Vedanta Vizard

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

KARMAYOGA

KARMAYOGA

Replying to Arjuna’s question and request to tell him with certainty one path or means by which to obtain SHREYAS or MOKSHA – liberation- Bhagawan Krishna replies in the third chapter of the Bhagvadgita:

“LOKESMINDWIVIDHA NISHTHA PURA PROKTA MAYANAGHA
DNYANAYOGENA SANKHYANAM KARMAYOGENA YOGINAM”
(B.G.III/3)
“O sinless one! I have already declared two types of lifestyles for self realization. One is Dnyanayoga for the Sankhyas – renunciates. The other, Karmayoga, is for yogis – householders”.

‘Lifestyles’ is a poor substitute for Sanskrit NISHTHA which means commitment and faith. It means abiding in a life of dedication that denotes maturing- pickling or seasoning- of SADHANA (continuous reveling), i.e. extreme and permanent state of the SADHAKA-seeker- in which the SADHANA is his (her) second nature.

The word ‘Yoga’ has various meanings. Here it means method, way or means-SADHANA- whereby to reach the objective. Dnyanayogena means, by or through knowledge; Karmayogena similarly means, by or through Karma. Dnyanayoga is for sannyasi; Karmayoga is for householder. Karmayoga is a means for realization of MOKSHA -freedom- through Karma.

Karmayoga is a compound of two words: Karma and Yoga. The Sanskrit word ‘yoga’ is derived from the root ‘Yuj’ that means to join. Karmayoga, therefore, means that Karma is to be joined with something to make it a means for Moksha or freedom. As a matter of fact one is essentially free although one is not aware of it and feels oneself limited and small. One has to realize one’s essential nature through wisdom gleaned from the teachings of the Vedanta –literally, end of the Vedas. For realizing one’s freedom, Karma has to be performed with an attitude born out of understanding of the nature and results of action. We shall presently see what the required attitude is.

In Chapter II of the Bhagvadgita we find a verse:

“KARMANYEVADHIKARASTE MA PHALESHU KADACHANA
MA KARMAPHALAHETURBHUH MA TE SAGOSTWAKARMANI”
(B.G. II/47)

This oft quoted verse is generally translated thus;

“You have right only to action, never to the result thereof. Do not be the cause of the result of action; do not be attached to inaction”.

Though widely quoted this verse of the Bhagvadgita is probably the most misinterpreted and misunderstood verse. The half baked management gurus raise their hackles at the first line itself. They argue “How could one be indifferent to the results of action? Achievement of the end result of action is the very motivation for man to be spurred to action. Action is always goal oriented. If there is no goal (result of action) in front of me I have no reason to perform action”. Arguing Thus they pooh pooh the verse as something impractical.

On a deeper thinking, however, the verse reveals a profound teaching that is a blue print for success both at mundane and spiritual levels.

It must be noted that this is a teaching imparted by Sri Krishna to Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra just as the two warring armies of Pandavas and Kauravas were poised facing each other eye to eye rearing to go. Sri Krishna was not a jester and anyway it was too serious an event for jest. Nor was Sri Krishna or Arjuna an idiot for either to offer or receive worthless, impractical advice. It is commonplace knowledge that even a subnormal person is not spurred to action without a purpose. What then does the verse really mean to convey?

One word that needs to be understood clearly in this verse is ‘ADHIKARAH’ which means, ‘authority’, ‘control’, eligibility’. Here it means your authority over something with which you are free to do whatever you like. Thus the word here means power of choice. In regard to action, I may or may not perform action or I may choose to perform it in a way different from what is laid down – KARTUM AKARTUM ANYATHA VA KARTUM SHAKYATE.

Once the word is thus understood, the meaning of the verse becomes clear and its import deeper. The verse succinctly gives the very quintessence of Karmayoga propounded by Sri Krishna. Karmayoga is in reality an attitude, a style of living one’s life.

When one embarks on some task, one has to decide on ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘who’ and ‘how’. That means one has to plan and organize, put those plans into action, control and coordinate to see that action is going as per plans so as to obtain the results as desired and on time. The amount of care and thoroughness that goes into planning and implementation affects the extent of success, i.e. the result or final outcome. But despite utmost care and thoroughness, is there a guarantee that the result would be as planned and desired? The probability is that it would, but there is also a probability however small that it may go awry. That means we do not have 100% control over the result of our action. This is a practically experienced fact. ‘There is many a slip between the cup and the lip’. We have choice over all actions of planning, organizing and implementing but not over the final outcome. The outcome depends on many factors, known, unknown, some under our control, some uncontrollable by us, some are ponderables others imponderables. Unknown, imponderable and hence not subject to our control are factors which, in common parlance are known as fate, destiny or chance. The impediments to achieving the result as desired are threefold: (1)ADHIDAIVIKA - acts of God or natural calamities such as earthquake or tsunami, (2) ADHIBHOUTIKA are impediments due to some disturbances in the immediate environment, say, law and order situation such as arson etc., (3) ADHAYATMIKA, where the cause is attributable to the performer of action such as sickness, acts of omission or commission, demotivation etc. Thus the result could be equal to what one expected, it could be more than expected, it could be less than expected or it may even be diametrically opposite to what one expected. But result is always there since every action (cause) must produce result (effect). When the result is as we expected or more than our expectation we often take the credit to ourselves gloating over our success and implied skill and efficiency. Conversely when the results go haywire we blame others or Fate, betraying double standards of judgment.

