Monthly Archives: July 2019

Shatashloki – V (Shloka 6)

Philosophy, Reflections, Shatashloki, Vedanta

“Shatashloki” of Shri Shankaracharya – V (Shloka – 6)
We create our own destiny

Shloka – 6

Translation (Shloka – 6):

A silkworm, thinking that it is very wise, creates a cocoon around itself and lives in it until its death and tries to fulfill its desires. Similarly, each individual creates one’s physical body and mind based on the actions performed in his/her previous life and lives on earth to fulfill his/her desires.

(The silkworms and their cocoons. The image is from dreamtime.com)

Comments:

We are born and we spend our lives making plans for what we want to do and performing various activities. In the midst of all this planning and activity, a few people take a pause and ask questions like: (1) Who decided that I should be a man or a woman? (2) Who decided how my face and body should look like? (3) Who selected my parents? (4) Who selected my family environment?

What are the answers? We can think of the following four answers:

(1) These are silly or useless questions for we can never find their answers.

(2) It is all a result of probability and chances.  If the chromosomes X and Y combine, then a boy is born and if chromosomes X and X combine, then a girl is born.

(3) Parents’ genes decided.

(4) Nature decides everything.

(5) God is the creator and God decides everything that happens.

The answer #1 seems mostly agnostic, partly pessimistic, and shows a lack of enthusiasm to seek answers.

The answer #2 is a sophisticated way to get out from finding an answer. Since everything in nature is working precisely, how can we think that things happen randomly? We can admit that we do not understand many phenomenon of nature. But, in the past, we did not know many things like how rain comes, how lightening happens, how eclipses happen, etc.  Humans had assumed these to be an act of some mysterious power. But, now science has explained many such natural phenomena. With regards to answer #2, we can further inquire, ‘who makes the chromosomes?’ and ‘who combines them?’.

Answer #3 is partially true as long as our physical structure is concerned. Our nose, and eyes, and chin etc. may look like someone in our family. But, parents did not decide their children’s gender. A family can have all boys, or all girls, or boys and girls both. Further, if we go to the inner nature of mind, then we find that siblings have different personalities even among twins or triplets. Parents themselves are surprised when their children reveal various mental tendencies. Thus, parents do not decide things about their children’s mental make-up. They can provide some external environment for their children to help them grow in a certain way, but it is not in their hands to decide how the children will grow.

Answers #4 and #5 are almost the same, only the names are different. People who do not like to say the word ‘God’ may choose the word ‘Nature’. However, it seems that God has ears to hear, but the Nature does not have ears. Nature is like a big giant elephant walking on the road and the beings are like ants and insects who helplessly get crushed under its feet. Even if the smaller beings say something, it is of no avail. On the other hand, we feel that God is some Being who can listen to us. Let us then for the time being consider answer #5.

Most of us feel that God listens to our complaints more than our prayers. Therefore, people complain to God more often than they pray to God. People complain, ‘O God! Why did you make me a woman or a man?’, or ‘Why didn’t you created me as a handsome man or a beautiful woman?’,  or ‘Why did you give me a birth in a poor family?’ or ‘Why do I have to struggle so much for my achievements while some others get them easily?’ etc.

We can bring more pressure on God for His/Her favoritism when we find that (1) One child is born in an affluent and totally secure environment while another child is born in a poor family in a neighborhood where gun-shots often go on like fire-works and where one considers oneself lucky if one survives for one more day. (2) One child has a healthy body while another one has many physical problems from childhood. (3) One person has an abundance of wealth and can do whatever one wants while another has to worry everyday how to bring some food on the table. (4) One child is excellent in studies, art, music, sports etc. from the childhood while another one is struggling to learn basic things in the schools. (5) One child has many virtues and follows a disciplined life while another one has destructive tendencies and does not feel bad doing unethical things.

We ask, if God has created all, then why are there differences? Why is God partial to a few and cruel to others? Do we have answers of these questions? Because of these differences, many people do not like to think of God. They do not see any purpose in praying to God.

In the ancient time Rishis thought about this and they found a logical answer to these questions. They found that in this universe there is a chain of cause and effect. Every action has a result and the result becomes the cause of another action, which in turn call an effect. If I drop a glass-cup on a hard floor, it breaks. If I walk on these pieces of glass, then I will cut my feet and bleed. If I do not take care of the bleeding, I will suffer severe physical problems. Originally, I might have dropped the glass-cup for some reason. Similarly, there is a long chain of cause-effect for everything that happens in the universe. The problem is that most of the time we see the effects and not the causes. Thus, our current situations are the effects of our past actions. We do not have to blame God for our situations. This is the Theory of Karma.

