and that comes when
our emotional self is one with our intellectual self. The
intellectual-self only makes an intellectual decision that
it is good to do something but to put it into practice
becomes possible only when our emotional-self comes
into picture. Intellectual-self may be compared to a
father and emotional-self to a mother. Hence we have
both father and mother in us. Since our emotional-self
implements the decisions made by the intellectual-self,
it will be good if the emotional-self takes the decisions
as well.
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How to make the emotional-self take decision? To
do this one should think deeply and analyze. This will
lead to the conviction that This alone I have to do, I
cannot waste my time anymore. This is how steadiness
comes in life. And once one becomes steady then one
does not need external support and motivation.
A clear mind is the source of steadiness. If I know
very clearly what I want in my life, commitment is
bound to come. How committed are people to money,
power or popularity! They keep thinking about them
and cannot even sleep. Being convinced that they need
these things, they are forced by their own mind to
work day and night. Similarly a person, who is
convinced that he wants moksha or spiritual
transformation, will spontaneously work harder. Only
when we apply our mind consistently on our spiritual
goal can we really work to reach it. No matter in what
condition we are placed, we should not give up our
struggle. Says a verse:
t= rt = a a t= |* t | t|a
e t |=t = | t = |=+|at ta ||-a tt
When the great ocean was churned (samudra manthanam)
by gods, it gave rise to many things. Along with numerous
attractive objects, dreadful poison also came out. Poison
could not frighten gods nor could precious gems tempt
them from their efforts. They continued to churn the ocean
till the nectar (amrita) came out.
This is the ideal of steady effort. Once we are
committed to our goal, we should go on working in
spite of difficultiesuntil we reach our desired objective.
56
If we stop before gaining that, we will have to start all
over again. We should know that no great result can
be achieved without persistence and consistency.
In summary, let us remember that only when we
know where we stand can we know what our duty is.
In acquiring wealth (artha) and the means of enjoyment
(kama), our past karma (prarabdha) play a decisive role.
Doing ones duty and striving for moksha always
involve conscious self-effort (purushartha). But we try
to see things otherwise. For getting money and for
fulfilling our desires, we work so hard but when it
comes to fulfilling duties or doing noble actions and
seeking moksha, we say past karmas or the will of God
will take care!
Self-effort is required for all self improve-
ment and that includes becoming more steady and
consistent in our thoughts, words and actions.
D D
9
Atmavinigraha
(Control of oneself)
The word atman has several meanings. Generally
it means the innermost Spirit or the Indestructible Self
present in every living being. It could, however, also
be used to mean physical body, or mind, or senses and
even the pure sense of being (pratyagatman).
In the present context, the atman stands for
upadhislimiting adjuncts or traits that create a sense
of separateness from our Divinity. To control oneself
thus means bringing ones various upadhis under
control. The divine core of our being, the atman residing
within us, is ever-free but the upadhis make it look
limited and impure. In order to regain ones true state
of being, one has to get rid of or at least keep under
check these upadhis. To control, however, does not
mean troubling the body, but making it cooperative in
the process of regaining our divine identity.
Acharya Shankara in his commentary on the term
upadhi defines it as something contrary to our state of
liberation (moksha pratikula). One gets Self-Knowledge
(aham brahmsmi jnnam) only when ones senses and
the mind are disciplined and obedient. By their very
nature, the senses and the mind are not obedient.
Moreover, they try to argue against all ideas of our
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being eternal, pure atman. The senses try to convince
us that we are not atman; our body tries to convince us
that we are not atman; our mind too tries to convince
us that we are not atman. The mind argues that if we
are the brahman, then lift this mountain! Leave alone a
mountain, lift this stone! When we cannot lift even a
stone, how could we be the all-powerful atman? The
mind will tell us all this.
Such arguments have to be properly an-
swered. The scriptures do not say this human body is
all-powerful. The scriptures say that atman is all-
powerful. And we want to test the all-powerfulness
through the body! We could strengthen the body but
cannot make it all-powerful. That is against the laws of
nature. But if we continue to advance our arguments
about the all-powerfulness of the body, we will get
disappointed. And then we will say that scriptures are
wrong!
Our upadhis want us to buy the idea that we are
limited and weak. If we want to fight against this idea,
we should discipline our upadhis through proper
training. We will have to do it in such a way that our
senses, body and mind should become friendly and
cooperative towards realizing our real nature.
We can grasp the truth about our real nature only
if we do not reject what the Upanishads tell us about
it. Why do we reject the Upanishadic truths? The simple
reason is that we are attached to our body and all
other upadhis. We take our upadhis as real and the
truth of Upanishadic teachings as unreal!
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It is like our taking side with strangers and
rejecting the real owner of a house. Atman is the real
owner, upadhis are strangers or visitors. We should
therefore correct ourselves and make our upadhis obey
our higher nature, and discover our true nature.
The Yoga scriptures aim at making these upadhis
cooperative and obedient. Practice of asanas (yogic
postures) helps us to make the body cooperative. The
practice of pranayama (regulated breathing) helps us to
make the mind cooperative. So do the other steps of
yoga like pratyahara (gathering in of thoughts), dharna
(fixing on an object) and dhyana (absorption) help us
to make the mind cooperative. All these yoga-steps try
to harmonize the various inner and outer instruments
through which the atman manifests itself. When our
body-mind is calmed down, then the power to
discriminate between the self and the non-self becomes
possible. Then only do we understand that atman is
ever-detached and eternal.
This is what atmavinigraha finally aims at: paying
attention to our body and mind and making them agree
to obey our higher impulses. This cooperation cannot
come automatically; one has to work for it. We have to
pay attention to what they are doing. If we do not pay
attention, they will go out of control. If one is restless
and cannot sit quietly for five minutes during the
youthwhen we have the strength to do sothen how
can we do so in old age? Capacities of our senses and
the mind decline as we age. Sri Ramanujacharya says
that we should draw a boundary line around the mind.
Then only it can follow spiritual disciplines. The mind
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should not step out of this boundary line. Hence, we
should introspect; we should check our minds
movements; check its likes and dislikes, and hold it
steady on one point and learn to meditate.
D D
10
Indriyartheshu-vairagyam
(Detachment towards the
objects of senses)
Detachment or vairagya means a spirit of being
non-attached (virgasya bhva vairgyam).
Rga means attachment. A person who is free from
all mental attachments is called detached (virg). To
not to have any attachment or attraction towards objects
of senses is called detachment (vairgyam).
How can one not get attracted to objects when
they are so seducing, stimulating, exciting and thrilling?
Can it be done? Neither these objects nor our senses
nor our mind takes permission from us before doing
their job! When we are in such a messy situation, how
could there be any detachment?
Well, there is a way out.
One can develop detachment by a special type of
thinking called dosha darshanam or seeing defects in the
objects of senses. To see the defects in the objects of
senses is to look at the price tag attached to the thrill
and pleasure which the objects offer. And what a price
it is!
When we indulge in senses pleasures, temporarily
all our worries and disappointments seem to disappear
62
from the scene. Under the spell of excitement, we seem
to forget our problems, even though they have not
been solved. This is what exactly the drugs also do.
The nervous system is stimulated and is forcibly made
numb through the chemical present in the drug, leaving
aside all thoughts for the time being. Similarly we
become slave to the sense of thrill, leaving aside really
important issues of life. Indulging in sense-pleasure is
also same as taking drugs.
Whenever we enjoy an object of enjoyment, it
creates two types of reactions: favourable or
unfavourable. When we are enjoying an object of senses,
it gives us some pleasure, makes us forget our problems
and gives a good feeling about it, then we think it as
favourable; we develop an attachment towards (raga)
it. When an object gives us an unpleasant feeling, we
think it as unfavourable, and develop a sense of dislike
(dvesha) for it.
These raga and devesha emotions are roused
whenever we come in touch with those objects again.
Our old memories (samaskaras) are thus aroused and
repeated experiences in turn create these memories and
tendencies of likes and dislikes. A mere thought of
objects can stimulate the mind even though the objects
themselves may not be present. This is the psychology
behind the strong likes and dislikes which people have.
All sufferings are caused by raga and dvesha.
In order to overcome this, the only way is to
develop distaste towards all sense-pleasures. We should
practice indifference towards the sense-objects by
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looking at the misery they create later. We should
associate some dosha or defect with them. To see a
defect is seeing the limitation inherent in the object.
We often think that every sense-object is all-powerful
and attractive! We should remind ourselves that it is
not so. It is like coaxing a child. He does not see the
connection between an object and its painful result. He
does not realize that eating wrong stuff will make him
fall sick later. He just runs after it.
Same is the case with the untrained mindlike a
child it goes on asking for the objects of senses. This
childishness is present in everyone. It does not want to
listen to any reasoning. What we have to do is to make
it see the connection. To see the connection between an
object or a tendency and the resultant misery, is called
seeing the defects.
Vivekachudamani, the celebrated text on
introspective thinking, says that five types of creatures
get killed because of their attachment to a particular
object of enjoyment:
1. Deer are attached to sound. Hence, the hunter
plays sweet notes of music on a flute; the deer come
attracted to the source of music, and get trapped. Once
a monk saw that a hunter was chasing a deer which
ran faster than the hunter. Then keeping his bow and
arrow down, the hunter took out a flute and began to
play it. Mesmerized by the sound of flute, the deer
turned back and came running to the hunter. Then the
hunter kept the flute down and killed the deer. Sound
killed the deer!
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2. A moth goes after a flame, attracted by its rupa
(colour and form). It does not see the burning nature
of fire. It comes near the fire, touches it, and once its
wings are burnt, it falls down. Moths rush to fire,
without knowing that they are going to die, because
they are fascinated by rupa.
3. The elephant has a great weakness for the sense
of touch. A bull-elephant gets excited when it sees a
cow-elephant. It rushes towards her, not seeing the
trap of covered trench between him and her. He steps
on it, falls into the trench and becomes imprisoned for
life. Even though a mighty animal, an elephant loses its
freedom forever, because of its weakness for touch.
