PERSONALITY INTERGRATION PREREQUISITE
TO PERENNIAL JOY
(Compilation for a discourse by
N.R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA, February 2019)
Swami
Chidananda has titled his recent discourse as Personality Integration a term
popular with modern psychology drawing our attention to the dialogue between a seeker Nachiketas and Yama, the Lord of
Death on the subject of Knowing Brahman and aspiring for Liberation. When a man dies, there is the doubt; Some say
he is; others say he is not, But what is the Truth--that puzzled
Nachiketas. What makes the subject
Personality Integration catchy and interesting is its appeal to common man
with its practical focus on day-to-day problems, orthodoxy as well as spiritual
aspirant.
Gist of presentation of his the discourse is: Besides
their central teaching, which is Self-knowledge that sets a man free, the
Upanishads do supply precious guidance on how we may rid ourselves of bad
habits, negative emotions and unhealthy ways of living. “Arise, awake and meet
competent teachers to gain wisdom,” says Kathopanishad, giving us a
clarion call for getting out of the slumber of spiritual ignorance. The same
scripture points out how we slip into degradation by choosing PREYAS,
which is “what is pleasant but harmful,” and by not opting for SHREYAS, which
is “what is good though causing some discomfort leading to perennial joy”. The
sacred work from Yajurveda exhorts us, “Unless we give up our wrong
ways, the door to Self-knowledge will just not open!” The key to rise in life is to constantly
re-educate our intellect (buddhi), which is our charioteer in the
metaphor of life being a journey by a chariot. The webinar further examine a
dozen lines from the dialogue between Lord Yama and the young boy Nachiketā,
which point to the need for personality integration, which paves the way to
illumination.
Personality Integration in Western Thoughts is the synthetic unity
of all personal traits. All the mental traits—intelligence, emotions and
sentiments, impulses, volitions, native and acquired reactions, must be
organized and integrated into a unity. The uniting of all mental traits into
personality is called integration.
“For the Wisdom Traditions, the True Self is our true nature and
deepest essence as the one Absolute Reality – called by such names as Brahman,
Dharmakaya, Buddha-Nature, Shiva, God, Allah, Ein Soph Aur (a term used in Jewish
Kabbalah to summarize the manifested universe as it emanates from Consciousness), as well as others.
Awakening to this Absolute Reality has been the focus of the non-dual mystical
traditions of the East, such as Buddhism, Vedanta Hinduism, and Kashmir
Shaivism. These traditions offer a path on which one awakens to the true nature
of one’s consciousness being the ultimate reality of infinite radiant consciousness
arising as the entire Cosmos. (In a different sense we could say that
developing a deep connection with this Absolute Reality has been the focus of
the theistic mystical traditions too, such as mystical Christianity, Sufism,
and Kabbalah. These traditions teach a path on which one can come into deeper
and deeper relation with the presence of this divine reality in the world.”
says Wilber a psychologist of modern timers.
Wilber says the psychological tradition in the West has had a
combination of strengths and blind spots that asymmetrically reflect those of
the non-dual Eastern traditions. Where the Eastern non-dual traditions have
thrived, the Western psychological tradition has its blind spots, and where the
Western psychological tradition has thrived, the Eastern awakening teaching has
its. The Western psychological
tradition has cultivated a deep understanding of what makes for a healthy,
integrated and thus authentic relative self. The blind spot of Western
Psychology, however, is that it has never really understood the reality of the
True Self – the Absolute Self or Ultimate Reality that is the Ground of Being.
Instead, it has often seen all talk of there being an undivided, unified
absolute self as unhealthy and potentially even psychotic regression.
Wilber points out that
both the Eastern spiritual tradition and the Western psychological
tradition have their great gifts and
blind spots. On their own, they are profound and yet also definitely limited in
certain ways. When we put them together though, we begin to see a path of
growth for human beings that honors and optimizes all layers of our being –
absolute and relative. This is something no human pathway or tradition has ever
truly done. No doubt, it will surely be part of any truly integral global
spirituality that emerges in the future to holistically bring together the
gifts of the different lineages and pathways humanity has developed.
It is obvious that these have their foundation in the wisdom of
ancient Vedas and Upanishads. It is also obvious Wilber is not fully exposed to
Santana Dharma and its limb Yogasastra--Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali that is
in total dedication to Supreme Being
with focus on helping people grow in
body, mind and spirit. He is also not aware of our Shanti mantras that focus on
external disturbances, unavoidable disturbances like atmospheric disturbances
and inner disturbances from within as well as concern with indiscriminate
destruction of flora and fauna. This shows how concerned Hinduism is with the
entire world to live in Peace but not in pieces.
