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Verse 4:
nalini dala gata jala matitaralam
tadvat jivitamatishaya chapalam
viddhi vyaadhy abhimaana grastam
lokam shokahatam cha samastam
naliniidalagata = nalini + dala + gata = lotus + petal
+ reached / gone; jalam = water (drop);
atitaralam = ati + taralam, very + unstable tadvath = like
that; jiivitam = life; atishaya = wonderful;
chapalam = fickle-minded; viddhi = know for sure;
vyaadhi= disease; abhimaana = egoism;
grastam = having been caught / seized lokam = world;
people; shokah grief hatam = attacked (hata) cha
= and; samastam = entire
Like a water drop drifting on a
lotus leaf, life is extremely uncertain;
gripped as it is by disease and
ego and is full of sorrow.
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Unstable nature of human life:
Further continuing his advice to the seeker to have an opposite
view, Adi Sankara compares the life of man to that of a waterdroplet precariously drifting on a lotus leaf. As long as the droplet is
on the leaf, it appears lustrous and active; but there is ever lurking
danger of the droplet dropping off the leaf at the slightest
movement of wind in the vicinity. It is not just that life is uncertain;
even lifes so called pleasures are transitory too. The tendency to
leave spiritual affairs to a later day, a rather late part of at that, is
too obvious to be missed. For such people who tend to delay,
procrastinate and postpone spiritual practices Adi Sankara points
out the transitory nature of life itself and the need for immediateattempts at knowing truth. Human life is gripped by diseases and
disabilities. To think, while young, that spiritual efforts to seek
realization can be relegated to an old age, is to over look the fact of
impending physical and emotional troubles. Bhajagovindam
impresses upon us the fact that we are here as spiritual beings to
have physical experience and not physical beings to immerse
ourselves in physical and sensory pleasures only.
Apparently glittering and yet ever drifting:
The water droplet on a lotus leaf looks bright thanks to sun shine
and is seen constantly drifting here and there, as if it very active
and enjoying its role; but yet at the slightest movement of wind the
droplet slips and drops off. Mans life is also like that of the water
droplet, seemingly satisfying and fulfilling and yet simmering with
troubles, unhappiness and uncertainty.
Obstacles to practice:Disease and deceit are always around and hence any delay in the
practice will be very detrimental to the real spiritual evolution for
which man landed himself here on earth. It is not only disease,
fickle mindedness and egoism that are obstacles to progress, there
are many more. These are enumerated by Patanjali Maharshi in his
Yoga Sutras:
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Vydhi_Styna_Sanshaya_Pramda_alasya_Avirati_Bhrntidarshan_Alabdha Bhumikatva_Anavasthitatva_Tvni
Chitta_Vikshepah_Antaryh_Anavasthitatva_Tvni
Chitta_Vikshepah_Antaryh
Disease dullness and doubt; laziness and sloth; Confusion and lack
of concentration; False perception and unsteady mind
Are obstacles of different kind
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World is full of sorrow:
This statement of Sri Sankara should not be misinterpreted as beingdefeatist. He is not referring to the terrestrial world of objects. His
reference to the three worlds is: the physical, mental and causal.
Since, as he has earlier pointed out that everything in this world is
illusory, impermanent and transitory; searching for lasting
happiness in a world of impermanency is to say the least foolish.
Hence he asks us to search for truth and ensure eternal bliss.
The presence of thought is for
misery.
The cessation of thought is
ha iness. Yo avasishta
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Verse: 5
yaavadvittopaarjana saktah
staavannija parivaaro raktah
pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehevaartaam koapi na prichchhati gehe
yaavath = so long as vitta = wealth;
upaarjana = earning / acquiring; shaktah = capable of;
staavannija = tavath + nija, till then + one's;
parivaarah = family; raktah = attached; pashchaath
= later; jiivati= while living (without earning);jarjara = old / digested (by disease etc); dehe = in the body;
vaartaam = enquiry / inquiry; koapi = kah + api,
whosoever; even one; na = not; prichchhati= inquires /
asks / minds; gehe= in the house.)
The waning utility factor:
As long as you earn the wealth that
everybody yearns, the family you love will
appear to love and care. But when the cage
ofyour body gets old, they would not even
ask you about your welfare
http://chennaionline.com/festivalsnreligion/slogams/10bhajagovindam.asphttp://chennaionline.com/festivalsnreligion/slogams/10bhajagovindam.asp8/6/2019 Bhaja Govindam Part 2
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At times it appears as though Adi Sankara is elucidating modern
day conditions. How true he sounds when he says that the retinuewill follow only so long as you have something to dole out! Ask any
politician who is just out of power, he will vouchsafe this
statement. For that matter ask any beaurocrat who had just retired
or a business man who has gone into liquidation; they will
vouchsafe too. So long as power and pelf, youth and energy, wealth
and valor are there people will crowd around singing glories and
praising the owner as the demigod on earth. Let him lose them, the
very same crowd will not only dump him but abuse him as well! It is
equally true of the family man. So long as he is the breadwinnerand provider, everyone in the family, at least pretends to listen to
his counsel and shower praises. Let him lose his health or distribute
his wealth before his departure from the earthly plane, even his
servant will not care to look at him.