4. Similarly, the fish goes after the bait and gets
hooked. The fish looks at the bait as a piece of food. It
goes to bite it and ends up losing its life.
5. So is the case with the bee. A bee, while enjoying
the fragrance of lotus, gets inside it and remains inside
it even after sunset and gets trapped in it when the
petals close. And then it gets crushed to death by wild
animals which may happen to trample upon the flowers
at night.
Each of these creatures meets its end due to its
weakness to a particular sense; and then what to talk
of the fate of human beings who have weakness for all
the five senses! If this fact is seen and seriously
meditated upon, we develop detachment towards sense
objects. However attractive an object may be, if the
potential danger accompanying it is understood, it loses
its attraction. Just a drop of poison makes milk
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inconsumable. Fear takes away the attraction. But that
is not an ultimate solution. It is only a temporary
solution.
The scriptures tell us it is not sufficient that we
should pursue our goal of self-improvement (ishta
sadhana); it should make us feel happy. This is what the
mind wants: a guarantee against misery. But we get
deluded again and again! We should learn to see the
temporariness of the happiness derived from the sense
objects. If one can recognize how one loses ones
freedom by indulging in sense-pleasure and the never-
satisfying nature of these pleasures, then one develops
detachment. Detachment comes from deep thinking
(vichara) and this mental analysis should be supported
by meritorious actions (punya karmas). One gets true
detachment only if one has done meritorious actions.
This can be seen in the life of the great poet saint
Tulasidas. Just one sentence from his wife directed him
towards love of Lord Rama, and detachment towards
the world. He must have heard similar statements many
a time earlier but they did not produce any effect on
him. But when the right time came (his meritorious
actions started working), his wifes simple words
brought a U-turn in his life and he became a saint. The
time had to ripen for the words to become effective.
Many people get such detachment in life by hearing
just one single sentence or a single incident like that. It
happens because of their meritorious actions done in
the past. Deep thinking alone will not bring the desired
result of becoming detached.
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We should analyse what happens when a particular
sense brought in touch with its object is withdrawn.
The mind becomes disturbed. To remove this
disturbance, we search for the object. Once we get the
object, we become happy. This is solving a self-created
problem! So we should examine whether it is the object
that gives happiness or is it the settling down of mental
disturbance created by the object that makes us feel
happy. Simple truth is that we become happy because
our mind becomes quiet. The mind was quiet before it
got used to such a like for the object. It gets disturbed
in between and after it gets the object, it becomes calm,
creating an impression that the object gives happiness!
A Sanskrit proverb says that the shade of a tree
gives a pleasant feeling to a person who comes under it
after walking in the hot sun. The one who is already
sitting under that shade may not enjoy it so much! Is it
the shade that gives happiness or the happiness is due
to the fact that one had been walking in the hot sun?
Similarly, when the mind wants something and is thus
agitated, it becomes happy when the cause of its
agitation is removed. But why allow an object to create
agitation at all? If we do not allow the mind to become
agitated, then we will be naturally free and calm. We
become agitated because we think that our happiness is
dependent on that object. Think of the slavery of a
deer or an elephant to their objects! Freedom from
want is the source of natural state of happiness.
As most of us already have so many desires, what
is the way then?
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First thing to do is to not to create a fresh bad
desire and habit. The old habits can be got rid of by
practising deep thinking and by developing a sense of
distaste for them. For the first few days, one will have
to struggle to overcome that old habit. It may be un-
comfortable, but after sometime, the body and the mind
will start getting adjusted to that pleasure and start
behaving properly.
Let us remind ourselves the fact that life is very
short. We cannot continue to squander away our time.
No one knows when the bubble of life is going to
burst. If we understand that bhoga [enjoyments] creates
a harmful samskara in the mind, then we will not indulge
in them. Objects of senses may look tempting but they
are like villains in the form of smart looking people.
We must be on our guard and develop a sense of
detachment based on deep thinking.
Vairgya should be for boththe seen (da) and
unseen (ada) enjoyments. Objects of senses create
bondage. They take away all vitality of body and mind,
and in turn make us slaves to those enjoyments. Later
these samskras knock at our door again and again and
make us helpless and miserable. Viveka-
cmai says that the sting of an object (viaya) is more
dangerous than that of a poisonous snake.
To sum up: let us look at the price tag attached to
an object before we think of enjoying it. We should see
how sense-enjoyments are a trap and take away all our
independence. If freedom is taken away what else
remains in life? A person who values independence
will develop vairgya soon.
11
Anahamkara (Absence of ego)
Aham means I or ego. Ego is at the root of our
earthly existence (samsra). It is also the cause of sense
of superiority or separateness from others. To keep
ones ego in check is an important spiritual value. When
a person is egoistic (i.e., has ahamkara), he develops an
air about himself. He then finds it humiliating to respect
others because he equates respecting others with
disrespecting himself! Being distorted in his thinking
thus, he becomes insensitive to others feelings and has
no consideration and sympathy for others. Even behind
his cloak of apparent sympathy is hidden his sense of
arrogance and superiority.
Some people are so obsessed with themselves that
when they speak, they use the I ten times in every
sentence. They cannot talk without referring to
themselves. But if we examine this I, we will discover
that it is a false entity. Work that we do is done by a
number of factors but it is our I which takes away all
the credit. There are many factors, seen and unseen,
which come together to make any work possible. But
without recognizing their contribution, we jump up and
say, I have done it, I am the author of this situation!
A matured and honest person, however, will only
attribute all his success to a combination of many factors
and be modest about the role that he has played in it.
He will not make any tall claims for himself.
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Why do we become arrogant? Because we do not
exercise our discriminative faculty. We think too much
of ourselves and fail to see how other factors have
played a pivotal role in all our actions. All our sense of
superiority comes because we lack a broader perspective
of life. For example, when we dig a well, we only dig
the earth; water is already present in the earth, and we
take credit for the drinking water that comes out of it!
Likewise we sow a seed, it sprouts and becomes a
tree and bears fruits; and we claim, I have produced
the fruits. At the very face of it, it is a false assertion.
We did the sowing of a seed but its sprouting, growth
and the coming of fruits come from a power inherent
in it. We do not create flowers or fruits; Nature does
it. On a closer examination of the whole issue, we will
find that our contribution is indeed very little. Neither
water nor manure was created by us; we only brought
it together. We are mere agents of action. When we
thus analyze our claims, all our egoism begins to melt
away. Egoism is like a harmful virussomething which
should be removed from our mind.
We are mere instruments in the hands of a Higher
Powerwe are like a pen which has no right to say, I
wrote this letter; whatever is written, is done by the
writer and not the pen. Good or badit is all written
by the writer. Similarly body, mind, and our senses are
mere instruments. Minus them the person is nothing.
And these instruments are in the hands of the Divine.
As stated above, for an event to occur, innumerable
factors are involved. When we put all these factors
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together, it is called Ishwara. With His thousands of
hands and feet, Ishwara performs all the actions of the
world and we take the credit for it. How foolish and
thoughtless of us! In absence of introspection, ego
becomes even more crystallized.
Egocentric people look upon everything as a
prestige-issue. Whenever anything becomes an issue of
prestige, it creates a situation of point-of-no-return. A
prestige-conscious person thinks: My way or no way.
He does not care whether it may cause inconvenience
to others or whether it is necessary to do that work; he
just wants to fulfil his sense of false honour and prestige.
This creates discontentment and being discontent and
unhappy, one then tries to control others to fulfil his
selfish agenda. A happy and contented person enjoys
others happiness and does not try to control them. He
enjoys giving freedom to others and does not try to
possess them.
In order to satisfy their ego, many people are
ready to even do harm to others. But with deep
introspection, we begin to see things more clearly.
Success or failure in any context depends on so many
factors. By chance, we too participate in that process or
happening. We can never be sure of the final result of
our actions because the result is not in our control; we
can only do our actions. We can only play our role and
not appropriate all the results.
An arrogant person, on the other hand, feels bad
if the credit of doing something is not given to him.
And sometimes without doing something, he wants to
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have the credit! The remedy lies in seeing or recognising
the Universal Will, the Ishwareccha, behind all our actions.
If we can recognize the Universal Will, our egoism will
vanish. Egoism is an unending problem of the jiva [the
embodied soul]. From time immemorial, we have
allowed our ego to flourish and dictate terms; it will
not, therefore, change its ways overnight. We will have
to be vigilant and detect its workings and slowly size
it up. Mere intellectual understanding is not sufficient;
one should actually go beyond all sense of duality.
When we begin to discover that we are mere
instruments, we then see the hollowness of all ego-
driven actions and claims. This is the practice of
anahamkara or egolessness.
D D
12
Janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi-
duhkha-doshanu-darshanam
(Seeing the inherent defects in
birth, death, old age and disease)
Darshanam means seeing. Anudarshanam means
seeing again and again. In the present context, hence,
it means that we should see the defects inherent in the
impermanent nature of life. Repeated seeing is necessary
because we tend to forget what we have seen. We
should recognize the dukha (pain or defect) in janma
(birth), mtyu (death), jar (old age) and vydhi (disease)
again and again.
There are six vikras (modifications) of the updhi
called life: jyate (is born), asti (exists), vardhate
(grows), vipariamate (undergoes change), apakyate
(degenerates) and vinayati (perishes). These are the
six forms of changes which body is subjected to. In
every one of these stages, there is dukha.
As long as one is identified with the updhi, one
has to suffer dukha. Whether healthy or unhealthy, all
living beings undergo these changes and the resultant
dukha. It is said that misery starts the moment we are
born. But nor does the heaven idea solve the problem
of dukha. After enjoying in the heaven, one has to
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vacate ones place there because sooner or later the
eviction notice in the form of the end of punya-karmaphala
(merit born of good actions) will be served and we
will be reborn on earth! And then again we have to get
into a womb (garbhavsa)filled with filth and muck.