Thus it would be clear that performer of action really has no control or choice in regard to result – KARMAPHALA in Sanskrit. Hence Sri Krishna says ‘Maa Karmaphala Heturbhuh’- do not think that you cause the result i.e. do not arrogate to yourself the authorship as dispenser of Karmaphala. There is some power other than the doer of action that determines the result accruing to the doer of action. Some call this power that rules the destiny of things as Providence, others name it as God, yet others Paramatma or Bhagawan. This entity of varied names rules over the immutable Cosmic Law and is the Phaladata or dispenser of the fruits of action. Those who do not posit God can take this Cosmic Law as the giver of results-karmaphala. This is the positive aspect of the oft repeated proverb “man proposes and God disposes”, which, unfortunately is quoted in a disparaging sense in the wake of frustration of one’s dreams. Taken in the right spirit, however, it is a recipe for life of fulfillment. The line is the essence of Karmayoga which consists in doing my duty – taking appropriate action while performing appropriate role depending on my station in life and the situation at hand, sincerely with heart and soul, in keeping with Dharma- universal order. Putting the right effort I leave the outcome to the universal order – the Almighty power. Sri Krishna further says:

“YOGASTHAH KURU KARMANI SANGAM TYAKTWA DHANANJAYA
SIDDHYASIDDHYOH SAMO BHUTWA SAMATWAM YOGA UCHYATE”
(B.G. II/48)

“Do all actions by being established in Yoga and giving up all attachments and exercising equanimity between success and failure O Dhananjaya. Yoga is said to be equanimity”

Equanimity is an attitude; an attitude that enables one to maintain mental poise in favourable or adverse situations. It is a commonplace experience that one is overwhelmed with joy and pleasure when one accomplishes what one desires and despairs in the face of adversities. Accomplishment or success is SIDDHI and non accomplishment or failure is ASIDDHI. Sri Krishna says, “SIDDHYASIDDHYOH SAMO BHUH – maintain equal balance between success and failure” by giving up attachment to both – SANGAM TYAKTWAA. Attachment and aversion are two sides of a coin. Aversion is attachment inversed. By giving up attachment for what is perceived as good and inverse attachment for what is perceived as bad one becomes YOGASTHAH – established in Yoga. This mental poise is Yoga. The lack of poise is due to the fact that we entertain attachment (or aversion) for objects of our perception. Each of the five senses has love- or- hate relationship with their objects. For example we like certain forms and colours, are indifferent to some of them and dislike yet others. Similarly some foods we love while we are repulsed from some other foods. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagvadgita:

“INDRIYASYENDRIYASYARTHE RAGADVESHOU VYAVASTHITOU
TAYORNAVASHAMAGACCHET………….” (B.G.III/34)

“There is longing or aversion for each of the sense objects. Do not give in to them”.

It is easier said than done. It requires consistent effort since the senses are very strong and tempt the mind of an intelligent person – INDRIYANI PRAMATHINI HARANTI PRASABHAM MANAH – our strong senses overpower the mind and lead it away. Duryodhana says in the Mahabharata:

“JANAMI DHARMAM NA CHA ME PRAVRTTIH
JANAMYADHARMAM NA CHA ME NIVRTTIH”

“I know what Dharma is and I know what Adharma is but I have no motivation to follow Dharma and I have no coming back from Adharma”. Vanquishing the senses really entails hard work. It is difficult but not impossible. It can be achieved through ABHYASA – consistent practice and VAIRAAGYA – developing objective view towards things, beings and situations and keeping constant vigilance to maintain indifferent attitude. Some of the values that one should inculcate in oneself toward developing the right attitude are given by Sri Krishna in the 13th chapter of the Gita.

I quote,

“INDRIYARTHESHU VAIRAGYAMANAHANKARA EVA CHA
JANMAMRTYUJARAVYADHIDUKKHADOSHANUDARSHANAM
ASAKTIRANABHISHVANGAH PUTRADARAGRHADISHU
NITYAM CHA SAMACHITTATWAMISHTANISHTOPAPATTISHU”
(B.G. XIII/ 8&9)

“Total non attachment (neither attachment nor aversion, that is, indifference), that is, Vairagyam; lack of ego – Ahankara, including pride, boastfulness and sense of doership i.e. “I do” or “I don’t do”, as well as overlordship; constant discriminative thinking about the intrinsic nature of pain of birth, death, old age, disease; lack of sense of attachment to progeny, wife and house, and always having equanimity towards pleasant or unpleasant, favourable or adverse situations”.

It must be emphasized here that non attachment does not mean we should neglect our duties towards wife, children or the household. It means that we should drop the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine.

