Talking about Love…

As the Valentine's day week draws to a close, mildly popping up the affection in many relationships as well as the retail economy, I couldn't but help reflect on a specific situation in Ramayana where Sage Valmiki very deftly paints contrasting pictures of the different kinds of love. The situation I am talking about is in the end of Ayodhya Kanda when Dasaratha decides to declare Rama as the next King. All hell breaks loose with Queen Kaikeyi, instigated by her maid Manthara, pulls up a political coup to get Rama banished to the forest and her son Bharatha installed as King. Tragedy follows with Rama, Sita and Laxmana going to the forest  and Dasaratha dying from being unable to bear the grief. Bharatha who admonishes his mother for her selfish act, refuses to be the King and reigns as a representative of Rama awaiting his return. This being the scenario,  let's take a look at the different types of love, at varying levels of their nobility, that get played out.

At the lowest level is Dasaratha's love for Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi was the most beautiful amongst Dasaratha's queens and his favorite. On a day of great joy for him, Dasaratha seeks Kaikeyi out to share his happiness of declaring Rama as King. All his great affection for Kaikeyi comes crashing when she invokes her right to the three boons he had promised her and asks for Rama's banishment and Bharata's coronation as King. Unfortunately for Dasaratha, Kaikeyi's beauty was only skin deep.

Next comes Kaikeyi's love for her son, Bharatha. Kaikeyi obviously loved her son more than anything in the world and wanted the best for him. Though easily condemned by many, she probably didn't do anything  worser than what many parents would do today to ensure success for their children. Obviosly Kaikeyi's love for her son was purely selfish and she sacrifices Dharma to satisfy her greed. For this foolish act, Kaikeyi ends up paying the price of losing what she valued most in life, the love and affection of her own son, and lives rest of her life in utter contempt from everyone around her.

At the next level is Dasaratha's love for his son, Rama. Interestingly, Valmiki says that Dasaratha who collapses from grief becomes physically blind after Rama leaves for forest. It  sounds like a great metaphor for the blind love Dasaratha had for his son that in turn becomes the unbearable grief which finally kills him. Dasaratha's love for Rama was nobler than the love Kaikeyi had for Bharatha, but Valmiki is not definitely depicting it as what one should emulate.

Now consider the love Sita had for Rama. Kaikeyi's demand was for Rama to be banished to the forest and Sita definitely didn't have to accompany Rama. Born and brought up in utmost luxury, she probably would have been extremely terrified of living an ascetic's life in forest.  Interestingly, Valmiki says that when Rama, Laxmana and Sita are handed over the valkala to wear, Sita struggles to put on hers and is unable to get it on right until Rama helps her out. When Rama tells her that she doesn't have to go, Sita responds that as a wife, wherever Rama is, that will be her home. Sita's unswerving commitment to Rama again comes to test with Ravana, later on in Ramayana. This is the first of the examples of noble love that Valmiki depicts, a love that is coupled with a commitment to perform one's duty.

Sita was Rama's wife and considered it her duty to be with him. What about Laxmana? Why did he have to take up this ordeal, that too leaving his newly wed wife back in the palace? Laxmana's love for Rama is one of the highest in stature as it involves  the great element of servitude. Giving up the pleasures of life, he serves Rama at every step in the forest, building the thatched huts they live in and staying guard at night so that Rama and Sita could sleep in peace. Even in this noblest love and servitude of Laxmana, Valmiki finds a small defect. When Bharatha comes in search of Rama to request him to come back, Laxmana spots the entourage from a distance and suspects Bharatha is coming with an army to kill Rama. Laxmana strings his bow and gets ready to fight and is held back only because of Rama's good counsel. Alas, even the noblest of love can sometime make us blind!

And, thus Valmiki leads us to what he portrays as the noblest expression of all love - that of Bharatha to Rama. It would have been so easy to Bharatha to take up the Kingship citing the death of his father and the unfortunate exile of his elder brother. Instead, he tracks down Rama in the forest and tries his best to convince him to return. Finally, when it becomes certain that Rama wouldn't budge he carries back the pair of Rama's wooden sandals on his head and keeps them on the throne until Rama's return. Bharatha in fact doesn't rule from Ayodhya and sets up a capital in the village of Nandhigrama. He assumes the same ascetic life that Rama did and administers the country efficiently until Rama's return. Thus Valmiki concludes the Ayodhya Kanda of Ramayana, underlining the nobility of love that is coupled with genuine sacrifice.

Isn't it a great mystery of life that love gets expressed in so many ways, and some times at its best, in times of great misfortune rather than good times? 

Bhagawad Gita - What is in it for you?

Bhagawad Gita - What is in it for you?

Bhagawad Gita is undoubtedly the most popular amongst all of Hindu dharma saastra texts and possibly the most commented upon text too.Any attempt to write about this text appears almost redundant since there are so many resources already available. However, it still looked pertinent to provide a quick answer to the question of 'what is in it for me' from someone who has not had  the opportunity to look deep into Bhagawad Gita.  Therefore, here is a humble attempt .

Context of Bhagawad Gita

Bhagawad Gita appears in the middle of the great epic of Mahabharata. It is a collection of 700 verses that are organized into 18 chapters,   As the Kaurava and Paandava  armies faced off each other, Arjuna who was the commander of the Paandava side asks Sri Krishna was acting as his charioteer, to position their chariot between the two armies so that he could have a close look at who all have assembled on either side. Once positioned in the middle, Arjuna's perception all of a sudden shifts and he now sees on the other side his cousins, nephews, friends, grandfather, teachers etc. instead of enemies. Arjuna who is overwhelmed by the dilemma of having to fight his own family, drops his weapons and asks Krishna for his guidance so that he may do what is right. Krishna's response to Arjuna is the Bhagawad Gita.

