Poojya Sri Anubhavananda Saraswati

Vivekachooddamani Talk 4 16th October, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1VKh6e08fQ

Summary of Talk 3 by Swami Anubhavanandaji. Compilation - Dr. Hegde, Mr. Ullas, Smt. Padma Baliga, Smt. Vasumathi BV & Smt. Jyothirmayi Kartik

Sloka 14

अधिकारिणमाशास्ते फलसिद्धिर्विशेषतः । उपाया देशकालाद्याः सन्त्यस्मिन्सहकारिणः ॥ १४ ॥

adhikāriṇamāśāste phalasiddhirviśeṣataḥ | upāyā deśakālādyāḥ santyasminsahakāriṇaḥ || 14 ||

Ultimate success in spiritual endeavours depends chiefly upon the qualifications of the seeker. Auxiliary conveniences such as time and place all have a place indeed, but they are essentially secondary

· Seekers of the truth should start enquiry - enough of karma and upasana.

· Unless we are committed the Truth is not attained. Time, place and other things do not matter

Sloka 15

अतो विचारः कर्तव्यो जिज्ञासोरात्मवस्तुनः ।

समासाद्य दयासिन्धुं गुरुं ब्रह्मविदुत्तमम् ॥ १५ ॥

ato vicāraḥ kartavyo jijñāsorātmavastunaḥ |

samāsādya dayāsindhuṃ guruṃ brahmaviduttamam || 15 ||

Therefore, a true seeker of the Self should proceed with his inquiry after duly approaching a Master who is established in the experience of the Self and who is an ocean of compassion.

· Only method for a true seeker of the Self is to continuously contemplate, inquire

· Don’t do by yourself. Approach a Guru. Such a Guru who is the best among the knowers of Truth.

· Should one evaluate and pick our Guru? No. Approach someone who inspires. If you are at peace with the person who is teaching you. You have found your Guru.

· The Guru is one who has an ocean of compassion. Has patience and is also knowledgeable. He will never misunderstand us.

Sloka 16

मेधावी पुरुषो विद्वानुहापोहविचक्षणः । अधिकार्यात्मविद्यायामुक्तलक्षणलक्षितः ॥ १६ ॥

medhāvī puruṣo vidvānuhāpohavicakṣaṇaḥ | adhikāryātmavidyāyāmuktalakṣaṇalakṣitaḥ || 16 ||

One who has a keen memory and can argue for the scriptures and refute arguments against them, is fit for receiving Atma-Vidya or the knowledge of the Self.

General Qualifications of a Student

· General 4 qualifications: a) Medhavi (can understand quickly)

o b) Purusha (ability to commit and work for it)

o c) Vidvan (sufficiently exposed to knowledge)

o d) uhapohavicakshanaha can arrive at right conclusions through proper logic and deductions.

· Such a seeker will first have shraddha in the guru and then contemplate and clear the doubts.

· The word Purusha refers to a human being. There are no gender issues in Vedanta. Vedanta is for all human beings.

Sloka 17

विवेकिनो विरक्तस्य शमादिगुणशालिनः । मुमुक्षोरेव हि ब्रह्मजिज्ञासायोग्यता मता ॥ १७ ॥

vivekino viraktasya śamādiguṇaśālinaḥ | mumukṣoreva hi brahmajijñāsāyogyatā matā || 17 ||

He alone is considered qualified to inquire into the supreme reality who has discrimination, detachment, the six mental qualities, and a burning desire for liberation.

· Special 4 qualifications: (a)Viveka (discrimination to separate between real and unreal)

· (b)Viraktasya one with sufficient dispassion towards everything in this and the other world. Some one who does not want anything. Not even God. Because he is that already.

· (c) Shamadi gunashalinaha One who possesses 6-fold wealth,

· (d) Mumkshu (burning desire/only concern is to get the liberation). One who is not in any bondage and his only goal is to know the Truth

Only such a person is qualified for attaining the knowledge of the Self

Sloka 18

साधनान्यत्र चत्वारि कथितानि मनीषिभिः । येषु सत्स्वेव सन्निष्ठा यदभावे न सिध्यति ॥ १८ ॥

sādhanānyatra catvāri kathitāni manīṣibhiḥ | yeṣu satsveva sanniṣṭhā yadabhāve na sidhyati || 18 ||

Great sages have spoken of four qualifications for attainment which, when present, succeed in the realization of Brahman and in the absence of which the goal is not attained.

