Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 5/34/5 Lazy men waste away their time of endeavor and hence they do not succeed anywhere. They get disappointment everywhere.
Message: God has created man for doing labor, for endeavor and deeds, by which, he can perform austerity on the path of duty. Both labor and austerity are required for whatever work that is done by man. Involvement dedication and engrossment are by themselves austerities only. Any work is successful due to them only. Whether we do good or bad deeds, without labor, austerity and endeavor, nothing can be done.
There are 24 hours in the day. Gayatri mantra contains 24 letters. The deity of Gayatri mantra is Savita (or the sun) which tells us to be bright like the sun, to go on and on without swaying on the path of deeds, and never to stop despite whatever types of situations and obstacles.
But today laziness has taken a severe hold over man. He wants to obtain everything without doing anything. His thinking is becoming distorted. He thinks that whatever is the wish of God, will happen. Therefore instead of the labor of one's duty, it is better to sit quietly and ask for favor from the deities and the angels. Man forgets that he himself has given birth to his present situations, and he only is the creator of his own destiny. To save himself from doing any labor, he has invented many excuses and he wants to get satisfaction by blaming his failures on luck. Hence he gets disappointments only. On fact, when a man strives hard, then adverse situations also become favorable. God also helps and failure is changed to success.
Laziness is a great enemy of endeavor. It is a big obstacle in man's progress and causes maximum harm to life's values. A lazy person goes on avoiding work and this habit makes him gradually incapable and helpless. Because of disappointment and frustration gradually man's ability of discretion is also destroyed and he loses his daring to struggle against difficulties. Whatever capacity he had earlier also diminishes and is finally destroyed. He wishes to do something, but due to laziness, is not able to do anything. He does not develop the enthusiasm to translate his thoughts into action.
Success is achieved by those who cast away their laziness, are ready, full of energy, make good use of their time and do not waste their time in absurd talks. Those who wish their own benefit and fame, they must pull out the evil of laziness by its roots and throw it away, and go on working diligently with faith and with the least amount of talk.
Only with that is the desired reward possible to be achieved.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Multidimensional Life
Anekantvad is Jain philosophy that perceives life as being multidimensional. What we think we see is only part of life, rarely the whole.
Though most of us operate from our periphery, often saying and doing things spontaneously, without thinking or planning, we are all eventually guided by our centre. What is our center? It is usually that core collection of feelings, beliefs, conditionings, thoughts, biases, prejudices, ideas, perceptions, points of view and opinions –basically whatever we think we are. This centre is often mind based, not being or soul-based, for those things always operate out of silence and love. The soul or being is our real centre, as opposed to the mind or ego-based ‘pseudo-centre’ from where we frequently and unknowingly operate.
The Jain concept of Anekantvad is beautiful. It says that any truth is relative to the perspective from which it is known. Reality is comprised of innumerable substances, both material and spiritual, and these too are constantly changing and in a state of flux. Raw materials that make up material and spiritual things too, are impermanent. And hence, it is near impossible for ordinary individuals to see the whole truth, the complete truth, of reality. What we often see, due to our limited vision, perspective, point of views our senses and sensibilities, or beliefs, our social upbringings, our limitations is a thin slice of life, or reality. What we see is not the untruth, but it cannot be the entire truth, which is too vast for mere mortals to comprehend, and is also constantly undergoing modification and evolution. It needs a highly evolved or enlightened soul, of the caliber of a Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus or Nanak – or the 24 Thirthankars, who form the foundation of the Jain religion – to be able to see and understand that whole truth.
The most common story cited to illustrate Anekantvad is that of king who called six blind men to touch and describe an elephant. All of them came up with different answers, calling the elephant a rope, fan, snake or wall. While they were partly right they were nowhere near the whole truth. All of us see the world and life from our limited perspective. If we knew this, then we would not be in conflict with others. But we assume that what we know is the whole truth and that the other is wrong. And hence there are conflicts all over the world, basically because my truth does not agree with yours, although both of us didn’t know that we are both only partially correct, and are both likely to be wrong. We strongly hold on to our partial or wrong concepts, and fight over it, tooth and nail. When the final picture emerges, or with the passage of time, when we look back at the past, we will often see how our words and actions were often wrong.
