The first characteristic of human life is education, which is a must for one and all. Without education, man is no better than other animals of subhuman nature. Education imparts experience, experience of one's own inner nature and outer nature as well as that of others with whom one has living relationship.
The experience that man acquires through education is solely objective, hence manifold. Objective knowledge is essentially needed for relative process of life. But that cannot solve all problems of life. Objective nature gets refined and wider when it is resolved into subjective experience. Subjective experience, even though superior and wider than the objective one, is also of mixed nature, i.e. conditioned and limited by Bhava or ideas of heterogeneous nature. Therefore, it is not perfect or reliable.
Objective experience in ordinary life is conducted by the subjective one which in accordance with its characteristic features of various degrees, is found among the men of technical professions. Such experience par-excellence terminates in proficiency. Yet there is want of perfection. The education that imparts perfection and realization is inherent in man. It is not the result of his intellectual exercise, but is the true nature of his inmost Being or Self which is infinite, eternal and spontaneous, of ever-revealing homogeneous nature.
The need of education is felt by human mind, not by other lives. In other lives, i.e. in animals and the rest, in place of education, what is found is their natural instinct and impulse which are conditioned and limited according to their constitutional nature. Only in human life the need of education is felt owing to man’s constitutional nature which is more developed and delicate in character. Besides this, owing to his developed inner nature, his willing and thinking faculty together with enjoying tendency, all these nature born qualities grow in such a manner that they become the ruling constituents of his nature. That is why man prompted by his inner nature wills to do, wills to know and wills to enjoy according to his desire.
The threefold desire of man, such as willing, thinking and enjoying, is found to not be equal in all men. This threefold desire is differently known as conation or volition, cognition or appreciation and emotion or devotion. Some are born with conational nature, some with cognitional nature and some are born with devotional nature. Very few are born with mixed nature of either of the two or of the three. Either of these aspires to grow and develop in accordance with its complete and perfect nature for which it requires prompt and proper training or education. Without that it cannot properly develop.
Men of volitional nature, according to their constitutional qualities, are mainly of three grades, viz. Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic. Similarly men of both cognitional and devotional nature are also of three grades, viz. Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic. Men of volitional nature with predominating Tamas are mostly found among the labor class, daily-wage earners and soldiers, military men with proper training; those with predominating Rajas are found among the skilled men, technicians, engineers, social reformers and politicians, etc.; and those with predominating Sattva are found among the Hatayogis and Rajayogis. Those of cognitional nature with predominating Tamas are found among pundits, scholars and littérateurs, etc.; those with predominating Rajas are found among philosophers, poets and scientists, etc.; and those with predominating Sattva are found among the spiritual seekers, Jnanayogis--- sages, seers and realizers. Men of devotional nature with predominating Tamas are found among sensualists, dancers and artistes of all branches; those with predominating Rajas are found among musicians and Sadhakas, etc.; and those with predominating Sattva are found among Bhaktas, Premiks and devotee-lovers of God or Self.
Education provides us with experience and knowledge in general sense. In life what we learn at first, i.e. what we acquire as education is objective knowledge (knowledge of object). We are born and brought up in outer nature called Prakriti. This Prakriti, constituted of three ingredients, namely Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which together with five basic elements (Pancha Sthula Bhut), viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether, builds up the gross visible universe of form, name and idea. In fact, the gross panoramic universe is the open playground of Prakriti, This Prakriti characterizes only predominating Tamas associated with Rajas and Sattva in proportionate degrees. Prakriti is not free and independent by itself. It is the outer expression or manifestation of inner subtle nature called Swabhava which is constituted of the reflection of Consciousness Itself. The Consciousness Itself is verily the central nature of creation called Swabodha or Divine Self (Real I) which is the source of both inner nature Swabhava and outer nature Prakriti. Inner nature Swabhava constitutes the Jeevahood or living beings of innumerable varieties with their respective body or form as their outer nature. Jeeva as individual life is manifold . Of them the human being is the highest and superior to all the rest. Man is also of various diversified characters. They are classified in three groups, viz. Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic. Each of them has specific characteristics of nature according to their inner constitution, Swabhava, which for its integral development, progress and betterment, has to struggle against the self-contradictory environmental conditions and limitations of Gunas and Bhavas of both inner and outer nature.