According to
the ancient sage Patanjali, yoga is the neutralization of ego-directed feelings, because once
these become stilled, the yogi realizes that he is, and that he has always
been, one with the Infinite – that his awareness of this reality was limited
only by his infatuation with limitation. This in essence is personality integration
of union of Body, Mind and Spirit
(Atman) as the word “Yoga” meaning “Union” implies.
It is worth
recalling here the wisdom thoughts of Swami Sivananda of Divine Life Society on
the subject: “An
integrated life is a grand symphony of many reflexes, impulses, desires,
emotions, thoughts and purposes. There is harmony among these dimensions of the
personality and discordant notes are not produced.
The sure sign of a person's integration is his behavior. Such a person is always
sincere and honest in word, thought and action. He is honest with himself and
honest with others. Truthful by nature, he does not exaggerate, misrepresent,
manipulate or distort facts to suit self-interest. He neither broods over the
past nor dreams about the future, but acts in the living present.
Positive in outlook, he is always ready to
learn and grow. He accepts the trials and tribulations of life as they come and
does not blame anyone or anything for them. Grounded in self-awareness he is
neither aggressive nor defensive in his dealings with others. He is
spontaneous, efficient and creative. Moderation is his motto, discrimination is
his guideline and self-knowledge his goal.
Meditation enables us to discover the rhythm
of integrated living. The more
active we are, the more we are required to be meditative. In fact, this is one
of the secrets of progress in spiritual life. Meditation is breathing in,
activity is breathing out. Success in meditation manifests as increased
concentration, efficiency, foresight, and memory. We are able to do more
actions in less time. Our perceptions become keen and our powers of observation
become clear. Steadiness of mind comes from self-control, and self-control is
control over both the mind and the senses.
Put yourself in the place of others. Learn
this great secret. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Do not think of the good deeds you have done
and do not even expect any thanks for what you do. If you help someone, never
remember it and if someone helps you, never forget it. Spiritual life and
devotion to God are essential for preventing a feeling of frustration in life.
Do not care which way this person goes or that person acts. But do your part
fully, sincerely and tenaciously. Be good and do well! Let spirituality not be a Sunday service
affair.
There is so
much talk of universal brotherhood, love, cooperation, mutual understanding
and cultural revival, but so little
practical living of these ideals is to be found. Unless your idealism is
vitally and dynamically lived, it is worthless. Being and doing are the need of
the hour.
It is practical, positive goodness that can
surely overcome all the negativity and problems that one complains about in
this world. God has given you common sense. Act wisely.
The world is for your education. You learn
many lessons daily. If you learn all the lessons you can, if you utilize all
opportunities to the best advantage, in the spirit of yoga, then your
capacities and willpower will develop. You grow, evolve and expand.
Difficulties exist so that you may become
strong by overcoming them. So overcome all difficulties, one by one, patiently.
If you fail ten times, do not despair. If you fail a hundred times, do not be
disheartened. If you fail a thousand times, rise up and march (uttishthata
jagrata charaiveti charaiveti) on boldly. Failures are indeed stepping
stones to success.
There is no greater undertaking than purifying
our life of all enmity, impurity and passion, and filling it with love,
goodness, peace and purity.”
“All religions talk about the need for developing virtue
and shunning vice. A whole chapter 16, “The Divine and Demoniac Nature” in the
Bhagavad Geetā is devoted to elaborate on the characteristics
represented by the ‘two wolves’. Shri Krishna lists attributes like
fearlessness, ‘purity of mind’, ‘engagement in study and practice’ etc. as
“divine estate” and declares behavioral patterns like hypocrisy,
arrogance, conceit, (destructive) anger and harshness as “demoniac estate--Says
Swami Chidananda in his recent discourse on Good and Evil.
Both of the above two sets of qualities are in every one
of us in different proportions or ratios at the time of birth itself. Strong
likes and dislikes reside in individual souls at the time of creation itself,
says Geetā. That points to bias and prejudice in our mindsets, with which we
began our journey long ago! Vedānta asks us not to bother about their genesis
but to focus on reducing them and, eventually, rising above them. Reduction in
forms of bias constitutes “purification of mind” (chitta-shuddhi)
and rising above all prejudice is nothing short of enlightenment (moksha).”
