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A Handbook of Hindu Pantheism - Sreemut Vidyaranya Swami, 1899 - Complete Book

English

273 it is a golden truth, that results follow according to the nature of the mind—(subject thought of).* 1rq. Earnestness of the mind destroys both good and bad works as mentioned in the Srufi and Smriff, “As fire des- troys in a blaze the filaments of cotton which crown the tops of certain reeds, 30 does knowledge, all de-merit.” “ All sins are removed by meditating on BranMa in the fourth quarter of night.” A person with contentment of mind sees Brana in Self and exclaims, “Thatam 1;” and experiences ineffable bliss. 1r5. Just as in ordinary persons wanting in self-knowledge, the mind is apt to be drawn away by sensuous objects; if a like attachment to Bram would take place, where is the individual that would not be freed from consecutive re-births ? 116, Mind is either pure or impure; these are its two Impurity results from passions and desires, and purity, in their exclusion. 117. Mind is the cause of metempsychosis and emancte pation. Attachment to material objects (temporal enjoyments) is the source of bondage, as its reverse,—emancipation. 118. That happiness which results from the practice of profound meditation, when the mind cured of its blemishes and throughly restrained, firmly rests in Self is so uncommon that it is impossible to be described, but capable of being realized by the mind. 119, Though profound meditation cannot last infinitely yet during its stay for short periods (of which there is no im- possibility) the felicity of Self is ascertained. ® Just as pure water appears colored blue from the color present in its associate; so is the mind—a product of the good quality of the five elements—converted into the shape of the object thought of; therefore when a person is constantly thinking that he is Five, his mind is modified, accordingly; similarly, "I am Iswara” results from the thought of non-difference between Self and Branma, And the results are different too. 274 PANCHADAS!. 120. The reason why @ person of faith, bent after the practice of profound meditation, always experiences that feli- city of Brauma, is because after having once ascertained it [while in his meditation) he is led to believe in its continued presence at other times too—when he rises from his medita- tion. 121, So does he, during the condition of indifference dis. carding ali impressions of felicity, contemplate on the primary or chief blissfulness of Self, 123. Just as a profligate woman, even in the midst of her household work, mentally dwells on the pleasure experienced in company with her lover : 123. Does a man of faith, with tranquil mind, believing in the Reality of Self, internally taste the supreme felicity of Branma, even in the midst of the usual practices feating, etc.,]. 124 ‘Tranquil mind,’ is thus explained :— To turn the senses away from their several subjects and to restrain them with a predominating desire of finding out the natural felicity of Self. 125. Like @ person carrying a heavy load on his head, finding rest by easing himself of [and depositing it on the ground], one, who has discarded the world and cat off all con- nections with it and its goods, exclaims ‘Now I am at rest.” Such @ modification of the intellect is expressed by the afore- said word ‘faith.’ 136. Just as a petson who has found out rest in the manner above explained is bent after the enjoyment of that one and primary blissininess of Self during the condition of indifference ; so does be diligently attend to it, even in the midst of happiness and misery which follows as a result of his fructeseent works. 127, Just a8 one bent after immediate self-destruction in fire, considers dsess and ornaments which cause delay in carrying it out as his enemy; 80 does a person of discrimina- PANCHADASI. 275 tion in quest of self-knowledge consider temporal enjoymenta inimical to him, and find them all faulty. 128. But in respect to those other enjoyments not inimi- eal to Self, and the exquisite felicity naturally belonging to him, he is found to take hold of them by his intellect one after another ; just as the crow uses its eyes. 129. That is to sav, as the sight of a crow is influenced by one eye at a time, so that when the left eye sees, the right does not, and vice versa; similarly does the intellect of a man of discrimination take hold of one set of enjoyments; for which it is said to come and go between them, one after another. 130. A knower of Self enjoying such happiness proceed- Ing from material objects not inimical to ‘im, and the felicity of Branma ascertainable by means of the utterances of the Upanishads, knows both of them, as much, as are they known by persons acquainted with the popular and Vedic languages. 131. The same cause which enables a man of discrimi- nation to experience or know both material and Branmaic felicities, prevents him from being affected with any misery that may fall to his sbare ag a result of fractescent works subs sequent to knowledge, as he used to be, ere gnosis had arisen. In short, even in the midst of misery his perception of the blissfulness of Self remains unimpeded, just as by immersing half the body in water one feels both cold and hot at the same time. 132, As in wakefulness, he experiences that Baanmaic felicity constantly, so in dreams too it is ever present: for dreams are a product of impression of objects seen while awake. 133. Impression of ignorance is also a source of dream ; hence in common with the ignorant, a theosophist experiences both happiness and misery in dream—a product of the im- pression of ignorance. 276 PANCHADASI. To sam up then :-— The present treatise Yogananda forms the first chapter of BranxaNanns ; it deals on the discovery of the blissfulness of Self as experienced by a Yogi, for which it is called the Dlissfulness of ‘ mental restraint.’ SECTION XII. (8). Atmananda, or The Blissfulness of Selj. Havine in the previous section; described the experience of felicity by a person of discrimination following mental res- traint; this one will deal with the blissfulness of Self as cogniaed by an enquirer of self-knowledge with dull intellect, through the consideration of the word ‘Thou.’ With this purpose the author now begins with an explanation of the query set by his pupil:—Let those who practise Joga, experience the blissfulness of Self as something over and above the impressional and Branxasc felicities, but how would it fare with persons of dull intellect ? 2. And the Guru replies :— Persons of duil intellect are not qualified for self-know- ledge. From the force of good and bad works they inherit bodies according to their deserts, to die and be born over and over. Hence there is no necessity for ascertaining what becomes of them, 3. If it be said, kindness'of @ professor to all creatures is proverbial, and that actuates him to impart the necessary instruction to those seeking for knowledge, hence there is already a necessity, [The professor now enquires:] Say then, whether that person of dull intellect is an enquier of self-knowledge or averse to it ? 4. Ifhe is averse to enquire after self-knowledge, he should practise adequate works and worship; {one desirous of obtaining the abode of Brakmd should have recourse to worship ; and works are necessary for him who desires the abode of heaven]. If he is an enquirer, with intellect dull, he should be instracted by the door of self-blissfulness—in short, by the consideration that his individual blissfulnees is no other but Branwa: 278 PANCHADASI. s. As set forth by Yaywavateya in his discourse with his wife Marrrryi.—* Know my dear, that husband is not dear for the sake of husband’s enjoyment ;” but because he contri- butes to the happiness of the wife. 6. Husband, wife, wealth, horse and cattle, Brakmana, Kshetriya ; the several abodes—heaven, etc; Deva, Vedas, and the elements—earth and the rest ; in short all objects of enjoy~ ment are dear because they are beneficial to Sulf, 7. When a wife is desirous of her ‘husband, she loves him ; and when he is hungry, or otherwise employed, or con- fined in bed with sickness, he desires her not. 8. Therefore it is evident, that the love which a wife bears to her husband is not for his sake, but for her self- gratification; in the same way does the husband express his fondness for her only for the gratification of his desire and not for her sake, 9. But it may be contended, let their individual desire be the incentive for one liking the other, how is it possible for both of them being actuated by the same desire at one time? Sorely if self-gratific-tion were concerned in it, that would render such desire being present in one and absent in the other, To this the reply is,—both are actuated by the grati- fication of their individual desires, 1o, For example, a child kissed by the father cries with pain caused by the beard pressing against its cheek; yet instead of desisting he vuntinues his kisses not for ,ratifying the child but for his own sake. 11, Gems and wealth have no desire of their own, yet a Person protects them with care and affection, not for their sake, bat for his own benefit. 12. Bullocks and other beasts of burden are never. desirous of carrying any burden, yet they are so used by waders. Here the subject of affection for carrying weight is the tradesman’s and not the beast’s. PANCHADASI. 299 13. “Iam a Brakmena, and qualified to worsbip.” ‘Whatever contentment follows from worship done with a motive of reward, can only be felt by a Brakmana who has the above conceit for his caste ; but caste (which is insentient) can never have any such experience of contentment. 14. “I am a Xsheirtya and that is why I am a ruler.