Freedom through Wisdom

 

Need for Quest

It is natural for human beings to seek happiness form the external world. On proper enquiry, one can understand that material pursuit does not lead to permanent happiness and freedom from sorrow. In spite of all forms of material success, human beings are not happy. They are not free from the basic psychological problems like loneliness, insecurity, depression and so on.

Yajnavalkya offers a substantial portion of his wealth to Maitreyi, his wife. Then Maitreyi asks her husband whether the riches would give her permanent happiness. Yajnavalkya answered in negative. Any amount of material gain in terms of wealth, social status or relations do not give permanent happiness. They do not put an end to the fundamental problems of a human being like sense of incompleteness, loneliness, sorrow, insecurity, dissatisfaction and so on.

Maitreyi asks Yajnavalkya to reveal him the means for permanent happiness, permanent freedom for sorrow. Yajnavalkya reveals the need for enquiring into the Atman, the true nature of the self, as the one and only means for freedom.

The Atman, the true nature of and individual, is pure, changeless and limitless. Therefore, it is free from all problems. It is free from incompleteness, sorrow, insecurity and so on. Therefore, discovering freedom is discovering Atman, our true nature.

 

The Nature of Freedom

The Sanskrit word Moksha means freedom. We human beings identify with body and mind. Therefore, we look upon the properties of body and mind as our own attributes. Since the body is limited, we identify ourselves as limited. Since the mind is full of emotional problems, we identify ourselves as subject to emotional ups and downs and so on.

When we wear an undersized shirt, it causes discomfort. Similarly, when the limited is seen to be limited, there is discomfort. Our true nature is limitlessness. Therefore, seeing ourselves as limited causes problems.

When a straight bamboo stick is bent by force, it struggles to regain its true nature. Because, its original nature is straightness. Similarly, we have a natural tendency to be limitless, to regain our true nature of completeness.

The sense of limitation gives rise to a feeling of incompleteness. Then comes the desire to be complete and a constant struggle to accomplish completeness.

Unfortunately, our mind and senses are extraverts by nature. Therefore, we end up seeking completeness in the external world. Since every object in the external world is limited in nature, it can never make us free from incompleteness. Therefore, human beings end up in a never-ending struggle for completeness.

Human beings seek fulfilment in the external objects like wealth, relations, honour and so on. On an occasional success, one may feel as passing sense of completeness. In a short while, the same old sense of lacking is back. Therefore, this struggle is essentially characterized by sorrow.

In our experience, there are temporary periods in life when we feel everything is as it should be. There are times when the situation in life is favourable. We are successful in career, relations etc. That is when we feel a sense of fulfilment, a sense of elation. This period of elation, though sometimes it might last long, is invariably followed by a period of dejection.

Moksha involves freedom form the struggle to find completeness through discovery of one’s own limitlessness, freedom from elation and dejection. It means freedom from dependence on the external world for our happiness by finding happiness within ourselves.

 

Self in Everything

In our understanding, the universe is divided into three parts. The first part is myself. It is the part of the universe that I identify with, which includes my body, mind, senses etc. It is called first person. The second is yourself – the part of the universe that I am dealing with at present, I am relating to as ‘you’. It is known as the second person. The third is itself, himself, herself etc., which is known as the third person. If we analyse, the ‘self’ is uniformly present in all these three parts. Also, the my, your, it, him, her etc. can’t exist without the ‘self’. Therefore, the ‘self’ is the all-pervasive substratum of the whole universe. This all-pervasive self is called Atman.

Svarupa – The True Nature

The Atman has two natures – Sopadhika Rupa and Nirupadhika Rupa. Rupa means nature. Upadhi means an external factor whose attributes are superimposed on the Atman. For example, the limitation of a pot is superimposed on the space in the pot. Then the space in the pot is conceived as ‘pot space’. In reality the space is never limited by the pot. The space is never affected by the pot. Then the pot is upadhi (conditioning factor) and space is upahita (conditioned).

Similarly, the limitless and all-pervasive Atman is conditioned by the body, mind, senses etc. The Atman and mind are mixed up and seen to be one. Then the attributes of the body seem to be the attributes of Atman. Then the Atman is subject to limitations like height, age, gender and so on. This nature of Atman is called Sopadhika Rupa. ‘Sopadhika’ means ‘with Upadhi’.

On enquiry, one finds the true nature of Atman which is free from the Upadhi and its attributes. It is free from the limitations of the body. It is free from age, gender and so on. It is free from mind and senses and hence free from emotional issues. It is called Nirupadhika-Rupa, the nature of Atman without Upadhi.

The Nirupadhika Rupa is the intrinsic nature of Atman. It is not brought about by any external factor. Therefore, it is called Svarupa. Sva means one’s own. Svarupa means ‘one’s own nature’.

As long as one identifies with his Sopadhika Rupa, he is never free from problem of Samsara. Discovering the Svarupa and shifting one’s identity to the Svarupa is the only way to Freedom.

 

 

Pravrtti and Nivrtti

Karma-kanda of the Vedas contain both pravrtti and nivrtti. Pravrtti means a positive action with a new accomplishment in view. Nivrtti means restraint from action.

When the Veda says, “Perform a ritual called Agnihotra”, it is enjoining a pravrtti. When the same Veda says, “do not drink alcohol”, it is enjoining a nivrtti.

Pravrtti produces punya, which leads to pleasure in this life and hereafter. On the other hand, nivrtti is meant for avoiding papa, the cause of pains.

