Vidvatvam superior to Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata ?

  Vidvatvam superior to Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata ?

In order to obtain Self realization and God realization one has to build up purity of mind (citha-sudhi) and single pointedness of the intellect (citha-ecagrata). This citha- sudhi can be achieved by Nishkama karmacharana. Vedas are sources of righteousness. Veda vihita karmaha, dharmaha. The karmas which are prescribed in Vedas are to be practiced. This is Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata

 Spiritual practices such as study of Scriptures, doing Nishkaama karma, offering one`s duties as worship unto The Lord, practicing Japa, puja  and so on develop citta- sudhi and citta-ekagrata. These make the seeker deserve to obtain Bramha-vidya.

However Vidvattvam is superior to Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata . Vidvattvam refers to an understanding of the scriptural meaning in all its depth and expanse. Vedanta is deep subtle. One cannot grasp the profound thought of Vedanta by the gross intellect.  One needs special faculty of perception, an intuitive capacity to go beyond superficial meanings. A matured intellect is needed to perceive its profound deep logic. The seeker who is in Vaidika-dharma- marga is fit to understand the subtler implications of Vedas.  The former is action based merely on belief, the later is action based on belief fortified with understanding. Mere practicing of spiritual disciplines without understanding their logic and purpose is not desirable. Hence those who raised to the state of Vidvattvam are regarded as even more blessed than those who stagnate at the level of Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata .

Q.II. Answer in detail

What are the milestones on the road of perfection? Briefly explain each of them.

A. The final goal of a spiritual seeker is LIBERATION.  This auspicious moment of liberation from the chain of births and deaths is in the hands of the seeker. Liberation is a natural process and not a sudden jump in to the spiritual arena.  The seeker starting from the HUMAN BIRTH to LIBERATION has to cross various milestones as stated below.

1. ` Narajanma’………………. (Human birth).

Human birth is the best birth and the rarest one among 84 lakhs of living beings.  Narajanma is the blessing of the Almighty, not one`s choice.  Sastras declare that Prarabdha karma decides the kind of Janma.  If prarabdha consists full of punya one can attain super human janma that is Devata janma. If the prarabdha consists of full of papa karma one can get sub human janma like animals, creatures and reptiles.  If the prarabdha is mixed with punya and papa ( MIsrama karma) one can get human birth.

   Based on the previous good actions (punya karmas), human birth is blessed by the Almighty.  Sub – human beings like trees, animals and reptiles are not fit to attain LIBERATION, because they don’t have intellect and Kartrutvadhikara .  They are only    Karma phala bhojya pradana beings. They don’t have a chance to elevate by themselves.

However the Devata janma is not considered as the superior one. They are considered as Bhoga janmas. They are for enjoyment. Even Devata janmas are also not deserved to attain LIBERATION. Because they don’t have the wonderful implement called the BODY and Kartrutvadhikara .  They only can offer blessings to those who adore them. If their punya decreases they have to return to Marthyaloka, the lower state. They have no Karmacharana capacity. They too don’t have a chance to elevate by themselves.  In heaven there is no progress in one`s spiritual life.

 Human beings only with the help of intellect, have every possibility to get rid of their papa by practicing sadhana and sat karmacharana without expecting fruits of work. By that they have every chance to attain higher altitude of final liberation.

 The following characteristics make humans elevate from other living beings.

 Of the various 84 lakhs of births human birth is considered a noble and rare one. ` Aahara, nidra, bhaya, and mydhuna’ are four common qualities for all living beings. In addition to there is particularly an equippment called intellect (BUDHI) in human beings.  This equipment of INTELLECT is unique for human beings only.  It is the discriminating capacity of self awareness, discriminating one`s thoughts, words and actions. This intellect helps the human beings to refine their thinking.  It also helps in controlling organs of senses and organs of action and the mind. In all living beings except humans, mind only works where as in humans Intellect judges and guides

Secondly all living beings mainly guided by their instincts. They live by their sensory instincts. They do not have the ability to choose their responses. They don’t have responding capacity. But human beings have controlling power to reprogram themselves.