To conclude, the qualifications for Karmayoga are :
· Sublimation of ego i. e. sense of ‘me’ and ‘mine’
· Acceptance of power, separate from oneself as the dispenser of the results of action (KARMAPHALADATA)
· Acceptance of the results with humility and equanimity
· Developing objective view of the phenomenal universe by dwelling on its real nature and worth

With such an attitude one will be able to lead a meaningful life and realize the essential freedom while being a part of the universe, being unaffected by vicissitudes of life as a lotus leaf, which, though ever in contact with water is not wetted by it.

Friday, February 17, 2012

vedanta vizard

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

KARMARAHASYA
OR
SECRET OF ACTION

One of the most important, basic canons of Indian philosophy is the Law of Karma. It is also perhaps one of the most misinterpreted of concepts. The Bhagvadgita says, “GAHANA KARMANO GATIH”, meaning it is difficult to understand what Karma really is. Some think it is superstition based, while others maintain it leads to fatalism, passivity, even pessimism and hence to lack of motivation. They assert that the reason for India not occupying place of pride amongst the developed nations of the world is the fatalistic attitude fostered by the Law of Karma, which they further emphasize, is irrelevant in the modern world of science and technology. If properly understood however, the law is the best means to explain variety in creation. It also serves as the most ingenious way to make a person accountable for his lot and assume total responsibility for it. One can realize that one is the architect of one’s own life - make it or mar it.

This article explores the law of karma as well as the types of karma in the light of Bhagavadgita

Rationale for the Law of Karma

Law of Karma is the Law of Causation: every effect must have a cause and every cause must produce an effect. Also cause and effect are inherent in each other. Hen is potentially in the egg which comes from hen, as much as a tree produces seed which in turn has the potential to give rise to tree provided certain conditions are fulfilled. Thus there is a cyclic continuum of cause-effect-cause. I perform an action (cause) that produces result (effect) which is the cause of yet another effect. In Sanskrit the word Karma aptly applies both to action and its result (KARMAPHALA- the fruit of action).

Universal Order

Some say that the universe is chaotic. If we observe the universe intelligently, in its totality, we see that underneath the apparent chaos, there is an order that renders predictability to most of the universal phenomena. There are, of course, cataclysmic events like the earthquake which can be studied but their occurrence cannot be predicted with certainty. The laws that govern the universe have a certain inevitability and immutability about them. They are impersonal and apply equally to all the living and non living beings. Take the Law of Gravitation, for example, which states that an object, unsupported, will be pulled to the centre of the earth at a constant rate of acceleration (32ft per sec per sec). If a person throws himself out of the window of her house they will fall down to mother earth- whether the person is a prime minister of India, a great physicist, a monkey or a saint is immaterial. The law applies equally to all of them. But having understood the law we have been able to predict the movement of heavenly bodies, occurrence of eclipses, meteors, comets etc. We are able to send man to the moon and possibly to other planets in not far distant future. It is these immutable universal laws that sustain the Order or different orders within it. Thus we have physical order sustained by the laws of physics. Similarly we have physiological, biological, psychological and other orders. It is this orderliness that enables various discoveries and breakthroughs to be made in various scientific fields within the different orders. There is also an ethical order that applies equally to entire humanity. No one wants to be taken for granted, taken advantage of or hurt. I do not want that anyone should hurt me. I must remember this while dealing with others that they also do not want to be hurt, taken advantage of. That is Dharma. These universal laws are a manifestation of the ultimate reality on a physical level. Law of Karma, which is a law of causation, operates on a subtler level.

Dharma

Irrevocably linked to the law of Karma are the concepts of Dharma, concept of right and wrong, and the concept of rebirth which need to be understood. Dharma is commonly, perhaps mistakenly, known as religion. Thus we have Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity etc. which are sectarian, following a particular faith, Godhead - Theo - or a prophet (e.g. Islam, Jainism and Buddhism) or a Guru (Sikhism). These sects typically believe in an entity- god, prophet etc. and have relevant literature, scriptures, folklore, which fundamentally is autocratic, degenerating into strictly ritualistic and fanatical form. Dharma, however, has a more comprehensive meaning. The Sanskrit word derives from the verbal root ‘dhr’ and means that which holds or sustains. Dharma should therefore sustain through the universal application of its spiritualistic, as opposed to ritualistic content, the whole of humanity and not a particular section subscribing to a particular faith and following a particular godhead, prophet or guru. Dharma may be defined as a set of laws that regulate and maintain the order of the entire universe including inanimate and animate beings. The set includes the natural and manmade laws. The natural laws regulating the universal order represent the Reality and therefore the real Dharma; man made laws have a lower order of reality and are for maintenance of social order. Religion, on the other hand, is a particular way or style of living one’s life to know Dharma, the reality. Vaidika dharma (Hinduism) subscribing to the Vedas culminating into VEDANTA (literally, ‘end of the Vedas’), in its essence, applies to whole of humanity. It recognizes the universal order and other orders within it as explained above. The ritualistic part (Karma Kanda) of the Vedas conforms to our definition of religion in that it enjoins certain religious disciplines, which, if adhered to in spirit and action prepare man by purification of body and mind to understand the Reality (Dharma) unfolded in the Vedanta. The Reality in Vedanta is non-dual consciousness. The different names and forms, order and apparent disorder are but the manifestations of this consciousness.

