(continued from Part 6) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swami Desikan describes the first stepping-stone on the way up to 'parama-padam' as being the most difficult to ascend. Everyone in the world has a problem with it. Even 'kavi-s' and 'tArkika-s' find it daunting; ordinary people find it next to impossible. "vivEkam" or spiritual wisdom i.e. the power of discrimination, the first among 9 steps, is said to be the steepest and most difficult to climb. It is difficult because it represents Man's single most grievous and biggest failing in life. It is a failing that makes him, for the most part in his lifetime, unable to differentiate between: a) what is truth ("satyam") and what is false ("anartham") b) what is good ("sat") and what is evil ("a-sat") c) what promotes spiritual progress and what retards it d) what is the real purpose ('summum-bonum') of human existence on earth and what merely appears so. Rare is the person born with innate power of discrimination --'vivEkam'. A Prahlada or Dhruva are rarities of creation. For the general mass of men true discrimination is never achieved in life. Even those who attain it to some extent are, however, unable to retain it constantly unto the end of their lives. It is this lack of "vivEkam" that is the source of endless "vikAram" (tragedies and infirmities) in Man's life. True 'vivEkam' dawns on a man the day he begins to sincerely ask himself questions like "Who am I?", "Where do I come from?" and "Where am I going?". And, more importantly, he begins to ask "Who or what is it within me that is constantly nagging me with these questions?". True "vivEkam" makes a man also realize that if Joy or 'ananda' is the true purpose of human existence, then that purpose is never going to be served by the evanescence of worldly means. There is a greater 'ananda' to be attained beyond this world. Such a Joy transcends all those of this world (survival, perpetuation, social proliferation, self-fulfillment or gratification). It transcends Time and Space. And such transcendent Bliss ('parama-anandam') is real and worthy of pursuing. Very few men in the world want to carry the conviction of such "vivEkam". Much of humanity is instead perfectly happy chasing the little pleasures of this world. They have no patience for the "Bliss that is Beyond". (In the famous words of H.G.Wells, "none of us start life as philosophers. We become philosophers sooner or later or else we die before we become philosophical. The realization of life's limitation and frustration is the beginning of the wisdom of philosophy... and of this, that "healthy mind" (of the common man)-- which otherwise takes life as it finds it and troubles no more about it, by its innate gift for incoherence and piecemeal evasion and incredulity -- never knows." ********** ************ ********** The story of the great "vivEki", the child Dhruva, is told in the Srimadh BhAgavatham. Dhruva one day saw his step-brother, little Uttama seated on the lap of their father King UttAnapAda. The King and his favorite Queen, Surichi, were both fondling the child. Dhruva, being a little child himself, also wanted to be seated on his father, UttAnapAda's lap and so went up to the King and asked for the same affection shown to his step-brother, Uttama. But Queen Surichi, Dhruva's stepmother would have nothing of it. She shoved Dhruva aside saying, "You shall have a place on neither your father's lap now nor on his throne later! Now get out!" Dhruva was thus denied the simple delight every little child in this world longs to experience. He ran away weeping to his mother, Queen Suniti. Dhruva's mother, Suniti, was a great 'vivEki' herself. She took Dhruva in her arms and consoled him saying, "Do not worry, my child! Go into the forest and begin worshipping Sriman NarAyana. He will take you upon His lap... It is the seat that will give you happiness a thousand times greater than your father's! Go my child, go seek the Love of God!". The child Dhruva took his mother's good advice and went away to the forest to perform 'tapas' ... to seek the Joy of the other world that was infinitely more rewarding than any in this world. Dhruva was a true "vivEki"... ********* *********** *********** With the dawn of "vIvEkam" comes the first few streaks of bright morning light i.e. the first few rays of spiritual knowledge. Man then slowly awakens to a dim but real awareness of the following: (a) Who am I? I am not this Body. I am Soul. ('atma-svarUpa-gnyAna') (b) This body is impermanent but this soul is eternal. (c) This soul is not mine ("na-mama"); (d) This soul is the lost property of another Great One Who is "Beyond the Yonder even" ('athyatIshTa-dashAngulam...'); ("Isvara-tattva- gnyAnam") (e) The purpose of existence on earth is to seek and realize such a Great One and restore this soul to Him, the rightful owner ('Atma-nivEdanam'/'Atma-samarpaNam'). (f) Eternal and undiminished Bliss lies in the union with the Great One ('parama-purushArtham'). In the 'parama-pada-sOpAnam' when Swami Desikan explains all the above concepts it seems all so facile and self-evident. However, if we deeply reflect on the subject we will be unable to deny to ourselves that our day-to-day lives are, indeed, in many ways hopelessly far removed from Desikan's concept of "vivEkam". On the other hand, our lives would be perfect examples of the very antithesis of the 'vEdAntAchAryA's' definition of 'vivEkam'. If we all, however, did become 'vivEki-s' as described in the 'parama-pada-sOpAnam", if we were to all become Dhruva-s in our own right, then the first "small step" taken by us would qualify to be a "giant leap for mankind". Once a man has attained 'vivEkam', he is ready to step onto the next plane on the stairway viz. "nirvEdam". (to be continued) dAsan, Sudarshan __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.com/
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