I have to make one point very clear here. If someone is suffering, we cannot come out and say that ‘you are suffering because of your past karmas’. That is very cruel. It is a sign of an ignorance and lack of sensitivity on our part. At that time, we have to try to help the person who is suffering. If we cannot help, then at least we wish and pray that the person’s sufferings be removed or the person gains strength to go through the sufferings. The Theory of Karma should be applied to ourselves. We have to take full responsibility of our current situation. If we want to change our current situation in the future, then we should properly start working on it now.

Based on the Rishis’ realization, Vedanta teaches the theory of rebirth based on the Theory of Karma. The Bhagavad Gita (8.6) tells that, “According to the person’s strongest desire at the time of death, the person is reborn to fulfill that desire.” Suppose a young man or woman believes that sleeping for most of the time (say 12 or more hours a day) is the best state to acquire happiness in life. These days, it is hard for a human being to sleep for 12 hours or more per day. One’s studies, job, daily choirs, and family and/or society will force the person to wake up. For the person desiring 12 hours of sleep, this causes unhappiness. To such a person, the compassionate Mother Nature gives him or her body of a crocodile in their next life. When this person’s sleeping desire is fulfilled and he or she thinks that ‘I had enough with sleep, now I want to run around like a rabbit,’ then the gracious Mother Nature will make the person a rabbit. Thus, it goes on. Thus, we are responsible for our current situations in our life. We are the result of our past desires. Mother Nature or God had given this life to fulfill a few of those desires.

On the other hand, if a person wants to attain the highest knowledge of the Ultimate Reality, and has engaged in lots of spiritual practices for this purpose, but dies without attaining it, then the Bhagavad Gita (6.40-6.43) says, “The life of such a person does not become ruined. No bad things happen to a person who has engaged in spiritual practice. After enjoying the results of his/her good actions (spiritual practices), the person takes birth in a pure and prosperous family. Or he/she will be born in a family of yogis rich in wisdom. Such a birth is difficult to gain in this world. There, he/she remembers all his/her past spiritual practices and continues to strive further to attain the highest knowledge.”

As a being goes in a cycle of birth and death, the whole universe moves in a cycle of creation-preservation-dissolution. In Bhagavad Gita (9.7-9.8), Shri Krishna says that He, as Brahman, the Ultimate Existence, by His Power creates the universe in the beginning of a cycle, (nourishes the universe), and at the end of the cycle dissolves it into Brahman. Thus, all the beings are born again and again.

The Theory of Karma, the Theory of Rebirth, and the Cyclical Theory of the Existence of the Universe seem logical and answer most of the questions we have raised earlier. They are also consistent with a principal central to Vedanta philosophy, that there is only one existence. Vedanta calls it ‘Brahman’. One can also call it ‘Pure Consciousness’. According to Vedanta, the Universe is nothing but only one existence Brahman (Pure Consciousness) appearing as various objects and beings of the universe. Brahman is eternal.

According to Vedanta philosophy, a human being is a part of the universe, and therefore he/she is nothing but the Pure Consciousness or Brahman. And like Brahman, he/she too is eternal. However, when he/she thinks that ‘I am an individual that has a separate existence from Brahman having a certain body and mind’, then he/she goes through the cycle of birth and death. Vedanta philosophy says that this thought leads to all the following problems:

(1) An individual thinks that he/she is not happy and will be happy only if his/her desires are fulfilled.

(2) A person creates a small world around him/her and thinks that he/she is responsible for that small little world. However, when some undesirable thing happens against all his/her efforts or a near and dear one dies, then the person feels helpless and becomes frustrated.

(3) An individual thinks that he/she is limited and the whole universe is against him/her.

(4) A person is constantly threatened by the fear of death, his/her non-existence.

Shri Shankaracharya says in Shaktashloki Shloka 6 that this thought (which he calls a basic ignorance) is like the cocoon of the silkworm that has been created around oneself. An individual can break this cocoon with the firm conviction that ‘I am nothing but Brahman, the Pure Consciousness. My body-mind existence has been created by me, separating myself from the eternal Brahman.’  But, it is sad that due to our ignorance we passionately love our body and mind and the world we have created around them. As a consequence, we suffer and go through the cycle of birth and death.

