Jivan Mukti (16/07/2019)

As you all know gurupurnima is a very auspicious day especially for all the spiritual seekers. Because it is a day on which all the spiritual seekers worship the entire Acharya Parampara including their own guru. And in our tradition, in the lineage of spiritual teachers, the first guru is Bhagawan himself as declared as Adiguru with an unbroken tradition or lineage which has come up to my own guru.  Whatever spiritual knowledge is gained is coming from this parampara. Therefore, I take the opportunity to worship the entire parampara beginning from the Lord to my own guru.  

             Even though we worship the entire Acharya parampare, the prIde of place is given to Vyasa. He is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. And his contribution to Hinduism in general and the Hindu spiritual teaching in particular are matchless. He is the author of Brahma Sutra through which he comprehensively extracted the spiritual teachings contained in the Veda and Vedanta. And through Bhagavad Gita, he made it available for the entire humanity. And therefore we honour him today as gurupurnima day or Vyasapurnima also.   

            On this day the orthodox sanyasis start the chatur masya. For two months they camp in a particular place. In this period they worship the Acharyas and conduct regular satsangs where people in the vicinity gather. These are occasions for them to talk of ultimate spiritual goal of moksha to the lay people who are lost in, the worldly life. Getting educated, married, career, raising children is not the be-all or end-all of life. Many of us are lost in the worldly pursuit. Therefore, they must be shaken a little bit. Moksha as a concept is introduced as to inspire them to come to spirituality. 

            In keeping with that tradition I would also like to share some spiritual thoughts with you. And today my topic is jivan mukti as discussed by Vidyaranya in his work “Jivan Mukti Vivekah”.  

            Vedanta is the final part of Veda that deal with spiritual teaching where the concept of Moksha as the final spiritual goal is introduced. We can translate moksha as liberation. And according to Vedanta, moksha can be achieved by a person, here and now in this life. It is not something that comes after our death. The question will come, liberation from what? From samsara which is human bondage and shackles. Samsara is the repeated cycle of births and deaths. Dropping one body and again taking another body and again dropping that body; moksha is freedom from this cycle.  The sastras say that this cycle is based on our own karmas – good and bad actions that result in punya and papam. This punya-papam gets partially exhausted in the current janma itself. But not totally. Which means at the time of death, we will always have residual karma.     

            And in every janma, we accumulate the residual karma, and at any time, we have got a huge accumulated punya-papa karma.  And this is called Sanchita karma; a portion of which is responsible for the current birth. And the fructifying bunch is called Prarabdha Karma. And while exhausting prarabdha, we add fresh karma which is called Agami karma. At the time of death, we exhaust our prarabdha karma. And the residual agami will join the sanchita. From the sanchita the next bunch gets ready to become prarabdha, life, death where the residual Agami becomes Sanchita again – hence we are all caught in an endless repetitive cycle of births and deaths.   

             And it is this inexhaustible cycle of repeated births and deaths, the Sastra says that only method of destroying karma is through moksha, a spiritual wisdom from Vedanta. It is this spiritual education that destroys all the karmas. But the scriptures add a footnote – Jnanam destroys sanchita karma, it avoids agami but it cannot destroy prarabdha karma. That bunch of punya-papa karma that has started fructifying for a definition of prarabdha karma. That prarabdham which has given this body. It is praradbha karma that keeps this body going which jnanam cannot destroy.

            Now is this a good news or bad news?  On enquiry you will find, it is bittersweet. Why is it good news? Because, suppose if jnanm destroys even prarabdha karma then when a person gets enlightened, death will be instantaneous. The date and time of enlightenment will be the date and time of my death. Enlightenment and death will become synonymous. And if it becomes synonymous how many students will come to a guru?? Guru will no longer be a savior but a killer!!!    

            Generally, some students come to Vedanta classes. Most of them feel they won’t get enlightenment. But even those few students will consider it a risk to come to the guru because by chance enlightenment comes, I will not be able to go back home. So the good news is jnanam doesn’t destroy prarabdha karma, so the students will continue to live.  Then what is the bad news? Since prarabdha karma is not destroyed, both prarabdha punya and papam will continue to do its function. So even for a jnani, punya will give pleasant experience, pappam bad experiences. Prarabdha will continue to give problems even after I become a jnani.   

If he is a grihasta, family problems can come due to prarabdha karma, health problems can come, death can come, financial problems can come. All problems which a lay an ignorant person will also afflict an enlightened person and just as severe. That is the negative side. Of course we will be happy if jnanam selectively destroys, like targeted radiation to destroy some harmful cells. Suppose knowledge selectively destroys prarabdha karma, it will destroy all the pappam karma so that a person does not go through misery; but continue to enjoy pleasant experiences for punya karma.   

            Unfortunately, jnanam doesn’t do that selective destruction. It leaves both prarabdha punya and prarabdha pappam. Which means Vedanta and Knowledge (Jnanam) does not handle the prarabdha problem. That is the bottom line.  It may save me from taking next birth (freedom from repeated births and deaths). But in the current life, knowledge is not of much use. This will be our doubt.  

            But does Vedanta and Jnanam do to sufferings of prarabdha karma?  These suffering could be intense. Every jiva has to go through the sufferings of one’s past punyam and pappam. But it does help in handling this sorrow in an indirect manner.  Knowledge helps reduce the impact of prarabdha karma to such an extent that the misery gets diluted, mitigated, and made tolerably manageable.   

            And how does it do that? This is the classical answer given by Vedanta.  If a person has gained jnanam very well by going through “Shravanam” properly, “Manam” thoroughly and also internalised the teaching through “Nidhi Dyasanam”; this knowledge will give him a different perspective. He understands that the entire creation is nothing but one reality called Brahman, appearing with different names and forms. Therefore, the world of variety is nothing but “namam” and “rupam”. And the world doesn’t have, its own existence, its own reality. It only appears, supported by the truth called Brahman. The assimilation of this fact is called Mithyam Darshanam.   

