I Want To Break Free

 Liberation or Moksha is an oft quoted term used in common literature as well as in Advaita Vedanta philosophy.  To one who is not familiar with the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, it can mean one of many things. According to the dictionary 'liberation' means "the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery or oppression". Which means release from bondage of some sort.

Those who are familiar with Advaita Vedanta philosophy will recognize that liberation presupposes an individual's state of bondage.   Feeling of bondage is the direct result of the predicament of humans living in this precarious, unstable and changing world ( also called "samsara"). The human is part of the global structure of beginningless cycle of birth and death and rebirth. Bondage would therefore presuppose an endless cycle of suffering.  A suffering that begins with birth of the body-mind entity. 

Since a person has this ingrained feeling and conviction that he or she is indeed the body and the mind, some people may feel that liberation can only be possible after death.  Alternatively, one may be led to believe that an end to this suffering can only come about by a prolonged practice of some sort, whereby an "out of body experience" can be obtained. What they fail to realize however, is that no experience can last forever. All such pursuits will end in disappointment. It is the law of samsara that anything that has a beginning must end, anything that is born must die, anything that is obtained in the future will eventually be lost.  So, what then can a human do? 

Thankfully, the ancient rishis (sages) of India, had an answer to put an end to this suffering. They realized that this suffering happens due to the identification of the Ego (or Sense of "I" or Individuality) with the body-mind. As a result, an individual assumes ownership of the various experiences and nature of the body and the mind. He may say " I am short" or " I am miserable" or  "I am unhappy". He may appropriate any of the various characteristics of the body or the feelings, emotions and perceptions as his own. As a result, nothing is permanent or stable in this constantly changing world of objects, emotions and feelings and perceptions. He wants "permanent happiness" in an impermanent world. He wants "stability" in an inherently unstable world. He is looking for an end to this bondage related suffering in the world of changing objects, emotions and perceptions. He is looking in the wrong place. 

The rishis figured out that the answer for "breaking free from bondage" does not lie out there in the world, but rather it is within one's own self. It is not a question of "I want to break free", - but rather a question of "who is this 'I" that wants to break free"? Rather than turning the attention outwards to find a solution for this bondage and suffering, one should turn the attention inwards to the very subject or "I" that wants freedom or liberation from this bondage and suffering. It is ignorance that results in the perception of bondage. Ignorance is the main cause of suffering. 

Just like darkness can only be eliminated by light, the ignorance can only be eliminated by Knowledge. 

Relevance of Advaita Vedanta in the Modern World

It has been a while since the last posting of a blog on this site. For those of you who are wondering what happened to the author the answer is "No, the author has not lost interest in Advaita Vedanta teachings". On the contrary, a leave of absence from this blog has given an opportunity to observe the recent changes in the world and notice the changes in the population all over the world. It has become more and more obvious that the teachings of the Advaita Gurus is more relevant now than ever. As the world of technology has grown more complicated - supposedly to simplify the lives of the inhabitants of this world - the despair and distress among humans has grown even more. It is obvious that the more "advanced" the world becomes, the more the longing for simplicity by the humans.

A common complaint against Advaita philosophy is that it is not practical in the real world. Some complain that it is a nihilistic philosophy. Unfortunately, for those who have not understood the philosophy for what it conveys and instead look at it for materialistic gain, it may seem like that. However, for those who have not just read, but intellectually imbibed the subtle pointers in the Advaita teachings, they have surely experienced the practical benefits of this teaching.

As more and more people are addicted to the various technological innovations and offerings of this world, they are lead farther and farther away from their selves. An outwardly focused mind is a trap as the thoughts are ever changing and lure one into a web from which escape can be difficult. The more one moves away from one's self and gets enamored by the world of objects, sensations, thoughts and emotions, the more one is tortured by them. It is precisely this torture of the mind, that one eventually wants to escape for "peace of mind" - the most valuable asset in life! Perhaps there is no better time for humanity to realize this than in our present times.