This context of Bhagawad Gita is important to us because it is not different from the everyday dilemma that we also face in life, except that in Arjuna's situation, the severity was many, many times than ours. Therefore what worked for Arjuna in Bhagawad Gita should possible work for us too!

Take a look at what we experience in our everyday life.

If this is our everyday state, then here is the million dollar question: Are our key decisions in life influenced more by how we feel emotionally and not our intellectual reasoning?   If you think the answer is latter, I would point you to the latest behavioral psychology researches that are saying otherwise. Bhagawad Gita has an answer to how one can train oneself to lean more towards the latter than former.

Pre-Requisites

The Bhagawad Gita instructions are listened to not just by Arjuna. Sanjaya, who is the charioteer of blind king Dhritarashtra, is able to relay the happenings of the war field to Dhritarashtra, thanks to a blessing he receives from Sage Vyaasa. It is important to note that while the teachings of Bhagawad Gita makes an impact on Arjuna and Sanjaya , it fails to make any impact on Dhritarashtra. This is because, just like any academic course you may take,  there are few pre-requisites needed for this learning to be effective and Dhritarashtra, unfortunately, had none of it. These pre-requisites are:

 In the absence of these pre-requisites, the ability of a student to derive benefit from Bhagawad Gita's  teaching diminishes considerably. In fact,  Sri Krishna starts his teachings to Arjuna only after Arjuna says:

"karpanyadoshopahrata swabhavah

 prichaami twaam dharma sammooda chetah

Yatsreyaan nischitam bruhi tanme

Sishyasteham saadi maam twaam prapannam" (B.G Ch 2, Verse  9)

"Overcome by weakness, I am unable to determine what is Dharma. Please tell me for certain what will bring good in the  long run. I am taking refuge in you as a student"

As evident from his words, Arjuna is clearly looking within himself, analyzing what has become of his character and intelligence, expressing his desire for doing what is good and not necessarily easy, and is eager to know what his Dharma is that he may do it. Finally, Arjuna is ready to embrace the attitude of a student offsetting all his established beliefs. The metaphor of Arjuna positioning himself between two armies and dropping his weapons further emphasizes this point.

Central Themes of Bhagawad Gita

The central themes of  Bhagawad Gita that is relevant to everyday life is masterfully concealed within two sets of opening and concluding words. The Bhagawad Gita text begins with the word 'Dharma' (righteous action) and ends with 'Mama' meaning 'Mine'. How one should approach determining 'Mama Dharma' or 'my righteous action' is one of the key questions that Bhagawad Gita tries to answer conclusively. Sri Krishna's instructions in Bhagawad Gita start with the word 'asochya', meaning 'do not grieve' and ends with the word 'maa sucha', again meaning 'do not grieve'. Grief is an emotion that completely destroys one's character, giving neither an immediate gain nor a long term gain. How to fortify oneself so as to be able to effectively deal with situations that cause grief is the other central theme in Bhagawad Gita.

Three sets of instructions in Bhagawad Gita

There are many different ways to summarize the teachings of Bhagawad Gita. Looking from the perspective of what it offers as teaching, it can be said that Bhagawad Gita essentially offers three distinct sets of instructions. They are:

Why gain 'Right Knowledge'?

Sri Krishna starts the Bhagawad Gita giving a very clear indication of what happens when one lacks right knowledge and perspectives:

asochyaan anya sochyastwam

 prajnaa vaadaamcha bhaashase”  B.G Ch .2 Verse 11)

In the absence of right knowledge and perspectives one would "grieve upon what not be grieved about and become eloquent in justifying the grief arising out of delusion".  Therefore in the absence of right knowledge we will become overly concerned about what we shouldn’t be concerning about and as a result get mired in unnecessary confusion

What is 'Right Knowledge'

 There are three components for 'right Knowledge'. They are addressed in the different chapters of Bhagawad Gita as below.

Why have the 'Right Attitude' ?

In the absence of right attitude, the attraction of experiencing pleasure and gaining success will completely overcome our intelligence and lead us to a state of permanent unrest.

“bhogaiswarya prasaktaanaam

 thayaapahrita chetasaam

 vyavasaayaatmikaa budhi

 samaadhau na vidheeyate”  B.G Ch .2 Verse 44)

"One who has given primary importance to enjoyment of pleasure and gaining of success and has allowed his intelligence to be dominated by desire for them, such a person will never be able to have a focused mind that enjoys peace"

What is 'Right Attitude' ?

Again, there are three key themes that Sri Krishna brings up in discussing the right attitude: They are:

Why take 'Right Guidance' ?

Right guidance is required for one simple reason - this is not easy and it can be extremely confusing as to how one should proceed. Arjuna flatly tells Sri Krishna in the sixth chapter of Bhagawad Gita that he doesn't see this instruction of Krishna as pragmatic because gaining control over the mind is as difficult as controlling the movement of air. Krishna agrees with Arjuna on the challenging nature of the task but disagrees that it is impossible. With right guidance and patient and perseverant practice, it is possible to live in this world basing one's understanding on the 'Right knowledge' and performing actions with the 'Right attitude'.

Krishna mentions one more reason why getting the right guidance is important.