            For a “Jnani” or “Jnana Nishta” or “Sthithaprajna”, Mithya Darshanam is very strong.  The wise understand that the world is just “mithya” and the sorrow is only temporary. It will also pass away. This awareness becomes natural.  And when he sees the entire world as “mithya”, it will naturally include the small area called ahamkara (I notion) and mamakara (mine notion). Body, mind, family, property, wife, children that I claim as “I” and “Mine” is now seen as Mithya. For a jnani, the the entire world is appreciated as Mithya.   

            What about Prarabdha? It is also the minutest part of this Mithya universe. And this mithya darshanam makes the whole world insignificant. And prarabdham gets far, far diluted. Like you are look at the trees from an aircraft. When you look from there, even huge trees are like plants. Even huge lake seems like puddles of water. Thus for a jnani, wisdom dilutes the impact of Prarabdham Karma to such an extent, it is so insignificant. Not worth talking about even if the whole world considers it a huge tragedy.  It is like wearing dark glasses when you are walking out in summer. Because of the dark glasses, cooling glasses, even though it is hot outside you don’t feel it. Because the jnanam goggle and mithya darshanam, prarabdha is as good as destroyed. This is the indirect method of handling prarabdha caused suffering. This is a classical answer given. 

            And there is a second answer also.  Which is given by some of the Acharyas. Especially those Acharyas who came after Sankaracharya. This second method of handling sorrow inflicted by Parabdha karma is crystallised in the famous work called “jivan mukti vivekah” by Vidyaranya. It is this second method I want to share on this auspicious gurupurnima day. Up to this you already might be remembering. Sankaracharya says in Atmaboda which says: Whatever I see, hear, smell is nothing but Brahman. If there is anything other than brahman, it is nothing but mithya nama-rupa darshanam. Using this idea, we can make use of “Nidhi Dyasanam” as a source of happiness. Nidhidyasanam is Vedic meditation which is meant for neutralizing our habitual notions that I am the body, mind, etc. That habitual notion called “Viparitha bhavana”.  To remove viparitha bhavana, nidhidyasanam is prescribed. Here these Acharyas say: Nidhidaysanam is used for “viparitha bhavana nrivitti” where it is used as a source of happiness. 

            What is Vedic meditation or Nidhidyasanam? It is the meditations on the mahavakya of Vedanta. It talks about Atma which is about me only.  It removes my ignorance about me and my misconceptions about myself. And it reveals that I am not a miserable jiva. But I am the most wonderful brahman. This is so graphically presented in Kaivalya Upannishad.   

 A knower of Brahman regards that good and bad are but different manifestations of the same Atman. Virtue and vice do not afflict him. They cannot generate subsequent births. He realises that he is non-doer and non-enjoyer. He knows that the Atman is actionless, and that the mind alone is the doer of all actions. He has neither wants, nor egoism, nor desires

 (Jiva understands I am not the body or the sense organs – I am not the three bodies nor the three states of experience. I am Chaitanya tatvam that illumines the three states, this chaitanyam is the essence, the adhara. It’s very nature is Ananda and if a student goes through sravanam and mananam, this is a live fact). .

            Because through sravanam, mananam, and nidhidyasanam, he has internalized that I am Sachithananda rupam. It is a greater fact, than I am the physical body human being. I am a human being is a lower fact. As somebody said, I am not a human being seeking spiritual experience. I am a spiritual being temporarily having a human experience. If this has been internalized, how will such a jnani look at himself whenever he is alone? When Ajnani is alone, he will worry and wallow in misery. But the wise soaked in knowledge will relish and savor.

How he relishes and savor is given in Kaivalya Upanishad:

The text, in verses 18 to 24 describes the state of liberated renouncer. The Upanishad states he is blissful, content in all three states of consciousness, feels everything was born in him and abides in him and dissolves in him, that he is Brahman that is in everyone, he is sadashiva, ancient, diverse, spiritual, with the gift to know eternity.

The liberated renouncer, feels he is the knower, the perceiver, the one to learn the Vedas, the one to perfect the Vedas. He feels his essence is beyond good and bad, beyond body and mind, beyond merit and demerits, beyond what perishes, asserts the text. The liberated man, states the Upanishad, has found the highest Atman in his heart.

            These are not simple words and closed and forgotten or to be stored in CDs. But for a Janani these are live words talking about his own glory. The more he looks at the meaning of these verse, more he appreciates his own glory. I am so wonderful. I am so fantastic. In fact, entire world enjoys existence because on my existence. With nama-rupa I alone appear as the whole world. Appreciating his own glory in the form of glorious universe.

            Therefore, for a jnani, nidhidyasanam can become a source of experiencing Ananda. This nidhidyasanam Ananda is an experiential pleasure. Because, during nidhidyasama my mind is Satvic. My mind is entertaining jnana vruti. Not only I am Bhimba Ananda, my mind experiences Prati Bhimba Ananda - Experiential joy. He jumps with joy. It is an unique Ananda different, for it doesn’t come from Anatma. And it is qualitatively superior because it is born out the finest Jnanam regarding the finest reality. And it is quantitatively also superior. Because it is Brahman reflected in the mind as I dwell upon my own glory,

            Whenever opportunity comes I soak the mind in the nidhydyasanam Ananda. And when I look at prarabdha with this Ananda, I will never curse my destiny. In fact, I am grateful to it. It is because of prarabdha, I am born a human being. Because of prarabdha, I got Sastram and a guru. Because of prarabdha, I have got this knowledge. Because of this prarabdha, I have got the greatest fulfilment. All this because destiny gave me opportunity and it is prarabdha that is keeping me alive. Otherwise I will not be here to enjoy. Therefore, I have got a rare opportunity to enjoy nidhidyasanam Ananda, And when a jnani practices this meditation, all the problems inflicted by parabdha will appear as insignificant.

Krishna gives the same method in the six chapter of the Gita in verses 20, 21 and 22.