Responsibility of Humans

Whatever actions are in keeping with the maintenance of the order are within Dharma otherwise they are opposed to Dharma. The inanimate objects are subject to the physical laws only. Fire cannot but burn, water cannot but wet. So one can say that burning and wetting is the Dharma of fire and water respectively. Similar is the case for plant and animal life. Their awareness is limited and their behaviour is strictly in accordance with the pre programming built into them. Thus we do not have a non vegetarian cow nor do we see a vegetarian tiger. Hence whatever they do for their survival is in keeping with Order. Nobody can punish a tiger for killing a deer for its food. For humans, however, things are different. There is a beautiful verse in Sanskrit that differentiates between animals and humans:

“AAHAAR NIDRA BHAYA MAITHUNANCHA
SAAMAANYAMETAT PASHUBHIRNARAANAAM
DHARMO HI TESHAAMADHIKO VISHESHO
DHARMENA HINAH PASHUBHISSAMAANAH”

It says eating, sleep, fear, sex pleasures are common to both animals and humans; the one factor distinguishing them is Dharma; one who is devoid of Dharma is equivalent to an animal.

Man as compared to animals, is endowed with a privilege to will and faculty of discrimination and choice. Therefore he is expected to be more responsible and mature in the choice of his actions. He may willfully follow Dharma or choose to do otherwise depending on the value he attaches to the fulfillment of his will or act within the bounds of Dharma even though by doing so accomplishment of his will may be in jeopardy. He may also desire for something that may be forbidden, being against the Order and perform acts outside the Dharma. As we have seen earlier, every action must produce result -consequences. The result is of two types: seen - Drishta and unseen – Adrishta. Seen result is generally immediate and tangible. Unseen result is usually in future and is subtle or intangible. When one acts within the precincts of Dharma, reaches out and serves others without selfish ends in view, one attains merit or Punya, otherwise one gets Papa or demerit. One may experience consequences of accrual of Papa or Punya in this life itself or in other births. But experience one will since the consequences of our actions as Papa and/or Punya follow us as our shadows. One English poet writes:

“…. And our acts our angles are
Or good or ill,
The fleeting shadows
That walk by us still”

Punyam gives benefic whereas Papam gives malefic experiences. Punyam bestows joy, luxuries etc. while Papam results in sorrow, pain etc.

As per Vedic – Hindu – Dharma our birth itself is attributed to our Karma. An explanation in brief, how that comes about is as follows:

While leading our lives we perform various acts or commit omissions. While performing action we generate the consequences, which, depending on the factors concomitant to the commission of action may produce unseen results accruing Punya or Papa or a mixture in various proportions of both. Similarly for omissions to perform mandatory action we accrue Papam. There is a continual tally of such Punyam and Papa through various acts or omissions throughout one’s life. This accumulation of Karma is known as SANCHITA KARMA in Sanskrit. Since the accumulation is continuous over a period of time, a composite of Karma containing both Punya and Papa mature for experience at different times even as fixed deposits in a bank mature on different dates depending on commence date and tenure of the deposits. Various permutations of Papa and Punya maturing at a given time are possible. Any particular combination determines the type of body the soul gets born into. If your accumulated Karma maturing at a given time has predominance of Papa you get born in a lower order of non human species - earth bound, water bound or amphibious creatures, plant life etc. A human birth with a healthy body and mind without any defect or disease is rare and that with an evolved mind and spirit is rarer still. Birth in human form calls for Karma of a very high order. Because of the faculty of choice, human being has an opportunity to improve own lot in present birth and in the next by choice of pious deeds etc. and conversely to slip lower down. Consequently one may be born as a more evolved person in the next birth or end up as a crab on the dinner plate of a tourist on board an airliner. The choice is entirely one’s own. The earlier part of the Vedas known as Karma Kanda (Kanda means section in Sanskrit), shows us the way for better life here and hereafter while Vedanta imparts the knowledge to cut the fetters of Karma once and for all and liberates us from the continuous cycle of birth and death, here and now.

Types of Karma

Thus we see that the Karma doctrine is logical and explains rationally the variety in creation and differences amongst and within species. It also makes human beings accountable and responsible

for their destiny so to say. Hence the Bhagvadgita says:

“KARMANO HYAPI BODDHAVYAM BODDHAVYAM CHA VIKARMANAH
AKARMANASHCHA BODDHAVYAM GAHANA KARMANO GATIH”
(BG IV/17)

“One must understand clearly what constitutes Karma, one must also understand what Vikarma – prohibited action- is and one must also understand what Akarma – inaction is. Difficult indeed is to gain clear understanding regarding Karma”

Karma as we have seen above connotes both action and its result. Generally Karma is performed with some intention to get some desired result for oneself. Such desire based - ‘Kamya’ - Karma creates bondage for the doer and is the cause of birth as we have already seen, the type of body depending on combination of various Papa and Punya maturing at the given time. Let us now see what Vikarma and Akarma mean.

