Values and conflicts - Part III

Excerpts from the lecture series by Swami Pratyagbodhananda from Arsha Vidya Gurukulam on "Values and Conflicts", compiled by my friend.

Read Part I, Part II

A sannyasi's vow is that any being need not be afraid of him - "abhayam sarvabhUtEbhyO datvA". Do not judge yourself based on the results. The pain born out of judgement of oneself is very deep and does not go away easily. Therefore, this too is a form of violence and should not be perpetrated.

Vegetarianism is also a consequence of following ahimsA. This is the only only alternative in which least amount of damage is done to the food and the surrounding environment. According to the Veda, food that humans eat is always vegetarian. It is the right choice borne out of our free will.
"Don't get angry" is not a proper advice and in fact it is useless to state such things without providing the means to not get angry. If I have the will to not get angry, then I would not have gotten angry in the first place saving myself a sermon on "Don't get angry". It is a reaction that happens. Action can be done out of will and reaction, most of the time, happens.

There is also a popular advice that we "have to get our anger out of our system". Is it appropriate to get the anger out of our system by punching the nose of the other guy. Surely anger has to be let out of our system but only appropriately. Anger built up over time leads to frustration which leads to hatred and eventually results in violence.

Everyone should make a deal at their homes. WHENEVER YOU SENSE THAT YOU MIGHT GET ANGRY, LEAVE THE ROOM. It is important to note that even at a slight hint of anger, one should leave the room right away because once you get gripped by anger you would not have the presence of mind to leave the room. In Ramayana, there is a place called Kopa Bhavanam, where people would go when they are angry. Kaikeyi was in that bhavanam when Dasaratha went there and we all know how Rama was sent to the forests. So the moral of the story is that not only should we leave the room when we are angry, we should also avoid people when they are angry as absurd things can happen in such a state of mind.

KshAntihi is allowing the other person to come of their anger. That is we accomodate. A person who has committed a mistake does not need condemnation but acceptance. Note that accepting a mistake is different from approving a mistake.

When we feel helpless we should recognize that we are helpless first, only then help is possible. This is possible only when I accept myself and the people around me in the most objective way. We cannot help someone who is helpless but does not recognize nor accept that he is helpless. Instead of trying to change that person, our help to that person should be to just pray for him/her. But we should not condemn such persons.

Intelligent living is seeking help when needed. Seek help to get rid of the limitations. No human being need to feel helpless once he accepts that he needs help. Act out. Every one of us can be a saint if we practice kshAntihi - accomodation.

The next value is Arjavam - straightforwardness. Alignment of thought, words, and actions. A person is together when he says what he thinks and when he does what he says. When we make a promise, we should keep it at any cost. Otherwise, we should not make any promises. "Maunam sarva artha sAdhakam" - Many things can be accomplished by being silent. A mind riddled with conflicts or guilt cannot enjoy anything. We should be more attentive to what our enemies say because they are always scrutinising to find faults in us. We should be thankful to them since they point out traits that we might not know we have. Accept them and even thank them.

Next one is AchAryOpAsanam - serving the teacher. "AchinOti shAstrArtham svayam Acharati parAn AchratIti tat AchAryaha" - an AchArya is one who know the meaning of the shastras and one who himself follows the shastras and unfolds them for the disciples to follow. (chIchinoti means plucking leaves and chai comes from this sanskrit root). Serving the teacher may not be literal, it is an attitude to help continue the tradition of teaching.
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Values and conflicts - Part II

Excerpts from the lecture series by Swami Pratyagbodhananda from Arsha Vidya Gurukulam on "Values and Conflicts", compiled by my friend.

Read Part I

The Gita mainly talks about Atma vidyA, pUrNa vidyA, and parA vidyA, all meaning the same thing. AtmA has many definitions two of which are - yachcha ApnOti (that which pervades everything) and yat Adatte (that unto whom the whole creation is withdrawn).

There are two types of gains: 1. that which is not yet accomplished by proper means. In this type, action is required to accomplish a gain. "prAptasya prAptihi" - getting what is not with me through action. The means or modes of action for such accomplishment are Apyam (reach), utpAdyam (produce), vikAryam (clean up), and samskAryam (a change or transformation). No 5th mode of action is possible to accomplish anything in this world.
The second type of gain is the "accomplishment" of something that is already accomplished. No action will help accomplishing what is already accomplished. In this type of gain, action will not help as in the previous type, but only knowledge can help us realize that we already have accomplished what we think we have to accomplish. A cognitive change facilitated by knowledge is required in this type of gain.

In deep sleep (as compared to the waking and dream states), one is without any dimensions. "na antO vidyatE yasya sa anantaha"- one is almost infinite because one is not, by definition, in cognisance of the limitations that arise due to space and time. We do not realize our name, form, or age in deep sleep. This shows that a state of limitlessness is a possibility.

Knowledge is the means to realize knowledge as an end. Means is the end. Self ignorance can be removed only through self knowledge. There is no positive definition to darkness. It is only defined as the absence of light. And to remove darkness, we just have to bring light. Similarly,
there is no positive definition of ignorance, we just have to bring knowledge to remove ignorance.

In order to remove this ignorance, we need a qualification. Just as you would need a qualification to do any small thing in this world, we need a qualification to get rid of this mahA mAya (great ignorance). adhikRitasya adhikAraha - you need a qualification to get a qualification. Just as you
need to pass the 1st grade to get a degree, and get a degree to get a doctoral .... you need a qualification to get a qualification. As you can see, there is no finality in this cycle of qualifications. In this respect, a qualified guru who has prior knowledge of the thing to be known has to guide you and unfold the teaching to let you have a "learning mind".