Vedanta emphasizes that the realization, ‘I am not different from Brahman’ removes all our sufferings, bondages, and fear. We feel connected with everything in the universe, especially with all beings. From this connectedness springs love for all in our heart. Such love gives us fulfillment. Vedanta describes various paths to break this cocoon and be free, in particular the Four Yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita.

Many other great teachers and saints have described various ways to break this cocoon and be free from our sufferings, bondages, and fear.

(Thanks to Nisha Parikh for editing this post.)

 

The last word on listening to spiritual discourses

Bhagavad Gita, Reflections, Vedanta

The last word on listening to spiritual discourses

Thinking about the Bhagavad Gita, the following shloka came to my mind:

After the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, which is contained in most of the 694 shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna told Sri Krishna, “O Krishna! My delusion is gone. Through Your grace, I have regained my memory (of my true identity, Atman). All my doubts have been destroyed. My mind is clear and I have a firm conviction about my responsibility. I will follow your command.” (Gita 18.73)

These are the last words of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. The dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna ends with these words. Sri Krishna answered the many questions of Arjuna and explained to him that the goal of life is to realize his true divine identity as the Atman, and how he can face the unpleasant and sorrowful situation that was forced on him by his cousins. Shri Krishna showed Arjuna how each of his responsibilities can be turned into spiritual practice, which can help to realize the Atman. The remaining 5 shlokas are the thoughts and expressions of Sanjaya.

Through this shloka, Arjuna shows us what should be the final outcome after listening to a spiritual discourse or having a spiritual dialogue. Each word of this shloka is important.

Let us review the meaning of each word of the shloka and reflect upon it.

– My delusion is gone.

What is the delusion here? The greatest delusion of life is to think that we are nothing but our body and mind. We forget that our true identity is Atman, which is birthless and deathless. It is infinite, omnipresent and omnipotent. Limiting our self to the body and mind is the cause of all suffering and all delusion in life. We block the Reality of life and therefore, we suffer. Thus, after listening to spiritual discourses, this delusion must go.

 – I have regained my memory.

Deep within each of us there is awareness that ‘My true identity is divine. It is infinite and not limited by my body and mind.’ The Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita refer to this identity as the Atman (or Brahman in the context of the universe) and its nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute).

‘Existence Absolute’ means ‘I am the Pure Consciousness from which the whole universe came (including my body and mind), which is nourished by It, into which the universe ultimately dissolves.

‘Knowledge Absolute’ means that the Self-Luminous Pure Consciousness illumines my intellect because of which I can think and perceive the universe.

‘Bliss Absolute’ means all my joy, inner (experienced, but not caused by the senses) and outer (which arises from the contact of my senses with worldly objects), is due to the presence of this Pure Consciousness (my true identity).

Arjuna says that he has regained this fundamental memory, that he is nothing but the Atman.

– O Krishna! Through your grace I have attained all these.

When the fundamental delusion is removed, the knowledge or the awareness of our true identity as Atman is revealed from within. This knowledge does not come from outside. However, we need help from the outside to remove our fundamental delusion. The idea that ‘I am nothing but this body and mind’ has been deeply ingrained in every fiber of our being; therefore, for most of us, it is difficult to remove this idea by our own efforts. Arjuna found that Shri Krishna’s teachings helped him remove this delusion and he is recognizing this help.

– I am firm.

This means that ‘I am clear in my mind. My intellect is steady. I know what I am supposed to do’. At the end of the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna describes the characteristics of a person with steady intellect. The Sanskrit word for such a person is ‘Sthitaprajna.’ Arjuna is stating that his intellect is steady now.

– All my doubts are gone.

After listening to spiritual discourses, having spiritual dialogues, and doing spiritual practices accordingly, we have to come to a stage when all our doubts are removed. First, intellectual doubts have to be removed and then after realization of Atman, all our doubts are resolved. Suppose the Sun is covered by the clouds and we cannot see it.  Then, doubts come to our mind about whether or not the Sun exists. But, when the clouds are removed and we see the Sun directly, we feel its warmth, and in the sunlight we see everything clearly, then all our doubts about the existence of the Sun go away. At that time, we do not need any further proof of whether the Sun exists. In fact, we realize that the clouds were perceived only because of the presence of the Sun.

After listening to Shri Krishna’s teachings and having visions of both forms of Shri Krishna, the human and the Infinite, all of Arjuna’s doubts were gone.

– I will follow your command.