In another discourse immediately following the above while speaking on the subject of
Personality Integration Swami
Chidananda explains how besides their central teaching, which is
Self-knowledge that sets a man free, the Upanishads do supply precious guidance
on how we may get rid ourselves of bad
habits, negative emotions and unhealthy ways of living. Drawing our attention to the dialogue of
Nachiketas who wanted to know as to what happens to the soul after death with
Yama the Lord of Death, he quotes four mantras from Kathopanishad, emphasizing
Chitta suddhi (purity of mind) and
Personality Integration as prerequisites
that paves the way to illumination of Brahma Vidya or Knowledge of Brahman.
In
this context he has chosen the following catchy phrases from four mantras of
Kathopanishad. “uttisthata,
jāgrata, prāpya varān nibodhata-- Arise, awake and meet competent teachers
to gain wisdom,” giving us a clarion
call for getting out of the slumber of spiritual ignorance; preyo mando yogakshemād vrineete --How
we slip into degradation by choosing PREYAS (momentary happiness) which is
“what is pleasant but harmful,” and by not opting for SHREYAS (Perennial joy)
which is “what is good though causing some discomfort”; nāvirato duscharitād-- Unless we give
up our wrong ways, the door to Self-knowledge will just not open and buddhim
tu sārathim viddhi--The key to rise in life is to constantly re-educate our
intellect (buddhi), which is our charioteer in the metaphor of life
being a journey by a chariot. We will
now make an in-depth study of these
mantras of dialogue between Lord Yama
and the young boy Nachiketā, that point to the need for personality
integration, that paves the way to illumination.
It
is no surprise that after a detailed discussion on divine and demoniac
qualities in man as detailed in Bhagavad Gita Swami Chidananda draws our
attention to the Personality Integration so intimately connected with the earlier subject after
successfully winning over evil and
turning good after turning to your
inner-net and cleansing it to focus
on the Supreme soul. Among the ten
cardinal Upanishads Kathopanishad is most focused on the knowledge of Brahman
and how to attain Brahman after leaving the mortal body. Gita Quotes profusely
from Kathopanishad and has also just reproduced many mantras as slokas.
Gita
unmistakably bears the influence of Upanishads especially Katha and Svetasvatara
about which I have discussed in detail. There is even a suggestion that the
Song Celestial was originally a Yoga-Upanishad which was later Vaishnavized.
Krishna, the founder of this cult who is the spokesman in the Bhagavadgita was
by birth a Sudra being Yadu was later raised to the rank of Kshatriya. There is in Chhandogya Upanishad, much
earlier to Gita, a reference to Krishna-Devakiputra who was the disciple of
Ghora Angirasa. In Bhagavadgita, Krishna is mostly represented as a teacher of
great wisdom and erudition; he figures as Yogi. The Bhagavata records that
Krishna sat up every morning for meditation merging himself with transcendental
self. Krishna in all possibility was a historical character, and was a
philosopher who harmonized the sankhya-yoga
with the brahmavada of the Upanishad.
Bhagavadgita is a text, perhaps the earliest belonging to the devotional school
of the Bhagavata. This monotheistic school was founded by Krishna-Vasudeva
belonging to Saatvata sect of the Yadu clan and he was reverently referred to
as Bhagavan (The Lord). You thus see how Gita heavily depends on Upanishads
that are much older to Bhagavadgita.
The main theme of Kathopanishad is: The secret of immortality is
to be found in purification of the heart, in meditation, in realization of the
identity of the Self within and Brahman without. For immortality is union with
GOD. Yamaraja explains in a simple way employing different techniques
atma-vidya, knowledge of Self to Nachiketas. “Sam modate modaneeya hi labdhva”(1-2-13)--Having attained a
blissful Atman one becomes joyful.
Atman is one’s own therefore its attainment is nothing but to know
Aatman. We do not know it though we do all actions by that
consciousness. Therefore Vedas say:
utiṣṭhata jagrata varān prāpya ( tat ) nibodhata| niśitā kṣurasya dhārā duratyayā durgaṁ tat pathaḥ ( iti ) kavayaḥ vadanti ||(1-3-14)
Arise! Awake! Approach the feet of the master and know that Self.
Like the sharp edge of a razor, the sages say, is the path. Narrow it is and
difficult to tread!
‘Be awake and be active’ means that one should
first discipline his inner faculties and then strive for getting the necessary
instructions. The rest is self-explanatory.
