Sadhana Chatushtaya - Detailed Description

Satsanga with Sri Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

VIVEKA, DISCRIMINATION

nitynityavastuvivekastvad brahmaiva nitya 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 [Vedntasra, 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 Kahopaniad [1-2-2] says:

reyaca preyaca manuyameta tau sampartya vivinakti dhra.
reyas and preyas approach the human being. Having very clearly
considered them, the discriminative (person) distinguishes them.
In life, we constantly come across reyas and preyas. reyas means that which
is permanent and lasting and preyas is that which is impermanent and
ephemeral. reyas 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
Bhadrayakopaniad [4-6-16]:

yasmdarvksavatsaro'hobhi parivartate taddev jyoti jyoti.
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 Muakopaniad [1-1-6] says that brahman is nitya vibhu
sarvagata suskma, 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
Bhadrayakopaniad [4-4-20] says:

neha nn'sti kicana mtyo sa mtyumpnoti ya iha nneva payati.
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 Chndogyopaniad [7-24-1] says:

yatra nnyatpayati nnyacchoti nnyadvijnti sa bhm.
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 bhm 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-nitya-vastu tato'nyadakhilamanityamiti vivecanam.
Brahmaiva-nitya-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 bhat in the sense of vddhi,
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
nanda that is free from all limitations. All of us want unqualified happiness;
we dont want a time-qualified happiness that is available at one time and not
at another; we dont want a place-qualified happiness in which we are happy
only in a given place and not any other, and we dont want happiness that
obtains only in one situation and not in another. In fact, we dont 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 vairgya
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Based on Vedntasra lectures. Transcribed and edited by Malini, KK Davey and Jayshree
Ramakrishnan.
VAIRGYA, 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 virga or dispassion towards
everything impermanent, which is described next.
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aihikn srakcandanavanitdi-viaya-bhogn karma-janyataya-
anityatvavadmumikmapyamtdi-viayabhognmanityatay tebhyo
nitar virati - ihmutrrthaphala-bhoga-virga [Vedntasra, 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-virga. Rga means passion
or attachment and virga is dispassion or non-attachment; it is freedom from
passion. We should also know that wherever there is rga or attachment there
is a corresponding dvea 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 rga and dvea 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
Virga means a freedom from both attachment and aversion and
vairgya is the corresponding state of dispassion. It is important to
understand that vairgya 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 vairgya. It should be noted that
aversion is just as undesirable since it also keeps my mind away from myself.
Rga and dvea 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 Muakopaniad [1-2-12] says:

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parkya lokn karmacitn brahmao nirvedamynnstyakta ktena.
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 vairgya 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 dont 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 dont 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, vairgya arises towards qualified happiness; when we
realize that there is unqualified happiness to be gained, we no longer want
qualified or conditional happiness. We dont want happiness that is
dependent upon the acquisition of an object having particular attributes. We
dont 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,
amta. The devats 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 Chndogyopaniad says [8-1-6]:
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tadyatheha karmajito loka kyata evamevmutra puyajito loka kyate.
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], ke puye martyaloka vianti,
a stay in the heavens lasts until ones puya 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 puya or virtuous actions. When the puya 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, vairgya 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 Kahopaniad [2-1-1]:
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parci khni vyatat svayambhstasmtparpayati nntartman,
kaciddhra pratyagtmnamaikadvttacakuramtatvamicchan.
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 vairgya. There is virati, a total cessation of pleasure-
seeking. Vairgya 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 mana-vairgya, the disgust towards
life that often arises when we undergo unpleasant experiences. People have
that vairgya in mana, 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 vairgya, 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
r akarcrya 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 Mahbhrata says:
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yacca kmasukha loke yacca divya mahatsukham,
t-kayasukhasyaite nrhata oa kalm.
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 Taittirya Upaniad [2-8], various degrees of happiness are
described; yuv sytsdhuyuv'dhyyaka, iho dhiho baliha, tasyeya
pthiv sarv vittasya pr syt. 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 manuya-gandharva is said to enjoy one hundred such units of
human happiness; a deva-gandharva enjoys one hundred units of a manuya-
gandharvas happiness; a pit enjoys one hundred units of a deva-gandharvas
happiness, and so on. The degree or intensity of happiness grows as the
updhi 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, rotriyasya ckmahatasya. 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
vairgya. 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, rga. Correspondingly, the mind
also becomes free from aversion, dvea. In the Bhagavad Gita [5-3], Lord
Krishna describes a person whose mind is free from fascinations or aversions
as a renunciate.
~F 3 9 j 3q ~~
jeya sa nityasanys yo na dvei na kkati,
nirdvandvo hi mahbho sukha bandhtpramucyate.
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 rga and dvea; that alone is
called vairgya. Dispassion means freedom.
Dispassion implies the acquiring of an objective mind
Dispassion should not be understood as aversion or suppression.
Vairgya 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 dont want disgust; we dont 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. Vairgya 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, vairgya 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-updna-karaam, both
the material and efficient cause; He alone is in the form of this entire creation.
However, we do not see God everywhere. We dont 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 vairgya, which comes as a result of viveka.
Vairgya is the most important qualification. Viveka fulfills itself only
when it results in vairgya. 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 vairgya
1
.

