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A Practical
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Aranyakaandda - Continued 260
Chhanda: Jai Raama roopa anoopa nirguna saguna guna
prayraka sahee: 260.
Jattaayu offered this hymn to Shree Raama, "O Shree Raama! Victory be with you! There is no simile for your form.
You are without form and attributes. Yet you have a form and are the
controller of the three modes of maya. Your deadly arrows cut off the
powerful arms of the ten-headed demon Raavana and restore the splendour
of the earth. Your body is dark as water-laden clouds. Your mouth is as
a red lotus and your eyes large as its petals. O merciful Shree Raama!
Your powerful arms make a man free from all kinds of fear in the world
and of rebirth. I always do obeisance to you." 260A
Chhanda: Bala-mapra-ma-ya-manaadi-majama-vyakta-maykama-gocharam: Jattaayu
continued, "O Shree Raama! Your strength is immeasurable. You have
no beginning nor were you ever born. You are omnipresent yet
indiscernible. You are the only one and beyond the reach of the five
senses. You are called Govinda and can be known by the methods given in
the Vedas. You make a man cross over dualities of joy and sorrow
and so on as if they were puddles made by the hoof of a cow. You
personify Knowledge. You preserve the earth. You are for ever. You make
blissful the lives of those who repeat your name. Your selfless
devotees love you. You destroy the army of lust and other passions. I
always do obeisance to you." 260B
Chhanda: Jayhi sruti niranjana Brahma vyaapaka
biraja aja kahi gaavaheen: Jattaayu
continued, "O Shree Raama! The Vedas always describe you as free
from the modes of maya and as Brahman, the all pervasive, pure and as one who is never born. Innumerable
sages find you after meditation, performing yoga and attaining
non-attachment and Knowledge. The same merciful Almighty, the home of
kindness and beauty, manifests Himself in your form to charm the
sentient and the insentient in the world. The exquisite beauty of your
body excels that of myriad Kaamadayvas. In both your formless and with
form aspects in all their majesty and beauty, please settle down as a
bee in the lotus of my heart." God's beautiful form appears
repeatedly in the devotee's heart but does not stay there. As a bee
stops hovering and settles down in a lotus, the devotee always yearns
for his Lord God to stay in his heart. So, he may always enjoy the
bliss of His vision. 260C
Chhanda: Jo agama sugama subhaa-va-nirmala asama sama
seetala sadaa: Jattaayu
continued, "O Shree Raama! You are difficult to be known by the
worldly yet easy for your devotees. (See 411) Your
nature is pure and simple. You discriminate and are also the same for
all and always remain peaceful. You love all equally but more
those in distress from their helpless nature to err. (See 261, 415) Yogis
who control their mind, senses and passions through various
disciplines, see you. (See 269, 318) You
reside
in Ramaa's heart and are the Lord of the three worlds, the heaven,
earth and the nether lands. Here Shree Raama is also treated as an
Incarnation of Almighty God, Vishnu, whose power is personified as His
consort, Ramaa. (See 241 [36])
You
remain bound to your devotees. You destroy sufferings in the world
including that of the cycle of rebirth. And the reciting or hearing
of your glory purifies the seeker. I pray that you settle
in my heart." After
offering this Hymn to Shree Raama, Jattaayu died. 261
Chaupaayi: Komala chita ati deena-dayaalaa: kaarana
binu Raghunaatha kripaalaa:: Ark33 261. Shiva
said to Paarvatee, "Shree Raama is very compassionate. He is kind
without any cause especially to those who are in extreme suffering."
From
Jattaayu's story, Shiva tells Paarvatee Shree Raama's nature of being
the succour for those in distress. There is nothing in the universe
without a cause. So, an individual's correct action or virtue or
something else can be a reason for God's grace. We do not however know
the actual reason. So, grace appears to need no cause. Second, our link
with God goes on improving our fate. So, when a situation repeats
itself, we cannot correctly anticipate the result of our effort in
tackling it, which God gives in His grace. Being unexpected, we wonder
what caused it. Third, God is love. Love goes beyond causes and
reasoning and so does God's grace. (See 96) Fourth,
it is
our right to make the effort and seek grace but it is not our right to
get it or in the manner we want. It is futile to think of the why, how,
when and form of grace. Fifth, after our sincere and exhausting effort,
we can ask God fearlessly as a child from its mother, for grace and not
grovel for it. Sixth, for our betterment, grace is sometimes bitter
instantly but sweet later. We must accept both in the firm faith that
God's love does the best for us even when our past can be heinous. (See
Geetaa 5:20) Seventh, our effort to secure grace by deserving it
comprises service also of those beyond our circle of interest and,
secondly, a conduct towards all of forgiving and forgetting, not of
wanting and getting. Eighth, lest the pride of the life long effort,
which we made to reach God, should bring us down later, let us never
forget that our effort and success in securing God is also through His
grace. Ninth, God is even-handed; but those in distress regardless of
its cause, receive His care more on their surrender, in the same manner
that a sick child gets more attention of the mother. Tenth, if we do
not believe in God, we do not notice grace nor can we judge its
efficacy and worth to us. Last, more than for others, grace is for
experience of one who firmly believes that if one turns towards God He
is all attention to one and grace is His power to make the impossible
actual for one because He loves one as His child. (See 101, 359, 415)
It is an
aphorism that God's mercy and grace are at the root of all our good
fortune; our effort is secondary but essential and it too is possible
by His grace. Grace is the proof of the reality of God for the devotee
who knows that God nourishes him. (See 275 and
Geetaa
9:22) No combination of planets and stars or the gravity of our sins to
affect us adversely can stand against God's grace. Our faith in the
concept of God as loving and merciful enables us to understand events
as grace. All occurrences are inert in themselves. It is our experience
of an occurrence and its perspective, which gives us a lesson. For us a
loss may mean that God saved us from a greater loss. It is His warning
for us to be careful. It may mean that through this loss He relieved us
of more horrendous consequences of our past karma,
or that He teaches us that profit and loss are the nature of the world.
All these for us are aspects of God's grace. An analysis of innumerable
factors beyond our control, which had to be favourable for us to
achieve anything through our effort, shows that God's grace brought
about the achievement; our effort was infinitesimal and secondary. This
analysis makes us humble for greater efficiency. It is
illogical that when we receive adversity, we should thank God for
saving us from a worse situation. Or that when we get hardly anything
in return for our maximum effort, we should thank God for giving us
more than many who receive much less for a greater effort. The choice
of our perspective of grace is with us. We can also curse God for
giving us adversity and being niggardly in rewarding our effort. The
first attitude of acceptance of grace is better for us to enable us to
stand God testing our faith for our betterment. The attitude of
dissatisfaction with grace shows our failure in His test and loss of
our faith in Him even as a reality. Wisdom suggests the attitude of
acceptance for our vibrant and positive link with God who is really our
security and the source of all bliss and power for us. His response
accords with our attitude towards Him in a multiple measure. (See 34, 101) If we
do not
need God, He is just not there for us. (See 165)
Practical
wisdom is not in believing that the world is a dream and a delusion; it
is in believing that God is very much in the world, in and through
everything in it with no exception. He is there for us to earn His
grace. To earn grace, we link and surrender what we have and do and
even ourselves to Him in His form that we love. (See Geetaa 11:54-55)
On the seeker's yearning, it is God's grace, which gives jnaana
to a devotee and devotion to a jnaanee. (See 226, 442 and
Geetaa 9:22)
It is also wisdom not to fritter away energy in raising arguments about
myriad things around us. We can neither remedy these things nor are
they all immediately or directly of relevance to us in our day-to-day
life. They do not bear upon our fruitful relationship with God. An
example of such things is our engrossment in vast scientific
achievements for our benefit and our exclusion from establishing a
vibrant link with God or becoming His instrument. Treating science as
worthwhile, we should use our energy for strengthening faith in God's
grace. We should not raise profitless questions such as, why did God
create and imperfect world and permit so much injustice, untimely
deaths, abnormal or maimed bodies living for years, or why take
medicine if prayers can cure, and so on. Praying for those who bear the
impact of these situations purifies our mind and is a better use of our
energy than asking purposeless questions. Devotees,
men of Knowledge and also others, experience that throughout the
journey in search of continual bliss or the knowledge of the Self in
life itself, everything happens by God's grace. The ease of the
availability and power of grace is such, that those who rely on it for
their progress, observe God's hand every
moment and in the materializ-ation of their good thoughts. There is no
being to which grace is denied. When through some strange logic or
negligence, we think only of ourselves, cease to follow our heart and
stop being helpful, compassionate and charitable towards the needy, we
block the flow of grace towards us temporarily. With that, we block our
material prosperity and happiness. When this happens we are perplexed
and worry. Response in
grace is not our right. Grace is, however, there for our invoking. We
are gifted with a body and mind and capacity for karma from which we
cannot escape. Our dharma is to make use of these gifts for
selfless service of God and for prayers for His grace. (See 444) We
should
not cheat God by making the excuse that grace needs no cause so we can
escape from our daily duty. (See 318) By
God's
grace, when we purify our mind of the power of passions, grace becomes
our right because we become one with our divinity. (See 300) If at
an
advanced age we try and control our desires and senses, we may or may
not win God's grace. (SS 73 138) If we do it at a young age, however,
there is no doubt about getting it. This is apparently because the
younger age demands greater faith, effort and strength for self-control
on our part, than older age does. Selflessness
with compassion and charity in conduct transcend both ethics and
morality. (See 240 [5-7])
This magnanimity alone keeps our hearts open to
receive the maximum of God's grace. This is experienced. A man can act
selfishly, not caring for others. He can act only with reasoned
propriety conditioned by self-interest, which is all that there often
is in a man's ethics today. If he still relies upon God's grace because
it needs no cause or precondition, he is welcome to his wisdom. May God
bless him! History is
witness to pure ethics and morality changing to justify wars,
conquests, slavery, oppression and exploit-ation. Our Father in Heaven
also loves those who love all just as parents love that son more who
cares for all their children beyond ethics. Ethics is often the
rationalization of our faulty conduct. This deprives us of the capacity
for magnanimity, which is necessary for the flow of grace. Where such
ethics ends love begins and grace flows. It is said
that grace acts as morphine. The disease is suffered but the pain is
not felt. This is because grace does not stop the law of karma. We
undergo the shape and form of the adverse consequence such as a fall
from a height. God’s grace reduces its impact on devotees who escape
unhurt by the fall. Sometimes grace makes us
suffer the pain of the consequences of our deeds intensely in a dream.
