Jivanmuktiviveka
of
Swami Vidyaranya
of
Swami Vidyaranya
A summary
Chapter 1
Scriptural authority on Jivanmukti
This work consists of five chapters, known as Prakaranas. The first chapter deals with the scriptural authority for the postulation of Jivanmukti or liberation while still living. The chapter opens with a salutation to Sri Vidyatirtha, the author's Guru, who is identified with the Supreme Lord.
Sannyasa is of two kinds, known as Vividisha Sannyasa and Vidvat Sannyasa, or, renunciation of the seeker and renunciation of the knower. (These terms will become clear as we proceed further). The first is the cause of liberation after death (Videhamukti) and the second of liberation while still living in the body (Jivanmukti). The essential pre-requisite for both these kinds of Sannyasa is detachment.
Detachment is of three kinds-- weak, strong and stronger. The detachment that arises on the occurrence of some calamity such as the death of a dear one, or loss of possessions, is not lasting and is categorized as weak. Such a temporary feeling of detachment is of no use and does not make a person eligible for Sannyasa. The determination not to marry, beget children and live the life of a householder is categorized as 'strong' detachment. There are four varieties of Vividisha Sannyasa. These are-- Kutichaka, Bahoodaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa. The detachment described as 'strong' makes the person eligible only for the varieties of Sannyasa called Kutichaka and Bahoodaka. Both of them are 'Tridandins' i.e. they carry three long thin sticks knotted together, emblematic of the triple renunciation of everything connected with body, mind and speech. The Kutichaka resides in a secluded hermitage. The Bahoodaka keeps moving from one holy place to another. The choice as to which of these two varieties a person with the kind of detachment described as 'strong' should take depends on whether he is physically fit to move about from place to place or not.
When a person is free from desire not only for the pleasures of this world, but even for those of higher worlds such as heaven, because of the knowledge that they are transient and will result only in repeated births and deaths, he is said to have 'stronger' detachment. This kind of detachment entitles the person to take the Hamsa and Paramahamsa varieties of Sannyasa. A Hamsa Sannaysi goes to Brahmaloka, realizes the absolute truth there and becomes liberated. This is known as Kramamukti or liberation by stages. The Paramahamsa is the ascetic of the highest order, who has achieved complete control over his senses. He attains liberation even while living in the body. This is called Jivanmukti.
Paramahamsas are of two kinds: the seeker after liberation and the knower of the Self. The seeker is one who has renounced all desires and wants nothing but the realization of the Self. He does not desire any of the three worlds or spheres of enjoyment, namely, the world of men, the world of the manes and the world of the gods. The means to the attainment of these three worlds are, respectively, the begetting of a son, the performance of the prescribed Vedic rituals and meditation (Br.Up.1.5.26). The seeker renounces all these means. He is intent only on attaining the world of the Self, which means liberation. To attain this he has to achieve total control over the mind, body and senses.
Vividisha Sannyasa (Renunciation of the seeker)
The desire for Self-realization arises to a person as a result of the study of the Vedas and the performance of the rites enjoined by the Vedas in this life or in previous lives. The renunciation consequent on such desire is known as Vividisha Sannyasa or 'the renunciation of the seeker'. (Vividisha means 'the desire to know'). This Sannyasa is the means to the knowledge of Brahman. This is of two kinds: one, giving up the performance of only Kamyakarma, or actions motivated by desire for the fruit, and two, entering the Sannyasa Ashrama by muttering the Praisha formula and accepting the staff, etc. It is said here that ladies also are entitled to this Sannyasa before marriage and after the death of the husband, but it appears that they can become only 'tridandins', that is, only the Kutichaka and Bahoodaka varieties. Those who are not able to take the Sannyasa Ashrama for some reason can renounce mentally, while continuing to perform the duties of their own Ashrama.
Vidvat Sannyasa (Renunciation of the Knower)
The entry into the Sannyasa order by those who have already attained Self-realization through hearing, reflection and meditation is known as Vidvat Sannyasa. Sage Yajnavalkya is an example of this. Having already realized the highest truth he declared his intention to renounce the world to his wife Maitreyi. He then became a Sannyasin. (See Br.Up. 4.5.2 and 4.5.15). This kind of Sannyasa is also mentioned in the Kahola Brahmana in Br.Up. 3.5.1.
While the Vividisha Sannyasin should devote himself to the study of the scriptures, reflection thereon and meditation for the realization of the Self, the Vidvat Sannyasin should strive for the destruction of the mind and the elimination of Vasanas in order to attain Jivanmukti. This matter will be dealt with in detail later on.
In the Jabala upanishad, when Atri objects that giving up of the sacred thread by a Brahmana is not permissible, Yajnavalkya replies that Self-knowledge is the real sacred thread for the Paramahamsa Sannyasin (Jabala.Up.5). So the absence of the external sacred thread is the sign that the Sannyasin belongs to the Paramahamsa category. It is further said in this Upanishad that Vidvat Sannyasins are without the external signs of Ashrama, bound by no forms of conduct and behaving like mad men, though not mad.
The procedure for a Tridandin to become a Vividisha Sannyasin who carries only one stick is the following. The three sticks, water-pot, begging bowl with the suspension-strainer, tuft and sacred thread should be offered to the Bhurloka, i.e. the earth, reciting the mantra: "Bhuh Svaha", meaning, "oblation to Bhuh" and thrown into water. He should then seek the Self.
The Paramahamsa who is a Vidvat Sannyasin is described as one who is like a new-born baby, whose mind is free from the effects of the pairs of opposites, devoid of all possessions, who is firmly established in the path to Brahman, whose mind is free from desires, who, just to maintain life without being under obligation to any one, goes about begging at the prescribed time, using his belly as the begging bowl, and is unperturbed whether he gets it or not, without a fixed dwelling, lives in places such as a derelict house, a temple, a hay-stack, under a tree, in a pottery, in a house where sacrificial fire is kept, on the riverside, in a mountain cave, in the hollow of a tree, or a place for the performance of sacrifices built near a spring. He is free from all striving, devoid of the feeling of "I and mine", ever meditates on the pure Self, is established in the supreme Self, gives up all actions and ultimately gives up his body with total detachment.
Both Vividisha Sannyasa and Vidvat Sannyasa fall under the category of Paramahamsa, but their characteristics are different and, in some respects, even contradictory. In Arunika Upanishad it is said that Vividisha Sannyasa is marked by the giving up of the tuft, the sacred thread, the study of the (Karmakanda of the) Vedas, the repetition of the Gayatri, etc, and enjoins the acceptance of a staff, bathing three times a day, meditation on the Self and study of the Upanishads. Though the same are prescribed for Vidvat Sannyasa also, it is said in the Paramahamsa Upanishad that these are not the essentials. A Vidvat Sannyasin is free from all rules regarding external symbols, social norms and conventions. He ever remains established in the realization that he is Brahman.
