While discussing conflicting interpretations of vedic texts, we have to remember constantly that the differences, amongst advaita, visishtadvaita, and dvaita are due to different shades of अभिमान , that is variations in stressing some components, while the whole belief system remains the same. All the schools hold that an object grasped by our senses and mind can not be Brahman. Advaita takes this view to the extreme and makes it absolute. Srivaishnavas acknowledge that Advaita has shaped great saints. But advaita philosophy is called कुदृष्टि, a peculiar view.
2. Similarly, dvaitam is distinguished by exemplary spiritual discipline and illumination of some of the mysterious aspects of bhakti, which is the fruit of mature jnana. At the close of this post, I give the century old prayer of Hindu High School, Triplicane. This work of Ananda Tirtha is an expression of distilled vedanta, which will melt even a heart of stone. But dvaitam refutes advaita, which is a vedic teaching.
3. Ramanuja has kept the Sankara bhashyas of upanishads untouched, except to clarify a few ambiguous passages like “tat tvam asi”, in his short work Vedartha sangraham. For Upanishad discources, we turn to advaita teachers and the experience is very rewarding. The attitude of the teachers, the style of teaching and the thoroughness are very impressive.
4. There have many instances of bogus godmen cheating gullible people. Public are confused between genuine and fake swamis. Exploiting this, a few decades back there was a mud-slinging campaign against an ancient reputed advaita institution, an “exposure” of its misdeeds and the “hypocrisy” of its teachings. The severity was such that the future of the institution was in question. The Head of the institution , when informed, said “make a big poster of the allegations and display it at our gate!”. To the puzzled devotees he said “if, after reading it, one or two come to us, they are the persons we want.”. Such is advaita shraddha.
In advaita discources, there were no public question/answer sessions as in modern times. Even in private ,instead of pre-digested answers, teachers encouraged निदिध्यासन to cut asunder the knots of doubts.
In a small group someone asked an acharya to condense the teaching and give a one minute summary. The swamiji declined. Persisting, another said Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had condensed Gita into a single word “tagi”. Swamiji replied “a siddha can transmit knowledge like that, but that is not for everyone. One has seen the surgeon wield the knife, he has the surgery manual, will he attempt to perform an operation?”.
At some point someone said, “swamiji, you are blessed ,you are able to accept these teachings. I am afraid, I may never reconcile myself to some of these in this life”. Swamiji replied “we teachers follow a नियति. A teaching received has to be transmitted , whether I am fully convinced or not. There are many instances when disciples , by their words and actions, brought enlightenment to the guru on certain points.”
नानुध्यायाँ बहूनि शब्दानि (brihad 4-4-21) is stressed by all advaita teachers. During waking hours a mass of words roam in our consciousness, and we have to become efficient in retaining just one or two for deep reflection. Unnecessary words lingering in our minds will cloud our vision. Words, persons, events, experiences, transactions should melt away from our consciousness after their task is done.
Some snippets: we look back with pride at the fruits of our labour, namely house, car, investments, reputation, etc. We have some problems created by inimical forces. In fact, our problems are also truly self-earned fruits of our karma.
We are not happy when asked to renounce the fruits of karma. What if we know that the fruit is actually a bomb about to explode? The shadow of dosha haunts even the perfectionist’s karma.
We feel unhappy if we are forgotten, overlooked, ignored, or slighted. The yogi celebrates it as thinning of the thread of samsara. Samsaris are ever engaged in strengthening bonds, and then complain of bondage.
Even if one knows nothing about renunciation of desires, in the dreamless deep sleep state total absence of desires is achieved.
To understand anatma (achit) acting on anatma, think of a person eating idli every morning. The idli eaten yesterday is digested and become the flesh and bones, etc. When the person eats idli today, is it not a case of yesterday’s idli eating today’s idli?
Traditionally advaitam is taught by sannyasis only. It is recognized that householders are the backbone of society. Sannyasa or jnana is no protection against the common ills of samsara, the fruit of प्रारब्ध कर्म. They also clarify that a sannyasi’s life need not be very peaceful. One teacher said ” If there is politics in society consisting of householders who are normal people, imagine how much more politics will be there in sannyasi matams which house abnormal people!”.
Above are some impressions gathered from Kamakoti Paramacharya, Swamijis Ranganathananda, Niramayananda, and Guruparananda. It may give an idea of advaita teaching style and practice. Next we turn to a sample of advaita teaching.
6. Worldwide, spirituality and self control are inevitably connected. विषय स्पर्श विष स्पर्श is an observation of Lokacharya. The general srivaishnava prescription for overcoming desire and hatred is two fold. One is adherence to dharma, and the other is employing the senses in contemplating the दिव्यमंगल विग्रह of the Lord. This will work for astikas, but the advaita teaching is more universal. It is focussed on brahmachari-sannyasin, but the same principles hold good for chaste conduct of householders also.
