Comfort Zone

    When i saw some sadhus walking almost naked in the cold winter in the Himalayas i was wondering whether this is ever possible for me visiting these places with thick woollen clothes and still shivering! To my surprise, i even found  very young man walking naked in the cold morning and heard that he was a Ph. D. in Science. It was sheer madness or just a firm determination to experience the exotic! However, one thing is certain that these adventurists have taken a jump. Most of us do not want to get out of bed in the morning during winter days without a cup of hot Coffee or Tea.  We all want a comfortable life under any condition!  

  We all are accustomed to live in a comfort zone. We refuse to come out of it and face the harsh realities of life. We want to play safe. We want security and, at the same time, progress. We cannot understand how can there be progress and development if we do not let go our comfort zone take a plunge into the unknown. The dilemma is that we want to run and stay-put at the same time. We don't even know how one can reach to the top by leaving the step of the ladder/staircase where we stand. letting go where we stand at i Even the renunciates who are supposed to be out of this comfort zone seek comforts! This is the problem.  

  The need for leaving the comfort zone and move on to the unknown or the less-trdden arises only if one desires to search what 'lies beyond'. Only those who are tired of repeated births and deaths seek some sort of redemption. The Bhagavad-Gita shows the way! Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises Arjuna about the way out of this bondage, attachment to the worldly objects and craving for the satisfaction of the insatiable desires. He, the Lord says, "Arjuna, your wisom is clouded by the desire for the insatiable. You are full of ego. Your pride itself is a hurdle. Nothing everlasting can be attained here. Any achievement is bound to end in misery since time eats away the happiness of aattainment. There is bound to be some sort of dissatisfaction even after attainment of the so called impossible! Let alone disappointment, failure in these attempts to satisfy the the sensuous, even the power and riches have failed the high and the mighty. Many great warriors, kings and rulers have experienced this. Hence, give up all pride and do your ordained duties and that is ll that you can do!" This is karmanyava adhikaaraste! The Blessed Lord says, "To bestow what is due to you is my prerogative. You will not get anything just like the wages for the labor done! However, I assure you that you get your dues as per the karma, prarabhda, at that! You are assured of the right dues, nothing less or more, nor a little earlier or later! So, do not aspire for the results of all that work you perform. Do your duty with a sense of sacrifice!"

  The adventurists, however, do not bother about all these sayings in the Gita. They are in a mad rush to achieve something what no one has attained, reach somewhere where no one has reached! In fact the elders are crazy and want that their wards should achieve what they could not! They push the young minds to the edge! Lucky if some survive, but many may fall down the cliff.  Parents want their children to be great engineers, scientists, doctors and statesmen little knowing that each jiva comes here to fuldill its unfulfilled desires of its past life. Life of some children are sniffed at the bud due to unncecessary pressure on the young minds. 

  Some play safe and do not venture into the unknown. It is but natural in a protected environment. However, it is necessary to bring out the hidden talent, the potential in one by appropriate guidance. There is a great need for a mentor. It is here that one should leave the comfort zone, go out and search for a Guru. Luck, destiny, elders blessings and divine grace will help the jiva that innately desires to fulfill its aspirations.  

'Atmabodha'

 'Atmabodha' is Sri Shankaracharya's most beautiful work on "Self-Knowledge' This work is available in the Advaita Ashrama Publications of Sri Ramakrishna Matha. Sri Nikhilananda and Sri Vimuktananada have given beautiful commentaries on this original work. Ultimately, what is it we want? There are many a questions that bother a person who seeks redemption from this sensuous objective worldly existence. It is the insatiable nature of our wants, unending desires that are the seeds of rebirth, and the vasanas, taunting memories and the cravings that are the causes of the misery of man. Once a person realizes the futility of all this existence craving for the sensuous life, the jiva takes recourse to liberation. This liberation or mukti is of two kinds. The one one instantaneously stops craving is liberated. This is sadyomukti. The other one is a gradual one that comes with the death of the person. This is 'krama mukti' when the jiva leaves its carnal body whether its desires are fulfilled or not. 

 Now, the craving for liberation, mukti, will not come easily for all. Either a tormented jiva that finds life impossible  or a jive that finds it futile to seek any happiness in this death-knell, mrutyu loka only will seek mukti. However, he is jnyani, muni, saintly person who stops craving for worldly accomplishments, attainments, and sits quiet in meditation on 'brahmn', He is a person established in his/her Self. This is Atmabodha. He has realized his Self, the nature of his Atman that is already fully accomplished and happy and desires nothing!. The nature of such a realized soul, sthita prajnya, is beautifully explained in the Gita. A realized person will be one of equanimity, who does not dwell in dualities. He has attained oneness, samatvam, 'Oneness is almost sayujya with 'brahmn'! Lack of dualities is the real attainment. There exists no alternate, no question of 'the other', no need for attainment when there is only one, and no other. This is the ultimate truth.

  Now, Atmabodha explains how to attain to the ultimate oneness. It also explains the qualities of a realized person. There is a step-by -step rise in this effort, sadhana ,  The first requirement is the search for a Guru, an attained soul. Second step is an unswerving devotion (shraddha) and service (seva) of a guru. This service will erase the ego aspect of the mumukshu.  But, the fickle mind and the perverted intelligence still  play havoc with the jiva. Only Self-knowledge ('Atmabodha'), a journey towards the soul, the inward journey toward the Atman can solve this problem. But the problem here again is how to withdraw from the tentacles, the vasanas, past memories and the unending desires of the sense organs! Thus, the jiva gets into a whirlpool and get stuck. 

  The solution for all the ailments of the jiva is contemplation on 'brahmn', What is 'brahmn'? The state of 'turiya' may be called a transcendental meditative state where the jiva crosses the three normal states of jagrata (Awake), svapna (dream), and sushupti (deep sleep). Normally we go round and in these three states and never realize the need for the other higher states. One can reach the transcendental meditative state easily following Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's TM- a technique of yoga. Many a times we do exit for short period of time in this state of askance, otherworldly, or state of unawareness. But to be consciously unaware, or desist conscious awareness of worldly existence, is difficult. Normally people desirous of  staying in a transcendental meditative state go to forests or hills. Renunciation, vairagya, is a must for spiritual progress. However, the term 'Renunciation', vairagya, has many shades of meaning and connotations.  Generally speaking, renunciates live isolated, secluded, alone in forests and caves in hills. But, it is not necessary to leave family, society, or the home and retire to forests and hills. However difficult it might be, one can find some space and time for remaining quiet, silent, alone even amidst the family and social life. A deluded person always thinks that he/she is in bondage. But one must realize that there is Only 'ONE' and 'NO OTHER' in this Universe! The Universe is  One. Its peripheral outer circumference or its Centre, the focus is always One only. So also I AM only one and there is none beside Me! I alone exists  all the time. That is why everybody says I, I, I all the time. The words you, she it, they are all there only if I opens its eye or fixes its eye, or it focuses its attention on the other. Let's realize I, me, mine, my family, friends, or my social and governmental organizations are all there only if I think of them! If my attention is on my self, my body, my surroundings these come into my perception, attention; otherwise they just do not exist! Where are my family members, my house, bank balance or pass/cheques book and money when I am in deep sleep? Nothing exists when my body is at rest and Soul, Atman, rests in the company of its Lord, Paramatman. There is always time very early in the morning, or late in the evening, when one can sit alone and contemplate. Moreover, one can easily dwell into one's Self, 'atmabodha', contemplation on the Self, when all are asleep at night and you alone keep awake! Use whatever opportunity you get anytime to sit alone and contemplate on the Absolute Silence, mahattanta shanta.  This is the only Reality. If one can attain to it, the job is done. It is not that difficult since that is our natral satae. All else is a disturbance!

'Sanyasa'

 The term 'sanyasa' means taking to a life of renunciation. However, this renunciation has many shades of meaning and, for some, may not mean totally giving up family and social life. Even the persons who seek to live a secluded life in forests or distant hills may come to the village often and collect some essentials and return! Hence, total renunciation is a distant possibility. By the way, what do we mean by living a secluded life? Why should one give up social life and live in seclusion and for what purpose? The answer is simple and direct. Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, "I love a person who sits in solitude and think of Me". 

Ekanta', seclusion, renunciation, living in solitude, is advised for spiritual progress. The social life is full of distractions. The ten sense organs have ten thousand desires! It is impossible to fulfil all desires and ultimately satisfy oneself. The tantalizing objective worldly sensuous life will never bring peace and happiness ultimately. There remains a void, if not vacuum. Then, what is the solution?

  The learned sages have taken to sanyasa, meaning 'sum nyasa', giving up everything! Some advise taking to 'sat nyasa', the right and truthful way. Some say, total renunciation is necessary. However, it must be remembered that these are only the different steps towards attaining peace and tranquility. The secret of attaining happiness is very simple. Happiness is a state of tranquility. One should not rejoice with success or sit morose or remorse in adversities. This is a state of equanimity, samatvam. The state of equanimity is beautifully described by the Blessed Lord in the Gita. It is a state of oneness, where there is no discrimination. It is establishing oneself in a state of non-discrimination. Also, it is establishing oneself in one's own self (Atma-prajnyata). It is a state of withdrawing from 'the other'. 'sthita prajnyata. It is not exactly an averse to social and objective world, but a state of looking at it as a spectator in a drama! A spectator should enjoy the drama, but not jump on the stage to participate? What is sthitaprajnyata and who is a 'sthitaprajnya?. A person established (sthita) in self-consciousness (Atma-Prajnya) is a jnyani, muni.

  Thus, the one who is established in one's Self, atma-nishta, atma-tishta- is a 'sthitaprajnya'. Arjuna asks, Sri Krishna: kimaaseeta sthitaprajnyasya ka bhasha samadhistasya Keshava? sthita dheeh kim prabhasheta kimaaseeta vrajeta kim || The answer is simple. AtmanyevaatmanO tushta sthitaprajnyastod uchayte || sthitadheermunirucyate ! such a person will not rejoice in success, will not show any preferences, likes and dislikes, desist from ill-will, anger, jealous, and greed. This is the sign of a real sanyasi. Such a state of equanimity is difficult to attain as long as one lives in a worldly state of life with desire, greed, hunger and thirst and craving for sensuous life. Such yogins will treat all living creatures as one's own self and show kindness and respect equally.