Often our capacity to bear is so increased that we do not feel the pain
of consequences of our deeds so much. Sometimes our perspective is
changed to reduce the impact of consequences upon us. Our selfless
conduct eschewing error after the surrender of our past to God invokes
grace to change all for the better for us. In his
poetic work Vivaykachurhaamani, Shankaraachaarya says, ‘A man
secures three objects through grace, which are otherwise difficult to
get. These are his human body, his salvation and his acquisition of
Knowledge by serving a highly evolved soul.’ (EV 1 391) 262
Chaupaayi: Kaha Raghupati sunu bhaamini baataa:
maana-un ayka bhagati kara naataa:: 262. Shree
Raama said to Shabaree, "O lady! Listen. I accept only one
relationship with anyone and that is of love through devotion. A man
may be of high caste, of spotless lineage, of noble ancestry, be famous
as a follower of dharma, wealthy, powerful and with a retinue,
and have good qualities and intellectual prowess. Without devotion,
however, he is useless as a cloud without rain." Shabaree,
the daughter of a hunter in a forest, used to clean her hut and collect
fresh flowers and fruit to offer them to Shree Raama every day. Every
evening disap-pointed her. She trusted her guru, Matanga's word that
she would have a vision of God in her hut. She had an intense desire to
see God. She refused to give up. How long and how severely was her
faith in both guru and God tested! Shabaree showed the supremacy of the
heart and firmness of faith over intellect to attract God. She
demonstrates the availability of God to whosoever yearns for Him
intensely. Shabaree
never saw Shree Raama earlier. Her love was free from attachment, that
is, unsullied by any physical attraction for or expectation from it.
She knew not how to praise Him. Having attained the objective of all
paths, namely, Shree Raama in person, she did not need a discourse on
devotion. Bound by her love, Shree Raama Himself offered her a hymn
describing her achievement, which others secured through devotion to
Him in nine ways. It is a unique example of Shree Raama's response
manifold to a devotee's love for Him. (See 34) He
demons-trates
being the embodiment of love or Praymaswaroopa. Shree Raama
also taught us a lesson in Advaitic Sanaatana Dharma. He
treated Shabaree as one with him by eating from her hands what she
offered. He rejected the modern concept of Sudra caste as a low caste
and upheld the social equality of Sudra Worldly
greatness does not imply goodness, which are often strangers to each
other. They coexist in rare saints among men. Not merely the ten
worldly assets which Shree Raama is shown to have enumerated here, but
even austerity, scholarship in shastras, power, authority and
experience can obstruct the acquisition of that simple, sincere faith
which Shabaree showed and which Shree Raama accepted happily. Shree
Raama accepts sincere faith and direct love through devotion to Him.
Love is the only religion as a relationship with God and therefore with
His creation, which includes man. So, any religion, which does not
stand upon love for all can in a way be
viewed as not a religion centred on God if our concept of God is that
of personification of love. For us, it follows that 'we and they' is
not godly; all 'we' is godly. God and men as His children had direct
relationship of love with God and each other from the beginning of man.
Language, Incarnations of God, His Messengers and articulation of all
religions came much later. God does not need a language for prayer. He
needs a yearning. (See 360, 415) Shree
Raama
establishes here His direct and easy availability to all through their
yearning regardless of their power, poverty, intellect or religion. We
initially worship God as a superior being. As we reach closer to Him,
however, love and worship become one as a yearning for Him. Shree Raama
removed the need for any intermediary between the devotees and Himself
such as a guru or satyasanga or of any interpreter or priest,
howsoever revered he might be. A sincere devotee may have access to
gurus, scriptures, religion and philosophy. He just accepts all. Yet
without or with all this, he sticks to his devotion. Duty
towards, and care, compassion and sacrifice for those around us, are
some forms of our love or devotion to God. Devotion to God without this
love for fellow beings is hypocritical. A man without devotion is
called here as useless. (See 64, 259) (Shree
Raama's Discourse to Shabaree Begins) 263
Chaupaayi: Navadhaa bhagati kaha-un tohi paaheen:
saavadhaana sunu dharu mana maaheen: 263. Shree
Raama continued, "I shall now tell you the nine forms of devotion.
Listen carefully and keep them in your mind. The first is the company
of men of divine vision. The second is the interest in, and love of the
story of my sportive play." Some of us
do not believe in God. Some believe in Him but have no faith in His
reality as being their most dependable help in their need. The company
of spiritually advanced persons or satyasanga creates or
activates belief in God. It strengthens our enlightened faith or shrad-dhaa
in His being our succour in predicaments. It also shows us the instant
benefit of faith and how to make the best use of our faith for society
and ourselves today. The company develops vivayka or
discrimination that enables us to see realities around us and to
eliminate the unreal and the worthless for our invariably correct
decisions. It weans us from our sensuous desires and the six passions.
That develops vairaagya or mental non-attachment to
worldliness; which so far was the end of our existence. The company
secures us undiminishing bliss here and now. For this, it creates our
interest in the message of Shree Raama’s life. He was God in human
form. After satyasanga, this interest is the second form of
devotion to Him. (See 302, 394) The
message of Shree Raama's life constitutes the Vedas for our daily
practice and the practical in Indian philosophy. (See 61) The
importance given to satyasanga for the understanding of
religion and to group singing of devotional songs, is the nearest with
which Sanaatana Dharma approaches group activity in religion. Neither
is obligatory in Sanaatana Dharma for all nor does it have obligatory
congregational prayers or worship or any institution of authority.
Religion is a matter of the spirit pursued by each within itself. The
society is the field for our practice of religion in our conduct. Each
man can choose his own religious activity to reach God in his own time.
If God is the objective, He corrects the activity, if faulty. (See 205) The
freedom
to each in Sana-atana Dharma resulted in even these beneficial group
activities becoming infrequent among a large number of its Western
educated followers today. (See 459)
264
Dohaa: Guru-pada-pankaja-sayvaa, teesari
bhagati amaana: 264. Shree Raama
continued, "After giving up all kinds of pride, to serve one's guru with respect is the third form of
devotion. The fourth is to sing my praise without hypocrisy." (See 318)
The second
form of devotion is to listen to the story of Shree Raama's life and to
think about lessons of that story. Respect for guru, which symbolizes
respect for Knowledge, is the third form of devotion. The Book repeats
it. (See 244)
The fourth
form includes discourses about, or singing of, or listening to songs in
praise of Shree Raama's sportive play. The purpose is to develop love
for Him and respect for his message without which we can gain nothing
from either. It is the
experience of spiritually advanced persons that when we associate any
thought, word or deed with God, this association gradually takes away
from it the influence of passions. When we think of someone who hurt us
and think of God, automatically it strikes us that God will do
something to make up for our hurt and our hate cannot hurt the offender
who was merely God’s instrument. So, the thought becomes pure and so
does our mind. That is why Tulaseedaasa recommends only remembering Him
somehow as the discipline to purify ourselves for our betterment. If
our intent without conscious effort in remembering God is sincere and
benevolent, there is nothing like it. (See 19, 259, 362 and
Geetaa
8:7-8) Shabaree
secured the first four forms of devotion through her guru
Matanga. 265
Chaupaayi: Mantra jaapa mama
drirhha bisvaasaa: panchama bhajana so bayda prakaasaa:: 265. Shree
Raama continued, "The fifth form of devotion is repetition of my
name, which is a sacred incantation, to remember me and to have
firm faith in me. Vedas recommend this. The sixth form is to control
one's senses, to be peaceful and righteous, detached from multifarious
deeds and to remain constantly devoted to the dharma of the
godly persons." [1] In
these two couplets and in 325, Shree
Raama
is shown to give a secret of relief from suffering in life and from the
cycle of rebirth on the earth. [2] The
great incantation for remembering God is Shree Raama's name. Its power
lies in the firmness of our faith that Shree Raama is in His name. (See
183)
Shree Raama advises control of the senses for developing detachment
from worldly attractions for living in our divinity of goodness and
compassionate service of the needy. (See 42 [3, 6-13]
and
Geetaa 3:4-6, :33, :36) [3]
The dharma of good persons is given in 265A
Chaupaayi: Japa tapa ni-yama joga nija dharmaa:
sruti-sambhava naana subha karmaa:: Vasishttha
said to Shree Raama, "The Vedas and good people say that dharma
comprises, repetition of the sacred incantation, observing austerities,
disciplines and yoga, our individual dharma in accord with our
nature, our calling or our stage in life, gaining knowledge,
compassion, control of senses and passions, visiting places of
pilgrimage; and performing duties prescribed in the Vedas." (See 242, 276- 282, 375)
Following
the dharma is living in divinity, which is with love for all as
one with us in God to motivate every act by benevolence particularly
for the needy. (See 259, 386)
[4] A word
about multifarious deeds. They are deeds, which accumulate consequences
for us to bear. Deeds are of three kinds. [5] First, obligatory deeds or duties are
those, which are essential for the maintenance of our body, our
progress, and that of society. (See Geetaa 3:8-9, :13, :20) These
duties start from breast feeding of a baby and end with sustaining the
family, parents and society by performing daily duties of our calling
and righteous living. (See 111 and
Geetaa 3:8) They are the obligatory
duties of the Varnaashrama Dharma. There is no underlying
intent in obligatory duties except when maya overpowers us to colour
our intent by passions. Free from intent, these duties accumulate no
consequences to stick to our soul. The care of personal hygiene, health
and minimum food and comfort are a part of these duties. Not to perform
these duties, whether we like them or not brings us adverse
consequences. [6] Second
are deeds prompted by expectations of specific fruit for which we are anxious. This expectation and anxiety are called
our attachment to our deeds. Multifarious deeds are those to which we
are attached. If our intent is good the deeds become meritorious; and
if it is bad, they bring suffering. For example, to defend the meek and
ourselves is right; to hurt in anticipation or in revenge is wrong.
Good and bad both intents accumulate consequences. Consequ-ences
sometimes also lead to more karma. Our desire for a specific fruit of
our acts, that is, attachment to fruit, makes us bear its consequences.
(See 259,
400)
We become attached unknowingly even to charitable deeds,
which we commence in the spirit of detachment and load ourselves with
consequences. The advice is, first not to avoid doing any deed, which
we get to do. We should dedicate our desire for its successful
completion and fruit to God as He thinks best. Second, we should
perform only deeds of the third kind described below. [7] Our true nature is divine. Our
superimposed nature makes us do multifarious deeds helplessly for
selfish gratification. If we go against this nature we harm our-selves.