In the Smritis also, the distinction between these two types of Sannyasa is clear. With regard to Vividisha Sannyasa, Brihaspati Smriti says that those who find worldly life to be devoid of substance enter the order of Sannyasins even before marriage. The Mahabharata says that the wise, who aim at the attainment of Self-knowledge, renounce the world (14.43.39).
Regarding Vidvat Sannyasa, it is said-"When the eternal, supreme Brahman, becomes known (in a general way), then taking only one staff, the person must give up the sacred thread and the tuft; he should renounce everything and take Sannyasa, after having directly realized the supreme Brahman".
Desire for knowledge out of mere curiosity is no ground for renunciation. Vividisha implies desire for knowledge alone, excluding everything else. It can be compared to the desire for food of a person who is so hungry that he cannot tolerate even a moment's delay and will not accept anything else, however valuable. (In his Bhashya on Gita, 4.11 Sri Sankara says that it is impossible for a person to be a seeker of liberation and also a seeker of the fruits of action at the same time. This means that Vividisha, the desire to know the Self, can be said to be there only when there is total detachment towards everything else).
The culmination of knowledge is when the identification with the Self totally replaces the identification with the body (See Upadesa Sahasri, 4.5). On the attainment of this culmination, the knot of the heart is cut off, all doubts are destroyed and all latent impressions are annihilated (Mund. Up. 2.2.8).
The highest state attainable through karma is that of Hiranyagarbha. Even this pales into insignificance compared to the Supreme Brahman. The 'knot of the heart' means the wrong identity of the Self with the intellect, caused by beginningless ignorance; it is so called because it is as tight as a knot. The doubts referred to are-- Is the Self a mere witness or the doer of actions? If it is only a witness, is it Brahman or not? If it is Brahman, can it be known by the intellect or not? Does liberation consist merely in this knowledge? The 'latent impressions' are those that lead to future births. These three, being the results of Avidya, disappear on the realization of the Self. (See also Gita, 18.17).
A doubt now arises. Since Vividisha Sannyasa itself leads to the attainment of knowledge of the Self, which itself prevents future birth, and the remaining portion of this life has to be lived because of Prarabdha karma, what is the need for Vidvat Sannyasa? The answer is-- Vidvat Sannyasa is necessary for the attainment of Jivanmukti or liberation in life. Vividisha Sannyasa leads only to the attainment of Knowledge.
Bondage is the experience of pleasure and pain resulting from man looking upon himself as the performer of actions and the enjoyer of the fruits thereof. Because of this bondage one is not able to experience the Bliss which is natural to him. The cessation of this bondage is Jivanmukti or liberation in life. Now the question arises-- is the bondage the natural characteristic of the Witness (Self) or of the mind?. Since bondage ceases on the dawn of knowledge, it cannot be a characteristic of the Self, because what is natural can never be removed, like the heat of fire or the fluidity of water. If it is the natural characteristic of the mind, then also it can never be got rid of. It may be argued that though the natural characteristic of the mind cannot be completely removed, its effect can be neutralized by the practice of yoga. To this the answer given by the objector is that Praarabdha karma will make the person experience pleasure and pain and will prevent knowledge from destroying the ignorance along with its effects in its entirety. The Siddhanti's reply to this is that the human efforts prescribed by the scriptures can counteract even the effects of Praarabdha karma. If this is not so, all the sacred texts on liberation will become useless. One should not give up further effort just because of failure once. Nobody gives up eating for fear of indigestion or cooking for fear of being pestered by beggars or covering oneself with a blanket in cold weather because of the fear that there may be lice in it.
The efficacy of the efforts prescribed by scripture is known clearly from the dialogue between Vasishtha and Rama in Yogavasishtha. Rama says--"My Vasanas (the impressions of previous actions and thoughts) compel me to act in a particular way. I am powerless to go against them". Vasishtha replies-"Since you are subject to your Vasanas, your own initiative, combined with enthusiasm and effort by thought, word and deed is essential to liberate you from such dependence. Vasanas are of two kinds: good and bad. If the good Vasanas are powerful, they will themselves lead you to the attainment of liberation. If the evil Vasanas are powerful, you have to exert yourself to conquer them. The mind can be turned away, by the company of the good, from objects which are not conducive to spiritual progress. The mind is like a child. It can be disciplined by persuasion rather than by force. Control of breath (Pranaayaama) and withdrawal of the mind from external objects (Pratyaahaara) are the two methods of subduing the mind. By this method the mind becomes calm soon. When good desires arise soon after the practice of Rajayoga, it should be attributed to the practice of the yoga. One should continue with such practice in accordance with the instruction of the teacher, scripture and other valid evidence (Pramaana) until complete mastery over the mind is attained and the identity of Brahman and Atman is realized. After that, when the obstacles in the form of evil desires have vanished, even the good desires should be given up. It is thus clear that all desires (including those arising due to Praarabdha karma) can be got rid of through Yoga and so the possibility of Jivanmukti cannot be disputed.
The Srutis and Smritis establish the existence of the state of Jivanmukti. The Kathopanishad says (5.1),"the one already liberated is altogether liberated", which means that one who has become totally free from bondage while alive is freed from all possibility of future bondage after the fall of the body. Though during Pralaya and after death every one remains free from another birth for some time, he will certainly be born again, but one who has attained liberation in life will be free from birth for ever. The Br. Up. says, "When all the desires that are in his heart fall off entirely, the mortal becomes immortal and attains Brahman here (in this body) itself" (4.4.7). In another Sruti it is said, "Though with eyes, he is, as it were, without eyes; though with ears, he is, as it were, without ears; though with mind, he is, as it were, without mind; and though with life, he is, as it were, without life".
The Jivanmukta is described by different names such as, Sthitaprajna (man of steady wisdom), Bhagavad-bhakta (Devotee of God), Gunaatita (beyond the three Gunas), Brahmana (who has realized the Self), Ativarnaasramin (beyond the pale of the four Varnas and the four Asramas).
Jivanmukti can be attained only by a person who has given up all other actions, both Vedic and secular, who is in pursuit of knowledge alone and who is ever immersed in contemplation on the Self. Jivanmukti and Videhamukti are distinguished only by the presence and absence of the body and the sense-organs. The awareness of duality is absent in both of them.