\The goal to be achieved is once more
highlighted in the next verse. It is a very important verse, as it asserts
that, by attaining to Ātmā, one is freed from the mouth of death. See the verse
below:
aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ
tathārasaṃ nityamagandhavaccha yat
anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nichāyya taṃ mṛtyumukhāt pramuchyate (1.3.15)
anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nichāyya taṃ mṛtyumukhāt pramuchyate (1.3.15)
Meaning: By attaining to that which is without
sound, touch, form, taste and smell, that which is imperishable, eternal,
without beginning and end, and that which is superior to Mahat, one escapes
from the prowl of death.
Wisdom
from Vedas in our practical life: UTTISHTHATA—JAAGRATA
“Arise, Awake, and stop not
till the goal is reached.” This statement is Swami Vivekananda`s most popular
phrase. The statement naturally presumes that we are not awake; indeed, we have
busied ourselves with the material outer world, forgetting our real nature. We
may be awake to the external world, but not to reality within, we are asleep in
regard to our consciousness. We should awaken our consciousness within by
spirituality.
You may kindly recall my quote of combined aphorisms from two
different Veda mantras—Uttishthata, Jaagrata, Charaiveti Charaiveti. They
have their origin and background story and profound influence on
the minds of the people to reach their material as well as spiritual goals in
life.
“Arise! Awake! And Stop Not Till the Goal is reached!” --These
were the famous words with which Swami Vivekananda roused the sleeping soul of
India, more than a 100 years ago. This has been adopted as Ramakrishna
Missions motto.
In those days, India was laboring not only under the brunt of
foreign colonial occupation, but also suffering from social subjugation at the
hands of the hideous caste system. Because of these two factors, the Indian
masses had become so physically, mentally and spiritually weakened that they
had completely lost their sense of self-worth and were wholly incapable of
fighting for justice and freedom. Powerful teachings based upon the spiritual
philosophy of the Upanishads, worked to re-awaken and re-energize the feeble
minds of the people.
And when the mind of the nation, once more became strong, filled
with inspiration, hope and courage millions of people rose up to become social
and political reformers, and subsequently the goal of physical freedom was
attained within a just few decades. Such is the power of spirituality!
Now it is a little known fact, that in his clarion call of “Arise!
Awake!” Swami Vivekananda was actually partially quoting a Sanskrit verse from
the Kathopanishad which was his most favorite Upanishad as
Gita closely embraced it later and repeats some of its mantras:
In his spiritual awakening
call “Arise Awake” Swami Chinmayananda writes: “Oh Man! Rotting in the
quagmire of Samsara! Arise! Turn towards the brilliant sunlit land of Perfection
and walk through the path shown to us by the Rishis. Walk the path, and reach
the glorious summit from where you can experience that your sense of
limitations and imperfections, hopes and desires, success and failures, loves
and hatreds, birth and death, were all but a gruesome midsummer night’s dream.
Hence the Rishis cry out “awake” meaning that the one who has, under the lash
of circumstances, come to accomplish the command “arise” should try
his best to come to a fuller realization of what has actually happened within
him in his personality, and thus get himself awakened.
Learned Guru will tell the seeker that the Self is soundless,
formless, intangible, odorless, without beginning, without end, eternal,
immutable, beyond nature. Knowing self as such one is freed from death.
Our greedy and lustful mind with hundreds of desires, hatreds,
ambitions and anxiety-cannot think of the Atman continuously even for a few
minutes without having the body-consciousness Self-knowledge has no place in
our mind. If those who hear discourses on Kathopanishd are intelligent, they
can have an idea of the Self, that is, they can acquire an intellectual
estimate of the Atman in their understanding. But one cannot be an Atmavit--a
realized soul--by such a bookish knowledge
of the Self. Because that Knowledge is
not perfect. If the mind of the hearer is faithful, pure, concentrated and
calm, then only it can realize and get established in pure Jnaana (knowledge)by continuous
remembrance of the Aatman. Therefore, the listeners of
Vedanta who want to acquire perfect Jnaana (knowledge) of Vedanta which alone
can eliminate ignorance and give eternal peace and happiness, must have a pure,
calm and focused mind. Hence the mantra definitely advises:
Naavirato
duscharitaat naasaanto naasamaahitah | naasaantamaanaso vaa api
prajnaanenainam-aapnuyaat || 1-2-24 ||
One who is indulged always in vicious actions, and desirous
of various sensual enjoyments, and who got no focused mind cannot attain Aatman
through Knowledge.
“Good is one thing Pleasant is another” says Yama to
Nachiketas. Every action of all the living beings is motivated by irresistible
instinct to be happy. Happiness seems to be the goal of every struggle and
strife in life in full and Absolute Contentment of Desireless-ness or Hopeless-ness
is the Goal of Life. This is called Godhood or the State of Kaivalya. If thus to act is our lot and we cannot remain
without striving for this State of Total
Contentment, it is time that we analyze our experience and decide for
ourselves what the true way of striving is.