His mind is so happy because of this knowledge that the worst crisis will become

insignificant. Knowledge dilutes prarabdha based problems.

            As a conclusion, mithya darshanam is the first method. The second is soak the mind with happiness with nidhidyasanam. For the second method, we require time and

inclination. When you have bitten some chilli, just as you put sugar in your mouth, when prarabdha problems bite, jivan mukti sugar, you put in mouth. That is what is said by

Lord Krishna also. prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān

ātmany-evātmanā tuṣhṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadochyate. With this I conclude my gurupurnima talk. May we have the grace of the guru for tackling prarabdha karma either through mithya darshanam or nidhidyasanam or both.  

A Jnani’s relationship with God (27/07/2018)

Gurupurnima is the auspicious day, especially for spiritual seekers in general and the sanyasis in particular. And on this day, all the spiritual seekers offer their reverence to the entire guru parampara starting from Bhagavan - the first Guru, up to the last Guru, that is - our own Guru. And whatever we know about spirituality it is because of them only. Therefore, it is an opportunity to express our gratitude also. Both reverence and gratitude.

            And in the case of some sanyasis, today happens to be the beginning of their vratam called Chathurmasya Vratam, during which they remain in one place and do special pujas to all the Acharyas, and also share the traditional teaching with the spiritual seekers around. So in keeping with that tradition, today I will share some thoughts, based on the traditional teaching. And today, I would like to deal with the unique relationship existing between a jnani and Bhagavan. I call it a unique relationship because it is seemingly a contradictory relationship. On enquiry, we can understand what this relationship is.

And this unique relationship Lord Krishna brings out in the Bhagavad Gita.

In the 7th Chapter Lord Krishna says, there are four types of bhaktas – ārtaḥ, arthārthī, jijñāsuḥ and jñāni. And all the bhaktas are great bhaktas, but the jnani is the greatest bhakta.

caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino:'rjuna |

ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha || 7- 16||

tēṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ēkabhaktirviśiṣyatē | … 7- 17||

Viśiṣyatē means excels, surpasses. Who surpasses whom? Jnani bhakta surpasses all the other three bhaktas - ārtaḥ, arthārthī, and jijñāsuḥ. And most of you are students of Gita, and therefore, I don’t have to explain.

            But, I will give you the running meaning. Ārtaḥ means a bhakta who is in some distress or the other and therefore worships Bhagavan to save himself from the problem.

Arthārthī is a person who is not in distress but is engaged in some pursuit or the other. Whatever pursuit he is engaged in; he wants success in that pursuit. And when he worships Bhagavan for getting success in that – it can be pursuit of money, position, possession, employment, admission in American University. And, jijñāsuḥ bhakti is a bhakti for getting knowledge in general, and spiritual knowledge in particular. This is called jijñāsuḥ bhakti. And the last one is jnani bhakta: who has gained the knowledge. And more about this jnani bhakta, Lord Krishna says:

… priyō hi jñāninō'tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ 7- 17||

All the other bhaktas are dear to me, but this superlative degree, the dearest bhakta, I will reserve only for a jnani. And later in the 12th Chapter, Krishna elaborately describes a jnani and repeatedly says:

… yō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ || 12.14 ||

He is dearest to me; he is dearest to me!

Thus, jnani is a bhakta and he has got devotion to Bhagavan, and Bhagavan says jnani loves me and I love jnani. And then what is their relationship? Bhagavan-Bhakta relationship; Lover-Loved relationship.

Therefore, a relationship in which there is difference between jnani and Bhagavan. Jnani loves Bhagavan, and Bhagavan is loved by jnani. Thus it is a clean bedha: a difference, between jnani – the lover, and Bhagavan, the Loved. And vice versa – Bhagavan the Lover and jnani – the Beloved. And this relationship we call bedha sambandha: A relationship in which there is clear difference between Bhagavan and jnani bhakta. And the same Lord says in the Bhagavad Gita itself in another verse of the 7thChapter: -

udārāḥ sarva ēvaitē jñānī tvātmaiva mē matam… 7.18 ||

“Hey Arjuna! All the bhaktas are great. Not only jnani is the greatest bhakta; do you know one secret? Jnani is I myself! And when Krishna says jnani is myself, what is the relationship between them? Both are one and the same. They don’t have Lover-Loved relationship because it requires duality. If jnani and Bhagavan are one and the same, there is no duality at all. Therefore, one cannot be called the Lover, and the other cannot be

called loved also. Therefore, this is called what? No sambandha or we call it Abedha sambandha. A relationship in which there is no relationship because there is only Bhagavan is bhakta, bhakta is Bhagavan.

            Bedha sambandha and there is abedha sambandha. Now the question is …..how is it possible? Because if they are different, they cannot be one and the same. Bedha and abedha are mutually contradictory. Even though it is a contradiction, Bhagavan says that in the Gita: “priyō hi jñāninō'tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ “. ‘ Sa ca mama priyah’ is bedha sambandha; and ‘jñāninō'tyarthamahaṃ’ is abedha sambandha. Every serious student of Gita should raise a question. How is it possible? How come Krishna contradicts himself logically? Not only Krishna contradicts logically, Krishna does not resolve the contradiction throughout the Gita. That they are different, that they are identical. And since Krishna doesn’t explicitly resolve this contradiction, it becomes a home-work of a student.