These words show that Arjuna was not interested in intellectual knowledge. He had to face a sorrowful situation and he was confused about the right thing to do. He needed a clear-cut answer and a clear-cut way to perform his responsibility. He stated his thoughts in the first chapter and the beginning of the second chapter. Based on these thoughts he initially decided not to fight. But deep down in his heart, he had a feeling that he was not thinking right. He had tremendous faith in Shri Krishna. That is why he said that ‘I surrender to you. Please tell me what is good for me.’

Shri Krishna first rebuked Arjuna for becoming a victim of his cowardliness. He said to Arjuna that this kind of behavior does not fit him. Then, Shri Krishna told Arjuna the essence of the Upanishads, explained to him that the goal of life is to realize Atman, and described the four Yogas (the four paths to attain this goal). Shri Krishna told him that by properly performing one’s own responsibilities one can realize one’s true identity as the Atman.

Arjuna did not swallow whatever had been said without understanding. Whenever he had questions, he did not hesitate to ask them to Shri Krishna. A couple of times it seemed that he was being blunt. Once he said, “O Krishna! You say that knowledge of the Atman is superior to actions. Then, why are you trying to encourage me to perform these horrible actions? You are confusing me with contradictory thoughts. Please tell me one thing which is good for me.” Another place he said, “O Krishna! You praise renunciation of actions, and then you talk about performing actions unselfishly. Please tell me which one is better.” When Shri Krishna said that he had taught this Karma Yoga to Vivasvata, Arjuna pointed out to him that he (Shri Krishna) had been born now and Vivasvata was born long ago, so how should he (Arjuna) believe that Shri Krishna had taught this Yoga to Vivasvata.

Shri Krishna was a great teacher. In his presence Arjuna did not have any fear to ask any question he had. After explaining in various ways why Arjuna should perform his responsibility, at the end, Shri Krishna gave Arjuna the freedom to do what he thought was right.

Arjuna was a great disciple. He reasoned to understand what Shri Krishna wanted to tell him. He reflected upon Shri Krishna’s teachings. With Shri Krishna’s grace he was able to realize the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) and finally with a clear mind, free from all doubts, and a firm conviction, he said, “I will follow your Command.” He was ready to implement what he had learned.

After realization of one’s true identity (Atman), all the desires of the realized person are fulfilled. Then he/she has nothing remaining to attain to be happy or any desire to accomplish anything further. But, many realized persons continue to work for the good of humanity. They set up ideal examples of saints and/or householders for people to follow and thus they inspire people to realize their true identity.

Sri Ramakrishna encouraged Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) to be such a person. It is good to remember the famous incident in Narendra’s life. Narendra asked Sri Ramakrishna to give him a boon to remain merged in Samadhi for three to four consecutive days with a few interruptions now and then for a bite of food. Sri Ramakrishna said, “You are a fool. There is a state higher than that. It is you who sings: ‘O Lord! Thou art all that exists.’” On another occasion, in response to a similar request from Narendra, Sri Ramakrishna said, “Shame on you! You are asking for such an insignificant thing. I thought that you would be like a big banyan tree, and that thousands of people would rest in your shade.” Thus scolded, Narendra shed profuse tears. He realized the greatness of Sri Ramakrishna’s heart. Thus, Sri Ramakrishna encouraged Narendra and all disciples to serve all beings, seeing God in them before and after the realization of God (Atman).

Sri Rama’s devotee Hanumanji had also set an example. He jumped over the ocean to cross it to find Mother Sitaji. A Mainak mountain asked Hanumanji to take some rest and then go forward. But, Hanumanji just touched the mountain recognizing the mountain’s love for him and said, “Until I finish Sri Rama’s work, how can I take any rest?”

Thus, many realized beings continue to serve humanity unselfishly.

Conclusion:  Arjuna’s words are the last word on listening to spiritual discourses and dialogue. He showed us that when we listen to spiritual discourses: (1) we should make sure that we learn about the goal of our life – realizing God or our true identity as the Atman (the Ultimate Reality). (2) We have to reflect upon the spiritual discourses and respectfully ask questions in order to understand the teachings presented to us. (3) Following the teachings, ultimately our fundamental delusion should go away. (4) We have to realize Atman. (5) We respectfully and with humility recognize the valuable contribution of our spiritual teachers. (6) We have to acquire a state of having a ‘steady intellect’. (7) All our doubts must go away, and (8) We perform our responsibility unselfishly and serve humanity.

(Thanks to Rushil Desai and Sonali Tatapudi for editing this post.)