sadhana chatushtaya - detailed description

Satsanga with Sri Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati Arsha Vidya Gurukulam VIVEKA, DISCRIMINATION

िनािनविववकावदु े ्ॄवै िन ंव ुततोऽदिखलमिनिमित िववचनमे ॥् nityānityavastuvivekastāvad brahmaiva nityaṁ vastu tato'nyadakhilamanityamiti vivecanam. Discrimination between things permanent and transient consists of the discrimination that ‘brahman alone is the permanent substance and all things other than It are transient’ [Vedāntasāra, 16].

Viveka requires subtle perception

Vivecanam means discrimination or separation and viveka means to separate. For example, separating grain from chaff or the relevant from the irrelevant is called viveka. Separation or discrimination is required when two things are mixed up with each other and, sometimes, they are mixed up in a way that it is not very easy to separate them. The kind of viveka that is being discussed is that which requires a certain subtle perception. It is easy to discriminate between day and night or white and black, but it becomes difficult to discriminate between one shade of white and another. For example, while picking small stones from rice, it is very easy to pick out the black stones, but not the occasional white stones, which look like rice. In such instances, the eyes are not very helpful, but the faculty of touch can be used because rice is soft while the stone is hard. Thus, discrimination requires an appropriate faculty. In life, the permanent and the impermanent are mixed up with each other in much the same way. It is not that the permanent is in one place and the impermanent in another, and they can be distinguished easily. The Kaṭhopaniṣad [1-2-2] says:

ौय ूय मनमतःे े ेु तौ सरी िविवनि धीरः। śreyaśca preyaśca manuṣyametaḥ tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ. Śreyas and preyas approach the human being. Having very clearly considered them, the discriminative (person) distinguishes them.

In life, we constantly come across śreyas and preyas. Śreyas means that which is permanent and lasting and preyas is that which is impermanent and ephemeral. Śreyas is happiness of the Self or internal happiness, and preyas is happiness derived from sense objects or external happiness. It requires a certain sensitivity to appreciate lasting happiness as opposed to the impermanent, ephemeral happiness in the objects and achievements of the world. This viveka arises in a heart that has become relatively pure by the performance of nitya-karma, naimittika-karma, duty in the spirit of worship, meditations etc.

Every moment presents a choice between the permanent and the impermanent. The impermanent comes in the form of various situations, opportunities, and pleasures, while the permanent is ever there as the very

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Self. As long as the mind is full of attractions and repulsions, the impermanent alone attracts the mind and we do not choose the permanent. There is an inner voice, which gets totally suppressed on account of the noise made by the demands of external things. The permanent or the Self has an opportunity to register only when the intensity of the chatter of likes and dislikes is subdued or lessened.

An inner feeling that there is something permanent arises as we listen to the scriptures

When we study the Vedas, whether directly or indirectly through satsanga or the company of good people, we become aware that life has an underlying permanence. Our perception is that everything in this universe is constantly changing, impermanent, and perishable. However, when we are exposed to the scriptures, we begin to see that there is something in life above and beyond that which is perceptible, visible, or experienced by us. We become aware that change, impermanence, or flux is not the ultimate truth of life and that there is a nitya-vastu, a permanent or lasting reality to life. Thus, the first thing that arises in a discriminating mind is the nitya-anitya-vastu-viveka. The study of the scriptures enables us to acquire the ability to reason. This important reasoning ability helps us to analyze and discriminate. We come across statements that appeal to us, invoke something in us, set us thinking, or initiate a certain train of thought within that prompt us to go over them again and again. For example, there is a statement in the Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad [4-6-16]:

यादवावरोऽहोिभः पिरवतत तवा ोितषा ोितः।र् र्ं ंे े yasmādarvāksaṁvatsaro'hobhiḥ parivartate taddevā jyotiṣāṁ jyotiḥ. Below which the year with its days rotates, upon that immortal Light of all lights.

There is an absolute principle beyond time or perceptible change because of which the days and nights come about and because of which the years ensue and the very principle of time evolves. Even scientists such as Sir Albert Einstein have shown that there is a reality not subject to relative time and space. Our experience is confined to time and place, but time and place are relative. The world, which is within time and place, is a relative world and is but a projection.

The Muṇḍakopaniṣad [1-1-6] says that brahman is nityaṁ vibhuṁ sarvagataṁ susūkṣmaṁ, permanent, all-pervasive, appearing in different forms, and subtler than the subtlest. It says that the nature of the Self is pervasive like space, unborn, and eternal. We find that happiness lies in permanence and not in impermanence. There is a permanent or changeless Reality, which is of the nature of happiness. We gain a general overview as a result of the study of the scriptures that there is something eternal, changeless, permanent, and beyond what we perceive or experience. These concepts may not be clear

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initially, but we do become aware of them through the scriptures. The Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad [4-4-20] says:

नह नानाऽि िकचन मृोः स मृमाोित य इह नानव पँयित॥े ें ु neha nānā'sti kiṁcana mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyumāpnoti ya iha nāneva paśyati. There is no difference whatsoever in It. He goes from death to death, who sees difference, as it were, in It.

In fact, there is no duality at all; the duality that we perceive is not the ultimate reality. The Chāndogyopaniṣad [7-24-1] says:

यऽ नाँयित नाणोित नािजानाित स भमाू ॥ yatra nānyatpaśyati nānyacchṛṇoti nānyadvijānāti sa bhūmā. The Infinite is that where one does not see anything else, does not hear anything else, and does not understand anything else.

In this, there is no duality of the subject and object. There is bhūmā or abundance, a limitlessness that lies beyond this world of duality. One gains an understanding or inkling that there is a permanent and lasting Reality; this is viveka or discrimination. This becomes a reality when we pursue the study of the scriptures and understand that Truth. But why would we be prompted to pursue the study? Why should we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of the study? It is because of an inner feeling that there is something permanent in this life, a lasting peace or happiness, which arises on account of listening to or studying the scriptures. This kind of feeling or awareness is the beginning of viveka.

Brahmaiva-nityaṁ-vastu tato'nyadakhilamanityamiti vivecanam. Brahmaiva-nityaṁ-vastu means brahman alone is the nitya vastu. Tatahanya akhilam anityam, everything other than brahman is anityam, impermanent; iti vivecanam, this discrimination is called viveka. The discrimination is the determination that brahman alone is eternal or permanent and everything else is changing or impermanent. This discrimination ultimately becomes a reality when we are exposed to the scriptures and go through the process of learning and seeing. In the beginning, however, this is a general understanding born on account of a certain purity of the heart and exposure to the scriptures.

Brahman alone can provide what we are seeking

The word brahman is derived from the root bṛhat in the sense of vṛddhi, growth and bigness without any qualifications. Brahman means God, that from which the whole creation arises, that by which the whole creation is sustained, and that into which the creation goes back. Brahman is the very Atman, the essence or the Self of everything. Brahman is that which is unqualified big, meaning limitless, and permanent, eternal, or changeless. That is what I seek. We hear about brahman through the scriptures and understand it as God. We begin to realize there must be a God in the course of our upbringing and education. We also begin to understand our own inner urges. What is it that we are seeking? We realize that what we are seeking in


life is the nitya vastu, something lasting or permanent, not just happiness and security. We are seeking lasting happiness and lasting security. Only God, the Self or brahman, which alone is the nitya vastu, can provide lasting happiness or lasting security.

Brahman is the very order around us

It stands to reason that there must be a nitya vastu or eternal principle. Often, people say they find it hard to believe in God. However, an analysis of life enables us to see that God must exist. Even though life appears to be lacking order or sometimes seems unjust, there has to be an underlying order because the whole universe is functioning in a very harmonious manner. Even though we may not see that harmony in our personal lives, we find that there is a certain harmony and order in all the change that is taking place around us; the changes are not random. Something that is as just and orderly must necessarily be complete. Scientists say that the nature of reality must be something simple and beautiful. Even though there are complications in life and even as scientists make more investigations and seem to come up with more interpretations of reality, there is an intuition that reality must be simple and that it must be beautiful. That simple and beautiful reality alone is called brahman.

An analysis of what we are seeking reveals it to be brahman

“I agree with you that there is a brahman that is creator, omniscient, omnipotent and limitless, but what do I have to do with that? Does God have any relevance in my life?” Vedanta says that what you are seeking every moment in your life is brahman alone. You are seeking joy and happiness, an ānanda that is free from all limitations. All of us want unqualified happiness; we don’t want a time-qualified happiness that is available at one time and not at another; we don’t want a place-qualified happiness in which we are happy only in a given place and not any other, and we don’t want happiness that obtains only in one situation and not in another. In fact, we don’t even want to make an effort to be happy. If we had our way, we would wish for a happiness that is effortless as well. And besides, not only do we want unqualified happiness, we also want to be aware of it. It is said that we are totally happy in deep sleep, but we not aware of it! Therefore, we want an effortless and unqualified happiness of which we are aware. An analysis of what we are seeking reveals it to be brahman. Brahman alone fits this bill. Brahman alone is unqualified with reference to time, place, or condition and, being the very Self, the attainment of brahman is effortless. Brahman is of the nature of Awareness and is, therefore, conscious Happiness. It is sat, Existence, and exists in all the periods of time. It is thus relevant to our lives.

Brahman is the only relevant thing in our lives

People sometimes ask, “Is Vedanta practical in present-day life? Is it relevant to our lives?” The answer is that Vedanta alone is relevant to our lives. I may have love for the whole world, but, ultimately, what I love is the Self, brahman. My real love is for brahman or the Self and that love alone gets


reflected towards various objects and beings. I love people, things, and situations, but not for their sakes; I love them only as long as they are conducive to my love for the Self. When they come in the way of my love for myself, those persons, objects, or situations are no more objects of my love. Thus, whatever love I have is entirely for the Self. It is important that we understand this love. This Self is not the individual self; brahman is the Self of all. It is that which I love. If I have a love for a person, I may think that I love his or her body, mind, emotions or intelligence. However, what I love is the Self reflected in that body, mind, emotions, and intelligence. We should understand that, ultimately, all love for the Self is love for brahman. That is what we are seeking every moment. Therefore, rather than saying that brahman is the most relevant thing, Vedanta says it is the only relevant thing. We should understand our own emotions. Brahman alone is called God, the Self, or Truth; it is because of this that I love and it is because of this that I seek. The fact that I am constantly seeking must mean that brahman, the limitless, must exist. Although at the moment I may not know what It is or where It is, It has to be there because not only am I searching, but everyone else is constantly seeking as well.

Viveka helps determine our priorities in life

The vivecanam or discrimination that brahman is the only nitya-vastu or permanent reality and that everything other than brahman is impermanent is called viveka. This viveka or discrimination is very important because it determines our priorities in life. Whatever we understand to be the most important is what we will want to have and our efforts will be directed towards that goal. If we understand brahman to be the most important, our efforts will naturally be directed towards knowing this Self. Therefore, this discrimination is extremely important. An interesting thing is that Vedanta begins with viveka and ends in viveka. It begins with discrimination, which is initially a vague idea, and culminates in the discrimination that becomes a reality. There must be discrimination in life. We must always be thinking people, reasoning people, and analyzing people. We should not take things for granted or simply do things because other people are doing them. This necessarily brings about vairāgya1.

1 Based on Vedāntasāra lectures. Transcribed and edited by Malini, KK Davey and Jayshree Ramakrishnan.


Satsanga with Sri Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

VAIRĀGYA, DISPASSION

When we inquire into what has finally been achieved by us or others, we find that no achievement is enough to provide permanent or lasting satisfaction. When we acquire some insight into brahman or God, we realize that there is something permanent. There arises virāgaḥ or dispassion towards everything impermanent, which is described next.

ऐिहकाना ॐनविनतािदिवषयभोगाना कमजतयािनवदामिकाणाममृं ं र् ु तािद-

िवषयभोगानामिनतया तो िनतरा िवरितःे ं - इहामऽाथफलभोगिवरागः॥ु र् aihikānāṁ srakcandanavanitādi-viṣaya-bhogānāṁ karma-janyataya-anityatvavadāmuṣmikāṇāmapyamṛtādi-viṣayabhogānāmanityatayā tebhyo nitarāṁ viratiḥ - ihāmutrārthaphala-bhoga-virāgaḥ [Vedāntasāra, 17]. The objects of enjoyment in the hereafter, such as immortality being as transitory as the enjoyment of such earthly objects as a garland of flowers, sandalwood paste, and sex-pleasures, which are transitory, and being results of action, an utter disregard for all of them is the renunciation of the enjoyment of the fruits of action in this world and the hereafter.

This is called iha-amutra-arthaphala-bhoga-virāgaḥ. Rāga means passion or attachment and virāgaḥ is dispassion or non-attachment; it is freedom from passion. We should also know that wherever there is rāga or attachment there is a corresponding dveṣa or aversion; they are the two sides of the same coin. There cannot be attraction or attachment somewhere unless there is an aversion somewhere else; or, there cannot be aversion in one place unless there is an attachment elsewhere. Attachment involves gravitating towards one thing or the other. Thus, a person under the hold of rāga and dveṣa is always gravitating in one direction or the other like a swinging pendulum or a falling leaf on a windy day. The opposite forces of likes and dislikes keep tugging at his or her mind.