In Gita the subject starts in II-55 to 72, pervades the whole work and concludes in XVIII- 37-39. These Gita passages are vedic commands stated in simple form.
Starting initiation in this discipline, advaita teachers remind us that we have passed through numerous births, some as men other as women, and enjoyed all pleasures and pains of living. We carry these impressions in our bodies and minds in subtle form. So प्रिय अप्रिय feelings are nstural. These are not barriers to liberation as long as these प्रियम्, अप्रियम् are without निबन्धनम् (Sankara). This means desire and hatred, if renounced at early stages, will not lead to bondage.
Hatred progresses in a way parallel to desire, and so we may see the course of desire alone.
The first stage is स्पर्श sense contact. Recollection of an object विषय , which we have seen, or heard, or smelt or tasted ,or felt is called dhyana ध्यान . Dhyana may lead to priyam(being agreeable). Priyam becomes modam मोदम् (pleasurable) on further dhyana. Continuation of the process leads to प्रमोदम् (thrill felt in every cell of the self). There are many shades of desire signified by रागम्, तृष्णा, etc. Soon a stage is reached when life appears meaningless without possessing the object of desire. If the desire is fulfilled, then there is a cooling off, which even turns to disinterest or aversion eventually. Then there is a new attachment and the same cycle is repeated.
Advaita recommends choking this mushroom effect by viveka or discrimination. All beings are reflections of the single सत् , self is one and the desired object another. If the self is lacking in sweetness, it is due to failure to trace the sweetness within the self. What can not be found internally can not be found externally. A true sannyasi is one who is connected to his internal refreshing spring.
Contrary to popular view, the sannyasi is not taught to be blind to beauty, or deaf to melody, etc. These qualities are taught as noble values in their sphere, to be respected as taught in the penultimate sloka of chapter X of Gita यद्यद् विभूतिमत्सत्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा। तत्तदेवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोँँशसम्भवम् ।। Actually treating a गुण as दोष is a negative trait असूया. The sannyasi has the whole world as his family, which can be truly practised only if attachment to a limited family is sublimated. This principle is readily grasped by the advaita student , because the entire upanishad education has the recurring theme of understanding व्यष्टि and analyzing and extrapolating it to समष्टि.
Properly adapted, these precepts are valuable guides to householders also.
The topic of brahmacharya or the आत्मगुण of शम दम is a vast one, and we can only see some illustrative points. We may conclude this topic by reiterating that at the level of siddha, a seasoned practitioner, there is no question of restraint or control; rather nature, mind and body are like hand tools for that person.
We may also note that the advaita concept of mithya prapancham (the accurate description given is प्रातिभासिक सत्यम ) is also useful to us. While we can not apply it to our sastras ,deities, acharyas, theerthas or kshetras, we do roam in a mithya world in our material dealings. Everyday some of our beliefs and assumptions proven false. Something we believed lifelong turns out to be a one-side view. Familiarity with the concept of mithya helps us to understand and live with gross disorder in society.
Finally, a noble expression of dvaitam. Hindu High School was famous for several srivaishnava, smartha, and madhwa teachers, Headmasters. Some famous nsmes are Subramanya Iyer, Raghavendra Rao, and T.S.Rajagopalan. The school prayer is an indication of the values imparted by them.
याचेहम् करुणासिन्धो यावज्जीवमिदम् तव। अदैन्यम् देहदार्ढ्यंच त्वत्पादाम्बुज सम्स्मृतिम्।।
अनाद्यनन्त कालेषु भृत्योहम् त्वम् हि मे प्रभुः। त्वम् तुष्टो वाअथ रुष्टो वा त्वाम् विना मे गदिर्नहि।।
तुष्टोसि त्वम् दयासिन्धोकिमन्यै मम रक्षणे। दोषानाम्च सहिष्णुत्वे त्वत्समो नास्ति भूतले।।
मत्समो नास्ति देवेश कृतघ्नो वंचको भुवि। प्रसीद अशुल्कदासोहम् शश्वत्तव जगत्पते।।
जगत्स्वामिन् दयापूर्ण यदि त्वम् न दयापरः।तदा का गदिरस्माकम् गरदायाम् स्वमातरि।।
त्वमेवैको जगत्राता दाता ज्झाता दयान्वितः।त्वाम् विना कः पुमान् कर्ता ह्यस्माकम् तु मनोरथम्।।
दीनबन्धो । दयासिन्धो ।सुहृत्बन्धो जगत्पते। अज्झान सिन्धुमग्नम् माँ आपत्सख समुद्धर।।
सुकृतीनाम् दयालुत्वम् करोषीति किमद्भुतम्। तत्कृतम् चेदनाचारे तदेव विपुलम् यशः।।
प्रसीद मे जगन्नाथ। सुप्रसीद दयानिधे। पुनः पुनः प्रसीदत्वम् प्रसाद वरदो भव।।
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