            If there is a mananam practice, these are the issues which are to be exercised during mananam. In vedanta sastra, it is resolved through an example which is “Wave and Ocean”. You feel you are in a familiar terrain. So, you look at a wave in the ocean and the vast ocean. If somebody asks: “Is there a difference between wave and ocean?” You will certainly answer “Of course, they are different.” Why? Because wave is wave and ocean is ocean. They are different. Wave is small, ocean is big; wave is impermanent, ocean is permanent; wave is the product, ocean is the cause. In all these respects, there are differences. So there is a bedha-sambandha between Taranga and samudra. But, suppose you probe a little bit, wave is nothing but what? The name of water only. Water itself is called wave, not under all conditions; but when it got a particular form, then and then alone it is called a wave. Therefore, wave is a nama for water, when it has got a particular shape or roopam. Therefore, from the standpoint of nama and roopa it is called a wave; but it is nothing but water only. Similarly, what is ocean? Ocean is also nothing but water only. But it is called ocean when it has got all the waves put together, all the shapes of all the waves put together – samashti roopam, it is called the ocean. So, ocean is water, wave is water. Therefore, both of them nothing but one and the same all-pervading water only, this is called abedha sambandha. From name and form angle, there is difference. From the angle of the essential nature, there is non-difference. This means, there is difference from the standpoint of names and forms, and there is no difference from the standpoint of essential nature.

How do you resolve the contradiction? The opposite relationships are possible when you look from two different standpoints. Suppose I ask you whether Mylapore is far away or nearby? One student says it is far away, and I cannot come to the function, Another person says that it is nearby. So the same place, Asthika Samajam, one person says faraway, another person says nearby. How do you resolve the contradiction? From the standpoint of Mylapore, Asthika Samajam is nearby, from the standpoint of Annanagar or Perungudi or Kancheepuram or Tuticorin or Thiruvananthapuram, it is far away. So, one and the same thing have opposite attributes from two different standpoints. Opposite attributes are logically possible when the standpoints are different. Similarly, between jiva and Easwara, bedha-sambandha is also possible and abedha-sambandha is also possible. How do you resolve? From nama-roopa-dhristi, there is bedha-sambandha; from svaroopa-dhrishti, there is abedha-sambandha. Now, jnani is one who knows the svaroopam - the essential nature of bhakta – the jiva and Bhagavan. Jnani is one who has got the knowledge of the svaroopam – the essential nature.

Whereas, ajnani is one who does not know the svaroopam of bhakta – that is himself and the svaroopam of Bhagavan. Ajnani does not have svaroopam-dhristi. He – as an ignorant person cannot look at the relationship from the standpoint of svaroopam, the essential nature because an ignorance. Therefore, he looks at the relationship only from nama-roopa dhristi only. Therefore, for an ajnani- bhakta, there is only one relationship. He is an individual, he has got a nama – a name, and he has got a roopam only. And Bhagavan has got a nama and a roopam. Nama-roopa-dhristiya, he says bedham, he does not know the svaroopam. Therefore, an ajnani bhakta has got only bedha-sambandha: Whereas, jnani-bhakta , the unique one, he knows bedha-sambandha also, and because of his jnanam of the svaroopam of both Bhagavan and himself, he knows that the essential nature of Bhagavan and the essential nature of himself like that of ocean and the wave. The essential nature is one Atma only.

ahamātmā guḍākēśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ .. BG 10:20 ||

“Arjuna! I am not Mr. Krishna who has come and who is going. Really speaking, I am the Atma, and I am the essential nature of not only Krishna nama-roopa, but I am the essential nature of all the nama and roopas. “

            Therefore, essentially, between me and Bhagavan, the relationship is abedha-sambandha. Ajnani sees one sambandha whereas jnani sees two sambandhas – or relationships. Jnani’s unique relationship with Bhagavan is bedha-abedha-sambandha: Ajnani’s relationship with Bhagaan is only bedha-sambandha – that is majority. Jnani – the minority has got a unique relationship which cannot be called bedha, or cannot be called abedha alone. It should be called bedha-abedha-sambandha.

And this gives the jnani a unique advantage. Jnani has got the facility to invoke bedha-sambandha at will, and he can invoke abedha-sambandha also. Like a wave can claim ‘I am a wave’ (if it likes); And a wave can also claim ‘I am water!’. A wave can say both of this!. Which one is right? Both are right. Just as wave can claim both, jnani enjoys the unique privilege of invoking bedha-sambandha also, abedha-sambandha also. And what does jnani generally do? In all worldly transactions, jnani should remember oneness or difference? Carefully listen! During transaction everyone should remember only the difference. Why? To avoid confusion for ourselves and also confusion in others. When you are filling in an application form, against the column ‘Who are you? and “What is your address?”, you cannot say “I am Atma, and my address is everywhere!”. What is your ‘Date of Birth?” “Unborn”. That is foolishness! We should be practical. We should talk from nama-roopa-dhristhi. The individuality should be retained, and the individuality of others should be respected. Guru must not be seen as sishya; Guru must be seen as Guru, sishya must be seen as sishya; daughter must be seen as daughter; wife must be seen as wife; mother must be seen as mother – you should not mix up.

            Therefore, jnani uses nama-roopa-dhristi and sees differences in all transactions. He deliberately invokes bedha for the sake of transactions. That is wisdom. And what the jnani does is – he extends this bedha-dhristi towards Bhagavan also for a particular transaction. Jnani invokes bedhadhristi also - that is he sees the difference between him the bhakta and

Bhagavan – for the sake of a particular transaction. He does not become ārtaḥ-bhakta, nor arthārthī-bhakta, not even jijñāsuḥ-bhakta. He is a jnani-bhakta, therefore, he invokes the difference with Bhagavan for a unique and particular purpose which is different from other three bhaktas. Can you imagine what is that purpose? Remember, jnani is one who enjoys the benefit of jnanam. The benefit of jnanam are immense and described all over the scriptures. The most important benefit of being sense of poornatvam. Feeling freedom from the sense of smallness, freedom from the sense of insignificance, freedom from the fear of mortality. Fear of mortality, feeling of insignificance, feeling of worthlessness etc.

