Vivek - 1

There is an air of mystery around the field of Spirituality. The words such as Moksha, Paramārtha or Adhyātma are intriguing. People feel curious to know more about them. Even if the words look familiar, their exact meanings are not really known. The interest awakens due to the enigma associated with them. This awakening is the inception of journey into the field of spirituality. An inquisitive seeker reads the scriptures and listens to spiritual discourses (Shravaṇ, श्रवण) to learn nuances about the philosophy. Increasing interest propels him further on the spiritual path. His involvement in material life slowly takes a back-seat. He is firmly convinced that ‘Paramārtha or Moksha is the ultimate goal of human life’. A strong craving for liberation (Moksha) then initiates the seeker into the field of spirituality.

Specific efforts and spiritual practices are needed to attain the goal of Moksha. The ‘Fourfold Means of Eligibility’, which is the prerequisite to attain the spiritual goal, is called as Sādhan-Chatushṭaya (साधन चतुष्टय). It consists of -

·         Discrimination between real and unreal (Viveka, विवेक)

·         Renunciation (Vairagya, वैराग्य)

·         A collection of six virtues (Shamādi-Shaṭaka, शमादिषटक)

·         Desire for liberation (Mumukshatva, मुमुक्षत्व)

Deep introspection and contemplation are needed while learning these four prerequisites. Sādhan-Chatushṭaya strongly emphasizes on application of the doctrine to get a novice seeker ready for liberation. When correctly learnt and internalized, Sādhan-Chatushṭaya leads to intrinsic change in the nature and behavior of the seeker. The only objective of spiritual pursuit is experiencing perpetual, Pure Bliss in everyday life. For that, Sādhan-Chatushṭaya needs to be learnt and implemented in the right spirit.

Vich (विच्) is the root word in Sanskrit from which the word ‘Viveka’ is formed. The meaning of ‘Vich’ is ‘to discriminate’ or ‘to separate’ real from unreal. Viveka involves clearly separating the real principle (of Brahman) from unreal worldly matters. Viveka is imperative to reach the goal of liberation i.e. Moksha. We often think of both conducive and adverse factors and then take a decision. To take a decision, we need to evaluate various options from which the ‘right-one’ can be chosen. Similarly, we need to clearly understand how discrimination needs to be applied for attaining Moksha.

Every Upanishad has a ‘Peace-Mañtra’ (Shānti-Pāṭha, शांतिपाठ), which is usually recited both in the beginning and the end of the Upanishad. Each peace-Mañtra ends with the verse Om Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ (ॐ शांतिः, शांतिः, शांतिः).  There is a definitive reason why it ends that way. A Peace-Mañtra is implicitly meant to be a prayer. However, peaceful life cannot be acquired just by praying and verbally chanting the Mañtra. Peacefulness needs to be attained with focused and conscious efforts.

People experience miseries and afflictions in their lives. These sufferings are named as ‘Tāp’ (ताप) by Vedānta. They are categorized into three parts and together called as the ‘Three Types of Afflictions’ (Trividha Tāp, त्रिविध ताप), which are Ādhyātmik Tāp (आध्यात्मिक ताप), Ādhibhāutik Tāp (आधिभौतिक ताप) and Ādhidaivik Tāp (आधिदैविक ताप). St. Rāmdas Swāmi has written elaborate commentary on them in his famous treatise Dāsbodh.

Afflictions related to the body are called as Ādhyātmik Tāp. Afflictions caused by others are called as Ādhibhāutik Tāp. After death, when subtle body (Vāsanā-deha, वासना देह) leaves gross body, it can suffer according to various sins committed while alive. Such suffering is called as Ādhidaivik Tāp. A prayer is recited in the form of Peace-Mañtra to alleviate and eradicate these afflictions. Peace (Shānti, शांती), i.e. relief from miseries, needs to be earned with efforts. It is not something that can be begged or asked for. To ‘earn peace’ means to ‘take efforts’ to eradicate the three afflictions. For that, it is necessary to discern the root-cause of all three afflictions.

The root-cause of Ādhyātmik Tāp is the illusion that ‘I am body’ (Deha-satyatva Bhrānti, देहसत्यत्त्व भ्रांती). The root-cause of Ādhibhāutik Tāp is the illusion that ‘the world exists’ and it is ‘real’ the way it seems (Jagat-satyatva Bhrānti, जगत्-सत्यत्त्व भ्रांती). For those, who do not attain Moksha, their subtle body undergoes many torments in hell. Hence, not attaining Moksha is the root-cause of Ādhidaivik Tāp.  

To relieve these three afflictions, Viveka is necessary. Self-realization (the thought that I am Brahman) is the only way to eradicate these afflictions. It needs to be consciously retained and persistently used in life. Viveka is especially needed to maintain a calm, balanced mindset in adverse conditions.

Ādhyātmik Tāp (आध्यात्मिक ताप)

Pains, diseases, miseries related to body (sthool, sukshma and kāran sharira; स्थूल, सूक्ष्म, कारण शरीर) are called as Ādhyātmik Tāp. Body is constantly afflicted with various pains or diseases. Even if one disease is cured, some other pain crops up and the cycle continues this way. So long as we identify ourselves with the body, we are bound to feel pain.  The only permanent solution for this problem is to eradicate the illusion that ‘I am body’ (Deha-satyatva Bhrānti).

‘I’ and ‘my body’ need to be separated from each other with the help of Viveka. A seeker should learn the scriptures of Vedānta, understand their gist and assimilate the fact that the real Self is separate from the body.

The strong conviction that ‘I am body’ is called as Dehādhyāsa (देहाध्यास). Adhyāsa (अध्यास) means deceptively seeing presence of one object instead of the other. Jiva (embodied soul) is originally ‘Brahman’ but mistakenly sees himself as a ‘body’. This misconception is called as Dehadhyāsa. Only when Jiva is convinced that ‘I am not body’, he starts being a ‘detached observer’ to the changes in his own body. He transcends his own pain and continues to be happy even when the body is inflicted with pains. This is a fundamental but crucial thought in Vedānta. Life becomes increasingly happy when this thought is reinforced. We should delve deep into it.

When someone says, ‘my head is paining’, it means he has implicitly separated ‘I’ and ‘my head’ as two different entities. Vedānta propounds that the real ‘I’ or ‘Self’ is separate from the body. We should carefully internalize the thought that ‘I am not head’ or ‘I am not body’. Only then it is possible to witness our own headache as calmly and indifferently as we would watch someone else’s headache. Externally, it is important to continue treating the headache and taking required medicines to cure it. However, internally we can transcend the pain and learn to watch it in a detached manner. This seems preposterous in the beginning, but it is surely doable.

There is a famous story of St. Kabir wherein he was bitten by a dog when he was deeply engaged in chanting the Mañtra of Lord Rāma. His wound started bleeding. However, Kabir realized his own pain only when another person showed him the wound. Kabir was so engrossed in chanting that he didn’t realize his own pain. Instead he said – ‘The dog has bitten the foot, so let the dog and the foot worry about it.’ St. Kabir was at peace despite the severe pain inflicted on him. It is possible to witness one’s own body as a third person. This story serves as a best example of this fact. Any ordinary person would have strongly reacted to the dog-bite and become miserable. People loose balance in such adverse situations. Their suffering escalates like compound interest. Kabir was composed since his ability to discriminate between ‘I and body’ was active, on-guard, perfected and assimilated by his mind. Each one of us has ability to awaken our Viveka and discern our real nature. To pacify Ādhyātmik Tāp, the tight coupling between ‘I’ and ‘my body’ needs to be gradually eradicated with Viveka.

To be continued...