Free from desire, you realise the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the
manifestations.
Chase after money and security, your
heart can never unclench.
Care about peoples approval, you will be
their prisoner.
Zen Buddhism
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Robbers wife refuses to share his sins.
Thousands of years ago therelived a hunter who lived by
robbing and looting. He lived in a
jungle with his wife and children
and no traveler who passed
through the jungle was safe. If
need be he never hesitated to kill
the innocent pilgrims to achieve
his object.
One day Devarshi Narada passed
through the forest. As usual the
hunter was on the look out for victims and as soon as he saw a sage
approaching joyously singing and playing on his Veena, he thought
he would have best of the chance to get rich. With a thud, he
jumped down before the sage from the branch of a tree where he
was hiding. Flashing his sword he threatened, "Give away all that
you possess. Otherwise I will kill you."
Narada was the son of Brahma Deva himself and he was never
afraid of any one. He saw God in all and loved at all. He looked
kindly into the eyes of the hunter and said, "Why do you want to
kill me? I have never harmed you."
The robber replied, "It is not because of anything you did that I
want to kill you. I want your wealth to maintain my wife and
children. If you obstruct me in getting them I will kill you."
Narada was not perturbed by his threatening attitude. He said,
"Very well., you may do as you please. But please tell me one thing.
You say that you are committing all this sin for the sake of your
wife and children. They who are sharing the wealth earned by you,
will they share the sins that you are earning too? The robber was
non-pulsed. He never thought of the matter in this light before. He
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replied, "Of course, they will have to. Why else should I commit sins
for their sake?" Narada moved his head in disagreement and said,
"No, they will not. If you have any doubt, go and ask your wife andchildren." The robber was suspicious that Narada might be playing
a trick on him to escape. He sternly said, "No, I won't leave you and
go. You are just trying to hoodwink me and escape." Narada
laughed at his suspicions and assured, "No, my son, I promise you
that I won't escape. I will surely wait for you till you return. If you
don't believe me, tie me up to one of these trees and go to your
house."
The robber tightlybound Narada to a
nearby tree and hurried
to his home. Ever since
the sage asked him the
strange question he
was disturbed in his mind. Had he been ruining himself with sins to
no purpose? He went home and called out his wife and all the
children. He said, "My dears, you know how I had been earningwealth by robbing and killing, to maintain you all. You have been
sharing all that I earned. Won't you be sharing the sins earned by
me also? The wife and children were horrified at the suggestion.
They said, "We are your dependents and it is your duty to maintain
us. We never asked you to commit sins for the purpose of the
wealth. If you choose to commit sins, it is your own look out. How
are we concerned with it? You alone will have to bear the result ofyour sins." Suddenly the eyes of the robber were opened. He
realised that he was accumulating terrible sins from which there
was no escape. Why should he lead a sinful life for these people?
He ran back to where Narada was and hastily untying his bonds fell
at his feet. Deep in grief, he begged, "Mahatma, in ignorance I have
committed many sins. Please tell me how I can redeem myself. I
have no more desire to lead this life of sin. Pray, save me."
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Narada rejoiced at his transformation. He lifted the robber to his
feet and told him, "Fear not, my son. There is one name, the
Taraka, which redeems even the greatest of sinners. Repeat thename with all your mind and soul in it. All your sins will be washed
away soon." He then whispered in his ears the sacred name,
"Rama" and asked the robber to repeat it.The whole of his life was
spent in doing and saying only harsh things. So the robber could
not utter the word "Rama" try as he might. But Narada was too
kind to leave him thus. So he tried another method. He slowly
uttered the word "Ma ra" inverting the sacred name. This time the
robber could pronounce the letters, "Ma ra" , Ma ra...." And he
started repeating the letters in quick succession... "Ma ra, Ma ra,Ma... Ra.... Ma Ra...Ra...ma...Rama....Rama....Rama..." Thus after a
time without his realising it, the robber was repeating the Taraka
nama. He was captivated by the charm of the sacred name and he
went on repeating the name forgetting his surroundings. He sat on
like that continuously without moving and without opening his eyes
and years passed away. Seeing him sitting like an immovable stone,
ants, worms and insects crawled
fearlessly near him and on him andbuilt their homes and nests. The ant
hills grew and grew until they
covered him fully and he could not
even be seen.
