Saturday, 19 April 2025

MYSTERIOUS MIND- A GREAT CURSE & A GREAT BLESSING /

MIND- A KEY TO EVOLUTION FROM SELF-FORGETFULNESS TO SELF AWARENESS

Spiritual master Swami Sivananda once conveyed to his disciples that the mind is a wall that separates man from God and you have to break down the wall to attain the Divine. Spiritual masters also say that the mind is a wonderful gift by which one has to seek and find God. It is mysteriously both and one has to find one’s own formula to deal with it advantageously.

The normal human mind has deeply embedded impressions (samskaras) and tendencies called vasnas that are full of tamas (inertia) and rajas (activity) and has a distaste for higher divine principle and such a mind becomes a barrier, particularly in spiritual progress. But a mind awakened by spiritual practices which is full of sattva reflects the inherent divinity and becomes a link with the divine. The mind stands in between the physical aspect of human nature and higher spiritual nature and has the potential to become a block or a passage like any door. On our part, we should thank Lord for giving a precious human life with the versatile body-mind-intellect apparatus and pray to Him to transform the mind from dual nature into a purely positive factor to realize the lower and higher ends of life referred to as dharma- artha-kama and moksha.

The conquest of mind has been regarded as the greatest conquest by philosophers of the Near and far east. Lord Buddha told his monks that he has conquered the world who has conquered the mind. The wars and quarrels that we witness today can be attributed to the failure of mankind, in general, to grasp the nitty-gritty of the human mind and control them. Buddha advised his disciples to become Light unto themselves- Atma Deepo Bhav. The Bhagavad Gita dhyana verse also exhorts us to lighten the lamp of Knowledge. The prerequisite for this is controlling the mind through repeated practice and dispassion as explicitly said in Bhagavad Gita.

The Indian view is that man is a spiritual entity (Atma) with a gross physical body, a subtle body comprising vital, mental, and intellectual (pran, mind, intellect) parts, and a subtler (causal) body that is the source of mind and mechanism of thought process. The mind is one of the cosmic principles that became projected as a phenomenal universe and the human mind is an individualized nucleus of the cosmic universal mind. It becomes a medium to express all impressions accumulated deep within through previous experiences. Mind precedes the human individual and cannot be equated with the brain. Mind and body belong to different planes and are related only so long as the body lasts. The body is a receptacle through which the mind manifests in the form of thoughts, determinations, and feelings through different centers in the brain. The objective of these perceptions is not just to deal with the phenomenal world outside but to dive deep within and evolve.

Mind is a supra-physical aspect of the human individual, that is subtler to the body but grosser to the spirit (soul). Mind is therefore a subtler matter that is generally intangible, invisible, and incomprehensible and it pervades the whole body. The mind-stuff has three characteristics: it moves outward away from the center; it readily objectifies itself and it is restless and in a state of fluctuation. Each human mind is unique and the seeker has to carry out a study of one’s own mind to cleanse it from various afflictions. As the mind is cleansed, many new and higher aspects of one’s own self emerge that usually remain latent.

In the waking state the mind is located in the astral body in the center corresponding to the physical space between eyebrows ( Ajna Chakra), in deep sleep state it is located in the astral body in the center corresponding to heart (anahat chakra) and in the dream state, it is located in the astral body in the center corresponding to neck in the physical body (Vishuddha chakra)

The mind plays a very mysterious dual role and it is both at the giving and receiving end. It is both the initiator of the activity and the recipient of all experiences. First, an idea arises in the mind, it transforms into thought, then determining faculty intellect decides and gives order through ego to body senses, the sensory stimulation goes to the brain that is received by the mind as perception. The ego then presents it to the intellect which makes a meaning out of perception and formulates it into a concept. This is experienced by the self within that either likes or dislikes it and stores it as a dormant seed deep within.

