DEIVATHIN KURAL # 171 (Vol # 5) Dated 09 May 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 171 (Vol # 5) Dated 09 May 2012

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavaaL of Kanchi Kaamakoti 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 going ahead from the second para on page No 1065 of Vol 5 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)

Jagat Guru (Universal Preceptor) for All Levels.

1159. Thus by insisting and emphasizing the paths of Karma and Bhakti, through them our AachaaryaaL motivated everyone to proceed to Gnaana. For this end, he paved and repaired the other two paths. To think and conclude him to be a teacher of Gnaana Marga only, as is widely prevalent, is a mistaken opinion. It is true that he has firmly established that Adwaitam is the end destination for all and has written extensively in that line. But to go on the Nivrutti Marga (of ignoring the worldly attractions, temptations and pulls) is possible only for a small percentage of people. The rest could progress in whatever way with the gradual obtaining of clarity that, the final understanding, realization and comprehension has to verge towards and merge on Adwaitam only! But his Avatara Kaarya or mission was not addressed to some minority but towards all.

1160. The main difference between other philosophers and our AachaaryaaL was that their message was targeting the intelligentsia mostly, meant for their absorption and consumption! They were not meant for the upliftment of the common man. Whereas, what our AachaaryaaL did was to enable the innocent simpleton who was totally just not capable of anybody’s high flown philosophies, a plan of action to start from that lowest level making use of Action, Feelings and Brains with a Ready Reckoner to keep a track of one’s own progress! By sensible progressive actions, with devotion to God and good-will towards all living beings, as all the dirt of one’s own mind is cleansed, rid of all fanciful ideas and prevarications; practise the Saadhana Chatushtyam (four fold endeavours) and then making use of the SravaNa – Manana – Nididyaasana, right up to Aatma Saatchaatkaara (Self –Realization); like a programme from pre-school in the Day Care to School to College to Post Graduation and Doctorate in the University; he has charted the whole road map; for even the uninitiated spiritual nincompoop to become an intellectual, spiritual and practical Giant! That is what he has done!

1161. He was not a lecturer of Philosophy meant for a few. He was meant for all! That is why, he is known as the ‘Jagat Guru’. He is the Guru for all, starting from the position or level or state that they are in, going by the process individually suited to that person, progressing step by step, without any short cuts, to finally reach each one of us to the final destination of Adwaita Anubhava; he laid out all the paths for all of us; that is how we have to understand him fully and comprehensively! All this he did on the basis of the already existing Vedas and Saastraas, without inventing any method of his own! That is his greatness!

THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE OF RELIGIONS

1162. I have been telling you on various occasions, as to what is the essence of Adwaitam and other Siddhaantams. Let me now sum up in brief. There is nothing above or beyond the world that is visible to our eyes. There is no other existence beyond what can be sensed by the physical senses. Till you are alive, enjoy and make merry. There is no need for any control for enjoying the sensual pleasures. With death, your life and chapter is closed, finished. Aatma, rebirth, heavens, Moksham, rules of Karma are all ‘cock and bull stories’; says Saarvaakam aka Agnosticism and Materialism in the modern world. ‘All material and spiritual are baseless run of imagination’, says Buddhism, ‘finally ending in Sunyata’. Though there are four divisions in that religion, they all take you to the same ‘Zero’ stage of what is otherwise known as ‘Nihilism’! Jains are also like the Buddhists only. Our AachaaryaaL has called them ‘ardha vainaasiks’, meaning that they are ‘half Buddhists’. If Buddhists negate the existence or possibilities of many concepts and postulates, these people say, ‘May be, may not be’! This is not the same as positive inclusivity such as, ‘Can be possible including what cannot be possible’, which is different from the Jain Religion’s scepticism. Then their idea that we can separate Karma from Aatma by torturing the body like squeezing the wet cloth of dirt is Stoicism.