Simplicity is none other than your Self. In becoming one with your Self, one realizes simplicity. This explains the longing for simplicity in humans through millennia and more so in the present time. With advances in technology taking one away from one's self, leaves one longing to return to the wholeness and oneness that is inherent in our being.

So, how is one to achieve this simplicity. Quite simply, one has to start meditating. You may start meditating on an object like your favorite deity or Guru, or even watch the parade of thoughts. Meditation on objects is a great way to start meditating and realizing the benefits of the same. However, eventually, one must veer to the question of who is meditating. It is then that one gets glimpses of the Reality or the Self. It is then that one realizes that meditating and simplicity are one and the same. The self meditating on the self-and the absence of the world of objects, thoughts and emotions.

Meditation will transform from a once or twice in a day routine to all the time during all the activities. Now, don't be disillusioned if the benefits of meditation are not immediately felt or observed. In fact, the very goal of benefiting from meditation may prove non-beneficial.
In Bhagawad Gita, like Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna, who was unwilling to fight the war, in the epic Mahabharata, -

Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani

You have the right to perform your actions but are not entitled to the fruits of your action. Do not perform duties with a desire for the fruit, and hence you will not be attached to nonperformance of your duties.

In just meditating, without looking for the fruits of meditation, it will eventually become evident that other than the Self there is no other. The very idea or thought that there is an entity that can benefit from any fruit of action will disappear. So, who is meditating on whom?

Mind is a Manifestation of Ignorance

A common question that arises for the seeker is " how did the I, the Pure Self, the Infinite Lord, become this little self, the ego?". It is a very valid question as the Guru has repeatedly emphasized that you are none other than the Absolute, the Self. One must wonder as to how the Self got contaminated, so to speak, and become this imperfect self, the ego. The answer to this question again depends on the level of maturity of the seeker. Or rather, from what level of understanding is the seeker approaching this question. For those who can accept the teaching of the Guru, the answer is simply "no particular cause". But, the seeker may not be satisfied with that answer and may continue to wonder or become frustrated for a lack of answer.

To understand this better it is essential for the seeker to undertake a detailed and in-depth study of Vedanta. The important thing to note though is that a study of the subject of Vedanta is in itself not enough.  It is important to arrange the ideas that arise from this study in a correct order and to be able to cogitate and meditate on the matter on a daily basis.

It is important to understand that all such questions arise only in the mind. You do not ask these or any other questions when you are in deep sleep. Hence, an easy way may be to find out what exactly is the mind. Once, the nature of the mind is figured out, then the contents of the mind can be more easily figured out.

The mind appears and disappears in a 24 hour period. The mind is absent in deep sleep but is fully functional in the wakeful state and partially so in the dream state. So, what exactly is the mind? Is it a thing?Is it present in the brain as you may be postulating?  Just so you know, neuroscience has not yet figured out the exact location of what you may call the "mind". The mind is nothing but thoughts. And thoughts do not have any material mass. To go deeper into the understanding of the mind, one has to go deeper into the understanding of the "person" investigating it.

It boils down to understanding this "I", the "person", the "individual", the self, who is investigating the mind and all other questions about Vedanta. At this juncture, you have the choice of investigating the nature of your self or investigating the nature of the mind. By investigating the nature of your Self, you will without any effort get an answer about the nature of the mind.

But, those who do not want to wait till they find out the nature of the Self, may want an easy answer to the nature of the mind. For this answer, while there are many texts in Vedanta that will answer it, none is more easy to understand than the introduction to Vedanta " Vivekachoodamani" or "The Crest Jewel of Discrimination" written as 580 verses by the great Adi Shankaracharya in the eight century A.D. In this text, the Acharya explains that due to ignorance, man identifies the Self with the not-Self thereby bringing about bondage and the miseries of birth and death. He considers the perishable body as real and nourishes and cherishes it. As a result, he becomes bound much like the silk-worm in its cocoon, woven by its own threads. This bondage comes about due to the fact that you forgot your true self. The cause of this forgetfulness is ignorance (avidya). The acharya gives a wonderful example of the moon(mind) eclipsing the sun(Self) from the observer (me). As long as there is this mind between me and my Self, the glory of the Self is eclipsed from me. Mind being a manifestation of ignorance (avidya) has to be transcended to realize the Self and thereby bring about an end to the idea of bondage and the sufferings associated with it.