“karmanohyapi bodhavyam

  bodhavyam cha vikarmana

  akarmanacha bodhavyam

  gahanaa karmano gati”    B.G Ch .4 Verse 17)

"One should become aware of what are right actions one should do, what are wrong actions one should prevent and what are wrong actions one shouldn't do for the chain of cause and effect triggered by performance of actions are extremely complex and undecipherable"

What is Right Guidance?

The guidance offered in Bhagawad Gita can again be summarized into three categories:

The final message of Bhagawad Gita: Become a 'Yogi'

Yogi means one who has achieved Yoga. Yoga again means to yoke or unite. While the ultimate spiritual goal is said to be the yoking of individual self with the supreme self, Bhagawad Gita also guide us to think of uniting the four different spiritual paths that it lays out. These four paths are:

1. Janaana Yoga - The path of knowledge
2. Bhakti Yoga - The path of devotion
3. Karma yoga - The path of action
4. Raja yoga or Dhyaana Yoga - The path of meditation

In Sri Krishna's words:

“thapaswibyodhiko yogi

 jnaanibhyopi mathodhika

 karmibhyachadhiko yogi

 thasmaad yogi bhavaarjuna”  B.G Ch .6 Verse 46)

"The yogi is superior to the austerious one, the knowledgeable one as well as one who has mastered the vedic rites; therefore Arjuna, become a Yogi"

Metaphorically, it could be said that Arjuna's chariot driven by Krishna is pictured to be pulled by the four horses, Janaana, Bhakti, Karma and Dhyaana yogas respectively. One who manages to yoke these four horses together in his spiritual quest could fare better than a single horse rider :-)

(Some of the concepts discussed above may require a deeper discussion. If there is sufficient interest,  will try to get to them  in future blog posts)

Brahmavidya - The Cosmic Knowledge

What is this world? Where did it come from? What is to become of it? These are some of the critical questions that have haunted leaders of faith, philosophy and science for a long time. For any seeker of truth, finding conclusive answers to these questions is vitally important as otherwise it leaves him or her in a state of incompleteness and doubt. In the Rig Veda, one of the earliest of Hindu texts, the Rishi exclaims about the beginning of Universe: "There was neither non-existence nor existence then; there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?" (Excerpt from "Naasadiya Suktam"; translation from "The Rig Veda - An Anthology", Penguin Classics)

Before we look into the answers that Hindu saastra texts provide, let's first consider where Science today has taken us in its attempt to providing this answer. According to Cosmologists, this universe of ours, as we know today, is about 13.6 billion years old. It appears to be a flat (not curving), space-time fabric that is continuously expanding like the surface of a balloon getting inflated,  making the clusters of galaxies fly away  farther and farther from each other. The theory of 'Big Bang' postulates that the universe expanded almost instantaneously from a singularity, where there was no space-time. We also know that the visible matter of the universe forms only a fraction of the mass of the universe and the bulk of it is hidden in what is called as 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'.  There are two different futures that are predicted as likely scenarios of where the universe is heading to. One theory is that it will expand forever and that all visible matter will completely vanish at one point. The other is that the expansion will eventually slow down (it is accelerating as of now) and the attractive force of gravity will overcome the expansive force, bringing it back to the singularity that it came from. The equations of physics that work at cosmic level (General Theory of Relativity) do not hold good when applied to subatomic level  which is better explained by Quantum physics and the structure of subatomic space that is known as 'The standard model'. In the subatomic space a pair of matter and anti-matter can be created from nothingness at random and  annihilate each other when combined, leaving nothingness. The most basic of subatomic particle called quarks  are created in pairs of opposite 'spin' and are linked to each other by an unexplained property called 'quantum entanglement'. There are four fundamental forces that are acting in the universe: the electro-magnetic force, the weak nuclear force (that causes radioactive decay) , the strong nuclear force(the force that keeps  the nucleus of an atom together)  and gravity. Science has so far theoretically managed to unify three of these forces other than gravity and is still looking for the holy grail that will establish the unification of all the four forces. The mathematical models being proposed are currently leading scientists to explore the possibility of this universe of ours being just one of many universes, called a multi-verse scenario. And, most recently, it was experimentally proven that a particle called' Higgs Boson' exists substantiating the theory that matter derives the property of mass from its interaction with what is called as "Higgs's field' which permeates the universe. As far as the questions of what is life, awareness and consciousness are concerned, Science is continuing to build the answer and information is not comprehensive yet. ( Phew..that is the briefest history of time in a single paragraph! If you want to find out more, please refer to books by Stephen Hawking , Brian Green et al.)

Now let's look at what the Hindu Darsanas say on this. Of all the Hindu Darsanas that have dealt with this question, the three that stand out are the Vedanta Darsana, Sankhya Darsana and Vaiseshika Darsana. While the Vaiseshika Darsana is establishes that all matter are essentially varying compositions of same underlying atoms and their properties, the Sankhya system goes a step farther enquiring into what the primal cause is. According to the Sankhya theory, there are only two kinds of entities in the universe, the subject  who is the knower and the object which is the known. It postulates that the universe and everything in it have come from two principles, the Cognizance principle, Purusha and the Existence principle, Prakriti. The Purusha doesn't go through any transformation itself but acts as the catalyst triggering modifications in the Prakriti by its mere presence. The Prakriti has three force fields within it and these are the attractive force leading to stationary states (like that of a Blackhole)  called Tamas, the expansive force leading to a dynamic state called Rajas (like that of Big Bang) and  the Luminscence force leading to knowledge (like quantum entanglement) called as Satwa. When these three forces are in balance, there is no creation. The universe came to being when the forces became imbalanced. The Prakriti first evolved into a field of intelligence capable of cause & effect called Mahat, or the 'Great one' . In the Mahat arose the 'I' sense, Ahamkara resulting in ability to create differentiation.  The Satwa force field interacting with Ahamkara creating sentient matter (Mind, Sense Organs and Organs of Action). The Tamas force field interacting with Ahamkara gave rise to five elementary components  of physical existence (Space-time, Heat and the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter).  Purusha who is only a witness in reality, identifies with the sentient components of Prakriti as individual soul and experiences pleasure and pain. Liberation for individual soul is when it is able to overcome this false identification.

