Summary of Talk 2 on Vivekachoodamani by Sri Anubhavananda Saraswati. Compiled by Dr. Hegde, Sri Ullas, Smt Padma Baliga, Smt. Vasumati B.V and Smt. Jyothirmayi Kartik

Poojya Sri Anubhavananda Saraswati

Summary of Vivekachoodamani Talk 2

(14th October, 2020)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVeC15HWTS4

Sloka 4

लब्ध्वाकथंचिन्नरजन्मदुर्लभं तत्रापिपुंस्त्वंश्रुतिपारदर्शनम् । यस्त्वात्ममुक्तौ न यतेतमूढधीः स ह्यात्महास्वंविनिहन्त्यसद्ग्रहात् ॥ ४ ॥ labdhvākathaṃcinnarajanmadurlabhaṃ tatrāpipuṃstvaṃśrutipāradarśanam | yah tuātmamuktaunayatetamūḍhadhīḥ sahhyātmahāsvaṃvinihantiasadgrahāt || 4 ||

labdhva having gained kathañcit somehow narajanma human birth durlabham (which is) rare tatraapi there too pumstvam temperament of emotional nondependence srutiparadarsanam complete knowledge of the scriptures yahtu whoever atmamuktau for self-realisation nayateta shall not strive mudhadhih is foolish sah he hy indeed svam himself vinihanti kills atmaha himself asadgrahat by clinging to the anatma

If a man who, having somehow obtained this rare human birth, together with emotionally free temperament and also a complete knowledge of the scriptures, is foolish enough not to strive hard for Self-realisation, he, verily commits suicide, clinging to anatma (the unreal)

· We must have the ability to change and be ready to change.

· What is that we have achieved by karma and upasana?... Only worldly things.

· Develop a dispassion for all worldly goals

· Eventually we need to get out of the very tempting adibhoutika and adidaivika and establish in adyhatmika by giving up the relative world.

· Udiya Baba, the great saint and Guru of Swami Akandanandji Maharaj seeing the famine in Orrisa acquired special siddhi from Goddess Annapoorneshwari . A thought occurred to him that what am I doing? As the Goddess can do it herself. It is not my business to interfere with God’s creation.

· Man is not miserable. When he associates himself with a role such as that of a son, husband, father etc. He is miserable

· SwAtmamukta is – the Real liberation/ freedom from “I” and not freedom for “I“

· If we have toothache then we only need to remove the ache not the tooth.

· Similarly we need to remove the wrong notions from the mind, not remove the mind itself.

· Who goes to sleep? Finding answer to this question is a great spiritual practice.

· When going to sleep stop being a role, be no body (one not associated with the body/role) and merge into absolute consciousness.

· If we take ourselves as body then we are going to surely die. As jiva we will surely take another birth. As the Absolute then we get freedom from both janma and mrithyu, and then we can enjoy the beauty of the relative world.

· If we don’t fulfil our purpose (of knowing that Brahmanandam is the goal) we are having a suicidal existence. One who holds on to the Asat or unreal kills the ‘self’ thus causing the self to die

· If the water takes itself to be the wave, it experiences birth and death. If the wave takes itself to be the ocean then the relative world will be cyclical and constant. But when water knows itself to be water, then knowing is being. There is no birth or death.

Sloka 5

इतःकोन्वस्तिमूढात्मायस्तुस्वार्थेप्रमाद्यति। दुर्लभंमानुषंदेहंप्राप्यतत्रापिपौरुषम्॥५॥

itaḥ ko nvastimūḍhātmāyastusvārthepramādyati | durlabhaṃmānuṣaṃdehaṃprāpyatatrāpipauruṣam || 5 ||

What greater fool is there than the man who having obtained a rare human body, and a masculine body too, neglects to achieve the real end of this life?

· Is there anybody who does not wish good for himself/herself?

· Can one who does not do good for himself do good for others?

· A person who is bestowed with good abilities should utilize it completely to reach the highest goal

· Although we have everything now, we don’t know what is the ultimate good that we should gain

· Instead of working for a vision of God let God express through us, as joy

Sloka 6

वदन्तुशास्त्राणियजन्तुदेवान् कुर्वन्तुकर्माणिभजन्तुदेवताः। आत्मैक्यबोधेनविनापिमुक्तिः नसिध्यतिब्रह्मशतान्तरेऽपि॥६॥

vadantuśāstrāṇiyajantudevān kurvantukarmāṇibhajantudevatāḥ | ātmaikyabodhenavināpimuktiḥ nasidhyatibrahmaśatāntare'pi || 6 ||

Let people quote the scriptures and sacrifice to the gods, let them perform rituals and worship the deities, but there is no Liberation without the realisation of one’s identity with the Ātman, no, not even in the lifetime of a hundred Brahmas put together.

· Understand that the reflection in the mirror is temporary. That is not you. You are the realized I with no association to Asat

· Unless we recognise our essential nature, no other spiritual practice can get us freedom from I.

· I don’t try to improve my next dream then I shouldn’t waste time to do so in the waking world either. So, I should just play the game as per my role, following the rules and regulations.

Sloka 8

अतोविमुक्त्यैप्रयतेत्विद्वान् संन्यस्तबाह्यार्थसुखस्पृहःसन्। सन्तंमहान्तंसमुपेत्यदेशिकं तेनोपदिष्टार्थसमाहितात्मा॥८॥

atovimuktyaiprayatetvidvān saṃnyastabāhyārthasukhaspṛhaḥ san | santaṃmahāntaṃsamupetyadeśikaṃ tenopadiṣṭārthasamāhitātmā || 8 ||

Therefore, the man of learning should strive his best for Liberation, having renounced his desire for pleasures from external objects, duly approaching a good and generous preceptor, and fixing his mind on the truth inculcated by him.

· In Vedanta Dindimaha, we have seen Nishkama Karma is for chittashuddi, it purifies the mind (that does not entertain unwanted load of desires)

· Upasana is to attain a single pointed mind

· Don’t expect happiness from worldly objects. Give it up.

· Try this. Get as minimum service from others as possible. Do your tasks yourself as far as possible

· Upanishad says don’t seek but discover happiness which is our essential nature

· Express happiness through body (kaya), speech (vacha), and mind (manasa)

Sloka 9

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानंमग्नंसंसारवारिधौ। योगारूढत्वमासाद्यसम्यग्दर्शननिष्ठया॥९॥

uddharedātmanātmānaṃmagnaṃsaṃsāravāridhau | yogārūḍhatvamāsādyasamyagdarśananiṣṭhayā || 9 ||

Having attained the Yogārūḍha state, one should recover oneself, immersed in the sea of birth and death by means of devotion to right discrimination.

· Help yourself to get out of this relative world, elevate yourself to realize your essential nature ( you are not the jiva). Don’t take anyone else’s help.

· Who is seeking liberation and from what? You are already liberated. Recognize it.

· Follow the rules and regulations of the samsara but know that your real nature is not associated with it

· yogAruDa. Do what is required of your role in the world. Take care of your health, do your activities happily

· Use water to get out of water

· We have fallen because of wrong understanding, so correct it.

· Swamiji was asked if he does not get bored always talking about shastras. He responded saying whatever be your age you don’t get bored of seeing yourself in the mirror. Because ‘you are that’.

· You can never be bored of ‘yourself’. As a divine being you cannot be bored. Vedanta is the mirror to help you to see yourself.

Vivekachoodamani of Adi Shankaracharya - Excerpts from Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda, based on teachings of Swami Sri Advayanandaji of Chinmaya International Fdn. Veliyanad, Kerala.