Thursday, December 18, 2008
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 14
Explanation
Last day we learnt about Muchukunda saying as to that a seeker of the reality of Lord will never seek any boon related to the samsaara (suffering). Let us today try to discuss a little more on bandha (bondage) and moksha (liberation) so that we will be able to choose moksha whenever we have a situation wherein we have to make a decision in life.
There are many times in life that a seeker will be faced with making decisions in life. These might include the decision to work abroad or in a place different from one’s hometown or marriage or even sanyaasa. These are just some typical situations – basically a seeker will encounter something or the other in the spiritual path at all times that will test his ability to stick onto the truth of moksha.
Vibhishana had to choose between the truth in the form of Rama and his own brother Ravana. Mahabali had to choose between the truth in the form of Vamana and his own Guru Shukracharya. Prahlada had to choose between the truth of Vishnu and his father Hiranyakashipu. Arjuna had to choose between the truth in the form of Krishna and his relatives of Kauravas (which included even his teacher and grandfather).
These seekers knew as to that they have to choose moksha if they ever want to be blissful and hence they were able to make the right decision during these times. If only the obstacle that a seeker has to encounter in the spiritual path is pre-determined, things would be quite easy. But this is not how it works as the obstacle is not external but it is internal.
The scriptures say as to what is bondage and liberation through this beautiful sloka:
Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandhamokshayoh
Bandhaaya vishayaasaktham mukthaih nirvishayam smritham
Mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation for a human being; mind which goes behind worldly pleasures is in bondage and mind which doesn’t seek external pleasure (instead seeks the Lord) is in liberation.
Thus liberation is as simple as choosing the ultimate reality of Lord knowing as to who this Lord is. We might be worshipping either the form Lord or the formless Lord – irrespective of both we have to pervade the form to the entire world (including ourselves). Thus whatever we see have to be nothing but the form of the Lord – this doesn’t mean we will see it externally but this is a mental perception. Whenever we see an object, we will see the object as having a name and form. But once the object reaches the mind, the mind has to assert that the object is a mere name and form in the Lord as there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists as the non-dual substratum. Whatever is similarly heard will be asserted as the Lord. All actions will be performed with this knowledge that everything is the Lord – this means all actions will be an offering unto the Lord. Thereby irrespective of whether the fruits of the action are good or bad, the seeker will be ever blissful. This is moksha wherein the seeker’s mind always resides on the Lord all the while externally perceiving objects and performing actions like any normal worldly being.
Bandha is exactly opposite of this moksha wherein a seeker doesn’t remember the Lord or he cannot remember the Lord due to attachments to people and things around him. Such a seeker who gives priority to other things than the Lord will not be able to rejoice in bliss. Instead he will always be affected by the actions performed by himself and by the situations around him. Thus he is ever sorrowful irrespective of whether he has money, fame, power etc. His sorrow is a result of his ignorance of the truth of Lord whether this ignorance is total ignorance or temporary forgetting of the Lord. Whether a person doesn’t know the truth of Lord or he cannot remember the truth of the Lord because of attachments doesn’t really matter – the final fruit of such state is sorrow and sorrow alone.
If we are able to remember that sorrow is the fruit of forgetting the Lord whether it is natural forgetting or forgetting for the sake of Lord, then we will never ever again enter into sorrows. If the entire world is only an illusion, then where are one’s relatives, friends, possessions etc? This knowledge about the world to be an illusion in the Lord should be contemplated by the seeker so that he is able to overcome all attachments and aversions – thereby ever reside in the Lord and live life as a jeevan muktha (who is ever blissful).
Muchukunda continued:
O Lord! Therefore let me seek refuge of the untainted, attribute-less, one without a second and Consciousness in nature of You and get rid of Maya and the three gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas through which Maya acts.
Explanation
Moksha is achieved when a seeker seeks refuge completely unto the ultimate reality of Lord. This is because everything apart from the ultimate reality of Lord is only an illusion. Depending or getting attracted to the illusory external world is bondage and liberation is when the seeker seeks the reality of Lord.
What is the nature of the reality of Lord? This is being beautifully explained through Muchukunda in this part.