What can be a greater misery than this!
The Garbhopanishad says that when one is in the
garbha (womb), one keeps praying to the Lord to take
one away from that situation. One prays for moksha
and promises to do sadhana when released. In the
womb, one is bundled up, cramped and trapped and
hence prays for release. But once one emerges out of
the womb, one forgets all misery of life in the womb
and gets caught into the same world of appearances
again!
Dukha, thus, begins right when one is born and
that is why babies start crying when born. This crying
continues the whole of our life, but as we grow, we
learn how to carefully hide the cryingit then continues
inside. Crying at birth is like the inauguration of the
long, unending chain of problems!
In old age, shoka (sorrow) and moha (delu-
sion) further fill the mind. Old people often keep
thinking, I should have done like this and I should
have not done that. They brood over the past and it
becomes a kind of their pastime. The bus that one
missed in life is remembered repeatedly. Again, in the
old age, our senses become weak; the immune power
is undermined and one becomes prone to diseases. At
the time of death, it is atidukha, great dukha. When
pra (life-force) readies to depart, it is extreme dukha.
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The point is that one should understand and
remember the limitations of life, body and all our
physical faculties. This reality needs to be remembered
not forgotten. We have to repeatedly see them.
When young prince Siddhartha went out in a
chariot into the city for the first time, he was shocked
to see a diseased, old person with his stomach swollen.
He asked, What is jar, old age? Ashwaghoshs Buddha
Charit describes it thus:
r- r-t e= =- ut =-t |= |== at=t
=tu - at=t | ||-;tt t *t =t =
That which kills beauty, decreases strength, is a source of
sorrow, robs one of all sense-pleasures, destroys memory
and is the enemy of sensessuch a shattered state [of body]
is called old age.
In old age, one becomes unimportant in his own
home! When one is young, one has the power and
rules the house and the same person, now in the old
age, is nobody. It is a shock for the mind. One becomes
unhappy because earlier one used to derive happiness
through sensory-enjoyment (indriya bhoga) such as
eating, seeing, hearing, and so on. But in old age that
capacity to enjoy is impaired. If one overeats, one gets
stomach problem and that stays on for days together!
Eyesight is weakened and one has to strain to hear,
and has little energy in doing things. One forgets and
keeps asking the same question again and again. If we
live that long everyone has to go through that phase. It
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is said that this body is a temple of diseases (ut t|
|- ). It is like a living-place for all diseases.
Human beings suffer dukha more because in
addition to physical pain, there is also emotional pain.
The emotional pain is not so much felt in birds and
animals because they do not have complexes and do
not make comparisons. Their competition is restricted
to filling the stomach and fulfilling their other basic
needs. They do not have the problem of possessing
and accumulating. But human beings have all complexes
such as I am small, inferior and ignorant, and that
makes them suffer more.
One should therefore be prepared to handle old
age which takes away the beauty, energy, power of
body and mind and as a result of which one feels
dejected. One should develop a matured and balanced
outlook towards life. When one is not wanted by others,
one should have the balance of mind to accept it. Instead
of feeling morose that nobody cares for me, one
should feel good that people are so strong and
independent now and do not need me any more.
Generally people care for the one who wields power
and when it is lost they do not bother about him. This
is the way of life. If one is mentally prepared then old
age is not a problem. On the contrary, old age, if
properly handled, can become a congenial factor to do
contemplation and prayers (atm anu-sandhanam).
No one can experience uninterrupted happiness in
this world; change and sorrow are inherent in life. One
has to rather face it with a right mindset. A man of
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discrimination (viveki) sees that everything has both
pleasure and pain inherent in it. And what appears
pleasure to the ordinary mind, the same has pain, too,
to the man of discrimination. It is because he sees the
future and does not get restricted to the present only.
With his power of discrimination, he can place things
in the right perspective and learn to be happy.
This is how the practice of seeing the defects repeatedly
leads to spiritual and moral perfection.
D D
Asakti (Detachment)
The word sakti comes from the root sajto be
associated or to be attached. Asakti is the absence of
sakti or sagaattachment.
The term attachment implies, in the spiritual sense,
a kind of mental stickiness. It is close to the term sneha
(which also means love) which means something that
glues things together. Our mind has the problem of
getting glued to objects and people. There are many
things and beings in the world but only some are special
to us and others are not. This is attachment.
Attachment is the unseen bondage (bandhana) that
binds the mind with the external world. It is a cord
made of attachment (snehamayi-tantu) which connects
the external objects with internal mind. This attachment
distracts the mind.
Associating with others or with objects is not a
problem in itself. While one associates with them, one
has to play a role, and in the process of playing the
role, one gets attached. An attached person is never
content with this doing something; he wants to have
more and wants to retain what he has. One can play
ones role in a detached manner, with a sense of moral
duty, but often fail to do so.
One develops a taste in pleasing others out of a
morbid sense of attachment. But then pleasing others
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depends on many things: the other person may have
many high expectations in terms of getting something.
And in spite of doing everything, one may not be able
to please others. This disturbs the mind and this
disturbance comes from a sense of attachment. An
attached person is always disturbed.
The Mahabhrata says that attachments are like nails.
As many attachments one has so many nails are driven
into ones heart. The more attached we are, the more
troubled we are. Even if we have pleased a hundred
persons, if only one of them is unhappy, our mind
becomes disturbed. One need not be cross with
everyone; just one person is enough to disturb the mind!
When our relationships are attachment-based, and most
often they are, they becomes a problem.
How to recognise an attachment? The simple way
to recognise an attachment is when one starts missing
the object and feel sad because of it. In attachment, the
key to ones happiness is handed over to the other
person. The other person or the object gets a remote
control of our happiness! And the fun is, we often
hand over this remote voluntarilynot to only one
person or one object but to many persons and objects.
Any one of these can press a button and we have to
dance according to their fancies. It is like one TV set
being operated by many remotes, each one wanting
to view ones own channel. Most of us are like that.
Attachment to others gives an opportunity to others to
control our mind. If we are not attached, we can control
our own system. Claiming the remote back and taking
charge of it is called detachment.
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Attachment is an obstacle in spiritual matters
because our mind keeps thinking of pleasing others. If
someone to whom we are attached is unhappy, our
mind then keeps thinking how to make him happy.
Making others happy becomes the priority rather than
doing introspection and self-reflection. We lose our
liberty and try to justify it. All our times is then spent
in trying to make others happy rather than going
deeper into our mind and discovering the real source
of happinessthe Self within.
This should be changed. Through proper thinking,
we begin to see the truth of our attachment and then
the idea of changing our ways comes to us. We have to
develop a sense of detachment to objects of senses and
persons.
We should not forget that it is our mind that
accompanies us beyond this life. The body dies but
until we attain moksha, the mind continues to live,
joining us birth after birth. We see only the hardware
(the body) but fail to take care of the software (the
subtle bodyskma arraor the mind). We should
learn to go deeper and seek to set right the software,
the mind stuff. Our real personality is not our physical
body but the mind behind it.
When one begins to address the skma arra, one
begins to address the fundamental questions of life
such as life after death, the idea of bondage and
liberation, and so on. But if we are bothered only about
the physical body and its comforts, the deeper issues
of life, and the values that should guide life, do not
even come to us.
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The Gita says that we have two types of inner
richesthe divine wealth (daivi sampat) consisting of all
higher values, and the demonic wealth (asuri sampat)
consisting of all animal instincts and lower drives. We
should look into our mind to know how much of sattva
and rajas and tamas we have, and how much of
righteousness and unrighteousness we have. We must
develop the habit of studying the subtler aspects of our
life. Only then we can understand and improve our
life. Then only the importance of cultivating the mind
(skma arra) becomes an issue with us.
However much we may take care of our physical
body, it all ends in just a handful of ashesand all
ashes are same! Ashes of a tree, an animal or a human
being are one and the same to look at. Thus, under-
standing and attending to the subtle body is needed,
and that is developed by asakti.
We keep thinking and worrying about the house,
husband, wife, children and so on. We think all depends
on us. We forget even if we are not there, the world
will go on. Moreover we have to die one day, leaving
aside all our achievements and possessions. Why then
this morbid attachment? We must recognize this fact
and try to develop a sense of detachment. We should
consciously try to cultivate an attitude of not being
affected by others and the objects of senses. This kind
of attending to mind brings about a qualitative change
in our life and leads to the development of sattva.
Attachment drowns the person in samsara and
makes him miserable. Such is the power of delusion
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that although we have been miserable in this and
previous lives, we do not learn our lessons. We rather
think that our attachment is a blessing!
Detachment is not running away from the world
or the objects. By just maintaining physical distance,
we cannot overcome our attachments. We may run away
physically but mentally we may be still thinking of the
same objects. We are tied to the world through our
mind, not by people or objects. We must learn to train
the mind and then only we can practice true detachment.
Readiness to walk out from any situation comes from
detachment. We should always keep our inner accounts
squared up and be ready to assert our spiritual freedom.
There is another side to detachment. We should
learn how not to bind others. We should discover the
wonderful joy of giving freedom to others. Our love
for others should blossom in making others emotionally
free, and not our slaves. This means keeping the mind
free from all expectations.
We have to meditate on these values. Only when
we have absorbed them mentally, we can see them
operating in our lives. This requires effort, sincere and
constant effort. To cultivate higher values is a battle
against our lower desires (vsans) and lower values.
Our vsans are like the downward flow of a river, and
cultivating spiritual values is like giving a u-turn to it.
One needs tremendous introspection, inner skill and
patience to do this.
D D
Anabhishvangah putra-dara-
grihadishu
(Giving up extreme attachment
to son, wife, house and so on)
Anabhishvangah means too much attachment.
Attachment means deep, inner hankering to possess an
object and feel miserable in its absence. An attached
person wants his object under his control always.