Thirdly human beings alone are capable of noble and divine pursuits.  They only have the capacity of    VICHARA (Spiritual enquiry) . They can pose questions like,

1.      Who am I?

2.      What is the purpose of my life?

3.      How this Universe is exists?

4.      Who is the creator?

5.      What is the relation between God and Human being?

6. How to cross this ocean of births and deaths?

       7. How to attain liberation?

These types of self enquiry lead the human beings towards divine path and lift them to the higher realms of spirituality.

Likewise the human birth is considered rare and elevated.

2. ` Pumsatvam’ --------- (Manhood).

The second milestone on the road to perfection is Pumsatvam’.   Irrespective of gender every human being is eligible to obtain LIBERATION.  The word Manhood doesn’t represent its superficial meaning here. Pumsatvam is not a reference to the body but to an intellect. It is represented as the mental ability and wisdom. It is the masculine temperament of an individual irrespective of gender.    In the context of spirituality manhood (Pumsatvam) means moral courage, mental strength, steadfastness pursuit, stubborn will to move along the spiritual path. . Firmness of determination, detachment, intellectual capacity, steadfastness in composure are the qualities of Pumsatvam.

If we can find these qualities in any individual irrespective of gender he or she is considered as human being of Pumsatvam

 The seeker must   have the intellect that is free of the attachments and sentiments which affects and blunts its sharpness and twists the power of reasoning.  He or she must possess the combination of various qualities like wisdom, strong determination, sacrifice (VAIRAGYA) nature and steadfastness in Atma  to move towards perfection.  Pumsatvam is the pre-requisite quality for a spiritual seeker to move along the road of perfection.

3. ` Viprata’ --------------- (Satvik attitude of life).

Having Satvik nature is identified as Viprata. VIPRATA literally means Brahminhood.   The spiritual seeker must be a satvik, a person of viprata. It is not referred to one particular caste. It is a dominant exposure of satva guna.  He should possess some of the pious qualities like Quititude of mind, simplicity, patience, straightforwardness, self control, strong faith on the Almighty etc. These qualities raise the seeker from` manhood’ to `mature manhood. A  combination of satvic qualities like serenity, control of the external and internal organs, forgiveness, realization, self-restraint, austerity, purity of mind, forgiveness, uprightness, spiritual knowledge strong faith in God, Guru and Scriptures is very much essential  for the spiritual seeker in his spiritual progress.   These qualities are natural to the seeker of Viprata. Those human beings who possess these qualities are Brahmins, irrespective of their caste.   . 

The seeker who possessed with the quality of viprata possesses perfect purity of mind.  He must be intelligent. He should performs all actions both Sakama and Nishkama without being attached to them in any way.  He has`nt aversion or attachment to the one or the other. The viprata or satvic jnana is the highest state, and the ultimate goal of all spiritual endeavors. The seeker should be in a position to see the one in the many folds, and has to see the inseparable in the separated.

The seeker of viprata should be unconcerned with fruits of action.  He should be free from doer ship.  He must be firm in his work and he should be unaffected by success or failure.

He must also be capable of discriminating between dualities.

4. ` Vaidika- Dharma- Marga- Parata -------- (Steadfastness on the path of righteousness proclaimed by   Vedas).

The spiritual seeker who has to move to the next step of steadily living a life based on scriptural injections is rarer than those who are just merely good and mature humans.

Purity of mind (Chitta- suddhi), purity of mind and (Chitta- ekagrata), and concentrating power of mind) are two important qualities for a spiritual seeker.

 In order to obtain Self realization and God realization the seeker has to build up purity of mind (citha-sudhi) and single pointedness of the intellect (citha-ecagrata). This citha- sudhi can be achieved by the seeker through Nishkama karmacharana. As Vedas are sources of (Dharma), the righteousness, the seeker has to practice Veda vihita karmas that are prescribed in Vedas. This is Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata. The seeker has to adapt Spiritual practices such as study of Scriptures, doing Nishkaama karma, offering his duties as worship unto The Lord, practicing Japa, puja and so on to develop citta- sudhi and citta-ekagrata.