The Advaita school of Vedanta Darsana goes one step further to propose that there is only one single entity, called Brahman, that is real and which is the cause for the universe . Prakriti is not a separate principle but and arises in Brahman by virtue of Brahman's ability to create an illusion, called as Maya, which has the three forces of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. Just as the universe is brought forth by the force of Maya, it is also withdrawn into Purusha at end of a cycle of creation and this cycle repeats. Vedanta doesn't deny the reality of the universe that is available for sensual perception but identifies it as the vyaavaharika satya or transactional reality. This transactional reality is not relevant when the soul is able to rise above its identification within it and attain the ultimate reality, atyantika satya or paramaartha. The closest analogy used to explain this is that of a person waking up from a dream, with no residual memories of the dream. According to advaita philosophy, everything in the universe, the knower and the known, are nothing but Brahman. Same time, due to the limitations of the transactional reality, any attempt to portray the Brahman in terms or means available in transactional reality fails and Brahman remains beyond comprehension. This is most beautifully expressed in the following mystical Upanishad excerpts:
"thadejati thannejati thaddoore thadanthike, thadantharasya sarvasysa, tadu sarvsyaasya bhahyatah" (Isavasya upanishad) "It moves and it doesn't move; It is far and it is near; it is inside of everything and it is outside of everything"
"yadi manyase suvedeti bhaharamevabhi noonam" "yo nasthad veda no na vedeti vedacha" (Kenopanishad) "He who thinks that he has comprehended Brahman clearly has indeed known very little"; "he who says he has known Brahman, doesn't know for certain; he who says he doesn't know, perhaps has come to know it"
"Yatho vacho nivarthanthe apraapya  manasaa saha" (Taitiriyopanishad) "Whence the words return, being unapproachable for the mind"
"Yan Manasa na manuthe, yena mano manutham" (Kenopanishad)"Brahman is that which is not conceived by the mind but by which the mind has come to have the ability to conceive ideas"

Just as the Brahman identifying with ahamkara, mind, sense organs and gross body at an individual level manifests as the soul (jivatma),  Brahman also identifies with the 'I' Sense (Ahamkara), Mind (Manas) and the Universe at a cosmic level(Viraat)  and manifests as Saguna Ishwara or The Lord who is sentient. Through this Lord, there is an imposed order in the universe called as ritham, there is sustenance of Dharma and there is perpetuation of knowledge of Brahman within the transactional reality. This universe being His body, The Lord has omniscience and omnipotence within the transactional reality. And, through Prakriti, He experiences the world.

Here are few excerpts from Krishna's words in Bhagawad Gita that dwells on this subject:

"purusha prakritistohi bhunkte prakritijan gunan"
"upadhrashtanumanthacha bhartha bhokta maheswarah
paramamtmetichaapyukto dehesmin purusha parah"
(B.G Chapter 13, Sloka 22 and 23)
"The purusha in association with prakriti enjoys the qualities that are born of prakriti. The Pramaatma who is a witness and same time the will propelling the universe, is The Lord, the presider as well as enjoyer of the universe; and in every individual living being, he is the soul"

"aham sarvasya prabhavah mattha eva sarvam pravartyati" (B.G Ch. 10 Sloka 8)
"I am the origin of everything and in me they exist"

"vishtabhyahamidamkrisnam ekaamsena sthitho jagat" (B.G Ch. 10 Sloka 42)
"I have brought forth everything that is here and the entire universe  stands in but one small portion of me"

"sarva bhutaani kaunteya prakritim yaanthi maamikaam
kalpakshaye punasthaani kalpadau visrijaamyaham" (B.G Chapter 9, Sloka 7)
"All beings and things return into the prakriti in me at the end of a creation cycle and are restored at the beginning of the next creation cycle"

"mattha parataram naanyath kinchidasthi dhananjaya
mayi sarvamitham protham sutre maniganaa iva" (B.G Ch 7 Sloka 7)
"There is nothing that exists beyond me. All these are stringed together in me like pearls on a necklace"

"sarvata paani paadam thad sarvatokshi siromukham
sarvata sruthimanloke sarvamavrittha thishtathi"
(B.G Chapter 13, Sloka 14)
"His hands, legs, face and head are spread everywhere and he listens to everything. In this way, He envelops everything in this universe"

'urdha mulamadha saakham aswatham prahuravyayam
chandaamsi yasya parnani yastam veda sa veda vid"
(B.G Chapter 15, Sloka 1)
"This universe is like an upside-down pepal tree with its single root above and many branches spreading downward. The  verses of Veda (that has the knowledge of truth) are its leaves. He who gets the knowledge from them attains real knowledge"