Vikarma means prohibited action, an action that is not in keeping with the injunctions of the Vedas or one that is not done in accord with the laid down procedures. Such Karma obviously is to be avoided since it will bring malefic results to the doer.

Most important is the understanding of Akarma. The word is formed by prefixing a negative particle to the word Karma and means non work. But non work does not mean not doing any work or sitting idle or abstaining from work. It is not possible for any person not to perform any work. The very life depends on various kinds of voluntary and involuntary activities. Lord Krishna says in the third chapter of the Bhagvadgita:

“NA HI KASHCHIT KSHANAMAPI JATU TISHTHATYAKARMAKRT
KARYATE HYAVASHAH KARMA SARVAH PRAKRTIJAIRGUNAIH”
(BG III/5)

“Surely none can ever remain inactive even for a moment; for everyone is helplessly driven to action by qualities born out of nature”. Also:

“NAHI DEHABHRTAAM SHAKYAM TYAKTUM KARMAANI ASHESHATAH”
(BG XVIII/11)

“Indeed it is not possible for anyone to give up all actions in their entirety”.

And again:

“NIYATAM KURU KARMA TWAM KARMA JYAYO HYAKARMANAH
SHAREERA YAATRAAPI CHA TE NA PRASIDHYEDAKARMANAH”
(BG III/8)

“Perform your allotted duties; for action is superior to inaction. Desisting from action, you cannot even maintain your body.”

So what does Akarma- inaction really mean? Lord Krishna defines it in the 4th chapter of the

Bhagvadgita:

“KARMNYAKARMA YAH PASHYEDAKARMANI CHA KARMA YAH
SA BUDDHIMANMANUSHESHU SA YUKTAH KRTSNAKARMAKRT”
(BG IV/18)

“He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among human beings. He is integrated and has finished all actions”. (That means such a person has attained to non action and is not bound though physically involved in action since he does not have the thought ‘I am doing this or I am not doing this’ i.e. the sense of doership.)

This is apparently a rather cryptic perhaps epigrammatic and confusing statement, to say the least. To understand it one must ponder over it. Can one see-understand- inaction in action? Let us see a few examples. A spinning wheel or a rotating top appears stationary to an observer although it is rotating at a great speed. This is inaction in action. We see the sun moving from East to West every day although we know as a scientific fact that it is stationary with respect to Earth. This is action in inaction. But how do we see inaction while we are engaged in all kinds of actions?

We have seen above what Karma- action- is. For any action there is a performer or doer of that action. This is true even of the so called automatic actions. The automat has to be turned on or put into operation by a conscious being who becomes the doer or agent of action. When the doer has AHANKARA- thinking that I am doing this- then he or she also has a vested interest in the result in the same way as one expects the returns on one’s fixed deposits placed with a bank. Such vested interest creates bondage and is the cause for birth as we have seen above. Even when one abstains from action one has this ‘doership’ i.e. the sense of being the author of Karma. Hence willfully abstaining from action with the ego ‘I am not doing this’ also falls under the category of action. Thus when I abstain from action and feel that I am not doing anything it does not qualify as inaction. If Karma is unavoidable in life how can one attain Akarma and avoid the bondage? Lord Krishna says:

“PRAKRTEH KRIYAMAANAANI GUNAIH KARMAANI SARVASHAH
AHANKARVIMOODHATMAA KARTAAHAMITI MANYATE”
“TATWAVITTU MAHAABAAHO GUNAKARMAVIBHAAGAYOH
GUNAA GUNESHU VARTANTE ITI MATWA NA SAJJATE”
(BG III/27-28)

“All actions are done at the body level. The person who is deluded by ego thinks: ‘I am the doer’. The person who has insight into reality knows that it is the GUNAS i.e. the sense organs, mind etc. that move among the objects of perception and does not get attached to them”

AKARMA therefore is action that takes place without a ‘Karta’ or doer. The verses from chapter 3 of Bhagvadgita (verses 27-28) quoted above say that for the one, who understands, the action takes place at the body-mind-intellect level and he does not think he does any action (NAIVA KINCHITKAROMITI YUKTO MANYETA TATVAVIT) and therefore does not get bound by its consequences.

Karma Yoga

Lord Krishna again says in the Gita:

“YATKAROSHI YADASHNAASI YAJJUHOSHI DADASI YAT
YATTAPASYASI KAUNTEYA TATKURUSHWA MADARPANAM”
(BG IX/27)

“Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation into the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, whatever you do by way of penance, offer it all to me”

“SWE SWE KARMANYABHIRATAH SAMSIDDHIM LABHATE NARAH
SWAKARMANIRATAH SIDDHIM YATHAA VINDATI TATSHRUNU”
“YATAH PRAVRTIRBHUTAANAAM YENA SARVAMIDAM TATAM
SWAKARMANAA TAMABHYARCHYA SIDDHIM VINDATI MANAVAH”
(BG XVIII/45-46)

“Devotedly performing own natural duty man attains the absolute. Listen how by performing own duty a person attains that absolute success. The person attains the highest by worshipping through own duty, Him from whom the whole creation has come about and is pervaded”.