Enlightenment in Five Verses - Part Two

Please read part one of this blog before reading this part and subsequent parts.

Sri Shankara answers to the questions posed by the Chandala:

Verse 1

1.जग्रत्स्वप्न्सुषुप्तिषु स्फुत्तारा या संविदुज्ज्रुम्भ्ते
या ब्रह्मिदिपिपीलिकान्त्त्नुशु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी ।
सैवाहं न च दुश्यवास्त्विती दृढप्रज्ञापि यस्यास्ति चेत
चन्दलोअस्तु स तु द्विजोअस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ १ 

If a person has attained the firm knowledge that he is not the object of perception, but instead is the one Consciousness which illumines the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, the one Consciousness which is the sole witness of the whole universe and is the one Consciousness which dwells in all bodies from that of the Creator Brahma to that of an ant, the he alone is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a brahmin. This is my conviction.

Let us try to analyze this verse. Consciousness is present in all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. In the waking state, the physical body, the senses and the mind function and experience the external objects. In the dream state, the body and the senses do not function, but the mind creates objects and events and experiences them. In deep sleep, the body, the senses and the mind do not function but there is no doubt that consciousness is still present since one easily verifies upon waking up  that he or she was asleep.  Simply put, in the waking state, the presence of consciousness is obvious because of the experience of the external objects and in the dream state, the mind creates the objects and experiences them. In the deep sleep state, it may appear as if there is no experiencing, but the fact that you remember you slept happily, is the verification of the presence of experiencing.  One can remember only what one has experienced previously. It is therefore obvious that consciousness was present during deep sleep and both happiness and ignorance were experienced.  This one consciousness is the sole witness of all experiences as well as absence of experiences. This consciousness is the inner Self that dwells in all creatures and is the same, irrespective of the shape or form of the body of the creature. Thus, this one consciousness is the only subject. The external objects are perceived by the senses. The senses are perceived by the mind. The mind is perceived by consciousness or the Self. Thus, the Self or consciousness alone is the subject and everything else is an object of experience. The person who has realized that he is the Self (consciousness alone) and not the physical body, the mind, or the senses is an enlightened person and is my Guru. 

The labels of race, religion, caste, occupation, and creed are only illusory creations of the mind and in no way affect the Self or consciousness which is the same in all living beings. Similarly, differences in form or shapes is an illusion created by the mind, since the bodies of living creatures are made up of the same five elements (earth, fire, water, space and air) and therefore have no inherent difference. Just like space is space and there is no difference in the space contained within a pot made of gold versus the space contained in a pot made of clay, an enlightened person sees beyond the name and form and recognizes the one consciousness in all.

Enlightenment in Five Verses- Part One

This post deals with one of the most profound yet simple Advaita teaching. It comes from Shri Adi Shankaracharya, the great Advaita Saint. The teaching is contained in just a few verses, which if read carefully, keeping the mind and heart open, may result in instant enlightenment.  These are some of the most profound verses in all of Advaita Vedanta literature.  The text is called Maneeshaapanchakam. The essence of Advaita Vedanta is brought out succinctly in these brief verses.

Before we proceed, let us see the reason for these verses. One day, Sri Shankaracharya ( aka Shankara) was on his way to the temple of Lord Viswanatha along with his disciples, after finishing his ritual bath. It so happened that a Chandaala (a low caste person or untouchable caste working as a street sweeper) was walking along the same street and was obstructing the path along which Sri Sankara was walking. Sri Sankara asked the Chandaala to move away from his path (In ancient times, it was considered inauspicious for a higher caste person to encounter a Chandaala especially on the way to or after performing religious rituals). The Chandaala then asked Sri Sankara some questions which are the basis of the first two verses in this text. These questions are the prelude to the Five verses quoted by Sri Sankara. The Five verses are collectively called "Maneeshaapanchakam".  Maneeshaa means "conviction" and  "panchakam" means a collection of five verses or shlokas. All the five verses end with the word "maneesha mamah" meaning "This is my conviction".