Thus was born Valmiki, born out of
valmikam (Valmikam stands for ant
hill)
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Verse: 6
aavatpavano nivasati dehe
taavatprichchhati kushalam gehe
gatavati vaayau dehaapaayebhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye
yaavath = so long as; pavanah = air / breath;
nivasati= lives / dwells; dehe = in the body;
taavath = till then; prichchhati = asks / inquires;
kushalam = welfare gehe = in the house; gatavati=
while gone; vaayau = air (life-breath);
dehaapaaye = when life departs the body; bhaaryaa = wife;
bibhyati= is afraid; fears; tasminkaaye =
tasminh + kaye, that body.)
As long as there is breath in the
body, at home, they enquire of
your welfare. Once the breath
leaves the body and the body decays,
even the wife is afraid of thatlifeless body
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Man has become body minded!
So much is our identification with the body, even the wife who tillthe other day adored and admired her husband, shuns away in fear
by looking at the lifeless body of her dead husband. She imagines
her husband only in his body form, not in the soul form. As long as
breath is active, so long does the wife or other relatives or friends
or kith and kin; respect and adore the person; for all these people
recognize only an embodied soul, not a departed soul.
Yes, body is important. Yes, body is the temple housing the soul.
Yes, body need be nurtured and well maintained. But beyond thatbody orientation is wrong, it is absurd. To think that we are bodies
and all the time worry about its looks and dress it with perfumes
and pastes is wrong. Greater effort should be put to decorate and
perfume mind with abhyasa and vairagya. We should free the
mind of its wrinkles of greed, lust and anger and the toxins of evil
tendencies.
It is bondage is when the mind longs
for something,
Grieves about something,
Rejects something,
Holds on to something,
Is pleased about something, or
Feels annoyed at something.Ashtavakra Samhita
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Verse 7:
baalastaavatkriidaasaktah
tarunastaavattaruniisaktah
vriddhastaavachchintaasaktah
pare brahmani koapi na saktah
:baalah = childhood; taavath = till then;
kriidaa = play; saktah = attached / engrossed / absorbed;
tarunah = adolescent; young man; taavath = till
then; tarunii = young woman; saktah = attached /
engrossed; vriddhah = old man; taavath = till then;
chintaa = worry; saktah = attached / engrossed /
absorbed; parame = in the lofty; high; supreme;
brahmani = (in) Brahman ; God; koapi = whosoever
(nobody); na = not; saktah = attached / absorbed;
engrossed.)
As a child, one is absorbed in play.
As a young man, attached to women;
As an old man, one is lost in worrying
thoughts; Alas! no one is attracted to
the Supreme Brahman, God.
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he emotional attachment:
While Sri Sankara through the previous verse discouraged the bodyattachment, through this verse he addresses the seeker to get rid
of emotional attachment. The attachments to the transient toys
and thoughts is very discouraging, in the context of the need to
attachment to the permanent God. In short man has a propensity
to choose the pleasant over the good.
Kathopanishadsays that every person will always get the option of
treading
1. The path of that which is right & good the Sreyas2. The path of immediate pleasure the Preyas.
Those who choose the path of Sreyas will make the best of their
lives, while those who succumb to the latter will have to pay the
price destined for the deluded ones The path of pleasure is in fact
leading man to the pit of pain. Not understanding this simple fact
of life, despite repeated experiences, man again and again
becomes a prey and turns out to be a victim of object orientation
and pursues the path of thepreyas. The Upanishad says:
Sreyascha Preyascha manushyametah
tau sampareetya vivinakthi dhirah:
Sreyo hi dhiro abhipreyaso vrineethe
Preyo mandho yogakshemadh vrineethe
Both good and pleasant approach man; the wise man examining
the two, discriminates between them. The wise man verily prefers
the good over the pleasant, but the foolish man chooses the
pleasant through love of gain and attachment
Though man has the freedom to choose, yet, from the point of
view of means and ends, sreya andpreya approach man in a mixed
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up form, as it were, in a form difficult to discriminate by a man of
poor understanding says Adi Sankara in his commentary on this
verse from Kahopanishad.There are two directions along which the mind of man moves, viz.
the outward and the inward. The outward path is the way of
pleasure and enjoyment. The inward way is that of the search for
Reality. The two terms, sreyas andpreyas, used in this instructive
verse, refer to blessedness and sensory satisfaction respectively.
The human mind is always after immediate results. It does not care
so much for ultimate values.
Let me know; what I get, here and now,I care not, as for the morrow,
If the path will result in sorrow
That then I will face anyhow somehow.
This seems to be the usual argument of the one under illusions
sway. Sri Sankara, out of his immense compassion and love for
mankind fervently appeals to us to see the reality of pain lurking
behind every apparent pleasure and advices the seeker to choosethe good instead of the pleasant.