(See 242 and
Geetaa 18:48, :60) By performing deeds in accord with this
superimposed nature, we exhaust the demand of this nature as demons
did. (See 347)
Born in poverty, in a criminal tribe or in anti-social
environment, we survive by incorrect acts. When we pray for relief from
our lot, God gives it quickly. (See 323) If we
do not seek relief, it
delays our liberation though we get it in the end, may be after many
lives. (See Geetaa 9:18) [8] To be free from multifarious deeds, we
must realize that the past is over and is unalterable and the future is
not known. Second, we should not brood over the past nor worry about
the future because it is not in our control. Third, under the law of
karma, the present is the result of the past actions and the future
will result from our present actions. Fourth, the present contains both
our past and the future and we should concentrate on it to get relief
from the past and ensure it for future. (See 242)
Fifth, for this dual
benefit, our intent behind all our acts should be the good of all
without anxiety for specific fruit of our acts for ourselves. God gives
us the best. (See 261 and
Geetaa 9:22) Last. In spite of this faith
when we get no relief by our effort, we should bear our adversity with
the faith that this exhausts our heinous past karma to free us from
their consequences for us. Without our understanding the above
rationale through occasional introspection, we do not turn to God to
give us the strength to resist our superimposed nature and stop our
drift at its mercy into multifarious deeds. [9] Our introspection helps us recollect our
divinity and understand the law of karma. We should firmly believe that
we can surrender our past worries, fears and karma, good, bad or
heinous, only to God and can sincerely seek His refuge, guidance and
strength for following a path free from errors. (See 318) If we
find
ourselves helpless, we pray to God for help and dedicate our deeds in
helpless-ness, whether good or bad, also to Him. (See 185[15,
16, 19,
24], 306,
325 and
Geetaa [10] Even after surrender to God, we commit
acts, which we should not. This is because maya as our pride makes us
forget that God is all and we are His mere instruments. We again think
that we are the actual, not the apparent, doer of deeds and so bear
consequences. (See Geetaa 3:27) To avoid this regression, we must
always remind ourselves that God is all and does all. [11] Third
are deeds, which accumulate no consequences. (See 293) No
deed is
without desire for a specific fruit, which we can always surrender to
God for His choice for us with the firm faith that God always gives us
the best. This surrender of fruit to God is dedication of our deeds to
Him and makes our deeds selfless as that of a karmayogi. If we
are forced to do an incorrect deed, we pray for mercy and relief.
Examples of such deeds are stealing of food by a poor man or offering
of her body by a poor woman, and so on. To decide whether a deed is
good or bad, we follow the Geetaa as summed up in 240 [23]
and in
paragraphs 148 to 150 in the chapter on the Philosophy. After aligning
our intellect and our 'I' with our inmost Self we work without fear of
or expectations from consequences. (See 42 [3,
6-13], 259,
325,
327 and
Geetaa [12]
Duty without selflessness or love motivating it,
is deplorable and is cheating ourselves. Outwardly similar, duty
dedicated to God makes it a joy and duty not dedicated drudgery. The
consequences of dedicated duty accrue to God, which frees us from their
effect in misery and rebirth. Our deeds not dedicated to God stick to
us. We get their consequences that can include more karma and sometimes
multifarious karma. If we miss dedication in advance, we seek God's
refuge from our past. (See Geetaa [13] The
above procedure ceases to look terribly austere if we have firm faith
in the supremacy of God's grace over the law of karma, faith in God as
our loving benefactor and persevere in our faith to make all this our
second nature. We also observe that our subtle happiness comes from the
happiness of our family and of those around us. Through selflessly
working for their happiness we secure our own. This dwindles
our self, links us to God and makes us His instrument to enjoy doing
our duty. (See 182)
Without this link, duty is a strain and even
leisure becomes labour. With this link, even labour yields the fruit of
leisure. Shabaree
secured the fifth form of devotion by her expectation of receiving
Shree Raama at her doorstep every day and the sixth form by serving
anyone who came to her door as if he was Shree Raama. She could hardly
know if such a person was Shree Raama. 266
Chaupaayi: Saatava sama mohi-ma-ya jaga
daykhaa: mo tayn santa adhika kari laykhaa:: 266. Shree
Raama continued, "The seventh form of devotion is to see me
even-mindedly in everyone and to treat men of divine vision as greater
than myself. The eighth form is contentment with what a man gets from
his work and not to find fault in others even in his dreams." If we see
Shree Raama in everyone it is a sign that we are His devotees. (See 17 and Geetaa
6:30-31) This awareness is the essence of Vedanta
and
facilitates magnanimity towards and love of all as one with us in their
reality. So, service of others, the highest religion, becomes our
nature. (See 259)
Shree Raama
is shown to give credit to men of divine vision by calling them greater
than Him. In 157,
Vaalmeeki calls guru greater than Shree Raama. This
is because both men help us reach Him and bind Him to us. Moreover,
both make the effort, with God’s grace, to get over their super-imposed
nature to manifest their innate divinity to be able to help us. It is
Shree Raama’s nature to give credit for such noble effort and in doing
so set an example in humility – one of the roles of an Incarnation of
God. (See 287,
369.
415 and
(359) in
the
Story) Men of divine vision here and guru in 157 are
called
greater than Shree Raama because both help us
reach Him and bind Him to us. So, in elevating both, Shree Raama is
expressing the gratitude of a mother to one who brings her baby to
her. Continual
happiness comes from contentment. Content-ment comes when we accept our
situation as the best consequence of our past. For our betterment, we
diligently do our daily chores in accord with our divine nature of love
to invoke God’s grace. This needs getting rid of feelings of hurt,
anger, greed, attachment, envy, and bitterness against persons. We do
it by understanding that none can hurt us under the law of karma. Our
mind purified from pollution attains contentment. We enjoy most and
make the best of what we have and thereby secure our continual
happiness. Thus contentment and peace become the greatest gifts from
God. Shabaree's
impatience for meeting Shree Raama made her see anyone who came to her
as Shree Raama. Without her knowing, this attitude itself was jnaana
in practice. She was so engrossed in her expectation of meeting Shree
Raama that the thought of contentment or discontentment with her
situation or praise or blame from anyone never occurred to her. Her
engrossment was that of a baby in its toy forgetful of its environment
and even of its mother. This secured her the seventh and eighth forms
of devotion effortlessly. 267
Chaupaayi: Navama sarala saba sana chhala-heenaa: mama bharosa hi-ya
harasha na deenaa:: 267. Shree
Raama continued, "The ninth form of devotion is to be of
straightforward disposition, to have trust in me and not to be upset on
losing, or exult over getting something. O Shabaree! If any human or a
sentient or an insentient being, has acquired any of these nine forms
of devotion, He is very dear to me." [1]
Selfless benevolence ensures straightforward disposi-tion for correct
conduct because it frees us from the six passions which distort or warp
our disposition. Sincere devotion to God needs correct conduct based on
love for fellow beings. (See 259, 288) If we
can make this conduct our
irresistible nature, we do not need to understand our relationship with
God, or know any holy book, any discip-line, yoga or a guru to teach
any precepts of spirituality, religion and its philosophy to us. Of the
nine forms of devotion to God, the first, third, sixth and the eighth
are through benevolent conduct and do not mention God. These devotees
do not have to think of God. God Himself keeps them in His heart. (See 328)
Selflessness or karma-yoga secures us the highest form of
happiness on the earth. (See 390)
[2] God
loves these Karmayogis, who do not think of Him and some may
not even believe in Him. Their service of fellow beings is one of the
highest forms of dharma, which Shree Raama prescribes. (See 386)
Unknowingly, they become His instruments for His work and His
beloved devotees. (See 287 and
Geetaa 5:25, 12:4) Followers of all
religions have a few Karmayogis amongst them. It is immaterial
to God whether we believe in Him or not. What matters is that we live
in and act with love, of which God is the personification, for Him to
help us unasked. As a believer, we see His hand in everything good we
do to give us joy. As a non-believer, we do not believe that we receive
joy by God’s grace. [3]
The first form of devotion is holy company. (See 394) Holy
company
creates our interest in 'Who am I, from where have I come, whither am I
going, how long shall I be there for what use and what is Truth and its
bliss for us and the method for securing it?' Involvement with holy
company develops the use of our intellect with compassion,
right-eousness and virtues for a higher purpose than worldly
achievements. This makes our mind superior to that human mind, which
still retains some animalistic or overwhelming sensuous tendencies in
it. This superior mind sets us on living in our divinity for our
material and spiritual advancement for society. The larger is the
people to gain from holy company, the greater is their impact on others
for their transformation to goodness and healthier the society. [4] The
third form of devotion is giving up of our pride for humble service of
others. The greatest pride is of knowledge, righteousness, of devotion
and of spirituality. (See 240 [3], 438) Pride
divides men and society.
Humility is godliness, invites His grace, unites men through
compas-sionate service of the needy and fosters a tolerant and healthy
society with a caring community life. [5] The sixth form is our control over senses,
avoidance of multifarious deeds and doing deeds void of effect upon us
of their consequences. (See 265 [11-12])
This is selfless-ness or Karmayoga.
This concentrates us on the good of others and so deactivates our self
and destroys our selfishness, which obstructs our progress. [6] The
eighth form is contentment. This arises from the conviction that
whatever good or bad we get is the best consequence of our own doing.
So, we accept it as our responsibility and make its best use for us
through self-lessness in thought, word and deed. This is also Karma-yoga.
Contentment is a form of control over our passions, which facilitates
benevolence to secure us bliss. (See 259)
[7] All
these forms of devotion through thought and conduct make the devotees'
hearts fit for God's stay in them and so God searches for such
devotees. These devotees need not seek God. (See 149-168)
These forms
of devotion are also possible by a mind, which is healthy with the
knowledge of oneness of all with us. A healthy mind is also detached
from worldly attractions knowing the world to be unreal. It derives
satisfaction from and so concentrates on righteous conduct for the good
of all through humanism or compassionate service of the needy. Unasked
for grace brings success to this mind engaged in the core of all
religions – love. These forms of devotion secure for us happiness and
salvation without our asking for either. In this manner, Shree Raama
himself brought within the definition of devotion the objective of all
paths in Vedanta and the Geetaa. For our success and continual
happiness in life, our belief or unbelief in God does not matter to
Him. What matters is that we use our mind and intellect for development
of faith in the value of faith and of confidence in the superiority of
love expressed through virtue. This attracts God Himself because where
there is virtue and compassion there is God Himself. (See Geetaa 10:41)
We notice that logic cannot prove tangibly any virtue to be worthwhile.