The Jivanmukta is one for whom this phenomenal world, in which he moves and acts, has ceased to exist. In the case of an ordinary person, his mind reacts to the various forms in the world and gives him knowledge of their variety and their differences from one another. But the mind of the Jivanmukta does not get so transformed and so he does not see differences, but sees all forms only as Brahman. In deep sleep the mind does not undergo any transformation, but the seed for transformation remains. So sleep cannot be equated with the state of Jivanmukti. The Jivanmukta remains unaffected by both pleasure and pain. He is not elated by something good happening, nor is he depressed when a calamity occurs. He does not crave for anything, but subsists on whatever comes of its own accord. Though his senses function and can experience everything, his mind is absolutely calm and does not react to anything. Though his eyes see everything before him, his mind does not judge them as good or bad, favourable or unfavourable and so he is free from agitation and attachment or aversion. The senses themselves do not cause any harm. It is the mind which judges what is experienced by the senses and develops likes and dislikes in the case of an ordinary person. Since the mind of the Jivanmukta does not make any such judgment, he is free from all attachment and aversion. Because of the absence of transformation of the mind, the Jivanmukta is free from Vasanas. His mind always remains pure. He never looks upon himself as a doer of actions since he does not identify himself with the body-mind complex which alone performs all actions. Consequently he is neither elated nor depressed by the good or bad results of the actions. Others do not have any reason to fear him, because he never insults or harms others in any way. He is also not afraid of any one. He remains unaffected even if some wicked man insults or harasses him. He does not distinguish people as friend or foe. Though full of learning, he never exhibits it. His mind is absolutely free from worldly thoughts and is always fixed on contemplation of the Self. He remains cool even in matters concerning himself, just as a man attending a marriage or other ceremony in another's house remains unaffected by the gain or loss of that other person. This coolness is due not only to his freedom from worry, but also to his awareness of the fullness of his own Self. These are the characteristics of the Jivanmukta.
When the body of the Jivanmukta falls, he becomes a Videhamukta, freed from his empirical existence and attains his real nature, like air resuming its tranquillity when the wind stops blowing. His subtle body is dissolved here itself. He cannot be described as 'sat', that is to say, he cannot be called 'praajna' conditioned by avidya or 'Isvara' conditioned by maayaa. He cannot be called 'asat', or made up of mere matter. He does not experience the gross objects of sense. He is neither Virat, nor Hiranyagarbha nor Isvara. Nor is he Visva, Taijasa or Praajna. Thus he does not come under the category of microcosm (vyashti) or of macrocosm (samashti).
The man of steady wisdom (sthitaprajna) is described in the Gita as one who has acquired supreme detachment and gained complete mastery over his mind through the practice of yoga. His mind is always fixed in the Truth. When he is in Samadhi, he is absolutely free from all desires, as his mind is incapable of transformations in that state. The satisfaction he feels is reflected in the cheerfulness of his countenance. This satisfaction is the result of realization of the Self. In Samprajnata Samadhi there is the distinction of meditator, object of meditation and the act of meditation (known as Triputi). In the Samadhi which is spoken of here, which is called Asamprajnata Samadhi, these distinctions cease. The contentment in this state is not due to the transformation of the mind, but to the impression left by such transformation in the earlier state of Samprajnata Samadhi. When such a person is out of Samadhi, he is free from anxiety and pains, is indifferent to pleasures and is free from passion, fear and anger. Such a sage may, when he has come out of Samadhi, have mental transformations and experience of pleasure and pain brought about by Praarabdha karma. But he does not feel any anxiety or craving because of them, since he has attained total discrimination and detachment. Similarly passion, fear and anger, which are products of Tamoguna, have no place in his mind. He has no attachment to any person or thing nor has he any likes or dislikes, these being caused by Tamoguna, which is absent in him. As a tortoise draws in all its limbs, he withdraws his senses from their objects. The mind of the Sthitaprajna, when he is out of Samadhi, is entirely free from the grosser (Tamasic) kinds of transformation. When he is in Samadhi, his mind is subject to no transformation whatsoever.
The actual enjoyment of sense objects can be given up by a person by avoiding them, but the desire for them would still remain. This desire will go only when the Self is realized. A realized person does not need any external objects for getting happiness, he being Bliss itself. The Br. Up. says," What shall we achieve through children, we who have attained this Self" (4.4.2).
The constant practice of meditation on the Self is necessary to safeguard against inadvertently slipping down from the spiritual level reached, even for a person who has brought all his senses under control.
How a person may slip down is described in Gita, 2.62 & 63. When a man keeps on thinking of sense-objects, he develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to intense longing for the objects. If the longing is not fulfilled, anger arises. Anger leads to loss of the power of discrimination between what is right and what is wrong. This results in his giving up the practice of pondering over the Truth. This makes him unfit for liberation because of the current of opposite ideas which act as obstacles. But a man who has controlled his mind and is free from attachment and aversion even when he is in the midst of sense-objects, attains peace.
The means for the attainment of realization, such as control of the mind and senses and meditation on the Self have to be deliberately practised by the aspirant for liberation, but these become the intrinsic characteristics of the realized person. The condition of being firmly established in the knowledge of the Self, wherein all sense of separateness is obliterated by the uninterrupted flow of the light of the Self, is called Jivanmukti or liberation in life.
He is described in Gita, ch.12, verses 13 & 14. In Samadhi the devotee's mind is fixed on God and so it is not distracted by any other thought. When out of Samadhi, though he experiences objects, he feels neither joy nor sorrow, he being indifferent to both. Verses 15 to 19 of the same chapter describe him as unaffected by all the pairs of opposites. In Naishkarmyasiddhi, 4.69 Suresvaracharya says that the good qualities such as absence of hatred manifest of their own accord and are not the result of any effort by him. They are natural to him and do not constitute the means to an end as in the case of those who are still in the stage of aspirants.
Such a person is described in chapter 14 of the Bhagavad-gita. The whole world is made up of the products of the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. One who transcends these Gunas is a Jivanmukta. Illumination, activity and delusion are the result of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas respectively. They are active in the waking and dream states, but subside in sleep, Samadhi and absent-mindedness. Activity is of two kinds, agreeable and disagreeable. The unenlightened man hates the disagreeable and longs for the agreeable. The Gunaatita, being free from the notions of 'agreeable' and 'disagreeable', feels neither hatred nor desire. The discriminating Gunaatita remains entirely indifferent, like a disinterested onlooker witnessing two parties fighting with each other. This is because of his conviction that the Gunas in the form of the senses act and react upon the same Gunas in the form of objects and he, as the pure Atma, has nothing to do with them. The wrong notion that one is the doer of actions (and consequently the enjoyer of the results) is the cause of mental agitation. This is totally absent in the Gunaatita and so he is ever free from agitation. He is balanced in pleasure and pain. Service to the Supreme Being by the practice of knowledge and meditation accompanied by unswerving devotion are the means to be adopted by a person who wants to become a Gunaatita.
