Ironic Awareness Is Vital For A Spiritual Aspirant
Ironic awareness means being aware of the irony and paradox of life, at the existential level as well as in matters of everyday life. This phrase originated as a term of literary criticism. In the context of spirituality, ironic awareness enables one to live life robustly, knowing well that we live in the shadow of death; to respect money, knowing fully that it can be the root of misery; to enjoy the world, despite knowing that the world is an illusion. It involves understanding the play of maya and being amused by it, rather than being overwhelmed by it, in happy as much as in unhappy events. Adi Shankaracharya prayed to the Lord: "О Lord! Pardon my three sins: I have in contem- plation clothed in form Thyself without form; I have in praise described Thee who transcends all qualities; and in visiting shrines I have ignored Thy omnipresence". The acharya was not apologising for past errors; he was only illustrating his ironic awareness as part of training of disciples. Shankara, who established unqualified monism (advaita), also scripted hymns to regional deities like Annapurneshwari in Kashi. Ironic awareness is different from hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is rooted in falsehood and cunning; ironic awareness is rooted in truth and wisdom. It is different from cynicism. Oscar Wilde described a cynic as one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Ironic awareness is to know the value of everything and the price of nothing. Conflict among various sects arises essentially because of a lack of ironic awareness. A classic case perhaps is belief in God as the formless (nirguna upasaka), and God with form (saguna upasaka). Both can be equally wrong and steeped in ignorance. Swearing by God with a specific, exclusive form inhibits the mind. To insist too narrowly on the formless can also inhibit the mind. The 'formless' itself becomes a form. A spiritual aspirant must train to seе and appreciate equally diverse points of view. Such appreciation must rise from informed perception. Another subtle case of con flict rises whenever votaries of bhakti, jnana and karma attempt to pursue one to the exclusion of the other. For a robust mind, that is, a mind strong in ironic awareness, there is no conflict whatsoever in the above instances, because he can "see One in Many and Many in One". Such a mind answers the description of the person "who does not trouble the world and who is not troubled by it". Ironic awareness can be easily defined as the state of being able to see both sides of a coin. This, however, is only partly right. Ironic awareness is the ability to reconcile in an informed, instinctive way the opposite sides of the coin, so as to be able to see both sides in each side. This involves perceiving the essential unity even as you wonder at and enjoy the diversity. Inclusive perception comes from a habit of multidirectional, cross-directional sympathy. This is the essence of universal love. This requires a high-resolution vision-outer and the inner- functioning in sync and capable of seeing into the heart of every matter.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are KS RAM and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: KS RAM and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Ironic Awareness Is Vital For A Spiritual Aspirant
Ironic awareness means being aware of the irony and paradox of life, at the existential level as well as in matters of everyday life. This phrase originated as a term of literary criticism. In the context of spirituality, ironic awareness enables one to live life robustly, knowing well that we live in the shadow of death; to respect money, knowing fully that it can be the root of misery; to enjoy the world, despite knowing that the world is an illusion. It involves understanding the play of maya and being amused by it, rather than being overwhelmed by it, in happy as much as in unhappy events. Adi Shankaracharya prayed to the Lord: "О Lord! Pardon my three sins: I have in contem- plation clothed in form Thyself without form; I have in praise described Thee who transcends all qualities; and in visiting shrines I have ignored Thy omnipresence". The acharya was not apologising for past errors; he was only illustrating his ironic awareness as part of training of disciples. Shankara, who established unqualified monism (advaita), also scripted hymns to regional deities like Annapurneshwari in Kashi. Ironic awareness is different from hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is rooted in falsehood and cunning; ironic awareness is rooted in truth and wisdom. It is different from cynicism. Oscar Wilde described a cynic as one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Ironic awareness is to know the value of everything and the price of nothing. Conflict among various sects arises essentially because of a lack of ironic awareness. A classic case perhaps is belief in God as the formless (nirguna upasaka), and God with form (saguna upasaka). Both can be equally wrong and steeped in ignorance. Swearing by God with a specific, exclusive form inhibits the mind. To insist too narrowly on the formless can also inhibit the mind. The 'formless' itself becomes a form. A spiritual aspirant must train to seе and appreciate equally diverse points of view. Such appreciation must rise from informed perception. Another subtle case of con flict rises whenever votaries of bhakti, jnana and karma attempt to pursue one to the exclusion of the other. For a robust mind, that is, a mind strong in ironic awareness, there is no conflict whatsoever in the above instances, because he can "see One in Many and Many in One". Such a mind answers the description of the person "who does not trouble the world and who is not troubled by it". Ironic awareness can be easily defined as the state of being able to see both sides of a coin. This, however, is only partly right. Ironic awareness is the ability to reconcile in an informed, instinctive way the opposite sides of the coin, so as to be able to see both sides in each side. This involves perceiving the essential unity even as you wonder at and enjoy the diversity. Inclusive perception comes from a habit of multidirectional, cross-directional sympathy. This is the essence of universal love. This requires a high-resolution vision-outer and the inner- functioning in sync and capable of seeing into the heart of every matter.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are KS RAM and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: KS RAM and Speaking Tree,Times of India