About the nature of  Ishwara, Sage Patanjali says in Yoga Sutra:
"klesa karmavipaaka aasaya aparaamrishtaa purusha visesha Iswarah:"
(Y.S Chapter 1, verse 13)
"God is that special indwelling soul who is unaffected by any torments of this world, beyond limitations of cause and effect (actions and results)  and devoid of any motives"

An attitude of surrender to this Lord is essential for every spiritual seeker while he or she seeks to achieve the absolute Nirguna state. This attitude, called as 'iswarapranidana', is foundational to spiritual practice. Hence we find philosophers like Adi Sankara who have extensively elaborated on the formless, absolute Brahman also write beautiful hymns  in praise of the Saguna Ishwara.  Again in Krishna's words, this God to the seeker is: "Gatir bharta prabhu saakshi nivassa saranam suhruth" (B.G Chapter 9, Sloka 18) "the path, goal, upholder of order, the Lord, witness of actions and thoughts, the provider of refuge and a well-wishing friend".

Goals for the seeker of spiritual knowledge

Why would someone seek spiritual knowledge? What is or are the goals of a person seeking spiritual knowledge?

To examine this question, we need to first look closer into the generic goals of human endeavor. The Manu Smriti offers a comprehensive classification of the goals of human endeavor, called as Purushaarthaas. These are:

• Artha or Material and physical well-being: This includes all pursuits from acquiring the basic means of survival to wealth and luxury
• Kaama or Emotional and experiential well-being: This includes all pursuits of heart including love, affection, creativity and belongingness
• Dharma or Ethical and Spiritual well-being: This includes all ethical and logical pursuits from the basic performance of one's familial and social responsibilities to more grander and nobler societal contributory efforts.
• Moksha or Liberation from all bindings: This includes everything from the intellectual pursuit to know the purpose of life to achieving the state of total internal freedom.

In some ways, these categories map to the recent motivational theory of Maslow's hierarchy. (You can check more about Maslow's hierarchy at http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html )

With Artha, Kaama and Dharma, we operate at two hierarchical levels. The initial level where we try to meet the basic needs and the next level where we try to flourish.  And,  we are in general forced into action by these three drivers and at the same time in continuous internal conflict engaging in their pursuit. When one is able to recognize the continuous state of flux that these pursuits puts one into, the desire to look beyond them and seek liberation from their clutches, arises.  This, in Vedanta terminology, is called Mumukshutwa. Primarily there are four reasons that trigger this desire.

1. Bandhana or Bondage: The compulsive nature  of desires associated with these three purushaarthaas that forces one to engage in their pursuit even when one wills not to.
2. Dukha or Misery: Suffering from disappointments about unfulfilled desires and experience of undesired events
3. Jara or Decay: The temporal nature of the happiness as well as the general decay of bodily functions with age
4. Marana or Death: The inevitability of one's own death

 Correspondingly four goals emerges from these for the spiritual seeker:

1. How to gain and enjoy absolute internal freedom
2. How to end suffering in life
3. How to deal with or overcome one's own  death
4. How to know the truth behind the mystery of the self, life and the world

In the Hindu philosophy, there is an overarching greater goal that spans these four goals, which is the quest for perfection. Here, perfection means to live a life that is:

• free of conflicts and beneficial to the world
• living without the fear of death
• continuously abiding in a state of being that transcends the limits imposed by prakriti (nature)

In the second chapter of Bhagawad Gita, there is a description of the traits of such a man of perfection. This short section of 18 verses is known as 'sthithaprajna  lakshana' or the 'traits of one who is established in a stable state of consciousness'. Below are some definitions of the 'man of perfection' from that text.

'prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan paartha manogathaan

Atmanyevaatmana thushtah stithaprjna thadochyate" (B.G Ch. 2, Verse 55)

"O Paartha, he who has eliminated all compulsive desires from his mind and abides with joy  only in his own self, such a person is known as sthithaprajna"

"Dukheshu anudwigna manah sukheshu vigatha sprihah

Veetha raaga bhaya krodhah sthithadheer muniruchyate" (B.G Ch. 2, Verse 56)

"He whose mind is unaffected by misery, not attracted by pleasant experiences, devoid of attachment, fear and anger; such a person is said to be an ascetic with a steady mind"

In Ramayana, the story of Rama is explained to Sage Valmiki by Sage Narada in response to Valmiki's question if such a perfect human existed. Also another key question raised, both in the Bhagawad Gita and Ramayana, is whether such a man of perfection can be a person of this world rather than a recluse who has retired to a hermitage. The answer in both the texts is a resounding  'yes'. However, it is also not an easy journey for one to achieve this state.  The best description of the arduousness of this journey is found in the Kathopanishad where Lord Yama says:

'Uthishtathaa Jagrataa

Praapya varaan nibodhadha

Kshurasya dhaara nisitaa dhurtyaya

Durgam pathastad kavayo vadante" (Kathopanishad, Book 1, Canto 3, Verse 15)

"Arise! Awake! Enlighten yourself from the wise. The knowledgeable ones say that this path is as precarious as traversing the razor's sharp edge, hard to travel and difficult to cross"

If we take a metaphorical view of the story of  Ramayana, we can again see a great view of this magnificent journey beautifully hidden within the epic by Sage Valmiki.