The word Braahmana denotes the knower of the supreme Self. He is entitled to become a Vidvat Sannyasin. He is devoid of all possessions. He is not concerned about the kind of garment he wears or the food he eats or the place where he rests. He accepts only the bare minimum of food, clothing and shelter necessary for bodily sustenance. He should wear only a loin cloth and carry a staff for the purpose of instilling faith in his listeners while engaged, purely out of his grace, in imparting the knowledge of Brahman to them. He should never, in spite of his sympathy for others, utter even a word about the worldly concerns of his pupils, but should always remain absorbed in meditation. He should avoid all talk other than about Brahman. Meditation is unimpeded when one is alone. The Smriti says that the religious mendicant should remain alone, because if there are two or more there is a possibility of talk among themselves on subjects such as politics or about the alms received by each. He should not give any blessing to any one because that will create distractions in his mind because of thoughts about what each person wants to have. Another Smriti says that knowledge can never be attained by one whose mind is concerned with the things of the world or with mere bookish learning or the preservation of one's body. The liberated man must give up all these. In lieu of words of blessing he should merely utter the word 'Narayana' which serves the purpose of all blessings. He should not engage himself in any effort to gain anything either for himself or for others. It is said In the Gita, 18.48 that all undertakings are clouded by defects as fire by smoke. Salutation is prescribed only for Vividisha Sannyasins thus-"A senior monk should be saluted if he belongs to the same order of monks, but never any one else". Enquiry about the relative seniority of monks and whether they belong to the same order leads to distraction of the mind and so salutation is not prescribed for Vidvat Sannyasins. Sri Sankara says in Upadesa Sahasri, 17.64- "Whom should a knower of the Self salute, when he is established in the infinite, non-dual Self which transcends all names and forms? He has nothing to do with action of any kind". Although salutation of the kind likely to cause disturbance of the mind is prohibited, that salutation which brings about tranquillity of mind is permitted. Srimad Bhagavata, 3.29.34 & 11.29.16 say--"One should salute, prostrating oneself even before a dog, a Chandala, a cow and an ass, realizing that God is present in them all in the form of the Jiva”. Praise of men is forbidden, but praise of God is enjoined, because it will lead to freedom from bondage. He who is steadfast in the knowledge of the Self should not become dejected when he does not get any food, nor should he be overjoyed when he gets it, because both are governed by destiny. He is not bound by the injunctions or prohibitions of the Vedas. Sage Narada has said in Narada-pancha-ratra, 4.2.23 that the all-pervading Lord Vishnu should be treasured up in memory and not forgotten even for a moment; all injunctions and prohibitions are subservient to this. Mahabharata, Santiparva, 237.13 says that the gods consider him to be a Braahmana who is afraid of a crowd as of a snake, of conventional honour as of death and of woman as of a corpse. This is because the company of others may lead to futile talk and honour leads to attachment which sets up tendencies adverse to the true aim of life. The Yogi, keeping in mind the path of the wise, must conduct himself in such a way that people treat him with contempt and never seek his company. Manusmriti says that one should avoid sitting close to even one's own mother, sister or daughter because the powerful sense organs can drag down even a man of wisdom (2.215).
Men of the world should avoid being alone as that may cause fear, but the opposite is applicable to Yogis. To the Yogi the vast expanse of space appears to be full of the supreme bliss of the Self since he is always absorbed in meditation and so there is no cause for fear. A crowded place is unsuitable for meditation and so the Yogi should avoid it and seek solitude.
(one who is beyond the pale of the four Varnas and Ashramas)
The Ativarnaasramin is described in the fifth chapter of the section on liberation in the Suta Samhita. He is the teacher of disciples belonging to all the four Ashramas. He never becomes the disciple of any one else. He is the Teacher of teachers. There is none in the world equal or superior to him. He is one who has realized the supreme Truth. He is all Bliss and is the witness of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. He has attained the firm conviction that Varna and Ashrama are imaginary super-impositions on the body, brought about by Maayaa and that he, being the pure Atma, has no connection with them. He knows from the Upanishads that the whole universe functions in the mere presence of the Atma which is identical with himself, just as human beings perform all their activities with the help of the light of the sun, while the sun itself is not at all involved in their activities. Just as various ornaments made of gold are nothing but gold, the universe of multifarious names and forms projected by Maayaa is nothing but Brahman. The appearance of Brahman as the universe is similar to the appearance of nacre as silver. The great Lord who is one, devoid of any relation, is like the all-pervading space, pervading all beings, big or small, high or low. He has realized that the world of the waking state is a fabrication of Maayaa, just as all objects seen in dream are the creation of delusion. Having realized that he is the Self, he is beyond all the duties enjoined for the four Ashramas.
Jivanmuktiviveka
of
Swami Vidyaranya
A summary
Chapter 2
On the obliteration of latent impressions (Vaasanaas)
The means to Jivanmukti are knowledge of the Reality, the dissolution of the mind and the obliteration of latent impressions. All these three have to be practised simultaneously to get the result. It is only by prolonged practice of these three that the knot of the heart can be cut. The world appears to us to be real because of having been experienced in innumerable past births. Only the prolonged practice of yoga can remove the wrong notions cultivated over numerous lives. The knowledge of the Reality, the dissolution of the mind and the elimination of vaasanaas are related mutually as cause and effect. Until the mind is dissolved, elimination of vaasanaas is not possible and until the vaasanaas are eliminated, dissolution of the mind cannot take place. The mind undergoes modifications in consonance with the objects experienced by it through the sense organs. The 'dissolution of the mind' means the mind becoming free from such modifications and remaining controlled. vaasanaa is the cause of mental modifications, such as anger, rising up all of a sudden and without any thought of past happenings or future consequences. The effacement of vaasanaas means the elimination of the scope for the rise of anger and the like, even when causes for such anger and the like exist. This is achieved by discrimination which brings about pure vaasanas such as control of the senses and the mind. If the mind is not dissolved, it will continue to react to external stimuli and emotions such as anger will arise and then there can be no effacement of vaasanaas. So also, as long as vaasanaas exist, transformation of the mind in the form of anger, etc, continues and there can be no dissolution of the mind. The two are thus related mutually as cause and effect.
The knowledge of the Reality and the dissolution of the mind are also mutually related as cause and effect. 'Knowledge of the Reality' means the conviction to the effect, "All this is verily the Atman. The phenomenal world of forms, tastes and the like is illusory, it has no real existence". As long as such a conviction has not been attained, forms, tastes and the like will continue to be looked upon as real and the mind will continue to undergo corresponding modifications. And as long as such mental modifications continue, the conviction that Brahman alone is real will not take root.
The reciprocal causal relationship between the obliteration of latent desires (vaasanaa-kshaya) and knowledge of the Reality can also be established. Knowledge of the Reality will not arise until the mind becomes free from anger and the like, which are caused by the vaasanaas. Conversely, the elimination of vaasanaas is not possible as long as false knowledge, which invests the causes of anger and other emotions with a semblance of reality, is not removed.
When one sees everything as Brahman there can be no reason for anger, fear and other such emotions. Virtues such as self-control are strengthened by the knowledge of the Reality and the knowledge of the Reality is strengthened by such virtues. Thus all the three, knowledge of the Reality, obliteration of latent impressions and the dissolution of the mind help one another to progress further. The means of accomplishing these three are personal effort accompanied by discrimination, and giving up all desire for enjoyment. Personal effort involves the determination to succeed in the effort. Discrimination means the conviction that sravana, manana and nididhyaasana are the means to the attainment of knowledge, that yoga is the means to the dissolution of the mind and that the setting up of an opposite current of vaasanaas is the means to the obliteration of impure vaasanaas. The desire for enjoyment has to be totally eliminated because once the smallest desire arises, it will grow and become stronger and stronger if left unchecked.