1
Based on Vedntasra lectures. Transcribed and edited by Malini, KrishnaKumar (KK) S. Davey and
Jayshree Ramakrishnan.
AMA, THE MASTERY OF THE MIND
~

- 7*-
amastvat - ravadivyatiriktaviayebhyo manaso nigraha [Vedntasra,
19].
ama is the curbing of the mind from all objects except hearing etc.
ama is nti or the quiet disposition of mind. The word ama is
derived from the root am in the sense of quietude or silence. ama means
quietude of the mind. This passage describes how to make the mind quiet.
Nigraha is curbing or restraint, and manasa nigraha 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, ama means
mastery of the mind or bringing the mind back from the sense objects,
viayebhya.
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, rga and dvea keep our minds away from the Self;
the mind is dragged away from its purpose into the objects of its likes and
dislikes.
EUEU 3 7 = GU -
indriyasyendriyasyrthe rgadveau vyavasthitau,
tayorna vaamgacchettau 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 ones
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]:
G ~ 6U E ~
yatato hyapi kaunteya puruasya vipacita,
indriyi pramthni haranti prasabha mana.
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: kma or desire, krodha or anger, lobha or greed, moha or lack of
discrimination, mada or pride, and mtsarya or jealousy. Kma 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 mtsarya 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 adripu. 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 Kahopaniad says [1-2-20]:
~
tamakratu payati vtaoko dhtuprasdnmahimnamtmana.
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 ama 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.
~ G~ ~~ ~
tmaiva hytmano bandhurtmaiva ripurtmana.
The self alone is ones benefactor and the self alone is ones 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.
ama 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 ravaam, listening to the scriptures. He wants to do mananam,
reflect upon what he has heard, and then achieve nidhidhysanam, the
assimilation of what he has understood to be the truth. ravaam leads to an
understanding of the truth, mananam is the subsequent contemplation to make
ones understanding free from doubts, and nidhidhysanam 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 ama. ravaam, mananam, and nidhidhysanam, are the
means to gain knowledge and we want the mind to be focused on this pursuit
all the time. As the Vivekacmai [22] says, svalakye-niyatvasth, the
mind should be constantly focused on ones lakya or goal.
ama 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 rga, 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. Rga 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 viayavrtd doady muhurmuhu is the dispassion felt
towards a host of objects by seeing their limitations again and again
[Vivekacumai, 22]. The method suggested to restrain the mind or bring it
back to its focus is to see its limitation. Doadi 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, sarva khalvida brahma
[Chndogyopaniad, 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 rga and dvea.
Therefore, it is necessary to deliberately make the mind free from rga and
dvea, 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]:

~ F ~F

yato yato nicarati manacacalamasthiram,
tatastato niyamyaitadtmanyeva vaa 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 ones 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 rga and dvea, and in the state of ama. ama is the
mastery of the mind, which enables the student to focus on his goal
1
.

1
DAMA, THE RESTRAINT OF THE SENSE ORGANS
- GE *-

dama - bhyendriy tadvyatiriktaviayebhyo nivartanam [Vedntasra,
20].
Dama is the restraining of the external organs from all objects except
that.
Whereas ama 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 dont 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 ravaam, mananam, and nidhidhysanam.
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 ravaam, mananam, and nidhidhysanam. 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
amnitvam, humility, adabhitvam, unpretentiousness, ahis, non-violence,
ksntih, forbearance or forgiveness, and rjavam, 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 amnitvam and
adabhitvam. 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:
7~ \ T E
om pyyantu mamgni vkpracaku rotramatho balamindriyi ca
sarvi.
May my limbs grow (strong). May the organs of speech, Pra, eyes,
ears, and all the (other) organs as well as (their) power (grow strong).
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\ ~9
~7
bhadra karebhi ruuyma dev bhadra payemkabhiryajatr,
sthirairagaistuuvsastanbhirvyaema devahita yadyu.
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,
vyurnvamivmbhasi. 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 doesnt 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:
3 T ~