Dispassion is freedom from both attachments and aversions

Virāgaḥ means a freedom from both attachment and aversion and vairāgya is the corresponding state of dispassion. It is important to understand that vairāgya not only means freedom from attachment, but also freedom from aversion. Often, this is not understood properly and, therefore, freedom from attachment is very often interpreted as aversion and an aversion for life is often mistaken to be vairāgya. It should be noted that aversion is just as undesirable since it also keeps my mind away from myself. Rāga and dveṣa have the ability to pull my mind away from myself and throw it into external objects. The result is that I cannot be at peace with myself. Thus, it is necessary that I should be free from likes and dislikes to gain a

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peaceful or contemplative mind. We can make our minds free from likes and dislikes through viveka.

Why is there an attachment towards external objects and achievements? There is always a fascination in our minds for physical pleasures, achievements, and accomplishments. We have this fascination because of our upbringing. We find the entire world placing a great deal of importance on external achievements and accomplishments. Therefore, we also begin to associate success or fulfillment in life with external achievements. It requires discriminative analysis to understand the limitation of external achievements and this passage explains this analysis.

Happiness is typically experienced at at the level of the senses, the emotions, and the ego

All bhoga or pleasures are traditionally classified as srakcandanavanita. Srat means garland, chandana means sandalwood paste, and vanita means woman. They symbolize the happiness that comes to us at the level of the sense organs, i.e., taste, touch, color and form, smell, and sound. The happiness at the level of the senses comes from sensuous pleasures. The happiness at the level of emotions comes when there is emotional fulfillment, e.g., as in the presence of a friend or someone who is dear. At the level of the ego, we experience happiness through achievements that result in recognition and success. Happiness also comes at the level of the intellect when there is intellectual satisfaction or satisfaction of the ego. Thus, happiness is experienced at different levels: that of the senses, the emotions, and the ego. We find that different people pursue different forms of happiness. People who are very gross pursue sensuous pleasures; people who are emotional go after emotional pleasures, and people who are intellectual or egoistic go after pleasures that result in achievement, success, recognition, etc. Everyone requires all the three forms of happiness; however, different people seek different proportions of these three forms of happiness. It is not that someone is always a sensuous person seeking happiness from sense objects. Even those who may have given up or are indifferent to the objects of the senses may not be indifferent towards emotions or towards their own intellect or ego.

Every form of acquired happiness is limited

The scriptures point out that the nature of happiness provided by worldly achievements, pleasures, and sensations is transient because it is conditional; happiness at the level of the senses, emotions or the intellect occurs only when a given condition is satisfied. It is not that I am happy at any time or place. Rather, I am happy only when a certain condition is satisfied such as when I am in the presence of a certain person, object or situation; not otherwise. Therefore, the presence of that person, situation, or object has to be created. Something has to be acquired or arranged as a result of effort. Thus, I find that the happiness I acquire today is the result of an effort, karma. Whatever is generated or created as a result of an effort is


limited because every effort is limited. Not only that, everything in the world is limited and its ability to give me happiness is also limited. It does not mean that I hate things or dislike them because they are limited. We can love limited things as long as we understand that they are limited and transient and, therefore, do not expect anything permanent from them. This understanding will enable us to set our priorities right and recognize the place that these things enjoy in our lives.

At present, we make unreasonable demands of life, ourselves, and others. However, what we are seeking is the limitless and we expect the inadequate things of the world to give us that. We expect the objects of our love to give us limitless happiness. Thus, there is disappointment and frustration in spite of so much achievement because of our unrealistic expectations or demands.

A story is told to illustrate this idea. A mullah and his friends were boasting about various things, and there was a bet about who could spend a cold night atop a nearby mountain. The mullah accepted the challenge and spent the night on the mountain. The next morning, his friends asked him how he had been able to do that. He replied that he had stayed up reading by candlelight. At that, his friends declared that he had cheated in having used candlelight to keep himself warm. The mullah wanted to teach them a lesson and so, the next day, he invited them to his home for dinner. All the friends gathered around the dining table. The mullah went into the kitchen to bring out the food. When he did not emerge with the food and had been gone a while, the friends went into the kitchen to see what was keeping him. There was the mullah, waiting for a huge pot of rice to be cooked by the small flame of a candle! What can we expect from a candle? Can it really cook dinner?

Happiness cannot be created

Every object in the world and every form of happiness that we acquire is like that flame - insignificant and limited; to expect to gain fulfillment from it is unreasonable. We make unreasonable demands of objects and persons, and repeatedly keep getting frustrated and disappointed. A famous verse from the Muṇḍakopaniṣad [1-2-12] says:

परी लोकान ् कमिचतानर् ् ॄणो िनवदमायााकतः कतन। ृ ृ े parīkṣya lokān karmacitān brahmaṇo nirvedamāyānnāstyakṛtaḥ kṛtena. Having analyzed the worldly experiences and achievements acquired through karma, a mature person gains dispassion by discerning that the uncreated (Limitless) cannot be produced by action.

Presently, we make an effort to create happiness by creating certain conditions. We must understand that happiness cannot be created. Happiness is already there, it is simply to be manifested. When we think that we are creating happiness, what we are doing, in effect, is only manifesting the happiness, which is already there. It is comparable to the sun hidden behind clouds; when the clouds go away, the sun shines again. When a given


object, person, or situation makes me happy, it is not that the happiness comes from the object, person, or situation; rather, the happiness, which is my very nature, becomes manifest at that time. Thus, in any experience of happiness, the objects, persons, or situations only become instrumental in manifesting the happiness that is already my nature. We think happiness has gone away when all that happens is that the happiness remains unmanifest. The happiness, which is the Self, momentarily becomes manifest when the mind becomes clear, non-demanding, and quiet. However, any demand that enters the mind acts as a cloud in veiling that happiness. Happiness is not something that comes from the outside. When we analyze our experiences of happiness, we find that happiness wells up from within and every external object or situation is merely instrumental in revealing that which is our own nature. When we understand the nature of happiness, we realize that any happiness that we can possibly acquire from a source other than ourselves is bound to be limited in time, measure, and situation. When I understand that happiness is something to be made manifest, there is vairāgya or dispassion towards acquiring happiness from transitory or limited sources rather than from myself.

The pleasures of the world cannot satisfy us

This hunger for happiness is comparable to a fire that grows fiercer as butter is poured into it. Similarly, the hunger for pleasure only increases as I enjoy more pleasures in life; the hunger for recognition is greater as more and more recognition comes my way, and the hunger for success continues to grow even as more and more success is gained. All these achievements serve to increase our hunger, rather than appease it. This is what one has to see for oneself: the hunger or beggarliness does not diminish and the beggar remains intact.

Usually, we don’t pay attention to what we are seeking; we simply do what everyone else does. We follow the values the world has imposed upon us and don’t stop to think or examine what we are seeking. Vedanta tells us that what we are seeking is permanent and advises us to analyze our own urges and then decide for ourselves whether worldly achievements have the capability to satisfy our hunger or not.

Over time, vairāgya arises towards qualified happiness; when we realize that there is unqualified happiness to be gained, we no longer want qualified or conditional happiness. We don’t want happiness that is dependent upon the acquisition of an object having particular attributes. We don’t want happiness that is available only at a given time, place, or only in a given thing. When we understand that our need is for something permanent and lasting, we cannot settle for anything less.

The pleasures of the heavens are also limited

People seek to go to the heavens to enjoy the pleasures of ambrosia, amṛta. The devatās or gods, the denizens of the heavens, supposedly partake of ambrosia every day and are, therefore, immortal. As a result, people want


to go to the heavens and enjoy happiness there because they know of the limitations of the happiness of this world. It is said that even if there were such a place as the heavens with all these pleasures, the pleasures would still be limited. Just as the pleasures acquired in this life as a result of effort are limited, so also, the pleasures acquired in the heavens, being the product of our efforts, are also bound to be limited. The Chāndogyopaniṣad says [8-1-6]:

तथह कमिजतो लोकः क्षीयत एवमवामऽ पण्यिजतो लोकः क्षीयते े ेर् ु ु । tadyatheha karmajito lokaḥ kṣīyata evamevāmutra puṇyajito lokaḥ kṣīyate. As to that, as in this world the result acquired through action gets exhausted, in the very same way, the result acquired through virtue gets exhausted in the other world.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita [9-21], kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṁ viśanti, a stay in the heavens lasts until one’s puṇya is exhausted. The heavens are compared to a five-star hotel. Just as one can stay in a hotel only as long as one has the money to pay the bills, so also, a stay in the heavens lasts only as long as one has the wealth of puṇya or virtuous actions. When the puṇya is exhausted, one drops back from the heavens to this earth and starts all over again.

Dispassion implies the cessation of running after worldly objects or pleasures

In short, vairāgya focuses my mind upon myself. It is natural that a person seeks happiness outwardly because God has created the mind and sense organs to be extroverted, says the Kaṭhopaniṣad [2-1-1]:

पराि खािन तणृत ् याराँयित नारानू ।्

किीरः ूगाानमकै्षदावचक्षरमतृिमनृ ु ॥् १॥ parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhūstasmātparāṅpaśyati nāntarātman, kaściddhīraḥ pratyagātmānamaikṣadāvṛttacakṣuramṛtatvamicchan. The Lord destroyed the sense organs (by making them) extroverted. Therefore, everyone looks outside oneself, not at the inner Self. Desiring immortality, a rare discriminative one turns away his eyes (and) sees the inner Self.

The idea is that the immortality we seek is the very nature of the Self; it is not to be acquired from the non-Self. As this understanding arises, the mind and senses naturally withdraw from their external preoccupations and become focused upon the Self. Thus, when viveka matures and becomes a fact of life, the immediate result is vairāgya. There is viratiḥ, a total cessation of pleasure-seeking. Vairāgya does not mean not enjoying objects; it only means not running after objects. It means a cessation of the effort to seek happiness from things other than the Self. This cessation of effort arises from having viveka.

Dispassion endures only when it arises out of discrimination

There is something described as śmaśāna-vairāgya, the disgust towards life that often arises when we undergo unpleasant experiences. People have


that vairāgya in śmaśāna, cremation grounds. When we see death and cremation, we realize the transience of life and understand that death comes to all; thoughts such as ‘what am I doing here’ and ‘what is the purpose of life’ arise. This vairāgya, however, does not last long. As soon as one steps out of the cremation ground, hunger emerges. Similarly, a momentary dispassion arises when we have some unpleasant experiences in our lives, but it does not last long. Dispassion only lasts if it has arisen as a result of viveka.

Happiness is the freedom from desire or craving

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya discusses the nature of happiness in his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. When I feel happy, what is it that makes me happy? Has that happiness come from an object that I crave? In fact, happiness comes when the tremendous burden of craving goes away. When I acquire an object of my desire, that burden goes away momentarily and I experience a relief or a freedom from that craving. A desire in my head is like a big burden and I experience happiness when I fulfill that desire; it is the happiness of freedom from that craving or that desire. The Mahābhārata says:

य कामसख ु ं लोके य िद महखम। ं ु ् तृाक्षयसखतैु ेनाहतःर् षोडश कलाम॥ ् yacca kāmasukhaṁ loke yacca divyaṁ mahatsukham, tṛṣṇā-kṣayasukhasyaite nārhataḥ ṣoḍaśīṁ kalām. The happiness attained in the world as a result of experiencing a desired object and the great happiness that one may acquire in the heaven do not equal to even one sixteenth of the happiness that one gains from the freedom from craving.

In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad [2-8], various degrees of happiness are described; yuvā syātsādhuyuvā'dhyāyakaḥ, āśiṣṭho dṛḍhiṣṭho baliṣṭhaḥ, tasyeyaṁ pṛthivī sarvā vittasya pūrṇā syāt. Suppose there is a young man with all the qualifications and abilities to enjoy life - culture, education, sensitivity, and good taste, he also has at his disposal, the whole world full of every kind of pleasure that he is capable of enjoying. This degree of utmost happiness that a human being is capable of enjoying is described as one unit of human happiness. A manuṣya-gandharva is said to enjoy one hundred such units of human happiness; a deva-gandharva enjoys one hundred units of a manuṣya-gandharva‘s happiness; a pitṛ enjoys one hundred units of a deva-gandharva’s happiness, and so on. The degree or intensity of happiness grows as the upādhi or the body and equipment becomes more superior. However, at every level it is said that whatever maximum happiness a particular body can enjoy as a result of acquiring every possible pleasure is the happiness enjoyed by a person who is free of all desire, śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya. Thus, happiness is ultimately nothing but freedom from desire. It is not freedom from desire in the sense of denying desire or suppressing desire, but a resolving of desire as a result of viveka. As Pujya Swami Dayanandaji points out, behind all desire is the desire to be free from desire. It is freedom from desire alone that makes one happy. The happiness that is the result of


freedom from desire cannot be compared to any other happiness that one can gain in this world or the hereafter.

Dispassion arises out of an understanding of the nature of things

It is the understanding of what one is seeking and the understanding of the nature of happiness, objects, and achievements that slowly creates vairāgya. This understanding leads to a freedom from the false fascination that we have for objects or achievements. We have a fascination for wealth, honor, recognition, and power. We have an inherent fascination and innate patterns of thinking, which guide our lives. We should analyze these fascinations and understand that they are born of a lack of understanding of the real nature of things. They are born of a lack of understanding of our own desires and of what life can offer. As our understanding grows, the mind slowly becomes free from that fascination, rāga. Correspondingly, the mind also becomes free from aversion, dveṣa. In the Bhagavad Gita [5-3], Lord Krishna describes a person whose mind is free from fascinations or aversions as a renunciate.