It has been shown before that knowledge of the Reality (Brahman) is the result of vividishaa sannyaasaa and Jivanmukti that of vidvat sannyaasaa. That means that, after having first acquired knowledge of the Reality, one should become a vidvat sannyaasi and strive for obliteration of vaasanaas and dissolution of the mind. Since he has already acquired knowledge, a doubt may arise as to why it is said that even at this stage such a person should continue to strive for all the three, namely, attainment of knowledge, obliteration of vaasanaas and dissolution of the mind. The answer is that while, for the vividisha sannyaasi, knowledge is the principal aim and the other two are subordinate thereto, for the vidvat sannyaasi the reverse is true. Though the vidvat sannyaasi no more needs sravana, etc, having already acquired knowledge, he should constantly remember the sublime truth. This is done by always thinking about the Reality, talking about it to others and meditating on it. In the episode of Lila in Laghu yogavaasishtha it has been said, “Reflecting on ‘That’, speaking about ‘That’, instructing one another about ‘That’, this is considered by the wise to be single-minded dedication and the practice of the knowledge.
When attachment and aversion are reduced to the minimum as a result of the realization of the unreality of the objective world there arises a new sense of happiness. This is called 'Brahma-abhyaasa' or the practice of Brahman. This is the means of effacing the latent impressions.
To one seeking liberation, the aims are Jivanmukti and Videhamukti. Katha Up. 2.2.1 says-" Having been liberated from ignorance while still alive, he is altogether liberated on the fall of the body". One who has divine qualities attains liberation, while one with demoniac qualities remains in bondage, as said in Gita, Ch.16. These qualities are described in the same chapter. When the evil vaasanaas inherent in a person from birth are eliminated by the cultivation of good vaasanaas through personal effort, there results Jivanmukti.
The dissolution of the mind is also mentioned in the sruti as the cause of Jivanmukti, along with the obliteration of latent impressions. Amritabindu Up. says that the mind alone is the cause of bondage as well as of liberation. A mind attached to objects of sense causes bondage and when free from attachment the very same mind is the cause of liberation. The seeker after liberation should therefore keep his mind free from attachment. The mind, devoid of attachment to sense objects, becomes free from all modifications and comes to rest in the heart. The mind should be prevented from attaining modifications (caused by desires, likes, dislikes, anger, and the like) till its dissolution in the heart. This is knowledge and also liberation.
Bondage is of two kinds: strong and moderate. Demoniac qualities, being the direct cause of misery, make up the strong kind. The mere perception of duality, not being by itself the cause of misery, is the bondage of the moderate kind. By the obliteration of latent impressions the bondage of the strong kind alone is removed, while both kinds are removed by the dissolution of the mind. It should however not be thought that the dissolution of the mind alone is sufficient since it removes both kinds of bondage. When the powerful praarabdha karma, which is the cause of happiness and misery, brings the mind into action, then the effacement of the latent impressions is necessary to remove the first kind of bondage. All the mental transformations caused by tamoguna are to be considered as strong bondage. Transformations caused by sattva and rajoguna constitute moderate bondage.
It should not be thought that, since the moderate kind of bondage (which is the mere perception of duality) is inevitable, and the strong kind can be removed by the obliteration of latent impressions, the dissolution of the mind serves no purpose. The inevitable experience of happiness and misery, caused by a weak praarabdha, can be counteracted only by the dissolution of the mind and so this is also necessary. It has been said (Panchadasi, 7.156), " If it were at all possible to prevent the experience of happiness and misery, then, Nala, Rama and Yudhishthira would never have been stricken with misery". Thus the obliteration of latent impressions and the dissolution of the mind are the direct means to Jivanmukti, and knowledge of the Reality is subordinate, being only a mediate cause, as producing the other two.
To sum up, obliteration of latent impressions and dissolution of the mind are the principal causes of Jivanmukti, while knowledge is the principal cause of Videhamukti.
A person who, without making efforts to attain knowledge of Nirguna Brahman (by sravana, etc), practises, to the extent possible, the effacement of latent impressions and dissolution of the mind and devotes himself only to Brahman with attributes (saguna), cannot attain Kaivalya, because his subtle body is not destroyed. By Kaivalya, brought about by knowledge (of Nirguna Brahman), the person is freed from bondage.
Bondage is of various kinds, signified by the expressions-- knot of ignorance, the conviction of being not Brahman, the knot of the heart, doubt, karma, hankering after objects of sense, death, rebirth and the like. All these are removed by knowledge. See Mundaka up. 2.1.10, 3.2.9, 2.2.8, Taitt.up. 2.1, Sveta.up. 3.8, Katha up. 1.3.8, Br.up. 1.4.10, Br. Su.1.1.4 & 4.1.13.
Here Swami Vidyaranya says that Videhamukti is attained at the very moment in which knowledge arises, because when all bonds, which are all due to ignorance, are destroyed by knowledge, they can never come into being again. He supports this view with the statement in Sri Sankara's Bhashya on Brahma sutra, 4.1.13- "On its attainment, future and past sins are destroyed". This view is at variance with the generally accepted definition of Videhamukti which is that when the body of a Jivanmukta falls, he becomes a Videhamukta. Ch.up, 6.14.2 says "He remains here only as long as he is not released (from the body). The moment he is released, he becomes one with the All". In Vakyavritti, 52-53 it is said, "Through the effect of praarabdha karma he becomes a Jivanmukta. Then, on the exhaustion of that karma he attains the supreme state of bliss, called Kaivalya, from which there is no return". In Brahma sutra, 4.1.19, it is said, "After exhausting the other two (the good and bad effects of Prarabdha karma), he attains it (Brahman)". Laghu Yogavaasishtha, 5.98 says that when the body falls, the Jivanmukta gives up that state and becomes a Videhamukta.
Vidyaranya says that these two positions are not contradictory because they are based on different points of view. The views quoted above take the word 'deha' in Videhamukti to mean the existing and all future bodies collectively. Therefore, according to them Videhamukti can take place only when the present body has ceased to exist and no future body is possible. But Vidyaranya uses this word in the sense of 'future body' only. Thus, as soon as it becomes clear that there can be no future embodiment for the person, he becomes a Videhamukta. Therefore, Videhamukti, in the sense of preclusion of future embodiment, is simultaneous with the rise of Self-knowledge.
Thus it is established that knowledge is the direct means of attaining Videhamukti, while the obliteration of latent impressions and the dissolution of the mind are subordinate, being only the means of attaining knowledge. For Jivanmukti the obliteration of latent impressions (vaasanaa-kshaya) and dissolution of the mind (manonaasa) are the principal means.