Action performed with this attitude of surrender to the Lord is known as KARMAYOGA.

Conclusion

In this article an attempt has been made to make a rational case for the Law of Karma. We have also seen what, according to Bhagvadgita, the types of karma are. There is Karma, there is Vikarma and there is Akarma. Karma that is performed disinterestedly i.e. selflessly, without the sense of authorship is Akarma. A person who does such Karma is said to be a Karmayogi, the person who practises Karmayoga.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

SPIDER SPINS ITS DREAM WEB

Creation appears right from the beginning in the infinite consciousness as if in a dream.
This appearance has no cause
-Yoga Vasishtha

The way that can be told of is not an unvarying Way;
The names that can be named are not unvarying names
It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang….

-Tao Te Ching

I shall discuss here the cosmology and cosmogony on the backdrop of Vedanta Philosophy.

We have read that Vedanta proclaims from the roof tops, as it were, that there is no reality other than Brahman. While Gaudapada rejects the existence of phenomenal world altogether, Shankaracharya and other Advaita Vedanta proponents recognize the existence of the empirical universe but maintain that it has got relative or dependent existence (vyavaharika satta). We experience the universe around us containing various objects of variegated forms resplendent with different attractive colours, differing in taste, smell, and sound and differently felt when touched. Thus the world is full of multiplicity in every way. Vedanta scriptures propound that the multiplicity of form etc. that is perceived by our sense organs is but the manifestation of the limitless consciousness, named Brahman. Passage after passage in various texts brings this out as a fact. A few extracts follow: “Whatever changeable there is in this changing universe is pervaded by Ishvara”1. “Know ‘That’ to be imperishable that pervades this universe; no one has power to destroy this indestructible substance”.2. “Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind-stuff, intellect and ego; these constitute my eightfold nature; this indeed is my lower (material) nature; the other than this by which the whole universe is sustained, i.e. the life principle (Jivabhutam), is my higher (spiritual) nature Oh mighty armed Dhananjaya, know that all beings have emerged from this twofold Prakrti; I am the source of this entire creation; into me it again resolves.”.3. “Oh Arjuna all beings

1. Ish. Up
2. BG 2/17
3. BG 7/4, 5, 6; Dhananjaya is another epithet of Arjuna, the warrior.

whatsoever, inanimate as well as Animate, know them to have been emanated from the union of matter and spirit.4. “This universe is but Atma (Brahman); there is nothing other than Atma”5. “It (Brahman) exists within and without all beings, and constitutes animate and inanimate creation as well6” “All embodied beings emanate from the unmanifest at the advent of the cosmic day; at the cosmic nightfall they merge into the unmanifest”.7. The whole of Chapter 11 of the Bhagvadgita propounds this pantheistic concept – the doctrine that God is everything and everything is God. But as we have seen, God is Brahman associated with Maya as His inherent power which cannot be away from Brahman. Hence ultimately everything is only Brahman.

There is a mantra for invoking peace at the beginning of Ishavasyopanishad : “Fullness is that, Fullness is this, from fullness, fullness comes forth, when fullness is added to or taken away from fullness, fullness alone remains”.8. Any mathematically minded person would at once know that this is the description of ‘infinity’ – a mathematical concept. The concept itself is within Brahman, the universal consciousness. The mantra not only reiterates the infinitude, wholeness and eternality of Brahman but also conveys in its deeper meaning non separateness of universe from it. We shall see the full import of the mantra.

The demonstrative pronoun ‘that’ normally refers to something remote i.e. something that is not available for direct knowledge. It refers to something that has to be known but which, due to remoteness, is not available for immediate knowledge, but can be known after the remoteness is removed. However, the other pronoun, ‘this’ refers to something close by, something known directly or is knowable. In this invocation ‘this’ stands for anything that lends itself to be objectified. Thus it stands for the entire world of objects and phenomena, any and everything that is perceptible to our senses.

The first verse of Ishavasyopanishad:

“……. Idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyam jagat …..” means ‘all this whatsoever, that is subject to change in this changing world’. So when our peace invocation verse says, “this is fullness” (purnam idam) it conveys that whatever is already known or knowable is fullness. It mans that ‘this’ in the peace invocation also stands for its traditional meaning viz. the entire universe that we perceive. Another Sanskrit word for universe is ‘loka’ which means experience. World is indeed what we experience.

Having known what ‘this’ stands for, one may ask, ‘what about the other pronoun ‘adah’; ‘that’? If ‘this’ refers to the entire universe, ‘that’ should mean something else. What

4. BG 13/26
5. ‘atmaivedam jagatsarvamatmanonyanna kinchana’ AB/48
6. BG 13/15
7. BG 8/18 8. ‘om purnamadah purnamidam purnatpurnamudaahyate, purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate’

remains when we have accounted for the entire creation is the ‘I’, the life principle9 due to which the world experience happens.