   A saintly person seems to be on the last leg of the journey on this living Planet Earth. It is as if a journey that culminates with purification by discarding all cravings, desires for sensuous objects. A sense f repulsion arises after one realizes the fact that the sensuous objects are obnoxious. An aversion to worldly life arises and leads to resistance to craving for renunciation, and sanyasa. This paves the way for developing the renunciate life in the next birth. Hence, the present life of a recluse may be a carry over of the past life's desire for liberation, mukti from samsara..

Tranquility

 Peace and tranquility are the basis of existence. The entire universe was in a state of absolute calmness. However, everything is subject to change with time and space except the core of the substance, the Atman. te of tranquility, absolute silence, without any sign of vibration. Then came the thought waves of the supreme Lord Parabrahmn. This vibration, thought-waves, of brahmn created the sound of letters of Eko'ham bahusyam!! Lo! there appeared the paraphernalia of all that exists in the three essential qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas. In the sattva came the learned and the Gods and Goddesses. In the rajas came all the wild ones and the soft and the timid in the the tamas sate. The humans are said to be the mixture of these and vary in their behavior and attitude from morning till late night day after dai! Thus the entire universe is a combination of the three qualities that vary at different levels and stages. However, it must be noted that the core of the substance, the 'Atman' is unchanging! In fact the core of the substance is eternal, unborn and and unchanging. It is only the quality that changes. This is stated as 'guneshu gunananvartante'. It is the changing qualities that create the impression of change in the core of the substance just as the color of the hibiscus gives a color to the colorless crystal!!

  Thus, what all we see is the changing qualities, attitudes and behaviors of the embodied self, not the Self by itself! Thus, a jnyani, a learned sage sees the unborn, unchanging and the eternal Self, not the embodied. This is realization of the Self. This is the atmabodha. One should see the inner self and ignore the outer changing aspects and thereby there comes a tranquil, peaceful existence to the perturbed tormented souls. However, it is not easy, unless the jiva starts on an inward journey and seeks this 'truth'. May be, it is ones carry-over of the past, divine grace, or the blessings of the elders or a sight and touch of the guru that brings transformation. There comes a turning point in life for everyone who seeks redemption, liberation, freedom only when he or she ardently cries for freedom. 

  One must realize the true nature of the Self and the place and state of existence in order to clamor and beg for redemption. The Blessed benevolent Lord will send some one to take by hand and lead and thus the way is cleared for liberation. This sort of craving for liberation does not come as long as one is reveling in the sensuous world. It comes when the person realizes that he is in a transitional world and needs a way out. The realized souls know this living planet earth is a death-knell and everything deteriorates and perishes over time. Hence, the seeker should get out of this grip of maya, illusion of sensuous life and workout for liberation, mukti, moksha.

 It is not difficult to attain to the highest state, the param padam, Because the true nature of the soul is eternal tranquility, peace, jy and happiness. It is the embodiment in an elemental body that torments the jiva due to its tentacles of desires,dreams and ambitions. Desire is the oot cause of all.

The Tentacles

 The entire universe rejoice in the sensual life due to the invisible strings that are attached to the senses like the tentacles spread far and wide to grasp the objects of desire. These tentacles are o fine, siky but strong like steel, that it is very difficult to get out of its money grip! The ten senses have ten thousand desires that can never be fulfilled. Still, the humans crave for the fulfilment of these desires knowing fullwell that this objective world is illusory! It is said that "Man is born in ignorance and lives and dies in ignorance". The moment realization dawns on this miserable creature, run by the whims and fancies, desires of the fickle mind governed by the perverted intelligence  as  driven by the ego  it is liberated!  But who wants liberation? Who cares? Moreover, the external spatio-temporal moving scenes of men and matter are tantalizing! The attitude of a well-fed rich person is different from a starving poor fellow. The rich and the blessed ones reveling in good food and drinks will never think of the poor and the starving! This is the way the world is run by the Lord. Each one has to experience, reap what is sown, and spend the prarabhda karma?

   Thus, the illusory objective world on the one hand and the miserable creatures running after it, driven by hunger, thirst, and desire suffer. The misery of the creatures is mainly due to the desire for the attainment of the impossible. Some aspire for liberation, mukti, moksha without knowing what these concepts are! Many a learned sages have advised the miserable ones how to get rid of ignorance and live a life of joy and happiness. In fact, there is no need for search for this joy and happiness that is an inherent nature, svabhva, of the humans. It is due to ignorance that these people suffer and the sufferings is of their own creation!

   As the sages have put it, "The true nature of existence is sat - chit - ananda.: When this is the case, where is the need for a search? One should withdraw from the out-going senses, stop the unnecessary indulgences in the sensual objects and relax. It is this relaxed way of life that brings peace and happiness,

  Meditation, yogic trance, samadhi sthiti, is a beautiful technique to realize true happiness. Practice of yogic trance a few minutes on a daily basis will do the magic. The tentacles are dissolved in the absolute reality of the state of brahmn.