ज्ञयः स िनसासी यो न े ें ि न काित। िनो िह महाबाहो सख बामत॥र् ु ुं े jñeyaḥ sa nityasaṁnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati, nirdvandvo hi mahābāho sukhaṁ bandhātpramucyate. The person who neither hates nor longs (for anything) should be known as always a renunicate O Arjuna, because one who is free from the opposites (likes and dislikes) is effortlessly released from bondage.

Ultimately, a renunciate is one who is free from ignorance or the sense of ego. The first qualification of a renunciate is that he does not have either aversion or fascination. We have to acquire freedom from rāga and dveṣa; that alone is called vairāgya. Dispassion means freedom.

Dispassion implies the acquiring of an objective mind

Dispassion should not be understood as aversion or suppression. Vairāgya is often misunderstood as suppression, aversion, disgust, or hatred. When there is disgust for the world, the mind gets disturbed as it thinks of the world. Therefore, we don’t want disgust; we don’t want attraction or aversion, either; what we want is an objective or balanced mind. These attractions and aversions distort our perceptions. They prevent us from seeing and knowing things as they are. Everyone lives in their own world of likes and dislikes, and the result is that our perceptions are invariably distorted. Vairāgya implies getting rid of these distortions from the mind and acquiring an undistorted and objective mind, a free mind.

Distortions and aversions are a big burden; they make us sad and create reactions in us. When the mind becomes free from reactions, it becomes free, happy, cheerful, and objective. Thus, vairāgya means freedom, happiness, cheerfulness, and objectivity. This is a prerequisite for a student of Vedanta. To gain any knowledge, the mind must be objective and, to gain


Self-knowledge, the mind must be similarly objective and available. Usually, we do enjoy a certain degree of objectivity with respect to the knowledge of physical objects. Yet, for example, a surgeon who performs an operation very skillfully upon patients may find his hands shaking when he has to perform an operation upon his own son or daughter. Thus, it is necessary that the mind should be objective, not judgmental. We know this very well and yet find ourselves being judgmental about many things. Likes and dislikes are judgments. We judge things as good or bad and right or wrong. These judgments prevent us from being objective and knowing things the way they are.

We are told that brahman is the abhinna-nimitta-upādāna-karaṇam, both the material and efficient cause; He alone is in the form of this entire creation. However, we do not see God everywhere. We don’t see God everywhere not because He is not there or because what we see is not God, but because we do not see everything the way it is. Our perceptions get distorted on account of our complexes and likes and dislikes. Freedom from this distorted perception is vairāgya, which comes as a result of viveka.

Vairāgya is the most important qualification. Viveka fulfills itself only when it results in vairāgya. When the mind has a fascination or attraction for something, we must know it is bound to be a distraction sooner or later. It will be a distraction, particularly when we want to apply ourselves to meditation or contemplation. The ability to make the mind free from these distractions intelligently and with discrimination is vairāgya1.

1 Based on Vedāntasāra lectures. Transcribed and edited by Malini, KrishnaKumar (KK) S. Davey and Jayshree Ramakrishnan.



ŚAMA, THE MASTERY OF THE MIND

शमावत ् - ौवणािदितिरिवषयो मनसो िनमहः॥ े śamastāvat - śravaṇādivyatiriktaviṣayebhyo manaso nigrahaḥ [Vedāntasāra, 19]. Śama is the curbing of the mind from all objects except hearing etc.

Śama is śāntiḥ or the quiet disposition of mind. The word śama is derived from the root śam in the sense of quietude or silence. Śama means quietude of the mind. This passage describes how to make the mind quiet. Nigrahaḥ is curbing or restraint, and manasaḥ nigrahaḥ is the restraint of the mind. Since the word ‘restraint’ has negative connotations of force and suppression, we will use the word ‘mastery’ instead. Therefore, śama means mastery of the mind or bringing the mind back from the sense objects, viṣayebhyaḥ.

What we really want is a simple, silent, learning, and abiding mind that is available for study and contemplation. Sometimes, we are inspired by a Vedanta class and wish to dwell upon what we have heard; however, as soon as we walk out of the class, other things take hold of the mind. And, despite our efforts to drag the mind back, various emotions such as desires, passions, anger, greed etc., pull our minds away from ourselves.

The mind naturally dwells upon sense objects

The natural tendency of the mind is to dwell upon sense objects for which it has an attraction or fascination. The peculiarity of the mind is that it also dwells upon those beings, situations, and objects to which it has an aversion. In fact, we find that the mind dwells more often upon things that it hates than on things it likes. If we always thought only of things that we love, we would be happy. Thus, rāga and dveṣa keep our minds away from the Self; the mind is dragged away from its purpose into the objects of its likes and dislikes.

इियियाथ रागषौ वितौ।े े तयोन वशमागौ पिरपिनौ॥ र् े indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau, tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau. There is attachment and aversion with reference to every sense object. May one not come under the spell of these two because they are one’s enemies [Bhagavad Gita, 3-34].

Lord Krishna says that every sense organ has both an attraction and an aversion to its corresponding objects. These attractions and aversions are built into our personality. We carry them forward from our past births and, along the way, many more of them become ingrained in us in the course of our upbringing. Everyone, including our parents, elders, society, and

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teachers, plants ideas of likes and dislikes such as this is good, this is not good; this is proper, this is not proper; this should be done, this should not be done, or this is right, this is not right. As a result, the mind is full of likes and dislikes, which distract our minds. Validating our experiences, Lord Krishna says in the Gita [2-60]:

यततो िप कौये पषु िवपितः। इियािण ूमाथीिन हरि ूसभ ंमनः॥ yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ, indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ. Because the powerful senses of even the person who makes an effort, who sees clearly, forcefully take the mind away, O Arjuna.

Even as we make an effort to concentrate the mind, we find that the strong forces of likes and dislikes pull the mind away. Despite our alertness, we are helpless as our minds are dragged away from the Self into the sense objects. We should understand the mechanism of how the mind gets distracted.

The mind is under the control of the six-fold inner enemies

At present, the mind is under the control of the six-fold enemies within: kāma or desire, krodha or anger, lobha or greed, moha or lack of discrimination, mada or pride, and mātsarya or jealousy. Kāma means passion, lust, or desire. Whenever there is desire, there is the potential of anger, krodha. It is said that whenever you make an appointment, there is the possibility of disappointment. Similarly, whenever there is a desire, there is always the chance that it may not be fulfilled. Anger arises whenever there is an obstruction to the fulfillment of a desire. The stronger my desire, the stronger is the likelihood of anger. When my desire gets fulfilled, however, it creates a different problem: my mind always wants more. It is analogous to pouring butter into fire; the fire grows bigger. There is always inner dissatisfaction. This is called lobha or greed. Thus, desire gives rise to either anger or greed. Whenever the mind is under the spell of anger or greed, it cannot think clearly and that is moha, a lack of discrimination or the loss of proper thinking. Out of greed, people think incorrectly and invest their money in many things, only to lose it all. Greed ruins a person because there is no end to greed; it is compared to an ocean. Just as an ocean has no other bank, so also, greed is that which has no end at all. Many people get ruined out of greed. Anger ruins other people. Since anger and greed rob my mind of a sense of discrimination, both are powerful enemies. Next is mada, pride or arrogance. When I find myself successful, there is pride or arrogance. Whenever there is pride, there is immediately going to be mātsarya or jealousy. A proud person seeks security in his or her own achievements. When that person finds a more successful person, his or her own inadequacy becomes manifest and gives rise to jealousy. Thus, these six propensities of mind are considered to be our inner enemies, the ṣadripuḥ. At the moment, the mind is under their control. All we want is a mind that is under our control.


Mastering the mind requires effort

The Kaṭhopaniṣad says [1-2-20]:

तमबतः पँयित वीतशोकोु धातूसादािहमानमाु नः॥ tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuprasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ. The desireless one sees that glory of the Atman through the serenity of the organs (and becomes) free from grief.

We want the favor of our own minds. Having śama means having a mind that is favorable, available, and a friend. The Gita [6-5] says that while the mind is our friend, the same mind is also our enemy.

आवै ानो बरावै िरपरानः॥ु ु ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ. The self alone is one’s benefactor and the self alone is one’s enemy.

A mind that is pleased becomes a friend; a mind that is under the control of desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, or jealousy is an enemy. We want the mind to be our friend. We go around cultivating friendships with the whole world, but make no effort to cultivate a friendship with ourselves, meaning our minds. When the mind becomes a friend, it becomes available to us and we enjoy its grace and favor. This requires an effort; it does not just happen. This is also known as emotional maturity.

Śama confers an emotionally mature mind, a mind that accepts the facts of life and, therefore, does not react. We have to understand the facts of life and learn to accept them. More often than not, we are battling with the realities of life. Let us call a truce with that reality. To do so requires that we understand the reality of life and understand the reality of our own selves. We are happy only if we make peace with reality and not otherwise.

Only a favorable mind is available for Vedantic study

An aspirant devoted to the pursuit of knowledge wants the mind to be available for śravaṇam, listening to the scriptures. He wants to do mananam, reflect upon what he has heard, and then achieve nidhidhyāsanam, the assimilation of what he has understood to be the truth. Śravaṇam leads to an understanding of the truth, mananam is the subsequent contemplation to make one’s understanding free from doubts, and nidhidhyāsanam is the assimilation of that truth. However, the mind of the aspirant strays repeatedly on account of past impressions and innate patterns of thinking and concluding. It requires a particular kind of effort to control or restrain the mind so that it is available to do what we want. This quietude, restraint, cheerfulness, or abidance of mind is śama. Śravaṇam, mananam, and nidhidhyāsanam, are the means to gain knowledge and we want the mind to be focused on this pursuit all the time. As the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi [22] says, svalakṣye-niyatāvasthā, the mind should be constantly focused on one’s lakṣya or goal.


Śama or quietude of mind enables the mind to turn away from its other preoccupations and remain focused. The mind cannot be brought under control or made agreeable to us unless we make a specific effort. What is it that makes the mind disagreeable to us? It is our likes and dislikes, which arise primarily from rāga, attachment. The mind has a false fascination for things. It sees that which is not there; for example, it sees happiness and security in objects, situations, and people, which do not have them. This is the reason why it is necessary to free the mind from its fascinations.

The Bhagavad Gita [2-59] says that we can create a distance between ourselves and the things that we like and, in doing so, refrain from indulging. However, the very rasa or fascination does not go easily. I can turn my face away from a given thing, but the fascination remains and it is that which I have to deal with. If it is a proper fascination, it would not be a problem. Unfortunately, the fascination of the mind for objects and achievements is a misplaced fascination because those things do not have the essence of happiness or security. Therefore, the mind first superimposes security and happiness where it is not, and then desires to possess it. When the mind gets an object that it desires, it feels happy. Rāga is considered to be an enemy because it is that which deprives one of true happiness.

Repeatedly seeing the limitations of worldly objects helps master the mind

Virajya viṣayavrātād doṣadṛṣṭyā muhurmuhuḥ is the dispassion felt towards a host of objects by seeing their limitations again and again [Vivekacuḍāmaṇi, 22]. The method suggested to restrain the mind or bring it back to its focus is to see its limitation. Doṣadṛṣṭi means seeing the faults present wherever the mind wants to go or in that to which the mind is attached. What are these faults? Any attachment or aversion can be there only when we have a partial view; there will be neither likes nor dislikes when we have a total view. Fascination is created because the mind sees only one aspect of a thing. We should make the mind see the other aspects as well to free it from its false fascination. A mind free of attachment or aversion is an objective mind. This is a process that is to be practiced constantly. We have to deal with the mind and its likes and dislikes, attractions and aversions.

A mastered mind is free of likes and dislikes

Whatever is, is brahman or God, sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ brahma [Chāndogyopaniṣad, 3-14-1]. Therefore, there should not be attachment or aversion to anything because everything is my very Self. In order to appreciate this Truth, the mind must be relatively free from rāga and dveṣa. Therefore, it is necessary to deliberately make the mind free from rāga and dveṣa, not by forcing or supressing it, but by accepting the truth of things. If a thing really deserves my fascination, so be it; if a thing really deserves my hatred or aversion, again, so be it. We do not want to deny the mind what is genuine. When we analyze the nature of things, however, we find that


neither attractions nor aversions can be genuine because a thing does not inherently deserve either. That is why it is said [Bhagavad Gita, 6-26]:

यतो यतो िनरित मनलमिरम।् तततो िनयतैदाव वश नयते ें ॥् yato yato niścarati manaścañcalamasthiram, tatastato niyamyaitadātmanyeva vaśaṁ nayet. For whatever reason the unsteady mind, always in a state of flux, goes away, bringing it back from that, with reference to the Self alone, may one bring (the mind) into one’s own hands.

Whenever the mind gets distracted, let the mind see the true nature of things. In short, we have to learn to appreciate things for what they are; neither as more nor as less. When there is fascination, we see more than is there and, when there is aversion, we see less. Only a mind that sees neither more nor less is objective, free of rāga and dveṣa, and in the state of śama. Śama is the mastery of the mind, which enables the student to focus on his goal1.




DAMA, THE RESTRAINT OF THE SENSE ORGANS

दमः - बाियाणाे ंतितिरिवषयोे िनवतनमर् ॥् damaḥ - bāhyendriyāṇāṁ tadvyatiriktaviṣayebhyo nivartanam [Vedāntasāra, 20]. Dama is the restraining of the external organs from all objects except that.