Unlike Karma-kanda, the Jnana-kanda does not enjoin any Pravrtti. The objective of Jnana-kanda is to make the individual free from both punya and papa and hence it does not reveal a means to accumulate more punya.

There are statements in Jnana-kanda which sound like injunctions of pravrtti. Brhadaranyakopanishad says “Atma should be seen, heard …”. Therefore, one may doubt whether Jnana-kanda (Vedanta) also involves pravrtti.

The great Acharyas like Sri Shankaracharya and Sri Sarvajnatmamuni have cleared this doubt. In his commentary on Brahmasutras, Shankaracharya says “All injuctions of pravrtti (vidhi) become blunt in front of the Atman, just like a sharp razor against a rock.” Therefore, he refers to the statements “Atma alone should be seen …” as apparently vidhi (vidhi-chaya).

Sri Sarvajnatmamuni, in his treatise named Sankeshepasharirakam, clarifies this point further. Such injunctions in Vedanta should be understood as injunctions of nivrtti and not of pravrtti.

The statements like “Atma alone should be seen” should be understood as a counsel to restrain from anatma (non-self).  As long as one is engaged in non-self, i.e., identifies with non-self or seeks happiness from it, he is not free from the problem of samsara. Therefore, the Vedanta asks a mumukshu (seeker of moksha) to stop attributing reality to the non-self.

If one has to stop attributing reality to the anatma, he has to understand the true nature of atman, Therefore, he needs to engage himself in the pursuit of Atma-jnana like sravana etc. It is understood through implication, though not directly stated.

For example, the Vedic statement “Do not eat meat”, reveals the undesirable consequence of eating meat in the form of papa. Therefore, it is in one’s best interest to avoid eating meat. Therefore, one has to make effort to overcome one’s natural urge to eat meat. It may involve constantly reminding oneself of the violence and other evils associated with meat. In this example, all efforts are directed towards avoiding an undesirable result and not to accomplish anything new.

Atma is siddha-vastu, i.e, it is already present. Therefore, in Vedanta, there cannot be any effort in the direction of accomplishing Atma. Effort is needed to be free from samsara by getting rid of avidya, kama, karma and so on.

Some other Acharyas hold a slightly different view. The pursuit of moksha consists of both pravrtti and nivrtti. There is nivrtti in terms of giving up pursuing the anatma. In the meantime, a mumukshu needs to work for self-knowledge. He should perform karma-yoga, approach a Guru, engage himself in shravana and so on. All these are pravrtti.

The shastras prescribe two-fold mandatory disciplines for a mumukshu, namely, yama and niyama. Yama is nivrtti. It stands for ahimsa - restraint from violence, satya - restraint from untruth, asteya - restraint from stealth and deceit, brahmacharya - restraint from copulation and aparigraha - restraint from possession. Niyama is pravrtti, a positive action. The Yogasutras of Patanjali lists five disciplines of niyama. They are cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of scriptures and focusing mind on Isvara. According to the Acharyas, shravana etc. are also included in niyama.

 

Yardsticks of Spiritual Growth

All the sadhanas (spiritual disciplines) are meant for spiritual growth. Like physical growth, intellectual growth and so on, we need spiritual growth also. A lady asked me once, “Is it necessary for everyone to do sadhana?” It is like asking “Is it necessary for every child to go to school”? Just like going to school is necessary for the intellectual growth of a child, sadhana is necessary for the spiritual growth of an individual.

A sincere spiritual aspirant may often ask the question “Am I growing spiritually?”. This question is very important to ascertain whether one is in the right path or not. The shastras have clearly stated certain yardsticks of spiritual growth which helps an individual in this regard.

There are some misconceptions in this field. Some people take mystical experiences as a measure of spirituality. Experience of an extraordinary light, sound, or fragrance during meditation has nothing to do with spiritual growth. Possession of supernatural powers like clairvoyance, prophecy, healing and so on are not indications of spiritual growth. Since mystic powers are hurdles in the spiritual pursuit, they are discouraged in the shastras.

Spiritual growth culminates in Brahma-jnana. One who has Brahma-jnana is called a jnani. A jnani is a repository of all the qualities which constitute growth in terms of spirituality. All such qualities are beautifully stated while describing a jnani in texts like Srimad-Bhagavadgita, Bhagavatam etc. All these qualities are should be cultivated with effort. Therefore, they are also sadhanas to spiritual growth.

The purpose of understanding these qualities is not to judge others. One cannot and need not judge others in spiritual pursuit. Also, they are not meant for judging oneself. One may feel he is poor in spiritual qualities and then label oneself as ‘not good’ or ‘bad’. It is a definite way to block one’s spiritual progress. There is also a chance of overestimating oneself and developing pride, thereby endangering one’s further growth.

A spiritual aspirant should lead an introspective life. He should know whether he is in the right path or not. If he is developing these qualities, he is in the right path. Also, he should make effort to constantly improve on these qualities.

Some of the most prominent signs of spiritual growth are as follows:

 

1.  Vairagya is the best indication of spiritual growth. Growth involves growing OUT of something. For example, the growth of a child involves growing out of its attachment to balloon and so on. Similarly, spiritual maturity involves growing out of attachment to material objects.

2.   Contentment (santosha) is another quality of a jnani. Contentment means being happy by oneself. People seek happiness from outside objects like relation etc. due to a nagging sense of incompleteness. A jnani has discovered happiness in the Atma – the self. Therefore, he is free from sense of incompleteness.

3.  Ability to withstand shocks in life.

The spiritual wisdom acts as a shock absorber in the journey of life.