'Rama' in Sankrit means one who dwells, experiences and enjoys. This is the individual soul called as 'jivatma'. Rama receives his education from two teachers, instructional knowledge from Sage Vasishta and experiential knowledge from Sage Viswamitra. Viswamitra helps Rama to seek physical and mental strength (bala and atibala) and helps him to overcome fear of unknown (Thaataki). Viswamitra then unites him with Sita, the purity of heart.  Ready to take charge of own life (crowned an emperor),  the freedom to do so is denied to him by Prakriti (Kaikeyi) and he is banished to explore his own internal world (forest). He takes up this challenge relying on mental focus (Lakshmana) and purity of heart (Sita). The compulsive nature of conscious mind (Ravana) throws the challenge by trying to make the purity of heart subdued to it. Rama seeks the alliance of strict discipline (Sugriva) and devotion (Hanuman) and overcomes the distractive nature of mind (Vaali). He takes the battle to the core of his heart (Lanka) and successfully overcomes the force of subconscious mind (Kumbakarna), deceptiveness of mind (Meghnath) and finally the compulsive nature of mind (Ravana). Rama then establishes Conscience (vibheekshana) as the ruler of heart.  Reunited with purity of heat, Rama now returns to live a life free of conflicts (Rama raajyam). In the end, for the sake of perfection, he abandons even his attachment to purity of heart (abandoning Sita) and finally departs from the world, leaving a legacy of what it means to be a perfect human being.

The story of Ramayana, Rama's ayana or journey, is available to us as a guidance for charting our own individual spiritual journey, encouraging us to make a resolve to seek perfection in our own lives. Emabrk on this journey, if you haven't already!

Happy New Year!

What is Spiritual Knowledge?

In the last couple of blog postings, we had looked into what it means to be spiritual and what virtues one needs to develop to be ready for receiving spiritual knowledge. Let's now take a quick overview of what,  according to Upanishads, is the spiritual knowledge.

Vedanta primarily uses three popular sanskrit synonyms for spiritual knowledge. They are Aatma Vidya (Knowledge of the personal self), Brahma Vidya (Knowledge of Brahman, the cosmic being) and Paraa Vidya (Transcendental knowledge). The spiritual knowledge is also sometimes referenced simply as 'Vidya' to indicate that it is the only true knowledge. Here are few references from vedantic texts about the importance of spiritual knowledge.  In the tenth chapter of Bhagawad Gita, when Sri Krishna lists a series of examples of his glory available for human perception ,  he says 'I am Adhyatma Vidya among all knowledge'. In the Isaavasya Upanishad, the Rishi extolls on the nature of 'Vidya' as the only knowledge that produces non-perishing results (sambhudhi) and says all other knowledge create only perishable results (vinaasam). And, he continues to say that a seeker must understand both these types of  knowledge for his benefit. (sambhudhim cha vinaasam cha yastad etho ubhayam sahah).

The knowledge pertaining to objects  and experiences of the world are called 'Aparaa vidya' (Non-transcendental knowledge), 'bhautika gnana' (knowledge of objects) or simply as 'Avidya' (False knowledge). Before looking into what contrasts these two knowledge, Vidya and Avidya, let's examine the process of knowledge itself.

Knowledge, as we generally understand, essentially involves three components; the object of knowledge, the means of knowledge and the knower who is the subject gaining the knowledge.  The Indian philosophical systems categorizes the means of knowledge into six:

1. Sabda pramana : Verbal or textual knowledge
2. Upamana pramana: Knowledge by comparison; using reference to an already available knowledge.
3. Anupalabdhi pramana: Knowledge by deduction through reference to absence of a known effect.  e.g. "I don't feel heat. The fire must have died"
4. Anumana pramana: deductive knowledge; establishing presence of a likely cause from its known effect that is seen e.g. "I can see smoke; there must be a fire"
5. Arthapathi pramana: postulation or inductive knowledge; a logical hypothesis that must be true in the absence of a better explanation
6. Pratyaksha pramana: direct perception

(Please see the website vmission.org.in/Vedanta/articles/pramanas.htm for detailed information on the pramanas. A previous blog post on "Music takes you to heights that words cannot' also has a discussion on four of these six pramanas)

 All scientific, artistic and ritualistic knowledge are considered 'Avidya' and use one or more of the above means for knowledge. And, please note that this type of knowledge is within the constraints of time as there is a time period when the knowledge was not possessed by the knower as well as there is a point of time at which the knowledge was gained. Also, the results produced by this knowledge are nor permanent and ultimately perish.

The subject of perception of Aatma Vidya is not any external object but the knower himself and the subject-object distinction is absent in it. The only question to answer is, who is this one who is able to know? The Kena upanishad puts this inquiry as "who is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear and mind of the mind?" . And Sri Raman Maharshi famously reduced the entire vedanta inquiry into one question: "who am I?".  In the  13th chapter of Bhagawad Gita, Sri Krishna calls the Atma vidya as 'keshtranja gnana', or 'knowledge of the knower of field' and all other knowledge as 'Kshetra gnana' or ' knowledge of the field of experience'. 

Due to the absence of the subject-object distinction, the six pramanas listed earlier do not directly apply to Aatma Vidya. They can be enablers but not the primary means. Also, the Aatma Vidya is not constrained by time as there is no time when the knowledge was not possessed by the knower. However, there is the time when the knowledge is not available to the knower which is called as 'ignorance'. Removal of this ignorance, or apparent absence of knowledge,  is called self-realization. Atma Vidya is therefore not a new knowledge gained.

