[Advaita-l] Nidhidyaasana

[Venkatraghavan S]

drive him = drive home.

On Thu, Feb 16, 2017 at 4:30 PM, Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com>
wrote:

> There is a reference to three kinds of adhikAris in mANDUkya kArika 3.16:
>
> आश्रमास्त्रिविधा हीनमध्यमोत्कृष्टदृष्टयः ।
>
> उपासनोपदिष्टेयं तदर्थमनुकम्पया ॥ १६ ॥
>
> This kArika occurs right after 3.15 (no surprises there):
> मृल्लोहविस्फुलिङ्गाद्यैः सृष्टिर्या चोदितान्यथा ।
>
> उपायः सोऽवताराय नास्ति भेदः कथञ्चन ॥ १५ ॥
>
> In 3.15,  Gaudapada says that shruti only provisionally teaches creation
> through the mrit, loha, vishphullinga (clay, iron, sparks from fire)
> examples. The tAtparya of shruti is not creation - it is only an upAya to
> drive him the message (sovatAraya) of Brahman, from which there is no
> actual creation. Once Brahman is understood for what it is, one should drop
> the notion of creation too. The question that arises here is, why teach
> creation in the first place, if it is to be dropped later?
>
> This is where 3.16 comes in  - because there are students of different
> calibre - superior, middling, weak. Out of compassion for the latter two
> categories of students, upAsana and karma have been prescribed by shruti.
> How does creation help in this regard? Because creation presupposes a
> creator, and it is for the pleasure of this this creator (parameshvara /
> nArAyaNa prItyartham) that shruti directs all upAsana and karma to be
> performed. Once hIna and madhyama adhikAris have done sufficient nishkAma
> karma/upAsana, they will attain the mental maturity to understand Brahman's
> true svarUpa, and drop all the provisional tools such as karma, upAsana,
> srishTi and Ishvara that helped them get there.
>
> Regards,
>
> Venkatraghavan
>
> On Thu, Feb 16, 2017 at 4:03 PM, Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Are there any other references to uttama,madhyama, adhama adhikaris with
>> respect to sravana etc. from Sanskrit texts written by our Acharys, be it
>> in Bhashyas, Tikas, or Vartikas, or even Prakarana Granthas?
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 2:00 PM, Nithin Sridhar <sridhar.nithin at gmail.com
>> >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Thank you very much Chandramouli ji.
>> >
>> > On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 1:32 PM, H S Chandramouli <
>> > hschandramouli at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Namaste Sri Nitin Ji,
>> >>
>> >> You can refer to Vichara Sagara of Sadhu Nishchala Das in hindi which
>> has
>> >> a sanskrit commentary by Swami Vasudeva Brahmendra Saraswati. This is
>> >> available for download from the Web. In the beginning of the fourth
>> >> chapter,lakshana of a Uttama Adhikari is mentioned, and in the
>> beginning of
>> >> the fifth chapter, lakshana of a Madhyama Adhikari is given. I think
>> >> lakshana of Adhama Adhikari is in the sixth chapter.
>> >>
>> >> Regards
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 8:43 AM, Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l <
>> >> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Can the learned members share references from Upanishads or works of
>> any
>> >>> of
>> >>> the Acharyas about Uttama, Madhyama and Adhama adhikaris with respect
>> to
>> >>> sravana etc. ?
>> >>>
>> >>> Regards,
>> >>> Nithin
>> >>>
>> >>> On Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 8:19 AM, kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <
>> >>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> > PraNams to all
>> >>> > I had posted this before couple of years back discussing the
>> obstacles
>> >>> for
>> >>> > Self - Realization. I am posting it again for those who are
>> interested.
>> >>> > -----------------------------------Obstacles for Self-Realization
>> -7.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  We are discussing about the madhyama adhikaari, who has sufficient
>> >>> > four-fold qualifications, saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti, to have
>> clear
>> >>> > understanding of Vedanta, but not sufficient enough to have the
>> jnaana
>> >>> > phalam or the fruits of the knowledge. Most of us fall into this
>> >>> category.
>> >>> > Thus he has jnaanam but not jnaana phalam to be a jiivan mukta. The
>> >>> mind is
>> >>> > still habitually entangled in the changing diversities of the world.