The
fruits of actions can be of two kinds: those contributing to the ephemeral joys
(human instinct of happiness) in life and those leading to Immortal Bliss in
the Supreme Spirit (Ananda) or Perennial Joy.
It
is these two paths of choice freely open for each individual -- one is good
while the other is pleasant. That which is good need not necessarily be
always pleasant, although there are
pursuits which are good and are at once pleasant also.
The
mantra below says that both these chain a man. The Path of Pleasant abducts the
pursuer often into dangerous jungles of crimes and sins thereby insuring him
for a long lease of painful existence as conscious being born in the lower
wombs. Sins and criminalities are blockades over which we tumble to fall back
into to the lower rungs on the ladder of evolution. Sin is but an act which
makes us miss our aim in life.
A conscious following of the Path of Good,
with a desire to enjoy the fruits thereof, would be demanding for ourselves a
transfer into the softer planes of Consciousness, the world of the divines wherein such people will have to
take embodiments to live through the fruits of their meritorious acts. To the
perfect seeker of the Absolute, therefore both the Path of the Pleasant and the
Path of Good, are bondages indeed.
The
wise and discriminating person at each moment intelligently judges the various
phases of the challenge he is in, and solidly determines over to stick to the
Path of Good. He continues his pilgrimage and ultimately fulfils the mission of
his life. The ignorant one, on the other hand following the generality and
leads the path of least resistance motivated mainly by the animal urges of his body consciousness. He follows
the Path of Pleasant, the sensuous modes of satisfying every demand of the
ever-craving senses and thus ultimately stoops so low as to commit state of
eternal death in the lower scales of evolution.
If
we are to live each moment of our life as slaves to our passions, lusts and
craving, we shall in our thoughtlessness and indiscriminationslowly sink down
to the level of the animals, and it is certainly but natural that such two
legged animal cannot come to claim the heritage of man, that is real joy and
happiness living in the achieved self-perfection.
The
beautiful idea described above by Swami Chinmayananda of this Section 2 (Valli)
, the theory and the logic of self-effort,
is contained in the two opening
Mantras described below:
Anyach-chreyo anyadutaiva preyaste ubhe naanaarthe purusham sineetah |
Tayoh sreya aadadaanasyasaadhu bhavati
heeyate arthaadya u preyo vrineete ||
Sreyascha preyascha manushyametah tau
sampreetya vivinakti dheerah |
Sreyo hi dheero abhi preyaso vrineete preyo
mando Yogakshemaad Vrineete ||
The
good is one thing; the pleasant is another. These two. Differing in their ends
both prompt action. Blessed are they that choose the good; they that choose the
pleasant miss the goal.
Both
the good and the pleasant present themselves to the mortals. The wise, having
examined both, distinguish the one from the other. The wise prefer the good to
the pleasant; the foolish driven by the fleshy desires, prefer the pleasant to
the good.
[Yoga-kshema=Yoga
is acquiring what one does not have, and Kshema is the preservation of it after
having obtained--Sankara]
Finally
HH Swami Chidananda draws our attention to the mantra “Aatmaanam rathinam viddhi”-This intellect is your charioteer--A well-informed intellect can steer your
life to true fulfillment," says Kathopanishad (1.3.3) and
adds, "this intellect is your charioteer!" The
comprehensive illustration given by the Upanishad can help us understand the
importance of spiritual education on one hand and conscientious living on the
other. Our body is like a chariot and, the more spiritually educated we are,
better will be the journey in the chariot.
Aatmaanam rathinam viddhi sareeram rathameva
tu| Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva cha || Know that the
Self is the rider, and the body the chariot; that the intellect is charioteer
and mind the reins. [In Hindu psychology the mind is the organ of perception
and thus differentiated from Intellect]
When a man lacks discrimination and his mind
is uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable, like the restive horses of a
charioteer. But when a man has discrimination and his mind is controlled, his
senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer, lightly obey the rein.
Upanishads say, he who lacks discrimination,
whose mind is unsteady and whose heart is impure, never reaches the goal of
Liberation, but is born again and again. But he who has discrimination, whose
mind is steady and whose heart is pure, that is one who has integrated his personality reaches the goal,
and having reached it is born no more!