Anekantvad, once understood, will make us realize that our knowledge is partial and incompletes. We form our central core from this partial truth, and hence are prone to get into conflicts with others. If we recognize that we don’t know the whole picture, we are likely to become less aggressive and more humble, which will pave the way for more peace and joy on earth.
Though most of us operate from our periphery, often saying and doing things spontaneously, without thinking or planning, we are all eventually guided by our centre. What is our center? It is usually that core collection of feelings, beliefs, conditionings, thoughts, biases, prejudices, ideas, perceptions, points of view and opinions –basically whatever we think we are. This centre is often mind based, not being or soul-based, for those things always operate out of silence and love. The soul or being is our real centre, as opposed to the mind or ego-based ‘pseudo-centre’ from where we frequently and unknowingly operate.
The Jain concept of Anekantvad is beautiful. It says that any truth is relative to the perspective from which it is known. Reality is comprised of innumerable substances, both material and spiritual, and these too are constantly changing and in a state of flux. Raw materials that make up material and spiritual things too, are impermanent. And hence, it is near impossible for ordinary individuals to see the whole truth, the complete truth, of reality. What we often see, due to our limited vision, perspective, point of views our senses and sensibilities, or beliefs, our social upbringings, our limitations is a thin slice of life, or reality. What we see is not the untruth, but it cannot be the entire truth, which is too vast for mere mortals to comprehend, and is also constantly undergoing modification and evolution. It needs a highly evolved or enlightened soul, of the caliber of a Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus or Nanak – or the 24 Thirthankars, who form the foundation of the Jain religion – to be able to see and understand that whole truth.
The most common story cited to illustrate Anekantvad is that of king who called six blind men to touch and describe an elephant. All of them came up with different answers, calling the elephant a rope, fan, snake or wall. While they were partly right they were nowhere near the whole truth. All of us see the world and life from our limited perspective. If we knew this, then we would not be in conflict with others. But we assume that what we know is the whole truth and that the other is wrong. And hence there are conflicts all over the world, basically because my truth does not agree with yours, although both of us didn’t know that we are both only partially correct, and are both likely to be wrong. We strongly hold on to our partial or wrong concepts, and fight over it, tooth and nail. When the final picture emerges, or with the passage of time, when we look back at the past, we will often see how our words and actions were often wrong.
Anekantvad, once understood, will make us realize that our knowledge is partial and incompletes. We form our central core from this partial truth, and hence are prone to get into conflicts with others. If we recognize that we don’t know the whole picture, we are likely to become less aggressive and more humble, which will pave the way for more peace and joy on earth.
Yours Faithfully, With Grace
When we do not face reality, especially when we consider it ‘unpleasant’, we may tend to push our own suffering by unconscious but active denial on to other people and out into the word, seeing them as ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’. Parents who cannot tolerate their own imperfections, will criticize and alienate their children for their imperfections; one partner, blind to his own faults will notice, criticize and condemn the very same imperfections in the other.
On a larger scale, some cultures attempt to push away their own suffering by making their members all good and other people all bad. This happened in Nazi Germany, in Bosnia, and in Rwanda, and closer home the monster rears its ugly head whenever we consider any group or community as the wrong or evil ‘Other’.
Roman Catholic saint Francis de sales speak of our ‘abjections’. To love our abjections, he tells us, is to love ourselves as we are loved, in our wholeness. It is also to have compassion for ourselves, teaching us that the true place of transformation is not in our gifts but in our weaknesses. “To love our abjections is to shatter the images of self-perfection we would like to project. It is thus to enter into the mystery of loving all that is human, and from there to begin to love all humans truly.”
Maybe we are perfectly imperfect, as someone once suggested. That awareness is a grace that brings a compassionate understanding and support to work on our deficiencies. And once we understand that, then we become capable of extending more grace towards others.
Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers provide us with deep and transformative lessons, one of them being that awareness of imperfection allows us to be less judgmental of others.
Once, a story goes, a brother in the community committed a fault. A council was called to decide on what punishment was be given to him, to which the old and respected Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go. Then the elders sent someone to him, saying, “Come join us, for everyone is waiting for you.”
So he got up to join them, but carried with him on his shoulder a leaking jug filled with water. The others came out to meet out behind him from the jug said, “What is this father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” When they heard that, they said no more to the brother, but forgive him.