~7- W
anudvegakara vkya satya priyahita ca yat,
svdhyybhyasana caiva vmaya tapa ucyate.
Speech, which does not cause agitation, which is true, pleasing, and
beneficial, and the daily repetition of ones 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]:
*U *9U *~H U ]
yukthravihrasya yuktaceasya karmasu,
yuktasvapnvabodhasya yogo bhavati dukhah.
For one who is moderate in eating and other activities, who is
moderate in effort with reference to ones duties, (and) to ones
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 dont 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 ravaam,
mananam, and nidhidhysanam.
ama 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 do
1
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1
UPARATI, THE ABIDANCE OF THE MIND AND SENSE ORGANS, OR
TOTAL RENUNCIATION
*- ~
nivartitnmete tadvyatiriktaviayebhya uparamaamuparatirathav
vihitn karma vidhin parityga [Vedntasra, 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. ama 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 ravaam, mananam, and nidhidhysanam, and that by which
the sense organs are also disciplined so that they aid, rather than distract from
the focus. Therefore, while ama 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 ama 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 ama 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
para dv 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 ama and dama. It is
that faculty by which we are not distracted even when in the midst of sense
objects. For example, we dont 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 athav vihitn karma
vidhin parityga. Uparati means cessation and so the word cessation can be
understood as parityga, the renunciation of vihitn karmam, all the
enjoined duties, vidhin, according to the stipulations or injunctions. In short,
uparati means sannysa 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 sannysa 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 persons 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
persons 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 dont 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 sannysa 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 sannysa 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 Muakopaniad [1-2-12] says:
3 6=

~ GU

tadvijnrtha sa gurumevbhigacchet samitpi rotriya brahmaniham.
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 sannysa or the renunciation of prescribed duties or
enjoined actions.
Vihitn karma vidhin parityga. Sannysa or renunciation is a
saskra, 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:
~ ~
na karma na prajay dhanena tygenaike amtatvamnau.
It is through renunciation that a few seekers have attained
immortality not through ritual, progeny, or wealth
[Kaivalyopaniad, 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. r Sakarcrya always emphasizes sarva-karma
parityga, the renunciation of all duties.
~ F0 4
vedntavijnasunircitrth sanysayogdyataya uddhasattv.
Through renunciation, the pure-minded renunciates have ascertained
brahman, which is the object of Vedantic knowledge
[Kaivalyopaniad, 4].
G 7~ ~
brhma putraiayca vittaiayca lokaiayca vyutthytha
bhikcarya caranti.
Knowing this very Self, the Brahmins renounce the desire for sons,
wealth, and the worlds, and lead a mendicants life
[Bhadrayakopaniad, 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, kma. 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]:
E F ~ H

E~~ =
karmendriyi sayamya ya ste manas smaran,
indriyrthnvimhtm mithycra 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 ama and
dama alone is ready for uparati or renunciation of action.
pravtti-lakao yogo jna sanysa-lakanam,
tasmajjana purasktya sanyasediha buddhimn.
Verse meaning and source?
Yoga involves pravtti or activity and jnam involves nivtti 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 rama to dwell or sport and uparama is the cessation
of all sporting. Uparati or uparama is attained when our sense organs and
mind cease to sport with sense objects and abide in the Self.
A renunciates lifestyle is in tune with the nature of the Self
Uparati, sannysa, 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, Vedntins 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 mithy. 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 sannysa: giving up all
desire-prompted actions.
F F F ] ~ ~
kmyn karma nysa sanysa kavayo vidu,
sarvakarmaphalatyga prhustyga vicaka.
The wise know sannysa as the renunciation of actions for desired
objects; the learned people say that the renunciation of the results of
action is tyga [Bhagavad Gita, 18-2].
Arjuna wants to know the meaning of the words tyga and sannysa.
Generally, they are used as synonyms, but tyga means abandoning or giving
up something, and sannysa 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 asanga, 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 sannysa 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 sdhu is a simple person whose needs are minimal. Our lives should
reflect this simplicity, minimal dependence, and lack of demands. Sannysa 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 sannysi. 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
antevsi; they lived a life of celibacy and simplicity with their teacher and
served him.
In theory, you dont 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 viviktadea-sevitvam-aratir-janasasadi
[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.
Sannysa 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 sannysa.
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. r akarcrya, 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.
ama 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 lives
1
.