The journey of life is fulfilled only when one
reaches that desired goal. So, one must understand the ultimate goal, the
desired end of life to be achieved. When the goal is clear and kept in view,
the journey will be directed and followed appropriately and the goal can be
achieved. The goal of life to be achieved is called Saadhya. The means by which
the Saadhya is achieved is called Saadhana (spiritual pursuits). The person
trying to reach a desired goal is called Saadhaka. At the beginning, the
Saadhaka is a seeker. When the goal is achieved, the seeker becomes Siddha
(conqueror). When the seeker accomplishes that is one who has the desired end, he or
she is no more a seeker. The person becomes Siddha Purusha (A person of Integrated Personality). This can be achieved only by meditation on
the Supreme.
Yatra means journey. Ratha
is the Jnaani's, body, mind, sense complex, provided to complete the journey to
reach the desired goal in view, that is to reach the desired end. Only then is
the journey complete. When the goal is not clear, the journey is misdirected.
One will be wandering everywhere without reaching the ultimate goal.
This analogy of the chariot is also
beautifully depicted in Bhagavad Gita later inspired by this Upanishad. Arjuna despaired at the questions of Dharma
and the call of duty, confused in mind and intellect, seeks the guidance of
Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna half-turning towards Arjuna holding the reins tight
and the five steed steady gives out a summary of Truth declared in Upanishads. Probably
this made Vedavyas popularly present Gitopanishada as Song Celestial and a
battle-field document.
Know that the Self is the rider (Jivatman),
and the body is the chariot; that the Intellect (Paramartman) is the
charioteer (driver) and the mind (the organ of perception) the
reins. The senses, say the wise, are the horses; the roads
they travel are the mazes of desire. The wise call the Self the enjoyer when he
is united with the body, the senses and the mind. When a man lacks
discrimination and his mind is uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable, like
the restive horses of a charioteer. But when a man has discrimination and his mind
is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer, lightly
obey the rein. He who lacks discrimination, whose mind is unsteady and whose
heart is impure, never reaches the goal, but is born again and again. But
he who has discrimination, whose mind is steady and whose heart is pure,
reaches for charioteer, reaches the goal and having reached it is born no more.
The man who has a sound understanding for charioteer, a controlled mind for
reins—he it is that reaches the end of the journey, the Supreme
Abode of Vishnu (Brahman) in his all-pervading aspect (salokataam
saaujyam aapnoti)
Seven
Mantras In Kathopanishad
Aatmaanam
rathinam viddhi sareeram rathameva tu|
Buddhim
tu saarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva cha || 3-3 ||
Know the Self as the master of the chariot and
know the body as the chariot itself. Know the intellect to be the charioteer
and the mind as the reins. [He who presides over the body is the occupant of
the chariot.]
Indriyaani
hayaanaahuh vishayaan gocharaan |
Aatmendriya-manoyuktam
bhoktetyaahur-maneeshinah ||3-4 ||
The wise speak of the senses as the horses and
their objects as the paths in which they tread. They say that the
individual soul associated with the body, senses and the mind (BMS) is the
enjoyer (bhokta).
Yastva-vijnaanavaan
bhavati ayuktena manasaa sadaa|
Tasyendriyaany-avasyati
dusahta-asavam iva saaratheh || 3-5 ||
The sense organs of that person who is
ignorant forever with his mind uncontrolled, become uncontrollable just like
wild horses for the charioteer.
Yastu
vijnaanavaan –bhavati yuktena manasaa sadaa |
Tasayendriyaani
vasyaani sadasvaa iva saaratheh || 3-6 ||
But for one, who has gained knowledge of the
Aatman and who has his mind always controlled his sense organs become
controllable just like the good horses for the charioteer.
[The horses of that
person who has a good charioteer and reins become obedient to him. In the same
way the Indriyas becomes controlled, only in the event of mind and intellect
being good].
Yastv-avijnaanavaan
bhavati amanskah sadaa asauchih |
Na
sa tatpadam-aapnoti saamsaaram chadhigacchati || 3-7 ||
He who is impure with uncontrollable mind and
without knowledge, does not attain the abode, but gets involved in samsara.
yastu
vijnaanavaan bhavati samanasakah sadaa suchih |
Sa
tu tatpadam aapnoti yasmaat bhooyo na jaayate || 3-8 ||
But the one who I endowed with knowledge, and
is ever pure with his mind unde control attains that abode in which
he is never more born.