            Ajnani come with a feeling of worthlessness. All the other members will reinforce also. Whether it is spouse or someone else. Everybody will say I am worthless, reinforcing my sense of smallness. Jnanam is the one which has removed my limitation caused by nama-roopa and has helped me to claim the poornatvam as the Atma. And therefore, jnani’s joy is instant. It is the joy of liberation. Whenever I experience any joy a beautiful feeling that accompany is a sense of gratitude towards the cause which gave me that joy. Not only he enjoys the sense of poornatvam, he contrasts his (earlier) condition as an ārtaḥbhakta, as an arthārthī-bhakta or jijñāsuḥ-bhakta. He was a samsari; he was feeling tension, worry, nxiety, fear, all of them. He was a bhakta all right, but he did not even enjoy bhakti. An ārtaḥ-bhakta is a bhakta, but he can never enjoy bhakti because while he is expressing bhakti, what will be in his heart. “Oh Lord! I am in desperate problem. Somehow, you have to save me!”. Ārtaḥ-bhakta is tension-ridden. Arthārthī-bhakta is desperate. Jijñāsuḥ-bhakta is desperate whether he would get mokhsa in this janma or next janma. (Hey Guru! Please give me special blessings for this on this special day of Gurupurnima!) Anxiety-samsara is common to ārtaḥ, arthārthī and jijñāsuḥ. Jnani-bhakta contrasts his bhakti with his own previous bhakti and others tension-ridden bhakti and he says “Thank God, I am out of all this struggles of samsara. Even bhakti was a struggle for me. I am free from all this.”

            It is because of the gratitude must go to whom? Jnani is a jnani because of the Guru. Therefore, immediately his mind goes to Guru. And next it goes to Sastram because, Guru could teach only with the help of the Sastram. Guru is not a Guru without Sastram. Sastram without Guru is confusion. Sastram becomes a Sastram – a communicator- only when it is handled by a Guru. Therefore, I am indebted to the Guru, I am indebted to the Sastram. Therefore, I want to express my gratitude to the Guru.

            This requires bedha-sambandha or abedha-sambandha? Expression of gratitude requires invocation of bedha. The joy of gratitude which is a unique feeling, the joy of expressing gratitude requires bedha. I would love to do saashtaanga namaskara and when I want to express my gratitude to the Guru and Sastram, the question comes how they come into being? When I express my gratitude to the Guru, Guru says “Don’t give it to me, it has come from my Guru.” (His Guru would say that it (the knowledge) has come to him from his Guru, and so on). Therefore, ultimately, the Adi Guru happens to be “Narayanam, Padmabhuvam..”, “Sadasiva samaarambaam..” Siva/Vishnu is the AdiGuru. And that Lord alone has given not only the guru-paramapara, He has given the Sastram also. As a seeker I surrendered for wisdom. And after jnanam comes, jnani again does namaskara – not for wisdom, but as an expression of gratitude. Throughout life, a spiritual seeker should worship three things. Vedanta – the Scriptures, Guru – the Teacher, Easwara – the AdiGuru.

And the motive alone changes. In the beginning part of one’s life is spent for getting jnanam, and later, he continues to do namaskara. On Gurupurnima Day, he does special namaskara to the entire Guru-parampara and the Lord also, where he deliberately invoke the difference between himself and Bhagavan. He can invoke bedha-sambanda and enjoy the sense of gratitude, and express that gratitude with puja, namaskara etc. And not only he enjoys the sense of gratitude, he can immediately at the end of the puja, he has the facility to shift from bedha-sambandha to abedhasambandha also. Like the wave. Imagine, the wave was doing a namaskara to the ocean with a ‘shodasaupachara puja”. Expressing the gratitude, for helping discover: “I am not a mortal wave, but I am immortal water”. And when the wave invokes “I am water”, how does it enjoy its glory? “There is only one water that is myself. I am here, I am there, I am everywhere.” As water, the wave says “I am the wave also, I am the ocean also, I am the bubble also. No nama-roopa can limit me because all the nama-roopa are born of me, rest in me, they resolve in me”. (Like this, the jnani can) invoke abedha-sambandha for poornatvam. He can invoke bedha-sambandha for expressing gratitude, and invoke abedha-sambandha for claiming poornatvam. Both gives him joy.

How does the jnani claim poornatvam?  Upanishads say there is finitude in bedha. Division means limitation. Division will never give poornatvam. In bedha, there is never poornatvam. In division there is finitude. Therefore, invoke the division for expressing the gratitude. Thereafter invoke abedha, and say that “ Ahameva Idhagum Sarvam”.

In Taittriya Upanishad mantra “Aham Vrikshasya reriva..” Trisanku Rishi, after invoking bedha-sambandha and expressing gratitude, thereafter he sat quietly and invoked the abedha-sambandha and said:- “I am the only Reality. I only am behind the Bhakta also, and Bhagavan also. I alone am endowed with all nama-roopa. All the glories in the universe are my glory only. ”Thus, what is the relationship between jnani and Bhagavan? Bedha and

Abedha. Which is beautiful? Both are beautiful. One is beautiful - only because of the other. Because of abedha-sambandha only - I enjoy poornatvam. And because of poornatvam only - I have sense of gratitude. As a human being I am a bhakta. As a being, I am Jnani. (‘being’ means Atma). So, jnani has a unique relationship. He enjoys both of them.

            When we did Gurupurnima namaskara, we need not have a doubt whether I need to do namaskara or not? Whether after hearing ‘Maha Vakyam’ and knowing that Bhagavan and I are One, can I do namaskara? No problem. Invoke bedha and enjoy namaskara. Invoke abedha and enjoy poornatvam.

The Vedic View of God - 9/07/2017

In the Bhagavad Gĩtā, in one particular ślokā, the Lord talks about four types of devotees:

"chatur-vidha bhajante mam, janah sukritino ’rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthijnani cha bharatarsabha"

There are four types of devotees, and they are: ārta bhaktaḥ, arthārthĩ bhaktaḥ, jijñāsu bhaktaḥ and jñānĩ bhaktaḥ.  

Arta bhaktaḥ is one who is a devotee in distress facing varieties of problems. And he wants to worship GOD for freedom from his problems. He is a distressed bhaktā wanting to get freedom from his stress and distress. Whereas, arthārthĩ bhaktaḥ is one who does not have any particular problem now; but, he is engaged in various ventures, and in all of them he desperately wants success. May be an admission in a American university! So, varieties of things a person desires. Whatever he desires is called arthaḥ. arthaḥ means, wealth also. So, arthārthĩ is one who wants success in his seeking. Both ārta & arthārthĩ bhaktās want to worship GOD either to get things or get rid of things. In fact throughout our life, we are only busy either getting things or getting rid of things.