If you acknowledge your imperfections and the imperfections of this world, work hard, and rise to the challenge to be a ware of them and change and evolve accordingly, “then you are a vehicle for the expression of God’s dynamic perfection”, writes David Aaron in his spiritual work based on his understanding of the Kabbalah, The secret life of God.
This is not about being satisfied with the mediocre or about condoning ‘evil’ or inhumanity; it is about facing reality and working with it rather than against it.
Working with ‘what is’ means to seek meaning within the absurd, peace within chaos, light within darkness, joy within suffering – without the need to deny the reality of absurdity, chaos, darkness and suffering.
On a larger scale, some cultures attempt to push away their own suffering by making their members all good and other people all bad. This happened in Nazi Germany, in Bosnia, and in Rwanda, and closer home the monster rears its ugly head whenever we consider any group or community as the wrong or evil ‘Other’.
Roman Catholic saint Francis de sales speak of our ‘abjections’. To love our abjections, he tells us, is to love ourselves as we are loved, in our wholeness. It is also to have compassion for ourselves, teaching us that the true place of transformation is not in our gifts but in our weaknesses. “To love our abjections is to shatter the images of self-perfection we would like to project. It is thus to enter into the mystery of loving all that is human, and from there to begin to love all humans truly.”
Maybe we are perfectly imperfect, as someone once suggested. That awareness is a grace that brings a compassionate understanding and support to work on our deficiencies. And once we understand that, then we become capable of extending more grace towards others.
Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers provide us with deep and transformative lessons, one of them being that awareness of imperfection allows us to be less judgmental of others.
Once, a story goes, a brother in the community committed a fault. A council was called to decide on what punishment was be given to him, to which the old and respected Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go. Then the elders sent someone to him, saying, “Come join us, for everyone is waiting for you.”
So he got up to join them, but carried with him on his shoulder a leaking jug filled with water. The others came out to meet out behind him from the jug said, “What is this father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” When they heard that, they said no more to the brother, but forgive him.
If you acknowledge your imperfections and the imperfections of this world, work hard, and rise to the challenge to be a ware of them and change and evolve accordingly, “then you are a vehicle for the expression of God’s dynamic perfection”, writes David Aaron in his spiritual work based on his understanding of the Kabbalah, The secret life of God.
This is not about being satisfied with the mediocre or about condoning ‘evil’ or inhumanity; it is about facing reality and working with it rather than against it.
Working with ‘what is’ means to seek meaning within the absurd, peace within chaos, light within darkness, joy within suffering – without the need to deny the reality of absurdity, chaos, darkness and suffering.
Destroy of Evil and Violent Animals
Meaning: As explained in the Athervaved 4/3/4 — It is our duty to destroy evil and violent animals, and thieves and wicked men. We must always find solutions to disease and bad tendencies.
Message: In the human body, along with 'jeevatem' (i.e. the soul) Parmatma (i.e. God, the Supreme Soul) too resides Jeevatma performs the deeds and gets the Karmaphal (i.e. the fruits of his deeds) as either reward or punishment. God, as witness, goes on observing all the deeds of man. By doing good deeds man achieves inner peace and joy by doing bad deeds man feels hatred and dejection within himself.
Man gets trapped into sinful acts because of many reasons. He also engages in sinful acts as aw result of punishment for bad deeds in previous births. Drinking liquor is the root cause of ad tendencies and sins. An intoxicated man does not think of what is proper and what is improper and will carry out any meant act. Due to anger also, man's intelligence gets distorted and then man will do anything because of the absence of kartavyagyan (i.e. the knowledge of what should be done). Knowingly or unknowingly man goes on committing many sinful acts trapped in innumerable bad deeds and bad conduct.
Sinful life starts with the company of bad people. In the company of bad persons a man's intelligence gets corrupted. He starts considering his well wishers as enemies and people on the wrong, immoral path as his friends. As a result he becomes distanced from good, learned, religious and truthful men. His relationship with divine qualities starts getting served. Getting much more trapped in bad company, he becomes helpless and forced to lead a life of inferior quality. The bad thinking, bad habits or bad culture makes hollow the roots of humanness. He feels helpless form this sinful path. Nobody is able to save th4e sinners trapped in the chasm of darkness. Man himself gets trapped in bad tendencies, he finds sweet the indulgence of desires and, trapped in this mire, he invites his own destruction.