It means that the word ‘that’-adah- in the mantra denotes ‘I’. Hence Purnamadah (that is fullness) means I am Fullness. Traditionally ‘that’ (tat in Sanskrit) denotes Brahman as in the pronouncement ‘That thou art’. Hence the identity of I, and the universe and Brahman is established. The deeper meaning of the invocation therefore translates into the gist of the Vedanta: “There is but one and only Brahman”.

One should not conclude from the foregoing that Brahman undergoes any modification or transformation in the creation of the universe like wood being modified to create a chair, say, or milk transformed into curds. If one were to think so one would have a totally distorted understanding of Brahman. It would be a cognitive error. We cannot directly apply the analogy of the clay pot which has pot maker as its nimitta karana or the efficient cause, and clay as upadana karana or the material cause to Brahman, which can neither be the efficient cause nor the material cause for the creation as Brahman is without action and immutable. Brahman is the substratum for the universe of objects that are subject to constant movement and change. It must be noted that the change is witnessed due to presence of Atman or Brahman that is changeless. If the Atman also were to change, then, who would know the change? Change means death of a given state of existence and the birth of a new state of existence. “No one can see one’s own death or birth since birth is the final moment of a prior non existence and death marks the initial moment of later non existence”.10. The play of the phenomenal world is like that on the screen of a cinema hall; the immovable, unchanging screen providing the base in as much as Brahman provides the substratum for the appearance of the phenomenal world of names and forms and colours and movement. Cinema as well as the universe is conscious creation. The universe is a projection of the mind even as one imagines animate and inanimate objects in a still picture drawn on a plane surface.11. The threefold power of Maya - power of knowledge, power to will and power to act and create - is at work here. The word creation is a poor substitute for the Sanskrit ‘Srshti’ which means emanation or manifestation.

The mundakopanishad likens the Ishvara to a spider spinning its web.12. The spider sends forth the thread for its web from its body and retracts it at will. Spider is thus both the material as well as the efficient cause for the web. Similarly Ishvara is both material and efficient cause of the world. Like the spider, again, Ishvara resolves the world into himself as we have seen in an earlier chapter. This analogy fits snugly the modern concept of the universe being a web, explaining the ‘Action at a distance Same analogy

9. ‘jeevanam sarvabhuteshu’ (BG/9/7)
10. AM / 15; Here the non existence means empirical non existence.
11. AM
12. “yathornanabhih srjate grhnate cha” Mu / 1.1.7

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holds for a dreamer and his dream. Dreamer is both the material and efficient cause for the dream which emanates from the dreamer and resolves into the dreamer. Further, the spider never gets caught in its own web but insects etc. foolishly get entangled into it even as Jiva gets entangled in the Maya-avidya and comes to grief. In the same Mantra the Upanishad further explains, ‘just as from the earth sprout forth herbs and plants or hairs grow on the head and body of
man so from the Universal Being (Brahman) comes out the universe’. Spider analogy is to emphasize that the universe emanates from, is sustained due to and finally resolves into Brahman. Other two examples are to emphasize the non action and disinterestedness of Brahman in creation. Brahman only is the sub stratum.

The various texts in the Upanishads are metaphors to indicate that it is Brahman alone that manifests by way of infinite objects of varied forms and names. A single cell multiplies and becomes many, then, further differentiates into stem cells that develop various functional organs with distinct functions of their own. This differentiation is within the overarching unity. This is how the various texts such as ‘ekoham bahusyama’, “I am one; I shall be many”, etc are to be understood in the light of the current scientific knowledge. Brahman is thus the homogeneous field of consciousness (prajnanaghana) of infinite possibilities, which while manifesting, yet remains immutable, unaffected by and unattached to anything. The empirical universe is thus a homogeneous web of interconnected components, a fact, which, incidentally, finds its echo in the modern quantum physics which has been led to recognize ‘action at a distance’ and the influence of the consciousness of the observer and instruments used in observation on the final results of their experiments. This has given rise to paradoxes like the well known ‘EPR paradox’ and ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ and dual wave-particle nature of the so called ‘matter’, discussed elsewhere in this book. To know the Reality which is beyond all dualities, therefore, we have to transcend the opposites, a statement that has been reiterated time and again through the Vedanta texts and to which modern physics is steadily but surely converging. We have to get used to the idea of holding two entirely opposite views as true and still be able to maintain our sanity.

Cosmogony of Advaita Vedanta

In Advaita Vedanta the creation is from the Cosmic Egg – Brahmanda – which is produced from Maya. We have noted before that Maya is the material cause and Ishvara the efficient cause for the universe. The cosmic egg comes out of the union of Ishvara and Maya the Mulaprkrti. In the 7th chapter of the Bhagvadgita the lord tells Arjuna, “Oh Parthaa! I am the seed of all creation”13. In the fourteenth chapter, again, the lord says, “My Mahatbrahma (Maya the Mulaprkrti) is the origin of the entire universe; I place the seed into it. From that is conceived the entire creation”14.
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a. another name of Arjuna
13. BG 7/10
14. BG 14/3 ( Such statements, again, have to be taken as metaphors to account for empirical creation maintaining conceptual integrity of Brahman)
This cosmic egg is the abode of Brahma, the creative principle, before the emanation of the universe. This foetus is known as ‘Hiranygarbha’, the Golden Foetus Brahma is the self born (Swayambhuh) and on emerging from the cosmic egg is named Prajapati, which literally translates as the Creator. He is the first born and protector of the universe (Brahma Devanam prathamam sambabhuva Vishvasya karta bhuvanasya gopta).15. Brahma thus is the efficient cause of the universe who as though ‘created’ the universe out of the primordial substance of the cosmic egg.

