Posted on: 30 Sep 2017
[We shall explain the knowledge spoken by God Datta as sixth chapter related to the second part, field of Nivrutti or Divine life.]
[After explaining pravrutti in past five chapters, Nivrutti is, now, explained in five chapters dealing with knowledge (jnaana), devotion (bhakti), practice (karma), association with God (yoga) and salvation (Moksha), which are the five parts of Nivrutti.]
[Knowledge includes this entire book called as ‘Veda Sutram’. The very meaning of the Veda is knowledge. The main concept of knowledge is dealt in this chapter named as knowledge (Jnanaa Sutram). In Pravrutti also, justice (Dharma) covers the entire Pravrutti, which pervades the wealth (Artha) and sex (Kama) also. At the same time, justice is also mentioned as a separate chapter dealing with the control of anger and violence.]
[Knowledge means the right conclusion (Nididhyaasa) that is to be decided by intelligence (Buddhi or Vijnaana) before implementation in practice. Before this, analysis (manana) shall be done by self and if necessary taking the help of debates in all angles with other intellectuals (manah or samkalpa-vikalpa). Before this, knowledge shall be heard (shravana) from preacher (Guru) and scriptures must be subsequently read. The Veda says that these three stages must be done in sequence (Shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyaasitavyah).]
[The Veda says about these three stages elsewhere also (Vedanta vijnaana sunishchitaarthaah). Vedanta means hearing knowledge from Guru with subsequent reading the scripture. Vijnaana means logical analysis to be done. Sunishchitaarthaah means coming to correct conclusion. The Gita also speaks about these stages (Jnaatvaa kurvita…, Upadekshyanti…, Vimrushyaitat..., Dadaami buddhiyogam… etc.).]
[The very word Guru means removal of ignorance-darkness. Reading the scripture without the help of Guru is not safe. Even in the correspondence course, some classes are conducted by teachers now and then. Guru shall be always respected, who gives you the proper direction with the help of the scripture. You must support Guru with some offering in His worldly life so that He can have mental peace in delivering knowledge. When Rama approached sage Vasishtha for knowledge, the sage asked Rama to give some offering of money (Guru Dakshina) as seen in the Yogavaasistham (Dhanamaarjaya kaakutstha, Dhanamula midam jagat). This is the message given by Sai Baba also in asking everyone for offering of money.]
[The tape recorder-priest can’t be called as Guru since he is not removing the ignorance by preaching knowledge. He is only called as priest (purohita). In fact, he can’t be called as purohita also since this word means doing welfare in the future, which can be done only by giving right direction through true knowledge. This word can be used to him as a name without its meaning (Samjnaa). He is undeserving for any offering (Dakshinaa) since he is taking salary without doing his duty properly. Every priest must become preacher by spending all the time in learning knowledge of the Veda avoiding its blind recitation. The Gita also says that you must perform the ritual after getting knowledge (Jnaatvaa kurvita karmaani).]
[While doing discussions with others, everyone shall have the goal to find out the truth through debates that helps all by giving right direction. The idea of victory-defeat in debate is foolish since it is the hurdle for your spiritual progress. Before doing oral debates, discussions in writing are better especially in this Kali age because people do not have patience to listen the concept of the other side completely. They interfere in the middle and other side is sidetracked forgetting the rest part of its argument. After discussions through writing, oral debates can be done for more clarification. Court also invites written arguments first, to be followed by oral arguments. In the ancient times, writing technology was not much developed and people also had sufficient patience to hear the concept completely from the other side. Sage Narada says that oral argument should be avoided as far as possible (vaado naavalambyah).]
[Satguru is the preacher, who is the human incarnation of God like Krishna, Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, Mahaveera, Sai Baba, Paramahamsa etc. Satguru is not only the director of the path, but also, the goal of the path. Even then, you must analyze His preaching also since it is very difficult to recognize the real Satguru because a Guru also claims himself to be Satguru. Sat means God. Hence, Krishna asked Arjuna to analyze whatever preached by Him (Gita) before acceptance and subsequent implementation.]
[The starting point for both pravrutti and Nivrutti is the same human being existing on this earth called as Martyaloka, which is called as karmaloka having full freedom to follow any philosophy and to practise anything. Since the reduction of attraction to worldly bonds is the ultimate goal of pravrutti and since such reduction can be only obtained from the development of attraction to the bond with God called as Nivrutti, pravrutti has no separate significance because the starting point itself is development of attraction to the bond with God only. Thus, the starting point, path and the goal of pravrutti happened to be respectively the starting point, part of path and intermediate station of path of Nivrutti only. Therefore, all the subject discussed in the past five chapters is also the common subject of a part of the path of Nivrutti only. The worldly life must become a part of divine life.]
[The knowledge is related to three parts (triputi), which are:- 1) The aspirant to take the journey or knower, 2) The path of journey or knowledge and 3) The goal of journey or the object to be known.]
[The knower shall clearly know that he is neither the path to be travelled nor the goal to be achieved. If the knower is the path, the knower need not put any effort to do the journey and this means that the spiritual effort is useless. If the knower is the goal, then also, there is no need of the effort to be put for the spiritual journey because there is no separate goal to be achieved. This is the primary step, which is the knowledge of the aspirant of spiritual effort and this is the most essential pre-requisite.]
[The path of the journey is also different from the aspirant of journey so that the need of the effort to be put in travelling the path is fulfilled.]
[For the same reason of fulfilment of spiritual effort needed in the path of spiritual journey, the separate goal must be also accepted.]
[If you say that the aspirant is actually the goal and becomes different due to ignorance of the truth, simple reminding of the truth once shall open the eyes of the aspirant to realise the truth. Even if the truth is reminded for millions of times, the aspirant is not becoming the goal in practical sense, which is the attainment of the power of creation, control and destruction of this world. Does this mean that the God (goal) is so much ignorant that in spite of hectic efforts, God is not realising the truth? How can you call such ignorant God as the omniscient?]
[Such constant reminding from others or constantly memorising the said truth is not bringing even a trace of truth in practical sense. Even if a trace of realisation happens, the aspirant shall get at least a trace of the above said practical power of creation or control or destruction of this world. Even after constant memorisation throughout the life, the aspirant is unable to create at least an atom of matter or at least a ray of energy. The Brahmasutra says that God is not the soul due to impossibility (Netaronupapatteh).]
[By such constant memorisation, the aspirant-soul may become psychologically convinced mad person to think that he is God, which means that the achievement is only theoretical and not the practical truth. You may say that Shankara has attained miraculous powers through such philosophy. If it is so, you must also attain those miraculous powers by the same path propounded by Him. If one reached Delhi by a path, everyone shall reach Delhi by travelling in the same path.]
[Shankara obtained these miraculous powers from His very early childhood itself. Shankara, while starting learning the alphabets spoke spontaneous poems, each poem starting with each alphabet (Akshara Maalikaa Stotram)! As a five year old child, He brought the rain of gold fruits sympathising the poverty of a house hold lady! We don’t see the prior proof of His long memorisation to attain such miraculous powers. He obtained the goal in practical sense as soon as He was born and did not perform this effort for even a small span of time to become God in practical sense. If you say that any soul is practically God from birth itself, every soul should get the miraculous powers as soon as he is born or at least in the early part of childhood itself as applicable to the case of Shankara.]
[This clearly means that Shankara did not practically become God due to any effort in the child hood and He was God from the birth itself. If the soul is really the God, every soul shall be a born God because omniscient God can never be captured by ignorance especially about Himself! But, this concept is not observed in the case of any soul born on earth. At least, even the lifelong memorisation is not transforming the soul into God.]
[This clearly means that a specific selected soul is only becoming God since God merged with the soul due to His will to do so for a specific programme for wefare of humanity. Such a probability alone proves that a specific soul becomes God not by any long spiritual effort done in this life. Such a specific concept cannot be extended to every soul. Such a transformation of soul into God by the will of God does not require a pre-requisite spiritual effort practised even before the childhood, which is practically impossible. The spiritual effort done in the previous births can make the soul to stand in the list of eligible souls for human incarnation. The will of God alone shall be the actual reason for such transformation of a selected specific soul to become God. Shankara also made this point clear (Eshvaraanugrahaadeva).]
[The reason for Shankara to say that every soul is God must have been due to the then existing external atmosphere of atheists like Purvamimaamsakas and Buddhists. Affected by ego and jealousy towards co-human beings, an atheist will never agree that a specific human soul is transformed into God. He shall agree to the existence of God only if you say that every human soul is God. In such case, the atheist will say that God exists since he is the God. Nobody negates the existence of self. By this trick, Shankara made every atheist to accept the existence of God.]
[He clearly proved that He alone is God by swallowing the molten lead (Shivah Kevaloham). One day before, all His disciples drank wine claiming that everybody is God (Shivoham), following the drinking of wine by Shankara. The words ‘Kevaloham’ clearly mean that He alone is God.]
[A scholar is always worried about the expression of truth only, irrespective of the digestion power of the disciples. A preacher is always worried about the next immediate welfare of the disciples even by twisting the truth. If we understand Shankara as a preacher, we can follow the background of such twisted philosophy.]
[Some clever disciples took that everything other than God is non-existent and hence, the miraculous power of God is also non-existent, which can’t be the real characteristic of real God. Shankara passed through the bolted doors proving the non-existence of creation. But, that clever disciple was unable to pass through the bolted doors! The word ‘Mithyaa’ proposed by Shankara was misunderstood as only non-existence of creation. It actually means non-existence for God and simultaneous existence for the soul since soul is a part and parcel of the creation.]
[The actual practical aim of Shankara was that the atheist doing all sorts of sins due to lack of fear for non-existent God and His non-existent hell, will stop doing sins if he is said to be God and the world is non-existent before him. Shankara expected that the atheist will maintain the supreme dignity of God by not doing any sin especially when the entire world is non-existent before him. If such real reformation comes to the soul due to this philosophy, even God is prepared to register the soul as the real God! But, the followers took this philosophy in wrong direction and started doing more sins, which are felt by them as not true since the world is non-existent and since the omnipotent God can’t be punished for any untrue sin! Instead of expected positive result, unexpected negative result is seen.]
[Hence, Ramanuja condemned the followers of Shankara and never condemned Shankara because God Shiva (Shankara) and God Vishnu (Ramanuja) are one and the same.]
[Both have shut down the absolute phase of unimaginable God in which creation is non-existent along with souls and opened always the relative plane in which the world is existent with respect to the soul being the part of creation. He started with the energetic incarnation or unimaginable God mediated by energetic form and hence, creation becomes real with respect to the mediated God (with reference to His medium with which absolute God is identified) since the medium of God is inert energy being the component of creation. By this, the world and hell become existent and superior mediated God punishing the soul for sins rectifies the misinterpretations of souls, which make them more sinners.]
[Understanding the pain in sudden fall of psychology of soul from the highest position of God to the lowest position of non-God, Ramanuja created an intermediate state by saying that soul is an inseparable part of God. This, again, must be understood as the background of the psychology of external atmosphere and soul shall not be taken as the true part of absolute God. If soul is a part of God, at least, a part of miraculous power shall be seen in soul as inherent property. Statement saying that soul is a part of God is just to wipe the tears of ego of devotees. By this, Ramanuja restored the spiritual efforts of a soul to attain the grace of God and controlled the followers of Shankara from becoming more sinners due to twisting of concept.]
[At last, Madhva brought the total dualism between God and soul so that the ego of the soul is totally washed out after a long span of time. However, Madhva maintained the common nature of awareness between soul and God and this point came from both Shankara and Ramanuja so that the ego of the disciple is not totally hurt.]
[Monism, intermediate state between monism and dualism and perfect dualism are established by the three divine preachers keeping the common point that both God and soul are made of awareness. This only means that both God and soul have the common point of awareness (knowledge of object) since both are awareness with perfect oneness (Shankara) or inseparable dualism (Ramanuja) or perfect dualism (Madhva). Shankara took absolute plane and said that absolute God alone exists. Ramanuja and Madhva took relative plane only with mediated God showing inseparable difference and total difference with the soul respectively.]
[Today, Datta Swami takes the unimaginable God from absolute plane and the imaginable soul from relative plane and says that there is no possibility of even trace of similarity between unimaginable and imaginable entities. The awareness of unimaginable God is also unimaginable and the awareness of imaginable soul is also imaginable. Due to the absence of materialised nervous system and inert energy in the unimaginable God, either the knower or the process of knowing is totally unimaginable. Only the objects of creation to be known are common to both God and soul. In the case of soul, its body contains materialised nervous system and inert energy and hence, the knower in brain and process of knowing in nervous system are imaginable. The only common point between God and soul is that both recognise the existence of the objects of creation. This cannot be any substantial similarity. Even the fruits of knowledge of objects are totally different because God is omniscient and soul knows little only, that too by the grace of God only.]
[Awareness in brain can be taken as subject (knower) and awareness in nerves connected to senses can be taken for the process of knowing (Jnanam). As far as the basic awareness is concerned, there is no difference between knower and knowledge. However, based on functional difference, difference arises like energy in grinding work and energy in cutting work, which are same basic energy, but, different by functions. Knowledge is the process of passing on the information to the brain after collecting it. Knower is the receiving centre of this knowledge of objects.]
[In the self-knowledge knower, knowledge and the object to be known are merged with each other to become a single entity called as mere awareness. This is useful to detach the knower represented by ‘I’ from the body to the awareness. Gaining self is neither profit nor loss since it is continuation of the present state only. But, by this correct self-knowledge, the super imposition of ‘I’ on body is removed so that the subject (soul) is relieved from the problems of body (including mind) and from the problems of worldly bonds related to the body. Gaining correct self-knowledge has tremendous use, but, after gaining the correct self-knowledge, there is no further use. Hence, we say that there is no profit or loss by gaining correct self-knowledge. Shankara stressed on this since the soul should be free from worldly problems and sins to concentrate on God. The Gita also stressed on this self knowledge in the beginning chapter itself. Shankara spoke of monism of these three as one awareness in the context of self-knowledge only and this should not be extended when God is the object to be known, who is other than self.]
[When the object is other than self, subject and object are vividly different. The effort put in the process of knowing the object is much required, which doesn’t exist in self-knowledge. Hence, in the case of knowing different object, the process of knowing is qualified with special effort and hence the knower and knowledge are not one and the same. By this, in the case of knowing a different object, all the three (subject or kartaa, object or karma and process or kriyaa) are different. Hence, effort to know God must be put since self is not God. In self-knowledge, there is no need of effort in the process since all the three become one only.]
[If your aim is relief (moksha) from worldly tensions caused by the fruits of sins, the attraction towards worldly bonds related to your body must be decreased, which are the causes for doing sins. If you withdraw the knower from the body and confine the knower to awareness in brain only, this can be achieved. By such withdrawal from body, the attractions of bonds related to body are decreased and sins are controlled. This is the goal of Pravrutti and self-knowledge is the medicine prepared by Shankara for such achievement. Unless the intermediate station (goal of pravrutti) is achieved, further journey to the goal of Nivrutti is not possible since Pravrutti is the initial part of Nivrutti only.]
[The human beings to be preached are atheists in the time Shankara. There is no other way than to tell that soul is God to convert atheist in to theist. Hence, the knower with whom the ‘I’ is to be attached is said to be God. Here, the word ‘God’ means the ultimate goal to be achieved in each effort. If you are climbing from first step to second step, the second step is your God, which means that the second step is your ultimate goal of your present effort. Brahman means greatest and the second step is your greatest ultimate goal in this context. Every goal to be achieved can be kept as the highest goal for the sake of total concentration in that effort confined to that context. Without understanding this, people started thinking that the second step is the final ultimate 100th step or the real God. Shankara is thus misunderstood and this misunderstanding was allowed by Shankara for the sake of atheists.]
[Such withdrawal from visible–imaginable gross body towards invisible-imaginable self is the initial rehearsal for the final withdrawal from visible-invisible imaginable creation (including body and self) towards invisible-unimaginable God. In this concept, simile and metaphor can be applied. This means: soul is like God and body is like the world in simile. In metaphor, we can say that soul is God and body (Pindanda) is world (Brahmanda). Shankara opted for metaphor to mislead atheists for their welfare only. If Shankara told soul is like God, atheist will not be attracted.]
[Such required selection of metaphor by Shankara in His time for the sake of atheists, is spoiling theists today also, who don’t proceed further to achieve the goal of Nivrutti. The chocolate was given to the kid going to LKG class. But, the same kid after growing to the level of PG student is also going to the University only after getting the chocolate! The reason for this misfortune is the strong attraction towards the chocolate impressed in his brain!]
[Another misfortune is that this attraction created by metaphor didn’t yield good results in many followers of Shankara. These followers started smoking, drinking and many other sins thinking that they are the absolute supreme God, who is beyond punishment. Apart from telling that soul is God (thinking that the soul will not do sins keeping the highest dignity of God), Shankara told also that this world is unreal (thinking that the soul will not be attracted to the unreal world and will avoid unreal sins).This second point is brought from the concept of absolute plane. This point is also twisted and the followers started doing any sin since the sin, a part of this world is also unreal. Shankara warned that the punishment given to the soul must be also treated as unreal because if the elephant coming towards you is unreal, your running away must be also treated as unreal!]
[The presence of such attraction even in theists today, even after a long span of time passed after Shankara, is based on the point that one is already the highest supreme God and there is no trace of effort except that one shall just know this truth! What can be stronger attraction than this? Such strongest attraction was required for atheists having strongest rigidity!]
[Due to such strongest attraction, everybody is reluctant to admit even the basic point that how the omniscient God is captured by such simple self-ignorance, which is possible only in the case of a full drunkard! To preach this point only, Datta appears as drunkard to us and Datta appeared as drunkard to Shankara also, who proposed this point!!! Datta is indirectly speaking that since omniscient God got this simplest ignorance and since such ignorance can be attained only by drinking wine, God Datta appears as drunkard. When Shankara told Him to go away, it means that this point should go away since it is not really meant by Shankara. Even an ordinary human being never gets this simplest self-ignorance!]
[Shankara was very much aware of this side reaction of His medicine. Hence, He told that one will not become God (by reminding and even by lifelong memorization of the concept that I am God) unless God is worshipped to get His grace (Esvaraanugrahaadeva). This is the antidote given for the side reaction. Now, by this, one can’t question Shankara that why he is not becoming God even after knowing that he is God or even after memorizing the concept lifelong? The disciples drank wine thinking that it is unreal. Shankara drank molten lead since the entire world is unreal. For God (Shankara) only world is unreal and for souls (disciples) world is real. He clearly declared that He alone is God (kevaloham).]
[Hence, Ramanuja condemned the followers of Shankara and never spoke any word against Shankara. In the criticism, He used the word Shaankara (follower of Shankara) and not Shankara. This point is also misunderstood by the followers of Ramanuja, who argue against Shankara. The preacher and follower are human beings, but, are totally different in knowledge. Diamond and Charcoal are made of the same carbon, but, former is bright and latter is black due to difference in the crystal structure. Quarrel is always between charcoals and not between diamonds!]
[If you confine Shankara to absolute plane only (even though He explained both planes) and Ramanuja to relative plane (He stuck to relative plane only), in each plane oneness can be observed. In the absolute plane, only one unimaginable God exists since the world is unreal here. In the relative plane, mediated God, soul and inert world are equally real and made of one imaginable fundamental cosmic energy (the root inert energy created by unimaginable God in the beginning is called as cosmic energy) only. Soul is nervous energy and is a specific work form of cosmic energy only. Matter in the world is also a form of cosmic energy. Thus, you find homogenous oneness in the fundamental material of relative plane. The mediated God is also cosmic energy provided you analyse carefully. This mediated God contains two items only: 1) Unimaginable God and 2) Medium in the form of energy, matter and awareness as found in the body of incarnations. Since unimaginable God identifies totally with the incarnated medium, the medium itself is to be taken as God. Ramanuja took Narayana as mediated God and God Narayana is taken as energetic medium (energy & awareness). Now you can find equal reality between mediated God (medium), soul and rest of world due to homogeneity of single imaginable material called as cosmic energy. But, Ramanuja brought the difference also between God and soul due to unimaginable power of merged unimaginable God in the mediated God. Shankara took only the unimaginable God in the absolute plane for a special purpose in preaching atheists. Thus, there is no trace of difference between Shankara and Ramanuja. Madhva is not different from Ramanuja in these aspects.]