As witness, God the Supreme keeps an account of man's good and bad deeds, and then on the basis of justice according to the deed he gives either the good reward or the bad punishment. One does get teh good or bad results of one's deeds and nobody can save himself from them. 'Avashyameva bhoktavya, krutum karma shubhashubham' — i.e. one has to receive the fruit of one's actions, whether good or bad. These fruits in the form of reward or punishment may be given in this birth or in the next birth, today or tomorrow. According to divine justice, there may be delay in that but without doubt there is justice in it, and hence there is no partiality. On the one hand, God is the giver of life, he is the paalak i.e. the protector and poshuk (one who nurtures), simultaneously, He is the destroyer of sinners and men of evil conduct. He always uplifts good men, men who do good deeds and truthful men. He shows the appropriate (good) path to the faithful devoted and believers and fulfills their wishes and helps them teach the ultimate objective.
By going against this just and divine tenet of God and helping and cooperating with men of wicked, evil conduct is in itself a grave sin. We must indeed make an effort to bring them on the path of moral goodness, but simultaneously scold and censure them also. Just as it is our duty to protect the society from the violent and ferocious animals like lions, snakes, wolves etc, similarly it is also our responsibility to establish peace and happiness in the society by destroying wicked and evil men.
It is our duty to destroy these enemies of the society.
Message: In the human body, along with 'jeevatem' (i.e. the soul) Parmatma (i.e. God, the Supreme Soul) too resides Jeevatma performs the deeds and gets the Karmaphal (i.e. the fruits of his deeds) as either reward or punishment. God, as witness, goes on observing all the deeds of man. By doing good deeds man achieves inner peace and joy by doing bad deeds man feels hatred and dejection within himself.
Man gets trapped into sinful acts because of many reasons. He also engages in sinful acts as aw result of punishment for bad deeds in previous births. Drinking liquor is the root cause of ad tendencies and sins. An intoxicated man does not think of what is proper and what is improper and will carry out any meant act. Due to anger also, man's intelligence gets distorted and then man will do anything because of the absence of kartavyagyan (i.e. the knowledge of what should be done). Knowingly or unknowingly man goes on committing many sinful acts trapped in innumerable bad deeds and bad conduct.
Sinful life starts with the company of bad people. In the company of bad persons a man's intelligence gets corrupted. He starts considering his well wishers as enemies and people on the wrong, immoral path as his friends. As a result he becomes distanced from good, learned, religious and truthful men. His relationship with divine qualities starts getting served. Getting much more trapped in bad company, he becomes helpless and forced to lead a life of inferior quality. The bad thinking, bad habits or bad culture makes hollow the roots of humanness. He feels helpless form this sinful path. Nobody is able to save th4e sinners trapped in the chasm of darkness. Man himself gets trapped in bad tendencies, he finds sweet the indulgence of desires and, trapped in this mire, he invites his own destruction.
As witness, God the Supreme keeps an account of man's good and bad deeds, and then on the basis of justice according to the deed he gives either the good reward or the bad punishment. One does get teh good or bad results of one's deeds and nobody can save himself from them. 'Avashyameva bhoktavya, krutum karma shubhashubham' — i.e. one has to receive the fruit of one's actions, whether good or bad. These fruits in the form of reward or punishment may be given in this birth or in the next birth, today or tomorrow. According to divine justice, there may be delay in that but without doubt there is justice in it, and hence there is no partiality. On the one hand, God is the giver of life, he is the paalak i.e. the protector and poshuk (one who nurtures), simultaneously, He is the destroyer of sinners and men of evil conduct. He always uplifts good men, men who do good deeds and truthful men. He shows the appropriate (good) path to the faithful devoted and believers and fulfills their wishes and helps them teach the ultimate objective.
By going against this just and divine tenet of God and helping and cooperating with men of wicked, evil conduct is in itself a grave sin. We must indeed make an effort to bring them on the path of moral goodness, but simultaneously scold and censure them also. Just as it is our duty to protect the society from the violent and ferocious animals like lions, snakes, wolves etc, similarly it is also our responsibility to establish peace and happiness in the society by destroying wicked and evil men.