1
TITIK, ENDURANCE
- 93q9
titik - todi-dvandva-sahiut [Vedntasra, 22].
Titik is the endurance of heat and cold and other pairs of opposites.
Sahiut is endurance; dvandva means the pairs of opposites; ita is
cold, and ua is hot. An endurance of the pairs of opposites, such as heat and
cold, is called titik.
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 dont 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 mithy. Mithy 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 oclock in the morning may not necessarily be an object of love at two
oclock 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
www.AVGsatsang.org
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 prrabdha, 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 Vivekacumai [24] defines titik as:
]

0
sahana sarvadukhnmapratkraprvakam,
cintvilparahita s titik nigadyate.
Objectivity to all pains without any anxiety, complaint, or any
attempt of revenge is called titik.
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 pratikra, 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 dont 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 ones poise or equanimity of mind in all situations
In short, titik 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 titik or endurance.
Ideally, like the wise man, we should surrender the body to destiny,
prrabdhya samarpita svavapu [Man Pacakam, 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 someones 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 titik 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 dont 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 dont 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]:
3*~
samo'ha sarvabhteu na me dveyo'sti na priya.
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 titik.
Endurance is freedom from anxiety, lamentation, and retaliation, both
inwardly and outwardly
Very often, people interpret titik as putting up with things. In India,
this understanding of titik 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
titik is not merely suffering without retaliation. If I put up with it
outwardly, but resist it inwardly, it is not titik. Titik 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 titik.
Titik implies becoming free from retaliation inwardly. There is no
cint, anxiety, or vilpa, lamentation. Titik 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,
U ~ U H ~
jtasya hi dhruvo mtyurdhruva janma mtasya ca,
tasmdaparihrye'rthe na tva ocitumarhasi.
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, titik 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. Titik 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, titik 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 titik.
Endurance lies in dismissing all situations through discrimination
Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna the value of titik in the Bhagavad Gita.
P~ ~ 9] ~~~~
mtrsparstu kaunteya toasukhadukhad,
gampyino'nityststitikasva bhrata.
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].
0 0 I9~F~
nsato vidyate bhvo nbhvo vidyate sata,
ubhayorapi do'ntastvanayostattvadaribhi.
For the unreal (mithy), 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 mithy, 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 titik. It
is the attitude that it does not matter whether something is agreeable or
disagreeable; both are mithy. When one is able to dismiss all situations
through viveka, he displays titik.
Titik 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 situations
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RADDH, TRUST AND DEVOTION
-9~T - 4
Gurpadiavedntavkyeu vivsa - raddh [Vedntasra, 24].
raddh is trust in the statements of Vedanta as taught by the teacher.
raddh is generally translated as faith and also as trust, which may be
a better word. A trust in Vedanta is called raddh. Since Vedanta is a
pramam, 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 pramam for their corresponding objects and we have raddh 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 pramam or pram kraam, valid
means of knowledge for revealing the corresponding objects. We should have
a similar trust in Vedanta because Vedanta is a pramam. The first statement
of this text is vednto nmopaniatpramam, Vedanta is the Upaniad, which is
a pramam 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 Upaniad 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 Upaniad 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 pramam for the nature of
Reality and we dont 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 dont accept Vedanta as a
pramam 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 pramam, 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 pramam and giving it the same benefit of the doubt
that we would give any other pramam. 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 pramam. 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 raddh or trust that we have in Vedanta enables us to maintain a
certain frame of mind wherein we dont question what Vedanta says, but try
to understand what it says. The Self is a unique subject. Typically, I dont
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 dont 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. raddh 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.
raddh is trust as well as a reverence for Vedanta and the teacher
raddh 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 raddh 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
raddh is gurpadia-vedntavkyeu vivsa. 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 cant 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 dont 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 Upaniad. The meaning of the word
guru is explained as:
F~ 6~7 ~~ 6~
gukrastvandhakro vai rukrastannivarttaka,
andhakranirodhitvd gururityabhidhyate.
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 avatra 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 avtara.
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 raddh
Let raddh, 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
raddh. Love has to manifest itself. Similarly, devotion and raddh are not
things that we can command; they have to happen.
raddh is the enlightened faith that we discover as a result of verification
raddh, 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 raddh, 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. raddh 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
Vivekacumai [25], r akarcrya says:
UU 6
U ~ 7