1163. With no discussion about Aatma and with no sense of devotion to God either, the Meemaamsai tells us to attain to heavenly pleasures by just doing Karma as per the Vedas; I do not know if it can be considered as Vedic Materialism! The Sankhya-Yoga Saastraas though are seemingly like non-dualism of Adwaitam, also look like Dualism, when they talk of the individuality of various life forms! Nyaaya and Vaiseshika which are mostly verging on debates and logical reasoning-s; may be considered as Intellectualism! All these so called Siddhaantams are by the way of using brains, intellect and logic only. So also the followers of Saarvaakam after due brain-storming only have argued that there is no God or Aatma or any Saastram! So also in the modern day, especially in the Tamil Nadu political scene there are people who call themselves as ‘Paguthu Arivu Vaadigal’ as though they are the only people in the world who learn by the process of separating and differentiation. It is not only as though all others are foolish and idiotic ‘Blind Believers’, but they say so, in so many words!

1164. If you look at the devotionally oriented religions, when it comes to Siddhaantam or their confirmed point of view, they have to talk in intellectual terms only and so they are also such and such an ‘ism’ only, as Dualism aka Dwaitam & Qualified Non-Dualism aka Visishtaadwaitam. Within them, the sustaining common denominator is Devotion that is, Bhakti or Love. Everything else is Intellectualism and these two are about the Love of God! In other religions there is no place for emotions, while in these two the longing is due to the need to rejoin and reclaim rightfully the belonging!

1165. Now, what to say about our AachaaryaaL’s Adwaitam? It does not come under any of the other ‘isms’, but includes all of them! It just cannot be considered under any other ‘ism’! Even Non-Dualism or even the word Adwaitam, do not tell the whole truth! After all, it is this word ‘Adwaitam’ that has been literally translated as, ‘Non-Dualism’, isn’t it? While talking about the nameless Brhmam, even the ‘tatvam’ or the idea of description of ‘that-ness’, is somehow a mistake, error or a fallacy! Though we can try and define that which is not ‘Duality’ as that ‘Non-Duality’, somehow it is a negative definition of what it is not, than what it is; that it is the completeness of truly, happily, aware existence; which in other words is ‘Sat-Chit-Aanandam’. Someone said that it could be called ‘Absolutism’ as being ‘the truth not being dependent on anything else’. Even that did not appeal to me as being very correct. It is not only an independent truth but also the truth on which everything else is dependent! So it is the basis of all relativity and the word Absolutism does not convey that meaning. Then, is it intellectual or emotional or dynamically action oriented or just the Way of Knowledge as the word Gnaanam is translated as? This knowledge unlike all other areas of knowledge is not a matter of intellectual and cerebral exercise at all! May be till it is studied as a subject matter in a school or college, it lends itself to varied discussions and interpretations. But, finally when it is absorbed, the pleasant sensation, comfort and bliss obtained is nothing physical or sensual or even cerebral! Then is it emotional? Can you feel God or Brhmam? Is the bliss of happiness an emotion? Because all these things are experienced by the mind and at the time of Adwaita Anubhava, the mind is no more!

1166. Still, how do we say in words the aspect of, ‘awareness of happiness’, by what? There is no action here, yes. But, come to think of it, the pure Adwaitins of the past like our AachaaryaaL have been extremely energetic and enterprising! So this Adwaitam seems to give much scope for dynamic action! The problem is one of trying to define the indefinable and limit the illimitable within the confines of the words! Though the aim is to become ‘summa’ absolutely neutral, uninvolved and unconcerned about good or bad; those who have achieved the Adwaita Anubhava, even after they are no more, or not seen to be existing in the mortal world; display an enormous capacity to effectively influence the course of events of their follower’s lives by their power of Anugraha! So, how to name this sleepless sleep? So, this principle which cannot be defined by words or named is called the Principle of Adwaitam! If one concept or Siddhaantam is ‘Knowledge’ oriented, another is centred on ‘Love and Devotion’ and another ‘Karma’ or action oriented, what can be the right word for this ‘Adwaitam’? I think ‘Shanti’ or ‘Peace’ can be the nearest! But it is not the ‘Peace’ in the known sense of that word. The Peace that we know of is one of inactive inertness! Though this is also the peace devoid of any agitation or stirrings, all the knowledge, love, and action are powerfully centred there! That is how our AachaaryaaL has been ever active, omniscient and beneficent for all? How to define such a state of affairs or put it in words?

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva