Spiritual & mental liberation (31/07/ 2015)

Guru Purnima is an auspicious occasion for all spiritual seekers in general and all the sanyāsĩs in particular; and sanyāsĩs start their cāturmāsya vratam on this day only. To mark the beginning of cāturmāsya vratam , they offer pũjā to the entire Guru paramparā which has maintained the vedāntic teaching; and we are able to benefit now.

            Therefore, we are indebted to the entire Guru paramparā, which we generally indicate in the ślokā "sadāśiva samārambhām śańkarācārya madhyamām asmad ācārya paryantām ...". Sadāśiva or Dakṣiṇāmurti is the Ādi Guru. Sańkarācāryā represent the middle ones, who represent the entire intermediary Gurus. And asmad ācārya paryantām - up to our Ācāryā - we do namaskārā. In the intermediate part of the paramparā, there are so many Ācāryās, and we cannot name all of them. And therefore, we have named Sańkarācāryā. But, we should remember that, there were many Ācāryās before Sańkarācāryā like Gauḍapādā, Vyāsācāryā,  who were as great as Sańkarā; and similarly, after Sańkarācāryā like Sureṣvarācāryā, Vidyāraṇyā, Madhusũdana Sarasvatĩ.

Among those great Ācāryās there was one Ācāryā by name Vidyāraṇya Swāmĩ. He was one of the Sańkarācāryās of Śṛńgerĩ Pĩṭhaṃ also, and a great saint - scholar, who has written several works clarifying the Vedāntic teachings. One of his famous works is Pañcadaśĩ - which some of us have studied and seen the glory of his work. There is another equally great work written by Vidyāraṇya Swāmĩ. And that is, Jĩvan Mukti Vivekaḥ. It is a beautiful work; relatively smaller, and in prose form. In that Jĩvan Mukti Vivekāḥ Vidyāraṇya Swāmĩji gives some useful tips for all Vedāntic seekers. He has presented it in a very śāstric and classical form; but, for the sake of communication, I am presenting it in my own manner. The presentation is mine; but, the ideas belong to Jĩvan Mukti Vivekaḥ.

When we study Vedāntā, three words are repeatedly used. Those three words are sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ , jñānam and mokṣaḥ. Sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ - meaning, the four-fold qualifications. I am not elaborating; but, we should remember their names; viveka - discrimination; vairāgyam - dispassion; samādi ṣaṭka sampattiḥ - discipline; and, mumukṣutvam - desire for liberation. 4Ds. Discrimination, Dispassion, Discipline and Desire.  These are the four-fold qualifications - sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ.

The second word we use in vedāntā is jñānam. By the word jñānam, we mean the knowledge of ātmā - which is our real nature. Self-knowledge. When a qualified student with the four-fold qualifications gains self-knowledge, ātma jñānam , the benefit he derives is mokṣaḥ. And therefore, the third word we often use is mokṣaḥ. Mokṣaḥ meaning, freedom from saṃsāraḥ. What does the word saṃsārā mean? Certainly not wife! In the vedāntic context, saṃsāra nivṛttiḥ freedom from all emotional disturbances. saṃsāra is translated as emotional disturbances or emotional distress. ED nivṛttiḥ means, freedom from emotional disturbances. Śāstram repeatedly names two such emotional disturbances. One is called śokaḥ or grief; and the other is bhayam, Fear. Bhayam representing, worry, anxiety, fear, etc. Śoka and bhayam - these two words are repeatedly used, to represent saṃsāra. These two words, grief and fear, represent all forms of emotional disturbances; and that is saṃsārā. And mokṣā is what? Freedom from ED, emotional distress. Thus, sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ, jñānam and mokṣā - these three words are significant in vedāntā.

In fact, the first primer of vedāntā - which everyone has to study, the book called tattva bodha - starts with three words. “sadhana catustaya sampanna adhikarinam " 

All these three are known to us. Now, what is the unique contribution of Vidyāraṇyā in jĩvan mukti vivekaḥ ? He points out that, freedom from emotional distress (or, ED) - that is mokṣā - can be looked from two different angles. One is the conventional angle, as all emotional disturbances belong to the mind. Therefore, 'freedom from emotional disturbances' means, 'the mind will be free from all emotional disturbances'. Therefore, whenever we say, "jnānĩ gets mokṣā', one approach is, "jnānĩ will enjoy a mind which is free from bhayam, duḥkham etc. A jnānĩ will be always sāntaḥ, always samaḥ.

samaduḥkhasukhaḥ svasthaḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ । tulyapriyāpriyo dhīrastulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ॥ Gita 14-24

This is "freedom of the mind from emotional disturbances". And for the sake of communication, I will use the word "mental liberation" (or, ML). What is the first interpretation of mokṣā? Mental liberation. Mental liberation means, mind enjoying freedom from all emotional disturbances. That means, mind is always peaceful and joyous. This is one interpretation which I call ML. Mental liberation.  

What is the second interpretation? This is śāstric interpretation of mokṣā. That is, a Jnānĩ is one who understands "I AM THE Ā TMĀ". A Jnānĩ is one, who - through the study of scriptures - attains jñānam. And what is the jñānam? "I am not the body; I am not the mind, I am the ātmā which is different from the mind". And, what is the nature of ātmā? ātmā is free from emotional disturbances. Why emotional? ātmā is free from ALL disturbances. Not only ātmā is free from all disturbances, it is impossible for anyone to disturb the ātmā at any time. Therefore, ātmā is free from ALL disturbances, including emotional disturbances. When? ātmā is free from all disturbances - including emotional disturbances - When? All the time. Therefore, "the jnānĩ is free from disturbances". 

Thus, jnānĩ can be looked at from two angles. 1. One is from the stand point of his mind. 2. Another is from the stand point of ātmā. From 'MIND ANGLE', He is free from all disturbances. From the 'ĀTMĀ ANGLE', He is free from all disturbances. From mind angle, the liberation is ML. When you talk about freedom from disturbances from ātmā angle, I am going to call Spiritual liberation (SL). 

Thus, two types of liberation, from two different angles. One is mental liberation (ML); another is, spiritual liberation (SL). Now, the question is, when the śāstrā talks about liberation, which one the śāstrā is emphasising? Mental or spiritual? If you study the scriptures, you find śāstrā talks about a jnānĩ’s liberation from both angles. jnānĩ enjoys spiritual liberation as he claims, "I am the ātmā; and I am always free from all types of disturbances". śāntam śivam advaitam etc.

The scriptures talk about mental liberation also. When Gĩtā talks about – duḥkheṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ । vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīr munir ucyate ॥ Gita 2-56

Who is a jnānĩ? The Bhagavad Gĩtā here is talking about the jnānĩ’s liberation not from the standpoint of ātmā; but, jnānĩ’s mind itself is free from all types of disturbance. Therefore, mokṣā is equal to both SL and ML. Both of them are equally important. In fact, both of them are, complementary. This is message number one of jĩvan mukti vivekaḥ- Splitting mokṣā into spiritual and mental. 

Then, the next message Vidyāraṇyā wants to give is, of these two liberations, spiritual liberation is directly connected to jñānam. Jñānam is the primary cause of spiritual liberation; because, through Jñānam alone, I come to know that "I am the ātmā, which is free from all disturbances all the time". Jñānam is the direct cause of spiritual liberation. What about sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ? sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ is not the direct cause; it is only a supportive cause. But, jñānam is the direct cause of spiritual liberation. Jñānam is ańgĩ, sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ is ańgam. Whereas, (now you should guess what is the next message!) Vidyāraṇyā says, "As far mental liberation is concerned, it is directly connected to sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ only". Sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ alone is the direct cause of mental liberation. This is the second important message.

Jñānam is the direct cause of SL. Sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ, (SC - sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ); sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ is the direct cause of mental peace. Mental liberation or mental peace is directly connected to SC only. Therefore, the degree of mental liberation will be directly dependent on the degree of Sadhana Chatustyam. Even among Jnānĩs, their degree of mental liberation will depend upon their degree of sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ. Even though all Jnānĩs will have basic sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ, pass-mark, all Jnānĩs cannot have the same degree of mental liberation. It will depend upon the degree of sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ. All the people who have passed the examination will have minimum pass-mark; but, they will not have same score. Some people would have just scrapped through, getting. Some people would have got First class. Some people would have Distinction. Some would have Ranks, etc. Thus, sādhana catuṣṭaya saṃpatti is variable; and depending upon that, mental liberation is also variable. whereas, jñānam and spiritual liberation are both non-variable. So, whoever finds mental liberation is of a lower degree, they all should focus on what? Not on more studies. They should focus more on sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ. If there is a problem in mental liberation, you have to go to which knob? Not, more number of text books. Not, jñānam centered. But, sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ centered. Handling the right knob for the right liberation. This is the message here.

Then, the next message Vidyāraṇyā gives is, in sādhana catuṣṭayaṃ also, two qualifications are extremely important for mental liberation. What are they? Śamah - of the "śamādiṣaṭṭkasampattiḥ". First one is, śamaḥ. (I am addressing all those students who have been studying vedāntā. My Gurupũrṇimā talk is always addressed to the vedāntic students, who have gone through some fundamental text-books) and the other is vairāgyam. 

Samaḥ and vairāgyam are two important & complementary qualifications. And they are extremely important for ML (mental liberation). If those two are not taken care of, any amount of jñānam may give spiritual liberation; but, there will be deficiency in mental liberation!

The word śamaḥ means mano nigrahaḥ. That is the definition in tattva bodha. Mano nigrahaḥ means, "the skill of using the mind as our instrument". Mind is not an independent and free entity; but, mind is my instrument. mano nigrahaḥ is the skill of using the mind as my instrument; because, in the vision of the śāstra, mind is not an independent entity. It is a karaṇam. karaṇam means, an instrument. The instrument should never have freedom of its own. The car should not decide the direction of the journey! The car user, the driver, should decide. That is why in English there is an expression, "he is in the driver's seat". Thus, mind must be an instrument. I should be the driver. when i have the skill to make the mind as an instrument, i have got śamaḥ. If the mind is an instrument, that means, all the activities of the mind are not determined by my mind; but, i have the authority and power to decide what the mind should and should not do.

All the activities of the mind are in the form of thoughts only. That means, I should have the skill to determine the type of thought. i should be able to replace any thought by any other thought of my choice. I will call it, 'thought directing skill' or 'thought displacing skill' (TDS). I should have the skill to displace any thought in mind by any other thought I choose. The mind may entertain 100 different type of thoughts; because, the mind cannot keep quiet. Its job is to do ceṣṭai! But, if I have got śama, śama will give me the skill. What skill? Thought displacing skill (TDS). And if I have got TDS - which is very, very powerful - with that skill, I will be able to handle all emotional disturbances. Because, all emotional disturbances are in the form of mental activity - which are in the form of thoughts only. Therefore, I can displace any type of thought - whether it is bhayam, worry or anxiety - any type of ED thought, if only I have got śama or TDS. I will be able to, at will, ask the mind do what? "Leave this thought and have this". This power is śama or TDS.  

This TDS is extremely important for mental liberation. Without TDS, maximum you hope to get is spiritual liberation - "I am the ātmā free from all disturbances". But, mental liberation is not possible without building up TDS. Vidyāraṇyā says, this TDS skill will have to be gained. it is never natural or instinctive. even spiritual knowledge will not automatically give this skill. this skill we have to work for and gain. For gaining the skill, the primary sādhanā is meditation. Primary sādhanā to develop TDS is meditation. Whether it is upāsana dhyānam or nididhyāsana dhyānam - any type of meditation you take - in the spiritual context, any form of meditation must be utilised for developing TDS. And the success rate of mental liberation must be measured in terms of my TDS only. Only when we try to practice meditation, we know how much śama we have got. The testing ground for our TDS is, meditation. Only when we do, we know where we stand. Therefore Vidyāraṇyā emphasis meditation as a mean of TDS.

How meditation works is, in meditation, I have to ask the mind to drop all its fancied activities. Because, all the time the mind is involved in its own pre-occupation. Often, during the lecture also! The mind has got its own, chattering mind; permanently chattering mind. Before meditation, after meditation, and during meditation also! Once I say, "Ohm śrĩ Gurubhyo namaḥ ", I should be able to ask the mind to stop all the chattering.

I give the example of the Wimbledon game. In Wimbledon, there is a very interesting thing. There will be a huge crowd. When one of the players wins a particular game, after a long rally, then the whole crowd will be shouting, encouraging. When the player is ready for the next serve, still disturbances are there. Then the umpire will say a statement: "Quiet, please". He will not shout; he will come near the mike and say, "Quiet, please". Then, you will see the entire stadium with 20000 or 25000 people will fall silent. There will be absolute silence! (It will not happen in India!). Like that, TDS is, when I sit in meditation and say, 'Oh, mind, enough of your chattering; drop what you are doing; I am giving you this task, now'.

It can be any form of meditation. The simplest form of meditation being, mãnasa japaḥ - mental chanting of any mantrā. In meditation, the mind should drop its preoccupation 100%; and the mind should do the given task 100%! And I should be aware of the whole process 100%! 100% dropping; 100% chanting; 100% awareness! Just for 15 or 20 minutes if I can order the mind to do that, and if the mind can do that, I am developing TDS; which is called, śamaḥ. I should be able to practice this regularly. Later, extend it at any time, at any place, under any condition. At will, if I can displace the pre-occupational thoughts and replace it with what ever thought I choose then, I am developing TDS. Success will not come initially.

As Arjunā complains - cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham । tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram ॥ Gita 6-34 "Kṛṣṇā, you are saying. But, I only know my mind!" And, Lord Kṛṣṇā says - asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam । abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ॥ Gita 6-35 "Kaunteya - Arjunā, it is a universal problem. Very tough. It is a long term project; but, it is not impossible.” Abhyāsena tu - meditation for developing the TDS.

And, vairāgyeṇa ca - we can practice it at any time. Before the class, dhyāna ślokās are chanted. 99% of the time, dhyāna ślokā will be only in the mouth; but, the mind will be carrying many other things! Any day I decide, "Today I want to chant dhyāna ślokā mentally also", I decide and if I can implement also, that means, what? My TDS is improving. Once the success rate is very high, then the advantage is, we can use the TDS whenever there are mental disturbances - like worry, family worry or fear or when all kinds of mental problems are there. It is very, very tough; but, if I have developed TDS, I can tell the mind, "Enough. Silence, please". Remember Wimbledon - "Quiet, please".

Then the mind, as an obedient instrument, drops all the worry thought, fear thought, etc. It is dis-placed by whatever I give. A mantrā or anything. The idea is what? ED, emotional disturbance I should be able to vacate at will. Vacating the mind of emotional disturbances at will is śamaḥ. Without the śama, mental liberation is not possible. The mind is prone to disturbance; and many such events are there. Family members are there. Their job is to give this ED only! Therefore, ED will come as the mind is given to emotions.

But, what śāstra says is, persistence of emotional disturbance - however legitimate and justifiable they are - is absolutely useless and is very, very, harmful also. Because, they will obstruct my performance of duties to myself and to others.

Emotionally disturbed mind cannot do the duty also properly. Persistent emotional disturbances are obstacles to mental liberation. Persistent emotional disturbances are even an obstacle to claiming the spiritual liberation. Even for claiming that you require what? The Mind must be available. A pre-occupied mind cannot even claim that. Finally, persistent emotional disturbances are harmful to our health also. Because of all these reasons, we have to build up TDS and employ the TDS to drive away ED, so that we can enjoy ML. This is jĩvan mukti vivekaḥ.

The next important qualification, which is the twin of śama is, vairāgyam. The role of śama is removing emotional disturbances. role of vairāgyam is avoiding emotional disturbances. Do you understand the difference? One is to remove ED which has already arrived. Vairāgyam is to prevent ED.  

What is vairāgyam? vairāgyam is, "the skill of reducing or weakening rāgā and dveṣā. Attachment and aversion; or, likes and dislikes. They cannot be eliminated, totally. indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau । tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau ॥ Gita 3-34 Rāga dveṣā cannot be eliminated; but, they can be weakened by us!

Weakening of rāga dveṣā is required; because, rāga dveṣā alone is the cause of all ED. According to vedāntā, world and people and events cannot cause disturbance. Our biggest misconception is that the world, the objects, the people, the events - are the cause of ed. Sāstrā says, NO. If world is the cause, you can never get liberation; because, you cannot change the world at all. Liberation is possible; because, world is not the cause. World disturbs me only though the channel of my rāga dveṣā. Wherever my likes & dislikes are there, through that alone, events will disturb. If my rāga dveṣā is not there, in the Wimbledon final, whether Djokovich wins or Federrer wins, I am absolutely mentally liberated. Why? In that event, no connection with my rāga dveṣā. So, events are not responsible; People are not responsible. My rāga dveṣā is responsible.

That rāga dveṣā also is only in a small segment of the CREATION. What is that segment? Only where I have got ahańkāraḥ and mamakāraḥ. Like, in the body mind, I have ahańkāraḥ. In the family, property etc., we have got mamakāraḥ. There is a small segment where I have aham - mama and rāga - dveṣā. This ahańkārā, mamakārā, rāga, dveṣā - these alone are responsible for the arrival of ED, emotional disturbance. Therefore, if you want to reduce their arrival, we have to weaken rāga-dveṣā, ahańkārā and mamakārā.

One method of weakening is, not dwelling upon them all the time. We have to dwell on them only when we have to do our duty. But, all the time, 24x7 - whole week, whole month, all the time carrying, as Dayānanda Swāmĩji says, "When a person travels by train or flight, even though he buys only one ticket, five people are travelling with him, without ticket! How? Because, he is carrying every family member, in his mind!" Because of aham-mama, rāga-dveṣā we are carrying. That is preoccupation. Reduce dwelling on rāga-dveṣā and ahammama. Repeatedly remember the śāstric teaching, "I am not the owner of anything. I am not the controller of anything. Bhagavān alone is the owner and controller. I am only the user and contributor. I can contribute my best; but, I cannot control anything. Therefore, all the events are decided by Bhagavān; and I am ready to welcome any event that is given by Bhagavān. My rāgadveṣā will not change the event. On the other hand, rāga-dveṣā will cause more and more ED, emotional disturbances only! Therefore, replace ahańkāramamakārā, rāga-dveṣā thoughts by surrender. Submit to the WILL OF GOD. Repeatedly remember, "I am not the owner or the controller. Bhagavān gives everything according to the 'law of karma' and I am ready to accept anything according to the law". Thus, once I weaken the rāga-dveṣā, arrival of ED will come down. Use vairāgyam, reduce the arrival of ED.

Somehow if it comes, then what do you do? Immediately apply TDS. Therefore, reduce rāga and dveṣā. I have coined a phrase for that also. I am for is rāga. I am against is dveṣā. For-against thought! FAT. Do not build up FAT! In Body or Mind! I am not for anything, I am not against anything. Whatever Bhagavān gives, I am for it. Therefore, TDS and FAT reduction skill. Vairāgyam will reduce the arrival of ED. Sama will remove arrived disturbance. If we follow these two, we will enjoy ML, mental liberation, which will help in claiming SL, spiritual liberation also!

Last, important point. By improving our vairāgyam and śama, we can certainly improve our mental peace. It is a challenging task; but, it is worth it; because, it is a rewarding task. I can enjoy calmness of the mind all the time. Therefore, working for improving mental liberation is practically very, very useful.

But we should remember one point. ML, mental liberation is from the stand-point of the mind. Mind is anātmā. anātmā is controlled by or affected by, 100s of factors. Anātmā is influenced by 100s of known and unknown factors. Therefore, mental liberation can never be absolute. we can only get a relative mental liberation and that too it will be fluctuating also. That is why, I used to say (Frequency and Intensity of Reaction) FIR reduction; not, FIR elimination. Mental liberation is relative; not absolute! And it will be fluctuating also. That is why primary aim of śāstrā is not ML, mental liberation. It is practically very useful; but, primary tātparyam of śāstra is in SL, spiritual liberation. hold on to jña?nam and spiritual liberation; and enjoy working on ml, mental liberation, through TDS and FRS (FRS means FAT reduction skill).

This is the essence of jĩvan mukti vivekaḥ, given by Vidyāraṇya. Hold on to SL spiritual liberation. Enjoy improving ML, mental liberation through śama and vairāgyam. And śama can be attained and improved only through meditation.

With these few words I conclude my Guru Purnima talk