The nature of the Aatman or self is defined in Vedanta as 'sat-chit-aanandam' meaning 'existence- awareness- bliss'. Being not constrained by time and devoid of all modifications, Aaatman has no states of past or future and remains in a continuous present state and hence is described as pure existence. The Atman is the one principle that enables all perceptions and is a witness to all knowledge being itself unaffected. Hence it is identified as pure awareness. Aatman, being the single source of all joy experienced by an individual self, is also described as pure bliss.

How could one realize this true nature of one's own self? The method prescribed is simple, though hard to execute: suppress all noise from worldly perceptions, quieten the mind and the glow of Aatman will become visible just as some stars become visible in the night sky when we move to a spot where there is no city light interfering. Sage Patanjali describes this right at the beginning of Yoga sutra where he says, Yoga is the arresting of all movements in consciousness (chitta vritti nirodha) so that the self will abide totally in its own awareness (drashtu swarupe avastaanam) since otherwise the self identifies itself with its means and acts of perception (vritti saarupyam itaratra).  There are many intermediate steps and means to get to this final state that includes control of breath, mental focus, meditation etc. Again, to reiterate, all steps and action are to remove the obstructions to true knowledge revealing itself in the self and not to gain a new knowledge.

Why should one try to gain Aatma vidya ? The best answer to this question is found in the Kathopanishad where lord Yama, the God of Death, tells Nachiketas :

"asabdam asparsam aroopam avyayam thadaa arasam nithyam agandhavacha yad

Anaadyantam mahata param dhruvam nichaapya thanmruthyumukhaad pramuchyate"

" One becomes freed from the jaws of death by knowing That which is soundless, touchless, colorless, undiminishing, tasteless, eternal, odorless, without beginning and without end, distinct from Mahat and ever constant" ( Kathopanishad, Part 1, Canto 3, Sloka 15. Translation from "Eight Upanishads" by Swami Gambhirannanda, published by Advaita Ashrama)

Here is the assurance from God of Death that Aatma vidya frees one from his inescapable jaws. What better motivation could there be!

This in a nut shell is Spiritual knowledge explained as 'Aatma Vidya'. There is a different approach that can be taken from a cosmic point of view, 'Brahma Vidya', that again converges with 'Aatma vidya'. Will keep that topic for a future discussion.

What it means to be 'spiritual'

The words 'spiritual' and 'religious' are sometimes used interchangeably even though they don't actually mean the same. Not everyone who is religious may be spiritual and not everyone who is spiritual be necessarily religious. However, it is way more easier to ascertain whether someone is a religious person as opposed to a spiritual person, the primary reason being the objective nature of the former as opposed to the subjective nature of the latter. While religiosity is about faith, conformance and explicit practices like prayers, visits to the temple, church or any religious site etc.,  spirituality is about a shift in awareness that creates a different experience and insight whether that is with the religious practices or other activities. Being religious does help one in becoming spiritual but more importantly being spiritual makes the religious experience much more richer and meaningful.

Let us look at a transformation that came over Arjuna as explained in the Bhagawad Gita. At the start of Bhagawad Gita, Arjuna becomes despondent of having to engage in the battle with his grandparents, uncles and cousin brothers and laments at length to Sri Krishna about the potential harm his actions could cause to his relatives, society and the world. Almost everything that Arjuna lists as reasons for his argument at this stage are essentially extrinsic in nature. Sri Krishna's response to this lengthy lamenting of Arjuna was a crisp and short admonition for displaying uncharacteristic weakness at a critical juncture that was unbecoming of a great warrior. Krishna's admonition had the desired effect of making Arjuna become  more self-aware and his reasonings more subjective. Arjuna now makes a honest admission that his thinking has been taken over by a 'negative miserly nature' ('karpanya dosha upahata swabhava') and seeks Sri Krishna's help to clear it up for him what his righteous (dharmic)  action should be. And , Sri Krishna  on hearing this admission, commences the lengthy discourse of the Bhagawad Gita that ultimately results in Arjuna  gaining the right perspectives. So, what was the key difference between Arjuna's arguments presented in the first chapter of Bhagawad Gita which got only on admonition from Sri Krishna  and his statements in the second chapter that resulted in the discourse of Bhagawad Gita? One, the self-recognition by Arjuna of his own 'miserly nature', the insecure nature that makes one cling on to possessions and view all things in terms of only gains and losses. Two, Arjuna's explicit commitment to know and do what is Dharma which would ultimately bring him good (sreyas). As soon as Arjuna, who was definitely a religious person but not necessarily spiritual makes this subtle shift, Krishna blesses him with the spiritual knowledge through Bhagawad Gita.
What the above is telling us is that, firstly, the spiritual knowledge is reserved for the spiritual person because in this knowledge, knowing is also becoming ("Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati - The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman"). Others won't recognize this knowledge even if they happen to receive it. Secondly, a spiritual person is one who turns inward, is self-aware of own strengths and shortfalls and thirsts for knowledge that will help him or her change perspectives. And, finally, a spiritual person is more interested in transforming oneself and less concerned with the gain or loss he or she will make in the world.

What then is the measure of a person progressing in spirituality?  It is the connectedness he or she has with fellow beings and the readiness to make self-sacrifices for the sake of Dharma. We have great examples of this in Jesus Christ , Sri Gautama Buddha, Sri Rama etc. When Jesus walked into the Temple of Solomon, drove out the money changers and sellers of doves, he knew very well that these actions would invite serious consequences for him. He still did what he had to for the sake of reestablishing Dharma. When Gautama Buddha walked away in the middle of night from his royal inheritance and family, he certainly had a good idea of the hardships he was welcoming and still did it for the sake of finding the means to end the suffering for fellow beings. In the case of Arjuna,  the sacrifice Krishna demands of Arjuna, of vanquishing the Kaurava army by killing Bhishma and Drona, was far greater than asking him to sacrifice own life because Arjuna would have any day laid down his own life for any one of these people.