Karma is intended for purification of mind,
not for understanding the nature of an
object.
Knowledge can be had only by reflection;
not even a little bit of it can be known by
performing even a crore of karma.
Adi Sankara Vivekachudamani11
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Verse: 8
kaate kaantaa kaste putrah
samsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitrah
kasya tvam kah kuta aayaatah
tattvam chintaya tadiha bhraatah
kaate = ka + te, who + your kaantaa = wife;
kaste = kah + te, who + your; putrah = son;
sansaarah = world / family; ayam = this; atiiva =
great / big / very much; vichitrah = wonderful /mysterious;
kasya = whose; tvam = you; kah = who; kutah =
from where; aayaatah = have come; tattvam =
truth / nature; chintaya = think well / consider;
tadiha = tat.h + iha, that + here; bhraatah = brother.
Who is your wife? Who is your son?
Strange is the (way of the) world;
Of whom are you ?
From where have you come?
Brother, now ponder over these truths.
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Relationships belong to the body, not you:
It is only as long as one remains body orientated that one looks atothers, be it wife or child, mother or father, uncle or aunt or cousin
or in laws as relatives; for they are related to the body. Once
realization dawns, he would look at everyone as the Lord
expressing Himself in diverse ways amongst diverse people. The
realized soul would continue to be kind and good, polite and
helpful; for that would be his very nature. But this kindness etc
would not be confined to erstwhile relatives but to every being on
earth.
Sri Sankara wants the seeker to understand and appreciate the fact
of relationships being limited true only as long as one assumes
himself to be a body. The moment realization dawns that one is the
eternal Atman, he will get out of individualized relationship and
turn universally related to all creatures.
What have you learnt if you do not know where you were before
this birth and where you will go after the bodys death? asks King
Jaivali to Svetaketu. (Chaandogya Upanishad)
King Do you know how these people diverge after
death?
Svetaketu I do not know. I have no answer to your question.
King Do you know how they return to the world?
Svetaketu I do not have an answer to this question too
King Do you know how the other word is never filled
with so many people thus dying again and again
Svetaketu Sorry. I do not know. I have no answer to this
question either
King Do you know after how many oblations are offered,
water rises up possessed of a human voice and
speaks up
Svetaketu I have no answer to this question as well. I do not
know
King Do you know the means of access to the way of the
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gods or the way to the manes?
Svetaketu I have no answer to this question as well. I do not
knowKing What have you learnt if you do not know where you
were before this birth and where you will go after
the bodys death? What did you learn at the
school then? You do not know answers for the most
fundamental of all questions. How do you consider
yourself educated if you do not have answers for
these basic questions?
Like Svetaketu we are all puffed with pride about our secularknowledge and like him we are ignorant of truth of our being the
eternal Atman. Sri Sankara asks us rhetorically to examine and
realize our true nature and get rid of attachment based on body
oriented relationships and the consequent attachment and
aversion. Sri Sankara asks us: Of whom are you? From where have
you come? Brother, now ponder over these truths. It is worth
noting his addressing the seeker as Brother
Of whom are you? From where have you come?
Where does
a man originate from? If man were to be assumed to be a one-off
entity, coming from nowhere and going into oblivion on death, it
can be assumed that they come from the parents. This is the belief
of some physiologists. Heredity is the reason, they would say. The
reproductive cell in the male, called the sperm and the
reproductive cell in the female called the ovum, join to form a new
Mom and Dad, this
body is your gift to
me, but the mind is
m own.
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cell called the zygote, the fertilised egg, which develops into an
individual in due course. Now, how is a genius or an idiot is born?
According to the modern biologists it is a chance, an accidentalfusion. That is the best explanation one can think of, if he does not
believe in souls reincarnation.
The fact is one can know about a tree not by study of the seed, but
by study of the tree. One can know about a man by studying man.
When we observe geniuses like Adi Sankara or a Goethe, who have
had nobody up in the family hierarchy who were geniuses or when
we see cases of previous birth memory, we cannot but come to the
conclusion that the birth of man is not an one-off event and hiscapabilities are not based on chances. Sankara had mastered the
Vedas when he was only seven, he wrote his commentaries when
only sixteen. Goethe, the eminent German poet was a master of
seventeen languages before he was fifteen year old.
Sri Sankara wants the seeker to ponder over this question: Of
whom are you? From where have you come?
Look on such things as
friends, land, money,property, wife, and
bequests as nothing but
a dream or a magician's
show, lasting three or
five days.
(Ashtaavakra Gita 10.2)
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The Three Friends of Man
The wisdom of Vedanta says: Never trust a friend who has not beentested. The following story, The Three Friends of Man, beautifully
describes who can be trusted as our true friend. In a small village
there lived a pious man, virtuous and honest. One day he received
a summons from the king to appear before him for judgment. The
king was known for his eccentricity, unpredictability, and cruelty.