Unlike a Western psychologist, an Eastern seeker comprehends the process of perception and knowledge beyond mind and intellect to an entity as a thinker beyond thought, who gathers all experiences and utilizes them for his mission on earth of Self-realization, knowing the true self. All experiences are deemed to be an educative process that brings inner transformation and takes one closer to one’s true self which is beyond all adjuncts. Our thoughts, feelings, sentiments, and emotions of the present are building blocks of the future. Choosing the right type although our life is a process of spiritual unfoldment and evolution.

We are in a state of self-forgetfulness of submerged awareness. One can come out of this ‘self-dementia’ state through the righteous use of physical body and mind instruments gifted by God and proceed to a state of Self-awareness. The mind is the key here and the body is subservient to it. This is a Yoga pathway practice. Vedanta teaches the other extreme of renouncing body, and mind apparatus at a certain point of spiritual practice as the true self characterized by pure consciousness and bliss is self-existent and self-revealing. Both are complementary pathways. (Some inputs from teachings of Swami Chidananda- The Divine Life Society)

Jayant B Dave

Above article was published with some change in TATTVALOKA Magazine published by Chennai based education trust and patronized by Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Shringeri Sharda Peeth

Friday, 18 April 2025

Glory and efficacy of Sannyasa Dharma

Transformation into a higher ideal or reality is the goal of life. Transformation of inner spiritual life is far more significant than transformation in outer secular life. This renunciate life is common to all religious faiths and calls for the renunciation of one’s possessions, and more importantly, ahamkara and attachments (I ness and mine ness). The fourth ashram (stage) of life greatly facilitates attaining the supreme goal of realization of supreme reality and liberation; the previous three ashrams are preparatory and gateway to sannyasa

This inner transformation can be perceived most vividly in the life of Swami Sivananda as a transformation from medication to meditation, from drug therapy to yoga therapy, allopathy to namopathy (surrender to divine name), professionalism to sagehood, social service to spiritual practice, intellect to intuition, self-sacrifice to self-enlightenment, eradicating ailment to eradicating ignorance, biophysics to metaphysics, Apara Vidya to Para Vidya, ignorance of self to the realization of self.

Dr. Kuppuswami, who graduated from Tanjore Medical Institute as an aspiring, vibrant Medico-published health journal namely Ambrosia for four years to disseminate knowledge on health and hygiene, migrated to Malaysia and served as a very altruistic, dedicated, and efficient medical practitioner serving mainly farm laborers. His professional life can be seen as an ideal for the medical profession. The book Jiva Brahma Aikya-Vedanta Rahasyam by Cuddapah Swami Satchidananda lightened up inner spiritual aspirations, he dived deep within and aspired to find the higher truth of life that transcends the ever-changing phenomenal world and leads to eternal peace and bliss. He renounced the glory & riches of secular life in a single stroke and pursued a life of mendicant with untold miseries. It was divine dispensation & blessings of God upon mankind that the aspiring disciple eventually met his spiritual Master Swami Vishwananda on the bank of Mother Ganga at Rishikesh who initiated him and invested with a robe of sannyasin and named him Swami Sivananda meaning divine bliss. He also taught the secrets of Kaivalya (liberation) and the mysteries of mahavakya revealing the oneness of the individual and Isvara. He then lived a largely secluded life at Rishikesh interwoven with selfless service, practiced austerities of the highest order with meditation as the keynote of sadhana, and shone as a great yogi, saint, sage, and jivanmukta

Sannyasa brought about an acme of inner transformation in his life and the emergence of intuitional knowledge that was revealed to mankind through his pamphlets, letters, articles, and hundreds of books. He was a strong votary of sannyasa and held that change in heart must be accompanied by outer change. Scriptures-Sruti, Smriti, and epics like Mahabharat describe the supreme glory and splendor of sannyasa. Sannyasa is necessary even if one has attained Advaitic realization as exemplified by Ramkrishna Dev, his Guru Totapuri, and rishi Yajnavalkya. Sannyasa destroys all worldliness, evil samskaras and establishes one in Advaitic Meditation. The ochre-colored cloth reminds one of one’s pledge to lead an austere life in search of the divine every moment.