>> >>> ‘To
>> >>> > change continuously’ is the nature of the world. To expect the
>> changing
>> >>> > world to remain conducive all the time to ones likes and dislikes is
>> >>> > inherently faulty. Not to be affected by the changing world
>> requires a
>> >>> > disciplined frame of mind that can witness the events happening in
>> the
>> >>> > world objectively, without emotions getting on the way. Even though
>> >>> jnaani
>> >>> > understands he is pure existence-consciousness-limitless, due to
>> >>> > lingering vaasanaas or habitual notions due to praarabda, emotional
>> >>> > transformation of the mind is incomplete. In effect, the emotional
>> mind
>> >>> > does not abide in the knowledge of the intellect or the habitual
>> >>> notions
>> >>> > come in between the mind and the intellect. For such a person only
>> >>> > nidhidhyaasana is prescribed by Vedanta. Hence nidhidhyaasana is not
>> >>> for
>> >>> > gaining any new knowledge but for making the emotional mind to abide
>> >>> in the
>> >>> > knowledge that has already been gained through shravana and manana.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  Nidhidhyaasana is not for manda adhikaari. For manda adhikaari who
>> has
>> >>> > saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti at the lowest level, karma and
>> upaasana
>> >>> yoga
>> >>> > are prescribed. Nidhidhyaasana is not needed for uttama adhikaari
>> >>> since he
>> >>> > gets both jnaana and jnaana phalam by shravana and manana, since his
>> >>> mind
>> >>> > has already been purified by saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti. Hence
>> >>> > Nidhidhyaasana is required for madhyama adhikaari who has half-baked
>> >>> with
>> >>> > four-fold qualifications. He gains the knowledge but not the fruits
>> of
>> >>> > knowledge due to lingering vaasanaas. How do I know that I have
>> >>> jnaanam but
>> >>> > not jnaana nishTa. After the study of Vedanta under a competent
>> >>> teacher and
>> >>> > understood the essence of Vedanta without an iota of doubt then I
>> have
>> >>> > learned what needs to be learned. In principle, that is all what is
>> >>> needed.
>> >>> > However for many of us, the mind seems to get agitated whenever we
>> are
>> >>> > transacting with the world. This is due to emotional involvement
>> with
>> >>> the
>> >>> > world due to attachments to things and people. This implies that the
>> >>> > saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti needed is incomplete. Hence
>> >>> nidhidhyaasana is
>> >>> > prescribed by the scriptures to internalize the learning that has
>> >>> already
>> >>> > been taken place. It is like current switch is on and the bulb is in
>> >>> good
>> >>> > condition, but still no light is coming. The brighter and brighter
>> >>> light
>> >>> > will start beaming forth as one starts rotating the rheostat switch
>> >>> slowly.
>> >>> > Thus knowledge is there but for it to express in all its glory, the
>> >>> > obstructive emotional attachments or raaga dveshas have to be
>> reduced
>> >>> > further.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  What is to be done in Nidhidhyaasana: Nidhidhyaasana is defined as
>> >>> > dwelling upon the teaching that has been gained via shravana and
>> >>> manana, by
>> >>> > remaining in the teaching, as often as possible, as intensely as
>> >>> possible,
>> >>> > as long as possible, as repeatedly as possible. It is essentially
>> >>> living in
>> >>> > the teaching itself. This dwelling on the teaching can be done by
>> >>> selecting
>> >>> > any or all of the methods listed here. These include: 1. Repeated
>> >>> listening
>> >>> > to scriptures – shravana – mind to dwell on the teachings. 2.
>> Repeated
>> >>> > reading of the Shaastras or reading the notes prepared. 3. Repeated
>> >>> > writing, while the mind dwells upon the teaching 4. Discussions of
>> the
>> >>> > Shaastras with those who have shraddhaa on the teaching
>> >>> (advaita-list-serve
>> >>> > comes in handy in this regard) 5. Teaching of the Shaastras to
>> others,
>> >>> if
>> >>> > one can manage to get some one to listen to. 6. Contemplating on the
>> >>> > teaching in a secluded place (essentially meditation on the
>> teaching).
>> >>> In
>> >>> > all these saadhanas, mind is essentially dwelling on the Vedanta
>> >>> teaching.
>> >>> > Since the teaching is centered on the self-itself as Brahman or the
>> >>> > totality, whatever is not aatma (which then is anaatma) is slowly
>> >>> reduced
>> >>> > to mithyaa that includes the likes and dislikes.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  In the nidhidhyaasana, the physical posture is of secondary
>> >>> consideration
>> >>> > as it is predominately a mano vRitti, i.e., a contemplation using
>> the
>> >>> mind.
>> >>> > Therefore mind should be awake and available without getting high
>> >>> jacked by
>> >>> > any other thought. Any physical posture that keeps the mind
>> conducive
>> >>> for
>> >>> > contemplation on the teaching without falling asleep is the right
>> >>> posture.
>> >>> > In essence, the posture should be such that mind should not be
>> >>> dwelling on
>> >>> > the posture or become conscious of it during contemplation. In this
>> >>> regard,
>> >>> > one can also employ aShTaanga yoga meditation stages to keep the
>> mind
>> >>> alert
>> >>> > and contemplative. Shankara discusses the application of the
>> ashTanga
>> >>> yoga
>> >>> > steps for self knowledge in his aparokshaanubhuti text. Here chitta
>> >>> nirodha
>> >>> > involves only withdrawing the mind from the extroverted pursuits and
>> >>> > investing in the teaching of mahaavaakya gained through Shravana and
>> >>> manana
>> >>> > or enquiry of the nature of the self.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  Therefore, nidhidhyaasana is not silencing the mind, but involves
>> >>> mental
>> >>> > inquiry or vichaara on the essence of the advaitic teaching –
>> Brahman
>> >>> > satyam- jagat mithyaa and jiivaH bhramaa eva na aparaH, Brahman
>> alone
>> >>> is
>> >>> > real and the world is just apparent projection on Brahman and jiiva
>> is
>> >>> none
>> >>> > other than Brahman. To abide in this understanding, any or all of
>> the
>> >>> above
>> >>> > methods can be practiced at the seat of meditation. One can even
>> >>> meditate
>> >>> > on anaatma that is a worldly object with name and form to see the
>> truth
>> >>> > behind that object. When I meditate on anaatma, I have to see the
>> >>> mithyaa
>> >>> > aspect of the name and form and shift my attention to the Brahman or
>> >>> pure
>> >>> > existence as the reality that lends existence to the object.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  The next question is how one should meditate? Bhagavaan Ramana
>> gives
>> >>> > illustrative examples. He says in Upadeshasaara- aajyadhaarayaa
>> >>> srotasaa
>> >>> > samam, sarala chintanam virala tatparam. He says the contemplation
>> >>> should
>> >>> > be – like a flow of ghee or flow of river. The ghee example is to
>> >>> > illustrate sneha bhaava or love for the goal, just as ghee sticks to
>> >>> the
>> >>> > fingers, the mind has to stick to the goal. The river example is
>> given
>> >>> to
>> >>> > emphasize the persistence to reach the goal, in spite of small or
>> large
>> >>> > obstacles that invariably come on the way. For small obstacles the
>> >>> river
>> >>> > joyfully jumps over with gurgling joyful noise, and for large
>> >>> obstacles she
>> >>> > gracefully goes around, even taking few steps backward, without
>> loosing
>> >>> > sight of the ultimate goal to reach, namely, the ocean where its
>> >>> identity
>> >>> > with name and form gets dissolved. The mind should be constantly
>> >>> dwelling
>> >>> > in the understanding of the truth, in spite of any incidental
>> obstacles
>> >>> > that arise. Hence Bhagavaan Ramana says it should be continuous
>> flow of
>> >>> > thoughts (sarala chintanam) rather than with starts and stops
>> (virala
>> >>> > chintanam). Initially it will be of the later type but as the mind
>> gets
>> >>> > absorbed more and more it becomes continuous flow of thoughts.
>> Abhyaasa
>> >>> > (constant practice) and vairaagya (withdrawal from attachments) that
>> >>> Shree
>> >>> > Krishna emphasizes again and again are the essential ingredients -
>> >>> > abhyaasenatu kounteya vairaagyena ca gRihyate.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >  To be continued
>> >>> > _______________________________________________
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>> >>> >
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>> >>> >
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> --
>> >>> Nithin S
>> >>> _______________________________________________
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>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Nithin S
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Nithin S
>> _______________________________________________
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