The heart appreciates the worth of love and virtue, fosters them and
thereby accords nobility to our intellect for its expression in our
thought and conduct. Virtue is alien to and beyond pure reason or
logic. [8]
Shabaree's faith that she would meet Shree Raama where she was, without
any effort to seek Him, freed her from any worry about her situation.
This secured her the ninth form of devotion. [9] How can
the inanimate as rock, trees, fire and others seek devotion? This doubt
arises from two incorrect postulates. There is a difference between the
Ultimate Reality underlying the inanimate and us and, second, the
inanimate has no consciousness. [10]
According to Vedanta (see 241 [9-11]), Brahman
cannot be fragmented, so, the same total Brahman in miniature underlies
the tiniest inanimate particle to men, gods and the Incarnation of
Brahman. We cannot perceive the manifestation of Brahman in the
inanimate. The difference in each is in the degree of manifestation in
it of Brahman but not in the substance of Brahman or divinity in each.
Brahman in each is in the manner of an identical flame inside a lamp.
Its glass globe can be opaque, translucent or clear. The visibility of
light within differs with the transparency of the walls. So also the
manifestation of Brahman differs in each of the beings. (See 288 and
Geetaa 5:18-19, 18:61) The difference is as the wattage of a bulb while
the electric current is the same in all bulbs. The manifestation of
Brahman is in its aspects of being (sat-ta), consciousness (chit-ta),
and continual and limitless bliss (aananda), which is within
and not dependent upon, environment, situation and objects. Differences
in the degree of manifestation of the same reality in any or all the
three aspects are similarly noticed in the character and conduct of all
men. Differences in the manifestation of divinity among men correspond
to the degree of the purity of their minds to permit its visibility.
Divinity is the inborn nature of every object in nature. Man has
apparently a mind, which can know and make use of his divinity. So, he
appears superior to all in the creation. [11]
Anything, which has a name and a form has a begin-ning and an end. This
is the law of nature. Every object contains within itself the qualities
and the energy necessary for creation, change and destruction, which
are also the ingredients for evolution. The essence of the tree is from
within the seed and of the seed from the tree cyclically. The capacity
for this cycle is within. Nothing from outside the seed by itself can
produce the plant. Only that which is within manifests itself. No new
capacity is created. The universes are destroyed to merge in their
origin at the end of their lives. They are again created from the same
origin cyclically, all because the same origin as reality underlies
all. (See 293
and Geetaa 7:6) [12] The
reality underlying all is one. Living and non-living beings are only
characteristics of the forms that reality takes for their role in
evolution. We observe the physical evolution. We cannot observe the
evolution inside each object, which is necessary for its outward
evolution. Continuous change in name and form of all in the creation is
the role of karma and time. In the living we see it, in the inanimate
we generally cannot because possibly of its slowness. [13]
Science discovered that the world grew from inorganic matter into
organic and then into life. From life it grows its animal instincts and
man's intelligence. Continuous activity is the comprehensive meaning of
karma, which brings about continuous change in form, which also appears
as the role of time. The same Universal Consciousness causes the role
of karma and time from within all, sentient and insentient, in the
creation. [14] Every
form in the creation needs the same reality on which the entire
creation rests. This reality underlying every sentient and insentient forms governs their role in the creation by one
law. That reality is the aatmaa or soul. Liberation from the
form is the irrepressible nature of the soul. This nature brings about
changes into evolving the form for evolution to end in liberation of
the soul. 'Shankaraachaarya admits that the one eternal reality is
revealing itself in higher and higher forms through successive stages
of manifestations.’ (RG 182) [15] This
evolution also enables every object, including human beings, to give
selflessly bliss to others, which is its Sat-ta (being or
reality), chit-ta (consciousness) and aananda (bliss)
nature. For example, the earth is for living upon, water is for
quenching thirst and air is for breathing. Small fish is the food for
bigger fish, vegetation for animals and human beings, and animals for
carnivorous beasts. For our bliss the earth lovingly offers plenty from
which to pick the minimum, enjoy it to the maximum and share that joy
with others to give them bliss. It is a respected Hindu tradition to
revere the earth as mother. To waste her munificence is a sin. To
manage in the minimum is righteousness and reverence to her. (See 277)
[16] The
potential for change and evolution into the most highly evolved man is
in the smallest particle in any atom in him. That potential is the
divinity in each particle. This causes it to reach the form of man
through evolution. Inner and outer evolution in man takes him to his
highest social end, liberty, equality and justice. (See Geetaa 9:4) The
nearest to an ideal society with material security and comfort for its
citizens which man has reached is said to be in [17]
Generally we are not always conscious of our Satchidaananda
nature to manifest itself in our day to day conduct. We cannot blame
ourselves if we cannot think of that nature in the insentient. Our
ignorance and the inability of the insentient to make us see its
divinity, does not negate the existence of divinity in the insentient.
The earlier we accept divinity as all pervading, the more knowledgeable
we are for our advantage. [18] Every
object and being follows its own nature (dharma) in its own way.
It enables the soul in it to achieve liberation from the bondage to the
body encasing it. (See 242) Just
as there are many paths for man, the
insentient too have their dharma or nature for reaching God.
Unknown to us the path and the time for the insentient may vary with
every object. Highly advanced yogis can demonstrate life in the
insentient objects. [19] We
call our yearning devotion. The insentient have their mode of devotion.
We see the result of both in evolution and the liberation of the soul.
We cannot see the mode of devotion of the insentient. It is in the same
way that we cannot see devotion or its level inside millions of men.
None can show it to us. Our inability to see cannot exclude devotion
from either living beings or from the insentient. [20] In the
Shree Raamacharita Maanasa, apparently simple words, such as the
sentient and the insentient in the instant couplet allude to deep
concepts of Sanaatana Dharma and its philosophy. The Book reminds us to
go deep into apparently unbelievable ideas. Sometimes they can have
many a truth in them. These can broaden our mind and widen our
knowledge of the essential for practical use. (See 18, 241, 390, 450)
This makes the Book popular as a scripture for both the erudite and the
common folks. 268
Chaupaayi: So-yi atisa-ya priya bhaamini moray:
sakala prakaara bhagati drirhha toray:: 268. Shree
Raama continued, "O Lady! He is very dear to me. You have all forms
of devotion established in you. The difficult destination for the many who are advanced on the spiritual path is easily
available to you." Shabaree's
achievement in having Shree Raama at her door summed up the achievement
of all forms of devotion and of paths to attract God. It shows that to
reach our personal God we need no qualification, scriptures, holy men,
prayers, yoga, fasts, priests, rituals or pilgrimage, but only
unswerving faith and a yearning. Shabaree received both from her guru
and lived on faith in his words. (See 2, 157, 360, 462)
Devotion raises
the socially low to the spiritually high. The other examples of those
of low origin reaching spiritual heights are Kayvatt, a ferryman, Guha,
a forester, Vaalmeeki, who was a robber named Ratnaakara and Naarada
who was the son of a maidservant. The words
'easily available' in the instant couplets assure us that God's grace
itself seeks, and yields to, devotion. God also responds in a multiple
measure to man's love for Him irrespective of his faults or sins. (See 34, 261, 415)
269
Chaupaayi: Mama darashana-phala parama anoopaa:
jeeva paava nija sahaja saroopaa:: Ark36 269. Shree
Raama continued, "The benefit of seeing me is unique. It secures a
human being his own original form." Even if we
believe in God, when we see Him, we may not sometimes know or recognize
that whom we see is God. His vision however makes the dirt of our past
lives, of deeds and their impressions and present passions fall off our
soul, that is, maya leaves us. This is because God does not reach all
in person. Only those who earn His grace reach near Him and see Him.
(See Geetaa 4:37) After that nothing remains to bind our soul to our
body for its rebirth. Our soul regains its ‘original form' in which it
emanated from Satchidaananda Brahman. The speed of our securing
God's vision depends upon the quality of our past and our present
effort and yearning for it. (See 148, 155 and
Geetaa, 8:6, :15,:21, Some
recorded examples of a vision of God in the West are of Jesus Christ by
Saul of Tarsus on Later, on
inquiry about Seetaa, Shabaree suggested Shree Raama to go to Pampaa
lake to befriend Sugreeva, who would help him. After this, Shabaree
created fire by her yogic powers and keeping Shree Raama in her heart
immolated herself. This shows that pure devotion brings unasked to the
devotee psychic powers to know the future and to create something from
nothing, namely, fire. Self-immolation after attaining jnaana
or a vision of God in person is not suicide. It is not making the body
lifeless by physical means. It is giving up the body by a choice filled
with gratitude to God after the body has served its highest purpose on
the earth. (See 226) (Shree
Raama's Hymn to Shabaree Ends) 270
Chhanda: Nara bibidha karma adharma bahu-mata,
soka-prada saba tyaaga-hoo: 270.
Tulaseedaasa says, "Man should give up variety of
deeds and multiplicity of beliefs and also going against his
innate nature or dharma. Their pursuit only causes him suffering and
grief. With enlightened faith he should develop devotion to Shree
Raama." Tulaseedaasa
advises us to give up deeds arising from our superimposed nature and
also the multiplicity of beliefs, some of which are described in 265 and 242,
respectively. Deeds include the karmakaandda section
of the Vedas because they are mostly motivated by desire. Some
scriptures prescribe sixteen ceremonial duties (sanskaaras)
from before birth to death and others for performing daily. Beliefs
refer to all systems of philosophy, beliefs of religion, guru
traditions or samapradaayas, disciplines, and concepts in the
Vedas and scriptures, which we may be unable to grasp fully, and which
take away our peace. Dharma and adharma refer to the problem of
deciding right and wrong. We should motivate all our acts by
benevolence and love. We should surrender our deeds and ourselves to
Shree Raama. By so doing, we neither need multiplicity of beliefs nor
face the problem of right and wrong nor of our purification. (See 259, 318)
Most of
these beliefs, sometimes confusing, are disciplines and codes to follow
if we desire liberation. (See 226) We
should give up even the desire
for liberation of our soul. We should know that our reality or soul
merely pervades us but is ever free from suffering. Bondage or release
or liberation is not for the soul. Only the container of the soul, our
body, mind and ego suffers, is bound to suffering and seeks release
from suffering. It can be
hazarded that liberation, moksha or mukti is from
suffering and fear in life. We can desire a rebirth nobly. For example,
gods took birth as monkeys and bears for Shree Raama's army. We can
desire rebirth to serve God in person when He descends on the earth as
an Incarnation. We may desire to become a guru to serve fellow beings
as service of God, or a selfless worker for the distressed and the
needy, and so on. Such activities are possible by becoming instruments
of God after attaining jnaana or mukti from suffering in
life. The Geetaa advises them for our life and calls them karmayoga
for the fulfilment of our divinity. (See 113, 148, 363, 390 and
Geetaa
3:22-25) The highest happiness of Karmayoga with devotion
throughout life can be our desire and our endeavour for its
fulfillment. Its result should not concern us, be it rebirth, freedom
from it or realization of our identity with Brahman. (See 443)
In the
advice for giving up beliefs, Tulaseedaasa repeats here the concluding
message of the Geetaa, which does not qualify the word dharma. (See
Geetaa 18:66) Dharma is comprehensive to include any belief, practice,
virtue, conduct or path with God as its objective. What is the best
among them? The answers to this in the scriptures are sometimes
apparently contradictory or exclusive. There are three schools of
Vedanta, four paths, twenty-seven virtues many disciplines and
practices. (See 276) To
save us from confusion, Shree Krishna advises
us to give up all, live in love for all as one with us, which is jnaana,
and just surrender all our work diligently done and ourselves to Him.