Now a doubt arises. When a Vividisha Sannyasi has accomplished these three means and thereby reached the stage of Vidvat Sannyasa, has he still to endeavour afresh for acquiring these? The answer is that knowledge will continue to exist, but the other two have to be striven for afresh. The student fit for the acquisition of knowledge is of two kinds: he who has practised meditation and he who has not yet done so. To the student who has practised meditation to the extent of actually realizing the object of meditation, Vidvat Sannyasa and Jivanmukti will follow of their own accord because of his firm hold over the obliteration of vaasanaas and the dissolution of the mind. Nowadays men rush in quest of Self-knowledge, out of sheer curiosity, without going through the preliminary stage of upaasanaa. They accomplish obliteration of vaasanaas and dissolution of the mind temporarily. By study, reflection and meditation on the Vedantic texts ignorance, doubt and false perception are removed and knowledge is attained. In the absence of a more powerful means which could resuscitate the ignorance, the knowledge remains steady. But the obliteration of vaasanaas and dissolution of the mind can be easily extinguished, like a lamp exposed to the breeze, for want of steady application and because of being influenced by praarabdha karma. This means that for such Vidvat sannyaasis only the knowledge continues, but the other two are to be accomplished by effort.
Vaasanaa or latent impression has been described by Vasishtha as intense hankering after things to such an extent that the mind becomes totally obsessed by it. This results in the real nature of things and their past or future effects being completely lost sight of. The person then identifies himself with the thing he hankers after and his vision becomes clouded. The blind attachment that people have towards their traditional customs and manners, their countries and their communities is cited as an example. Keeping in view the vaasanaa of this kind, it is said in Br. up, 4.5.4:-- 'He shapes his ideas in accordance with his desires, he does such acts as fulfil his ideas, he becomes that which he does'.
Vaasanaas are of two kinds: pure and impure. Impure vaasanaas result in continuation of the cycle of birth and death. The pure vaasanaa is like seeds sown after being roasted on fire, which do not sprout. It does not cause rebirth. The impure vaasanaa is described as of the form of very dense ignorance. Ignorance is that which veils the distinction between the five sheaths and the Witness Consciousness. This kind of vaasanaa is spoken of as demoniac nature in Bh. Gita, ch.16.
The pure vaasanaa is of that kind which knows what is to be known, namely, the Self. This is described in Gita, ch.13, verses 13 to 18. The conditioned and unconditioned forms of Brahman are set forth in these verses to enable the comprehension of Its tatastha-lakshana and svarupa-lakshana. The former is a random quality applied exclusively to signify a thing, for instance, pointing out the house of a particular person as that on which a crow is sitting. The latter is the quality which defines a thing by its permanent feature, as for example, 'that which is highly luminous is the moon'.
That activity of the senses which is pervaded by an undercurrent of the perception of the Reality is called 'pure vaasanaa'. This is of use only for maintaining life in the body. It does not produce either demoniac qualities like hypocrisy, vanity and the like or dharma or adharma, which lead to future birth. It is like roasted grains which do not germinate.
Impure vaasanaa is of three kinds: desire for (unblemished reputation in) the world (loka vaasanaa), obsession with learning (saastra vaasanaa) and undue attachment to the body (deha vaasanaa). The first one takes the form 'I want to be always praised by everyone'. This i
s called impure because it is something impossible of achievement. No one, however good, can always escape slander. Even absolutely blemishless Sita was slandered. People speak ill of others merely because of local peculiarities. The southern Brahmanas censure the northerners, well-versed in the Vedas, as meat-eaters. The northern Brahmanas retaliate by ridiculing the southern custom of marrying the daughter of a maternal uncle and for carrying earthenware during travel. A pure man is looked upon as a devil, a clever man as presumptuous, a man of forbearance as weak, a strong man as cruel, an absent-minded man as a thief, and a handsome man as lewd. Thus nobody can please everyone. So the scriptures advise us to treat censure and praise alike.
The obsession with learning (saastra vaasanaa) is of three kinds: addiction to study, addiction to many scriptural texts and obsession with the mechanical observance of injunctions with regard to the performance of rituals. The first only is exemplified by sage Bharadvaja, who was not satisfied with having devoted three successive lives to the study of the Vedas and continued the same in his fourth life also. This is also an impure vaasanaa because it is not possible of achievement. Indra cured him of this by explaining to him the impossibility of his undertaking and initiated him into the knowledge of the conditioned Brahman for the attainment of a higher end.
Addiction to many scriptural texts is also an impure vaasanaa because it is not the highest aim. The example for this is Durvasa. Once he went with a cart-load of scriptural works to Lord Mahadeva. Narada ridiculed him by comparing him to a donkey carrying a huge load. Durvasa became angry and threw away the books into the ocean. Lord Mahadeva then imparted to him the knowledge of the Self which does not come from study alone.
Obsession with injunctions relating to the performance of rites is exemplified by Nidagha, as described in Vishnupurana. Another example of this is Daasura who, because of the intensity of his desire to adhere to the injunctions, could not find any place in the whole world pure enough for the performance of rites. This mad desire for performing karma is also an impure vaasanaa because it results in the person continuing in the cycle of repeated birth and death. Saastra vaasanaa is also impure for another reason, namely, that it is the cause of vanity.
Deha vaasanaa is of three kinds-- looking upon the body as the Self, concern about making the body attractive and desire to remove defects in the body. The first two are clearly impure vaasanaas because they are obstacles to spiritual progress. The third is impossible of achievement because the body is essentially impure and so it is also an impure vaasanaa.
All these three vaasanaas should therefore be given up by discriminating people, since they obstruct the rise of knowledge in the seekers and affect the permanence of the knowledge acquired by the knower. The impurity of the vaasanaas arising from a demoniac nature, which take the form of hypocrisy, vanity and the like, is well-known and so it goes without saying that this has to be destroyed.
Just as the vaasanaas have to be obliterated, the mind has also to be dissolved. The Tarkikas hold that the mind is an eternal substance of atomic dimension. In this view the mind can never be dissolved. This view is not accepted by Vedantins. They hold that the mind is a substance with parts, is not eternal and is capable of transforming itself into various forms. The mind is defined thus in the Br. up, 1.5.3--"Desire, will, doubt, belief, disbelief, resoluteness, irresoluteness, shame, intelligence, fear, --- all these make up the mind". These transformations are directly perceived by the Witnessing Self. The sense organs cannot experience their objects without the co-operation of the mind. This internal organ is called manas when it performs the function of thinking and debating; it is called chitta when it performs an act of perception. This chitta is of the nature of sattva, rajas and tamas. When tamas predominates, demoniac qualities make their appearance. The predominance of rajas gives rise to the three vaasanaas-- loka vaasanaa, saastra vaasanaa and deha vaasanaa. When sattva gains mastery, divine qualities become established. Sattva is the principal material cause of the mind; rajas and tamas are only accessories. Therefore sattva is the residual native form of the mind of an enlightened person, since he has got rid of rajas and tamas. Such a mind is one-pointed, being free from rajas which is the cause of fickleness. It is also very subtle, being free from tamas which is the cause of the gross forms assumed by the not-self. Such a mind is fit to receive enlightenment.