The Isavasya Upanishad explains this feeling of connectedness that a realized person has, in two beautiful verses:
"Yastu sarvani bhutani atmanyeva anupasyathi
Sarva bhuteshu cha  atmanam  thatho na vijugupsate " (Isavasya Upanishad, Verse  #5)
 'He who perceives all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he carries no hate'.
"Yasmin sarvani bhutani atmaivabhut vijanatah
Tatra ko moha ka soka ekatvam anupasyatah"  (Isavasya Upanishad, Verse  #6)
'When (a realized person) perceives only unity and considers all beings as his own self, there is no more delusion or despair for him'
This is the nature of a truly mature, spiritual person who has become perfect in spiritual knowledge.

So, what is the first step for students of spirituality? In the Taithiriyopanishad towards the end of its first book called Siksha Valli , the Sage instructs the students that while it is important from them to embrace truth (satyam) and engage in reflection (thapah) , it is utmost important for them to make the practice of assimilating the knowledge (swadhyaya) and sharing knowledge (pravachana) as the soul purpose of all their austerities. Sharing assimilated knowledge may be a small step but an important one for a student of spirituality.

With this understanding, the frequent question for each one of us to consider in our spiritual journey is how established have we become in spirituality in terms of our action, attitudes and perceptions. After all, who other than ourselves are in a better position to know it ?

Ten universal virtues to live by: From Patanjali Yogasutra

According to Hinduism,  spirituality is not a mere intellectual exercise but a major personal journey of internal transformation that involves significant change of attitudes, outlooks, beliefs etc. Just as a farmer prepares a field before planting crops, there is a need to prepare one's own self before engaging in spiritual studies. What kind of virtues should one cultivate in preparation for receiving spiritual knowledge? There are many answers to this question that are spread across multiple scriptural texts. Sage Patanjali in Yoga sutra provides a very comprehensive and concise list that appears to trump the rest in its simplicity and directness. Below is a quick overview of these virtues as described in Yoga Sutra.

Patanjali defines these virtues under two separate groups that he calls as the first two 'limbs' (anga) of  the 'eight-limbed' (ashtaanga) Yoga path. These two groups are called Yama and Niyama. Yama are virtues that are of more importance from a social conduct perspective and Niyama are the same from a personal conduct perspective. And, Patanajali reaffirms the universality of these virtues by saying that they are relevant to any one and every one, at all points of time, irrespective of what part of the world or society they belong to.

First the Yama virtues:
1. Ahimsa: Generally translated as 'non-violence'. This virtue is about having an attitude of not causing intentional harm or injury with the intent of personal gain or pleasure.
2. Satyam: 'Truthfulness'.  Keeping one's conscience clear and not engaging in duplicity when dealing with the world.
3. Asteyam: 'Not stealing'. Not being conceit about what one receives or takes from the world and ensuring to give back as much or more than one takes from the world.
4. Aparigraham: 'Non possessiveness'.  Not seeking self-fulfillment or developing enhanced self-images from possession of worldly goods.
5. Brahmacharyam: Generally translated as 'celibacy', this actually means living a spiritual life that is focused on realizing ultimate truth and not being distracted by sensual pleasures.

Next the Niyama virtues:
6. Saucham: Cleanliness. Maintaining both external (bodily) and internal (mental)  cleanliness and having a sense or order in all aspects of life.
7. Santhosham: Contentment. Keeping a happy demeanor, positive outlook and not engaging in negative thinking. Watch this TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXy__kBVq1M by Shawn Achor on 'Happiness Advantage' to know more about 'Santhosham' and how it can help even with everyday living.
8. Thapah: Generally translated as maintaining a religious austerity in life, this also means leading a contemplative life. Thapah literally means to generate heat; the internal 'heat' generated from intense thinking that brings about a transformation of character.
9. Swadhyaya: Regular self-education. Relentless engagement in developing one's spiritual knowledge and assimilating that knowledge. This is an extremely important virtue given the vastness of spiritual studies.
10. Iswarapranidhana: Having an attitude of surrender to God. This is a foundational virtue for a spiritual seeker. Sage Patanjali also offers a very interesting definition of 'God' as a supreme being who is unaffected by the divisions of the world, free of expectations of cause and effect and free of all afflictions like ignorance, ego, attachment, hatred and self-preservation. The fully stretched prostration that devotees do in Hindu temples called the 'sashtanga pranama' or prostration involving eight limbs is a great demonstration of Iswarapranidhana. The eight limbs involved in the prostration is indicative of total surrender to God These are:
a. Urasaa - by the torso, meaning all bodily functions
b. Sirasaa - by the head, meaning intellectually
c. Vachasaa - by speech, meaning everything spoken
d. Drishtyaa - by sight, meaning everything seen
e. Manasaa - by mind, meaning emotionally
f. Karnayo - by hearing, meaning everything heard
g. Hastayo - by the hands, meaning all deeds performed
h. Padayo - by the feet, meaning all the travels undertaken

(Special thanks to Sree Aswath for his enlightening teaching that has enabled and inspired me to compile the above information)