The pious man became very much disturbed and afraid.
He had never done anything wrong or unjust, so how could hereceive a summons like this, he wondered.
The pious man had three friends: his best friend, his next best
friend, and his least intimate friend. He went to his best friend,
explained his fear and distress to him, and asked him to come with
him to the king's court. His best friend, standing inside the front
door of his house, heard the whole matter and said: "I am afraid I
cannot accompany you to the king's court. I can only say good luck
to you, my friend," and he closed the door in his friend's face. The
pious man became terribly disappointed to realize that one whomhe had always regarded as his best friend would desert him and
leave him out in the cold. He then went to see his next best friend,
told him the whole problem, and made the same request of him.
This friend said: "I know you to be a good man and I could never
imagine your doing anything wrong. I'll accompany you up to the
palace gate, but I do not intend to enter the palace and stand
before the king, because he is unpredictable and eccentric and may
decide to put me in jail along with you." The pious man became
disappointed for the second time. Sad at heart and disillusioned
about human goodness, he went to his least intimate friend, from
whom he never expected any help. When this third friend heard of
his problem, he said to him: "I do know you to be an honest man
and also I am certain that you are incapable of doing anything
wrong. Don't worry, my friend, but go home and come leisurely to
the court of the king. I am going ahead to testify to the king about
your honesty and goodness." The pious man was greatly surprised
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at this pledge of support from a friend to whom he had never paid
much attention.
The pious man in the story represents a human individual in
distress, the king, death and the summons, the call of death. The
palace gate stands for the graveyard. The "best friend" represents
money and possessions, which say goodbye to person at death and
never come out of his house to accompany him. The "next best
friend" represents relatives and friends, who accompany him only
up to the graveyard and then leave his dead body there. The "least
intimate friend," to whom he never paid much attention, is the
memory of his good deeds, performed with selflessness for the
benefit of others. The memory of his good deeds becomes his sole
support in his fearful, solitary journey hereafter. Such a memory is
his only true and trusted friend.
"Brothers, wives, fathers, and friends,
who were very near and dear to the
heart, are all instantly alienated and
turned into foes by even aninsignificant sum of money. Even the
least amount of money upsets them
and inflames their anger, so that they
immediately part company, and all at
once abandoning cordiality they rival
and even kill one another."
Bhagavat Gita
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Verse 9:
tsangatve nissangatvam
nissangatve nirmohatvam nirmohatve
nishchalatattvamnishcalatattve jiivanmuktih
satsangatve = in the company of sages and saints;
nissangatvam = non-attachment / detachment;
nirmohatvam = absence of infatuation/ clear-
headedness; nishchalatattvam = tranquility /
imperturbability / steadiness jiivanmuktih = salvation
+ freedom from bondage of birth
From the company of good and holy
people, one develops a state of non-
attachment; from this comes freedom
from delusion; this leads to a state of
tranquility of mind, which enables oneto attain freedom.
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Sat sangham:
In Sanskrit, the term Satsangamliterally means in the company oftruth. It has come to describe a gathering of people in search of
Truth. Sat refers to existence, truth or God. Through the
SATSANGAM one can develop good qualities, good thoughts, good
feelings and do good deeds, and thereby
transform his human nature into Divine
nature. This, in fact, is the primary duty of
every individual. To develop good qualities,
one has to get rid of one's bad traits.
The best of good company is the presence of
God by ones side. But that fortune was
reserved for Narada who was blessed to be
always in the company of Narayana or Arjuna
who had the fortune of being with Krishna.
Next best Satsangha can only be that of the
Guru. Why should one go to a Guru? One can
do tapas, dhyana, japa, etc. on his own. But unless one takes thedust of the Lotus Feet of the Guru on his head his sadhana will
prove futile.
The last, if not the least, is the company of scriptural texts.
Fortunately there are number of good books available. It should be
noted however that books cannot be a substitute to a good Guru.
Along with study, if the seeker can practice and cultivate dispassion
there is hope for salvation, if not in this birth, at least in later ones.
The term satsangham has also come to describe a gathering ofpeople in search of Truth. In addition to study of scriptures,
1. being in the company of God by way of chanting in praiseof God,
2. associating with persons of similar background who arealso in search of truth,
3. visiting temples and other places of pilgrimage where onecan feel the presence of his chosen deity or Guru
4. practicingpranayama andpratyahara
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5. performing such other rituals and rites that one deems fitand by experience has come to realize their potency
are all ways of keeping the company of truth.
SATSANGHA : Company of Saints and Sages , HolyMen, Spiritual discourses, Reading of spiritual booksand attending spiritual congregations.