It is the simplest practical way. (See 325) ‘When
the Geetaa directs
you to give up all dharma (set codes of morality), it does not ask you
to give up all karma (activity), that is to say, you have to do karma,
and, when you do, it is for God, through God and by God, the dharma of
it does not matter; it has to be acceptable and it is bound to benefit
you.’ (BS 6 240) The Geetaa suggests giving up anxiety about dharma and
adharma but does not suggest giving up control of
passions, virtue, righteous-ness and karma, which are based on oneness
of all in love and selflessness throughout even after liberation in
life. It is
obvious that we can give up that Dharma that
we can and not that which we cannot. That we can give up is our nature
superimposed over our divine nature. This super-imposed nature is the
plaything of our uncontrolled passions and we bring mostly from our
past. It is our svadharma. We can give it up by controlling
our passions. We cannot give up our innate divine inalienable nature. A
beast has no svadharma. Tulaseedaasa
conclusively advises here devotion, love for all and surrender to the
personal God who nourishes and cares for us. (See Geetaa 9:22) In
this advice, Tulasee-daasa gives a solution to problems of right and
wrong when we cannot decide our dharma and do not have time or books,
gurus or satyasanga available to guide us. In this solution, we
do not have even to think about dharma and its opposite, adharma.
We are free. (RK 635) (See 240 [23],
360 and
Geetaa 4:35-36) Besides,
surrender makes us an ideal citizen, never demanding and always giving
as the expression of our love for all. 271
Chaupaayi: Saastra suchintita puni puni daykhi-ya:
bhoopa susaybita basa nahin laykhi-ya:: 271. Shree
Raama said to Lakshmana, "A Shastra should be studied carefully
again and again. One should not think that the king would always accept
one's suggestions, that is, as if one has some hold on the king, even
if one has served him loyally and diligently. One can never treat as
under one’s control a Shastra, a king or a young woman although she
resides in one’s heart." Tenets of
religion remain clear to a man by reference to Shastras and better
still by discussion with spiritually advanced persons. The Hindi word, saaranga
has over fifty-three meanings. For their correct use one looks up the
dictionary, which is a Shastra, and even asks a scholar. The reading of
scriptures and lives of saints is a fruitful use of time as a form of
spiritual discipline. It is also true that once we understand and put
the message of scriptures into practice, we should lay them aside.
Swami Ramakrishna says that they become like a letter, which we throw
away after we meet the request in it. Howsoever
predictable a king's nature may be, he himself knows his perspective
and is the judge of his capacity. No one can anticipate his reaction to
any situation. A woman's caprice is fathomless as a scripture and
fitful as a king's. No learned man, or a minister or a husband can put
forward a suggestion or create a situation with the certainty that the
response, respectively, of the Shastra, of the king and of the wife
will necessarily be in accord with that suggestion or be favourable to
that situation. A Shastra
is a treatise and also a book containing religious beliefs, their
philosophy and codes for a man's conduct in life for its fulfilment.
There are 18 Hindu Shastras. They are: Shikshaa or phonetics, Kalpa
or rituals, Vyaakarana or grammar, Nirukta or
etymology, Jyotisha or astrology as also astrophysics,
astronomy and mathematics, Chhanda or prosody, the Rigveda,
the Yajurveda, the Saamaveda, the Atharvaveda,
Meemaansaa, Nyaaya, Dharmashastra, the Puranas, the Aayurveda
or medicine, the Dhanurveda or weaponry, the Gandharvaveda
or music and the Arthashastra or statecraft and
economics. Scriptures
show the humble some paths as guides. With faith we follow directions,
test them and practise their injunctions and may experience our
divinity. Without practical experience, our minds may remain impure to
find chaff in scriptures. On the other hand, after a lifetime of study,
we may find that we did not enjoy the bliss of God's play around us,
which was available to us simply in devotion to Him. We missed the
ecstatic joy of some who are not learned but have unshakeable faith in
God's love. (See 247)
Indian sages sometimes used fiction, allegory and
exaggeration as tools to convey to all of different mental levels,
eternal and sometimes abstract truths. The tools are comparable to a
pot without which we cannot bring water. The impure or immature minds
call these literary tools chaff or literary licence. Scholarship
can sometimes be both superficial and anti-spiritual. Study of
scriptures sometimes encourages reasoning and arguments, which are
harmful. A book raises questions, which it does not answer. Against all
this, without much labour, we get the essence of scriptures useful for
us through satyasanga. (See 394) Mere
scriptural knowledge
without its experience by practice in life, or for that matter,
plethora of information in the modern age, can develop pride and be of
not much use for achieving continual bliss and peace for society. (See 240[1-6,
10, 21]) Mere
mastery of scriptures cannot take us to our goal nor
a map without travel to our destination. Neither can the map give us
the joy of the journey nor the happiness of its completion. The same
texts may give us different aspects of the same reality, as the three
schools of Vedanta from the Upanishads. (See 241)
Scriptures do not
define or limit our relationship with God. (See Geetaa 2:42-45) God is
their author. Scriptures do not bind God. By under-standing them
however and following our understanding with faith we can attain God
through them. There cannot be a final scripture unless we cease to use
our mind and heart. We should not always let the printed word enslave
us. God's personal response sometimes gives us knowledge beyond
scriptures. The three attainments, namely knowledge, devotion and
spirituality, of an illiterate rustic or a mendicant sometimes surprise
even savants. To get the best or butter out of scriptures, the
illiterate listens to Shastras from the learned, remembers the
practical beliefs for his daily use, and wisely leaves philosophy or
the buttermilk for the learned. He does not concern himself with or
argue about myriad things and phenomena in the world about which he can
do nothing. Examples are deaths in an earthquake, flood or
catas-trophic fire and why there is apparent injustice to many. The
knowledge of the ascent to the moon or dark holes in space, are of no
direct use to him in securing bliss from his mind. (See 148, 435 and
Geetaa 9:22) The
occasional superiority of the rustic is also because pure reason and
scholarship help us but cannot make us understand all spiritual
matters. Mere scriptural scholar-ship sometimes encourages polemics. A
man sees a thing in one way through reason but in another way when God
gives him the experience. Moreover, pure reason relies on incomplete
premises because we can never know all elements missing from the
premises. Pure reason cannot always detach us from the world to make us
holy as some rustics because their heart advances unconsciously on the
spiritual path. Reason cannot prove the worth of any virtue; the
rustic’s heart sees it proved by the law of karma. The heart feels and
asks no questions and love gets beyond worldly dualities, while reason
remains entangled in dualities and often in the tangible. (A Lesson)
272
Dohaa: Taata teeni ati prabala khala, kaama
krodha aru lobha: 272.
Shree Raama said to Lakshmana, "The three most powerful enemies
which cause us great suffering are passions
of lust, anger and greed. In an instant, these upset even the steady
mind of sages who possess Knowledge and its experience. After
deliberation, the learned say that the weapons of greed are desire and
hypocrisy, of lust a woman and of anger harsh speech." Jnaana
and maya cannot coexist, yet maya temporarily disturbs jnaanees.
(See 103
and Geetaa 3:40, 6:5) [1]
Ancient Indian sages concentrated on what empowered and what weakened
the human mind. Please see 42. When the mind controls the intellect,
the senses and the three passions rule over the mind. The mind
differentiates and makes comparisons, which create envy, hate and
pride. The frustration of desire hurts pride, which creates anger. The
fulfilment of a worldly desire makes us greedy for more desires. Thus,
the three passions become six, namely, desire or lust, anger, greed,
‘I' and ‘mine' or attachment, pride and envy. So, Shree Krishna calls
these three passions as the gate of hell. (See Geetaa 16:21) The six
passions are also called generals of maya's army, which keep us
ignorant and insulated from jnaana or distant from our divinity
or God. (See 66,
407)
Incidentally, the passions, lust, anger, hate and
partly the feeling of dominance, or of mine
are common in us with animals. [2] The Indian sages realized that the oneness
of the universe was preserved by a law of attraction and love. Society
needed love for oneness of all for its peaceful and healthy progress.
Love could be expressed only through selflessness and benevolence. This
needed all members of human society to be disciplined and obedient to
the law of love. To facilitate discipline, love and oneness for a
perfect society, the sages discovered that we are all born with at
least six virtues and twenty-seven qualities. (See 276 and
Geetaa
16:1-3) As against this, we had only six passions to make us weak and
imperfect. Uncontrolled
passions are the only power to destroy everyone's happiness, to invite
misery, cause all our incorrect actions, crimes and make society sick.
For example, lust enslaves us to forget the original role of sex to
make it sheer depravity. Anger blinds us to others' goodness and their
care for us. Greed makes us forget scruples. Attachment or the feeling
of 'I' and 'mine' develops aversion and hate which divide men and
invite violence and wars. Pride endears us to flatterers, distances us
from dear ones, belittles the meritorious and blames others for our
failures to hide our inferiority and cowardice as leaders. Envy blinds
us to our blessings for our happiness and may tempt us to get
unscrupulously what we do not have. Each thought, word or deed under
the influence of any of our six passions takes us away from God. The six
virtues in us, which try to counter the power of six passions, are
love, truth, righteousness, non-violence, compassion and fortitude.
These opposite divine and demoniac forces pull every man throughout
life. All show one of the six virtues and twenty-seven qualities in
some situation more among close ones than elsewhere. The virtues and
qualities make us human, spiritual and progress towards our divinity.