Vijnaana-saarathir-yastu
manah pragrahavaan narah |
Sodhvanah
paaram-aapnoti tad-vishnoh parmam padam ||3-9 ||
He who has sound intellect as his charioteer
and controlled by mind as the bridle, reaches the end of the road which is
verily that Supreme abode of Vishnu. [He gains the nature of Paramatman—samaanatvam
aapnoti]
Most of the Upanishads seem to declare body is
controlled by both Jivatman and Paramatman. It also says Jivatman is an
amsa (small portrion) of Paramatman and is subservient to it. Thus
Parmatma is the Self of Jivatma or Mahanatma.
Kathopanishad
as well as Svetasvatara Upanishad say that both Jivatman and
Paramatman are seated in the cavity of the heart, where intelligence resides.
It is also gratifying to note Kathopanishad while glorifying the path of
meditation is not against the life of house-holders. One need not be a Sanyasi
(recluse) to gain the insight—a vision of Sathyam or Truth that is Brahman.
Explanation
by Swami Chinmayananda
In the analogy of the chariot the Self is the
master of the Chariot; the pure discriminating intellect is the charioteer; the
body of the individual is the chariot; and the reins with which the intellect
guides the movements of the body are the mind.
The senses are the horses. In modern
psychology that a child born without any of the sense organs is still born or
deaf. Rarely, we find a person with more than one defective sense organ.
It is also unusual that a blind person has extra power of hearing. Without
sense organs our embodiment is defeated. Intelligence creation therefore sees
that no child is born with none of the sense organs. Upanishads say that
the horses that draw the body-chariot are sense organs. The word Indriyas collectively means not only
sense organs but also organs of action. Hence Indriyas means organs of
sense s and instincts. Upanishads say sense-horses trot on the sense objects.
Sense organs because of which body exists, function only in its own
field of activity.
The Supreme intelligence as conditioned by the
body and mind is Jiva-ego center. It is this that seems to enjoy and suffer the
passing circumstances of the evanescent life called the Samsara. Thus we have
to realize the two entities says Sankara--one the Truth principle, the
non-doer and the non- enjoyer; the other, the delusion created
ego-center Jiva which is but a reflection of the Supreme
Intelligence in the mental lake.
An inefficient charioteer allows his reins to
be loose and naturally the sturdy wild steeds run wild and mad dashing the
chariot to pieces. Thus if we allow indiscriminate intellect to let our
minds loose, then Indriyas running wild among the sense objects shall wreck the
body in sensuous excessive indulgence. If individual seeker wants to lead a
spiritual life of perfection and hasten his evolution he has to keep his mind
steady with his discriminating intellect and thus guide the sense horses
properly in full restraint and perfect control. Such a Sadhaka
(accomplice) controlling the impulses of the mind with a clean discriminating
mind is called Yoked One or Yukta and he is complimented in the
scholarly circles as Vijnaanavaan. One who is not constantly
bringing his discriminative understanding in curbing the impulses of his mind
is one who is unyoked (ayukta) and the wise laugh at his animalism and
ridicule him as Avijnaanavaan. All kirtanas, and bhajans,
japa and tapa, temple visits and feeding lavishly and indiscriminately others
calling it Annadanam are waste of time and money if the
devotee is not prepared to keep his mind always under control and
thus ultimately come to control in slow degrees the mad –on-rush of the
sense organs! Men of no self -control not only fail to reach the
supreme state of joy and peace but also fall back into the sorrow-pit at the
very center of birth and death.
“It is worth looking along with the mantra “ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ rathameva tu buddhiṃ
tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca (3.3)
the next mantra “indriyāṇi
hayānāhuḥ viṣayāṃsteṣu gocarān ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ (3.4 )”
explained
above. The idea sought to be presented here
is the Ātmā-body relationship. It is the same as we find in the first verse of
Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad, “īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ
….” --The whole world is pervaded by Supreme Spirit. It also furthers the concept that Ātmā is
seated in the heart. It is the duty of Buddhi to guide the chariot by
harnessing the horses of the sense organs, using the rein of Manas. The goal obviously is what the master directs.
Since the master, the Ātmā, is the origin of everything, he attracts everything
to himself; everything is attached to him just as the beads of a rosary (Gīta
7.7). So the final destination of the chariot is Ātmā himself, the
ultimate goal. What should one do to achieve that goal? Mṛtyu (Lord Yama) gives
the answer in verse Aatmaanam Rathinam viddhi 3.14 explained above”--know the
Self as the charioteer writes Kartikeyan Sreedharan in his “Science
of Kathopanishad”
One
who has discrimination, whose mind is steady and whose heart is pure, reaches
for charioteer, reaches the goal and having reached it is born no more says
Kathopanishad in the above mantras.