A "learning mind" has to be focussed, free from fear, should have trust that the knowledge will enlighten you - all these values are needed to create a true learning mind. The more informed we are, it is a fact that the better our quality of life will be. We cannot plead ignorance in a court of law, we got to know certain things as citizens. Similarly, as humans (presumably thinking), we got to have knowledge.

One should always remain happy with oneself without any crutches. Such a mind produces classic works such as our vedic rishis who produced the Vedas. The Gita gives a set of values that lets us be happy with ourselves. We have to recognize that each person has a ray of glory which makes us happy with others around us.

Now the second trait that Bhagavan Krishna mentions in the Gita (13.7) is adambhitvam. dambhitvam means "svadharma prakatikaraNam" - putting up a show as though one has the qualifications. Without hypocrisy, one can easily see that one can be very happy with oneself.

The third trait is ahimsA - "ahimsanam prANinAm apIDanam" - not hurting any living being. Dveshah (hatred) and krodhah (anger) leads to violence in words or actions. Being judgemental towards oneself is the highest form of violence. Gita helps us get rid of the guilt that results in being judgemental about ourselves. Even if we say that somebody is always judgemental is being judgemental. So we have to recognize only the good in others which lets others recognize the good in themselves. By repeating an assertion (perhaps a "bad" quality in others), we only reinforce that judgement and make them even more "bad".

Practicing ahimsA leads one to the next trait that Bhagavan talks about which is kshAntihi - accomodation. We should help the person who has become angry with us to grow out of that anger by being accomodative of that feeling and responding to the person behind the behaviour and not to the behavior.
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Values and conflicts - Part I

Excerpts from the lecture series by Swami Pratyagbodhananda from Arsha Vidya Gurukulam on "Values and Conflicts", compiled by my friend.

Paraphrasing Swamiji...

Every human has a perception of their own self. For a rare (and I should say lucky!) few, that perception of oneself is acceptable to themselves. While for the vast majority their own perception of themselves is usually unacceptable most of the time and only acceptable "now and then". This "now and then" acceptable moments come when we feel completely satisfied with something and do not require anything else at that moment to be more happier (perhaps when one enjoys any sensory pleasures or, even subtler, when one watches one's kids achieve something).

If we observe a copper vessel that is oxidized lost all over and lost its color except for one little spot which still retains the purity copper, we immediately recognize that vessel as made of copper. As soon as we remove the oxidized dullness, copper shines through. As we discussed earlier, EVERY human has a feeling of completeness (i.e., being acceptable as we are and not wanting anything else) "now and then" which, similar to the pure spot on a copper vessel, indicates that such a state of complete acceptance of oneself and being at peace within onself might be the real state of us only if we remove the dullness of other feelings of unacceptance.

Many people might advise you to "forget about it". But those same people may not realize nor practice "forgetting about it" since forgetting is just not possible. Forgetting out of volition is not possible as an action that is remembered and in the memory has to be removed. Instead of attempting to "forget about it", one may find it easier to bring about a cognitive change in oneself to free oneself from the past or memories. Moksha (meaning liberation/release) is not possible unless one has released oneself from the past.

Why should we suppress all the emotions (anger, sorrow, worry, happiness). Sometimes when something sad happens, our mind is sad is a fact but concluding that I am sad is erroneous. Similarly, the mind may go through all the emotions but concluding that I am going through is erroneous. (For ex, Amitabh Bachhan may play the role of a beggar and perform very well. What would happen if he begs even after the shooting. He would have to realize that Amitabh is not a beggar but the beggar is Amitabh similarly when our mind goes through sorrow it would be erroneous to conclude that we are sorrowful). We should consider that all the emotions are given to us to enjoy just as a stage actor enjoys playing different roles on the stage. Mind is Awareness and Awareness is not Mind.

Many good individuals can have problems in relationships. In isolation they are good individuals but in a relationship they can be otherwise. The reason is very simple; the mind is usually reacting in a relationship and not learning. The whole point of the Gita is to help us to get a "learning mind". Self knowledge is parA vidya - paramAtaka vidyA sA parA vidyA. If the mind is in a state of "learning mind" all the time, it can even learn parA vidyA.

Knowledge is the most fundamental attribute one must have. Having wealth without knowledge is useless (anarthAya kalpate). Rama and Krishna are examples of highly knowledgeable, and therefore, highly sophisticated people. Rama's actions are a bit easier to understand but Krishna's avatara is even more sophisticated and it takes a highly knowledgeable person to understand His actions.

One should be a yuktaha - a mature person. A yuktaha gauges any situation and does what is supposed to be done in that situation (i.e., he/she does not panic or be given to an emotional response). The Gita says that Krishna bhagavan smiles when Arjuna despairs that he would not fight on the battlefield. This is a management crisis of the highest order. Bhagavan has assumed the role of a charioteer and is all set to establish Dharma and here we have Arjuna throwing away his weapons just before it starts. Bhagavan reacts in a mature fashion to that crisis by smiling and of course convincing Arjuna to fight.

We all know some values such as speak truth, don't steal etc. But then there will always be conflicts when values are without any context and made into ideals. What you have a high regard for - that is a value. Values have to be assimilated. One should always speak the truth is a value but it should be qualified and we should state that one cannot always "speak out" the truth. All we say should be true and all that is true need not be said.

In the Gita, there are a few values which we will be going over the next 3 lectures. The first one is:

amAnitvam - mAnaha tat abhAvaha tasya bhAvaha amAnitvam Demanding respect is mAnam. amAnitvam does not mean "Do not demand respect". It only means accepting whether people respect or not, rather being indifferent to whether we are respected or not.

We will go through the other qualities aDhambhitvam, ahimsa, kshAnti etc in the coming lectures ...

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