Their manifestation increases with control over our senses and
passions. Passions take us in the opposite direction towards our animal
nature. [3] One
wonders if there can be a passion other than these six. Uncontrolled,
passions change our inborn benevolence into artificial malevolence and
our natural spirituality as love for all, into selfish ethics. They
make our ego into a veil that separates us from our reality or God
within. He is the inborn source of our continual strength and
bliss. [4]
The working of passions is too insidious for us to notice. Others see
it and distance themselves from us. If anyone loves us, he points it
out to us. One easy way for us to see how passions work is to observe
an acquaint-ance. We should inquire in our mind into anything he does,
which pains others or is wrong in itself, and which we would not like
to do ourselves. We shall find that one or more of the six passions
underlie all his questionable actions. Passions sometimes control our
reason. We see it today in the pursuit of selfish happiness and
anarchist power in the name of freedom and individualism. For example,
we see depravity in dress, manners, morals and sex. We see rapacious
business, financial and political practices some of which lead to
scandals on a national and international scale. These benefit the
selfish few at the cost of many. All the selfish few however get no
peace and harmony for themselves. [5]
Passions make it no more play the game for its own sake. It is play to
win by any means. It is the culmination of ‘What is in it for me?'
Social restraint, care and selfless service for the weak and needy,
lose its meaning at places. Pure reason blames the weak instead of
giving relief in short term and removing the cause of weakness for
long-term relief. So, the overwhelming power of our senses and passions
is the greatest obstacle to peace of contentment in society. The cure
of almost all faulty thinking, fears, strains and ill health of the
individual and sickness of some sections of society is in the control
over six passions by each one of us. (See 449, 454)
[6] A
minimum of controlled six passions, however, is necessary. A little
greed moves economy. A little attachment to results of our actions and
attraction of worldly objects advances sciences and research for
progress in comfort and cure of some diseases. A little pride is the
prime mover of all activity. A little of envy creates the competitive
spirit for excellence. Every thought, word or act is motivated by
desire. So a minimum of desire is essential for us. [7] Pure
reason sometimes resists the rigour of effort needed to control
passions. It easily treats passions as our nature, which we cannot
resist. It takes the convenient path of being governed by passions. It
becomes their slave. It justifies some incorrect actions such as
genocidal wars of anger and revenge against the innocent progeny of
those who deserved punishment. It justifies exploitation of the weak
and poor and many man-made evils in society. All this happens because
the free play of the power of passions on us is not controllable by
pure reason. Pure reason rules society today. Uncontrolled passions are
therefore a perfect recipe for a sick society observable today. Pure
reason needs tangible proof for the destructive power of each of the
six passions. This proof is not available. It also needs proof that the
control of any passion contributes to tangible happiness for society as
a whole. Without tangible proof for either, reason treats the effort to
discipline ourselves as waste of time and energy. In addition, the
truth, that, virtue surfaces, when passions are controlled has no
logical and tangible proof. Virtue is largely a matter of the heart,
feelings and experience, not of intellect. To control
passions, reason has to yield to jnaana or knowledge of man's
reality and eternal verities or Sanaatana Dharma as experienced by many
people. This explains why students in ancient [8] Most
wrong actions or crimes and even poverty results from selfishness of
many in society. The role of the state is curative, and the role of
religion is prophylactic for separate pursuit. Sanaatana Dharma
convinces us that each individual can make society free of crime. A
society, which does not emphasize control on passions to secure love of
all in the creation as one with us fails in the prophylactic
role. [9] How do
we control passions? Passions rise from impulses we receive through the
senses. For example, eyes are the prominent source for lust; for a
blind man the tongue, touch and hearing are its source. The control of
passions needs first the control of our senses. (See Geetaa 6:35) A
little thought shows that, all actions arise from desire. Desire arises
from our attractions for things perceived through the senses and
expectations from people. We know that a desire fulfilled raises
another and so on endlessly and that we cannot trust people to fulfil
our expectations all the time. We know that our knowledge and skill
cannot secure certainty of desired results of our actions. If not, a
failure would not exist in the world. The reasons for failure become
irrelevant. All believers in God know that He gives all results and is
a reliable help. We should daily pray to Him, ‘I have no desire except
for your grace, which will take the best care of me?’ (See Geetaa 9:22)
After this, we should test every desire or motive for our action on the
touchstone of benevolence for all and hurt to none. This daily conduct,
which needs our faith in God, frees us from all anxiety, strains,
disciplines and sacrificial rites. This freedom ignores passions
because they are helpless when we take God’s help daily. We are thus
free from the effort to control senses and passions. (See Geetaa
6:44) [10]
Control over senses and passions, also becomes manageable if we
understand our reality. Our Satchidaananda and Praymaswaroopa
nature make all one with us for our love and benevolence. (See 239) Not
pure reason or logic, but our understanding the law of karma rids us of
malice and hate for others and purifies our mind, which shows our noble
selfish interest in being good to them and all. The law of karma alone
proves that good brings good in return and so is the basis for all
virtues in which godliness subsists. (See 185[2-8,
10, 11-13, 23, 25,
27]) Our link to God secures His grace. It dwindles
our desires so passions stay away. (See 273, 322 and
Geetaa 11:54)
Grace brings to surface our divinity in our virtuous impulses, namely,
pity, kindness, philanthropy, gratitude, love for all, courage and
others. If we realize that no action motivated by love for the good of
all can be incorrect, this love keeps passions in control and our
actions are intuitively correct. (See 259) Grace
gives us relief from
adversity to strengthen our perseverance in selflessness and
self-sacrifice. Both dwindle passions. (See
240[23],
261)
We find our happiness more in giving it to and sharing it
with others. All these practical steps are matters of experience if our
faith in them is strong. To develop that faith, the steps can be
explained by logic to some extent only; the rest is faith in and
experience of God's grace. [11] After
we understand our purpose of life as securing uninterrupted bliss
independent of things around us, and the role of subdued passions for
achieving our aim, we make passions our friend. (See 42) Sanaatana
Dharma emphasizes this transformation of our mind to lift us from our
animal heritage of excessive passions to humanness by subduing them and
using them for general good. In this effort to transform our mind, the
more control we secure over our senses and passions, the greater the
surfacing of our inborn virtues suppressed by passions. Conversely, the
greater the effort to acquire one virtue, for example love for all, the
greater the control we get over our senses and passions. [12] This
transformation needs not time, but understanding, faith, perseverance,
fortitude and an humble seeker’s attitude.
We can attain this transformation by aligning our intellect with our jeevaatmaa.
(See 42[3,
6-13] and Geetaa 6:5-6) That is why Sanaatana Dharma
emphasizes control over passions from brahmacharya stage of
life onwards for making compassion for the needy our second nature for
a healthy civilized society. The realization that passions can make our
hands, tongue, eyes and mind, inflict poison also helps the control of
passions. A scorpion has poison in his tail, a cobra in its fangs but
man can be wholly full of the poison of the overwhelming power of
passions. We are in hell when senses and passions are our master.
[13] If the
followers of a religion do not give importance to control of the senses
and six passions, which Sanaatana Dharma gives them, some of the
reasons may be these. Their religion does not distinguish between the
causes of benevolent and destructive power in a man’s mind. The age of
reason concentrated mostly on the objective sciences and the tangible.
This age did not explore the depth, scope and working of human mind for
the role of man to arrive at his destiny of continual bliss and
limitless power. The mind is not limited by pure reason. Pure reason
without empathy and faith in the value of any virtue and experience,
both being beyond tangible proof, fails to grasp the intangibles.
Example of these intangibles are man's feelings, emotions and the
impact upon him of his experiences, their cause and what causes man's
thinking, reactions and normal and exceptional behaviour. This
exploration was not done because the study of the mind and its working
required a purified mind of the researcher. He has to know first the
working of his own mind in its depth free from pollution by external or
internal impulses. The researcher’s mind needs understanding of some
universal basics on which a few austere disciplines rest. These
disciplines purify his mind for his successful research. The observance
of these disciplines demands sacrifice of some self-interest and so is
not easy to observe for many modern researchers. If work on
this study of the mind and its benefits in the West was complete, it
would have made its results into a compulsory course of study, as
language and science were, for all students. This course would have
aimed at securing continuous bliss and receiving limitless power of the
mind in life by every student. The ancient Indian sages completed their
work and made this course of study compulsory for every student as Brahmacharya.
Brahmacharya is a course in discipline for life for all to keep
their senses and passions in control for the continual happiness and
power of the individual through that of society. The individual
achieves it by selflessness and benevolence. Sanaatana Dharma aims at
selflessness, which is karmayoga. [14] Indian
sages’ inquiry into our within shows that our perfect nature is love
which we all display from our infancy. Passions suppress this perfect
nature. Our correct role is to deactivate our self and motivate all our
actions by service of love for all and hurt to none by a life of
virtue. (See Geetaa 10:41) Faith in the power of love to live in it
controls our senses and passions, changes our bad habits, tendencies,
and susceptibilities and rids us of addictions. After this control
through faith, our mind reaches the bliss beyond the tangible to that
of the reality, which underlies it. This mind also taps the reservoir
of cosmic power in our reality available for our selfless use. That
love practised in society can provide us the wherewithal for our family
to live in it is a matter for trial if we have the courage of our faith
in God, Who shows us this path from our birth. Every mother and many
social workers experience the power of love to sustain them in their
perseverance. [15] A
devotee of God who lives in selflessness or the service of love for all
and hurt to and hate for none, finds some of the six virtues mentioned
in [2] above surfacing in him in his daily conduct. (See 259) Such
a
devotee does not have to worry about passions because his link to God
through love for all protects him from passions. Snapping of this link
lets maya disturb him as happened to Naarada. (See 406 and (64-74) in
the
Story) Besides, there are karmayogis, who qualify for being so
only through selflessness. Some may never think of God, spirituality,
devotion, the right path or the six passions and such matters. This is
because these people are born with selflessness of love in all
situations. (see 267)
Lastly, a man is born with his good and evil
past. It is God who puts him on the path suited for him and we can
never judge from the outside his inward progress either way. It is for
those who think about their true purpose in life, that the above role
of maya through passions has been put forward in Vedanta. Selflessness
through the control of senses and passions in practice is the essence
of Sanaatana Dharma as a religion for man as man. This does not clash
with the core of the avowed religion of any. [16] History is a record
of many civilizations buried in archeological ruins. A civilization
that does not know the enemies within it does not last long. Rishis
found these perennial enemies as uncontrolled five senses and six
passions that make us and society sick. Rishis taught commoners their
control through Brahmacharya discipline as Advaitic ethos. It became
the second nature of millions of commoners of two to eight religions
for millenniums. Reaching The West
has not studied the mind. So followers of three Semitic religions of
the eight abve, all
based on love live for 2000 years in genocidal clash. 273. Shiva
said to Paarvatee, "Anger, lust, greed,
the intoxication of pride and maya leave a man alone only by Shree
Raama's kindness." Whenever we
associate Shree Raama with any thought, we wonder if He can implement
the thought. We should not expect Him to implement an evil thought. So,
our mind and we get free from passions and evil thoughts they create.