The inner nature Swabhava is manifestation of the central nature Swabodha. Outer nature Prakriti is ruled by inner nature Swabhava which is again ruled by Swabodha. The entire creation (Jeeva-Jagat) is the manifestation of central nature Swabodhatma which is the Lord of both Jeeva and Jagat. Swabodhatma, the central nature, is also the manifestation of the transcendental nature called the Brahman/Atman, the Godhead Absolute. Brahman/Atman, the Supreme Godhead, is of the nature of Saccidananda Absolute. This Saccidananda, though a unity of three distinct words, Sat-Cit-Ananda, is in reality the True One homogeneous nature designated as Brahman/Atman, the Absolute Reality. Of Divine Saccidananda---Sat is Existence Absolute, Cit is Consciousness Absolute and Ananda is Bliss Absolute. Either of these three signifies the other two also. That is the beauty and reality of the Supreme Divine Self or the Absolute Brahman/ Atman of the Infinite and the Eternal One of homogeneous nature.
The real existence of Divine Self is all pervading. Hence, not a single individual expression or manifestation, either of inner nature or of outer nature of Divine Self, is excluded from the Divine Existence and Light (Consciousness). The whole matter is a unique network of the Divine Mind.
Though the Self Divine is of homogeneous nature, all manifestations of Its inner and outer nature, i.e. Swabhava and Prakriti, are of heterogeneous nature which characterizes the differences and contradictions with one another. That is why all kinds of manifestations of both Swabhava and Prakriti are considered in appearance as non-self. It cannot be understood by Jeeva which is of Swabhava by nature, conditioned and limited by Prakriti. Even though Jeeva Swabhava is no other than Swabodha or Divine Self in reality, owing to its constitutional limitations and conditions caused by its self-generated lower nature, it cannot realize it’s True Nature/the Divine Self of ever-perfect, immortal and homogeneous character. Apparently, Jeevas are found to be manifold and diversified in nature of heterogeneous characteristics. Heterogeneous nature appears to be seen on account of the inseparable relation, condition and limitation of both ideas of inner nature together with names and forms of outer nature. Jeeva, specially human being, is a Self-forgotten one, who, owing to the fault of his own intellect, acts and experiences under the rules of duality of Swabhava and Prakriti. He is possessed by the sense of relativity and duality as well. In order to get rid of such nature and be re-established in his true divine homogeneous nature he has to cultivate and follow the esoteric science of Swabodhatma of central nature.
Consciousness under both Prakriti and Swabhava is Avidya, that under Swabodha is Vidya, and beyond that it is Paravidya. All pertaining to Avidya is non-self, all pertaining to Swabhava is embodied soul or being (Jeeva). Jeeva is a mixture or combination of Self and non-self both. Jeeva or embodied soul or I is so called when it is associated with and conditioned or limited by the outer nature, Prakriti, i.e. non-self. Self when free from Prakriti and Swabhava is Pure Consciousness, but when it is associated with Swabhava and Prakriti it is mixed consciousness, impure consciousness. Swabodhatma is pure Consciousness, unmixed Consciousness; while Swabhavatma is mixed consciousness, impure consciousness. It is called mixed and impure consciousness because it is conditioned and limited by non-self qualities.
Jeeva, the embodied being, is impure I of condition and limitation, i.e. consciousness with condition and limitation. Hence, it is called Swabhavatma. When it is free from condition and limitation, it is Swabodhatma, Pure Self, i.e. Perfect Divine I. Jeeva has double nature, one with non-self and the other with Pure Self. Non-self indicates outer nature and Pure Self indicates central nature. Swabhavatma, so long as it is associated with and conditioned by non-self outer nature, it is worldly life (Samsarin); and when it is associated with Pure Self of central nature, it is ever-free Divine Life. Ever-free Perfect Divine Life is Pure Self Divine, Real I; and embodied worldly life is impure, finite and conditioned I. Conditions and limitations are Gunas or Bhavas which are called Upadhis. Consciousness or Self, i.e. Real I is ever-free from Upadhi of any kind; and that associated with Upadhi is ever-bound soul, embodied being.
Sri Sri Babathakur
to be continued............
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