Whereas śama is the restraining of the mind, dama is restraining of the sense organs. The sense organs, e.g., the eyes, ears, nose, the faculty of touch, and the tongue, habitually have a craving in themselves. The tongue has a craving for a certain taste, for example, a craving for sweets. If you don’t get the sweets, you miss them; your mind craves them and your tongue craves their taste. Sometimes, the faculty of touch craves a certain touch. The ears crave a certain sound. This habitual craving of the sense organs makes them engage or indulge in the sense pleasures or the experience of the senses, again and again. Dama is nivartanam, the bringing back of the sense organs from their cravings and focusing them on śravaṇam, mananam, and nidhidhyāsanam.

Restraining the mind and the sense organs is essential for the pursuit of self-knowledge

Here we are talking about a person who is either committed to or wants to be committed to knowledge. Ideally, the only activity such a student should have is śravaṇam, mananam, and nidhidhyāsanam. However, to be able to listen and reflect on the scriptures for a certain length of time requires certain preparations in the mind. Our commitment should be to prepare the mind. Lord Krishna discusses many values and qualities that prepare the mind and are a part of the spiritual pursuit. Some of these qualifications are amānitvam, humility, adaṃbhitvam, unpretentiousness, ahiṃsā, non-violence, ksāntih, forbearance or forgiveness, and ārjavam, straight forwardness or honesty [Bhagavad Gita, 13-8]. Thus, a commitment to knowledge means a commitment to the study of the scriptures, which also means acquiring a certain frame of mind that can commit itself to the study. Developing that frame of mind requires one to develop values like amānitvam and adaṃbhitvam. This preparation is necessary for the mind, sense organs, and body to be available for the pursuit of study. This is the reason for prayers such as:

आाय ममाािन वााणक्षः ौोऽमथो बलिमियािण च सवािण।ु ु र् om āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi. May my limbs grow (strong). May the organs of speech, Prāṇa, eyes, ears, and all the (other) organs as well as (their) power (grow strong).

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भि कणिभः ौणयाम दवा भि पँयमाक्षिभयजऽाः। िररैैवां ंु ु े े र् ु ु सनिभशम दविहत यदायः। ू र् े े ं ु bhadraṁ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devā bhadraṁ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ, sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāsastanūbhirvyaśema devahitaṁ yadāyuḥ. O gods! May we hear auspicious things with the ears. May we see auspicious things with the eyes. Glorifying (You) through the Vedas with healthy limbs, may we enjoy (our full) life as allotted by the Lord.

Very often, we find that our own minds and sense organs are obstacles to what we want to do. I want that my ears should be with me but they go to listen to a sound elsewhere. I want my eyes should be with me, but they want to see something else. When the eyes see something, the mind automatically goes there. When the ears listen to something, the mind automatically follows. My tongue, again, demands that it wants to taste something else. The faculty of touch makes a demand that it wants to touch something. All of these are distractions. This habitual craving in the sense organs often becomes so powerful that it pulls the mind away from its focus and takes the mind to the sense objects. When you are studying in college or working in the office, you want your mind to be focused there at that time and not distracted by something else. Similarly, we want the mind to be focused when we are studying the scriptures. In the Bhagavad Gita [2-67], Lord Krishna compares sense objects to a powerful wind that distracts a sailboat away from its path, vāyurnāvamivāmbhasi. Like a powerful wind, the sense organs distract the mind away from its focus and drag it into the sense objects. Therefore, there is a need to have mastery over our minds and over our sense organs.

God has given us the organs of perception to experience the sense objects and the organs of action so that we may perform action. Vedanta does not say that we should not experience the sense objects or that we should avoid things. All it says is that we should be focused on what we want to do. Only if we find that our sense organs are obstacles to our focus does the issue of restraint come in. Restraining the sense organs doesn’t mean depriving, starving, suppressing, or repressing them.

Begin the practice of dama one sense organ at a time

We can begin the practice of dama with one sense organ; say, the tongue. The tongue performs two functions: speech and tasting. We can start by exercising self-control at the level of speech. Dama here means discipline of speech or austerity of speech. In the Bhagavad Gita [17-15], Lord Krishna defines austerity of speech as being:

अनगकर वा स िूयिहत च यतु े ं ं ं ं ।् ाायासन चवै वाय तप उत॥ं ं े anudvegakaraṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priyahitaṁ ca yat, svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅmayaṁ tapa ucyate.


Speech, which does not cause agitation, which is true, pleasing, and beneficial, and the daily repetition of one’s own Veda are (collectively) called discipline of speech.

Lord Krishna gives us three criteria for speech. The first criterion is that my words do not perturb or hurt anybody. Secondly, whatever I speak must be truthful. Further, my speech should be pleasant and useful. When we exercise dama or control at the level of speech, we can bring about austerity in our speech. Since many things that we say are not useful, we have to limit our speech. When we speak too much, very often, we hurt people. We also say things that are not right or true. Thus, austerity of speech will automatically limit our speaking. What do we do with our speech? The Lord says may we engage our speech in the repetition of the scriptures, mantras or the Vedas. Speech should be engaged in repeating the glories of the Lord.

The tongue has another function, namely, taste. Dama is a sense of proportion with reference to food. It means that I eat, but not out of force of habit or to please the palate. Very often, we eat because something is nice to eat. We enjoy eating whether the stomach requires it or not. It requires discipline to eat only that which is required and in the quantity that it is required.

Ultimately, one needs to be disciplined with reference to all activities

Dama implies that a person is disciplined with reference to all activities. Lord Krishna talks about an alert or self-disciplined person in the Gita [6-17]:

याहारिवहार यच कमस।ु ु े र् ु यावबोु ध योगो भवित ःखहा॥ yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu, yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā. For one who is moderate in eating and other activities, who is moderate in effort with reference to one’s duties, (and) to one’s sleeping and waking hours, (for such a person) meditation becomes the destroyer of sorrow.

An alert person is described as having a sense of proportion in eating and movement; he neither consumes too much or too little food, nor walks or moves too much or too little. He has a sense of proportion with respect to how long he sleeps; he sleeps neither too much nor too little. Similarly, he keeps awake neither too much nor too little. There is an alertness or awareness about every action that is performed. This self-awareness brings about discipline. Such a person is an organized person, who does not waste his movements or his faculties. He puts his faculties to proper use.

Dama is discipline at the level of all our activities and movement. We find that we don’t have that discipline. We have not been alert while performing various movements and activities. We have not had the discipline while thinking or applying our minds to various pursuits. Discipline does not mean restraint or suppression; it is a value that calls for us to be organized


and focused. When we find that the sense organs are distracted in their various sense pursuits, we should rein them in and apply them to śravaṇam, mananam, and nidhidhyāsanam.

Śama and dama help us in whatever we want to do. Even when we sit down to meditate, we find that if our sense organs are disciplined, our body is also disciplined; our hands, legs, eyes, and ears remain quiet, otherwise they themselves become a distraction. A disciplined mind also helps us in meditation or in whatever we want to do1.




UPARATI, THE ABIDANCE OF THE MIND AND SENSE ORGANS, OR TOTAL RENUNCIATION

िनविततानामतषार् े े ंतितिरिवषये उपरमणमपरितरथवाु िविहताना ंकमणार् ंिविधना पिरागः॥ nivartitānāmeteṣāṁ tadvyatiriktaviṣayebhya uparamaṇamuparatirathavā vihitānāṁ karmaṇāṁ vidhinā parityāgaḥ [Vedāntasāra, 21]. Uparati is the cessation of these external organs so restrained, from the pursuit of objects other than that, or it may mean the abandonment of the prescribed works according to scriptural injunctions.

The mind and sense organs, which have been thus restrained so that they remain focused and do not get distracted, is called uparati. The difference is subtle and should be understood. Śama is the mastery of the mind and bringing it back from its distractions. Dama is the restraint of the sense organs and bringing them back from their distractions and focusing them. Uparama is the faculty by which the mind is focused where it wants to focus, namely, on śravaṇam, mananam, and nidhidhyāsanam, and that by which the sense organs are also disciplined so that they aid, rather than distract from the focus. Therefore, while śama is the discipline by which the mind is brought back from where it strays and dama is the control by which the sense organs that are distracted are brought back, uparati is the faculty that enables the mind and sense organs that are thus restrained to stay focused. As a result of the practice of śama and dama, we find that the mind and the sense organs slowly become abiding. This abidance of the mind and sense organs is called uparati.

Effort is involved in inculcating śama and dama, whereas, there is no effort in uparati. Our own experience shows that initially we like many things; I may enjoy watching movies or football games and, therefore, the mind immediately thinks of them whenever I have time. However, as I develop better interests the appeal of movies or games slowly wears off. The secret of controlling the mind and sense organs is not so much a mechanical practice, as it is the cultivating of a subtler or superior interest. Raso'pyasya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bhagavad Gita, 2-59] when the mind experiences or sees something superior, its fascination for the inferior automatically drops off. Thus, if we want to free our minds from the fascination of worldly objects, it is necessary for the mind to see something better. For example, in the beginning, we like to listen to film music; however, as we begin to enjoy light classical music, the fascination for film music goes away. As we discover subtler things, our fascination for grosser things drops off. Initially, we keep disciplining our minds and sense organs; later, it is necessary to expose our minds to something beautiful, superior, and subtler; something that lies within. The idea is that beauty and happiness are both present within the Self. The mind, however, does not have an opportunity to become abiding. Why should the mind run after sense objects? It is only when a child is not

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happy eating at home that he or she goes to eat out. When the mind discovers the inner joy or composure, its distractions will automatically stop. Thus, we have to tackle this problem on two fronts: first, by restraining or bringing back the mind and the sense organs when they are distracted and, secondly, by cultivating an interest in something subtler. As we understand the beauty that the scriptures reveal to us as being inherently present everywhere, the need of the mind for grosser beauty drops off slowly and the mind becomes abiding. A time will come when the mind and sense organs will become abiding effortlessly; they will then have discovered an inner poise, silence, or joy. This state is called uparati.

Uparati means the cessation of the sense pursuits of the mind and sense organs. It is the discovery of inner poise as a result of śama and dama. It is that faculty by which we are not distracted even when in the midst of sense objects. For example, we don’t care for candies now even though we used to crave them in childhood. Our minds and sense organs become free from external needs to the extent that we discover inner self-sufficiency or inner poise.

Uparati can also mean total renunciation

Another definition that is given here is athavā vihitānāṁ karmaṇāṁ vidhinā parityāgaḥ. Uparati means cessation and so the word cessation can be understood as parityāgaḥ, the renunciation of vihitānāṁ karmaṇām, all the enjoined duties, vidhinā, according to the stipulations or injunctions. In short, uparati means sannyāsa or renunciation. It is the renunciation of actions that are enjoined upon us. Renunciation has relevance only with reference to the concept of duty. These actions are specific to Vedic culture and we have to understand the spirit of renunciation in modern times. Nowadays, our culture, social norms, and perceptions are different. Renunciation as it is practiced in India would perhaps not be practical in the west, but we must understand sannyāsa or the renunciation of enjoined duties.

When the mind is conditioned to fulfill all its duties, it is not free to pursue knowledge

Everybody has a duty to perform and an obligation to fulfill because everyone enjoys privileges in life. To be aware of the privileges that we enjoy and to be able to pay back or compensate for these privileges is called duty. Life in India is looked upon as a life of duty. There is a concept of duty versus right. Generally speaking, we can say that the western society focuses more on the right of the individual, whereas, Indian society gives more importance to a person’s duty.

Duty is something that I perform because I think it is becoming of me to do a given thing. It is becoming of me that I should act in a certain manner because I am a mother or father, husband or wife, son or daughter, or employer or employee. Every role has its own dignity and demands and I try to fulfill my role to the best of my ability. This urge is called duty and this


urge is always deliberately planted. In India, we grow up with an understanding of the idea of duty. The scriptures have planted this idea of vihita-karma or enjoined duties and these duties vary depending upon a person’s station in life.

In performing karma-yoga, we should respond to every situation in a manner that is becoming of us and is fit and proper. If we fail to perform our duty, there is a sense of guilt. For example, I feel a sense of guilt if I don’t do my regular prayer one day. The feeling of guilt arises when the idea of duty is entrenched in the mind; otherwise there is no guilt. If you emphasize the idea of your right, there is always a demand for rights. Duty requires taking into account the rights and requirements of others and, therefore, one becomes a giving person. In duty, there is consideration for other people and a consideration of what we should be doing for others. When we are unable to live up to our image of our selves, it creates guilt.

As discussed earlier, our duties are three-fold: those towards our parents and ancestors, towards our sages and teachers, and towards God. Different actions are performed to fulfill these duties. There is also duty towards the family and society. A person who has been performing these duties has an inner urge to do something all the time; as long as this urge is there in the mind, it is difficult to pay attention to the pursuit of knowledge. The mind is preoccupied with doing things because it is trained to do that. If duties are not given up, the mind will never be free. Therefore, there is a need to give up these duties. Even when people visit ashrams, their minds are on the duties they should be performing at home. They feel selfish and guilty, and the mind cannot be quiet when there is guilt. In order to make the mind free from a sense of guilt, there is sannyāsa or renunciation. This is when there is a formal renunciation of all obligatory duties; now, one is free from all obligatory duties and there is no sense of guilt.

