In our daily life we observe that human beings are of different characters and they react to one and the same situation differently according to their gunas.Also we experience that events occur as they should and not as we wish.Another observation is that there are three stages viz waking, dreaming and deep sleep through which we are cycled everyday. Then there is a family structure, a social structure, enclosures of caste, religion and nation. We experience opposing events and feelings such as love and hatred, likes and dislikes, violence and nonviolence, truthfulness and falsehood, compassion and cruelty, attachment and detachment, sacrifice and covetiousness, giving and stealing – like that the list goes on endless.
When we wonder at this mystery of the universe and our life therein we contemplate deeply into it and come to the conclusion that underneath all these multiplicities there should necessarily exist a firm base on which alone such changes and multiplicity could appear as if they exist, grow and disappear.
We have also aspiration to have uninterrupted peace. At times we experience this peace when we do not have to face any conflicting situation. But we are not able to prolong this peaceful experience because of lack of knowledge about our base and because of our delusion of existence on the surface only. The underneath reality is forgotten with the result we lose the experience of peace and we are often in distress particularly while facing conflicting situations. Peace we experience is the reality call it by any name such as Satchitananda, Brahmam, Akhandabodham, moolaadharam, asthybathypriyam, Awareness, superconsciousness .The explanation for the conflict is maya – mystery which vedantins say has no beginning but has an end. With the dawn of wisdom-knowledge, this mystery comes to an end. The Popular analogy of rope and snake is often brought into to explain this point.
Saiva siddhantis call this wisdom-knowledge as ‘arul gnanam’ which one gets only when the intellectual knowledge is cleared of ego. Man is given the faculty of intellect which he has to use wisely in the pursuit of knowledge. With the wisdom-knowledge one can get rid of the likes and dislikes in his thought, speech and action All passions and indulgences are the off-shoots of this pair of like and dislike. Once we have the intellectual conviction that there is only one truth prevailing everywhere eternally and all the appearance thereupon are temporal, we should be able to reflect this in all our thoughts and in our relationship with others in the day to day living.
A continuous rememberance of this Truth gradually reduces one’s activities. Actions we have been performing in our life time are only permissive and not mandatory. From the Absolute stand point there is neither an actor, nor action nor acting. Being is the Truth. This doing which has started out of ignorance should come to an end. Vedas, sastras and epics are for regulating the permissive action in the doing stage and uplift us to the Being Through inquiry we should understand the entire process of srishty, status of prapancham vis-vis Brahmam, the place of Iswara, jeeva, ego and the working of the anthakarana.
Anthakarana (constituting, mind, intellect, ego and chitta) and gaining life power from jeeva has to be understood first.The storehouse of memory (vasanas) is known as chittam.When we see that each human being is unique in his character and in his action and reaction and even from the childhood this uniqueness is reflected, we have to assume that we bring along with us a bundle of vasanas as we come into existence.These vasanas get the shape of sankalpas in the mind and projected as action. Even while vasanas are spent that way, fresh vasanas enter through mind and stored in the chitta. This vicious happening is because of the mixing up of likes and dislikes in our action and reaction. All these processes take place on the surface and the base – Truth – is least affected .
It is believed and proved that through wisdom knowledge we can overcome the likes and dislikes (rag and dwesha) from our sankalpas. Activities devoid of likes and dislikes turned to be mere actions and in the absence of likes and dislikes in our reactions also no sankalpa enters into the mind . Thus accumulated vasanas are spent as actions (not activity) and no fresh vasans come into chittam. Intellect plays an important part in bringing about this change. By constantly reminding ourselves of the eternal truth , our ego merges with the Truth and doesn’t interfer with the functioning of the vasanas. Actions come out of such vasans without ego and without likes and dislikes, assume a higher status and appear as a reflection of Truth.
A genuine doubt may arise in this connection. When the gunas and vasanas decide the personality and actions of the individual what freedom he has over them and how can he outlive them and realise his true being which bestows uninterrupted peace. Is there not a dominance of fate over freedom in ones thoughts and deeds? This opposing two theories – fate and free will – has been resolved by sage Ramana. He has said “Of fate and freewill people are given to talk. They know not whence come forth the two. Once they come to know the source, they are untouched by fate and free will too”. Sayings of such sages are worth remembering . Sri Sankara in Vivekachoodamani has said “That which is the substratum of the Universe and has no other support and is distinct from the gross and subtle, and has no parts and has verily no exemplar, that Brahman art thou – meditate in thy mind.”
“The stupid man thinks he is the body, learned man identifies himself with the mixture of body and soul while the sage possessed of realisation due to discrimination looks upon the eternal Atman as his Self and has the wisdom knowledge I am Brahman.”
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