The Lord is untainted. Taint is when an object gets attached with an external entity (which is different from the object itself). An object like a cloth can get tainted when an external object like sand gets attached to the cloth. This is because the cloth and sand both exist as well as because both cloth and sand have parts. That which has parts alone can have conjunction or association with other entities. The cloth has parts of threads and sand has parts of molecules. Hence there is association between the cloth and sand. Similarly when the body holds on to a branch of a tree, this is because the body has parts like hands, legs etc. and tree has parts like branch, root, leaves etc. Space is an entity that is untainted because space has no parts at all. Space is proclaimed in the scriptures as having come out of Brahman (Lord or the Atman). This is true because space has existence only when Consciousness is present. If Consciousness is not there, space doesn’t exist at all. If space (that has come out of the Lord) is part-less and untainted, then the Lord also has to be part-less and untainted. It is also a fact that Consciousness is part-less and untainted like the rays of the Sun. Thus the Lord is untainted as he is part-less and nothing can ever get attached or associated with the Lord. The Lord is also untainted because there is nothing apart from the Lord to become a taint. Only when duality is there, taint is possible – when there is only one entity, how can there be any taint to that non-dual entity? This is like telling that the dreamer in which the entire dream world is seen is never tainted by the dream world as there is nothing but the dreamer alone in the dream world.
The Lord is attribute-less. Attributes are only for that entity which can be described and which can be related to something in the world. But the Lord is Consciousness in nature which is the Subject (that cannot be objectified). Everything in the world can be objectified except the Subject of “I” which is beyond objectification as it is the Subject of all objects. The Lord as is the Subject “I” in all beings cannot be described and hence he is attribute-less.
The Lord is one without a second. Even as the dreamer is the substratum in which the dual dream world is seen, similarly it is the Lord who is the substratum of the dual world that we currently perceive. Even as nothing apart from the dreamer exists in the dream world, similarly there is nothing apart from the ultimate reality of Lord in the dual world. This is because the Lord is of the nature of Consciousness. If Consciousness is there, the entire world exists. If Consciousness is not there, the entire world doesn’t exist. Thus the world is dependent on Consciousness for its existence. Even as the dependent variable is only an illusion in the independent constant, similarly the dependent world is only an illusion in the independent Consciousness of Lord. This means that the Lord alone is real whereas the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. Thus the Lord is one without a second (nothing apart from the Lord really exists – duality just appears to be existing when really it is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord).
How can we seek refuge in the Lord?
Seeking refuge in the Lord is by seeing the ultimate reality of Lord in the entire world. This means getting rid of the duality of world in the mind and pervading the Lord with the dual world. This is getting rid of Maya and its effects which is the dual world. When the non-dual reality of Lord is forgotten, Maya creeps in. Thus remembering the Lord at all times by pervading the Lord in the entire world (remembering the Lord to be the independent substratum of the illusory world) is getting rid of Maya thereby realizing the Lord through seeking refuge in the Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Last day we learnt about Muchukunda saying as to that a seeker of the reality of Lord will never seek any boon related to the samsaara (suffering). Let us today try to discuss a little more on bandha (bondage) and moksha (liberation) so that we will be able to choose moksha whenever we have a situation wherein we have to make a decision in life.
There are many times in life that a seeker will be faced with making decisions in life. These might include the decision to work abroad or in a place different from one’s hometown or marriage or even sanyaasa. These are just some typical situations – basically a seeker will encounter something or the other in the spiritual path at all times that will test his ability to stick onto the truth of moksha.
Vibhishana had to choose between the truth in the form of Rama and his own brother Ravana. Mahabali had to choose between the truth in the form of Vamana and his own Guru Shukracharya. Prahlada had to choose between the truth of Vishnu and his father Hiranyakashipu. Arjuna had to choose between the truth in the form of Krishna and his relatives of Kauravas (which included even his teacher and grandfather).
These seekers knew as to that they have to choose moksha if they ever want to be blissful and hence they were able to make the right decision during these times. If only the obstacle that a seeker has to encounter in the spiritual path is pre-determined, things would be quite easy. But this is not how it works as the obstacle is not external but it is internal.
The scriptures say as to what is bondage and liberation through this beautiful sloka:
Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandhamokshayoh
Bandhaaya vishayaasaktham mukthaih nirvishayam smritham
Mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation for a human being; mind which goes behind worldly pleasures is in bondage and mind which doesn’t seek external pleasure (instead seeks the Lord) is in liberation.
Thus liberation is as simple as choosing the ultimate reality of Lord knowing as to who this Lord is. We might be worshipping either the form Lord or the formless Lord – irrespective of both we have to pervade the form to the entire world (including ourselves). Thus whatever we see have to be nothing but the form of the Lord – this doesn’t mean we will see it externally but this is a mental perception. Whenever we see an object, we will see the object as having a name and form. But once the object reaches the mind, the mind has to assert that the object is a mere name and form in the Lord as there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists as the non-dual substratum. Whatever is similarly heard will be asserted as the Lord. All actions will be performed with this knowledge that everything is the Lord – this means all actions will be an offering unto the Lord. Thereby irrespective of whether the fruits of the action are good or bad, the seeker will be ever blissful. This is moksha wherein the seeker’s mind always resides on the Lord all the while externally perceiving objects and performing actions like any normal worldly being.