NIS-SATSANGHA TVAM:Disengagement from all activities other than theminimum needed to continue to be involved in thefamily and profession.
NIRMOHATVAM :Detachment from sense objects, lack of interest inmatters mundane, disinclination to participate inparties and festivities.
NISCHALATVAM: Steadiness of mind, focusedattention on the Lord and thoughts about Truth and thefalsity illusory nature of the world.
JIVANMUKTHIH: Emancipation, enlightenment ,uncovering of maya,Jivas identification with theEswara, even while encased in the body.
When the mind stops linking itself to
the past and to the future,
it becomes no-mind
Yogavsishishta
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Scriptures describe Seven Steps to liberation thus:
Sage Vasishta tells Rama (Yogavaasishta):
Satsanga serves as a boat to cross this
terrible ocean of samsara. The company of
sages even for a moment is highly beneficial.
Even the dharshan of Mahatma destroys
sins and elevates the mind. The company of
virtuous people produces the fresh blossom
of discrimination. The company of sages
wards off all disasters and destroys the tree of ignorance. Sagesprescribe the best rules of conduct for aspirants and teach them
the correct mode of life. The company of virtuous sheds light on
the right path and destroys the internal darkness of man. The
company of sages is the unfailing means to conquer and this dire
mind
Avoid the company of the evil ones
Virtuous Wish
Step 7
Step 3
Step 6
Step 2
Step 4
Step 5
Reflection
Non union
non-ideation
of objects
Going into
Fourth state of
consciousness
Entering
into being
The state of
thin mind
Preceded by association with scriptures and
practice of dispassion
On practice of above 3 steps
Mind becomes pure on cessation of desires
On practice of above 4 steps
Shooting up spectacle of Pure Being.
Non attachments to objects.Thinness in
thought arising out of non-attachment
On practice of above 5 steps
Absence of thought of inner and outer objects
By long practice of above 6 steps
And by non cognition of difference
Step 1 Preceded by absence of worldly desires
Seven steps of knowledge*
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A man is known by the company he keeps and Birds of the same
feather flock together are maxims that are true in every sense.The company of the evil begets evil. The company of the evil
persons weakens the heart and ruins ones spiritual life. The
company of those who speak evil, whose every action is in the
nature of hurting fellow human beings, who have scant respect for
the noble and hence pride themselves in deriding the noble, should
be eschewed. Evil company destroys spiritual resolve. At times evil
men not only destroy spiritual life but ones worldly life as well.
Evil company is not necessarily the gangster type. By evil company
is meant anyone and anything that leads to downward pull ofworldly affairs, wealth and valour, honour and esteem and all such
body and mind related attachments. Every
sense object is a standing invitation to sin.
Sri Sankara says: Just as a tortoise
withdraws its head into the shell whenever
there is danger, a human
being should withdraw his senses from the
sense objects into himself. Whenever senses go hither and thitheron their own it is danger time for the human. The tortoise has to
draw into its shell only when it smells danger but the human being
has to do this all the time. Doing this all the time is the sadhana.
People who understand renunciation
consider the renunciation of mind
(giving up of thoughts) as complete
renunciation
Yogavasishta
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Trust not the evil ones:Aesops Tales)
A Wolf followed a flock of sheep for a long time, and did not
attempt to injure one of them. The Shepherd at first stood on his
guard against him, as against an
enemy, and kept a strict watch over
his movements. But when the Wolf,
day after day, kept in the companyof the sheep, and did not make the
slightest effort to seize them, the
Shepherd began to look upon him as
a guardian of his flock rather than as
a plotter of evil against it; and when
occasion called him one day into the
city, he left the sheep entirely in his charge. The Wolf, now that he
had the opportunity, fell upon the sheep, and destroyed the
greater part of the flock. The Shepherd, on his return, finding his
flock destroyed, exclaimed: "I have been rightly served; why did I
trust my sheep to a Wolf?"
Wood that is put in fire burns slowly, losesits form and finally turns into ashes.
Similarly a person who comes into contact
with the fire ofsatsang kindled by a
mahatma loses his hardness and becomes
spiritually transformed and evolves into a
higher being
Swami Sundara Chaitanyananda
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Verse: 10
vayasigate kah kaamavikaarah
shushhke niire kah kaasaarah
kshiinevitte kah parivaarah
gyaate tattve kah samsaarah
vayasigate = vayasi+ gate, when age has
advanced / gone; kah = who / what use (in the sense of
kva?(where) kaamavikaarah = sexual feeling;
shushhke = in the drying up of niire = water; ka = what
(use) is the kaasaarah = lake; kshiine = spent-up /
weakened state of vitte = wealth; kah = what (use) for;
parivaarah = family (is there? gyaate = in the
realized state; tattve = truth; kah = what (use) is;
samsaarah = world / family bond
What good is lust when youth has fled
away? What is the use of a lake that has
dried up? Where are the relatives when
wealth is gone? Where is samsaara, the
worldly life, when the Truth is known?