Swami Sivananda gave sannyasa to countless number of disciples who excelled in different facets of spirituality. One of his prime disciples and spiritual successor Swami Chidananda calls it spiritual ministry. He regards Swami Sivananda as a philosopher and realist who could inspire and awaken thousands of seekers throughout the world. The uniqueness of his works lay in the Indianization of thought, Atma dristi beholding mankind as immortal pure soul, personal touch, and unification of divine teachings of different saints and faiths. Swami Krishnananda regards him as an exponent of Vedanta philosophy & personage rooted in the experience of God taught by Vedanta. Swami Chinmayananda regards him as a seer, a sage, a prophet, and a guide all rolled into one.

Sannyasa and Vedanta always go hand in hand. Wherever there is Vedanta, there must be sannyasa of the highest type otherwise it becomes a mere intellectualism. Sannyasa without Vedanta or Para-Bhakti becomes fruitless. When both melt into one, there emerges a sage of supreme wisdom. Sannyasa empties the individual of the ego and Vedanta fills it with positive truth, says Swami Sivananda.

The distinction between secular and spiritual life ultimately merges into one because spirituality refers to one and nondual substratum that pervades all existence that reveals itself by one non-dual consciousness and is experienced as bliss in proportion to the purity of one’s inner self. This can be comprehended from Swami Sivananda’s saying how God came into my life in his autobiography. He experienced God first in images worshipped by devotees, then in gymnastic Harijan teacher, the quest for knowledge concerning the alleviation of miseries, ailing & suffering patients, the realization of true innermost self as indwelling consciousness, and finally as Virat form in whole existence.

‘Happiness comes when the individual merges in God’, was his last dictated sentence. In other words, this means that Self-knowledge is the solution to problems of delusion and sorrow that emanate from ignorance of the self. He took Mahasamadhi in 1963 but lives in his teachings and gospel of divine life founded on integral yoga succinctly put as Serve, Love, Meditate, and Realize.

Jayant B Dave

(Love offering on the centenary of Initiation of Swami Sivananda into sannyasa order on 1 June 2024)

Above article was published with some modification in speaking tree section of Times of India on 01.06.2024

Sannyasins should not intermingle with politics’

June 1, 2024, 7:54 AM IST Speaking Tree in TOI Edit Page, India, TOI

Speaking Tree

By Jayant B Dave

The transformation into a higher ideal or reality is the goal of life, as inner spiritual transformation is far more significant than outer secular life. This renunciate life is common to all religious faiths and calls for renunciation of worldly possessions and, more importantly, ahamkara, ego, and attachments. The glory of religions will be lost if we remove these hermits, who lead a life of renunciation and divine contemplation. They are harbingers of divine wisdom and peace. The fourth ashram, stage, of life called sannyas facilitates attaining realisation of Supreme reality and liberation; the previous three ashrams are preparatory and gateway to sannyas.

This inner transformation can be perceived most vividly in the lives of spiritual luminaries. Swami Sivanan daembodied this transformation from professionalism to sagehood, intellect to intuition, self-sacrifice to self-enlightenment,apara vidya to para vidya, and ignorance to realisationof Self.

Worldly greatness is nothing compared to spiritual enlightenment. Scriptures – sruti, smriti, and epics such as Mahabharat – describe renunciation’s supreme glory and splendour. Sannyas is necessary even if one has attained advaitic realisation, as exemplified by Ramakrishna, his Guru Totapuri, and Rishi Yajnavalkya. Sannyas sublimates worldliness and establishes one in abstract meditation. The ochre-coloured cloth reminds one of the pledge to lead an austere life in search of the Divine every moment.

Just as we have postgraduate students and research scholars in modern education, we need their counterparts to study and research subtleties of mind, meditation, and atman, the substratum behind orderly existence.

Sannyas and Vedant are inseparable. Wherever vedant is present, the highest form of sannyas must be found; otherwise, it becomes mere intellectualism. Sannyas without vedant or parabhakti is devoid of fruit. When both merge, a sage of supreme wisdom emerges. Sannyas empties an individual of ego, and vedant fills him with positive truth, says Swami Sivananda.

He recommended a combination of meditation and service to sannyasins. They purify the world even by staying in remote places through their thought vibrations. Being followers of the pure nivritti way of life, they should not intermingle much with politics or societal world except for guiding others on philosophy, religion, and spiritual subjects. His recommendation to renunciate was to sit in a quiet room for amoment. Enquire, cogitate, investigate, and realise the glory of living in Atman. Sannyasins should, on their part, be rooted in cosmic consciousness. They behold the oneness of Self, and the benefit to all beings is spontaneous. Adopting the life of a sannyasin when the quest for contemplating on Brahmn/ Self ripens or living life in the spirit of renunciation is essential. According to Swami Sivananda, happiness comes when an individual merges with God. Self-knowledge is the solution to multifarious problems in life.

June 1 marks the centenary of Swami Sivananda’s sannyas diksha

Know Supreme Reality, Sans Names And Forms

TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 25, 2025, 13:14 IST

The article explains the concept of one non-dual supreme reality manifesting as the diverse universe and the importance of perceiving unity amidst diversity. It highlights key spiritual doctrines and practices that promote the understanding of this fundamental unity in both animate and inanimate forms.

Know Supreme Reality, Sans Names And Forms

One and non-dual supreme reality became the manifested universe comprising subject and object; thinker and thought, ksetrajna, experiencer and ksetra experienced; consciousness and matter. The transcendental reality is immanent in every particle, speck of space, and unit of time.
It is intriguing that one non-dual substratum manifests in multitudinous manner such that no two objects, beings or situation howsoever close are identical in all respects. Diversity is the order of creation. Any single object or being or even its smallest constituent like atom or cell is not homogenous and has exclusive characteristics. The moot question is how to realise one supreme essential principle while dwelling in a phenomenal world characterised by multitudes of appearances, perceptions and experiences?
Wisdom lies in first beholding unity among entities where difference is marginal or simply not there and then to behold unity where diversity appears distinct. First and foremost, we must convince ourselves that supreme Reality is one and non-dual and it is called by various names such as Brahmn, Bhagvan, Allah, Arihant, Siddha, Almighty Father in heaven, Ek Omkar Satnam, Supreme Tao, Ahura Mazda, or Jehovah. If it is not one and all-encompassing, it is not supreme and ceases to be infinite. This would be unbecoming of the highest Reality.
Next step would be to behold unity in all forms of deities that stand for some divine attributes. Panchdevta worship propounded by Shankara in the form of Vishnu, Sun, Devi, Ganesh and Shiv is obeisance paid to different aspects of one Isvara as presiding deities of five elements - space, air, fire, water and earth present in the cosmos.

Brahmn and its mysterious power of illusion called maya are distinct yet inseparable like fire and heat. They are obverse and reverse of the same coin. Ardhnarishwar comprising Shiv and Shakti also signifies oneness of Isvara. The trinity of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati signify different dynamic aspects of Isvara. The terms 'Narayana' and 'Shiv' also indicate one and non-dual supreme Truth. In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishn advises to behold the Lord first in conspicuous deities like Shankara among Rudra, Vishnu among Aaditya, Kubera among Yaksha and so on.
When God is one, and mankind is one, the bridge connecting two terminals called religion also must be one in essence. Religions differ in rituals and non-essentials but essentials of all religions connecting to Godhead ought to be one.
At a deeper spiritual level, God abides in our heart as indweller in all living beings as explained in Gita. This is difficult to grasp considering our body-mind-intellect bound consciousness. Therefore, Krishn exhorts us to behold divinity in distinctive manifestations like Narada among rishis, Prahalad among demons, king among men, peepal among trees and shark among fish and so on. Later, we will be able to behold the Lord in other beings.
The next step would be to behold the same supreme Reality pervading so-called inanimate objects as sat-chit-ananda aspects devoid of names and forms. It would be prudent to start beholding divinity first in most conspicuous entities like Ganga among streams and Himalaya among immovables, ocean among water reservoirs and so on. The comprehension of divine then extends to all objective forms.
Authored by: Jayant B Dave