Bondage is nothing but the bond of vaasanaas and liberation is the obliteration of vaasanaas. One should first give up the three kinds of vaasanaas relating to the world, learning and the body mentioned above, as well as the desire for objects of enjoyment. Then one should set up a current of pure vaasanaas such as friendship, compassion, contentment and indifference towards happiness and sorrow, and other pairs of opposites. The hankering after pleasures contaminates the mind. If a person is friendly towards those who are happy and looks upon their happiness as his, hankering after pleasures will vanish. Attaining mental equilibrium in this manner, one should remain attached only to knowledge of the Reality. Ultimately even the desire for knowledge should be given up, because it is also only something conceived by the mind and the intellect.
The three vaasanaas described above, namely, loka vaasanaa, saastra vaasanaa and deha vaasanaa are collectively called 'mental vaasanaa'. There is another kind of vaasanaa known as vishaya vaasanaa which relates to objects of enjoyment. By objects are meant sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Mental vaasanaa is that impression which is born of the desire for these; vaasanaas relating to objects are impressions born of actual enjoyment of desired things.
It may be asked, how is it possible to give up vaasanaas, which have no form? Things which have form, like dust and straw, can be swept away with a brush, but how to remove vaasanaas which have no form? The answer is that this can be done by cultivating friendship and similar virtues. These are described by Patanjali in his yoga aphorisms: ‘The mind becomes serene by the practice of friendship, compassion, joy, and indifference respectively, towards those who are happy, those who are suffering, those who are virtuous and those who are sinful’ (Yoga sutra 1.33). If one adopts a friendly disposition towards those who are happy, and identifies himself with them to such an extent that he looks upon their happiness as his own, he will not hanker after happiness and his mind will be calm and serene. If one has compassion for every miserable being and feels that no one should experience sorrow of any kind, then too, the mind will become serene. It has been said, “Life is as dear to all beings as it is to oneself; the wise feel compassion for every being, taking their own selves as the standard of comparison”.
If one feels joy at the sight of virtuous men, one would, of one’s own accord, perform virtuous acts. If one adopts an attitude of indifference towards sinful men, and is not tempted to adopt their means, one can keep away from sin. By all these means the mind can be made calm. By adopting an attitude of friendliness towards those who are happy, one not only becomes free from attachment, but also free from malice, jealousy, and similar defects. Malice results in maligning the virtuous. Jealousy is the unwillingness to tolerate the superiority or virtue of another. When, out of friendliness, one looks upon the happiness of others as one’s own, malice and jealousy will have no place. When one feels compassion for the miserable the vanity arising from one’s own state of prosperity vanishes. This vanity is what has been referred to in the Bhagavadgita thus: “I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect, powerful, happy; I am rich, well-born; who is there equal to me?” (16. 14-15).
It has been said above that if a person cultivates the habit of becoming exalted when he sees a virtuous person he will become more inclined to perform such virtuous acts himself. Now a question may arise, will not such an inclination be inappropriate in a yogin? It has been said earlier under ‘saastra vaasanaa’ that the mad desire for performing karma is also an impure vaasanaa because it also leads to rebirth. The answer is that what was implied there was only acts of virtue done with a motive. The virtuous acts referred to here are those which, being ‘neither white nor black’ do not lead to rebirth. Patanjali’s yoga sutra 4.7 says: “Actions are neither white nor black in the case of yogins; in the case of others they are of three kinds”. Actions sanctioned by the scripture, when performed with desire for the fruit are ‘white’. Actions prohibited by scripture are ‘black’. Actions which partake of both these qualities are ‘mixed’. These three lead to three kinds of re-embodiment as stated by Sri Sureshvaracharya in Naishkarmyasiddhi, 1.41: “A person who, because of ignorance, considers himself as the performer of actions, attains the status of a god by doing desire-prompted good deeds, goes to hell by doing prohibited actions and attains the status of a human being by doing both good and bad deeds”.
The actions performed by a yogi are described as non-white because they are not prompted by desire.
The real yogis are only those whose minds are serene because of the cultivation of qualities such as friendliness mentioned earlier. They naturally perform only virtuous actions.The qualities described in the previous chapter as the characteristics of the Jivanmukta and Sthitaprajna, if cultivated by the spiritual aspirant, will destroy all impure vaasanas.
One should examine one’s own mind and find out what are the impure vaasanas there. He should cultivate such pure vaasanas as are necessary to counteract his impure vaasanas. Just as a person who is disgusted with worldly life takes to renunciation, a person afflicted by impure vaasanas such as arrogance due to learning, opulence, pedigree, etc., should cultivate discrimination to counteract them.
In Laghu Yogavaasishtha king Janaka points out the means of attaining discrimination thus: One should ask oneself, ”How can one place faith in greatness? Those who were considered great in the past are no more now. Where has the fabulous wealth of emperors gone? Where are the innumerable worlds created by Brahma? The old order of things has gone into oblivion. Millions of Brahmas have come and gone. Myriads of heavens have vanished one after another. The most powerful emperors of the past are now nothing more than dust. This being so, how can the existence of persons like me be of any consequence?”
Now a question arises. The discrimination mentioned above should precede the rise of the knowledge of the Reality because such knowledge can arise only after discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral has been acquired. Here the means to Jivanmukti such as the obliteration of vaasanaas for one who has already realized Brahman are being dealt with. Is a discussion of discrimination not out of place here?
Svami Vidyaranya explains that normally one can realize Brahman only after the acquisition of the four preliminary requisites, namely, discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral, detachment, the six qualities starting with control of the mind, and yearning for liberation. But king Janaka is said to have attained realization as soon as he heard the Siddhagita in Yogavaasishtha. This happened because of the merit (punya) accumulated by him in past births. After that he had to cultivate discrimination in order to attain calmness of mind. So reference to discrimination at this stage is relevant in his case.
It may be objected that since all impure vaasanaas must have disappeared on the attainment of knowledge, effort to cultivate pure vaasanaas is not necessary. The answer is that it is not so as a general rule. For example, impure vaasanaas are seen to have existed even after dawn of knowledge in Yajnavalkya, Bhagiratha and others. Yajnavalkya as well as his opponents Ushasta, Kahola and others had vast pride of learning as is evident from the fact that they entered into a debate with the desire for victory. It cannot be said that they had only other knowledge and not knowledge of Brahman, because all the questions and answers in the debate related to Brahman. Their knowledge of Brahman cannot be said to be only mediate and not immediate, because in that case our knowledge of Brahman arising from their statements would be also only be mediate. Moreover, the questions put were concerned with the direct and immediate knowledge of Brahman.
Now an objection may be raised: Acharya Sankara says in Upadesa Sahasri, 12.13 that only a person who has given up the egoism that he is a knower of Brahman is a real knower of the Self and not others. In Naishkarmyasiddhi, 1.75, Sureshvaracharya says, “Identification with the body which is due to demoniac delusion is not possible for an enlightened person. If even an enlightened person has such delusion then Brahman-realization would be of no use”. It follows from these that there cannot be pride of learning in an enlightened person.