· ALL 4 qualifications should be present 100%. Absence of even one is not acceptable

· There is no room for any error. Swamiji quotes Six Sigma followed in the airline industry where there is no room for error. 0% error

Sloka 19

आदौ नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः परिगम्यते । इहामुत्रफलभोगविरागस्तदनन्तरम् शमादिषट्कसम्पत्तिर्मुमुक्षुत्वमिति स्फुटम् ॥ १९ ॥

ādau nityānityavastuvivekaḥ parigamyate | ihāmutraphalabhogavirāgastadanantaram śamādiṣaṭkasampattirmumukṣutvamiti sphuṭam || 19 ||

(While enumerating the qualifications), first we count the ability to discriminate between the Real and the unreal; next comes a spirit of detachment from the enjoyment of the fruits of actions here and hereafter; after that is the groups of six virtues beginning with calmness; and the last is undoubtedly an intense desire for liberation.

· Nitya-Anitya vastu vivekaha – Knowing what is real and what is unreal

· Iha (this world) Amutra (other world) viraagaha - Vairagya: Opposite of raaga is dvesha not vairaaga. No desires of this world or any other world. The presence or absence of things has no effect on us. This is possible only when we realise all this is unreal/mithya. Can be done by giving ourselves zero choice.

· śamādiṣaṭkasampatti – the 6-fold wealth

o Shamaha: Control over mind: indifferent to all the objects of the world (by realising their faults). Let them not enter our mind and create desire so that mind is available for our goals.

o Damaha: Control over senses: sense organs are restricted to their locus, withdrawn from sense objects. Most important is control the tongue (eating and speaking to others/self)

o Uparati: do not entertain any objective thought of any worldly object. See them but don’t let impressions formed in the mind as thoughts. (Just like listening to a discourse!). This is the same as Pratyahar of yoga

o Titiksha: without running away from the problems/challenges have the ability to face them. Stop complaining (worrying and crying). Only a dead body doesn’t have any problems.

o Shraddha: scriptures and guru message should be taken as THE meaning. Blind faith in the area of unknown and come to the conclusion that that is the truth. Guru is one who wants nothing from the student except the commitment. Scriptures = Upanishad. Without shraddha we cannot proceed in the unknown area. Student shouldn’t have ANY doubt on the ability and intention of the guru. Like we trust GPS in unknown territory.

o Samadhan: Focus only on the Absolute unconditional reality. Go beyond names and forms.

Sloka 20

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्येत्येवंरूपो विनिश्चयः । सोऽयं नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः समुदाहृतः ॥ २0 ॥

brahma satyaṃ jaganmithyetyevaṃrūpo viniścayaḥ | so'yaṃ nityānityavastuvivekaḥ samudāhṛtaḥ || 20 ||

A firm conviction that Brahman alone is Real and the phenomenal world is unreal is known as discrimination between the Real and the unreal.

· Brahma Sathya Jagan Mithya this must be a conviction.

· Life not a matter of fact but of love

· We do not desire to possess an illusion e.g. a rainbow.

· When there is no possessiveness its presence or absence makes no difference

Sloka 21

तद्वैराग्यं जिहासा या दर्शनश्रवणादिभिः । देहादिब्रह्मपर्यन्ते ह्यनित्ये भोगवस्तुनि ॥ २१ ॥

tadvairāgyaṃ jihāsā yā darśanaśravaṇādibhiḥ | dehādibrahmaparyante hyanitye bhogavastuni || 21 ||

The desire to give up all transient enjoyments gained through seeing, hearing, etc., and also experiences gained through equipment ranging from a mortal body to the form of Brahma is called detachment‘.

· Dispassion is a very simple but very powerful tool. We don’t have a reaction to the world.

· Vairagya: Opposite of raaga is dvesha not vairaaga.

· It is possible only when we realise all this is unreal/mithya.

· Can be done by giving ourselves zero choice.

Sloka 22

विरज्य विषयव्राताद्दोषदृष्ट्या मुहुर्मुहुः । स्वलक्ष्ये नियतावस्था मनसः शम उच्यते ॥ २२ ॥

virajya viṣayavrātāddoṣadṛṣṭyā muhurmuhuḥ | svalakṣye niyatāvasthā manasaḥ śama ucyate || 22 ||

The tranquil state of mind when it rests constantly upon the contemplation of the goal after having again and again detached itself from myriad sense objects through a process of continuous observation of their defects, is called Shama.

· Shama: Control over mind: indifferent to all the objects of the world (by realising their faults).