Bandha is exactly opposite of this moksha wherein a seeker doesn’t remember the Lord or he cannot remember the Lord due to attachments to people and things around him. Such a seeker who gives priority to other things than the Lord will not be able to rejoice in bliss. Instead he will always be affected by the actions performed by himself and by the situations around him. Thus he is ever sorrowful irrespective of whether he has money, fame, power etc. His sorrow is a result of his ignorance of the truth of Lord whether this ignorance is total ignorance or temporary forgetting of the Lord. Whether a person doesn’t know the truth of Lord or he cannot remember the truth of the Lord because of attachments doesn’t really matter – the final fruit of such state is sorrow and sorrow alone.
If we are able to remember that sorrow is the fruit of forgetting the Lord whether it is natural forgetting or forgetting for the sake of Lord, then we will never ever again enter into sorrows. If the entire world is only an illusion, then where are one’s relatives, friends, possessions etc? This knowledge about the world to be an illusion in the Lord should be contemplated by the seeker so that he is able to overcome all attachments and aversions – thereby ever reside in the Lord and live life as a jeevan muktha (who is ever blissful).
Muchukunda continued:
O Lord! Therefore let me seek refuge of the untainted, attribute-less, one without a second and Consciousness in nature of You and get rid of Maya and the three gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas through which Maya acts.
Explanation
Moksha is achieved when a seeker seeks refuge completely unto the ultimate reality of Lord. This is because everything apart from the ultimate reality of Lord is only an illusion. Depending or getting attracted to the illusory external world is bondage and liberation is when the seeker seeks the reality of Lord.
What is the nature of the reality of Lord? This is being beautifully explained through Muchukunda in this part.
The Lord is untainted. Taint is when an object gets attached with an external entity (which is different from the object itself). An object like a cloth can get tainted when an external object like sand gets attached to the cloth. This is because the cloth and sand both exist as well as because both cloth and sand have parts. That which has parts alone can have conjunction or association with other entities. The cloth has parts of threads and sand has parts of molecules. Hence there is association between the cloth and sand. Similarly when the body holds on to a branch of a tree, this is because the body has parts like hands, legs etc. and tree has parts like branch, root, leaves etc. Space is an entity that is untainted because space has no parts at all. Space is proclaimed in the scriptures as having come out of Brahman (Lord or the Atman). This is true because space has existence only when Consciousness is present. If Consciousness is not there, space doesn’t exist at all. If space (that has come out of the Lord) is part-less and untainted, then the Lord also has to be part-less and untainted. It is also a fact that Consciousness is part-less and untainted like the rays of the Sun. Thus the Lord is untainted as he is part-less and nothing can ever get attached or associated with the Lord. The Lord is also untainted because there is nothing apart from the Lord to become a taint. Only when duality is there, taint is possible – when there is only one entity, how can there be any taint to that non-dual entity? This is like telling that the dreamer in which the entire dream world is seen is never tainted by the dream world as there is nothing but the dreamer alone in the dream world.
The Lord is attribute-less. Attributes are only for that entity which can be described and which can be related to something in the world. But the Lord is Consciousness in nature which is the Subject (that cannot be objectified). Everything in the world can be objectified except the Subject of “I” which is beyond objectification as it is the Subject of all objects. The Lord as is the Subject “I” in all beings cannot be described and hence he is attribute-less.
The Lord is one without a second. Even as the dreamer is the substratum in which the dual dream world is seen, similarly it is the Lord who is the substratum of the dual world that we currently perceive. Even as nothing apart from the dreamer exists in the dream world, similarly there is nothing apart from the ultimate reality of Lord in the dual world. This is because the Lord is of the nature of Consciousness. If Consciousness is there, the entire world exists. If Consciousness is not there, the entire world doesn’t exist. Thus the world is dependent on Consciousness for its existence. Even as the dependent variable is only an illusion in the independent constant, similarly the dependent world is only an illusion in the independent Consciousness of Lord. This means that the Lord alone is real whereas the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. Thus the Lord is one without a second (nothing apart from the Lord really exists – duality just appears to be existing when really it is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord).
How can we seek refuge in the Lord?
Seeking refuge in the Lord is by seeing the ultimate reality of Lord in the entire world. This means getting rid of the duality of world in the mind and pervading the Lord with the dual world. This is getting rid of Maya and its effects which is the dual world. When the non-dual reality of Lord is forgotten, Maya creeps in. Thus remembering the Lord at all times by pervading the Lord in the entire world (remembering the Lord to be the independent substratum of the illusory world) is getting rid of Maya thereby realizing the Lord through seeking refuge in the Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
# posted by vedanta : 5:50 AM
