DEIVATHIN KURAL # 65 (Vol # 6) Dated 09 Oct 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 65 (Vol # 6) Dated 09 Oct 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 last paragraph on page No 452 of Volume 6 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)

What is the Aim of ‘Anbu’ by Aatma Saadhaka?

323.  I said that an aspirant for Adwaita Gnaana, instead of desiring for things and experiences, should try and inculcate pure Love that is unconditional, which I called அன்பு, a Tamil word for simple and pure Love.  Now for this love there has to be an object isn’t it?  To whom does the Aatma Saadhaka give his love and himself like that?  If you ask as to, if such an aspirant for Aatma Gnaana can have அன்பு for other people of the society, caste or country, or if he can give himself to them; my answer is, “Not at this stage of his own development”!  Because, if he does that, there is a potent risk of his getting involved once again in the very binding ties, that he has been trying to extricate himself from!  We do not need any other example to prove this point than that of Jada Bharatha!  (Jada Bharatha, you may know that after fully realizing the Self, in the last few days of his existence in the mortal coil happened to be a witness of a tiger mauling a pregnant deer in the throes of delivery.  The deer died after delivering the baby.  Jada Bharatha took pity on the doe / fawn and brought it up.  His attachment was so much that he had to take another life as a deer!)

324.  In earlier stages it is good to offer one’s utmost in activities such as service for the society, for the community, for the nation and humanity.  All those activities are part of what is Karma Yoga.  But now, when we are moving in Gnaana Yoga, when the whole world is to be set aside as part of imaginary Maya, if we get involved in love for that world of Maya and in service activities, isn’t it a contradiction in terms?  It may happen that after Aatma Saakshaatkaara, a man of Siddhi who is fully Self Realized, may do service for the humanity by the promptings of the Easwara, who is like a Chief Executive Officer for the world of Maya.  Our Aadi Sankara AachaaryaaL himself was such a man only, isn’t it?  Because at that stage such a person is immune to the Maya’s prevarications and delusions as he has become unshakably established firmly in the Aatma.  Also, because such a Gnaani is completely rid of the promptings of the Ego and is functioning only as a tool of Easwara, he may then do so and not in the period when he is still endeavouring to realize as a Saadhak.  As it is, the number of people who launch themselves in the Gnaana Marga thus will form only a small fraction of the whole.  So it is alright if they do not get involved in such social service activities.   Come to think of it, it is the general public which should take care of the creature comforts of such aspirants in the Gnaana Marga as they should feel, “We are anyhow stuck in the mire of this worldly life.  When at least some people so start out on a venture of Self Realization, it is our duty to take care of them, so that they are not burdened”! 

325.  So, there is no chance for this aspirant on the Gnaana Marga to have love for individuals or the public in general.  When I say this, it does not mean that he should have hatred for them either.  He can have neither love or passion nor repulsion for anybody.  Ahimsa is his main quality.  At the time of taking Sannyaasa he has to take a vow that none of the other life forms may be afraid of him and that he will not cause hurt to any other life form.  So, he would have no hatred for anybody, though at the same time he should not try and demonstrate his universal love.

326.  But, in that stage when there is likely to be an abundant out- pouring of love in his heart, he has to direct it to some object and in the process also hand over his individuality and separateness.  Then only his ego can be thin enough to enter the narrow point or dot of the Dahara Aakaasa in his heart.  Who can that object be?  It has to be the Aatma itself.  With the abundant outpouring of love he has to offer his self, separateness and ego in total surrender.  Not only to be absorbed but to be erased and annihilated.  With such an attitude the aspirant Saadhak has to love the object.  Whatever test it may have for self-revelation for the Saadhak, his attitude should be one of, “Only if there is an ‘I or me’ left here, there can be a test of strength and sincerity of purpose.  When this self or separate being is completely annulled unto you, who can be tested?”  With such true and complete love the Aatma should be invited to take over.  It is here and now that love becomes devotion. 

327.  The love for the superlative best is Bhakti – Devotion.  Love for equals is friendship or Natpu – ‘நட்பு’.  The love for elders is respect.  The love for people lower than oneself is ‘AruL’ – ‘அருள்’.  The love towards children is ‘Vaatsalyam’ – ‘வாத்சல்யம்’.  The love you have for the downtrodden is ‘KaruNai’ – ‘கருணை’.   So, the love one could have with obedient respect towards the Mother, Father, Guru and God is all Bhakti / Devotion – that is ‘பக்தி’.  Out of all that love, the highest is the one for God / Guru, who could completely dissolve our separate idea of a ‘Naan’ – ‘நான்’.  So, for the Saadhak in the path of Gnaana, since he has to absorb, comprehend and understand the Aatma till there is no separate individual in balance, his love and devotion has to be for the NirguNa Brhmam in his God / Guru, sans any sense of differentiation / भेद.  