It is our duty to destroy these enemies of the society.
Healing with forgiveness
All faiths worldwide recommend it. There’s universal agreement among religious leaders about its benefits. Every avatar of the Supreme Being and all His prophets have preached it. It’s a prayer often recited by devotees in places of worship. And non believers too are convinced of its great value. Doctors tell patients about its health benefits. Old and New Age gurus will break bread to celebrate its virtues. Prance healers and reiki masters consider if a powerful healing tool.
Forgiveness is not as sublime as love, but it’s a divine virtue, without necessarily being godly. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness thus: “To grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offence or debt”. But forgiveness is much more than that. Cynics see the act of forgiving as being one of weakness, resorted to by the meek and the cowardly. The more enlightened say only the strong are capable of it, as did MK Gandhi. “The weak can never forgive forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Pure happiness is achieved because when you forgive person who has done you harm, you detoxify yourself of all negative energy free your mind, and purify your soul and body. Perhaps that’s why Martin Luther said: “Forgiveness is pure happiness”
Studies at the University of Wisconsin found the more forgiving people were, the less they suffered from a wide range of illnesses. The benefits included improved functioning of their cardiovascular and nervous systems. Anger and resentment towards our so-called oppressors will bring us nothing but trouble and unhappiness.
“If you do not forgive, you will continue to think of the offender and the unpleasant event,” aid prance healing master Choa Koi Sui. “By forgiving and blessing, you achieve inner peace and freedom”. Those who follow Vadantic tradition pray to God to grant happiness even to their enemies. They pray to providence not only for their well-being, but also for the prosperity of their adversaries. Vadantic wisdom believes in a prenatal harmony, a link and celestial communion among all souls. Hence when you hate another person, you only hate yourself, as all souls are linked.
“How often do you forgive one person? Up to seven times?” Jesus Christ was asked by his disciple peter. Jesus replied: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Jesus seven asked God to forgive those who had crucified him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” In The Lord’s prayer, Christians pray. “And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
The message is clear. Only when you forgive others will you too, be forgive. Allah is Most Forgiving. Prophet Muhammad forgives people for their ignorance and was ever ready to forgive his enemies.
By being unforgiving, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn, Buddhists believe. In Jainism forgiveness is propounded as one of the main virtues to be cultivated by the faithful. Supreme forgiveness forms part of one of the 10 characteristics of dharma in Jainism.
“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them as much,” said Oscar Wilde. It’s an interesting thing to say, but taking the tongue in cheek remark seriously might dilute the impact and power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness has great power. It is a glorious and selfless act that could radically transform the lives of both the forgiver and the forgiven – for the better.
Forgiveness is not as sublime as love, but it’s a divine virtue, without necessarily being godly. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness thus: “To grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offence or debt”. But forgiveness is much more than that. Cynics see the act of forgiving as being one of weakness, resorted to by the meek and the cowardly. The more enlightened say only the strong are capable of it, as did MK Gandhi. “The weak can never forgive forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Pure happiness is achieved because when you forgive person who has done you harm, you detoxify yourself of all negative energy free your mind, and purify your soul and body. Perhaps that’s why Martin Luther said: “Forgiveness is pure happiness”
Studies at the University of Wisconsin found the more forgiving people were, the less they suffered from a wide range of illnesses. The benefits included improved functioning of their cardiovascular and nervous systems. Anger and resentment towards our so-called oppressors will bring us nothing but trouble and unhappiness.
“If you do not forgive, you will continue to think of the offender and the unpleasant event,” aid prance healing master Choa Koi Sui. “By forgiving and blessing, you achieve inner peace and freedom”. Those who follow Vadantic tradition pray to God to grant happiness even to their enemies. They pray to providence not only for their well-being, but also for the prosperity of their adversaries. Vadantic wisdom believes in a prenatal harmony, a link and celestial communion among all souls. Hence when you hate another person, you only hate yourself, as all souls are linked.
“How often do you forgive one person? Up to seven times?” Jesus Christ was asked by his disciple peter. Jesus replied: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Jesus seven asked God to forgive those who had crucified him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” In The Lord’s prayer, Christians pray. “And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
The message is clear. Only when you forgive others will you too, be forgive. Allah is Most Forgiving. Prophet Muhammad forgives people for their ignorance and was ever ready to forgive his enemies.
By being unforgiving, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn, Buddhists believe. In Jainism forgiveness is propounded as one of the main virtues to be cultivated by the faithful. Supreme forgiveness forms part of one of the 10 characteristics of dharma in Jainism.
“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them as much,” said Oscar Wilde. It’s an interesting thing to say, but taking the tongue in cheek remark seriously might dilute the impact and power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness has great power. It is a glorious and selfless act that could radically transform the lives of both the forgiver and the forgiven – for the better.
Liberate from the Feeling of Enmity
Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 2/7/3 — just ad flowing water can never remain at one place, similarly enmity also should not remain (i.e. one should not harbor enmity). One should renounce inimical feeling and create friendship.
Message: The main reason, for all our collected bad tendencies, influences and bad habits is our ignorance and lack of knowledge which becomes an obstacle in our progress. We remain neither alert towards our divine form nor do we get the knowledge of our divinity. The rise of ego and egoistic arrogance is only because of this ignorance. The arrogance of 'I an so and so' etc inspires us to consider us as separate from others. With that arise the emotions of attachment, condemnation, 'mine and yours' and like and dislike or malice and we stray away from the path of spirituality and cause the downfall of our own life.
With the constant thinking of enmity, an increase in wicked activities takes place and accordingly man's behavior, man's conduct comes to low level. There is only one constant thought of how to take revenge, how to case maximum harm, and how to insult him. Constantly this agitation is going on in the mind. By adopting the attitude of accusation, taunts, sarcasm and bitter conduct man causes the downfall of his own personal character; to add to that, others coming in his contact suffer mental tension. Such inferior men continuously think of destroying their opponents and also show their meanness by showing happiness with even a slight harm to these opponents.
How clean and pure is flowing water! Rivers brooks and streams give joy to one and all. But if the water is halted and kept stagnant in a pit, it starts rotting and smelling. The same condition prevails in our mind when we store enmity and malice there. In such people's minds instead of the emotion of love, there is hatred and there is an all round harmful atmosphere of enmity and non cooperation.
Message: The main reason, for all our collected bad tendencies, influences and bad habits is our ignorance and lack of knowledge which becomes an obstacle in our progress. We remain neither alert towards our divine form nor do we get the knowledge of our divinity. The rise of ego and egoistic arrogance is only because of this ignorance. The arrogance of 'I an so and so' etc inspires us to consider us as separate from others. With that arise the emotions of attachment, condemnation, 'mine and yours' and like and dislike or malice and we stray away from the path of spirituality and cause the downfall of our own life.
With the constant thinking of enmity, an increase in wicked activities takes place and accordingly man's behavior, man's conduct comes to low level. There is only one constant thought of how to take revenge, how to case maximum harm, and how to insult him. Constantly this agitation is going on in the mind. By adopting the attitude of accusation, taunts, sarcasm and bitter conduct man causes the downfall of his own personal character; to add to that, others coming in his contact suffer mental tension. Such inferior men continuously think of destroying their opponents and also show their meanness by showing happiness with even a slight harm to these opponents.
How clean and pure is flowing water! Rivers brooks and streams give joy to one and all. But if the water is halted and kept stagnant in a pit, it starts rotting and smelling. The same condition prevails in our mind when we store enmity and malice there. In such people's minds instead of the emotion of love, there is hatred and there is an all round harmful atmosphere of enmity and non cooperation.
Paradox of Liberation
Liberation is believed to be the epitome of achievement of the human form. But the phenomenon of liberation is riddled with a great paradox. The paradox is that the liberated entity disintegrates, dissolves and no longer remains to appreciate the state of liberation therefore seems to be an exercise in futility when viewed from the standpoint of the individual endeavoring to seek liberation.
Liberation can never be an acquisition of the individual. Because liberation is not a person, liberation is from a person. It is often said by sages that the search of efforts to seek liberation will end only when the seeker ends.
All attempts made in this direction only further crystallize the identity and discreteness of the seeker. Desire for liberation is an oxymoron, because liberation is absence of all desires. Does it mean that all endeavors life meditation, devotion and prayer are superfluous? Sage Ashtavakra said precisely that. Liberation is merely a blink away. It need not involve any form of penance, effort or endeavor. The identity of self is totally a creation of the self and a figment of imagination. The name, the form is merely a projection. Liberation is instantaneously becoming aware of the absence of the subject-object dichotomy.