Abhishvangah means getting completely identified with
the object of attachment. Abhishvangah is chronic
attachment. So intense is this attachment that if the
person with whom we are attached falls sick or is
unhappy, we too feel sick and unhappy. It is like saying,
If my son is destroyed, I am destroyed. If my son is
nourished, I am nourished.
In other words, one is so attached that if a person
whom one likes is honoured, one feels honoured, too.
If he is criticised, one feels criticised, too. This kind of
dogged attachment is found with regard to ones son,
wife, house and so on (putra-dara-grihadishu).
The phrase putra-dra (son-wife) stands for all
relationshusband, children, parents, brothers and
sisters. It also refers to possessions such as car, electronic
gadgets, house and so on. When we are deeply attached
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to a house, if a nail is driven in the house-wall, one
feels as if it is being driven in ones own body!
Such deep attachment becomes an obstacle in
spiritual pursuits. Even in worldly matters, such
attachment can produce pain and misery. Suppose two
people are deeply attached like this. They may be
attached but, based on ones past training or experience,
our views may not always agree. In such a situation,
our attachment becomes a source of pain. Normally
even ones own children, wife or relatives do not
understand or agree to each other fully in all matters.
Complete, perfect understanding is a rarityat any
rate.
Though it is true that we all want freedom, only a
matured person is fit to handle freedom. An immature
person lacks proper understanding of the ways of life.
In order to become mature, one needs to take up some
responsibility and carry it on sincerely. Through
discharging ones duties, one becomes matured and
responsible. Often maturity comes only when there is
someone who is dependent on us, needing our care
and attention. In this sense, for most people entering
into a householders stage of life is the best way to
inculcate sense of responsibility and maturity. Learning
to take responsibility helps one to grow wiser and
thoughtful. One, who is unable to handle freedom but
has yet not learnt to become responsible, he should
take the responsibilities of a householders life.
As one grows, one begins to realise how the mind
works. We strike a relationship with other but any
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relationship can become a bondage. What appears like
a need at first becomes an obstacle later. Spiritual
striving becomes possible only when one is free from
attachment to the objects of desire (persons, things,
situations, etc).
Getting too much attached to things does not help
anyone. A true well-wisher is he who wants the person
of his affection to be free, independent, strong, wiser,
and ultimately a mukta purushafree person. In
household situations, people want others to be
dependant on them, tied down to them. Even wife and
husband want each other to be around and each is
eager to look after the other!
But most relationships are self-centred. In order
to be free from insecurity, people come together. They
want to fulfil their self-created needs and when that is
withdrawn by prarabdha karmas, they cannot bear it.
This is because by now, they have become deeply
dependant on each other!
A sdhaka [spiritual aspirant] needs time for sdhan
[spiritual practices]. In order to keep up inner
motivation, he needs company of like-minded people.
But that is not found normally. Life is a transit point
between two junctions. It is like waiting on a platform
for a few hours before each one catches ones train! We
have to part our ways. But parting is good when our
time comes. Till then we all stay together like friends
on a platform. All relations are like waiting on a railway
platform. We live for a few years together until our
name is called out. We keep changing the vehicle of the
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body from time to time, according to our prarabdha. A
spiritual aspirant has to see life as a transit point while
he is in between relationships. Our social life is like
meeting some people in the water-huts [piyaoo, in Hindi,
a small roadside room where free drinking water is
made available to the travellers; a practice common in
many parts of India]. There people halt for drinking
water, and after some verbal exchange, leave! That is
life.
But we are too much concerned about our family
members. Their care and concern only occupies our
mind, and the idea of God never enters. Yajnavalkya
says in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad [II. IV.5]: It is not
for the sake of the husband, my dear, that he is loved,
but for ones own sake that he is loved. This means
we should go to the atman-level, and there is the real
source of our being. The relationships at the body-
mind level are superficial and temporary.
We like the world because it makes us happy. As
long as people make us happy, we love them. This fact
is too hard to swallow, but it is the fact with most of
us. People love one another because of their mutual
usefulness. The day one ceases to be useful, he/she is
discarded.
A spiritual seeker should recognize this fact and
accept it. We should acknowledge the reality of our
mundane existence. For example, it is a common
experience that an earning member gets more attention
in a family than a non-earning one. The earning son is
more useful and makes parents happy. They may not
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say it openly but even in a family, people are ultimately
selfish. It sounds unfair, but it is a fact which cannot be
ignored.
One can see people in their true colours when one
is in real trouble. A true friend is one who stands by
ones side at the time of need. When we recognize this
fact, then comes the question: why should we lose time
and life for such people! In our scriptures we have the
examples of seekers giving up those who are not
concerned with our spiritual growth. For example:
Y Prahlada gave up his father for the sake of Lord
Narayana.
Y Bharata gave up his mother (Kaikeyi) for the
sake of dharma.
Y Vibhishana gave up his brother Ravana for the
sake of dharma.
It is necessary to accept this bitter fact: when a
person dies, no one else goes with him. All of us came
alone and will also be going alone. This is certain. We
fool ourselves thinking that we are together, one well-
knit family always! No! It is not so. Mind has to
understand this and see the higher purpose of life.
Only then will vairagya come.
You may recall the story of Ratnakara who
becomes Valmiki, the great saint-poet. He was a dacoit
who used to rob and loot people not knowing that he
was accumulating demerit (papa) for his actions. Sage
Narada removed all his misconceptions and guided him
to remember God intensely. Thus Ratnakara, the dacoit,
became Valmiki, the enlightened author of Ramayana.
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The fact is that when we earn money through
unethical means, demerit or sin stays with us while
whatever material wealth is earned, goes to others!
This is the result of our attachment. Our attachment is
the cause of our own misery. We do not see how the
mind gets carried away by emotions and becomes
helpless. We need to be strong inside. One can live in
the society without getting affected by it by being
emotionally independent.
It is said in Bhagavata that one should live like a
guest in ones own home. If one can do so, then one is
the happiest person. Whenever mind is emotionally
entangled, ones freedom is lost. Emotional
entanglement makes one dependant and dictates ones
life.
Why do we become so attached? The reason for
this deep attachment has a psychological basis. Often it
has roots in ones childhood. When our legitimate needs
[such as attention, respect and trust] are not fulfilled in
our childhood, then later in life if someone shows
sympathy towards us, we become attached to him. We
thus become vulnerable to exploitation. Such a deprived
person is ready to do anything for the sake of getting a
smile! If that smile is withdrawn, he will feel as if
oxygen is withdrawn! A person can feel abused merely
by a raised eyebrow! Even a small gesture becomes
very important for an emotionally starving person. And
when the mind is emotionally dependent, the capacity
to think loses its edge.
The best thing is that even while living with others,
we should be emotionally independent and secure. In
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order to get this inner freedom, one has to train the
mind. For being secure, one should reduce ones needs.
It should be a project of life to be independent. Priority
of life should be to simplify ones needs and
dependency, rather than stretching ones hand before
others. Thus independence is directly proportional to
minimizing needs.
When one lives in ones own house as a guest
then one learns how to de-link oneself from matters. A
guest does not interfere the household or the personal
matters of the house. It is left to others as to how they
conduct themselves. Everyone lives in a particular place
for some time (months or years), which is a short time
in Cosmic Time. Then why should mind be so possessive
at all?
We think we are the masters of what we have
inherited from previous generations. The fact, however,
is that we are not the masters but merely caretakers of
what we have inherited. After the head of a family is
gone, other members will use the wealth and property
he leaves behind in their own way. If this is so, why
not then allow them to have their own way while we
are alive? Why not teach them the proper use of our
wealth? We have to learn to give freedom to other.
We are just a guest in this house called life. Guests do
not control a house. This spirit of being a guest has to
be cultivated while living with people. One should
practice dispassion, knowing fully well that the world
is going to go its own way, and should accept difference
in opinions and ways of life.
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If we accept this diversity in life, we become less
burdened. Detachment relaxes the mind. Thus we should
learn to develop a value for being non-involved but
not being indifferent. Indifference means even when
others need help, we do not respond. Whereas being
non-involved means that whenever there is a need,
one comes forward without getting attached.
Generally our mind is oriented towards possessing
things. But if we analyse, we will see that possessing
is only a notion, a mental concept. Really speaking,
nothing belongs to anybody. A piece of land has been
claimed by millions of people since the time immemorial
and millions are going to claim it in future too. Courts
are full of land disputes, because people are so possessive
and think that what they possess will remain with them
always. One does not possess even his own body or
breath! These have been provided by God.
If ones breath goes out during exhalation, there
is no guarantee whether it is going to come back. The
Sanskrit saying has it that there is no guarantee that
when we breathe out it will also return! (nishwase naiva
vishwasa). When ones breathing itself is not in ones
hand, how can property be in ones hand? All ideas of
possession, hence, are just notional. When we are
deluded, we do not see the impermanence and
uncertainty of life. A person thinks that a house is his,
his garden, his property, his people are his! But he
forgets the fact that even his own body is not hishe
has to leave it behind!
We need to extricate our mind from whatever it is
stuck to. We get attached to events and persons and
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suffer. Thus our mind gets agitated and restless. When
things do not go our way, we grumble and brood over
it and experience pain. We should remember a well
known Sanskrit maxim: This world is like a magicians
show in sleep [svapnendrajla sada khalu jvaloka].
Just as one does not take things seriously in a
magic show and rather enjoys it, we should also learn
to be spectator and enjoy the magic of life.
This is the true spirit of detachment.
D D
15
Nityam samachittatvam
ishtanishtop-apattishu
[Maintaining equanimity of
mind in favourable and
unfavourable circumstances]
Life is a mixture of favourable ishta and
unfavourable (anishta) circumstances. Keeping the mind
calm regardless of external situations is called equanimity
of mind (samachittatvam).
Why Do We Get Disturbed?