328.  Bhakti for SaguNa/NirguNa Brhmam.  Now we say that the Aatma tests our sincerity, then reveals itself, or totally absorbs the endeavouring Saadhak.  If all that is true, is this the NirguNa or SaguNa Brhmam?  If it is the SaguNa Brhmam doing all these things listed heretofore, then that is not our aim, isn’t it?  Such questions may arise.  Here is where we have to bring in our Shraddha, which our AachaaryaaL who guides us with care, has kept as our bodyguard!  Do not ask questions about SaguNa and NirguNa.  The Upanishads which have all along been talking about NirguNa Brhmam as the Object of Aim while dealing with Gnaana Marga Saadhana, has said so here, ‘that by your love it enjoins you with the NirguNa Brhmam’!  Take its words on face value and progress with faith and belief!  This is what we have to tell ourselves and carry on. 

329.  The most important point to understand here is that, what we are discussing is about how to deal with our own inner self /Antah KaraNam and not any exotic entity.  As long as that NirguNa Brhmam temporarily behaves as the SaguNa Brhmam in sanctioning the Anugraha and absorbs you in its NirguNa aspect, what objection can you have for that?  Whatever it is or may be; we as an aspiring Saadhak should proceed with Shraddha /faith/ belief, period!  If you give even a little margin as SaguNa Brhmam, then mind will go on to experiencing its endless salubrious qualities and playfulness and land you back like a ton of bricks plonk in the middle of duality once again!  However much that may be alluring, do not forget that your aim is Adwaitam!

330.  Yes we cannot completely forget the SaguNa Brhmam as Easwara.  When we think of something good, how can we forget Easwara as the repository of all good qualities?  How can this Adwaita Saadhak totally forget him who is the end destination of all religions other than the Adwaita Siddhaanta?  Whenever such a thought of Easwara, in whichever form occurs, simultaneously one should be thinking, “Oh God!  It is by your grace that my mind has gone in Adwaitam.  Whatever in the process I am doing is again by your blessings only.  All this is happening so that you may absorb this child to become one with your NirguNa Swaroopa only.  So now if I restart SaguNa Upaasana, it seems to be contrary to your own sanction and grace.  So please enable me to proceed in the path of Gnaana Marga!”

331.  A sense of gratitude – ‘Nanri’ – ‘நன்றி or कृतज्ञ्यता’ is important.  A sense of gratitude that it is God’s will that has directed us in this super-highway of Adwaitam, may arise often causing us to thank God, still maintaining that state of Bhakti for some period, we have to come back to our path.  Still all that we did in Bhakti for Chitta Aikaagrata earlier is not a patch on our attitude towards God now!  All that Bhakti that we did earlier was like many routine rituals lacking in content.  Now in the path of Gnaana, this Bhakti in flashes that floods us with a sense of gratitude, though infinitesimal in duration is mighty in intensity and genuineness.  Since the aim is the NirguNa Brhmam, from this sense of devotion too, the mind has to be turned back to that NirguNa Brhmam only.  Still, if at times you feel that it is better to be devoted to a SaguNa Murthy, for that there is the Guru, isn’t it?  Pour your heart and devotion to him and completely hand yourself over to him.  He will lift you up unto the NirguNa Brhmam to be able to evince your love for it.  We have already seen in Deivathin Kural # 60 (Vol  # 6) dated 29 Sept that, प्रसादेन गुरो: सेयं प्रवृद्धा सूयते फलं, meaning thereby that by the Guru’s Prasaadam, you attain to the necessary fruitful returns for your efforts!

332.  What is அன்பு?  To simply go and catch and absorb, isn’t it?  Not with the intention of owning it, but to become its property is the aim.  This separate ‘I, me and mine’, it is that Ahankaara / Ego, that has to go.   With that intention, the glue like attachment and adherence we have is the அன்பு that is, Bhakti.  By saying that அன்பு means deep attachment, I do not wish to give you the impression that deep attachment to chess or cricket or being a bibliophile and such infatuations are also அன்பு that is, Bhakti.  Because they are all meant for individual satisfactions, and lead to further fattening up the sense of ego!  So instead of feeding the ego, to offer the ego as the feed is அன்பு that is, Bhakti. So this ‘Swayam Varam’ is peculiar wherein the bride-groom gobbles up the bride, that is our ego, the separateness, the Ahankaar!

   

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva