Outer Self versus Inner Self - Bhagavad Gita-3.34&3.35

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Nov 20, 2008.

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  1. Nov 20, 2008 #1
    Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Given a rational intellect, a man must know to set aside the lower instincts and to discriminate and live a beautiful life which is the glory of his higher evolution.
    Therefore in this scientific treatise on the process of man-making,
    Krisna reveals to Arjuna why man fails in life.
    He pronounces the way of self-discovery.

    Indriyasyendriyasyarthe ragadveshau vyavasthithau
    ThayOrna vas(h)amaagachchaeththau hyasya paripanthinau 3.34

    Likes and dislikes of the senses for their sense-objects are natural. Let none allow himself to be swayed by them; they are his two enemies on his way to success.

    Attachment and aversion are the attitudes of the mind. So, let us rise above them and escape being seduced by them. None of us can avoid them all of a sudden because they are the expressions of the types of vasanas in us. But let us at least avoid
    exploding ourselves into expression under the pressure of our attractions (RAGA) and repulsions (DVESHA).

    But, supposing our vasanas are low, should we not imitate another who has better vasanas?
    Krishna, with subtle vision, insists:

    S(h)reyan svadharmO viguNa: paradharmathsvanushtithath
    Svadharme nidhanam s(h)reya: paradharmO bhayaavaha: 3.35

    One's own duty, though devoid of merit, is preferable to the duty of another even when well performed. Better is death in one's own duty: the duty of another is fraught with fear.

    A man born as kshatriya should fight and not imitate a Brahmin and try to live a life of meditation. Such a reading of the text is possible! But this verse conveys a wealth of psychological implications.

    Each one is born with vasanas and so born in certain outer circumstances and environments. Arjuna was born a prince with a dynamic spirit of activity, springing from his Rajoguna. If he now chooses a life of meditation and simple living, he will be creating new vasanas in himself without exhausting his old ones. So, the old
    vasanas will wait for an opportunity to explode into expression. Krishna advises here that an intelligent man must selflessly live out his vasanas with which he is born, rather than imitate the vasanas of the world around him. One's own dharma (Svadharma) consists of deep urges and tendencies ordered by vasanas , while, character (
    Svabhava)is the way you express yourself as an individual in the community.

    The surface( Svabhava) must truly reflect the depth (Svadharma). By so living without ego and egocentric desires, the vasanas get exhausted and the individual becomes more and more fit for higher meditations and for the final experience of larger and fuller Consciousness.

    Do your duty in Yajna spirit, whatever it may be – recognising always the dignity in labour.

    Love,
    Chithra.

     
    Chitvish, Nov 20, 2008
    Chitvish, Nov 20, 2008
    #1
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  2. Nov 20, 2008 #2
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    We have now reached that part in our Spiritual Exercise where we are taught by the Lord to bridge the gap between our Svadharma and Svabhava. Let us hear what Eckhart has to say about this:
    “A man has many skins in himself, covering the depths of his heart. Man knows so many things; he does not know himself. Why, thirty or forty skins or hides, just like an ox’s or a bear’s, so thick and hard, cover the soul. Go into your own ground and learn to know yourself there”

    There is a strong direction in this Verse of the Lord that our mission in life should be to exhaust our vasanas and not to lead a life that would compound them. To the uninitiated, this might appear to imply that a pig has to keep wallowing in the mud in order to exhaust its vasanas rather than aiming at living a higher form of life. Then the question will arise in our minds as to why should we try tearing ourselves away from a life that is determined by our vasanas and attempt something else if our previous vasanas would be waiting to plunge us back into a life from which we try to redeem ourselves.

    We have come across several instances in our Scriptures of lower forms of life leading a life strictly in accordance with their vasanas and yet redeemed themselves from them by fixing their minds on the Supreme Being. This is well brought out in Saint Appar’s following words:
    Puzhuvai pirakkinum punniya unnadi en manaththe
    Vazhuvathirukka varam tharal vendum.
    (Even if I were to be born a worm, may Your Holy Feet remain etched in my heart)
    I consider this as one of the most profound lines ever uttered by a spiritualist. Being born a worm is an attribute of our prarabdha and the only way to redeem ourselves from it is to accept that life and live it through according to our vasanas while fixing our minds on the Supreme Being.

    People who visit Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai would not fail to notice the Samadhi of Lakshmi, a cow that belonged to the Ashram which Bhagwan Ramana considered as the reincarnation of his mother. The cow showed exemplary devotion to the Bhagwan while leading a life in accordance with its Svadharma. When the cow passed away, the Bhagwan declared that it had got liberated from its cycle of birth and death. The life that is given to us, no matter in whatever form it is, must not lead us away from our Spiritual pursuit.

    The life of Thirumangai Azhwar, the most fascinating of all the Azhwars, exemplifies the great truth that all our actions performed in accordance with our vasanas will lead us to the ‘final experience of larger and fuller Consciousness’ if our minds are fixed on the Supreme Being. May the Lord enlighten us on the ramifications of the life that we lead and give us the strength to keep our thoughts fixed
     
    Cheeniya, Nov 20, 2008
    Cheeniya, Nov 20, 2008
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  3. Nov 20, 2008 #3
    Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithrakka and Cheeniya sir,

    It is this I really regret missing out on!

    The last one I read and interacted with both of you in this Gita thread was Ch3-v11. I cannot wait to get back to it.
    Most probably, I will start with the latest, that is this week's and refer back to one or two chapters as the time permits and will try to catch up.

    You both earn my utmost regard. It is an amazing volume of work you put in here. Trying to read and absorb Gita is no mean task. But to bring it across to us week after week so the novices like me can even aspire at some understanding of this wonderful text is an herculean task and you both do it with such elan.

    I am planning on printing it all out and making a book of it for my own reference....Well, I keep 'thinking' about all this and you just do it !

    I have much to learn and far to go...

    L, Kamla
     
    Kamla, Nov 20, 2008
    Kamla, Nov 20, 2008
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  4. Nov 21, 2008 #4
    gayathriar

    gayathriar Bronze IL'ite

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    Dear C & C

    I really did miss your post last week. So, was extremely happy to see the post on outer self versus inner self...!

    Treating mind as a sensory organ and rising above attachment and aversion is a great advice. The explanation relating svadharma to vasanas is very much practical and acceptable for the present times.

    -Gayathri.
     
    gayathriar, Nov 21, 2008
    gayathriar, Nov 21, 2008
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  5. Nov 21, 2008 #5
    mkthpavi

    mkthpavi Senior IL'ite

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    Dear C&C

    Thank you for your deep posts. Dedication to one's duty and concentration is the best gift and blessing one can ever get from God. I remember, in this context, Robert Frost's famous poetic lines - "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep".
    Llife provides us with a number of options as to how we want to utilize our time and energy. Whatever we choose, we must do it happily and hopefully never regret the same in future. The moment we get distracted by other things, it is impossible for us to perform our duties well.

    With regards to our guna, while I agree that certain people have certain dispositions to do certain things, as specified in our ancient literature, at the end of the day, rather than be dictated by societal norms, if we follow our true instincts and are true to ourselves, nothing is impossible. I recently came across an article about a number of children of poor farmers in Bihar, clearing the IIT-JEE entrance exam. If they had simply accepted that 'cos they are from the lower strata of society, they are forbidden from studies and gaining knowledge and should only do agriculture, then, who knows - our society may have lost a few bright engineering minds!

    Even the great Dronacharya and Krupacharya, who were Brahmins by birth, went over and above their basic responsibility of coaching, by actually fighting (a Kshatriya-ic duty) in the Kurukshetra war. In today's times, we actually see that many of us in the current generation, irrespective of caste / community / financial background, are by and large, aspiring for the same kind of things and in workplaces today, it is quite a multi-cultural, multi-national environment.

    As long as the means and motives of our efforts are clean and we are devoted to God, we are doing the right thing and whatever happens thereafter is all for good. One's financial status, caste, physical appearance etc are of no use if the heart is not pure and if the devotion to God is fake.

    Thanks for your wonderful posts.
    Please keep them coming when you have time.
    With love
    Your IL disciple
    Pavithra
     
    mkthpavi, Nov 21, 2008
    mkthpavi, Nov 21, 2008
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  6. Nov 21, 2008 #6
    Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamla,
    That you regret missing out on this, shows your genuine interest in understanding the Gita.
    At various stages in life, our priorities change more duty bound than "desire-bound" ! At such times, it is better to flow with the tide than resisting.Since it is all in IL, documented, you can look back leisuerely & enjoy these posts!!
    Love,
    Chithra.

     
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    #6
  7. Nov 21, 2008 #7
    Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Gayathri,
    Even a man well-read inthe shastras cannot easily follow the highly ethical life which is demanded of a spiritual seeker, because his lower nature proves too strong for him.
    Prescribing a medicine which s not available isnot the art of healing!!
    The philospher's duty is to show the ways and means by which we can ransport ourselves from our weaknesses into this ideal State-of-Perfection. Then & then alone, can the philosopher bless his generation.

    Gayathri, we both have planned to post fortnightly hereafter, for reasons best and can be rightly guessed by you!
    Love,
    Chithra.



     
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    #7
  8. Nov 21, 2008 #8
    Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Pavithra,
    Your FB is lovely, thanks.
    Svadharma is not the duty which accrues to an individual because of his "caste", which is a sheer accident of birth. In its right import, svadharma means the type of vasanas that one discovers in one's own mind.To live in peace and joy, one must act according to one's own inborn & natural taste. To act against the grain of one's own vasanas would be acting in terms of para-dharma and that is fraught with danger.
    We see a miserable advocate sits in his deserted office to write poems glorifying his own poverty!
    A thwarted doctor sits in his consulting room to catch an illusive une.
    Circumtances have made them advocate & doctor, although they would have been happier as artists and still more happy if they had been trained in poetry & music!
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    Chitvish, Nov 21, 2008
    #8
  9. Nov 22, 2008 #9
    corallux

    corallux Bronze IL'ite

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    My Dear Gita Gurus,

    Apologies for the late entry.

    What the Lord says holds true for all times.

    In Hindi we have a saying,"Kauvva chale Hans ki chhaal" meaning a crow tries to imitate a swan. Now that is a disaster.

    Dear Chithraji,
    Day in & day out, we hear of reports of how feminists are trying to push for more recruitment into the armed forces. Now this is my personal opinion & being a woman myself, I stand up for women's rights. But the biological set up somehow finds it difficult to find it "OK" for a woman to fight in trenches alongside men.

    Yes, in times of yore, people moved professions with ease. But they could never suppress their in-born tendencies. The demons meditated on the supreme Brahman to get boons. Once they got what they desired, they went back to their evil ways. Divinity had to come down again to suppress them.

    Dear Cheeniyaji,
    Baba refers to himself as an insect in the dung of the almighty. When a great "Avdootha" like him is so full of humility, we the mortals can learn a thing or two from him.

    NO doubt, we try to rise higher in the spiritual mode but it has to be done keeping in mind our limitations. Some householders try to live the life of Ascetics but they too succumb to the passions of the flesh & emotions. Such people end up as out castes/Poga Pandits.

    Performing our duties as per our station in life gets us closer to Divinity else it ends in utter chaos.

    Regards,

    Corallux
     
    corallux, Nov 22, 2008
    corallux, Nov 22, 2008
    #9
  10. Nov 22, 2008 #10
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamla
    The famous Eighteenth century British Empiricist George Berkeley propounded a theory that nothing would exist if it had no observer! I am not competent to offer any comment on this theory but I realise that it certainly fits me like a glove. I owe my existence as a small time Gita commentator completely to a few readers like you who visit this forum regularly to read whatever I write! And you always have a pedestal ready to put me on!

    We are all in the process of learning. My own comments on Gita are like those of the blind man who feels an elephant's legs and declares that the animal is like a pillar!
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Nov 22, 2008
    Cheeniya, Nov 22, 2008
    #10
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