            And this bhaktās are so obsessed with his personal needs, he will worship GOD in any manner, suggested by anyone, at any place! If one person introduces a temple somewhere in a unique corner, he will go there and he will go to any temple any church any mosque or any place and offer any form of worship. His aim is: I want to somehow get what I want. I don't mind any type of pũjā.  They don't want to know 'who this blessed GOD.  But, they are not interested in knowing who this GOD is. How many GODs are there, whether GOD is a male or female or formless, all those details they are not interested. They go by pure faith. They do the pujas hoping their problems will be solved.  

            Thus, we have got many worshipers of GOD who are not interested in the knowledge of GOD or enquiry in to the nature of GOD. And Lord Krishna says, 'among these ārta and arthārthĩ bhaktās, some of them - in due course, (some of them, not all of them) may get sufficient puṇyam so that from ārta bhakti and arthārthĩ bhakti they become the third variety, a rare variety, called jijñāsu bhaktā. First, they want to know, 'is there a GOD at all?' Right from that, there is a problem; because, modern science - which is most powerful now - is rejecting the very existence of GOD. I should know what is GOD. I should know what is the nature of GOD. This desire comes. 'atatho brahma jijnasa?' (Brahma sũtra 1).

            And initially, it is a casual desire. It is not very serious. But, after some time, this desire becomes a burning desire. And he reads all kinds of books in his desire to know about God.  He finds that all those books are full of mystic experiences and mystic visions of GOD appearing, giving darśanam and disappearing; and miraculous events happening! God usually is full of mysticism, full of miracles, full of extra-ordinary experiences. But, all of them have got one common statement. They all say, 'you require a guru for guidance'.  And he begins guru shopping.

            Dayananda Swamiji calls it 'guru shopping'. Going from mall to mall, he looks for guru. And he has got his own concept of guru; and ultimately, he may identify someone or the other as the guru. According to his parameters, he fits in. Preferably, a person whose looks are extraordinary! Because, if a person is dealing with a mysterious GOD and mysterious visions, the person also should preferably look mysterious and extra-ordinary. But suppose, because of his extra-ordinary punyam, he gets a guru - looking ordinary or extra-ordinary - whatever the look may be, suppose he gets a guru who belongs to the vedic tradition. vaidika paramparāgata guruḥ, which guru paramparā we are worshiping on vyāsa pũjā day.

Nārāyanam aṇṇaamm padmabhuvam vasistham saktim ca tat putra parasaram ca vyasam suktam gaudapadam mahantam govinda yogaindra mathasya sisyam.

Sri Sankaracharya mathasya padmapadam ca hastamalakam ca sisyam tam totakam vartika karam anyan asmad gurun santatam anto’smi

So, if he finds traditional guru, coming in vaidika paramparā, he is very, very fortunate. Imagine this disciple approaches such a guru. And his expectations are based on all the GOD realisation books he had read. Therefore he thinks, the guru will teach him varieties of meditations, through which he can have mysterious experiences; mysterious visions he can get. Thus, he goes with an expectation of learning varieties of meditations. But a traditional guru, he never, never talks about meditation. Shisya is waiting; waiting with expectation. The guru's first statement is, 'GOD is the topic of this scriptures. Therefore, if you have to know GOD, first you should expose yourself to the teaching of the scriptures'. Thus, a traditional guru always introduces scriptural teaching; never meditation.

            All the scriptures are full of guru-śiṣyā dialogue; and in all of them, śiṣyā approaches the guru and surrenders. And the guru says, 'let us start learning'. Arjunā in the Gita surrenders to Krishna and says - "śisyaste’hm sadhi mam tvam prapanam - - 'please teach me'. Kaivalya upaniṣad that we are studying begins - "adhĩ̃hi bhagavan brahmavidyāṃ variṣṭhāṃ sadā sadbhiḥ sevyamanam nigudham  - 'may you teach'. Thus, traditional guru talks only about exposing oneself to the scriptural knowledge: "śrotavyah manavyah nidhidhyasitavyah" [bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣat] - 'may you expose yourself to the teaching' and try to assimilate the Lord, as revealed by the scriptures.

            Thus, all the scriptural words are those that the guru systematically taught the disciple. So, the fundamental difference between a traditional guru, belonging to vedic paramparā, and any other guru, who does not belong to the paramparā is: tradition starts with teaching; others start with meditation. This is one of the fundamental differences.  

Once the teaching starts, all the scriptures reveal GOD in a particular form, which is unique to the prasthānatrayam. Whether it is the upaniṣad or it is the bhagavad gĩtā or it is brahma sũtram - which are the fundamental scriptures - a jijñāsu bhaktā, should be exposed to the contents of this teaching. Iśāvāsya upaniṣad says:  

Isavasyam ida sarvam yatkincha jagatvyam jagat

Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasyasviddhanam

The 'vision of GOD' requires the conversion of our attitude towards this universe. The vision of god involves conversion of our attitude towards the very world we are experiencing. Or, in short, everything that we are experiencing. What is the conversion of the attitude? The upaniṣad says, before the scriptural study, we are looking at everything as world or universe. You have got jagat bhāvanā or prapañca bhāvanā. (bhāvanā means what? Attitude). What should you do? You have to replace the prapañca bhāvanā, displace the prapañca bhāvanā with ĩśvara bhāvanā. That means what? Everything that I am experiencing is none other than ĩśvarā and ĩśvarā only!

Purusa evaeda sarvam yadbhutam yacca bhavyam utamrtatvasyesanah [puruṣa sũktam] sarvam viṣṇumayam jagat.