For a helpless situation, please see 242[6]. A
minimum of passions is
necessary for the survival of the race. There is nothing wrong in
enjoying innocuous sensuous pleasures but to think that therefore the
body, which enjoys them, is all that we are is incorrect. There is no
Devil or Satan as such in Sanaatana Dharma because there can be no
entity separate from, or outside of God. God is all and there is no
beyond. God brings about the creation through maya, which creates what
we perceive as good and evil. (See 239)
Maya’s six passions when
uncontrolled become in us six Devils or Satan to destroy us.
Vivekananda says that the Devil knows as much and is as powerful as
God. He has no holiness. Similarly, excess of knowledge and power
without holiness makes human beings Devils. (CWV V. Eleventh Edn.
423-25) 274
Chaupaayi: Umaa kaha-un main anubhava appnaa:
sata Hari-bhajana jagata saba sapnaa:: Ark39 274. Shiva
continued, "O Umaa! I tell you my experience. To remember Hari
through sacred songs or otherwise, is the truth and reality. The world
is a dream and not a reality." That the
world is unreal and only God is real is a concept in the Advaita
Shiva
points out that merely knowing that God is the reality and the world is
a dream, is of no use to us. Shiva reminds us that when we remember
God, He becomes a reality for us with powers for our benefit instead of
being merely all-pervasive intangibly. The form of our remembering Him
is immaterial if it is with a yearning for Him. (See 33, 89-90) . One who constantly remembers God is the
greatest yogi. (See 101 and
Geetaa 6:47, 8:6-7) Shiva
points out that the best form of devotion is remembering God and living
in a life of love for all. If love motivates our life we can experience
life with the same impact upon us as dreams have on us and we can leave
the waking world as freely as we leave the dream world unscathed and
free. (See 133)
Shiva also
points out that for an experience of the truth that the world is a dream, we have to live in the reality of God as
His devotee. Living in God is living in love of which God is the
personification. The experience of a life of love gives us the
experience of the world as a dream and not a reality inasmuch as the
impact of life upon us is as ephemeral as that of a dream. 275
Chaupaayi: Sunu muni tohi kaha-un saharosaa:
Bhajahin jo mohi taji sakala bharosaa:: 275. Shree
Raama said to Naarada, "Listen O Sage! I am glad to tell you that
as a mother protects her baby, I always protect my devotees who
remember me with implicit faith. A mother runs to save her baby when it
tries to catch a snake or play with fire. When the baby becomes an
adult, the mother does not give the latter the same love and protection
as to a baby. Those who have acquired Knowledge (jnaana) are as
my adult sons. The humble devotees are as my babies. I am their
strength. Jnaanees have their own strength of Knowledge. (See
240[1-5,
9, 10, 21, 23], 441) Both
have enemies in lust and
anger and so on. Knowing this, jnaanees remember me and do not
give up devotion to me even after acquiring Knowledge." Shree Raama
is shown here as offering to the devotee what the devotee could never
dream of being even fit for, namely, God the mother and devotee her
baby. It is a heartening assurance for devotees. When too small, a baby
is unaware of itself or its mother as we generally are of our reality
and of God. The mother never forgets it and always cares for it. It
gets all and does not have to ask. It has not to deserve mother's love.
The more it is in trouble or distress, the greater the love and care it gets. The mother gets happiness by
sacrificing everything for her child. Shree Raama gives His highest
gift to a devotee in this relationship of mother and child. (See 233, 261)
From this
gift, it follows that God will respond to any relationship, which we
can establish with Him because no relationship can be as close and
one-sided as that of a baby’s mother. The secret
to secure the maximum for our success and happiness from God is to do
our sincere best in our daily duties and dealings motivated by love for
all, treating all as forms of our mother, God. We should always
remember and look to Her and trust Her as an infant trusts its mother.
(See Geetaa 8:6-7, :14) According to Swami Ramakrishna, while living in
society, the experience of this relationship with God by a devotee as
His child is the last word in saadhanaa or discipline and
spirituality or nearness to God. (RK 701) God as our caring master and
we His servant is nearest to God as our mother. In this
relationship, God protects us from our six passions, which are as
dangerous as a poisonous snake or fire. We need no particular
discipline for controlling passions. We need to remember God before we
act. This prevents passions from motivating our action because our love
for God becomes love for men. It is hypocrisy to love God and hate men.
Even a trace of egotism distances a devotee from God. Devotees of
God in His with form aspect are comparable to infants who cannot
concentrate on the formless. The jnaanee is comparable to an
adult who meditates on the formless Brahman. Devotion, however, is as
necessary for attaining jnaana, as infancy for adulthood. (See 26, 241[23]) God
gives to His devotees as infants, variety of sweets as
myriad forms of incomparable happiness to their brim. To enjoy this
sweet happiness the jnaanees also become devotees. (See 438 and
Geetaa 18:66) The instant
couplets convey the message of the Geetaa 9:22. God keeps a devotee
secure in what he has and provides what he needs if the devotee
surrenders all and himself to God. Shree Raama's assurance is for the
most wretched. If he can only intensely pray, he becomes a devotee or
God's infant to secure relief. (See 325)
Shree Raama
indirectly explained to Naarada, ‘Your victory over lust and anger made
you proud. (See 77) The two
enemies arose again to make you seek
Vishvamohinee. You recognized that Vishnu obstructed your lust. Yet in
your anger and pride, you put a curse upon him. For a lustful devotee,
a woman is harmful.’ 275A
Dohaa: Kaama-krodha-lobha-aadi-mada, prabala
moha kai dhaari: Shree Raama
said, "Desire, anger and the intoxication of pride are powerful
forms of ignorance, the hand-maiden of maya. When this maya takes the
form of a woman it is frightfully painful. A young woman is the root of
all evil, a mine of suffering and causes immense pain. O Naarada!
Knowing this, I saved you from all this" by preventing your
marriage. Three
points need clarification. Saving from fire in the instant couplets
means, God saves the devotee from mayaic ignorance caused by passions,
which is as dangerous as fire or snake, and from three kinds of
suffering. (See 362, 439 and
Geetaa 276
Chaupaayi: Santanha kay lach-chhana
Raghubeeraa: kahahu Naatha bhanjana bhava-bheeraa:: 276.
Naarada said to Shree Raama, "O Shree Raghubeera! You destroy the
fear of the bondage of rebirth on earth. Please tell me the qualities
by which a man of divine vision is recognized." Shree Raama said,
"I shall tell you those qualities which tie me down to them." The first
couplet refers to fears. Fears arise from uncertainty of the result of
our efforts and of the future. It is the role of our concept of God and
faith in Him to free us from all fears. Naarada tells us that to live
in the faith that Shree Raama as a mother looks after us as her children, frees us from all fears. (See 275)
Virtues and
vices are innumerable. (See 282)
Twenty-seven virtues of godly men are
enumerated in the Geetaa 16:1-3 and 277
Chaupaayi: Shattu bikaara jita anagha akaamaa:
achala akinchana suchi sukha-dhaamaa:: 277. Shree
Raama said, "Some persons achieve control over their six passions.
Some people do not sin. Some do not harbour any desire. Some have a
steady intellect through devotion. Some do not accumulate even
a cent. Some are pure in heart and a treasure of happiness for
others to share. Some acquire limitless knowledge. Some are not keen
to acquire anything and live in the minimum. Some stick to truth. Some
know the sacred books, are wise and follow the path of salvation. Some
remain alert to their dharma. Some respect all, but are not
proud themselves. Some are men of fortitude and adept in devotion to
God." Mitabhogee is one who lives in the
minimum by choice. He avoids excess in all places. Mitabhoga is
an ancient Indian concept. Yoonaanee Hakims (practitioners of
the Greek system of medicine) in Efficient
management in the minimum is done through understanding the reality and
rejecting the unreality. For example, the reality is that our body has
limited and our mind guided by the intellect has unlimited power for
work. Body rests in cessation of work and the mind rests also in the
continuance of its work with a change. Yet some of us often burden the
puny body with too much food, or waste of mother earth's munificence,
and keep the mind unburdened without food for thought. The
corollary from the habit for the minimum is to make the body strain the
minimum with minimum food but make the mind exert the maximum by
diversion as a form of its rest. Our mind remains healthy with minimum
food for the body and maximum purifying thoughts. A pure mind is
prophylactic and curative for the body and a guarantee of perfect
physical health. (See 379, 449) The
ancient Indians' advice
was to control our sense of taste and not insist upon the sufficiency
of what we eat. Offering food to God before eating frees it from its
deficiency for and harm to us. Without plenty of hygienic food, many
under- nourished men with minimum food also have stamina for a long
life because of their faith in God. The habit
of the minimum draws upon unlimited power of our mind. (See 42[3,
6-13]) Excess as luxury and its demands enervate and enslave us.
Managing in the minimum, needs and develops intelligence, skill and
inventiveness, makes quality superior to quantity, avoids national
waste, maximizes enjoyment and achieves its availability for all. On
the concept of mitabhogee or a little self-denial or
self-sacrifice can be based a healthy economy, which can almost
eliminate the gap between rich and poor. Virtues of
holy persons are described from here to 282. No
one has all of them.
Any virtue has elements of other virtues in it. For example,
contentment needs many qualities. It is wisdom to acquire at least any
one virtue. It can transform passions into instruments for our material
and spiritual progress. (See 272[7,
12]) A little persevering effort
with faith benefits and advances us because every virtue is godliness.