The answer to this objection is: the enlightenment referred to in these verses is that of a person who has become a Jivanmukta. It is accepted by us also that there cannot be any pride of learning in a Jivanmukta. Here we are making a distinction between a Sthitaprajna (i.e. a Jivanmukta) and a mere knower of the Self. As regards the mere knower, Sureshvaracharya says in Br. Up. Bhashyavartika, 1.4.1539 and 1.4.1746, “Let attachment and the like remain, their presence does not do any harm. What harm can avidya do when it is like a snake whose fangs have been removed? Desire, etc., arising from ignorance of the Reality are the cause of bondage, but for a knower of the Reality these do not cause bondage just as seeds which have been roasted cannot sprout even though they retain their appearance. It has been said in Varahopanishad, 3.24, 25, “Attachment, etc., are burnt out by the fire of discrimination as soon as they arise; how can they sprout?”.
Yajnavalkya, while engaged in debate with Ushasta, Kahola and others (as described in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) had not attained the state of Jivanmukta because he was to enter vidvat sannyasa in order to obtain peace of mind. He shows, not only the desire to win over his opponents, but also greed for gold. Later he cursed Sakalya to death. But it should not be thought that such a heinous sin as killing a Brahmana would bar him from liberation; for the Kaushitaki upanishad says, “He does not lose that state by any act whatever, whether it is matricide, patricide, theft or foeticide” (3.1).
Even reputed knowers of Brahman, like Yajnavalkya, are subject to the influence of impure vaasanaa. Vasishtha says in Yogavaasishtha that Bhagiratha, though a knower of the Reality, could not get peace of mind while engaged in ruling over his kingdom because of the impact of impure vaasanaas. He therefore renounced everything and only then attained peace. It therefore follows that we should carefully examine our defects caused by impure vaasanaas, with the same strictness with which we detect the defects of others, and apply the necessary remedies. It has been said in a smriti, “If a man of the world, who is adept at detecting the defects of others, applies his skill to detect his own faults, he will certainly be liberated from the bonds of ignorance”.
To answer the question, “What is the remedy for the pride born of leaning”, it has first to be decided whose pride is meant. Is it the pride of the leaned man who seeks to show that others are inferior to him, or is it the pride of some other person who wants to show that he is superior? In the first case, the learned man should always keep in mind that some day it will be crushed by some one superior. If the pride is in some other person who wants to show that he is superior to us in knowledge, the best course will to say to oneself, “That man is puffed up with pride; let him insult or slander me; I do not lose anything thereby”. It has been said: “If they slander the Self in me, they slander only themselves. If they slander my body, I should look upon them as my friends”. In Naishkarmyasiddhi
It has been said: “What does it matter to a person who has cast off his excreta, if someone comments on its unclean nature? In the same manner, when a person has dissociated himself from both the gross and subtle bodies through discrimination, will he be affected in the least if some one speaks ill of them?” (2.16-17).
The sruti says: “Without deviating from the path of rectitude, the yogin should so conduct himself as to make people avoid his company in sheer disgust” (Naradaparivrajakopanishad, 5.30).
The two varieties of pride of learning described above which were seen in Yajnavalkya and others should be got rid of by discrimination.The method of getting rid of the greed for wealth is described thus: “There is considerable effort and trouble involved in the acquisition of wealth, as also in its preservation; if it is spent or lost there is great anguish. O fie upon wealth, which produces unhappiness at every step”.
Anger is also of two kinds: anger in oneself directed at others, and anger in others directed to oneself. With regard to the first it is said: “While you become angry with someone who has done you some harm, why do you not feel angry with that same emotion which does even more harm by blocking your way to the attainment of the four purusharthas and which affects even your physical and mental well-being?”
With regard to the second kind, it has been said: “One should never give room for the thought, ‘I have offended none. So anger towards me is not justified’. On the other hand every one should consider as his gravest offence the inability to free himself from bondage. He should bow to the god of anger who burns away his own seat and bestows detachment by imparting the knowledge of his faults”.
All impure vaasanaas should thus be eradicated by reminding oneself of the evil consequences that flow from them. Sage Vasishtha says in Yogavaasishtha: “If you put forth sufficient effort and destroy all vaasanaas, all your ills, physical and mental, will get dissolved. Then access to the highest state will become attainable”.
As stated by the Lord in Bhagavadgita, 2.60, 67, the turbulent senses carry away the mind of even a wise man striving for perfection. If the mind yields to the senses, its discrimination is carried away, just as a gale carries away a ship”. So one should restrain all the senses and fix the mind on the Lord as the supreme goal. The wisdom of a person who has brought his senses under control becomes steady.
When qualities such are friendship are cultivated and become firmly established, the impure vaasanaas will be obliterated.
The Naradaparivrajakopanishad says: “The mendicant who is tongue-less, impotent, lame, blind, deaf, and mad certainly attains liberation. He is tongue-less who, while eating, is not attached to the food and does not concern himself with its pleasantness or unpleasantness; while speaking he is moderate and always tells the truth with the intention of doing good to others. He is impotent who remains unaffected at the sight of a young woman of sixteen, as of a girl just born, or a woman bent double with the weight of years. He whose movements are confined to begging alms or answering the calls of nature, and do not by any means exceed a yojana (about five miles) is a lame man. He is blind, the ken of whose eye, whether standing or walking, does not extend far beyond four yoke-lengths. He who turns a deaf ear to words uttered within ear-shot, however friendly or pleasing, is said to be deaf. The mendicant who, though alert and with senses unimpaired, behaves as if he is asleep is said to be a mad man. Such a person never indulges in censure or praise, nor talk too much and treats all alike. He would never be in the company of a woman, nor recall to mind any woman seen before (3.62-68)”.
Realizing that all the insentient objects in this universe are only manifestations of pure consciousness (Brahman), one should fix the mind only on pure consciousness. Just as a goldsmith, when buying an old bracelet of gold, fixes his mind only on the weight and the colour of the gold and not on the form of the bracelet or its beauty, the seeker should fix his mind only on pure consciousness while seeing the various objects in the world. The effort in this regard should be kept up until the consciousness of the phenomenal objects is obliterated and the consciousness of Brahman becomes as natural as breathing.
He who, though awake, keeps his mind in a tranquil state and does not react to the world around, as in sleep, is the truly liberated person. The liberated man with a virile intellect, who has eradicated all desires from his heart, is ever free from all agitation of the mind, and is himself the great Isvara. Whether he is in samadhi or not, whether he performs the rituals laid down for his order or not, he stands liberated, free from all attachment. With his mind cleared of all vaasanaas, it makes no difference whether he performs karma or not. He has no concern with efforts to attain samadhi or with performing japa, etc. He may engage himself in action in the world, but he remains untouched by them. He is not dejected by adversity. He never swerves from the path of self-restraint.
King Janaka had attained this state. He therefore performed his duties as the king without the least attachment to the results. He did not think of the past or worry about the future, but lived in the present, his heart ever filled with bliss.
**********************
