Viveka Means Learning To Discriminate
The 'Prashnottara Ratna Malika by Adi Shankra contains precise, profound answers to equally short, found questions: "Who is the truly elligent?"The sage replies, "Viveka"- e who is endowed with the power of scrimination. The question, "Who is vigilant?" evokes the same answer. Viveka is the human faculty that ables one to discriminate between the al and unreal, the eternal and epheeral, Shreya, the good and preya, the easant. It is wisdom crystallised by tsang, holy company, and svadhyaya, day of scriptures made possible by ntemplation on Brahmn Chintana, Osolute Reality. Viveka comes naturally a prodigy as the result of prarabdha rma, righteous actions in past life. The Katha Upanishad compares the eIf of man to the Supreme seated a chariot, with the body as chariot, telex as charioteer, mind as reins, nses as horses, and sense objects as the road along which the chariot is driven. The unbridled horse can drive the chariot on a perilous journey. However, the one who has discriminative intellect can direct the senses with the reins of the mind, to attain self-control and purify consciousness. Viveka helps one to find release from the cycle of birth and death. It also cultivates bhakti, reverence for the Supreme Reality which is at the root of the phenomenal world. With discriminative cognition one realises that the objective existence of name and form is maya, a delusion. The sole reality is the witness to the phenomena called Brahmn in its macroscopic form and Atman in its microcosmic manifestation. Brahmn is eternal, immutable and self-existent. Yet, in its conditioned state, it is mobile and subject to change. Brahmn is unaffected by individual actions, bodily changes, states of mind, time, space and causation. The growth of viveka in a person undergoes three stages: inquisitiveness, jnanadiptih or inner illumination and viveka-khyati, totalawareness of Reality. Without discriminative discernment, the individualentangles himself in mundane pursuits-his consciousness gets stuck in the chakras, lower nerve plexuses-muladhara, svadhishthana and manipura-and fails to moveupward towards sahasrara, the cranial psychic force centre, the "thousand-petalled lotus" signifying illumination. Muladhara is at the base of the spine; svadhishthana is in the sacral area and manipura in the navel region. The light of viveka removes the fog of avidya, nescience, annihilates ahamkara, ego, raga-dvesha, feelings of attraction and repulsion and vasana, subtledesires and helps one to get established in one's true divine nature. With viveka one can perceive the cosmic Self in the individual self, the 068cosmicmind inthe individual mind acosmic consciousness in indívidual consciousness. As the spiritualaspirasheds his finite individuality to be withe infinite being he ceases to do ignoble deeds and is filled with love ancompassion for others. He realises the unity of existence and finds theworldaround as his own Self magnified. The power of discrimination can maximised by controlling manomayakosha, mind sheath, and empowering the vijnanamayakosha,the intellectsheath, in the subtle human body. Thican be done by cultivating the habito deep breathing for better control ovensense organs, associating with noblepeople, observing regulation in eatinand sleeping, practising silence, andremaining detached.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Satish K Kapoor 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 : Satish K Kapoor Speaking Tree,Times of India
Viveka Means Learning To Discriminate
The 'Prashnottara Ratna Malika by Adi Shankra contains precise, profound answers to equally short, found questions: "Who is the truly elligent?"The sage replies, "Viveka"- e who is endowed with the power of scrimination. The question, "Who is vigilant?" evokes the same answer. Viveka is the human faculty that ables one to discriminate between the al and unreal, the eternal and epheeral, Shreya, the good and preya, the easant. It is wisdom crystallised by tsang, holy company, and svadhyaya, day of scriptures made possible by ntemplation on Brahmn Chintana, Osolute Reality. Viveka comes naturally a prodigy as the result of prarabdha rma, righteous actions in past life. The Katha Upanishad compares the eIf of man to the Supreme seated a chariot, with the body as chariot, telex as charioteer, mind as reins, nses as horses, and sense objects as the road along which the chariot is driven. The unbridled horse can drive the chariot on a perilous journey. However, the one who has discriminative intellect can direct the senses with the reins of the mind, to attain self-control and purify consciousness. Viveka helps one to find release from the cycle of birth and death. It also cultivates bhakti, reverence for the Supreme Reality which is at the root of the phenomenal world. With discriminative cognition one realises that the objective existence of name and form is maya, a delusion. The sole reality is the witness to the phenomena called Brahmn in its macroscopic form and Atman in its microcosmic manifestation. Brahmn is eternal, immutable and self-existent. Yet, in its conditioned state, it is mobile and subject to change. Brahmn is unaffected by individual actions, bodily changes, states of mind, time, space and causation. The growth of viveka in a person undergoes three stages: inquisitiveness, jnanadiptih or inner illumination and viveka-khyati, totalawareness of Reality. Without discriminative discernment, the individualentangles himself in mundane pursuits-his consciousness gets stuck in the chakras, lower nerve plexuses-muladhara, svadhishthana and manipura-and fails to moveupward towards sahasrara, the cranial psychic force centre, the "thousand-petalled lotus" signifying illumination. Muladhara is at the base of the spine; svadhishthana is in the sacral area and manipura in the navel region. The light of viveka removes the fog of avidya, nescience, annihilates ahamkara, ego, raga-dvesha, feelings of attraction and repulsion and vasana, subtledesires and helps one to get established in one's true divine nature. With viveka one can perceive the cosmic Self in the individual self, the 068cosmicmind inthe individual mind acosmic consciousness in indívidual consciousness. As the spiritualaspirasheds his finite individuality to be withe infinite being he ceases to do ignoble deeds and is filled with love ancompassion for others. He realises the unity of existence and finds theworldaround as his own Self magnified. The power of discrimination can maximised by controlling manomayakosha, mind sheath, and empowering the vijnanamayakosha,the intellectsheath, in the subtle human body. Thican be done by cultivating the habito deep breathing for better control ovensense organs, associating with noblepeople, observing regulation in eatinand sleeping, practising silence, andremaining detached.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Satish K Kapoor 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 : Satish K Kapoor Speaking Tree,Times of India