By nature, the human mind tends to run after
external objects and in the process lose its balance. The
mind has its own self-importance (maana) and pretends
to be something special (dambha). We have to curb these
tendencies in order to maintain calmness of mind.
Again, we have only one mind! It has to be either
extrovert or introspective. In the pursuit of inner
growth, we need to train the mind to be introspective.
This means not getting swayed by external objects.
But, in the first place, why do we get carried away by
them? Because we attach great importance to them.
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Ish means to desire. Ishta is its past participle.
Desirability is a brand, just a label on an object. Objects
appear desirable sometimes and undesirable at other
timeslike warm clothes are desirable in winter, and
undesirable in summer. When a situation changes, the
mind changes too, followed by change in our mood.
Objects in themselves are neither desirable nor
undesirable; we become impatient to possess or get rid
of them; the moment an object appears desirable, we
want to grab it. But if we are patient enough, we will
realise that the object is not what it appears; then we
will not run after it.
Desirability and undesirability of objects is
provisional, and not an ultimate conclusion. Situations
change; they are not always same. A so-called good
situation can be a step towards a horrible event. Things
can be bitter in the beginning but ultimately can bring
a happy ending. Seeing things in their entirety is what
is important.
It is our attitude that makes us happy or unhappy.
Attitude, in turn, is dependant on how we view things.
If our view is based on a limited view of life, then we
quickly become upset. We should think well before we
jump to a conclusion. There is no one who is happy all
through his life nor is anyone unhappy all his life. Even
Lord Rama and Krishna were no exceptions. Rama had
to weep like an ordinary person. Even after he became
the king of Ayodhaya, Rama had to banish Sita to the
forest, and later undergo mental suffering. Sri Krishna
too did not have continuously happy situations. How
many times he had to fight the demons and adversaries!
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And then he had to be a part of the great war of
Mahabharata. This understanding makes a person a
tapasvia man of introspection and forbearance.
Learning from Difficulties
One of the meanings of the word tapas is tolerating
the pain of body (kaya klesha sahanam). When we get a
painful situation, we should learn to accept itfor our
self-improvement. Why? Because only when we are
faced with a difficult situation, we begin to think deeply.
For instance when a childs behaviour is difficult,
parents pay attention to it. A silent child does not
draw anyones attention. Hence, in order to correct
anything, we need to pay attention to it. When faced
with difficulties, we should suggest to ourselves thus:
Let me forbear it; God has given me this opportunity
to exercise my will power, so let me welcome it.
Tough situations give a chance to toughen
ourselves. Sharpening a knife cannot happen on a butter
slab! Only on a stone or an iron, where there is grinding,
sharpening happens. When everything is smooth, no
one tells a lie. The real test lies when one is in a morally
trying situation. In such situations, our strength is
tested. And when without becoming sentimental and
accusing others or situations, we stick to truth, we
become matured and wiser.
Let us recall the incident of Atmadeva who was
harassed by his foolish son. Instead of becoming angry
with his son, Atmadeva goes to the forest, does tapas
and gets Self-knowledge. He thanks his son for being
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rude to him! Had Atmadeva acted differently, he would
not have got Self-knowledge and never learnt of higher
dimensions of life. When Bhartrihari was rejected by
his wife, he began to think: One, who is always in my
thoughts, is indifferent to me! Though it came as a
shock and he felt deeply hurt for being rejected by his
own queen-wife, he thought over the whole matter
and developed genuine dispassion. Later he told her,
O Pingale, you are my guru! So many gurus came and
taught me about dispassion to the world; it made no
impact on me. But you have taught me without any
formal teaching! You have opened my eyes, which
others could not. Later, he goes to the forest to do
tapas and attains Self-knowledge.
We cannot say for certain which situation is
favourable and which is unfavourable for us. There is
an interesting story to illustrate this point. Once there
was a farmer who owned an unusually strong and fast
horse. The king of the country took interest in it and
wanted it for himself. The farmer refused the kings
offer saying he would not part with it, since he was
deeply attached to it. The villagers rebuked him for
losing the opportunity to sell it to the king for a good
price. After a few days, the horse got lost in the jungle.
Villagers sympathised with the villager for his bad luck.
One day the horse returned with some wild horses.
Now people applauded him for his luck. After few
days, the farmers son, while taming the wild horses,
broke his leg. Now villagers pitied him. After some
time, a war broke out and all the youngsters were
called by the king to fight in the war. All followed the
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order except the farmers son who could not walk due
to his leg injury. Most young soldiers died in the war.
Now, once again, the villagers admired the farmer for
his good luckto have a lame son, at least. During all
these events, the farmer only nodded his head and
never took the turns of life seriously. That is maturity
to accept life.
We do not know what is in store for us; hence we
need not be too critical in our opinions. Swami
Akhandananda Saraswati used to say, Do not praise
too much; you may have to criticise it. Nor be too
critical; you may have to praise it. This means
developing a sense of proportion and patience. Even
when a candle is turned upside down, its flame remains
upwards; flame will not go down. Likewise, we should
keep up our spirit. This is called dhairya vrittithe
tendency to go upwards. If one has dhairya vritti, then
even if one is thrown into waters or is left in the deep
forest, one will still be able to keep ones spirits high.
Keeping ones mind calm and balanced, one should try
ones best to convert all situations to ones personal
betterment.
Theory of Karma
If a situation is unpleasant, we should understand
that it is so because of our own karma. Such an
understanding will make even unpleasant situations also
bearable. It is only the results of our actions which
make us happy or unhappy. We are responsible for our
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happiness or misery. To say somebody makes me happy
or unhappy is foolish.
When others cause misery to us, they are only
bearers of our own karma. It is our unmeritorious
actions which return to us as pain and misery. It is like
a postman delivering us a money order or an ATM
machine giving us cash. Neither the postman has written
us any letter nor is the ATM doling out us any money.
We are getting what is ours. Hence we cannot either
praise or blame them. Likewise, only our karma comes
back to us. We should learn to view others as only
bearers or instruments to carry our own karma to us.
In this way, our approach to life will be more matured
and we would be able to maintain an unperturbed
attitude towards life.
Acceptance and Remedies
The problem is that we lack the ability to accept.
We grumble: Oh this should not have happened to
me. Yes, one can try to avoid the pain which is yet to
come but what has already come, one should face
valiantly. For instance, birth and death are not in our
control. The dead can never come back. We have to
accept it. As the Sanskrit saying goes: If happiness has
come let us enjoy it; if unhappiness has come, let us
face it. Like a wheel going up and down, happiness
and unhappiness come in life by turn.
There are certain difficulties in life which are
inevitable. What is that which can be called inevitable?
When even after trying, situations do not change, they
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are called inevitable. We should try our best to remedy
a difficulty and then accept whatever comes.
When we try to remedy something, it often opens
new possibilities to go further. Our scriptures give many
suggestions in this regard. For instance, if it requires
tremendous effort to correct a situation, one should
examine if such a step should be taken at all. Sometimes
accepting a situation is easier and wiser than correcting
it. If we try to correct or improve it, we may end up
creating more suffering. If by correcting something we
create disharmony, then it is better not to correct it.
We cannot, for instance, change our parentage;
we have no choice about the type of parent we have
after being born to them! Hence we have to accept
that. If we do not accept that, we are fighting against
the inevitable. That kind of resistance is meaning-
less. To exercise our power of discrimination does not
mean changing the impossible. Nor does it mean
accepting everything without question. Let us keep
moving in our path of spiritual struggle. Whatever be
the situation we get intogood or bad, beautiful or
uglywe should use our capacity to analyse and
understand things in a larger context.
We should understand that even after we are dead,
society will go in its own way! So let us do our best
and let go things which are not in our hand. If we
want a lasting peace of mind, we should be introspective
and handle ourselves with greater sense of discipline
and commitment. If we get into a difficult situation, let
us not give up our struggle. Often we drop our daily
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meditation by such silly reasons: Today it is hot; how
can I meditate! Or, It is so windy today; how can I
meditate! We should not stop our practice of meditation
under any circumstance. This is called maturity. Whether
it is hot or cold, do we not eat our meals! Why com-
promise with our meditation then?
Sri Krishna says in the Gita that irrespective of
any situation, we should keep moving. If mind is
disturbed, we need to ask, Why is it disturbed? How
to rise above petty issues. We cannot be always in
good health. Nor are all people friendly or situations
favourable. Let us accept life and keep moving.
Our mind often plays tricks with us and wants us
to relax our spiritual practices. We have not been
deprived of basic conditions for living such as water,
air, space and earth. Only sometimes certain facilities,
which are very superficial, may not have been available.
Whatever is essential to live that much all of us have.
Hence we should continue our struggle even without
those things.
The mind gets into some kind of mental dependency
and emotional entanglement. And when that facility is
withdrawn, mind gets disturbed. For instance, if
someone is not friendly, what difference does it make?
Should I stop doing my spiritual practice on that
account? That person was not known to us earlier! A
few years later he will not be there, and in between if
he is not friendly, so what? Let us accept it. If we
know how to tone down our expectations, then life
becomes a smooth sailing. It may be unpleasant, but
not unmanageable.
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People worry that they may lose their job and
indulge in all kinds of fanciful imaginations. It only
makes the matter worse. Instead of such fancy thoughts,
we should learn to look beyond. Life itself is uncertain.
Impermanence alone is the permanent truth of this
world. Moreover, when we were in the womb, we
were taken care of. When we were a baby, we were
taken care of. Birds and animals have no bank balance
or house, yet they are happy and alive. We human
beings, having sense organs, mind to think, why will
we starve? Our karma, which is the source of this body
and other things we have, will also bring necessary
things in future. We worry because we do not trust
ourselves and God. Many things we get in life unasked
things we never dreamt of. Likewise, many things have
disappeared from our life even when we tried our best
to keep them. If we were really the controller, then
what we wanted would have not disappeared and what
we did not want would not have come. It only shows
that there is a higher power playing a role in our lives,
and let us have faith in that.
Remedy Suggested by Vedanta
Steadiness of mind, regardless of external
situations, is a prerequisite or a value necessary for
Self-knowledge or Higher Truth. To cultivate this, we
need to be introspective and be analytical. Good or
bad situations should not make us disturbed and excited.
We should know how to handle the mind and remain
free from excitement and depression.
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Vedanta gives us a vision by which we can retain
the equanimity of the mind under all circumstances. It
is only the external situations which change and not
the atman or Divine Self which is ever the same. If we
are in tune with the atman, then external changes will
not affect us. At present our mind is tuned to external
situations and it rides on the wave of external changes,
and suffers. When we shift from the external world to
the Internal Core of our Being, the atman, then we
learn to be happy always. Whether one has a horrible
dream or a pleasant dream, the atman is merely a
witness and never undergoes any change. If one takes
dream seriously, mind gets disturbed. When it was
not present before and will not be later, then why be
worried about the present?
If we seek Self-knowledge, we should use our
power of introspection and self-analysis. From self-
analysis comes dispassion and dispassion makes us
peaceful. This means change of attitude. Let us take
ourselves as a big tree and our body as a mere leaf.
What if one leaf is lost; we are a large tree! Let us
think of ourselves as the Cosmic Selfvirat rupa. Behind
the apparent loss, there is a gain, and behind apparent
gain, there is a loss.
We should not forget the purpose of lifeSelf-
Knowledge. As long as our journey towards the goal is
not disturbed, a little wave of self-importance (mana),
insult (apamana), humiliation (ninda), and praise (stuti)
need not distract us. They only add some fun or spice
to life. A Sanskrit verse says, While a yogi walks on
his path of sadhana, someone says he is weird; some
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say he is learned, some call him an ascetic, some a
great yogi. None of these comments touch the yogi. He
is neither angry nor elated. He keeps moving ahead
like an elephant even while dogs bark.
An elephant does not stop to congratulate or
retaliate. It moves in its own direction. People will be
what they are. We too should be like that and go
ahead.
When we do not have big things to think of, then
small things become big and quarrel starts. Let us
become so big that even big things become insignificant.
Only by becoming big, we drown the differences. If
we remain small, world is overwhelming. If we become
big, difficulties disappear. This is how inner calm
(samchittatva) is attained.
D D
16
Mayi cha ananyayogena bhakti-
avyabhicharini
[By developing unswerving
devotion to Me by the Yoga of
non-separation]
Bhaktaa Sattvika Bhokta
There are two adjectives used with the term bhakti
or devotion to God in the above phrase. These two
adjectives are: unswerving devotion to Me
(avyabhicharini) and Yoga of non-separation
(ananyayogena). Let us understand these terms.
We, the embodied beings (jivas), have a strong
sense of enjoyment of worldly objects and desires
(bhoktritva). But as spiritual seekers, we have to change
our approach towards life. Thus the enjoyer (bhokta)
has to transform this worldly tendency to enjoying
God. This is how one becomes a devotee (bhakta). When
one becomes a devotee, ones craving for sense-
enjoyment (bhoktritva) becomes weakened and one
progresses towards freedom from desires. This inner
redirection of approach is the best way to change ones
tendencies.
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Most people want to enjoy objects of senses; they
want to use every available thing for their own selfish
purpose. The attitude of a devotee, on the other hand,
is entirely different. He does not want to use anything
for himself; he feels happy to serve God and His
devotees. He feels delighted if he can help others. He
feels happy by serving and not by being served. This is
still being an enjoyer but a sattvika enjoyer. A gross
bhokta thus becomes a sattvika bhokta.
One has to learn that by giving an upper hand to
sense enjoyment (bhoktritva), one only becomes
miserable.
Can anyone be happy with a demanding, bossing
person? Bhoktritva is to be like such a person: it makes
strong demands and imposes itself on ones own mind.
A mind demanding enjoyments can never be easy with
itself. It only makes one frustrated. Expectations and
frustration are inter-related. If mind expects more, it
will be more frustrated! A crude bhokta expects a lot
from people, and hence gets more miserable too. He
swings between the extremes of depression and elation.
One can enjoy playing on the swing as long as it is
smooth. If a swing rises too high, there are twitches in
the stomach and sickness is the result! Playing on a
swing is enjoyable only when it is gentle. At the same
time too slow a swing also does not give joy. Mind is
like a swing, and our lives, hooked as they are to
mind, too experience the same up and down as that of
a swing.
We have to realise that holding to strong likes
and dislikes, or strong opinions and judgments, is like
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the movement of a swingrising high, hitting the roof
one moment, and the next moment bouncing back to
bang on the ground! As we develop bhakti towards
God, we learn to swing in a balanced way. Then we
are not affected by strong likes and dislikes and become
more peaceful.
Cultivating Bhakti
One has to become a devotee in the true sense of
term. A true devotee is sincere to the core. Of course,
one can pretend to be a devotee, putting marks on
ones body such a tilakam, chandanam, and vibhuti. But
these do not matter to the Lord; a true devotee of God
is one who is selfless and self-sacrificing.
Bhakti is a relationship formed in the mind between
oneself and God. Through Bhakti our mind learns to
become subordinate to the object of devotion. In worldly
life, our ego does not want to submit to anyone. Rather,
it wants to take the drivers seat. It wants to dominate,
manipulate and exploit others. On other hand, in bhakti
our ego learns to humble itself, by taking the back seat
and submitting to God. It learns to keep its likes (raga)
and dislikes (dvesha) aside, and fill the mind with holy
thoughts.
We all have emotions. If we do not direct these
emotions towards God, we will direct them towards
the family and friends. Bhakti is directing our emotions
towards God. It is depending on God instead of others.
A bhakta learns to practice respectfulness towards
others. By respecting others, he learns to get rid of his
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cranky likes and dislikes. These likes and dislikes are
the source of all negative emotions. To have strong
likes and dislikes is like having a notorious terrorist
inside. It dictates terms to us and says, I want this and
do not want that! And like a slave of likes-dislikes, we
follow every word of what we are told by the inner
terrorist! What could be more miserable than this?
But one can overcome this by directing the mind
toward the altar of God. By devotion one becomes a
sattvika bhokta. A sattvika bhokta does not transgress
dharma and accepts life as it comes. Whatever life brings,
he receives it as Gods prasadam.
When an action is done with devotion, it becomes
spiritually rewarding. A bhakta does not wait to enjoy
the fruits of his action later; he enjoys even while doing.
He sees every opportunity to serve as a privilege and
not a job to be done. This brings him back his posi-
tive emotional self and when that happens it makes life
joyful, free from all drudgery.
Many times we do not want to do some particular
work yet we cannot help it and finally become tired
and exhausted. In other words, while working this
way our emotional self is full of negative thoughts and
feelings. But when our emotional self becomes positive,
we do not become tired, and remain enthu-
siastic always. Life, then, becomes a sweet melody,
and all discordant notes vanish. A sense of gratitude
fills the mind. Mind sees how it has received so much,
and in gratitude, wants to give back something. And
one begins doing so to the best of ones capacity. Our
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vision expands then, and we start seeing the Lord
everywhere.
Sadhanathe Path to Freedom
Sadhana or spiritual practice is a path towards
freedom. We have limited time at our disposal. If our
mind runs after wealth or worldly fame, we should
remind it that all these would be left behind when we
leave the body. Only our mind, its purity and impurity,
will go with us. We should try to make our mind
better through cultivating the divine qualities
(daivisampatti).
By always complaining about things which we do
not have, we are expressing our lack of gratitude
towards Lord. One keeps asking God to give an endless
list of things. Of course, to ask things from God is not
wrong. If one has to ask, then one should ask God and
not any mortal being. When we approach God to fulfill
all our needs, this it called unswerving
devotion(avyabhicharini bhakti). A Sanskrit proverb
(subhashita) says:
The legendary Chataka bird is very self-respecting. It
drinks only the rain water. When it is thirsty, it would
have water directly from the (clouds) only and from no
other source, even if it dies of thirst.
The point here is that to a devotee God alone is
the provider of everything. Why should he then
approach anyone else? A person who approaches others
for his needs does not have an unswerving devotion.
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Unswerving devotion means asking God and God
alone for my needs. Whatever is my need, I will
approach only Godthat is the attitude of a bhakta.
He is devoted to God only. Such an attitude brings
steadiness in ones spiritual efforts. Or else, one will be
like a housefly which sits everywhere and partakes of
all kind of things. A bhakta, on the other hand, is like a
honey-bee that sits only on flowers. It is called one-
pointed devotion (aikantika bhakti).
A person with unswerving devotion approaches
only God to solve his problems and God rescues him
from a precarious situation. Such a devotee does not
ask for favour from anyone else.
Bhartrihari, a great Sanskrit poet, says,
O friend please listen carefully to what I say. So many
clouds come in sky; some pour water, some roar and go
away. People are also like that. All are not going to fulfil
your desires. When desires cannot be fulfiled by all, why
do you go on telling them to all? If at all I ask, I will ask
God only. When He cannot fulfil them, even others cannot.
If it is not in our karma, nobody can do anything, so why
should not one ask God only? If He gives, fine, and, if not,
I accept it!
The Purpose of Spiritual Practices
The purpose of all our spiritual practices is to
remove our self-centredness. As an enjoyer, one tries
to use everything for oneself. But as a seeker of God,
one becomes aware of ones higher purpose of life, and
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hence instead to using others for ones purpose, one
develops an attitude of service and humility. One should
first of all be aware of ones worldly tendencies. Then
only can one amend oneself and give a spiritual turn to
his tendencies.
How to change ones attitude? Through
introspection and self-analysis. We have to realise that
we cannot be happy by just manipulating others. By
manipulating others we only make others miserable,
and that cannot bring happiness. It is only by making
others happy that one becomes happy. This
is a kind of enlightened self-interestto seek ones
happiness by seeking others happiness.
We keep complaining about things which we do
not have. When we are thus busy with our complaints,
we overlook the presence of things we already have.
What we are privileged to have is the precious human
bodyout of millions of other things which we could
have become, we are born as human. But we just do
not look at this privilege; we only complain. If only we
could focus on what we have, we will feel grateful for
it.
This feeling of gratefulness does not come easily
because of our complaining attitude. We need to realise
that everything is not provided to everybody. If
something is provided to us, something else is absent
in our life. Everyones life is a permutation and
combination of presence and absence; everyone gets
certain things and does not get certain things according
to ones past actions. It is said that people who have
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teeth do not have groundnuts (that requires chewing)
and those who have groundnuts do not have teeth.
That is life!
Reversing Our Roles
It is always said that of all the sadhanas, bhakti is
the best sadhana (uttama sadhana). Ultimately, Supreme
bhakti (para-bhakti) and Self-knowledge (jnana) are one
and the same. An ordinary mans life is ego-centred.
Bhakti melts down the ego. In bhakti, the attitude is O
Lord, what is yours, only is offered to you (tvadyam
vastu govinda tubhyameva samarpaye),
Thus, through bhakti, the ego becomes a secondary
enjoyer (gauna bhoktritva). Then Ishwara/Guru/elders/
others become more important than oneself. This is
akin to the working of a professional cook. Though he
himself enjoys what he cooks, the primary purpose of
his cooking is to please the master. So also a driver
enjoys his driving but he essentially drives for the
master. This is the case of a secondary enjoyer.
If we apply it in life, ego becomes purified and
ultimately disappears. In the path of devotion it is said
of ego: I and Lord both cannot be there. Either He can
be there or I will be there.
Bhakti is a slow and gradual melting down of our
ego. It is realizing the fact that we are merely an
instrument in the hands of God. When this feeling
(bhavana) becomes permanent, a change takes place in
our personality and we become free from all angu-
larities and pain.
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In bhakti one begins with the assumption I am
different from the Lord. But as one progresses, one
discovers that one is not different from the Lord. I
and the Lord are not different. This is called
ananyabhava. The term anya means different and ananya
means not different. One has to ultimately discover
the Lord as his own self (svarupa). One begins ones
journey by accepting the difference until the oneness is
discovered.
In another sense, in the path of bhakti one learns
to de-identify oneself from ones upadhiour false
personality. Our body and mind are controlled objects
and Lord is the controller. God is our Inner Controller
(antaryami) and He makes us function. One should
slowly find out the deeper dimension of ones
personality. We should pray to the Lord to give us
dispassion and strength to see our oneness with Him.
Finally, let us remember that we live in our mind
onlywhether in this life or the next. Hence it is better
to clean it up. Let us clear up all the garbage of anxieties,
worries, ego-struggles and wrong notions, and cultivate
purity of mind and devotion to God. Once that happens,
peace, shanti, enters into our life.
D D
Vivikta-desha-sevitvam
[Living in solitary places]
Vivikta-desha means a solitary place. Vivikta-desha-
sevitvam means retiring to a quiet place in order to
have a conducive state of mind. For a spiritual seeker,
living in solitary places is a great help. The place should
be congenial to mind (manonukula). It should be free
from anything which can cause worry and anxiety and
should be helpful in withdrawing the mind.
The ideal place for contemplation (mananam) is the
place where one has no internal or external pulls and
where one can remain within oneself without distraction.
However, Adi Shankara, in his commentary on the Gita,
says that such a place should not be just secluded but
also auspicious place (punyadesha), having holy
associations and a good location.
But just retiring to a secluded place is not enough;
one should be mentally prepared for it. A prepared
mind truly benefits from living in a peaceful place. But
if one goes to such a place unprepared, one only ends
up starting a samasara [get involved in worldly activities]
there!
A Sanskrit saying (subhashita) says:
vane api doshah bhavanti raaginaam,
jitendriyanaam graham tapovanam
17
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To a person attached to worldly things, even a forest is
full of distractions whereas to a man of self-control, even
his house is a place of holiness and self-control
[tapovanam]!
The Inner Solitude
An attached person makes enemies even in a
forest. Enemies and friends are everywhere. Wherever
we go, our mind travels with us.
While there are many problems in life, the problem
of fear is one of the basic problems. Whatever we are
afraid of, we carry it in our mind. If we are afraid of
ghosts and scorpions, for instance, we carry them in
our mind. We make them a part of our mental baggage
effortlessly! It is as if a crowd is always on move with
us, and wherever we go, this crowd is following us. It
is the crowd of things we are afraid of.
Another thing that we carry with us is our
expectations from others or from places. These
expectations throw open the doors for other undesirable
things. Fear and expectations are the two doors through
which the world enters our mind. If we do not sort
them out, we cannot really benefit from living in a
solitary place. Vivikta-desha-sevitvam becomes feasible and
fruitful only when we have sorted out these internal
issues.
We should keep our mind free from all external
objects. Outside objects should remain outside. If we
open the door of our mind to them, we invite these
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objects inside and with them come all related problems.
And once these objects enter within, it is not easy to
vacate them. Where is the idea of having seclusion
then? One should be free from all distractions and
expectations. Then only one gets serenity of mind. Or
else, our going to seclusion becomes just a publicity
stunt!
Some people seek solitude because they cannot
mix with others. To avoid people and feel lonely is
actually a kind of personality disorder; it is not spiritual
seeking.
Inner Preparation Required
One should first prepare for living in seclusion.
And this has to be done before one goes to a secluded
place. One does this by living among people yet being
mentally withdrawn from them. One should develop
an attitude of detachment (udaasina bhava). If one wants,
one can always find time for oneself to sit and
contemplate for some time. A tendency to eagerly look
forward to having time with oneself is the true essence
of living in a solitary place. Once we get this inclination
of mind, then we will naturally want to examine
ourselvesand that is the beginning of our preparation.
We should introspect and examine as to what we
have achieved in life. Human life is just a short span of
time and one cannot gamble away with it. Life rolls by
and after a few years, old age takes over. What then
are we left with? What shall we carry with us when we
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die? Where were we before birth? It is only when we
ask such questions that we would like to take some
time for ourselves and try to do some contemplation.
We should take out at least some time occasionally, if
we cannot devote ourselves to introspection as full
timers. Alternatively, one can spend some time in the
company of the wise.
When we do some good work and help others in
some way, we earn some merits (punya karma). These
meritorious acts give rise to noble and good tendencies
in the mind. Hence we should always keep an eye on
oneself, and daily scrutinize and critically examine our
own conduct and do only that which is good and noble.
The cumulative effect of such a habit helps greatly in
preparing us for higher life.
Most of us are busy in solving self-created
problems! We do things with great thoughtlessness and
then spend much time in solving them rest of our lives.
That is how most of our life is spent. But much can be
set right if we form the habit of regular self-examination.
There should be constant self- observation which should
be done along with whatever work we do. If a part of
the mind keeps observing us always, we will not indu-
lge in impulsive actions. This will serve as an internal
check and a constant reminder.
Self-Introspection
Many evils in life can be avoided through self-
examination. If we live mechanically, without self-
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introspection, we might pick up some bad thought or
habit somewhere, and it will become part of our life.
But if we are aware and change our attitude, we will
find a change taking place in our lives. All self-change
happens through change in our thoughts and that takes
place through self-introspection. When we begin our
daily habit of introspection, initially it may not be
qualitative. But as we stick to it, it will become keener
and deeper.
To begin with, we should try to hold such intros-
pection-session at least once dailywhen we get up in
the morning or before we go to bed or sometime in
between these two. We will surely find this practice
useful and then we will naturally find time for doing
it.
To do this self-introspection is true living in
solitude. It should be done in a place where mind
becomes easily calm. The mind becomes quiet when
the surroundings do not distract it and it can forget
them. One becomes involved in a situation if it impinges
on him. If there is joint pain, for example, one cannot
forget the existence of the body. So one should choose
a proper place and time to deepen ones introspection.
Before resorting to solitude, one should value
becoming a nobody. Then the world will not attract
us. Or else we will grow in worldly attachments, unable
to live in solitude. Our mind should be made like a
shock absorber, absorbing all jerks of life, making the
vehicle of life to run smoothly.
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Arati-jana-samsadi
[Distaste for the company of people]
Rati, in Sanskrit, means to enjoy. Arati means
absence of enjoyment. Jana-samsadi refers to the company
of people. So, arati-jana-samsadi means the absence of
enjoyment derived from the company of people.
Of course, some people cannot live without the
company of others. They feel connected and accepted
by being in others company. Their mental wellbeing
depends on their acceptance by others. They need people
around them without whom they become anxious and
worried.
But let us listen to what Adi Shankara says:
Praakritaanaam purushanaam samsadi aramanam
Prakrata Purushas are those who do not have the
spiritual bent of mind.
Of course, associating with the like-mind-
ed people is very helpful and highly recommended.
One should seek holy company (satsanga).
A person with a spiritual bent of mind will be
considered a misfit amidst worldly people. He will be
an odd man out there because his goal is different
from the worldly minded people. What is valuable for
him is not valuable for others and vice versa. There are
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no common values between him and others. He wants
knowledge, devotion, and noble qualities (daivisampatti)
and the worldly people shun all this stuff. Their interest
lies in name, fame, wealth, popularity, power and so
on. Hence getting along with such people is not easy.
Worldly people, again, do not mean what they
say. They utter sweet words out of formality. And
such formal people cannot become close and touch our
hearts. And unless there is a heart to heart relation
between us, we cannot enjoy others company.
So two things necessary for cultivating spiritual
values are:
1. Keep holy company (sadhu sanga)
2. Give up bad company (durjana sanga)
Whatever company we give it, the mind adapts to
it. Mind absorbs the colour of the company in which it
is placed, it is like salt added to water to make it
saline, or sugar added to water to make it sweet.