(See Geetaa 10:41) 278
Dohaa: Gunaagaara sansaara-dukha-rahita
bigata-sandayha: 278. Shree
Raama continued, "Some are the home of virtues and free from
worldly suffering or from that of rebirth and from all manner of
doubts. Some have no love for their body and home but have love only
for me." It is only
when we realize that we are not merely our physical body with a brain
but something superior to it, that we lose interest in pleasures for
the body and the environment necessary for it. We see without doubt the
source of our superior happiness in the value of virtues within us such
as of compassion and caring for the good of society. We increase this
happiness by making others happy and sharing our happiness with others
and by creating a happy surrounding. For gaining the capacity for this
pursuit we rely wholly on God as His devotee and not on our
possessions. This selflessness dedicated to God secures His grace to
free us in life from suffering and rebirth. 279
Chaupaayi: Nija guna sravana sunata
sakuchaaheen: para-guna sunata adhika harashaaheen:: 279. Shree
Raama continued, "Some persons feel embarrassed to hear of their good
qualities but are happy to listen to others being praised. (See 18) Some
always remain even-minded and peaceful towards all. Some
do not compromise their right norms of conduct, remain straightforward
and have love for all." The
conviction that God is in all, all are one with us and that we are hurt
not by others but by our own faulty karma, eliminates unconcern,
aversion and hatred towards others. This conviction purifies our mind
of malice against persons. It removes our ignorance of the reality to
show that our situation is all our doing. This conviction dwindles the impact of our adversity and makes us
strive for relief from God through selfless conduct. It gives us
even-mindedness towards persons whom we earlier blamed for our
adversity and situations and instead gives us acceptance in peace with
all in our humility, guilelessness and love. (See 185[2-8,
10, 11- 13,
23, 25, 27], 259,
318)
That is all we need for our continual happiness
and progress. Oneness in practice means distancing ourselves from the
wicked but praying to God for his transformation to become good. 280
Chaupaayi: Japa tapa brata dama sanjam naymaa:
Guru-Gobinda-bipra-pada-praymaa:: 280. Shree
Raama continued, "Some repeat my name, observe austerities and
fasts, control their senses and discipline their self. Some have
devotion for Govinda and respect for their guru and Brahmins. Some have
reverential faith in the words of their guru, the Vedas and
Shastras, and in their nature have forgiveness, friendliness,
compassion and the ability to be happy with all. Some have love for me
and do not weave snares of deception and hypocrisy or have love for
me without insincerity." Shree Raama
is shown as enumerating the methods or yogas for self-purification for
reaching him. If a man treats the methods or paths themselves as
religion and forgets the objective, he becomes a barren ritualist.
There are many schools of yoga and some ancient guru traditions called Sampradaayas
for imparting instructions in those yogas. For those who feel that they
can practise yogas, the Geetaa and Tulaseedaasa refer to yogas in
Patanjali’s Yogashaastra as a means for securing Jnaana.
This couplet refers to Patanjali’s eightfold path. The paths are.
First, Yama, which comprises 1. non-violence,
2. truth, 3. non-attachment
and not stealing anything either of a material or of a non-material
character, 4. Brahmacharya or control on five senses, six
passions, body, thought and conduct, and 5. charity
or non-attachment or giving up interest in material things. Second, Niyama,
which comprises 1. living a life of purity
in all manner, 2. contentment, 3. observing austerities, 4. daily
living according to Vedic guidance and 5. to
have unlimited faith in and devotion to God. Yaajnavalkya's Smriti
prescribes ten niyamas, namely, to take a bath regularly, to
observe silence, to keep fasts, to perform sacrificial ceremonies, to
study the Vedas, to control the senses, to serve the Guru, to remain
physically and mentally pure, to control temper and to be free from
mental confusion. Third, right posture, that is, a comfortable sitting
position for meditation with a straight spinal column and a firm body.
Fourth, control of subtle life current through breath. Fifth,
withdrawal of senses from objects. Sixth, concentration of the mind
upon one thought. Seventh, meditation. (See 71) Eighth, samaadhi.
Samaadhi is a natural, blissful state of the mind, in perfect
equanimity or a balanced intellect, unruffled by heat, cold, pleasure,
pain, grief and joy. This is because the ‘I consciousness' enjoys the
indescribable bliss of samaadhi but is deactivated for the joy
and sorrow of worldly environment. To be unconscious, or be in a
sub-conscious or super conscious state or in any other condition is a
disease, not samaadhi. Samaadhi is the indescribable experience
of the Ultimate Reality by our consciousness without our ‘I' being
responsive to our surroundings. The above eight yogas should ordinarily
be undertaken under the guidance of a qualified teacher who is rare.
(See 157)
To
appreciate the value of the eight yogas, we have to understand that
they help the mind to remain undisturbed by anything external to it,
and secondly, it can remain absorbed in any interest it is occupied
with. These two states of the mind, which are self-sufficient and free
from environment, are displayed by a baby. In adults, this inborn
capacity of the mind is suppressed by three disturbing states, namely,
hunger, thirst, passions, etc., next sleep, laziness, ignorance, etc.,
and, last, worldly attractions to distract concentration. To remove
these disturbances and restore the mind to its calm and purified
nature, we take to the discipline of the yoga. The mind gives its best
performance for our success if it can be made undisturbed, unruffled
and equable. Appreciating the value of yoga disciplines in securing
such a mind, we persevere in disciplines to make them a part of our
nature. (See 272
[10-12, 14-16], 318)
According to the Geetaa 6:46-47,
the perfect yogi is a devotee of the personal God. The best form of
devotion is selflessness with benevolence in conduct, because God is
all and I am nothing. This form of devotion instils in the devotee all
the disciplines of all yogas and can be practised all by ourselves in
the four stages and vocations of the Varnaashrama Dharma.
We should
take the first step and not be disheartened by the list of all
disciplines. We can live a yogic life of devotion in any existing
situation without disturbing our occupation. To put our jnaana
into practice is yogic or spiritual life. (See 26, 240[1-6,
9, 10, 31,
23]) God within strengthens our determination, helps us and sends us a
guru, if necessary. The objective of yoga should be God and not psychic
powers, which come to us as incidental to devotion. (See 62, 107) A word
about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not for the evil or the wicked that
are a menace to society and deserve punishment by law. When, however, a
man asks for forgiveness of an error, he surrenders his ego, which has
the effect of wiping off his error. The person forgiving finds it easy
to forgive if he firmly believes in karma. He knows that the offender
did not cause him the hurt. The offender was God's means to provide the
hurt as the forgiver's deserts for his past deeds. So, by forgiving, he
is not granting any favour to the offender. Without conviction in the
law of karma, the act of forgiving sometimes becomes an egotistic act,
a sin, in enjoying the other bending before him. Not to forgive is
failure in one's duty of charity. By not forgiving, we also miss an
opportunity of purifying our mind through charity. (See 430)
Similarly,
the intent of one who seeks forgiveness is material for him as it has a
bearing on consequences of his error. When a man is to be punished and
not forgiven we should be very careful in judging him. (See 389)
281
Chaupaayi: Birati bibayka bina-ya bijnaanaa:
bodha jathaaratha bayda-puraanaa:: 281. Shree
Raama continued, "Some persons have no attachment to worldly
objects. They can discriminate between reality and appearance. They can
apply their Knowledge in their conduct, remain humble, understand the
Vedas and the Puranas correctly and can remove others' doubts. Some are
never hypocrites or intoxicated with pride, that is, try to belittle the meritorious. Even in
negligence, some do not take a wrong step." Continuing
to narrate the qualities of men of divine vision from 276, Shree Raama
is shown here to bring out that these men possess non-attachment,
discrimination, humility and experience of applied Knowledge. (See 240[1-6,
9, 10, 21, 23]) They have these pre-requisite qualities to
understand scriptures and explain them to others to remove their
doubts. (See Geetaa 4:33-34) Vedic scriptures are a study of the base
of all bases to explain the subtlest point of beliefs, which constitute
our faith or religion, its philosophy and any aspect of Knowledge to
the extent reason and words can convey. For understanding Vedic
scriptures and developing the capacity to demonstrate concepts from
them, which words cannot convey, the pre-requisites are a purified mind
with discrimination or vivayka and non-attachment or vairagya
to attain jnaana and God’s grace before anyone can become a
guru. (See 157)
282
Chaupaayi: Gaavahin sunahin sadaa mama leelaa:
haytu-rahita para-hita-rata-seelaa:: 282. Shree
Raama continued, "Some persons narrate or listen to the story of my
deeds. Without any cause, some are always interested in, and are ready
for, doing good to others. All such persons have qualities of aspirants
and of those advanced on the spiritual path. All the virtues of such
persons cannot be enumerated by Saraswatee and the Vedas." (See 259 and
Geetaa 12:13-20) Knowing
virtues is the first step. Next is to understand their instant benefit
to us. Pure reason cannot prove tangibly the value of any virtue. Faith
in the law of karma proves it. Faith in virtue leads to our desire to
acquire some if not all virtues. For the success of our effort, we
establish a link to God through devotion. This rids us of faults and
secures for us virtues for enlightened vision by His grace. (See 19, 33, 49) Some
qualities of those who are advanced (sadhu) and almost all the
qualities of those who have reached their destination of perfection (santa)
are described in 276 onwards.
All of us show one quality or the other
sometime or the other because divinity is our inborn potential for
perfection. We need to have faith that if we look for opportunities and
use our virtues, the use invariably benefits us. (See 205, 422) (Shree
Raama's Discourse to Naarada Ends) 283
Chhanda: Tay dhanya Tulaseedaasa aasa, bihaa-yi
jay Hari-ranga ra-yay:: Ark46 283 Tulaseedaasa says, "Blessed are those
who give up all other paths and dye themselves in His hue by developing
devotion to Shree Raama." (See 270)
How to do
that is explained in the couplet which follows. 284
Dohaa: Deepa-sikhaa-sama jubati-jana, mana jani
hosi patanga: 284.
Tulaseedaasa says, "All young women are as the flame of a candle. O
mind! Do not become its moth. Give up the intoxication of lust and
pride. Constantly remember Shree Raama and be in holy company to keep
Him in mind." Being a
learned scholar in addition to being a man of divine vision,
Tulaseedaasa knew there were many paths of yoga and ancient guru
traditions to guide disciples in their pursuit of the spiritual path.
Knowing the paucity of gurus, their inaccessibility for many and the
arduousness of some of the disciplines for ordinary people,
Tulaseedaasa repeats for all, devotion to the personal God in Shree
Raama. He advises us to do it by remembering Him somehow and seeking
holy company, as the method for overcoming the most harmful of our
desires, namely, lust. Lust seeks satisfaction till the end of our days
and binds us to rebirth on the earth. (See 472)
Raavana was the
personification of lust and pride. |
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Dedication
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Author's
Note
Arrangement
of Book
Hindi
Spellings
Table of
Contents
Tribute to
Gandhi
Introduction
The Raama
Story
Philosophy
Baalakaandda
Ayodhyakaandda
Aranyakaandda
Kishkindhaakaandda
Sundarakaandda
Lankaakaandda
Uttarakaandda
Index
Glossary
Proper
Names
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Appendices
Ghazal