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When attachment is lost, everything is gained:
When youth is lost, lust is useless. Lust makes sense onlywhen in youth. With old age setting in and parts and limbsfailing and frail, one can have no outlet for his lust. Lust is
thus coterminous with youth.
When water is lost, lake is useless. The very word lakemakes sense only when there is water. Only that water
bed on the otherwise dry shallow land can be called a lake.
When wealth is lost, relatives are useless. Relatives will bethere around alright, even when one has lost his wealth.
But they would not have the same regard and profess thesame respect, since they find no use for the poor man
now.
In all the three cases when the content, namely youth, water and
money is lost, the container is observed to be useless.
But when attachment is lost, everything is gained. In the fourth
case, when the container full of attachment and aversion is
emptied, everything is gained. Samsara is when attachment is and
the consequent lust and desire are present. There is no moresamsara when the attachment is gone. Samsara exists a long as
illusion persists. Under the spell of illusion one assumes that he will
have a lasting relationship and conjugal bliss in matters related to
family and friends. Under the spell of illusion one assumes himself
to be the physical body and gets entangled in relationships.
Bondage is Samsara:
ASHTAVAKRA says: Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something, rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or displeased about something.
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Verse: 11:
maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam
harati nimeshhaatkaalah sarvam
maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
brahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa
maa = do not; kuru = do / act; d hana = wealth;
jana = people; yauvana = youth; garvam = arrogance /
haughtiness; harati = takes away / steals away;
nimeshhaath = in the twinkling of the eye; kaalah = Time;
sarvam = all; maayaa = delusion; mayam =
full of / completely filled; idam = this; akhilam =
whole / entire; buddhvaa = having convinced;
brahmapadam = the state / position of Brahma / God-realized
state; tvam = you; pravisha = enter; viditvaa
= having known / realized.)
Do not take pride in wealth, friends, and
youth. Time takes away all of these in a
minute; give them up having known that
all these things are nothing but delusion,
and enter the state of God realization and
merge in Brahman.
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Sarvam maya:
MAYAmeans "that which is not" (i.e. illusion). It refers to accepting the temporary as havinglasting value, and looking for enduring happiness in this
world.
In the twilight, one may easily mistake a rope fora snake. In so doing, we feel fear. Hence fear and other
emotions are often based on illusion, an incorrect
perception of reality.
If one pursues a mirage of an oasis in the desert, one will not find
water but will be misled. Similarly, this world provides no real
happiness, which exists only as an elusive dream The mirage
indicates the presence of a real oasis, of real water. Similarly, our
desire for happiness, though frustrated, implies that real pleasure
does indeed exist and that one is sat-chit-ananda swaroopa.
Maya gives rise to ignorance:
Maya or illusion gives rise
to avidhya or ignorance.
Since Maya veils reality it
is said to be the cause for
the veiling power in man.
This veiling power, called
the avarana sakthi, in
turn gives rise to the
rajasic nature in man, the
projecting power, called
the vikshepa sakthi. Because of this fragmenting and projecting
power ofvikshepa, man sees many where there is only one.
Under MAYA'S influence, the individual mistakenly identifies
himself with the body. Such false identification results in such
thoughts as "I am white and I am a man," or "This is my house, my
Sattva
Rajas
Thamas
Brahman
Maya
Avarana
Vikshepa
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country, and my religion etc". The feeling of me and mine and all
the associated ills like lust and anger are a direct result of this false
identification. Race, gender, family, nation, bank balance, andsectarian religion are all results of false identification. The
consequent wars and exploitation, as well as deprivation and
denigration too are the results.
Under this sense of false-identity man aspires to control and enjoy
matter. However, in so doing he continuously succumbs to lust,
greed, and anger. In frustration he often redoubles his efforts and,
compounding mistake upon mistake, and falls deeper into illusion.
This quagmire and quicksand drags man to deeper and deepermisery from which he struggles to extricate.
Youth, wealth and friends and pride in their association are also the
results of the illusion. Under illusions sway one wastes away
precious youth in the company of friends and indulges in placating
the senses. Sri Sankara cautions the seeker to understand the fact
of illusion and make effort to get rid of illusion. When there is
darkness it is prudent to light a lamp rather than fancy friendship orfear objects.
"On the basis of this misconception which
ties together the hearts of the male and
female, one becomes attracted to his
body, home, property, children, relatives
and wealth. In this way one
increases life's illusions and thinks
in terms of 'I and mine.""