While, one could spend a lot of time arguing over how an Enlightened soul like Sri Shankara could practice untouchability, it would unnecessarily deviate one's attention from the deep message contained in these verses.  The story may also point to the strong association of beingness with the body and mind, showing how even an Enlightened one like Sri Shankara could temporarily fall off the razors edge.

Chandala to Shankara:

1. अन्नामयादान्नमयम्थ्वा चैतन्यमेव चैतान्यात । 
द्विजवर दूरीकर्तु वाञछ्सी किं ब्रूहि गच्छ गच्छेति ॥

1.  O'great among the twice-born! What is it that you want to move away by saying "Go, go"? Do you want the body made up of food to move away from another body made up of food? Or, do you want the consciousness to move away from consciousness?

2.  किं गंगाम्बुनी बिम्बितेओम्ब्र्मनौ चंदाल्वातिपयः
पूरे चंत्रमस्ती कच्च्न्घतिम्रित्कुम्भ्योवोर्म्ब्रे।
प्रत्याग्वस्तुनी निस्तारान्ग्सह्जान्न्दाव्बोधाम्बुधौ
विप्रोअयम्श्व्प्चोअय्मित्य्पिमहन्कोअयम्विभेद्भ्रमः ॥

2. Is there any difference in the reflection of the Sun in the waters of the Ganges river and its reflection in the water in a ditch in the quarters of an outcaste? Is there any difference in the space as such, be it the space contained in a gold pot or a clay pot?  What is this illusion of difference in the form of "this is a Brahmin(higher caste) and this is an Outcaste", in the inner Self which is none other than the thought-less Ocean of Bliss and self existing consciousness?

Note: The inner Self or consciousness is the same in all creatures.

Communicating Truth

There are several ways in which the Truth can be communicated to the seeker. For those of you who are new to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, it may perhaps be beneficial to familiarize yourself with them before trying to understand the matter being discussed below. While it is absolutely true that no practice or sadhana is really necessary for Self Realization, for most of the seekers, a level of mental preparedness is essential to grasp the pointers to the Truth. There are several methods to improve the one pointedness or focus of the mind on only one object so as to filter out all unnecessary distractions for the mind.  This one pointedness or determination of the mind is essential for the arrow of the pointer to strike the target. These methods would again depend on the nature of the mind of the seeker and level of maturity of the seeker. The methods include prayer, meditation, chanting (japa) or breath control (pranayama).  It is beyond the scope of today's discussion to address all these methods and the reader is advised to inquire about the same in the many exhaustive works of Vedanta already available.

This discussion is regarding the pointers from the Guru when the seeker asks the Guru about the Ultimate Truth.  This is true of seekers who have perhaps already exhausted all other avenues of reaching the Ultimate goal and have come to the Guru in desperation and hope to be finally liberated. Generally, depending on the level of maturity of the mind of the seeker, the Jnani (Realized one) will try to point him/her to the Truth. The Jnani can know, based on the questions that the seeker asks as well as the responses or answers to questions from the seeker, as to the level of maturity of the seeker. There are basically two methods of communication in this world. One is through the medium of silence and the other is through the medium of language and words or gestures, and the second is through silence. For most of you readers, the first method may seem a bit strange as to be even mentioned. Since, we are addressing this matter in the state of duality, remember that opposites or dyads are the nature of duality. What is silence without sound and what is sound without silence?

