‘Samsara’ is defined as a constantly repeated occurring in our mind a sense of helplessness of various degrees. Helplessness will lead to anger and anger will lead to frustration and frustration will lead to depression. When this happens repeatedly, our attitude to life changes. We look upon life as a liability or a burden. This negative attitude towards life and constantly praying to God that we should never be born again will come in our mind. If we look upon life as a wonderful thing why should we pray to God? This whole package is called “Samsara”. Self knowledge will remove our negative attitude towards life. We will look life as a blessing. All the human beings have got this Virus called Samsara. This disease is called Samsara Ragaga which is extremely difficult to cure but is not impossible.
‘Samsara’ is a disease. This problem is faced by all human beings without exception. One has to go through four stages in order to get cured from the disease of Samsara.
First of all one should discover that he is suffering from samsara. One should acknowledge this fact by himself.
Secondly one should understand that he can never solve the problem by himself. There is no home remedy for samsara problem. Therefore an understanding of the fact that he is helpless in solving the problem by himself is necessary. This discovery of helplessness is the second stage. One should make a serious decision to seek help from outside. As long as I have the ego I will never seek help from outside. Only when I am helpless will I take help from outside which is called spiritual help. (Spirit means ‘Atman’)
Thus the third stage is deciding to seek external help in the form of a Guru. Once you have seriously and desperately wanted a Guru and pray to God, you are equally helpless in identifying the right Guru. Upanishads gives an explanation. A blind person was caught in a thick forest needs the guidance of someone to help him come out of the forest. The person who helps should not be a blind person himself. How does one know whether the other person is blind or not? If I am unlucky and hold on to the other person who is also blind, then the chances of falling will increase. When he falls then I will have to fall. Therefore I have twofold helplessness. I don’t know the remedy. I don’t know the Guru who can help me. We can observe in the 2nd chapter end portion of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ Arjuna asks lord Krishna as to how to identify an enlightened person. Similarly once we come across such a guide who is hopefully ready to help me, I then go the third and 4th step.
The fourth stage is called Saranagadhi with shreddha and Bhakthi. Then sishya is taken across the ocean of samsara.
Thus we can see that Arjuna has gone through the 1st stage in the 1st Chapter of Gita. Arjuna the master gets converted to Arjuna the disciple. Krishna the Charioteer gets converted to Krishna the spiritual guide. Sanjaya is reporting the desperate condition of Arjuna in the end of the first chapter of Gita.
Arjuna is a picture of misery and conflict which is a most powerful symptom of samsara. Arjuna the most valorous and a manly man, who is never given to emotionalism etc., start shedding tears showing the intensity of samsara.
The rule for a spiritual person is to never transfer his spiritual wisdom to anyone unless he asks sincerely. Bhagavan Krishna follows this principle. Arjuna has not asked for advice and Krishna did not give advice. Krishna is saying a few words so that Arjuna will go through the other 3 stages of samsara.
In the 2nd Chapter Lord Krishna gives the solution to Arjuna. Controlling the external factor (Our peace of mind is linked to the external factor) to ensure our peace of mind. You have to delink your peace of mind from the external factor. This is tough but a practical approach. Trying to control the world is an impractical approach. We should work for emotional immunity. Freedom from emotional dependence is Moksha.
Thus the situation changes from one of battle to one of spiritual dialogue. Sanjaya reports to Dhirdarastra the developments in the battle field. Dharma is on the side of Pandavas and they win ultimately in spite of trials and tribulations that they go through.
Be blissful.
S.Sekar
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
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