A renunciate gives up all duties to pursue self-knowledge

When we become free from all duties, we also become free from all privileges. As long as we are enjoying privileges, we have a duty towards the world. When we renounce all the duties, we also renounce all our privileges. One who has taken sannyāsa and has renounced duties, makes no more demands of society; society has no claim on him either. Teachers of Vedanta feel that this kind of renunciation becomes necessary at some point in order to apply the mind to the pursuit of study. The Muṇḍakopaniṣad [1-2-12] says:

तिज्ञानाथ स गमवािभगत ु े े ् सिमािणः ौोिऽय ॄिनमं ॥् tadvijñānārthaṁ sa gurumevābhigacchet samitpāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahmaniṣṭham. For knowing that Reality he should go, with sacrificial faggots in hand, only to a teacher versed in the Vedas and absorbed in brahman.

A person can go to a teacher only when he gives up his home. Home here includes all the privileges that the home provides. By giving up the privileges, the person gives up all the duties required towards home, family,


and society. This is sannyāsa or the renunciation of prescribed duties or enjoined actions.

Vihitānāṁ karmaṇāṁ vidhinā parityāgaḥ. Sannyāsa or renunciation is a saṃskāra, a ceremony, in which all enjoined duties are formally given up or renounced. It is not that one gives up all actions; for example, one does not give up actions required for sustaining the body such as eating or drinking. One does not give up actions required for the pursuit of knowledge such as the study of the scriptures, serving the teacher, prayers etc. A renunciate has no duty as far as his family or society is concerned and no claim or obligation either. This is uparati and is considered to be a very necessary qualification in the scriptures. We find statements such as:

न कमणा न ूजया धनन ागनकै अमतृमानशः।र् े े े ु na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena tyāgenaike amṛtatvamānaśuḥ. It is through renunciation that a few seekers have attained immortality – not through ritual, progeny, or wealth [Kaivalyopaniṣad, 3].

Thus, renunciation or tyaga is considered to be almost a necessary condition for the pursuit of knowledge. One cannot renounce everything right away. It is not an abrupt event. It is the culmination of many things that ultimately leads to renunciation. Śrī Saṅkarācārya always emphasizes sarva-karma parityāgaḥ, the renunciation of all duties.

वदािवज्ञानसिनिचताथाः सासयोगातयः शसाः।े ु ुर् ं vedāntavijñānasuniśrcitārthāḥ saṁnyāsayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ. Through renunciation, the pure-minded renunciates have ascertained brahman, which is the object of Vedantic knowledge [Kaivalyopaniṣad, 4].

ॄाणाः पऽषैणाया िवषैणाया लोकैषणाया ायाथ िभक्षाचय चरि।ु ु brāhmaṇāḥ putraiṣaṇāyāśca vittaiṣaṇāyāśca lokaiṣaṇāyāśca vyutthāyātha bhikṣācaryaṁ caranti. Knowing this very Self, the Brahmins renounce the desire for sons, wealth, and the worlds, and lead a mendicant’s life [Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad, 3-5-1].

Actions can be renounced only when the mind becomes free of its demands

When can a person renounce action? Action cannot be renounced unless the cause of the action is also renounced. Actions originate from desires, kāma. Invariably, actions are performed in response to desires that we want to fulfill. Therefore, we can renounce actions only when our minds have essentially become free from demands. Otherwise, the demands are still in the mind while the actions, which are a means to the fulfillment of the demands, are given up. To give up things like a job or a source of income


when the need for material comforts remains is an unenviable, tragic, and pitiable condition. Says Lord Krishna [Bhagavad Gita, 3-6]:

कमियािण सय य आ मनसा रन ं े ।् इियाथािमढाा िमाचारः स उत॥ र् ू े karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āste manasā smaran, indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate. The one who, controlling the organs of action, sits with the mind remembering the sense objects is deluded and is called a person of false conduct.

A person who does not perform any actions at the level of sense organs, but whose mind keeps dwelling on the various sense pleasures is a hypocrite. It is only when the mind becomes free of its demands for sense experiences that it is ready to renounce. A mind matured through the practice of śama and dama alone is ready for uparati or renunciation of action.

pravṛtti-lakṣaṇo yogo jñānaṃ saṃnyāsa-lakṣanam, tasmajjñanaṃ puraskṛtya saṃnyasediha buddhimān. Verse meaning and source?

Yoga involves pravṛtti or activity and jñānam involves nivṛttiḥ or disengagement from activity. Uparati is becoming disengaged from action and maintaining a focus on knowledge. Uparati is cessation or abidance; it is derived from the word ramaḥ to dwell or sport and uparamaḥ is the cessation of all sporting. Uparati or uparamaḥ is attained when our sense organs and mind cease to sport with sense objects and abide in the Self.

A renunciate’s lifestyle is in tune with the nature of the Self

Uparati, sannyāsa, or renunciation is a lifestyle conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. The Self is actionless by nature. A student of Vedanta pursues Self-knowledge and, therefore, it makes sense that the lifestyle of a seeker should also be in keeping with the very nature of the Self. What we do should be in keeping with what we want to become or want to know. Thus, it becomes clear that if I want to discover the Self, which is of the nature of knowledge and love, I should live a life that reflects knowledge and love. If I want to discover the Self, which is pure, my lifestyle should also be pure. What I want to know is what I want to be. In the case of the Self, what I want to know, what I want to be, and what I am are the same. Becoming and being are one.

Normally, in becoming, a person tries to become other than what he or she is. For example, a physicist investigating atoms or molecules does not have to become the atoms and molecules that he is trying to know. His lifestyle and values need not reflect the nature of the atoms and molecules that he is investigating; who he is has nothing to do with what he is investigating. In the study of Vedanta, however, the Self that I am investigating is my own self. Therefore, I, the investigator, must necessarily be in tune with what I want to know. The frame of mind should conform to


the nature of the Self. It is comparable to a transistor that I tune to a given frequency and wavelength to receive the desired music. My mind should be tuned to the object of knowledge: the Self. The Self happens to be of the nature of love and joy, and free from any actions, involvement, bondage or impurities. This is the nature of the Self that I want to know. Therefore I, the knower, should also be similar to the very nature of the Self. There must be a tuning up between I, who want to know the Self, and the Self, the object of my knowledge.

Very often, Vedāntins believe that our lifestyles have nothing to do with the knowledge that we are seeking. They argue that our lifestyles and values do not matter since brahman is pure and action-less, Atman is brahman, and everything else is mithyā. I am what I want to know. Therefore, there has to be a tuning up, an agreement or compatibility between the knower and the known. The Self is pure; therefore, my life should be pure and my mind should also be free from the impurities of likes and dislikes. The Self is of the nature of truth; therefore, there should be truthfulness in my life. The Self does not harm anything or anybody; therefore, my life should reflect non-violence. The Self is of the nature of accommodation; therefore, my life should also reflect accommodation. The Self is action-less; therefore, my life also should be free from activities that are meant to achieve or acquire something. Lord Krishna gives a practical definition of sannyāsa: giving up all desire-prompted actions.

कााना कमणा ास सास कवयो िवः।ं ं ं ं ंर् वकमफलाग ूााग िवचक्षणाः॥र् र् ं ं kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ saṁnyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ, sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṁ prāhustyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ. The wise know sannyāsa as the renunciation of actions for desired objects; the learned people say that the renunciation of the results of action is tyāga [Bhagavad Gita, 18-2].

Arjuna wants to know the meaning of the words tyāga and sannyāsa. Generally, they are used as synonyms, but tyāga means abandoning or giving up something, and sannyāsa means giving it up for good. We are not told to give up actions per se; we require actions meant for self-purification so that we may pursue knowledge. It is only actions that are prompted by desire, which should be given up.

The Self is asangaḥ, unconnected or unattached. In India, there are wandering monks who follow the stipulation that a monk should not stay in one place for more than a few days. There are all kinds of such disciplines and stipulations. Their wandering shows that there is no attachment or identification with any one place or set-up. The purpose of this constant moving is to ensure that the monk remains unattached and unconnected to anything. If my life shows all kinds of attachments, naturally, I am not in tune with the Self. We should not think that we can get away with any lifestyle, east or west. One may not be able to practice sannyāsa or renunciation in the west as it is practiced in the east because the requisite


social set-up is not available; however, it is the spirit that should and be maintained.

A certain setup is required for the pursuit of self-knowledge

A sādhu is a simple person whose needs are minimal. Our lives should reflect this simplicity, minimal dependence, and lack of demands. Sannyāsa is a lifestyle that is conducive to the discovery of the nature of the Self, regardless of whether one is wearing orange robes or living in a monastery or ashram. It is a lifestyle that reflects certain values in keeping with the nature of the Self. One can continue to live at home and be a sannyāsi. It may be more difficult because it is not very easy to remain a renunciate while living at home amidst all kinds of attachments, relationships, and objects. Seekers of knowledge require a certain atmosphere and, therefore, living in an ashram with a teacher is recommended. Such seekers or students used to be called antevāsi; they lived a life of celibacy and simplicity with their teacher and served him.

In theory, you don’t require any particular set-up to be a renunciate. Practically, however, a place and a certain set-up are required. You can study Vedanta wherever you are, but it is not that easy. It is difficult to chant Hare Rama, Hare Krishna in Times Square; the place exerts its own influence on your mind. Therefore, Lord Krishna talks of viviktadeśa-sevitvam-aratir-janasaṁsadi [Bhagavad Gita, 13-11], the disposition of repairing to a quiet place and not longing for the company of people. There is freedom from the need for the company of other people and love for solitude. That does not mean you become an isolated person or indifferent to people. You can remain the same pleasant and cheerful person, but become abiding and self-sufficient. These values are given to show that a certain atmosphere, set-up, or life-style is required. Without certain values, one cannot gain Self-knowledge. If our lives do not reflect the values, this knowledge is not going to be assimilated even if one studies all the scriptures.

Sannyāsa is a lifestyle conducive to the pursuit of knowledge and that lifestyle can be different in different societies, cultures, and social set-ups. The spirit of renunciation is very important, regardless of place, time, or dress. The knowledge of the Self is the same everywhere, regardless of place, time, or condition. Therefore, it is very important to understand the spirit of the lifestyle of sannyāsa.

Renunciation happens as we understand and assimilate Vedanta

Renunciation is not something that we can force; it is something that should happen. We will automatically become renunciates if we are sincere in our pursuit and assimilate the knowledge. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, in particular, emphasized the need for renunciation. Who is a renunciate? It is a person who is self-sufficient. Basically, when we renounce things, what we give up is dependence and attachments. An insecure person cannot renounce. We grow out of our dependence on things to the extent that we discover security


and self-sufficiency within ourselves. Thus, we discover freedom or independence as we understand and assimilate the teaching. It is not that we force a certain lifestyle; rather, as we understand and assimilate the teaching, our dependence, needs, and demands drop off slowly and we discover an inner sufficiency. This is uparati.

Śama is restraint of the mind, dama is restraint of the external sense organs, and uparati is the culmination of that restraint. When the mind and the sense organs become centered upon the Self, we discover an inner self-sufficiency, poise, or silence. We call a person who has discovered that self-sufficiency a renunciate, regardless of where he lives and how he lives1.




TITIKṢĀ, ENDURANCE

ितितक्षा - शीतोािदसिहता॥ु titikṣā - śītoṣṇādi-dvandva-sahiṣṇutā [Vedāntasāra, 22]. Titikṣā is the endurance of heat and cold and other pairs of opposites.

Sahiṣṇutā is endurance; dvandva means the pairs of opposites; śita is cold, and uṣṇa is hot. An endurance of the pairs of opposites, such as heat and cold, is called titikṣā.

Endurance is the ability to withstand ups and downs

In engineering, there is an endurance test that measures the extent to which a metal is able to endure stresses and strains. A metal may endure heat well, but break down when it is subjected to cold temperatures. Another metal may endure cold temperatures well, but break down when it is subjected to heat. We consider a metal acceptable only when it endures certain variations of both heat and cold. Similarly, our ability to withstand both ups and downs is called endurance. We need to cultivate the ability or strength to endure stresses and strains so that we don’t get ruffled, disrupted, or perturbed by little changes that happen around us.

Life consists of pairs of opposites. Everything has the potential to manifest in a totally opposite or contradictory manner. For example, the weather can be hot now, cold later. The very same weather that is pleasant now, can become unpleasant later. Similarly, the very same person who is agreeable now can become disagreeable later. The very thing that I love right now can become an object of my hate. A thing that gives me joy now can also give me pain later. Such is life; everything has the potential of giving pleasure and also pain. A given situation can be agreeable or disagreeable and that is why it is called mithyā. Mithyā is that which you can never define conclusively. For example, you cannot say that a particular thing is beautiful. What appears beautiful to one person may appear ugly to someone else. What is conducive to one may seem just the opposite to someone else. What is agreeable to someone may be disagreeable to another. Not only that, but what is agreeable to me at a certain time and situation, may be disagreeable to me at another time and in another situation. The cup of coffee that I love at six o’clock in the morning may not necessarily be an object of love at two o’clock at night when I am fast asleep and someone wakes me up to offer it. We should understand that our likes and dislikes and our ideas of agreeable and disagreeable are relative. A thing is agreeable with reference to a particular time, place, and condition. At another time, place, or condition, that very thing, which is now an object of love or agreeability, can just as easily become an object of aversion. This is the nature of creation. If there were consistency, life would be easier and predictable. Nothing in life is

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predictable; particularly ourselves. When I wake up in the morning, there is no way for me to say how I will feel at night. I cannot even say how I will feel five minutes later. Things are unpredictable, the human mind is unpredictable, and life is unpredictable. And even if life were not unpredictable, the way I respond to life is always unpredictable.