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Verse: 12
dinayaaminyau saayam praatah
shishiravasantau punaraayaatah
kaalah kriidati gachchhatyaayuhtadapi na mujncatyaashaavaayuh
dinayaaminyau = dina + yamini, day + night;
saayam = evening; praatah = morning; shishira =
winter; vasantau = (and) spring season; punah =
again; aayaatah = have arrived; kaalah = Time;
kriidati= plays; gachchhati= goes (away);
aayuh = lifespan / age; tadapi = tath + api, then even;
na = not; mujnchati = releases; aashaa = desire;
vaayuh = air (meaning craze) (the wind of desire does not let
off its hold.)
Day and night, dawn and dusk, spring and
winter, come and go again and again; Time
enacts its play and life goes in vain;
Yet the fire of desire doesnt quench
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Time quenches not thirst:
Why is it that, day in and day out, year after year, from birth todeath, birth after birth, man over millenniums has been running
after objects? What is it that he is seeking in the objects and why is
it that repeatedly, even after attaining the objects, he still finds no
lasting satisfaction? What propels one to go after objects, knowing
fully well the attendant problems and miseries?
If we look closely the one underlying desire in every being is to be,
to know and to be happy. There is no living being, be it an ant or
an elephant, a reptile or a human who does not want to be. To beforever. To live for ever. Even a mosquito knows where to breed
and how to suck blood. Knowing is inherent and as a corollary
wanting to know too is. To live happily is the desire in everyone.
Thus sat (to be), chit (to know) and Ananda (to be happy) is the
goal of every being. This desire to be sat-chit-ananda is inherent
because everyone IS already one such, but has forgotten, He is
longing to become what he already IS, because of ignorance of the
fact of his already being what he seeks to be.
Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are
not different. There is no happiness in any object of the world. We
imagine through our ignorance that we derive happiness from
objects. When the mind goes out, it experiences misery. In truth,
when its desires are fulfilled, it returns to its own place and enjoys
the happiness that is the Self. Similarly, in the states of sleep,
samadhi and fainting, and when the object desired is obtained or
the object disliked is removed, the mind becomes inward-turned,and enjoys pure Self-Happiness. Thus the mind moves without rest
alternately going out of the Self and returning to it.
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Fire of desire is difficult to control:
Arjuna asks Lord Krishna: What force is that, that drags us towards
the objects and propels us to sin, even against our own will; as if by
some compulsion? Lord Krishna answers: Know that the enemy
here on earth is desire and anger, which arise from all consuming
rajasic guna Lord Krishna says it is the rajasic guna that is
responsible for the outward object oriented nature of man. But
what is this rajasic guna?
Naturally the answer leads us nowhere. Further study is needed toprobe this aspect more and arrive at a solution. Without this
solution, there can never be peace of mind. The elusive objects are
like mirages. Chase them and they lead us further on. Chase them
further, farther it goes. Until, tired and exhausted one falls dead,
gets up again with a new body, continues the quest and finds his
troubles continuing too.
Rajasic gunacan be translated as activity oriented nature? For thequestion, why one is activity oriented, the answer is, it is very
purpose for which he has taken on a new body. Now that there is a
new body, it is also possible to realize that taking on new bodies
repeatedly is of no use and desires can never be quenched. The
quest should therefore be to realize that desires are the byproducts
of delusion and delusion is due to false identification with the
body-mind unit. Naturally efforts should be towards de-
identification. Cultivating association of Gurus and men of wisdom,
study of scriptures, practice of praanayama and pratyahara etc areall efforts aimed at de-identification and realization of ones true
nature as the un-decaying Atman and not the decaying body. De-
identification process involves abhyasa and vairagya.
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The story of Mr Greedy
Mr Greedy kept praying God, until one morning, God blessed him
with a boon: Greedy could choose to run in whichever direction he
wants from where he was standing, unto 24 long
hours. As he crosses the miles, the distance will
be taken as the radius and a circumference
drawn; all the properties- buildings, roads, lakes
and even the bus stations, airports and railway
terminals that come under the circumferencewould be his, for him to keep or sell. Greedy kept
running and running non stop. By the evening he
had already crossed the city, the suburbs and even some villages
nearer the city. All property under the 16 mile radius, which meant
the entire city and adjoining suburban area and villages were his.
Since morning, he ran for sixteen hours.
He was already panting for breath, exhausted. But the temptation
to keep running was higher now. Additional mile would mean a
bigger circumference and larger property to be had. He ran and ran
and ran until by the twentieth hour he fell dead! Greedy did not
realise that the boon had a built in bane. Greed did him in, for he
could see only the gain to be accrued as he ran, but did not notice
the impending loss of his very life!
Even if one performs severe penance for
thousands of years there is no use. There
is no other means than cessation of
thoughts. Be without wish
Yogavasishta