In the viṣṇu sahasranāma, the first word of bhagavān is, viśvam. viśvam means, what? The whole universe. Therefore, in the vision of the veda, that we are looking at the world as a world is a mistake; but, we have to learn to look at the very universe as ĩśvaraḥ. Therefore, ĩśvara darśanam is not seeing a 'separate' ĩśvarā, who is other than the individual and world. ārta and arthārthĩ bhaktās think: ĩśvarā is a third entity other than jĩva and jagat. There is an extra-cosmic ĩśvarā, which extra-cosmic ĩśvarā I have to see, through mysterious experience. This is the approach of ārta arthārthĩ bhaktā.  

But, the vedic approach is, ĨŚVARA DARŚANAM IS SEEING THE WORLD AS ĨŚVARĀ. It is not a separate ĩśvara darśanam; but, learning to see the world itself as ĩśvarā. Therefore, when I systematically study the scriptures for a length of time, my idea of 'world' is replaced - whatever I experience is ĩśvarā. So, jĩva - jagat - ĩśvarā this is the triangle that I imagine. But, veda says, 'there is no jĩva - jagat - ĩśvarā triangle. Triangular format is wrong format'. And veda presents a new format, which is the preliminary binary format. It is individual and GOD alone. .

            So, vedic ĩśvara darśanam is, changing my perspective and trying to look at the whole universe with reverence. That is why in viṣṇu sahasranāma, even though we do pũjā to the deity, one of the dhyāna ślokās - which is the most popular one - is,

bhuḥ pādau yasya nābhrviyadasuranilascandra sũ̃ryau ca netre

karnavasah siro dyaurmukhamapi dahano yasya vasteyamabdhih

bhuḥ pādau - the earth is the feet of the Lord, chandra sũ̃ryau ca netre

- chandra and sũrya are the eyes of the Lord. Yasa nabhih viyat  - the entire ākāśa is the nāābhi of the Lord, karnau asuh - all the 10 directions are the ears of the Lord. So, you can never talk a secret; everywhere GOD's ears are there! Thus, description of ĩśvarā is, as viśvarũpa ĩśvarā.

 Iśvarā is world. world is ĩśvarā! So, drop you obsession with a separate ĩśvarā, other than the world. Once you think of a separate ĩśvarā - other than the world, you will get in to mysticism, you will get in to miracles. veda does not want us to get obsessed with mysticism and miracles and extraordinary visions.

What is the pursuit of GOD? Gradually learning to respect everything that I experience. Every man, every animal, every women, every insect, everything is none other than GOD. In dakṣniṇāmũrti stotram we read -

Bhuur-Ambhaamsy-Analo-[A]nilo-[A]mbaram-Aharnaatho Himaamshu Pumaan

Ity[i]-Aabhaati Cara-Acara-[A]atmakam-Idam Yasya-Eva Muurty[i]-Assttakam

Naanyat Kin.cana Vidyate Vimrshataam Yasmaat-Parasmaad-Vibhoh …..

The pañca bhũtās are the five limbs of the Lord; the Sun and all the stars are limbs of the Lord; all planets are limbs of the Lord. Every living being is the limb of the Lord. Yasya eva murthy astakam - the Lord is called aṣṭa mũrti ĩśvarā. Thus, developing a reverential attitude towards the universe is ĩśvara darśanam. The eyes are the same; but, the attitude behind the mind will have to be transformed. Even in the daily puja, which many people do mechanically, the same idea is conveyed. During every upachara, the mantra is chanted mechanically.  

Iam prithivyatmane gandha dhapayami, ham akastmane pushaih pujayami,  yam vayvatmane dhupamvyvatmane aghrapayami, ram agnyatmane dipam darshayami, vam amrtamane amrtam mahanaivedayami, sam sarvatmane sarvopacarapujam samarpayami.

Iam prithivyatmane gandha dhapayami - even though he applies chandanam on the idol or photo, he says, prithivyatmane - 'oh Lord, you are in the form of prithivi. You are the earth. ham akastmane pushaih pujayami - thus ākāśa is also you; vāyu is also you. Thus, ĩśvara darśanam according to veda is attitudinal transformation. Miracles we need need not go into, we need not debate. Miracles are there, okay. Not there, okay. But, we are not interested in miracles. Spiritual progress requires changing our attitude towards the universe. There is no other ĩśvara darśanam that veda prescribes, other than attitudinal transformation.  

This ĩśvara darśanam should lead to internal sanyāsa. Iśāvāsya upaniṣad says - "tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam. So, may you renounce the notion that you are seeing the world. May you replace it with the attitude that you are experiencing GOD. When? All the time. Not with eyes closed. With all the sense organs open, declare, 'I am experiencing ĩśvarā all the time'. The entire human life is the rarest opportunity to appreciate the viśvarũpa ĩśvarā, all the time.

            Sandhyāvandana mantrās declare, "a satyena rajasa vartamano nivesayan amrtam martyam cha - 'the sun GOD is coming, let me worship'. Every paurṇamĩ is sacred for me; because, moon GOD is available as pũrṇa candraḥ. pũrṇa ĩśvaraḥ is always available.

            And once I appreciate 'everything belongs to ĩśvarā and means the totality', I have to renounce two important things. One is mamakāra, the idea that I am the owner of certain things. Since everything is ĩśvarā, everything belongs to ĩśvarā.  As I progress in my study, I begin to renounce the idea of ownership and controllership. I should remember, I use everything given by GOD for a few decades. I am only the user. I am never the owner. bhagavān is the owner. He has given only for lease. Lease rent we pay is puṇyam; because, manuṣya janma is due to puṇyam. That is why, only you can listen to the talk. Therefore, because of puṇyam, bhagavān has leased us the human body, in which, I get an opportunity for enjoying viśvarũpa ĩśvarā all the time. In the evening many people go to the beach; but, there also, they eat popcorn and miss the wonderful ocean, the sky, the stars! The whole creation is wonderful. Our own body is an extra-ordinary body. Instead of appreciating the viśvarũpa ĩśvarā, I get obsessed with a few things and develop mamakāra, ownership. And thinking that I can control everything, I worry about the future. But, I should remember, 'I can contribute little to the future as a puny little individual; what is going to happen in the future is decided by ĩśvarā alone'. Thus, once I renounce the idea of ownership and controllership and do whatever I can do in life, then future worry is also not there. Because, everything is ĩśvarā. Future events are also ĩśvarā.

