In the 2nd and 3rd
Chapters of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the importance of
doing Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga, which enables a person to
attain Moksha (Liberation).
The 3rd Chapter begins with Arjuna’s
complaint to lord Krishna. Arjuna tells the lord that his teaching was very
confusing. We should know that any form of communication is a tough job where a
teacher has to convert his thoughts into gross words. All the most it is a
tough job to convert thoughts into words on the subject of ‘Atma’ which is an
abstract one. The student (sishya) has to convert the words into his own
thoughts. A television receiving station has to reconvert the transmitted waves
into music or a movie. From the early ages Communication was always in the form
of a dialogue between a Teacher (Guru) and a pupil (Sishya). All our Upanishads
are in the form of a dialogue. What is in the mind of a guru and sishya is
tallied by means of a dialogue (through communication). This spiritual dialogue
is called Samvada.
As per lord Krishna every spiritual seeker
has to go through Karma yoga for preparing the mind. He is called a junior
seeker or a preparing seeker for preparing his mind to go through Jnana yoga. Preparing
seeker is called a junior seeker who prepares himself for Jnana yoga. After
sometime he will be ready for Jnana yoga pradhana life in which one turns
inwards enquiring about who am I. Prepared seeker is a serious seeker of Jnana
yoga who does self enquiry. Once you go through Jnana yoga, you will discover;
I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am the ‘Atma’. This discovery alone
will give liberation (spiritual enlightenment) called ‘Moksha’. Liberation
(Jeevan mukthi) is a state of mind in which I look upon human life as an asset
and a blessing and is possible even when one is alive. On the other hand
Samsara problem comes when you think that life is a liability, burden and
boring. You start having negative attitude towards life. You curse yourself all
the time and start doubting whether Bagawan is there at all.
The sequence is karma yoga>
Preparation>Jnana yoga>Enlightenment>Liberation. Vedas existed long time ago. For a spiritual seeker Vedas are like a GPS (global positioning system as in a vehicle). In the 3rd
chapter Sri Krishna tells (Arjuna) that everybody has to go through karma yoga
and Jnana yoga sequentially. A junior seeker has to become a senior seeker and
prepares him for Jnana yoga. Arjuna mistakes that these two are independent paths
towards attaining liberation. (Moksha, destination). Arjuna thought that Jnana
yoga is superior. Karma yoga is doing one’s own duty. As an escape route Arjuna
wanted to do Jnana yoga as doing karma yoga is painful. With this confusion
Arjuna starts the 3rd Chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
Spiritual purity comes by giving more and
more and taking less and less. If Gita is told backwards it sounds tagi tagi
and Thyagi (one who does not desire
about the fruits of action). We have to learn to give more and more and take
lesser than what we contribute. Krishna calls it as karma yoga nishta. We have
to contribute in the 5 fields of pancha maha yagna. Krishna calls them as yogis
or junior seekers. They are preparing their mind for Jnana yoga by following
the karma yoga way of life. I should have infrastructure set up. Karma yoga
sadana requires karma yoga nishta which is a conducive infrastructure (life
style). It involves religious activities and social activities (Vaidiga and
Logiga karmas). Vedic rituals require a man and a wife (couple). Just as an
office requires different departments Vedic rituals require a family type of
set up in which husband and wife should participate. Karma yoga requires earning (a person has to earn a lot) and Jnana yoga
requires learning. I should work and earn lot of wealth for doing karma
yoga. Infrastructure requires continuous earning and a set up.
Knowing what PORT is will help us doing our action properly.
P refers to Possession. You have to possess
something in order to give it to someone. Possession is required for doing
karma yoga. Starting point is your house.
O refers to Obligation. You have to perform your
obligatory duties to your Spouse, Children, Employees, employer etc; to the
Priest who is helping you to perform the rituals.
R refers to Relationship. You have to maintain
relationship with a lot of people like your Wife, Children, In-laws and others.
You have to know as to how to maintain the relationship. Greater the
relationship greater will be your contacts and you will be successful. You have
to have the qualities of a PRO.
T refers to Transaction. A lot of transaction is
required. I have to visit other person’s functions and also give gifts to them
as reciprocation.
An expanded
PORT is called Grihasta Ashrama. The 4 Ashramas are Bramachari, Grihasta,
Vanapresta and Sanyasa.
Karma yoga infrastructure is not conducive to
Jnana yoga. Jnana yoga requires a contemplative lifestyle. Jnana yoga
infrastructure consists of: the study of ‘Atma’ (Nithya, Sathya, Akartha,
Aboktha, Sarvagathaga, Nirvikara, and Aprameya). I will get to know the truth
about myself through Jnana yoga and it requires study. For doing Jnana yoga PORT reduction is required. Reduce the no of relationships, no of
transactions etc. PORT reduction is conducive to Jnana yoga. A reduced PORT is called Sanyasa ashrama. Jnana yoga says the whole world is in me which is
‘Brahman’. A temporary withdrawal is required from the society to assimilate
the teaching and then you can come back again to your society. ‘Atma’ is also called Nishkarma.
Learn to be alone for some time now and then.
Nobody is going to be with us all the time. Learn to be independent of them.
Otherwise the shock will be so much that you will not be able to withstand.
That requires tremendous maturity and also requires Karma yoga. Jnana yoga is
impossible without Karma yoga. Karma yoga is incomplete without Jnana yoga.
While studying the nature of Brahman mankind
has tried to grapple with the challenge of realising the Supreme Brahman since
time immemorial. The question is; knowing the difference between the eternal
truth and the unreal. It becomes a
fruitful exercise only if one has tremendous faith in one’s preceptor. Through
inference we should be able to know that Truth is eternal while the universe is
Maya also called “Maya Sakthi”. The observance of smoke leads us to infer fire’s
presence. Similarly by inference we recognize or realise consciousness that is
the cause of our existence.
Waker
jevatma
does 4 things.
1.
It
projects the dream world.
2.
Enters
the dream world.
3.
Disowns
the waker jevatma status and
4.
Claims
as Dreamer jevatma.
For a dreamer Jevatma the dream becomes a
nightmare and not a dream. In fact I should drop the wrong notion that I am the
waker Jevatma. Actually I am the Paramatma with a special power called “Maya Sakthi”. I should claim that I am
the Paramatma with “Maya sakthi” and created this world, entire universe and
the entire body mind complex. I am Brahman. I am Jagat Karanamasmi. Without the
waker the dream cannot survive. I (waker Jevatma) am the Projection of consciousness. I am the
consciousness principle. I am the Karanam. Everything else is the Karyam.
Karanam alone is appearing as karyam. I am in the form of everything.
We can take wave as an example to explain Consciousness or Brahman. When a Wave mistook it as a wave it was humble, simple and
worshipped the Ocean. ‘I am borne out of you. I will worship you’. Let us
imagine the wave to shift its vision through Vedanta. It understands that ‘I am
not a wave but I am Water’. After claiming that I am water the enlightened wave
addresses the ocean and says that there is no such thing called ocean. Ocean is
also the same thing called water. I the water alone am appearing as a wave and
also as a large ocean. There is neither a wave nor an ocean separated from the
water. Similarly Jevatma is the Bhakta and Paramathma is the Bagawan. Bagawan
and Bhakta are one and the same consciousness principle. They are the same and
one Ekathma. An enlightened Jnani
proclaims that ‘I am everything’.
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