The above article was recently punished in esteemed Speaking Tree column of TOI on 25.03.2025

Friday, 23 September 2022

The true significance of Birthday Celebration

The true significance of Birthday Celebration

Love Offering to Shri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj on his 106th Birth Anniversary - 24.9.2022 (Prime Disciple of Swami Sivanandaji and Ex President of The Divine Life Society

Every human being regards a birthday as a special day in one’s life and celebrates it annually withgaiety and zest. The birthday of leaders is also celebrated by their followers to share joy. The mode of celebration changes with time and place but the spirit of celebration remains intact. What makes a birthday such a special day in one’s life? Bhagavad Gita expounds the explicit truth that death is certain for a born and rebirth is inevitable for the dead and one should not grieve over the inevitable. But why should we rejoice and not stay neutral?

First of all, birth as living being marks the arrival of life on earth and Lord Krishna holds that I am life in all beings jivanam sarva bhuteshu and life perpetuates as long as it can because it has a mission to fulfill. We can perceive the divine more readily in sentient than in any insentient being.

Life is an annual reminder that human birth is unique among all the species biologically and spiritually; Homo sapiens is the most evolved species biologically but at the same time it is the first rung of a spiritual ladder and the human being is the only species eligible for spiritual advancement. Other species lead a structured life and even deities in heaven can rejoice due to their virtuous past deeds butcannotevolve further. Birthday reminds us of the lofty purposes of human life and gives us an opportunity to take stock of our endeavors and accomplishments versus the set goals in the bygone year andfine-tune them for future life. Birthday marks forward onward movement in our life journey from Brahmacharya ashram (student life) to Grihastha ashram (house holder’s life), to Vanaprastha ashram (life of seclusion) to Sannyas ashram (life of renunciate)

A birthday is an occasion to thank God and its creation for keeping us alive for one full year providing all needs of our life with many gains and some incidental losses with some hidden messages for the remaining life. A birthday is a day of good wishes, hope, and prayers. One should aspire to become a wiser and better individual with every passing year. While we receive gifts in many forms, we ought to give return gifts by consolidating our friendship with God and its creation to build harmonious, transparent, and loving relationships with the self and world around us.

Birthday also sounds a word of caution that life is shortened by one year that was probably more vigor filled than the years to follow and unlike the T20 match we are not very sure of the remaining lifespan although one should aspire to live for 100 years in the spirit of karma yoga as enunciated in Isa Upanishad and reset the priorities and strategy of life from time to time.

The question often arises in our mind why do we celebrate the birthday of ascetics and wise men when birth belongs to the body and they recognize that their true self is immortal Atmanthat is beyond body-mind- intellect apparatus? It will be interesting to ponder their own thoughts.

Birthday celebration of great men is akin to worship of God. A spiritual wave is created that gives impetus and enhances zeal to attain the Goal of life viz,. God- realization, says Swami Sivananda. All that you havelearned, believed, reflected, and meditated upontill now must be lived with a calm resolution, strong determination, and firm faith, says Swami Chidananda.

Mata Amritanandamayi holds that she is happy to see her children happy in rendering social service and loving one another on the occasion. She is happier when children regard her birthday as a day of wiping tears of those who are suffering. While celebrating the birthday of great souls like Christ and Krishna, we recite prayers to bless us to realize the eternal ‘I’ in me and to make this prayer part and parcel of our spiritual life.The implication is that an individual transforms into a Universal and a state of absolute unity, peace and bliss prevails.

Swami Krishnannada said that incarnations of God are supposed to come with power of divinity and hence we celebrate birthday of incarnations. As against this, sages, siddhas and spiritual masters depart with the power of divinity, and celebrating their punyatithi (death anniversary) is even more relevant.Maharshi Aurobindo explains that taking birth on this earth is a golden opportunity to grow with the unique divine portion in a man called ‘the Psychic being’ whereby a man can aspire, surrender to the divine and achieve the higher state which is difficult even for the gods. A birthday is an occasion to renew this realization and endeavor to accomplish the vision and mission of one’s life.