The Vedic and Puranic literature such as Brahma Purana, Vishnu Purana, Padma Purana,
etc. symbolically describe the process of creation of the universe. As explained in Chapter 1, the creation is due the disequilibrium of the three qualitative components of Maya. Brahma the first born created this disturbance in the equilibrium. We have
earlier noted the significance of the three Gunas. Preponderance of Rajas, brings about activity of creation, Satva sustains it while Tamas brings about the destruction.
Creation appears to be a coordinated, continuous process of creation, sustenance and destruction. The presiding deities for these three are Brahma for creation, Vishnu for sustenance and Mahesha or Shiva for destruction. These are merely the three aspects or functions of one and only Isvara.

Breaking of the cosmic egg was due to the preponderance of rajas. The process of creation is symbolically explained in Mundakopanishad.16. While introducing the emanation of the universe, Shankaracharya states that the universe comes into being in steps and not at once as if a handful of berries were flung about.

The cosmogony as per Vedanta can be culled from Brahma Sutra and various Upanishadic descriptions. The present description is a summary of various texts. First of all Apah, (principle of fluidity) or the primordial fluid was produced by Maya and the Ishvara put his seed into it to produce the cosmic egg. Brahma conceived Himself, being Swayambhuh as explained above, and rested inside the cosmic egg as Hiranyagarbha. On the breaking of the cosmic egg Prajapati was born marking the individuation stage. Hiranyagarbha or Prajapati is akin to the total mind or super mind. At the individual level it is the ‘creative potential’ that is within us.

The Mundaka Upanishad - further elaborated in Prashnopanishad , as well as Chandogaya Upanishad, Aiteriya Upanishad and Brahma Sutra etc. give in a figurative way the cosmogony of the universe.

Prashnopanishad explains that Prajapati, through penance, created a pair: matter (rayi) and energy (prana). The words used in the Upanishad are ‘sa tapotapyata’ which means he did concentrated thinking or penance. The word ‘tapa’ in Sanskrit has various meanings including knowledge and thinking or brood over. It also means heat. Hence what the Upanishad implies is that Prajapati engaged himself in knowledge-based innovative thinking and through planning etc. created a pair – matter and energy. Activities of thinking, planning, remembering, associating, etc.are all implied in the word

15. Mu. 1.1 16. Mu.1.1.8
‘tapa’. Through these twins, born out of Prajapati the entire universe of the perceived multiplicity came about, but not at once like a big bang but in steps as pointed out above. The Upanishad thus establishes the essential identity of matter and energy denoted by Einstein’s celebrated equation: E = mc2, which is but a quantitative expression of it. The Upanishad further states ‘Prana is verily the Sun’; ‘Rayi’ is indeed the Moon’. What better metaphor than the effulgent Sun for energy and the dead satellite of the earth, Moon, for matter! The cosmogony of the universe is described giving sequence of things and beings manifesting step by step. Prana is the subtle energy principle, the life force, reiki of the Japanese that is all pervasive and essential for all, animate and inanimate beings alike. From Prana came the five subtle elements Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These five elements after Grossification described elsewhere bring about the universe of objects of names and forms etc.

Vedanta does not treat the universe as different from the self. The Purusha Sukta extols the Cosmic Spirit -the macrocosm. ‘Sukta’ means a hymn. It describes in poetic language how from the cosmic spirit all that is movable as well as immovable emanates. The description in Aiteriya and Mundaka Upanishads also gives an account of how the empirical world came about. Mundaka says ‘tapasa chiyate brahma’, while the Aiteriya says, ‘sa tapotapyata’. We have seen earlier the various meanings of the word ‘tapa’. Thus here we get a clear indication of an intelligent being behind creation. An architect has to do concentrated thinking, planning etc. to conceive and realize a piece of architecture. So it is reasonable to infer that the universe which functions according to immutable laws is intelligently put together. These laws also are a part and parcel of the universe. That intelligent being or intelligence-the creator- is the Cosmic Consciousness-Brahman. Chiyate means expands, which is an unequivocal indication to the expanding universe, a fact that is established by modern physics as well. It can also be interpreted as a metaphor. Since tapas means thinking, the universe is but a web of thoughts- a dream like substance, a mithya. It is as though the universal architect were contemplating upon and manifesting infinite possibilities

The dual nature displayed by so called matter, the identity of matter and energy, the universe being a web or a homogeneous mass of energy field, the particles ‘somehow’ displaying conscious behavior, the uncertainty principle and the inconsistency proved by Gödel’s theorem (last two having a strong aroma of vedantic maya), are the conclusions of modern science which are totally in line with Vedanta; only the semantics differ.