Philospophical perspectives-II

I wrote in Philosophical perspectives-I as to why Hinduism asks its practioners not to fritter away their lives by going after temporal pleasures.This has been the foundation on which Hinduism has been built.There might be a thousand branches today,but the tree remains the same.Another important thing to be noted is that practicing such an attitude of non-attachment helps us in coming to terms with the vagaries of life.

This is what is known as vairagyam in Sanskrit.Literally put, Vairagya is the "drying up of passions".This "drying up of passions" always happens in our lives.What is the object of pleasure today becomes the object of pain tomorrow.Every thing in Earth has only a relative value,depending on time,place and situation.The AC might give pleasure during the summer season,but during winter the same AC is not required.

Thus,we see that happiness does not lie in external objects.Happiness is a state of the mind.The minds projects certain things as the sources of happiness and sadness.If one were to tune the mind to remain calm and composed and take things in his stride as they come along,it helps a lot in dealing with everyday struggles.A solution can be found only when the mind is calm and composed.Thus we see that non-attachment helps us even in our mundane levels of existence.In the Ramayana,during the battle between Rama and Ravana,Indrajit binds Lakshmana with the naagastra. 

Rama is unable to bear the sight of Lakshmana in that state and he thinks Lakshmana is no more.Then he exclaims,"Of what use to me is the recovery of Seetha or even life itself, since my brother now lying, before my eyes, has been struck down in thh fight?It can be possible, if I were to look for her, to find a consort equal to Seetha in this world of mortals but not a brother, a friend and a comrade in a hostile war, such as Lakshmana!If Lakshmana returned to the five elements, he the increaser of Sumitra's joy, I will yield up my life-breaths while the monkeys stand looking on.What shall I say to my mother, Kausalya or to Kaikeyi? How can I talk to my mother Sumitra, sighing for the sight of her son?Woe unto me to my wicked deed and to my lack of nobility. Through my fault, Lakshmana has fallen and lies indeed on a bed of arrows as on who has yielded up his life!I shall follow him to the region of Yama, as that illustrious warrior accompanied me when I retired to the forest."

At this moment when everybody is struck with grief,it is the monkey-king Sugreeva who gives direction to the army and looks at things dispassionately.He asks Sushena,the doctor among the monkeys,to treat Rama and Lakshman and says that he himself will win over Ravana,rescue Sita from Ravana and crown Rama as the king of Ayodhya.Hearing the words of Sugreeva,all the monkeys regain composure and think about the further course of action.

Thus we see how important it is to remain non attached even for the worldly state of affairs.

But the scriptures advocate dispassion as a means of attaining permanent bliss.The scriptures elevate man from his grosser levels of experience to higher and higher levels of consciousness.And the first step in this direction is to broaden one's outlook.

The Vairagya Satakam is a book,written by Bhartrhari.Bhartrhari was born in a royal family,but later renounced worldly pleasures to become a Yogi.In the book,he beautifully explains the importance of vairagya.

In one particular verse,he explains as how how we undergo all troubles just for the sake of filling our stomachs while the yogis undergo the same troubles to reach the feet of Siva(God).

"We have forgiven,but not out of forgiveness(but out of our incapacity to right our wrongs);we have renounced the comforts of home life,but not out of contentment after satisfaction(but as exile from home in the quest of riches);though we have suffered inclemencies of weather,cold and heat,still it is not religious austerities that we have undergone;with subdued vital forces,night and day have we brooded on money and not on the feet of Siva;thus we have performed those very acts which the recluses do perform,but of their good effects,we have deprived ourselves".

Again,the point is not to deprive oneself of pleasure but to move onto lasting peace and bliss.It has always bewildered saintly recluses as to how people go madly in search of pleasure,seeking it outside,while happiness lies in the mind,not in external objects.

This is why Kulasekara Alwar proclaimed,

"மெய்யில் வாழ்க்கையை மேயெனை கொள்ளும் 

வையம் தன்னோடு கூடுவதில்லை யாம் "

("Am not going to mix with this world which takes the unreal world to be real")

The world is said to be unreal because of its temporal and ever changing nature.Even a little introspection will reveal this to us.But the sad thing is that we never introspect.

Bhartrhari puts across this point in the 8th stanza of the Vairagya Satakam,

"The face has been attacked with wrinkles,the head has been painted white with grey hair,the limbs are all enfeebles;but desire alone is rejuvenating".

In yet another verse he laments,

"Old age looms ahead,frightening men like a tigress;different diseases afflicting the human body like enemies;life is flowing away like water running out of a leaky vessel;still,how wonderful,that man goes on doing,wicked deeds!"

Am reminded of a verse my mother often repeats at home,

"Yuvvanam dhanasampathihi prabuthvum avivekitha

ekaikamapi anarthaaya kimu yathra chathustayam?"

"Youth,wealth,fame and ignorance-even one among these four are enough to bring down a man.What then to speak of a man who has all four detestable virtues?"

So,is it wrong to be rich,as far as Hinduism is concerned.What about those people who are tied to their families,due to social compulsions?And is non attachment just a euphemism for narrow mindedness?

Let us try to answer these questions in the forth coming posts................

(To be continued................) 

Philosophical perspectives-I

Hinduism is one of the most complex religions the world has ever seen.There are so many dogmas,belief systems and cults that one is often left confused as to whether Hinduism has a strong foundation or not.Some western historians conveniently come to the conclusion that Hinduism is nothing but an assimilation of assorted faiths.The Hindu on the street is often confused as to "which God is the most powerful one" and hops on from one faith system to another,thus making himself vulnerable to nefarious elements.

Such confusion is basically due to ignorance.Due to the lack of the understanding that every religion is based on philosophy.Its philosophy which determines how a religion looks at the world,its being and formulates rules and regulations regarding the conduct of the adherents of a particular faith.

I still remember what i read in Class VIII in zoology.
The zoology text book asked,

 "What is life?"

It went on to add that it was difficult to define life and so they chose the easier option of studying life,rather than enquiring about the meaning of life.

That was probably the first time i had come across the question.I was to come across the same question several times from then on.While am unsure as to whether anybody has ever found out the exact answer,i think it would be worth while to approach the question from the Hindu perspective as it is the Hindu who seems the most confused person on Earth today,without an identity or proper guidance. 

It doesn't need a philosopher to tell us that whatever action we perform in our lives,the goal is happiness.This applies to every being on Earth,from the tiny ant to the gigantic elephant.It is that desire for happiness that drives every being into action.

Now,why is it that that all living being crave for happiness?What makes them shun the other state of mind-sadness.After all,happiness and sadness are two states of mind.Why is it that one state is always shunned and that the other is always preferred,at all points of time in our lives???

Common sense makes us answer,"It our nature to be so".

Philosophy doesn't stop at this.The next question is,

"WHY is it our nature to be so???"

This question is the foundation on which Hindu philosophy is built.............

The Hindu scriptures themselves endeavor to give us an answer to this question.

The answer given by the scriptures is that all living beings have evolved from bliss.Just as how a calf separated from the cow always struggles against the binds of the ropes to reach the mother cow,in the same way all living beings go in search of the source from which they have all evolved.

Birds fly.Deer run.Snakes crawl.Hyenas laugh........All in search of one goal-happiness----in other words,the source from which they've all been derived.They may or may not know that they're running in search of the source from which they've been derived from.Still,they run more and more.

Though they have the feeling to reach the source from which they have evolved from,they are blinded by ignorance and don't know the way to reach that source.Still they run.And they continue to run............

This ignorance makes them run after pleasure and happiness,instead of bliss.The big danger in running after pleasure and happiness is that they are not permanent.Every joy which we experience in this world of ours is temporal and fleeting.

From the simplest of joys to the most animal pleasures,every thing is fleeting.

The sweet tastes good only until it is digested.Once that sweet is digested,we want another.Then another and another.

The scriptures proclaim that such pleasures are worthless,as they are temporary.And there's no means of being satisfied as long as we run after such temporal pleasures.

The aim of the scriptures is to show man the way to that bliss which is permanent.As long as joy is temporary,it will only end in dissatisfaction.This is why the scriptures ask us to root out desire.It is not as if the ancient sages wanted us to be deprived of our temporal pleasures.They wanted to show us the way to ever lasting bliss.....

Thiru moolar,a  tamil saint proclaims in the thiru manthiram,
 "ஆசை அறுமின் ஆசை அறுமின் "
("Root out desire.Root out desire")
We are asked to root out desires for the simple reason that we will crave for pleasure only when there is desire.The sages who leave all worldly desires and go in search of some lonely secluded spot don't do so as they are disgusted with the world.They do so as they are desirous of a greater happiness,and ever lasting bliss.And it is those sages who guide mankind towards a peaceful and joyous living.

What is the path shown by the sages?
What is that bliss which has been merely written upon in this post?
What is the message of the scriptures?
Is the Hindu religion merely for those who want to live a spiritual life or does it have some thing for everyone?

These are of course,difficult questions which require in depth analysis.I hope we shall be able to answer these questions as well as those that which might crop up in the future as we move along this new series,inspite of my rather shoddy knowledge and lunatic tendencies.Comments and criticisms are always welcome.

(To be continued)...........