Jayant B Dave

FUSION OF SCIENCE & SPIRITUALITY- PRUDENT WAY TO TIDE OVER CORONA PANDEMIC

Novel Corona virus SARS COV2 is third highly pathogenic human corona virus after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The Corona virus disease (Covid 19) is turning out to be a real psycho-physical and social crisis of global magnitude. Its rapid spread is facilitated via droplets, contaminated hands and surfaces. With WHO declaring this as global pandemic, authorities and communities world over have responded to the challenge by engaging in tough and right course of action to contain the ominous threat. While search for new vaccine and drug is actively in progress, WHO has launched global mega trial of four most promising corona virus treatment from existing drugs (Remdesivir, Chloroquine & hydroxychloroquine, HIV drugs Lopinavir & Ritonavir combination with and without interferon beta)

Fortunately, India as a Nation has been able to do well but is slowly slipping to stage 3 marked by community transmission. Stage 4 is endemic and leads to mass devastation as witnessed in China & Italy.

The President of India Ramnath Kovind has highlighted medically mandated and self-imposed quarantining as an opportunity for self-examination and evolution. He held sanitation and cleanliness personified by Mahatma Gandhi particularly during plague outbreak as humblest of civic virtues. He also held that major crisis has reassured our cultural ethos of ‘world as one family’- Vasudhaiva kutumbakam and quintessential equality and interdependence of mankind. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a plethora of measures to wisely deal with the pandemic and preparing for a war like situation symbolized by Janata curfew and stressed upon the mantra of resolve and restraint. Ms Mami Mizutori, Head of UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has held that pandemics do not recognize borders and united international response is vital under guidance of WHO. The pandemic has also underlined interconnectedness and interdependence of mankind and importance of multilateral institutions like WTO. The lead banks and financial institutes are playing their part to neutralize economic slowdown. Notwithstanding this, some world leaders are sadly engaged in mudslinging on others. Wisdom lies in expressing solidarity and working for collective good in and through individual good.

Science and spirituality have different viewpoints on its etiology and cure. But both are significant and complementary to our understanding and wisdom filled actions. Science traces emergence and isolation of unknown beta corona virus, 7^th member of the family of Corona virus that infects humans in Wuhan, China. For the third time in as many decades, a zoonotic corona virus has crossed species to infect human population. It is round or elliptical often pleomorphic form (ability of microbes to change morphology, functions and reproductive mode in response to environmental conditions) with diameter of .06- 0.14 micron. The genome of the virus has now been sequenced. It is now established that this is a normal natural variant and is not genetically engineered in a laboratory with any evil design.

From one spiritual perspective, this kind of catastrophe takes place when human society as a whole goes off track in its achar-vichar (thoughts & conduct) and lowers its collective vibrations to coincide with some negative force. We are witnessing adhibhautik affliction caused by a tiny microbe that also has adhidaivik (attributed to some deity) and adhyatmic (subjective individual) ramifications. This is referred to as samasti prarabdh (collective fate) of mankind. This can be attributed to some mysterious play of the Supreme reality as some kind of compensatory mechanism to restore the balance and stability in the universe.

Science and spirituality also converge on several points.

1. Transitory nature of all objects & beings- Change is inherent in nature but constant change of structure and biological function makes design of vaccine and drug a daunting task. Scriptures describe changing nature of gross and subtle matter as asat or Mithya (having transitory & dependant existence). Science probes very subtle nature and function of matter in viral and host cell and is content with this. Spirituality exhorts still deeper to find the one and non dual substratum that pervades entire existence.

2. Cleanliness & sanitation- Virus emitted from infected person while sneezing, coughing or nose blowing as fine droplets survives for few hours and for 2-3 days after settling on inanimate surface like stainless steel or plastic. This can be transmitted by touching of infected hand to mouth, nose or eye. Virus like COV, HIV, ELOBA, ZIKA are encapsulated with lipid-bilayer. Soap or alcoholic sanitizer is able to bind with lipid bilayer and inactivate the virus, This makes cleaning/sanitation a very effective mechanism to help arrest spread of virus any further. Most religious and spiritual practices are aimed at cleansing the body and antakkaran (mind, intellect & sub conscious) of all impurities so that it can perceive and realize the atman or brahman, the ultimate reality.

