Sage Wisdom

The great sages came to be 'attained souls' (jivanmukta), after deeper contemplation on brahman, that too, after a long, long period of secluded life. Secluded life is a very essential part of spiritual practice. This concept of penance, tapasya, living in a secluded or isolated place is a little difficult for us to understand. However, we see many such caves and isolated places where many famous temples mathas, and ashrams are found today.We, as ordinary people habituated to comfortable life sleeping in warm cushy beds, having bed coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner with snacks in between, cannot even dream of sitting in isolation without food and sleep for hours, if not for days; contemplating on 'brahman'. taking to secluded life, sanyas, is out of question. Normally, we cannot sit quiet even for a few seconds. We are so restless that we seek refreshments and entertainment whenever we are free. Moreover, our karma klesha do not allow to turn our mind and senses in ward, withdrawing them from their out-going tendency. The journey of life (nara yana) is taking the jivas on a long unending one with out any well defined destination! The path of the jiva is created by its own desires, resolves and accomplishments. Most of the people have just started the journey with the baggage full of all sorts of animal tendencies and it takes a long time to develop human values. It is like a newly promoted officer who is yet to know his assignments. Thus, the question of seeking spiritual path is out of question for almost 99.99 per cent of us. Nobody is interested in paramarthika since the worldly desires are not yet fulfilled, yet. It is only when a ripe old jive thinks of the ways and means of getting out of this rut that it seeks a guide and surrenders to higher powers. Then starts the satsang, svadhyaya, nidhidhyasana, japa, tapa, dharana and reach higher and higher transcendental meditative states, samadhi. Otherwise, the jivas are condemned to repeated births and deaths with hunger, thirst, diseases, suffering and the like. There is no question of liberation, emancipation or mukti to the embodied soul until the karma klesha are burnt by jnyan, vidya, right way of living (saatvika jivana).

   The great sages have clearly stated this in the first verse of brahma sutra. It says, athaato brahma jijnyasah..., meaning,... ... and thence or thereafter let us take up the inquiry into the brahman.. In a sense, it is only after the sansara  is fully lived, experienced, and understood that the jiva rejects it and takes to the right path, sat nyasa. It is absolutely necessary to seek a guru to be initiated to sat nyasa (sanyasa); not all will get one, too. It is only by divine providence that one gets a guru. In fact this guru comes to the doors of the person who ardently desires and begs the Lord for redemption. It is said, the supreme Lord directs a divine soul to take interest in this jiva and redeem it. The jiva will be tamed to surrender its ahankar and made to serve the guru. This helps it to get his love and affection, Once the guru enters the jiva's life the worldly interests run away. Then only it is easy to move in the right path to redemption. Some jivas are so ripe and lucky that they get instant liberation with the association of a divined attained soul, not necessarily a learned teacher. In fact, a real guru will not teach anything. His association is enough since the aura, his tejas is enough to burn all the blemishes, ari-shadvarga.
    The ashram located in deep forests, isolated hills, and distant islands are the first primary requisite. An island is the symbol of a 'solitary place' surrounded by water (jnyan). Attained persons live with austerity and the place is suitable for study of scriptures, contemplation, yogabhyasa and other austerities for a disciplined life. By adopting to the conditions of an ashram, the jiva seeking redemption will be automatically led to a more sattvik life and made ripe enough for liberation, jivan muktata.Thus, the first phase of spiritual life begins here.