· Let them not enter our mind and create desire so that mind is available for our goals instead

Sloka 23

विषयेभ्यः परावर्त्य स्थापनं स्वस्वगोलके । उभयेषामिन्द्रियाणां स दमः परिकीर्तितः बाह्यानालम्बनं वृत्तेरेषोपरतिरुत्तमा ॥ २३ ॥

viṣayebhyaḥ parāvartya sthāpanaṃ svasvagolake | ubhayeṣāmindriyāṇāṃ sa damaḥ parikīrtitaḥ bāhyānālambanaṃ vṛttereṣoparatiruttamā || 23 ||

Steering both kinds of sense organs (of knowledge and action) away from their sense objects and placing them in their respective centers of activity is called dama (self-control). The best uparati (self-withdrawal) is that condition of the thought-waves in which they are free from the influences of external objects.

· Dama: Control over senses: sense organs are restricted to their locus, withdrawn from sense objects. Most important is control the tongue (eating and speaking to others/self)

· Uparati: No object is entertained by the mind. Mind + object + thought or Vritti.

· Do not entertain any objective thought of any worldly object. See them but don’t let impressions formed in the mind as thoughts. (Just like listening to a discourse!). This is the same as Pratyahar of yoga

Sloka 24

सहनं सर्वदुःखानामप्रतीकारपूर्वकम् । चिन्ताविलापरहितं सा तितिक्षा निगद्यते ॥ २४ ॥

sahanaṃ sarvaduḥkhānāmapratīkārapūrvakam | cintāvilāparahitaṃ sā titikṣā nigadyate || 24 ||

Titiksa or forbearance is the capacity to endure all sorrows and sufferings without struggling for redress or for revenge, while always being free from anxiety or lament over them.

· Titiksha: without running away from the problems/challenges have the ability to face them and resolve them.

· Stop complaining (worrying and crying) about problems. Everyone has problems. Only a dead body doesn’t have any problems.

· Don’t allow the worldly matters to leave an imprint on our mind. Don’t take things too seriously. Go through every situation.

· Any experience created by contact with the world will be of either type – endowed with happiness or sadness. Both come, stay for a while and then end. Hence, they are temporary. Other than ParamAtma everything else is temporary. Don’t get carried away by either. This is Titiksha.

Sloka 25

शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् । सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥ २५ ॥

śāstrasya guruvākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam | sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate || 25 ||

That by which one understands the exact import of the scriptures as well as the pregnant words of advice of the preceptor is called sraddha* by the wise; by this alone does Reality become manifestly clear.

· Shraddha: scriptures and guru message should be taken as THE meaning.

· Unbiased blind faith in the area of unknown (guided by a guru) and come to the conclusion that That is the truth.

· Guru is one who wants nothing from the student except commitment to the cause.

· Scriptures = Upanishad. Any shastra that is aimed at or is focused on a certain population, place time, historical or geological category, cannot reveal the Truth. Shastras have to be standard and common for all of humanity.

· Without Shraddha we cannot proceed in the unknown area.

· Student shouldn’t have ANY doubt on the ability and intention of the guru. Like we trust GPS in unknown territory.

Sloka 26

सर्वदा स्थापनं बुद्धेः शुद्धे ब्रह्मणि सर्वदा । तत्समाधानमित्युक्तं न तु चित्तस्य लालनम् ॥ २६ ॥

sarvadā sthāpanaṃ buddheḥ śuddhe brahmaṇi sarvadā | tatsamādhānamityuktaṃ na tu cittasya lālanam || 26 ||

Samaadhaana or one-pointedness is that condition when the mind is constantly engaged in the total contemplation of the ever-pure Brahman; it is not gained through any curious indulgence of the mind

· Samadhana: All the time establish your focus only on the Absolute unconditional reality. Go beyond names and forms, achievements and failure.

· Shuddha Brahman. Absolute Reality. There are 3 things –

o Absolute Brahman – Nirguna, NirAkAra

o Saguna NirAkAr, Paramatma that is the yogi’s Brahman

o Saguna Saakar – Rama/Krishna – the devotee’s Brahman

· We have to focus on the absolute Brahma

· For the dew drop Saguna Brahman is the wave; for the wave the Saguna NirAkAr Brahman is the ocean, for the Ocean the Nirguna, NirAkAra is water.

· When the five above listed sampatti are practiced, the effect is Samadhaana

· Vedanta is for all human beings and demands only these qualifications.

· Vedanta is beyond logic, it should turn our life into matter of Love not fact.

· Money should not be charged for any scriptural study; students can give at their will.