4 ~-
strasya guruvkyasya satyabuddhyavadhraam,
s raddh kathit sadbhiryay vastpalabhyate.
The conviction that the scriptures and the words of the teacher are
true is said to be raddh by the wise by whom the Truth is known.
Lord Krishna also gives importance to raddh and says, raddhvn
labhate jnam, one who has raddh gains knowledge [Bhagavad Gita, 4-39].
We give our eyes and ears the status of a pramam 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,
raddh, which we discover in course of time, is an extremely important
disposition of mind
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SAMDHNAM, CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND
We gain a mind free from distractions and disturbances as a result of the first
four qualifications, ama, dama, uparama, and titik. ama 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 titik 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:
-

nightasya manasa ravadau tadanuguaviaye ca samdhi - samdhnam
[Vedntasra, 23].
Samdhnam 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.
Nightasya manasa 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 samdhnam or samdhi.
Samdhi means absorption, concentration, or single-pointedness. Such a
mind should be focused ravadau, in ravaam, mananam, and nididhysanam.
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
samdhnam 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 Bhadrayaka Upaniad [4-5-6] says, tmvare davya, tm
must be seen, meaning that it must be known. How should it be known?
rotravya mantavya nididhysitavya. We must conduct an inquiry into the
nature of the Self, and the method of performing that inquiry is through
ravaam, listening to the scriptures from the teacher, mananam, reflecting
upon what we have heard to clarify doubts, and nididhysanam, 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
ravaam, mananam, and nididhysanam.
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Concentration includes developing other necessary inner qualities
Tadanuguaviaye. 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 amnitvam, 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. Samdhnam, therefore, includes doing whatever is necessary to
develop these inner qualifications of humility, non-pretentiousness, ahis,
non-violence, knti, forgiveness or accommodation, rjavam,
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 samdhnam. 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:

adhytmajnanityatva tattvajnrthadaranam.
..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. ma and vima, 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 samdhnam.
Concentration includes making our day-to-day activities a means to the
pursuit of self-knowledge
Samdhnam 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, ones 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 ones 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 Lords grace and purify
our mind. This is also a part of samdhnam. Samdhnam 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
svdhyya, 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]:

maccitt madgatapr bodhayanta parasparam,
kathayantaca m nitya tuyanti 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 samdhnam, concentration or focus
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MUMUKUTVAM, 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. Mumuka arises as our distorted perceptions get corrected and the mind
slowly becomes abiding. The fourth qualification of the
sdhanacatuayasampatti is mumukutvam.

-
mumukutvam mokecch [Vedntasra, 25].
Mumukutvam is the yearning for spiritual freedom.
The word mumuku, is derived from the root muc, to liberate or
release. The word mumuk is derived from mumuku and it means a desire
for liberation. The state of mind in which that desire for liberation is present
is called mumukutvam. It is also called moka-icch, a desire for liberation.
Mumukutvam arises; it cannot be commanded
Mumukutvam is not something that we can cultivate, unlike the other
qualifications. We can practice discrimination, restraint, and focusing the
mind, but icch 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 Dont drink
alcohol is understandable because we have the freedom or option not to
drink. But instructions such as, Dont breathe, or Dont 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 dont 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 moka arises only in a qualified mind
A given situation invokes a desire depending upon the disposition of
mind, the saskras 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 moka arises, we
are ready for this knowledge. This desire for moka or liberation does not
happen to everybody. The intense desire for liberation, called mumukutvam,
arises only in a mind that is pure, free from likes and dislikes, impulses,
doubts, and questions. Although mumukutvam 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.
Mumukutvam 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 sttvik or pure mind,
sattvtsajyate jnam [Bhagavad Gita, 14-17]. Only when the desire for
freedom becomes the sole desire is the individual best qualified for this
liberating knowledge. Thus, mumukutvam 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: mumuk 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 moka. Mumukutvam is thus a yearning or intense desire for freedom. This
is stated in the first sutra of the Brahma Sutras, athao brahma jijas. 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, vairgya, and the amdiakasampatti.
The intense desire for freedom is the only qualification required for self-
knowledge
Mumukutvam 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
amdiakasampatti; the one who will have the amdiakasampatti is one
who has vairgya, the one who will have vairgya is one in whom there is
viveka. There is a sequence here -- viveka brings about vairgya, which enables
the amdiakasampatti that results in mumukutvam. 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 mumukutvam is also a desire, how can
knowledge take place? Wont this desire also keep the mind away from the
Self? The desire for moka, 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, mumuk or the desire for moka is the one desire that focuses the
mind upon the Self. The Bhadrayaka Upaniad [4-4-6] describes a
mumuku as athkmayamna -- yo'kmo nikma ptakma tmakma, 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,
mumukutvam 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 mumukutvam can ever be fulfilled.
Mumuk 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. Mumukutvam, 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 man
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Satsanga with Sri Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

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