But
how can we attain that Goal?
Vedantavijnaana sunischitaartaah
sanyaasa-yogaad- yatayah suddhasatvaah | te brahmaloketu paraantakaale
paraamritaat paramuchyanti sarve
||MNU ||
Those
who are successful in personality integration that have conquered their hosts
of sense organs, that are pure minded on account of the renunciation of desire
oriented actions (kamyakarmas) that have ascertained the Supreme Reality
through the knowledge that originated from the learning of the Upanishads
(Vedantavijnaana), that are established in Brahman, become all liberated at the
end of the final body on account of the grace of the Supreme immortal principle,
Brahman.
The
goal of Vedanta is Paramarthavijnana--or
Self-realization. That is obtained by Sanyasa-yoga. Though
Jnaana (Knowledge) is the sole cause of liberation Sanyaasa (renunciation) is necessary along with it. Jnana dispels
ignorance by revealing the Truth, but Tyaga (sacrifice) and Yoga as recommended
by Patanjali are necessary to engender the undistracted and pure state of mind
in which alone knowledge could shine un-intermittently. Sanyaasa
means dedication of the fruits of actions to God and yoga the practice of samadhi leaving all worldly attachments.
\But
who is this Supreme Reality?
We
are all familiar with the Veda mantra we chant in the concluding part of
16-steps worship (shoedasopachara) of
the Supreme immortal principle whatever may be our Ishta-devata (Chosen deity)
as given below:
Yad vedaadau svarah prokto vedaante
cha pratishthtah | tasya prakritileenasya yah parah sa mahesvarah || MNU ||
He
is the Supreme Lord (Mahesvara) who transcends the syllable A-U-M (OM) which is
uttered at the commencement of the recital of Vedas. The letter A-kaara to
which it merges is the source of it. He
is well established in Upanishads (Vedanta) and that is dissolved in the primal
cause during meditation.
Bhagavata
in XII-6 slokas 37-44 gives the details
of Pranava OM and the four Vedas from it. Bhagavadgita also says:
Om ity ekaaksharam brahma vyaaharan
maam anusmaran |yah prayaati tyajah deham sa yati paramaam gatim || 8-14 ||
After
being situated in this yoga practice and chanting and vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme
combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of God-head and quits his body, he will
certainly reach the spiritual planets (salokataam--sameepyam--sayujyam
aapnoti)- One reaches the region of Brahman, go near him and may also merge with him.
But
what is to be meditated upon?
Dahram vipaapam paravesvmabhootam yat pundareekam
puramadhya samstham | tatraapi dahram gaganam visokas-re, the smalltasminyadantas-tad-upaasitavyam ||MNU ||
That
small lotus of the heart, which is
opposed to all that is defiling and which is the abode of Paramaatman is stationed in the middle
of the body of the aspirant. Even there the small ether (Aatman) which is
within the abode, and which is characterized by sinless-ness and others and
that which is within that ether-- both are to be meditated upon. (This is also
expounded in the 8th chapter of Chhandogya Upanishad that we have
discussed as Bhumavidya).
We,
as individuals, are also free to build our lives upon the more enduring
principle of living, such as honesty, mercy, love, tolerance and so on and live
for the greater wealth of self-culturing and consequent inner-peace and joy.
So aham apaapo virajo nirmukto muktakilbishah | naakasya
prishthamaaruhya gacchet brahma salokatam || (Mahanarayana Upanishad)
May I being vigilant having wiped out my sin, becoming sinless, freed from the quality of Rajas, freed from the defect of Rajas of the mind, being freed from all defects proceed to the world of Brahman climbing the region of heaven!
Such a blessed person shares eternal joy with Brahman in His abode.
RERFERENCES
1.
Swami Chidananda,
Personality Integration,
Webinar143 & Are We Good or Bad, Arni series, Spark 51.
2.
Swami
Chinmayananda, Kathopanishad, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, India.
3.
Swami
Prabhavananda et al, The Upanishads,
Vedanta Society, Southern California.
4.
Ramachndra
Rao, S.K., Gita Kosha (Trisati), Kalpataru Research Academy, Shankarmuth,
Bengaluru, India.
5.
Swami
Prabhupada, Bhagavad Gita, Macmillan
Company New York, USA
6.
Wilber
et al, Personaity Integration, Wikipedia and other Internet sources.
7.
Swami
Sivananda, Lecture on Integrated Life of a Person, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India,
8.
Anantha
Rangachya, Principal Upanishads, Bengaluru.