Destiny presents opposing experiences at the physical, emotional, and intellectual levels

We need to develop endurance to the changing situations of life. Life, whether we like it or not, subjects us to various situations that can be broadly classified as agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, conducive and non-conducive, or pleasant and painful. As long as situations are pleasant, no one has to endure them. Pain is a fact of life and, therefore, we have to learn to accept it. We have to endure pain at the physical, emotional, and intellectual levels. At the physical level our experiences can be those of comfort and discomfort or heat and cold. At the emotional level, the experiences can be those of pleasure and pain. At the intellectual level, the experiences can be of honor and dishonor. One has to go through these pairs of opposites due to our prārabdha, destiny. Destiny keeps bringing us the opposing experiences at the physical, emotional, or intellectual levels. If an individual is constantly subjected to happiness and pleasure, he will get used to that. If an individual is constantly subjected to pain, perhaps he or she will get used to it as well. In countries where there is much poverty and suffering, people carry on with life because they get used to it. When we live in a given situation we get used to that. If it is cold year-round, it is fine. But the problem arises when it is cold and, later, it is warm. Once we get used to the comfort of heat, it becomes difficult to bear the cold. Similarly, in life, we are constantly subjected to opposing situations and there is no consistency or predictability in these situations. This is a fact of life. We are constantly subjected to opposing situations even if we live in an ashram where there are like-minded people. This is the nature of life and we cannot get away from this fact.

Endurance is the acceptance of situations without retaliation

The Vivekacuḍāmaṇi [24] defines titikṣā as:

सहन सवःखानामूतीकारपवकमं र् र्ू ् । िचन् तािवलापरिहत सा ितितक्षा िनगत॥ं े sahanaṁ sarvaduḥkhānāmapratīkārapūrvakam, cintāvilāparahitaṁ sā titikṣā nigadyate. Objectivity to all pains without any anxiety, complaint, or any attempt of revenge is called titikṣā.

The bearing or endurance of all afflictions, physical, emotional, or intellectual -- without retaliating to them is endurance. We usually retaliate to situations. Let me share this story about myself. When I first came to the United States, a friend took me for a drive on a beautiful scenic route. My friend introduced


me to the climate control in the car. I started turning the knobs It became a little cold, so I turned it the other way to make the car a little warmer. Soon, the sun started shining and it became too warm so I turned the knob down. All of a sudden clouds came and it became too cold, so I turned the heat up. Thus, I went on turning the knob up and down. After 45 minutes my friend asked me, “How did you like the scenery?” “What scenery?” I asked. “Why, we passed such a beautiful scenic road!” I had not observed anything because I had been too busy turning the knob! Thus, we are too busy turning the knobs, trying to make everything agreeable. We cannot accept situations as they are; we always want things according to our preferences. We are so busy making things agreeable that there is no time to appreciate life as it is. This is called pratikāra, retaliation. To retaliate to a situation so that it becomes agreeable is not a good habit. We should develop the ability to suffer a little bit, to endure. Even in a temperature-controlled hall, there may be some people who feel it is too cold and some others who may feel it is too warm. There can never be a perfect situation or what we call an agreeable situation and we have to accept this fact of life.

There cannot be people who are totally agreeable to us. We may also encounter agreeable and disagreeable behavior from the same person on different occasions. We always want to change everything around us so that everything is agreeable to us. I change things around to suit my tastes, but my own fancy changes and I don’t like the changed circumstances. I may like Spanish furniture now, but six months later, I may fancy Mediterranean furniture instead. The mind is fanciful. It will dislike later what it likes now.

Our minds label situations

Life is a series of events, situations, conditions, and circumstances that may be anukula, agreeable, or pratikula, disagreeable. I am constantly subjected to the pairs of opposites and I swell when it is agreeable and shrink when it is disagreeable. I should neither swell nor shrink. In fact, situations are neither agreeable nor disagreeable. They are what they are; the world is what it is, and people are what they are. It is the fanciful mind that brands them as agreeable or disagreeable. The happiness that I feel when I meet with something agreeable is a reaction. The sadness or unhappiness that I feel when I meet with something disagreeable is also a reaction. Generally speaking, our state of mind is governed not by us, but by situations, people etc. When someone smiles at me or speaks to me nicely, I am happy. When someone does not smile at me or does not speak to me, I am unhappy. This is the reason why we get exhausted or tired by the age of forty!

We have to understand that it is our own minds that determine or conclude that a given situation is unpleasant. It is my own mind that labels a given thing as honor or dishonor, pleasant or unpleasant, and happiness or unhappiness. All of these are simply fancies of the mind. In the world, there is no honor or dishonor and nothing agreeable or disagreeable. The world is what it is. What is agreeable to one is disagreeable to another. The food that


makes me so happy may not even merit a look from someone else. Many years ago, I took a friend of mine to an Indian restaurant in New York that served very good Indian food. Even before we could enter the place, he sniffed and said, “What is stinking here?” He would not even enter that restaurant. It is our own minds that decide that something is agreeable, good etc. These are all fancies of our own minds and we should not be influenced by them.

Endurance is maintaining one’s poise or equanimity of mind in all situations

In short, titikṣā means maintaining a poise or equanimity of mind under different situations, whether pleasant or unpleasant. We cannot change the nature of things, people, situations, or values. At the moment, we can only change ourselves and perhaps some people who may be under our influence; other than that, we cannot change anything. Knowing this, we realize that everything is created by God and that God presents different situations before us. We look at them with the understanding that if Lord has given an unpleasant situation, there must be a purpose behind it. We accept it, learn from the experience, and shake it off. An ability to shake off unpleasant things is titikṣā or endurance.

Ideally, like the wise man, we should surrender the body to destiny, prārabdhāya samarpitaṃ svavapuḥ [Manīṣā Pañcakam, 3]. Whatever destiny determines is fine with him; there is no interference with destiny. Not to interfere with destiny may not be practical for us; yet, at the same time, we should not be so sensitive that a little frown on someone’s face or one offending statement can bother us for a week or a month. Sensitivity is fine. It is nice to be sensitive to the feelings of others or the beauty of life. But if we are prone to getting hurt, disturbed, or perturbed, it is a symptom of instability and a lack of endurance, not sensitivity. We want to maintain a poise of mind in all situations.

Retaliation contradicts the spiritual pursuit

What is the relevance of endurance or titikṣā in the context of the pursuit of knowledge? While pursuing knowledge, we want a mind that enjoys poise, objectivity, or equanimity. A so-called “sensitive” mind that loses its balance and poise in every little situation is going to be unable to apply itself to the study or to contemplation. Therefore, endurance, rather than a tendency to retaliate, is required. If somebody tells me something, I need not retaliate. Some people are concerned that by not retaliating they will be taken for granted. However, that is not the case. If you don’t retaliate, nothing will happen to you.

There is a famous story of a snake that came as a disciple before a saint in India. The saint advised the snake to practice non-violence by not biting, hurting, or killing anybody. The snake returned to the wise man in three days and said, “I don’t retaliate at all. But people keep throwing stones at me and bothering me.” Then the saint said, “I told you that you should not bite


anybody, but that does not mean you should not pretend as though you are about to hurt or bite someone, particularly when they are bothering you.” The saint meant that the snake should not retaliate from within. If you have to take a stand and do certain things in your day-to-day life, you may do that; internally, however, there should not be a spirit of retaliation. You may be pragmatic, but not aggressive or retaliative. The aggression and retaliation that we are brought up to show are opposed to the very thing that we are seeking. The Self is not aggressive and It does not retaliate. The Self abides equally everywhere. It imparts existence and awareness to everybody equally, whether tiger or lamb. There is no discrimination at all. Lord Krishna says [Bhagavad Gita, 9-29]:

समोऽह सवभतष न म ोऽि न िूयः।ं र् ू े े ेु samo'haṁ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo'sti na priyaḥ. I am the same in all beings. There is no one I dislike nor do I have a favourite.

Similarly, there should not be any aggressiveness or retaliation in our lives. This is titikṣā.

Endurance is freedom from anxiety, lamentation, and retaliation, both inwardly and outwardly

Very often, people interpret titikṣā as putting up with things. In India, this understanding of titikṣā is very common. It means putting up with situations without reacting and retaliating. Women in particular are subjected to all kinds of unpleasant situations. They put up with them and suffer. But titikṣā is not merely suffering without retaliation. If I put up with it outwardly, but resist it inwardly, it is not titikṣā. Titikṣā means endurance or forbearance, not suffering; rather, it is the ability to put up with the unpleasant without suffering internally. These may be at the physical, emotional, and intellectual levels, and we simply accept as a fact that things are sometimes pleasant and sometimes unpleasant. If one is able to improve the situation, one should go ahead and do it. Sometimes, we can do something about a situation. However, there are many things over which we have no control. Generally speaking, the most we can address is our own responses to those situations, and those of people who may be within our field of influence. Beyond that, there is very little that we can do to change situations, things, happenings, or people.

It is necessary to develop endurance so as not to get perturbed in various situations. We cannot enjoy a balanced or a poised mind if situations can influence, perturb, or disturb us. It is accepted that a seeker of knowledge, even while in an ashram or some other appropriate environment, may still encounter difficulties like the vagaries of the weather. The pairs of opposites will greet us all the time and we should receive them as cheerfully as we can. This is called titikṣā.


Titikṣā implies becoming free from retaliation inwardly. There is no cintā, anxiety, or vilāpa, lamentation. Titikṣā is that attitude or endurance, which is free from anxiety, lamentation, and retaliation, outwardly as well as inwardly. This attitude enables us to enjoy a poise of mind even when life brings disagreeable situations at the physical, intellectual, and emotional level. It is the value, which enables us to maintain a poise of mind, and not get perturbed, disturbed, react, or retaliate. In the Bhagavad Gita [2-27], Lord Krishna says,

जात िह ीवोु मृीवु ुर् ंज मतृ च। तादपिरहायऽथ न ंशोिचतमहिस॥ु र् jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyurdhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca, tasmādaparihārye'rthe na tvaṁ śocitumarhasi. For that which is born, death is certain and for that which is dead, birth is certain; therefore, you should not grieve over that which cannot be altered.

Life presents us with situations, only some of which we can change or do something about. There are many things that we cannot do anything about because they are not under our control. We should accept such situations cheerfully or pleasantly. If we can do something to improve a situation, we should go ahead and do it. Thus, titikṣā or endurance does not necessarily mean that we become totally unresponsive to a situation; rather, we do not react to situations. Our response can thus be free from reaction. Titikṣā is the ability to absorb the shocks that life presents and to endure the discomfort or pain that comes without reacting outwardly or inwardly.

As a value, titikṣā is very important because we are related to the world wherever we are. Even if a person lives alone in a forest, there also are trees and animals, the sun and moon, rain and other natural phenomena with which he will have to relate. We find that what we are relating with is not always agreeable to us. In such cases we have to learn to accept the disagreeable situations also with a poised mind. This is titikṣā.

Endurance lies in dismissing all situations through discrimination

Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna the value of titikṣā in the Bhagavad Gita.

माऽाशार् ुकौये शीतोसखःखदाः।ु आगमापाियनोऽिनाािितक्षं भारत॥ mātrāsparśāstu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ, āgamāpāyino'nityāstāṁstitikṣasva bhārata. O! Son of Kunti, the contacts of the sense organs with the sensory world, which give rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain, which have the nature of coming and going, are not constant. Endure them, O descendant of Bharata [Bhagavad Gita, 2-14].

नासतो िवत ेभावो नाभावो िवत ेसतः। उभयोरिप ोऽनयोदिशिभः॥र् nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ, ubhayorapi dṛṣṭo'ntastvanayostattvadarśibhiḥ.


For the unreal (mithyā), there is never any being. For the real, there is never any non-being. The ultimate truth of both of these is seen by the knowers of the truth [Bhagavad Gita, 2-16].

There are no such things as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and honor and dishonor; they are all mithyā, not real. The situations created by the world are not real and, therefore, the resulting reactions are also not real. May you focus your mind upon the Reality and become free from the influence that the unreal things create in you. This is difficult, but it is the final level of titikṣā. It is the attitude that it does not matter whether something is agreeable or disagreeable; both are mithyā. When one is able to dismiss all situations through viveka, he displays titikṣā.

Titikṣā is not an easy value to cultivate or follow, but is essential for our growth. We have to work on our ablility to endure without outward or inward reaction or retaliation, anxiety or lament. We get perturbed in various situations because all of us want to retaliate on account of our fears and anxieties. Every situation brings out one of these emotions in us. When we find these reactions arising within ourselves, we should deal with them. Ideally, we should be free from these reactions. We should work with them so that in course of time we are able to maintain a poise of mind in various changing and contradictory situations1.




ŚRADDHĀ, TRUST AND DEVOTION

गपिदवदावाषु े े ुिवासः - ौा॥ Gurūpadiṣṭavedāntavākyeṣu viśvāsaḥ - śraddhā [Vedāntasāra, 24]. Śraddhā is trust in the statements of Vedanta as taught by the teacher.

