DEIVATHIN KURAL #150 (Vol #4) Dated 21 Feb 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL #150 (Vol #4) Dated 21 Feb 2011

(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 last para on page number 836 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
453. These are of the ‘touch and go’ variety of ‘poorva janma vaasanaa’. It means that they must have actively pursued Bhakti and Upaasana for long enough in their previous birth, to get the clarity and focus of mind already. So in this life for a certain period they would have gone through a concentrated dose of whatever they had to experience at the end of which all those lingering ‘vaasanaas’ would just pack and go without even saying ‘good bye’! Slokas No. 43 to 46 in Chapter No 6 of the Bhagawat Gita are worth relating to at this juncture!
454. In the case of some devotees, though they might have attained to very advanced stages of maturity, might die short of total realization with some residual experiences that they have left to undergo in balance. Bhagawan Sri Krishna calls them as ‘Yoga Brashatas’ in the 6th Chapter of the Gita. They will continue in the present life from where they left off in the previous life. We can see many such examples of people with memory of their past life or very young children already endowed with far advanced and intricate knowledge of music or such fine arts! So also there are people who are far advanced in the esoteric knowledge and awareness of spirituality! So having undergone some worldly experiences that were in store for them, they suddenly bloom with Aatma Gnaana!
455. Our Way. For people like us mostly, Nishkaamya Karma (that is, doing one’s duties with total dispassion) and Bhakti (that is, devotion to God,) are the only methods of earning us the right to progress towards the path of Gnaana! Thus while doing ‘sat karma’ (that is the right actions) and devotional services of ‘Upaasana’; instead of doing them for the satisfaction that one gets; we should be doing them for universal welfare and above all that, as preparatory steps for our own maturity to proceed to the one truth of Adwaita Anubhava! This aim should remain before our mind’s eyes!
456. We should first review the fact that our minds have become sufficiently shameless, having lost all direction and discipline. It is that thick skinned attitude which has to be made sensitive by all the Karma Actions and services to the society. Then after gradually cutting down our involvements in the world affairs; we may tend towards the Gnaana Marga approaching the Aatma. That is before anything else, we have to proceed far in the Path of Dharma of righteous living and towards the end of such journey try meditation as the last resort. That is the reason why the Saastraas have detailed different duties of Karma for various group of people of different age (of balyam, koumaaram, youvanam, and vruddam); ashrama (of Brhmacharyam, Gruhastam, Vanaprastam and Sanyasam); and varNa (of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vysya and Sudra). This authoritative division of duty is their appointed ‘swakarma’ which is also their ‘swadharma’ (their righteous duty that they are required to perform)!
457. Only when you are rid of your disease can you partake of a feast and enjoy it. The ‘Atmananda’ Bhojanam (that is, the feast of Aatma), can only be enjoyed when we have got rid of the Karma Vyaadi and Mano Vyaadi. When I say ‘Mano Vyaadi’, I do not mean the inevitable confusions of the mind such as doubts, delusions and illusions; I am saying that the very mind is a disease which is causing us to not be able to recognise our very inner being of the Aatma! Along with the highest subtleties of this mind with noble activities as our humble offerings to God, will be a therapy in treating this diseased mind and curing it. So, in the initial stages as the body awareness is high, more importance is for actions, that is Karma. As the body awareness dwindles there is more emphasis for Bhakti and finally Aatma Vichara holds the centre stage.
458. Connection to the Other Paths: None of them to be Decried. At some point in time some process will have greater importance. In the initial stages Karma is more important, but other paths should remain subsidiary. More accommodation for devotion with some attention given to reading the scriptures, some deliberations on the Aatma and the principle of Adwaita should be persevered with. In course of time devotion will assume emphasis when you do not have to go out of your way for elaborate procedures and rituals, with Karma slowly receding in the background. When we were more active in organising and conducting elaborate procedures and festivals, we had to find time for some devotional activities too. Leaving the body consciousness, as awareness of the mind and the need to conquer it becomes our main aim we just stick to some of the essential unavoidable actions such as daily Sandya Vandanam! Even now we should not be going about making a big show of the fact that we have progressed so much that we claim with pride, “You see! I have now got over the need to do any of the normal Karmas!” Better watch out, as you are already going down – hill fast on an ego trip! The point is that we should not do or say anything which will confuse the minds of fellow travellers! Even after all these things have dropped off, like in the case of a Brhma Gnaani, he or she should not be doing such things as to put a doubt in the minds of those who are still struggling along the path, as given in Sloka No 26, Chapter No 3 of Bhagawat Gita.
459. Once you have gone in into Gnaana, there is no need to keep persevering with Karma and Bhakti anymore! But discontinuation of activities has to just happen. That is, we cannot be intending to stop our devotional activities one day just because we think that we have grown beyond the need for such things! We should not be acting as though they are not required anymore for anybody, even when we are progressing on the path of Gnaana! Bhagawan Sri Krishna’s advice on this issue is on the following lines. “If you are going to stop these activities, you may do so! But you should not cause doubts in others who are not yet mature enough to leave their Sadhana and will end up suffering due to their being neither here nor there! Just because you are able to participate in the running race does not mean that there is no need for the pram for babies or wheel chair for the people who’s both legs are paralysed!
460. As we progress in the Path of Gnaana Sadhana the individual’s likes and dislikes slowly drop off as he becomes aware of being guided on the path by the power of Easwara. Many of the rituals of Karma and devotional procedures may be given up without being aware of giving up anything. He may even adopt Sanyaasa, but not with an intension to do so! By then he would have gone beyond to the stage of ‘sarvaarambha parityaagi and sarva sankalpa rahita:’, as those who have given up all new ventures and stopped taking decisions to do anything! They may also continue to be heading a corporate business venture or be running an empire like Janaka did. There is no end point of clear definition as to where Karma or Bhakti or Gnaana finishes. There have been some great Adwaitins who continued to be great devotees too!
461. A Natural Fruition of Efforts. “When do we have to shift the importance from action (Karma) to devotion (Bhakti)? From devotion when should we move over to Gnaana Vichaara? How long should we continue with Pooja with the ringing of bells? When should we do Dhyana? When should we give up Dhyana?” These are all totally unnecessary questions which do not deserve to be answered! All that is required is for you to decide to turn the corner! It is for you to decide to progress on the path of Karma, Nish Kaamya Karma that too! Slowly you will be starting off on some devotional activities. Then inevitably you will also start thinking of trying to find answers to the perennial questions of, “what are we doing and where we going and finally who am I?” The practices and procedures will automatically refine and drop off as their usefulness wane. Naturally we will be guided and will know as to when to pick up the loose ends as we go along.
462. Then we will see that we are cutting down the activities and practices, more given to sravana (listening to scriptures and Guru’s words), manana (deliberate on them) and nidhidyaasana (meditation). Having entered the Gnaana Marga, if you wonder as to how long should one deliberate on the ‘Maha Vaakyaas’ of the Vedas, let us say; we have to go back to the answer as given by our AachaaryaaL, which is applicable from the beginning till the end of any project! Let me explain. We are beating the paddy to separate the rice and husk, with wooden pestles in a mortar, say. Now if you ask as to how long should we beat the paddy, what answer can be given? The answer has to be that you should do so till the rice grains are fully separated from their covering of husks! Similarly, till you are fully convinced that you are face to face with Aatma with no doubt left in your mind, ‘that you are that you are’ or more truly, ‘I am that I am’, your efforts must continue!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.