nāsthā dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kāmopabhoge, yad bhāvyaṁ tad bhavatu bhagavan pūrva-karmānurūpam, etat prārthyaṁ mama bahu mataṁ janma-janmāntare ’pi, tvat-pādāmbhoruha-yuga-gatā niścalā bhaktir astu,  [mukundamālā stotram] 'Oh Lord, whatever should happen in the creation according to the law of karma, let it all happen. I am ready; because, all events are nothing but the movements of the Lord alone'. That is why it is called naṭarāja nṛtyam, the cosmic dance. The whole movement of the universe, the rhythmic movement of the atom, rhythmic movement of the solar system, they are all looked upon as the dance of ĩśvarā. Therefore, I don't have to close my eyes for ĩśvara darśanam. I don't require miracles for ĩśvara darśanam. I only should change my bhāvanā, based on the scriptural teaching. Then, ownership is replaced by usership; controllership is replaced by contributorship. Life becomes an enjoyment. Then, the concept of mokṣa also will be different.

            Now, we don't look upon this creation as GOD. We look upon this as world. Therefore, we have a negative attitude. Hence, our concept of mokṣa is, running away from the world. 'Somehow I should die; never to come back here again'. That means, we hate the world; which is, totally against the vedic vision. We think, 'we have a world to be hated and we have a GOD somewhere to be loved'. We have to hate the world and run away from the world; 7th chapter to the 12th chapter. He says, 'I have got one higher nature and one lower nature, called parāprakṛti & aparāprakṛti. My own (my own means, bhagavān's) higher nature is CONSCIOUSNESS principle.

            parāprakṛti is chaitanyam. And, I have got a lower nature, which is called aparāprakṛti, which is matter'. And, we have to love the GOD who is somewhere else! In vaikuṇṭha or kailāsa, Vedas never accepts that. There is no hateable world and lovable GOD, as an opposite entity. The world you hate is none other than GOD. So, stop hating the world; start revering the world. Mokṣa is freedom from this ignorance.

            What ignorance? The world is to be renounced and I have to run to GOD! Run away from the World and run towards GOD - this concept of escapist. Dropping this ignorance and learning to appreciate the universe in its totality and variety, is binary format, jijñāsu bhaktā's attitude number one. What is binary format? Don't say, individual, world and GOD. Forget it. Replace it by individual and GOD alone. There is no such thing called world. "tena tyaktena bhunjitha - renounce the idea that, 'what I have is a hateable world'. Everything is lovable ĩśvarā only! Advesta sarvabhutanam maitrah karuna eva cha [gĩtā12-13] Then, if the jijñāsu bhaktā survives, ... because, those who are obsessed with mysticism and miracles they will not like this. Foolish they are as they renounce the vedic teaching and go in search of mystic guru.

            But, if the śiṣya is able to survive, then the guru gives further teaching, which is more profound, which I will summarise today, being gurupũrṇimā day.  Bhagavān gives in the gĩtā a very beautiful teaching - from the 7th chapter to the 12th chapter. He says, 'I have got one higher nature and one lower nature, called parāprakṛti & aparāprakṛti. My own [my own means, bhagavān's] higher nature is CONSCIOUSNESS principle. parāprakṛti is chaitanyam. And, I have got a lower nature, which is called aparāprakṛti, which is matter'.

            Thus, GOD consists of CONSCIOUSNESS PRINCIPLE and MATTER PRINCIPLE. Brahman andMāyā. parāprakṛti and aparāprakṛti. Everything that you experience is matter. Therefore, it comes under the inferior nature of GOD or aparāprakṛti. Why inferior? Because, it is mixed with pleasure and pain. It is a mixture of opposites. Still, it is also what? It is also ĩśvarā only. What ĩśvarā? aparāprakṛti ĩśvarā. And, there is a higher nature - parāprakṛti. That is brahman. And, how to see that parāprakṛti brahman? Lord kṛṣṇā says –

bhūmir-āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva cha
ahankāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛitir aṣhṭadhā (7.4)

apareyam itas tvanyāṁ prakṛitiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (7.5)

The parāprakṛti, the higher nature, the CONSCIOUSNESS - is never an object of experience. It is available in the form of the very 'YOU', the experiencer of everything. Thus, the ultimate teaching is, The whole material universe, including the body and mind, is aparāprakṛti, the māyā part of ĩśvarā; and 'I', the consciousness principle, which is not an object of experience, that 'I', the sākṣi caitanyam is, parāprakṛti. Everything is GOD.  So, everything is to be revered. And whatever I experience is the lower GOD; it is material & changing. Whereas, 'I', the experiencer, is the higher GOD. This is the jñānĩ's binary format. '

            I' am brahman, the parāprakṛti. What I experience in front is māyā, the aparāprakṛti. Both the 'observer' and 'observed' put together is the 'total' ĩśvarā. 'I' the experiencer am GOD. Experienced world / matter is also GOD. The experiencer 'I' is CONSCIOUSNESS GOD. Experienced is MATTER GOD. So, everything requires only one attitude: Reverence & reverence.

            The whole life is a life of worship and reverence. Thus, the traditional vedic paramparā does not involve mysticism, does not involve miracles. Those who are interested let them go. But, our approach is what? I am GOD and whatever I experience is also GOD. sarvam viṣṇumayam jagat. sarvam śivamayam jagat. Finally, sarvam devĩmayam jagat.

This teaching between Guru and Shisya is through the wonderful guru paramparā. Whoever comes to this paramparā is fortunate and it is that paramparā we worship today. With these words I conclude my talk.