Śraddhā is generally translated as faith and also as trust, which may be a better word. A trust in Vedanta is called śraddhā. Since Vedanta is a pramāṇam, the trust is in the vision of Vedanta as revealed by the scriptures.

Vedanta is a means to the knowledge of the Self, not of worldly objects

The organs of perception are a valid means of knowledge for gaining knowledge of external objects. A listener does not question the data collected by his ears; he accepts it without questioning. Similarly, you accept your eyes as a means of knowledge with respect to color and form. All our organs are the pramāṇam for their corresponding objects and we have śraddhā or full trust in them. For example, if my tongue says a hot drink is coffee, I accept it; I do not question it. We accept the knowledge given by our organs of perception with trust because we accept them as the pramāṇam or pramā kāraṇam, valid means of knowledge for revealing the corresponding objects. We should have a similar trust in Vedanta because Vedanta is a pramāṇam. The first statement of this text is vedānto nāmopaniṣatpramāṇam, Vedanta is the Upaniṣad, which is a pramāṇam for the truth about the Self. The Self or God is not available for perception. It cannot be grasped by the organs of perception, the mind, or words. In short, the Self cannot be comprehended by any means of knowledge other than Vedanta.

The Upaniṣad may sometimes talk about things of the world and give various illustrations to explain certain points. Those illustrations may sometimes be questioned. Very often, an illustration is given of a worm that constantly thinks of a wasp and, ultimately, becomes a wasp. This example is given for meditation to illustrate the point that if we constantly dwell upon anything with a total faith and devotion, we become that. For example, if we constantly meditate upon a chosen deity, we become that. Regarding this example, somebody can say that a worm can never become a wasp. The illustration may be questioned from a scientific standpoint. We do not accept that a worm becomes a wasp just because the Upaniṣad says so, but we do accept the illustration in the spirit in which it is stated. If we maintain a certain flow of thought, we become that. This concrete or tangible form that we have now is nothing but the product of the thought-flow we entertained for a great length of time in the past. Vedanta is a pramāṇam for the nature of Reality and we don’t necessarily look upon Vedanta as a means of knowledge to other worldly things. Vedanta also gives an illustration of a spider that creates a web out of itself to show how the spider is the efficient cause as well

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as material cause. What should we do if we discover that the spider is not like that? Should we say that Vedanta is wrong? We don’t accept Vedanta as a pramāṇam with reference to the spider, but definitely do so with reference to God, who is both the material and the efficient cause of this universe.

Trust is accepting Vedanta as a means to the knowledge of the Self

Truth alone is called God or the Self. Truth alone is called by different names and, therefore, Vedanta is accepted as a pramāṇam, valid means of knowledge with reference to revealing the reality of my self, of the world, of God, and the relationship that obtains among them. Here trust means accepting Vedanta as a pramāṇam and giving it the same benefit of the doubt that we would give any other pramāṇam. Before we dismiss the data given by our ears, for example, we first give it the benefit of the doubt. If there is a problem with the ears, they might misguide us; in that case, it is necessary to correct the pramāṇam. I start questioning my ears only when what they tell me does not make sense. Similarly, we must give Vedanta the benefit of the doubt before we question what it reveals.

Trust enables us to understand Vedanta correctly

The śraddhā or trust that we have in Vedanta enables us to maintain a certain frame of mind wherein we don’t question what Vedanta says, but try to understand what it says. The Self is a unique subject. Typically, I don’t have any preconceived notions or opinions about the objects of the world. A scientist can investigate an object without any kind of prejudice or preconceived notions. However, here we already have many firm ideas or conclusions about the Self, God, and the world. For example, when you say you don’t believe in or accept God, you already have conclusions about the nature of God. Therefore, when Vedanta reveals a truth about the self or the world, which contradicts our present conclusions, we question Vedanta. When we do that, we cannot learn; once we question the means of knowledge, we cannot learn from it.

What do I do when there seems to be a contradiction or deviation between what Vedanta says and what I think is right? I give Vedanta the benefit of the doubt first and then proceed to see if my conclusion is valid or not. In doing so, we have an opportunity to review our own conclusions. Otherwise, how can we learn and grow? If we always hold on to our present conclusions, we will never learn anything. In order to learn, our scope of knowledge must grow and it is necessary to question our conclusions. Therefore, wherever there is a discrepancy between what Vedanta reveals and our own conclusions, we question our conclusions rather than question Vedanta. Śraddhā or trust does not mean that we have to blindly accept whatever the teacher tells us. It only means that we give it the benefit of the doubt and look upon it with a certain reverence.


Śraddhā is trust as well as a reverence for Vedanta and the teacher

Śraddhā is not merely trust, but trust along with reverence. This aspect of reverence is very important in India. There is a reverence for certain things, the scriptures, teachers, elders, and for people who follow a lifestyle that includes austerity and penance. Such a reverence opens up the channel for the teaching to flow from that source to us. The reverence that is śraddhā is nothing but being in tune with that source. Thus, if we have reverence for the scriptures, we necessarily have reverence for the teacher because the scriptures come to us through the teacher. Therefore, the text says that śraddhā is gurūpadiṣṭa-vedāntavākyeṣu viśvāsaḥ. It calls for a trust in the words of Vedanta that we receive from the teacher, not in what we learn by ourselves through reading. When we study on our own, our minds tend to fit what we study into the frame of knowledge that we already have. Whenever we read a book, we already have certain ideas about the subject and we try to understand it in the context of our existing frame of mind or conclusions. If the book confirms to our conclusion, it is deemed to be good and if it does not, we think there is something wrong with it.

Bondage is nothing but various conclusions and preconceived notions about ourselves. My first conclusion is that I am a limited being, followed by the conclusion that I am subject to birth and death, and happiness and unhappiness. These are my fundamental conclusions about myself. Vedanta says, tat tvam asi, that thou art. You are not a doer, enjoyer, or limited being. You are a complete being and free. However, I can’t accept that. Should I dismiss what Vedanta says? Or should I ask who is right? I give Vedanta the benefit of the doubt: I must be free. I explore further. If I am free, how is it that I don’t experience that freedom? I question my conclusion. Next, I look into the process by which I arrived at that conclusion and create the ground for discovering the fact that my conclusion is erroneous. This process of inquiry or vicara can begin only when I first permit Vedanta the benefit of the doubt. This is all that is asked of us: that we give Vedanta the benefit of the doubt and have trust and reverence primarily in Vedanta and secondarily in the teacher through whom we learn the Upaniṣad. The meaning of the word guru is explained as:

गकारकारो व ैकारिवकः। अकारिनरोिधाद गिरिभधीयत॥ु ुर् ् े gukārastvandhakāro vai rukārastannivarttakaḥ, andhakāranirodhitvād gururityabhidhīyate. The syllable ‘gu’ stands for darkness (of ignorance) and ‘ru’ represents its remover. A guru is so called because he removes the darkness (of ignorance).

Devotion is very important. As we saw earlier, the one who has supreme devotion for the Lord and the teacher has an equal devotion to the scriptures also. We cannot separate God from guru and the scriptures.


The revealed scriptures are looked upon as God

We accept that the scriptures are revealed by God. Vedanta can be accepted as valid only when we accept the fact that it is not composed by human beings. Anything composed by a human being will reflect the limitations of the human mind. The Vedas are looked upon as not having been composed by the ancient sages, but as having been revealed to them by God.

Our reverence for God automatically results in a reverence for the scriptures, which are looked upon as an avatāra or incarnation of God. Just as we look upon Lord Krishna as an incarnation, so also, we consider the scriptures to be an incarnation of God in the form of words. God incarnates in different ways, sometimes, even as an animal. The Puranas describe various incarnations, including one of the Lord incarnating as cloth, the vastra avātara. There was a great devotee of the Lord, Draupadi, who was about to be stripped of her clothes in the court of the Kauravas. At that time, she prayed to the Lord and her prayer was answered. It is said that the Lord presented himself in the form of cloth. There is a sect in India, the Sikhs, who believe God to be the Granth, their very text. They call it the Guru Granth Sahib, the composition of the guru, and the devotees carry it on their heads to indicate their highest reverence towards it.

One has to discover śraddhā

Let śraddhā, trust or faith, arise in its own way. Let it be discovered. It cannot be commanded. This reverence cannot be thrust upon anybody. We discover it as we get exposed to Vedanta, appreciate its profundity and clarity, and see how it releases us from different notions and complexes. Just as we cannot make ourselves love someone, we cannot make ourselves have śraddhā. Love has to manifest itself. Similarly, devotion and śraddhā are not things that we can command; they have to happen.

Śraddhā is the enlightened faith that we discover as a result of verification

Śraddhā, trust and reverence, is essential to learn and enjoy an open mind. An open mind is willing to shed its conclusions and prejudices and is ready to learn and change. In having śraddhā, there is trust, faith, reverence, devotion, openness, and freedom. In fact, this is the trust where there is freedom. Normally, the word faith scares us. Any intelligent person is sceptical when this question of trust and faith arises because faith is always understood to be blind faith. But here we are talking not about blind faith, but enlightened faith, a faith that we discover as a result of verification. As we listen and understand Vedanta and try to assimilate and implement it it in our lives, we discover its validity and take the next step. We do not simply believe it, but proceed as we discover the validity of the truth.

Vedanta says that qualities such as humility, non-pretentiousness, and non-violence give peace of mind. This is a testable proposition. Vedanta says


that happiness is not to be found outside, but is to be discovered within ourselves as it is our own nature. Let me stop the external pursuit of happiness and focus my attention on myself and see whether I am able to discover inner peace or not. The reverence or trust will enable us to shed all the notions that we may be holding on to and thus free us from our shackles. Nobody else has created these shackles of our various conclusions, complexes and prejudices, but we ourselves. Śraddhā or reverential faith enables that learning frame of mind and, therefore, is freedom. Such a mind remains free from doubts and questions and open to the teacher and the teaching. In the Vivekacuḍāmaṇi [25], Śrī Śaṅkarācārya says:

शा गवाकु य् सबदु ्वधारणम ् । सा ौा किथता सद ्िभयया वपलत॥र् ू े śāstrasya guruvākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam, sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate. The conviction that the scriptures and the words of the teacher are true is said to be śraddhā by the wise by whom the Truth is known.

Lord Krishna also gives importance to śraddhā and says, śraddhāvān labhate jñānam, one who has śraddhā gains knowledge [Bhagavad Gita, 4-39]. We give our eyes and ears the status of a pramāṇam with reference to revealing their corresponding objects. Similarly, we need to accord Vedanta the same status with reference to revealing the nature of the Truth. Thus, śraddhā, which we discover in course of time, is an extremely important disposition of mind1.




SAMĀDHĀNAM, CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND

We gain a mind free from distractions and disturbances as a result of the first four qualifications, śama, dama, uparama, and titikṣā. Śama is restraint of the mind, dama, restraint of the sense organs, uparama, an abidance of the mind and the sense organs, or a renunciation in becoming free from desires and duties, and titikṣā is forbearance or endurance. These enable us to focus and are the means of freeing the mind from distractions or disturbances. The fifth qualification or inner wealth is discussed next:

िनगहीत मनसः ौवणादौ तदनगणिवषय च समािधः ृ ु ु े - समाधानम॥् nigṛhītasya manasaḥ śravaṇādau tadanuguṇaviṣaye ca samādhiḥ - samādhānam [Vedāntasāra, 23]. Samādhānam is the constant concentration of the mind, thus restrained, on the hearing etc. of the scriptural passages and other objects that are conducive to these.

Nigṛhītasya manasaḥ is a mind thus restrained or withdrawn from its other preoccupations and distractions; a poised or abiding mind. That mind must be focused somewhere. This brings us to samādhānam or samādhiḥ. Samādhiḥ means absorption, concentration, or single-pointedness. Such a mind should be focused śravaṇādau, in śravaṇam, mananam, and nididhyāsanam. The inner qualifications are nothing but the conserving of the energy of the mind.

Concentration helps focus mental energy on the study and assimilation of the scriptures

A lot of our energy is exhausted in entertaining various thoughts, chasing after different pleasures, reacting to various situations, and pursuing the various demands that situations make upon us. The practice of samādhānam helps conserve mental energy so that it can be applied to creative or profitable fields. A person now wants to focus all his energy on the pursuit of knowledge.

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4-5-6] says, ātmāvare dṛṣṭavyaḥ, ātmā must be ‘seen’, meaning that it must be known. How should it be known? Śrotravyaḥ mantavyaḥ nididhyāsitavyaḥ. We must conduct an inquiry into the nature of the Self, and the method of performing that inquiry is through śravaṇam, listening to the scriptures from the teacher, mananam, reflecting upon what we have heard to clarify doubts, and nididhyāsanam, assimilating what we have learned. This is the method of knowing and assimilating the knowledge that is to be followed. The mind that has been withdrawn from its other preoccupations and distractions should be focused constantly on śravaṇam, mananam, and nididhyāsanam.