The meaning of the word Ashtavakra is "distorted at eight places". According to legend when Ashtavakra was still in his mother's womb, his father would recite from Vedic scriptures. But his chanting was defective and every time Ashtavakra discerned an error, he would squirm inside the womb. As a result he was born with eight deformities; hence the name. This story is symbolic. The squirming was perhaps at th4e futility of the chanting. Sage Ashtavakra was a realized soul and his discourse to King Janak forms the content of the treatise, Ashtavakra Gita that predates the Bhagavad Gita.
The name Ashtavakra has a far greater significance. Yoga as elucidated by Sage Patanjali is consisted of an eight fold path. Ashtanga Yoga, comprising yama, or restraint, niyama or self regulation, dhyaan or meditation, pranayama. The eightfold path leads to samadhi or liberation. But Ashtavakra said that all endeavors only fortify the identity of the seeker. He said that liberation is the state where the subject and object become one. All endeavors only serve to underline the ego and are a detriment to liberation. Ashtavakra therefore seems to underline the distortion created by any path of endeavor by the seeker. The philosophy challenge the basic premise that one has to make any effort to seek liberation - for that matter even ashtanga yoga. This is a radical departure from all established thought.
A specific form is merely the all pervading consciousness cleaving itself into a subject and object. It then goes about believing all that is observed as separate and discrete as its own self. The true nature of the self is beyond all identity and ego. It is plain consciousness by total conviction in this fleeting illusory identity. And then the game of seeking begins, like the dog chasing its own tail. Holding on to the illusion of identity, one goes about seeking. The form can never ever seek the formless consciousness of which it is a manifestation. It can only merge and this merger can happen only when the form realizes the futility of all efforts to be come the formless.
Liberation can never be an acquisition of the individual. Because liberation is not a person, liberation is from a person. It is often said by sages that the search of efforts to seek liberation will end only when the seeker ends.
All attempts made in this direction only further crystallize the identity and discreteness of the seeker. Desire for liberation is an oxymoron, because liberation is absence of all desires. Does it mean that all endeavors life meditation, devotion and prayer are superfluous? Sage Ashtavakra said precisely that. Liberation is merely a blink away. It need not involve any form of penance, effort or endeavor. The identity of self is totally a creation of the self and a figment of imagination. The name, the form is merely a projection. Liberation is instantaneously becoming aware of the absence of the subject-object dichotomy.
The meaning of the word Ashtavakra is "distorted at eight places". According to legend when Ashtavakra was still in his mother's womb, his father would recite from Vedic scriptures. But his chanting was defective and every time Ashtavakra discerned an error, he would squirm inside the womb. As a result he was born with eight deformities; hence the name. This story is symbolic. The squirming was perhaps at th4e futility of the chanting. Sage Ashtavakra was a realized soul and his discourse to King Janak forms the content of the treatise, Ashtavakra Gita that predates the Bhagavad Gita.
The name Ashtavakra has a far greater significance. Yoga as elucidated by Sage Patanjali is consisted of an eight fold path. Ashtanga Yoga, comprising yama, or restraint, niyama or self regulation, dhyaan or meditation, pranayama. The eightfold path leads to samadhi or liberation. But Ashtavakra said that all endeavors only fortify the identity of the seeker. He said that liberation is the state where the subject and object become one. All endeavors only serve to underline the ego and are a detriment to liberation. Ashtavakra therefore seems to underline the distortion created by any path of endeavor by the seeker. The philosophy challenge the basic premise that one has to make any effort to seek liberation - for that matter even ashtanga yoga. This is a radical departure from all established thought.
A specific form is merely the all pervading consciousness cleaving itself into a subject and object. It then goes about believing all that is observed as separate and discrete as its own self. The true nature of the self is beyond all identity and ego. It is plain consciousness by total conviction in this fleeting illusory identity. And then the game of seeking begins, like the dog chasing its own tail. Holding on to the illusion of identity, one goes about seeking. The form can never ever seek the formless consciousness of which it is a manifestation. It can only merge and this merger can happen only when the form realizes the futility of all efforts to be come the formless.
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