3. Following advisory and wise course of actions-Global institutes & Government lays down advisory and action plan based on scientific & ethical considerations much like code of conduct prescribed by religious and spiritual texts or wisdom sayings of saints.

4. Realizing uniqueness, interconnectedness, equality of every individual & nation state- Every individual is unique as a biological creature and can contribute to both spreading and arresting the disease. Likewise, every individual can pollute or purify his neighborhood by his motives, thought processes and actions. Man can raise himself to the highest heaven or damn himself to the lowest hell. It is all in his hands, says Swami Chidananda.

5. Serving mankind while practicing social distancing- Isolation/quarantining of infected/suspect person is the most primary and effective means to contain the disease. Many countries have effectively done this. Isolation is also a means of service by protecting the others. Solitude leads to expression of our unconscious personality that has many good and bad aspects. “Solitude has its own charms. The spiritual vibrations in solitude are wonderfully elevating. Meditation will come by itself without exertion. All saints and sages who have achieved Self realization have remained in solitude for a number of years” says Swami Sivananda.

6. Submitting to nature and supreme reality- Science relies on genomics and proteomics for probing the cause, effect and solutions. This has to be supplemented with abiding faith in all pervading and compassionate supreme reality. “We have to have the faith that in spite of our ignorance, errors & weaknesses and in spite of attacks of hostile forces and in spite of any immediate appearance of failure, the divine will is leading us, through every circumstance, towards final realization, inspires Sri Aurobindo.

Jayant B Dave

Action sustains hope, knowledge fulfils hope

FROM TOI PRINT EDITION

Action sustains hope, knowledge fulfils hope

May 30, 2021, 8:01 PM IST Speaking Tree in TOI Edit Page, Edit Page, India, Spirituality, TOI

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Speaking Tree

By Jayant B Dave

It is wise to entertain hope than despair in all conditions and at all times. Hope is a prerequisite to success in material and spiritual life. Ichchha shakti, will, germinates hope; kriya shakti, action, sustains hope; and jnana shakti, knowledge, fulfils hope. Hope stems from one’s samskaras, latent cravings, aspiration for progress and possibility of attaining God-head in this life as assured by scriptures and demonstrated by lives of great men.

Hope is like prana in our psycho-physical self that nourishes body and mind. It is prevalent in all living species. A lion hopes to catch a prey and a deer hopes that it will escape the predator. The virus mutates because it hopes to thrive on the host and the host hopes to drive away the ‘unwelcome guest’ by activating its immune system. Bowler, batsman, fielder and skipper all have hope. The winner is the one who sustains hope.

God too hopes that all elements in cosmos will play their part in sustaining the order in creation. He hopes that man, who has forgotten his true identity, will regain it and return to his divine abode. It was perhaps hope that inspired one and non-dual Ishvara to manifest as many.

If hope is the summum bonum of life, spirit behind our existence, what causes hope to extinguish?

One, many times we entertain unjust and excessive hopes leading to discontent and despair. Exercising moderation and wisdom in expression of our desires is the way out.

Two, often we do not have a set vision in life. Absence of short-term or long-term goals of life invites tamas, inertia, to set in. Setting swadharma, the right course of life, and reviewing it from time to time is the way out.

Three, at times when we are afraid to face a likely failure, we try to create a protective wall by diminishing hope. One should try to optimise benefit to risk ratio in any critical situation, focus more on benefit and not overestimate the risk. Emergency approval granted to Covid vaccines and therapeutic drugs focussed more on life-saving prospects rather than avoiding any likely insignificant adverse event.

Four, lack of hope that may extend to fear stems from ignorance. This is best exemplified by vaccine hesitancy because of undue fears of side reactions to Covid vaccines. Spiritually speaking, in ignorance of our true self, we conceive ourselves as ahamkar, ego. But when ego is transcended, ignorance has lifted itself like a mist, finite ego merges with the Self.