Likewise, the human mind is susceptible and vulne-
rable. If we realize that mind is vulnerable and external
situations are powerful, then we can consciously protect
it.
Whatever company we keep, we have to like what
they like to think, eat, do and so on, and also dislike
what they dislike. And in course of our association
with them, we adapt those habits and thought patterns.
We should be, therefore, careful in choosing our
company.
Further, our scriptures say that one should not
become psychologically or emotionally dependent on
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others. If that is not possible, then one can lean upon
good, noble people (sat purushas). When we have to
choose, let us choose right type of people to associate
with. Good people are like a stick which is used when
our foot is injured. Good people help us stand on our
feet. They give us support only to make us independent,
and not to make us dependent on them.
Take for example the hoary teacher-disciple (guru-
shishya) relationship. A Guru frees himself from the
world and frees the disciple also. He helps the person
to know his own strength and helps him to be free.
One cannot be free by borrowed strength. Guru shows
how one is already everything that one wants to be.
He removes the ignorance about inner potential and
shows the light. He does not want to make the disciple
dependent on him.
Not to keep the company of worldly people but
keeping the company of good people is essential for
ones spiritual growth. To keep away from the society
of men means be away from the worldly people.
We need a conducive atmosphere in order to
meditate and introspect. Keeping the company of an
understanding person and being in a convenient place
go a long way in doing this.
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Adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam
(Dwelling upon the Knowledge
of atman)
Adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam means dwelling upon the
Knowledge of atman or the Self, i.e., thinking deeply
and analysing the true nature of I. One should spend
some time daily on the subject of atman and the anatman
(non-self). One should try to find out what is the reality
of atman. I does not mean only the physical body;
there is an indwelling Self which resides, as it were, in
this, with all the traits and adjuncts (upadhis). The
physical body is merely a dwelling place for that mighty
essence or Being. There is a subtle body behind the
physical body and beyond that is the true basis of our
personality. We should learn to separate the Indweller
and the dwelling place through proper discrimination
(viveka) and detachment (vairagya).
Again, we can compare body and mind to a chair
or a sofa which one uses for sitting and enjoying
something. Body is called the seat of experience (bhog-
adhisthanam). We should find out who is the enjoyer
(bhokta). When our mind is preoccupied with the objects
of enjoyment, with senses, with people and consumer
goods, we do not see the enjoyer. Holy Company
(satsanga) and scripture (shastra) draw our attention to
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the enjoyer and make the mind rise above the body-
consciousness. The mind, hence, should be trained to
see the Indweller, the Self, and a corrective be made in
our thinking.
The Journey of Life
Let us remember that parents do not create the
subtle body (sukshma sharira). The parents only provide
a dwelling place for the embodied being (jiva). Before
this dwelling place (the body) was created, where
was the embodied being? It is only the physical body
which comes into existence at the time of birth. The
Indweller, the Self, was not absent when the body had
not been created nor will this become absent when the
body dies and one goes to the next body. It is like
shifting a house or moving into a new house. The same
holds true of the embodied being. A seeker should
learn to see himself as an Indweller of the body and
not as the body. All our worldly relationships are based
on the belief that we are body.
What is your real identity? Who is the being that
comes and goes? According to Hindu scriptures, in
previous lives too, we had a body and were attached
either as husband or wife or son or daughter. We were
attached to property, money, power and so on in that
life and are attached in this life also. But when we
leave or give up this body, we will be reborn in a new
circumstance, create fresh relationships, fresh
attachments and we develop the same sense of
possession (mamabhava), and self-centredness
(ahambhava), and good (punya) and bad (papa) results of
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action will be accrued. That is how the embodied being,
has been travelling on, birth after birth.
The mind, however, is more interested in knowing
with whom the embodied being has been travelling rather
than seeing who is travelling.
But we begin to feel a sense of independence,
when we go deeper and feel how we are different
from our body. Physical body is like a dress and the
subtle body is yet another dress, worn beneath it. Even
our subtle body undergoes change. The subtle body is
made up of thoughts, feelings, impressions and so on.
When our thoughts, feelings and values undergo a
change, our subtle body also undergoes a change. They
all keep changing but the I, the seer and the
experiencer, who sees all these changes, remains
unchanging. When one discovers this aspect of oneself,
one begins to enjoy how free he ishe is neither gross
body nor subtle body.
No matter what one does, the physical body is
going to wither away like a flower. Just as it is ridiculous
to expect a flower not to dry up so also it is pointless
to expect that the body will not deteriorate; it is definite.
Why then should one spoil the mind with vain hopes?
Wife, sister, mother, father, husband, friendall are
important till one occupies the body. All relations exist
as long as one is in the body; no such relationship is
permanent. Nothing can make the body eternal:
medicine, wealth, name or famenone. Let us accept
this simple truth.
The subtle body, again, is also a combina-
tion of various elements such asfive organs of action,
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five organs of knowledge, five vital energies and
mindstuff. Inside it is the atman. The embodied being
is the experiencer, being the 17th element.
The Inner Nature of Happiness
The key to be happy or unhappy lies within us. If
we decide to be happy, the external world cannot
disturb us. Certain circumstances may take away an
object or a person we love but being established in our
real self, we can still remain happy.
We should control our mind which is the source
of our happiness or unhappiness. This is what we
discover when we think deeply. Vedanta does not say
that everything is fine outside but it gives a better
understanding of our happiness and misery. If we
change our mind, the whole world looks different.
The Vedanta gives a capacity to protect our mental
health, and not just to go on changing the external
world. With a better understanding, the world no longer
frightens us. We then develop the capacity to accept
whatever comes and take things in their stride. With a
change of vision towards life, all situations in life become
negligible and we see the glory of the atman, our real
Self. The body-mind in which we live may be small
but that which dwells in them is infinite. We then find
our real nature which is ever perfect, pure, strong and
wise. This is what the scriptures teach us.
Once we learn this truth and our attention is
always fixed on this, it is called adhyatma-jnana-
nityatvam.
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Tattvajnartha-darshanam
(Meditating on the reality of Self)
This is the last of the spiritual value enumerated
here.
Tat means that-ness. Tattva is Knowledge of
Reality. If you see a mirage and conclude that there is
water, then that is called an illusion (bhranti). To realize
that it is a mirage and not a water-body is called tattva
jnanam. What is tattva of atman?
The Vedantic scriptures tell us that atman is
Ultimate Reality (Brahman or tattva). It is never born,
never dies, and is changeless. But then what do most
people think of the self? What do we refer to whenever
we say I?
Tattva jnanam means to find out the reality of Self.
What is the benefit if we find It out? Suppose we find
out the height of a mountain or find out how many
leaves are there on a tree, what do gain from it?
Similarly, if we know that nature of the Self, what will
we get out of it?
Such a knowledge solves the problem of life and
death. We suffer from many problems such as a sense
of helplessness, inferiority, impatience and so on. If we
look deeper, we will find that in reality these problems
are results of our conclusions about us. We are troubled
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by these conclusions and hence become unhappy. Once
a person concludes that he is small or limited, he further
feels that he is insecure. This sense of limitation is the
door through which all wrong conclusions enter. But
happiness comes to us when our conclusion about the
self is set right. A mind bogged down with fear,
anxiety and panic cannot be happy.
Since we think we cannot get out of this vicious
circle, we carry on with our old ways. If we know that
there is a way out, we would be eager to know it and
our scriptures tell us that there is a way and that way
is the Knowledge of the Self. Self-knowledge leads to
freedom from misery.
How to See the Self
The issue is how to see or know ones own Self!
Although we may arrive at the conclusion we are the
Great One, we feel we are small. Although we know
that we are the Beautiful One, we feel we are ugly.
Although we know that we are the Wise One, we feel
we are ignorant. Well, we have to change our attitude.
How? Through discrimination or viveka. We have
to clean up the mind, and develop our discriminative
faculty.
Alongside, we should also develop dispassion
towards praise and blame, name and fame and so on.
We should value the Self, and let go all names and
forms.
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Developing viveka means understanding that our
physical form is different from our true nature which is
Eternal and Ever-present. It is to know that we are
Existence, Knowledge and Bliss. But the difficulty is if
we are so, why do not we see it? The answer lies in
our emotional and psychological inadequacies to grasp
this truth. Even though we seem to want this truth, we
are unwilling to let go our pet and long-cultivated ideas
about our limitations. As we equate our attachments to
happiness, giving up our attachments becomes giving
up happiness. And who wants to be unhappy!
Attachment only brings destruction was the lesson
Bhagavan Dattatreya learnt from a family of birds. In a
forest fire, their baby bird perished and seeing the loss
of their baby, the mother and father too give up life.
Dattatreya then wonders how attachment causes
destruction. If helplessness brings about destruction, it
is understandable. But here helplessness comes due to
attachment and that cannot be explained. Likewise, we
too suffer because of our attachments. We forget the
eternity of atman and get busy with our my name, my
body, my wife, my family, my job and so on. The
suffering thus comes from our attachments and not
from outside.
Of course it is not easy to change our attitude.
That is why we have to cultivate all the spiritual values
enlisted in these virtues. Human values like humility,
non-violence, purity, control of sense and so on help us
to change our mind and prepare us see things as they
are and be ready for the highest knowledge. We
develop a larger view of life and our emotional
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attachments to people, ideas, objects and other things
drop away slowly.
And then comes the realization that atman is
Brahman and that alone matters. As long we use the
word I along with its adjuncts (upadhis), we cannot
know the Ultimate Reality. Hence one needs viveka
and vairagya to know the Reality. That realization of
the Reality leads to wiping out of all misery and pain
of life. This is ever-lasting peace what Self-knowledge
brings to us. As the Upanishad says, A Knower of Self
goes across the sea of misery (shokam tarati atmavit
Chandogya Upanishad).
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