The seeker has to practice   self study (swadhyaya), he has to perform actions without expecting their results ( nishkama karma ),  ha has to submit results of karmas to the Almighty ( karma phala sanyasa), he has to practice  Japa and Dhyana regularly. Entire this processi is considered Vaidika- Dharma- Marga- Parata. He has to cross this milestone also.

5. ` Vidvattvam’----------- (Correct knowledge of the profound thoughts of Vedas).

 The next milestone that has to be crossed by the seeker is` Vidvattvam’.    Right understanding of profound thoughts of spiritual text in all its depth and expanse is called vidvattvam. Vedanta is deep and subtle and cannot be understood by gross intellect. One needs special faculty of perception, an intuitive capacity to go beyond superficial meanings. A matured intellect is needed to perceive its profound deep logic.  The seeker who has chitta-suddhi and chitta-ekagrata can only grasp the subtler truths of Vedas. 

The seeker who is in Vaidika-dharma- marga is fit to understand the subtler implications of Vedas.  The former is action based merely on belief, the later is action based on belief fortified with understanding. Mere practicing of spiritual disciplines without understanding their logic and purpose is not desirable. Hence the seeker has to raise to the state of Vidvattvam from  the level of Vaidika-dharma- marga-parata .

6.  Atma-anatma-vivechanam------- (discrimination power between the Self and non-Self).

The material universe is combination of Prakriti and Purusha, The Self and non-Self, the combination of PURE CONSCIOUSNESS and INERT MATTER. Atman is the PURE CONSCIOUSNESS and the body, mind and intellect are inert matter. Not only is the human body the entire Universe a combination of PURE CONSCIOUSNESS and inert matter.

 Vivechanam means discrimination, discriminating things which are intermingled.  So the seeker must have the art and process of discrimination that is VICHARA.   it is that the self and non- self be carefully examined, the non-self should be separated.  In everything there are five ingredients.  They are Sat, chit, ananda, name and form.  The seeker should realize that the first three are real and the later two are unreal.

  Vidvattvam gives one the ability of differentiate the PURE CONSCIOUSNESS and inert matter.  The seeker who possessed this quality of Atma-anatma-vivechanam is placed in advanced state of spirituality.  

7. Swanubhava ---------- (Direct experience).

The seeker obtains (jnana) the spiritual knowledge through Atma-anatma-vivecanam.  It is a mere intellectual conviction.  In the path to Liberation the seeker must practice swanubhava, the direct experience of his own self (Atma). The steady process of meditation makes the seeker transcends the conditioning of the body, mind and intellect and merges with the PURE CONSCIOUSNESS within. This is Swanubhava. At this stage the seeker experiences hisown self. His senses, mind and intellect all merges into PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.  The experience of Atman is the fruit of jnana.  

8. Brahmatmana samasthiti (To be attained the awareness of the identity of Brahman and Atman). 

For the seeker Swanubhava should not be momentary. The seeker must continuously aware of   his true nature. He has to identify his self everywhere. He finds his identity with Supreme being.  In this state both jiva and Brahma shine forth as the One Supreme SACHIDANANDA and he identifies the oneness of self, the ATMAN and-the BRAHMAN. Now he is considered  (jeevanmuktha), a liberated person while living, a man of firm wisdom (sthita-prajna), aperson who transcended the three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas (gunaatita) and a great saint (paramahamsa).   He is the perfect person, a man of God-Realization. His holy presence itself is a benediction on this world.

9. Mukthi ---------(Liberation).

Moksha is the highest state of freedom and bliss. The final goal of spiritual seeker is the ultimate union of the individual being with the Supreme Self.   A seeker who has transformed to the state of jeevanmuktha is liberated from the cycle of births and deaths. After exhaustion of his prarabdha his body drops and he no more takes a new birth. This final liberation from the cycle of births and deaths is called videha-mukthi. When a seeker renounces completely he is free from all the desires of the mind then he has no re-birth. He will be free from the chain of births and deaths.  Jagadguru Sankaracharya declares that this kind of perfect Liberation cannot be achieved unless the seeker earned SUKRUTAS and punyas of a hundred crores of lives lived intelligently.