Five, lack of hope stems from lack of faith in relative and absolute truth. Krishn has assured in the Bhagwad Gita that untruth has no being and truth does not cease to be. Relative truth is the beauty and immediate goal of life that leads to absolute truth. Scientific truth is also unravelled with faith in the present and hope for the higher principle. Man’s aspiration for eternal happiness, knowledge and truth stems from this innermost reality. A sthitprajna, man of steady wisdom, is ever content and satisfied – ‘Atmani eva atmana tushtah’, self-satisfied in the self. This is the culmination of the highest hope called mumukshutva, aspiration.

The writer is president, Divine Life Society, Vadodara

Anatomy of the divine spiritual fire

May 23, 2020, 2:00 AM IST Speaking Tree in TOI Edit Page | Edit Page, India, Spirituality | TOI

By Jayant B Dave

Spiritual fire refers to the flame of knowledge in the heart, the Jnanamaya Pradeep says the Bhagwad Gita’s Dhyana verse. This is your essential and innermost Self, that is of the nature of peace and bliss. The phrase spiritual fire is also common in Christianity and is deemed to cleanse, illumine and uplift one’s being. While evolved souls keep this fire burning, in ignorant persons, this divine flame fades under the influence of maya/ avidya and gets extinguished.

Just as physical fire requires certain ingredients to keep the flame going, spiritual fire requires three ingredients to initiate and sustain it. Noble thoughts crossing the mind, latent spiritual impressions embedded deep in chitta, subconscious, and wisdom in buddhi, the intellect – due to discretion and dispassion – serve as flammable materials.

Satsanga and svadhyaya serve as oxygen. They keep the mind in elevated subtle state and keep the spiritual fire burning. If satsanga is not continuously kept up, the fire of spirituality goes out. Adi Shankara in Bhajagovindam Stotra says that satsanga leads successively to non-attachment, freedom from delusion, abidance in Self and finally, liberation while living. Whenever there is excessive influence of satsanga and svadhyaya, spiritual fire becomes more voluminous and energetic. We normally experience this spurt in spiritual fire in the company of spiritually evolved souls, during a sadhana camp or concentrated spiritual practice in seclusion like anushthan.

One has to transcend physical and psychological consciousness to cosmic, divine consciousness at least for a moment, to enable ignition to occur. Joy derived from rendering selfless service, devout worship of chosen deity, tranquillity of mind in a meditative state or flash of intuition emanating from reflection on wisdom teaching provides a proverbial spark. Once the fire is lit, flammable materials and oxygen are required to keep the fire burning.

A strong spiritual impulse has to be generated for fire to proceed. For realised and evolved souls there is a steady flow of brahmakara vrittis, divine thoughts, with extinction of vishayakara vrittis, worldly thoughts. This state is tantamount to auto-ignition temperature where no ignition spark is required. In fact, they abide in divine nature forever and spiritual fire is alive forever and there is no need for any ignition to take place.

The products of physical fire are oxide gases of various elements and remnant inorganic ash. Gases such as carbon dioxide have many undesirable effects like causing global warming as they promote the greenhouse effect. The products of spiritual fire are innocuous and disseminate perennial peace and unalloyed bliss.

Scriptures refer to spiritual fire as fire of knowledge or a well-lit lamp. The Gita conveys that just as blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, fire of knowledge turns all present and accumulated actions to ashes. This means that all accumulated deep rooted samskara, impressions and vasanas, subtle desires, are burnt so that they do not germinate again and a seeker becomes free from transmigration circle of birth and death.

Equally important, the realised soul, knower of the Atman, passes beyond sorrow in this very birth – Tarati sokam atmavit iti, says the Chhandogya Upanishad. Shvetashwatara Upanishad regards spiritual flame as identifying oneself with nitya nija svarupa, own essential nature, whereby enlightened soul attains realisation of oneness with Brahmn, Paramatma. Spiritual fire can be taken as both the means and end, the goal of divine life.