DEIVATHIN KURAL # 93 (Vol #4) Dated 29 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 93 (Vol #4) Dated 29 Oct 2010

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the middle of page number 522 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
15. That one may die is a big fear. To be subjected to repeated births in this world is the biggest fear. If you are born, you will have to die and the endless cycle continues as, “punar api jananam punar api maraNam punar api jananee jatare sayanam, iha samsaare bahu dustaare krupayaa paare paahi muraare”, says Adi Sankara in Baja Govindam! In Bhagawat Gita, Sri Krishna has called this, ‘the greatest fear’ as ‘mahat bhayam’! Having intended to advice Arjuna that it is best to do ones duties as laid in the Saastraas, without an iota of interest, as ‘nish kaamya karma’, He says that just starting doing so, will save one from the big fears! The very fact that one has the mental assurance that we have started doing as required of us, first of all saves us from imagined apprehensions of guilt conscience! As you go along, it gives greater clarity and ‘chitta shuddhi’ that we reach a stage of total fearlessness! I quote, “swalpam-abhyasya dharmasya thraayate mahato bhayaat”!
16. Initially, doing ones duties of Karma starts of either mechanically when we are only a child simply obeying our parents or because we are interested in the advantages derived. Here we should guard against doing things only for selfish advantages of money, name and ego satisfaction. This in the bargain could become the reason for further involvement! So, slowly we should see to it that from this ‘kamya karma’, we should raise and release ourselves from all ties and lead us to ‘nish kaamya karma’, that is doing our duties for its intrinsic value, which in turn saves us from the big fear, says Adi Sankara. The big fear here is the fear of repeated cycle of births.
17. Naraka Bhayam or Fear of Hell. Release from all ties is Moksham. To remain tied means the cycle of repeated births and deaths! One fear is that we may have to get so embroiled with more and more good and bad effects of our own actions. Another fear is what we may have to face in Naraka or Hell, as a result of our own actions! If in the Karma accounting system, if our actions of the normal run of the mill type are simple enough, they may result in another life time as a chance given yet again to balance the book keeping! But if our faults, blunders and sins need to be sorted out only by greater punishments, we may have to spend a period in Hell! The punishments in Hell are such as cannot be borne by the human body. So, we have to wear what is called the ‘Yaathanaa Sareeram’ a special body to go there.
18. For everything there is an opposite, is it not so? Similarly the opposite of Moksham is to live in the world with Narakam as the extreme end for the case. In our Saastraas, wherever there is mention of ‘extremely difficult and fearful’ are said to be indicative of conditions in Hell. Till we reach the stage of oneness we are lost in the mire of Dwaitam, we have seen that there is another fear. To become the one truth level of Oneness of Adwaitam is Moksham, Complete Release, Destination, Home, Deliverance, Independence and Freedom! The conversation goes on as follows:-
Freedom from what?
Freedom from the bindings of worldly existence of Samsaara!
Why did we get bound?
By our own Karma, can you not make this out?
Why did we do Karma?
Of course, to satisfy our curiosity and desires!
How did that desire arise?
Desire arises because there is a mind. It is the mind that gets its satisfaction through the sense instruments through many sensual experiences. Seeing the Cinema and Drama, gossiping, eating all sorts of things, sexual acts and so on!
So, does it mean that, release from Samsaara would be the same as release from the clutches of the mind?
Yes! Destruction of the mind is the ultimate release! That is it!
19. “But, if the mind is lost, we will know nothing. If that goes, it is as though we are no more! Then how can you enjoy, Moksham or Aanandam or anything? Then, Moksham will be something like a deep sleep or swoon or brain dead! Will we not become something like a stone or a piece of wood?” “No! No! That is the real Aanandam; permanent happiness; Brhmaanandam or Atmaanandam or the Highest happiness! Even in day to day life, when we are happy, do we not say that it is simply ‘Brhma Aanandam’? Brugu Maharshi did tapasya for long in trying to identify as to who is this Brhmam? At each level he felt that he has reached Brhmam. For example, ‘Food verily is Brhmam. It is for food we live. By food we grow. All our actions are directed towards obtaining food. This body is made up of food itself. But then, that is not all! What else? Then he went on to the next!’ Thus he thought of Annam (Food, including food for the stomach, sight-seeing for the eyes, music for the ear, food for the senses and food for thoughts as well as all material possessions and money, to be able to buy food; ), Praanam (Breath), Vignaanam (Systems), Gnaanam (Awareness) and finally Aanandam (Happiness) as Brhmam! The section of Taitreeya Upanishad which has this analysis is known as Aananda Vallee!
20. You can be asking, “That is alright Swamiji! Without the mind how can you know that you are happy?” “It is here my Dear that this matter of Adwaitam comes in! The mind knows only other things. It does not know itself. With great cleverness and intelligence, it is capable of knowing many intricate and subtle things. But the mind is stupid enough not to know itself! You think about it yourself. You are capable of many things, thoughts, expressions, experiences and knowledge. But do you know your own mind? Can you stop your mind for a moment and make it think as to who you are? This moment it is noble and great; the very next moment it is in the gutter with unutterable dirty thoughts! Just now it is floating in heavenly happiness and in no time it is deep in sorrow of real or imaginary insult! What is peaceful and pleasant this very second could be in turmoil with the flick of the eye! What is this mind? It seems to be an enigma beyond any understanding! When the mind seems to be at rest in sleep or when the mind seems to go blank in a swoon, we do not seem to have any experience. So, we think of the mind as ourselves! You asked me the question, with that opinion only.” “That is right Swamiji! But, you have also not shown me, if there is any mistake in my question or understanding!”
21. “We”, in a State of Mindlessness. OK. In a state of sleep and or swoon, we have no experience. At that moment we are not even aware of our own existence. But, do we cease to be existing then? Then after sleep how do we wake up? As though to make up for the period of our inactivity, we get involved in work once again. Similarly think about the time when you are swooned. After we wake up from sleep or swoon, we continue as before, thinking of and accepting ourselves as the same person before sleep and swooning! You remain you, even after that! You continue with your opinions, views, ideas, experiences and relations as before! We have the same body, we feel. More than all that, even when we were asleep or in a state of swoon or coma, we continued our breathing as before. There was life in the body. Blood circulation, body heat and breath were continuing as before. So, you were there and all these important adjuncts were there, even when your Mind was not or seemingly not there or defunct! You were and are there even when your mind is not there! So please do not mind my saying that even when our mind is not there, we continue to be!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.