The Guru/ Jnani may decide to convey the message through silence or the look of Grace. Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi is a well known for using this method of conveying the Truth. It is a powerful method with immediate results for the mature seeker who is ready. To give an analogy, if the wood is dry and ready, a spark is all it takes for it to burn immediately. On the other hand, if the wood is only partially dry, it takes a little while for it to catch the fire and may need several attempts to light it. A wood that is still wet, will need more time for it to dry before the spark can even attempt to get it to burn. In the same way, the state of mind will determine if the pointer from the Guru will achieve immediate results or if more time is needed. In the method of silence, all it needs is for the Guru to look into the eyes of the seeker and the seeker is no more. The seeker becomes one with the Guru and the message gets through.

The other method of communication is through the medium of words or language. Since most seekers are immersed in this state of duality and language is the medium of duality (the speaker and the listener), this method is likely to work for the majority. Shree Nisargadatta Maharaj is an example of a Jnani who exploited this method of communication. After all, it does not matter how the message gets through to the seeker, the goal of the Guru is to make sure that it gets through. Even if the message from the Guru does not light the fire right away, in due course of time it will. The words of the Guru will never go to waste on the ears of a sincere and determined seeker. It is just a matter of time before the seed shall sprout, as the Maharaj used to say.

Absolutely Effortless

You want to know the Self. You want Self-Realization. You have been told by many a Guru and through literature that Self-Realization can be attained by anyone and everyone. All it needs is a certain practice or ritual to be performed by you on a regular basis. Simple, you have been told. Well, if it is that simple then why have you not got it as yet, you wonder. You have tried it all, be it Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Mantra Chanting, Kirtans, Spiritual Seminars, Spiritual Books, Bhajans, and still you are suffering.  You begin to question  "Is Advaita Vedanta a philosophy only, with no practical value?". 

Contrary to the conclusion you may have reached, the Guru has actually told you repeatedly that you ARE already what you are seeking. So, you cannot fault the Guru for making it amply simple and clear. It is obvious, that the one to burden the entire blame would be you - the seeker. The Guru has told you that you can never know the Self objectively. Yet, you insist on knowing the Self objectively. The Guru has told you that you cannot become what you already ARE. Yet, you insist on some action or path that will somehow lead you to your own Self.  To become something other than what you already are.  You believe that you have to DO something to GET something.  Does that not sound ridiculous on your part to keep on insisting on a method or practice (sadhana) when the Guru keeps pointing you in the opposite direction. All actions and practices (sadhana)will lead you away from your Self.  The very idea of doing some action or practice is due to the mental conditioning since childhood that to achieve anything one must put in effort and act accordingly. All actions are generally done with the intention of getting results or fruits of the action.  Even the spiritual action or spiritual practice or sadhana.  This desire to attain something which you believe you do not already have, is the so called suffering.  You feel incomplete and hence you believe there is a need to act or do some practice to become complete and put an end to the suffering. Now, it is easy for some teacher to say "act without caring about the results", but you very well know that it is next to impossible to comply with that statement. Don't fool yourself otherwise.

Is there really anything you can do? Well, are we not back to square one with that question? Well, yes, there is a practice which is actually not a practice as such. It is a way of denying reality to something which is false. It is way of realizing the false as false. There is nothing you can do or have done to attain the Self. The Self is already realized.  You already KNOW YOU ARE.  The only way to Self Realization  or Understanding is to do Self Inquiry. By the action of Self-Inquiry, the one who is in the wrong belief of being an entity doing the action ceases to exist as an entity. The Self which is self effulgent, self shining, and self evident continues being so as always and Realization is nothing other than the seeker ceasing to continue in the false belief of being a separate entity. Although, to the seeker, there is apparent action and practice being performed, as soon as the Clarity of Seeing becomes evident, such a question does not arise anymore. You (as a seeker) are just as false as the appearance of the world that you believe in. All action is just as illusory as the world itself.

You have never done anything and will never do anything. You always have been and always will be solid, non moving, action-less, silent witness to the appearance which is constantly changing and moving and seemingly acting. The one who thinks is doing any sadhana (practice) is false and must realize the falseness of itself.  Being as you are is absolutely effortless.