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Concentration includes developing other necessary inner qualities

Tadanuguṇaviṣaye. We may find that additional preparations are needed to listen to the scriptures. We may not be able to deliberate on Vedanta all the time because the mind needs a change, a certain distraction. Or we find that we are not able to consistently maintain that frame of mind because certain qualifications like amānitvam, humility and adambhitvam, non-pretentiousness, are not fully developed. This means that the mind has not yet acquired the maturity needed to apply itself fully to the pursuit of knowledge. Samādhānam, therefore, includes doing whatever is necessary to develop these inner qualifications of humility, non-pretentiousness, ahiṃsā, non-violence, kṣāntiḥ, forgiveness or accommodation, ārjavam, straightforwardness etc. These are qualities or values, frames of mind, which Lord Krishna enjoins upon a seeker of knowledge [Bhagavad Gita, 13-8]. When not listening or reflecting upon the scriptures, a student is advised to observe his own mind, introspecting and being alert to various thoughts and reactions that arise. There are traces of arrogance, pride, pretentiousness, violence, and jealousy in us. We need to slowly make ourselves free of these tendencies. The pursuit of knowledge includes not only listening, reflecting, and assimilating, but also self-introspection and constant work to remove the obstacles that come in the way of the pursuit of the study. All of this comprises samādhānam. While driving, part of your mind is always aware of the destination and whatever choices you make are automatically in keeping with the goal of reaching that destination. Similarly, the destination of self-knowledge should constantly remain in our minds. Lord Krishna speaks of these values in Chapter 13 of the Gita [13-12] as well:

अाज्ञानिन ंतज्ञानाथदशनमर् र् ।् adhyātmajñānanityatvaṁ tattvajñānārthadarśanam. ..always (dwelling upon) knowledge centered on the Self, keeping in view the purpose of knowledge of the Truth.

When the mind gets distracted we have to bring it back and make it see what is to be gained as a result of self-knowledge, freedom, liberation, and fulfillment.

Our choices are determined by our goals

What we want is happiness, peace, security, and freedom. We have now understood that real freedom can be achieved only through the knowledge of the Self. Thus, there is a commitment to the knowledge and that is all that matters to the aspirants; knowledge is their only pursuit. Whatever we do, that commitment or goal always remains, and our choices are determined by that pursuit. Whenever you have to make a choice, e.g., deciding to sleep, go to a movie, watch a football game, study Sanskrit, pray, or learn to chant, ask yourself if that activity is conducive to what you are seeking. Is this action in keeping with the goal that you have chosen or does it contradict the goal? When you make a turn while driving, you ask the


whether the turn leads you to your destination. You do not choose a road that is easier to drive on, but the road that takes you to your destination, even if it is a difficult one to drive on. Your choice is determined by your destination and not by whether the route is fascinating, beautiful, or enables you to drive faster. Similarly, my life choices should be determined by my destination. I am seeking self-knowledge and, therefore, need to study the scriptures, which involves listening, understanding, contemplation, and assimilation. This, in turn, requires the knowledge of grammar, the Sanskrit language, prayers, and the ability to chant. You have to decide what is required to focus your attention on the pursuit of self-knowledge. Generally, in order to study the scriptures, one requires language for which we study Sanskrit and grammar, logic, and perhaps, other disciplines that are needed. This does not mean that you deny yourself any freedom or relaxation. The mind should also be relaxed. You might watch TV or allow yourself a treat so that the mind is happy and relaxed and can be applied to what you want to do. Śṛma and viśṛma, exertion and recreation, are both needed by the mind; there should be a balance. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita [6-17], this pursuit of knowledge becomes pleasant for one who maintains a balance or sense of proportion in performing every action. When a person maintains a sense of proportion and is constantly alert, he has samādhānam.

Concentration includes making our day-to-day activities a means to the pursuit of self-knowledge

Samādhānam means single-pointedness or concentration of the mind. It does not mean that one has to withdraw oneself from all activities and simply focus the mind on one thing. Rather, it is desirable that the mind be focused upon the pursuit of self-knowledge. Thus, one’s life becomes a means to the pursuit of self-knowledge. It is not necessary to deny life in order to pursue knowledge. On the other hand, one makes whatever life one is living a means to pursuing self-knowledge. This is why Lord Krishna teaches us karma-yoga.

One does not have to give up one’s activities, rather, we are told to perform the activities in a manner such that those very actions become a means of knowledge. Sometimes, we do not have the choice of giving up things or getting away from situations. Even in an ashram, students are required to work or do seva for a certain number of hours every day. We can either resist what we are required to do or turn that very action into the means of knowledge. Karma-yoga enjoins us to perform our actions as an offering and thus make them a means of knowledge. Through the performance of our our day-to-day activities, we seek Lord’s grace and purify our mind. This is also a part of samādhānam. Samādhānam means constantly maintaining the focus on our destination and making choices that will serve as a means of self-knowledge.


As we develop concentration, gaining self-knowledge becomes a full-time pursuit

Ultimately, as the mind becomes more focused it will be able to apply itself better to the study of the scriptures, reflection, contemplation and assimilation. Perhaps the time will come when we will do nothing except svādhyāya, study, and pravacana, teaching. It is not easy to study and think about this all the time. Vedanta requires the mind to be focused; it requires attention and alertness. The mind gets tired after studying for a length of time. After that, it wants some recreation or relaxation. However, as the mind becomes more focused, the need for other distractions reduces; study and teaching become full-time pursuits. In this context, teaching does not necessarily mean conducting classes, but includes studying and contributing, sharing. Says Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita [10-9]:

मिा मतूाणा बोधयः पररम ् । कथय मा िन ति च रमि च॥ं ं ु maccittā madgataprāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam, kathayantaśca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Those whose minds are in Me, whose living is resolved in Me, teaching one another and always talking about Me, they are (always) satisfied and they revel (always).

In order to achieve anything in any profession one must be totally devoted to it; otherwise, we will be mediocre. Similarly, the devotion to self-knowledge should become a full-time occupation. Our minds should be completely focused on it. The mind can be applied to the pursuit of knowledge to the extent that it is free from other distractions and pre-occupations. This is samādhānam, concentration or focus1.




MUMUKṢUTVAM, THE INTENSE DESIRE FOR FREEDOM

There are some obstacles that block the pursuit of our goal. They are in the form of indiscriminate thinking and behavior, which arises out of our false perceptions. These false perceptions affect our thinking and behavioral patterns and contradict our own selves. As these contradictions get resolved, the mind becomes free and abiding; this is the kind of mind that is required to see what the scriptures reveal. Thus, it is a matter of discovering these qualities within ourselves. We do exhibit them at different times; however, we are not consistent. Sometimes, there is great devotion in the heart; at other times, there is no devotion. Sometimes, the mind is very objective; at other times, it is not. Sometimes, it is very quiet; at other times, it is not. The essential nature of the mind is quietude, devotion, and dispassion; doubts, distractions, and impulses arise only on account of a distorted perception of life. Mumukṣa arises as our distorted perceptions get corrected and the mind slowly becomes abiding. The fourth qualification of the sādhanacatuṣṭayasampatti is mumukṣutvam.

ममक्षु ु ुम ् - मोक्षाे ॥ mumukṣutvam – mokṣecchā [Vedāntasāra, 25]. Mumukṣutvam is the yearning for spiritual freedom.

The word mumukṣuḥ, is derived from the root muc, to liberate or release. The word mumukṣā is derived from mumukṣuḥ and it means a desire for liberation. The state of mind in which that desire for liberation is present is called mumukṣutvam. It is also called mokṣa-icchā, a desire for liberation.

Mumukṣutvam arises; it cannot be commanded

Mumukṣutvam is not something that we can cultivate, unlike the other qualifications. We can practice discrimination, restraint, and focusing the mind, but icchā or desire is not something that we can command. Desire arises; one cannot will to have a given kind of desire. I cannot decide that I will have a particular desire after five minutes. We do not have freedom in entertaining desire.

When we are asked to do something, we can do it only if we have the freedom to do that thing. For example, an injunction such as “Don’t drink alcohol” is understandable because we have the freedom or option not to drink. But instructions such as, “Don’t breathe”, or “Don’t be angry”, cannot be followed because we do not have the freedom not to breathe or not to be angry. There are not things that are under our control that we are free not to do them. Similarly, we cannot love a person on command; love has to arise spontaneously. We can help or serve a person on command, but not love them. We don’t have freedom on such matters; they simply have to happen. Similarly, we cannot will a desire; it is that which arises in our minds and has

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to happen. In a given situation, different desires and responses arise in different people. For example, four people standing at a bus stop in India show four different responses to a beggar. One gives a coin out of compassion, while the second person demands to know why he is begging instead of working; the third man abuses the beggar, and the fourth does not even notice him.

Different people respond differently to the same situation; their response depends upon the disposition of their minds. To a person with a certain disposition, certain questions arise: What is the purpose of this life? What am I doing here? Why am I born? What am I seeking? These questions occur only in certain minds, not in every mind. In most people, the questions that arise are: Where do I get the next meal? What am I going to cook next? What am I going to do this weekend? What movie am I going to watch tonight? When is the next football game? Thus, our response towards life depends upon the frame of mind we enjoy. We cannot determine our response or desire; it will arise automatically in a given frame of mind.

The desire for mokṣa arises only in a qualified mind

A given situation invokes a desire depending upon the disposition of mind, the saṃskāras or inherent pattern of impressions in the mind. When I am hungry, I desire food. When I am in a temple, the desire for prayer arises. As a result of discrimination, dispassion, and the attainment of the six-fold inner wealth, the mind becomes purer and the desires that arise in the mind also change. When we acquire a mind in which the desire for mokṣa arises, we are ready for this knowledge. This desire for mokṣa or liberation does not happen to everybody. The intense desire for liberation, called mumukṣutvam, arises only in a mind that is pure, free from likes and dislikes, impulses, doubts, and questions. Although mumukṣutvam is considered to be the fourth qualification that we should cultivate, it is not a qualification that we can deliberately cultivate; rather, it is an indication of the extent to which the other qualifications have been cultivated.

Mumukṣutvam indicates that the only desire in the mind is freedom

What is the nature of the desires arising in a mind that has become pure? The desire for knowledge arises in a sāttvik or pure mind, sattvātsañjāyate jñānam [Bhagavad Gita, 14-17]. Only when the desire for freedom becomes the sole desire is the individual best qualified for this liberating knowledge. Thus, mumukṣutvam indicates that the only desire in the mind is freedom, nothing else. Pujya Swamiji gives the example of a fishpond in which the big fish eat the smaller fish and are, in turn, eaten by even bigger fish. Ultimately, only one fish, the biggest, is left. Similarly, a strong desire eats a lesser desire and is, in turn, consumed by a stronger desire. Ultimately, only the strongest desire remains: mumukṣā or the desire for freedom.

The insight that it is freedom I am seeking every moment arises automatically. Behind every desire is the desire for freedom. It is the desire


for freedom that prompts me to do something and it is the same desire that also prompts me to not do something. It is the desire for freedom that alone expresses itself through various desires and then becomes the only desire. It is the culmination of maturity to realize that what we are seeking is freedom or mokṣa. Mumukṣutvam is thus a yearning or intense desire for freedom. This is stated in the first sutra of the Brahma Sutras, athaṭo brahma jijñasā. It means “therefore, thereafter, a desire to know brahman.” What is “thereafter”? It means that a desire for knowledge or liberation arises after the cultivation of viveka, vairāgya, and the śamādiṣaṭkasampattiḥ.

The intense desire for freedom is the only qualification required for self-knowledge

Mumukṣutvam is the only qualification required to gain knowledge; the one who is qualified to gain knowledge is one who has a desire for the knowledge; the one who will have a desire for knowledge is one who has the śamādiṣaṭkasampattiḥ; the one who will have the śamādiṣaṭkasampattiḥ is one who has vairāgya, the one who will have vairāgya is one in whom there is viveka. There is a sequence here -- viveka brings about vairāgya, which enables the śamādiṣaṭkasampattiḥ that results in mumukṣutvam. This desire arises automatically. The only qualification for knowledge, thus, is the desire for liberation. If the most predominant desire is for liberation, one is qualified regardless of race, sex, height, weight, education, appearance, etc.

Unlike other desires, the desire for freedom keeps the mind focused on the self

Generally, a desire is an expression of ignorance; it shows a certain lack. When there is a desire in the mind, the mind is focused upon the object of desire rather than upon the Self. If mumukṣutvam is also a desire, how can knowledge take place? Won’t this desire also keep the mind away from the Self? The desire for mokṣa, however, is the desire for the very self; it is a desire for the knowledge of the Self and is thus the one desire that in fact keeps the mind focused upon the Self. While every other desire keeps the mind focused elsewhere, mumukṣā or the desire for mokṣa is the one desire that focuses the mind upon the Self. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4-4-6] describes a mumukṣuḥ as athākāmayamānaḥ -- yo'kāmo niṣkāma āptakāma ātmakāmaḥ, he who is without desires, who is free from desires, the objects of whose desire have been attained, and to whom all objects of desire are but the Self. Thus, mumukṣutvam amounts to a desire for the self that culminates in the knowledge of the Self, which culminates in freedom from all desire. This is the only desire that can be fulfilled. In life, we cannot truly fulfill any desire although we may entertain various desires. Behind all desires is really the desire for freedom and nothing we can do can give us that freedom; therefore, in reality, no other desire but mumukṣutvam can ever be fulfilled.

Mumukṣā or the desire for freedom can be fulfilled because freedom is my very nature. Even the desire for freedom would be an obstacle if freedom were something to be acquired. Since the Self is already free, this desire for freedom can be fulfilled. Mumukṣutvam, therefore, is a desire for the


attainment of that which is already attained. It is like the desire of the tenth man to know the tenth man; his desire can be fulfilled because he is himself the tenth man1.



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