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Devotional and human growth - Parallel or bipolar?
Madhava - Sat, 04 Sep 2004 03:09:35 +0530
In the following words, Sriman Mahaprabhu taught Sanatana about the meaning of faith:
zraddhA-zabde - vizvAsa kahe sudRDha nizcaya |
kRSNe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kRta haya || CC 2.22.62 ||
"The word zraddha means firm faith and confidence in the fact that all karmas will be fulfilled through devotion to Krishna."
And he further said,
zraddhAvAn jana haya bhakti-adhikArI - the faithful one is eligible for engaging in devotion. Then certainly we must consider the matter of
zraddha with great gravity. What are the practical implications of this consideration?
The abovementioned verse is often taken as a license, or even order to neglect our growth -- and even maintenance -- as human beings, neglecting both the physical body and the psyche. Related considerations are shoved aside as undesirable impediments, essentially as a waste of time. We are taught to live in fear of
mAyA -- the
mAyA which takes the tangible form of our bodies and minds, as if being the veritable emblems of our bondage.
Little do we consider in our zeal for renunciation that both the physical and mental bodies are vessels of our bhajana (BhP 11.20.17), the boat in which the
Atman travels in this world. As the wise Sukadeva taught to Maharaja Pariksit:
deho'yaM mAnuSo rAjan puruSasyAkhilArthadaH |
tasmAd asya vadho vIra sarvArtha-vadha ucyate || BhP 9.9.28 ||
"O king, this body is the bestower of all the boons of a human. Therefore, it is said, O hero, that to slay the body is to slay all human advantages."
Tied as we are to this vessel for the duration of our earthly sojourn, let us treat it with due respect, tending to its needs and using it in accordance with its true potential, engaging this potential in deeds of devotion.
A human being seeks fulfilment from life. We tend to measure progress as our success in our quest for fulfilment. This progress comes in a variety of ways, though all create a sense of peace and satisfaction, whether temporary or permanent.
Neglecting to tend our natural inclinations, one may easily find the mind in a disturbed condition, and may even come to conclude that devotion has failed to yield the inner fulfilment promised, and therefore leave the path of devotion in search of something better, something that would satisfy the eternal yearning for peace and joy, even if only temporarily.
Aside the counterproductivity of neglect in this regard, we would do well to consider the positive side of it. A content mind is peaceful, and more suitable for engaging in acts of devotion, particularly of contemplative devotion. Therefore, let us engage our body and mind in deeds of devotion and treat them not as the enemy, but as the Vedas personified teach us (BhP 10.87.22):
tvad-anupathaM kulAyam idam Atma-suhRt-priya-vac carati - "In your service, this body is like the self, the dear friend and the beloved."Therefore, the various venues in which human growth is cultivated need not be seen as contrary to a devotional pursuit, but rather are parallel tracks that help us onwards. The
mumukSu who renounces them due to a perception of their fundamental separation from Hari engages in
phalgu-vairAgya, a worthless show of renunciation.
I would like to hear more thoughts in this regard.
Signed,
Acharya of the
International Society for Body Consciousness 
vamsidas - Sat, 04 Sep 2004 04:11:16 +0530
| QUOTE (Madhava @ Sep 3 2004, 05:39 PM) |
| Neglecting to tend our natural inclinations, one may easily find the mind in a disturbed condition, and may even come to conclude that devotion has failed to yield the inner fulfilment promised, and therefore leave the path of devotion in search of something better, something that would satisfy the eternal yearning for peace and joy, even if only temporarily. |
Please accept my dandavat pranams.
I think that your comment may be subject to misunderstanding. It could be taken as a license to abandon behaviors that favor our eternal "peace and joy" at the expense of the temporal, and to rationalize our temporal lusts as "natural inclinations" that ought to be fulfilled in order to bring about a "natural peace and joy" that will inevitably end at the death of the body.
If we do everything we can to provide ourselves with bodily comforts (both physical and mental), then we run the risk of creating an environment that is not conducive for bhajana. Surely we need to recognize that some of our "natural inclinations" are better off neglected, or channelled into healthier pursuits.
On the other hand, we need to be honest with ourselves about our actual bodily needs (as opposed to "wants"), and about our present limitations. if I want to become an Olympic marathon runner, but I weigh 300 pounds and have trouble climbing the stairs, I need to make some preliminary preparations (e.g. lose weight, gain some aerobic fitness, start walking short distances regularly) before I can begin running marathons. Similarly, if I wish to spend all year in the dhama, chanting 192 rounds of japa, absorbed constantly in remembrance of the Divine Couple, I may need to make some preliminary preparations rather than prematurely accepting more than I can handle, or renouncing what I cannot yet do without.
Renunciation is good. It is helpful. But it is a means to an end -- not an end in itself -- and, as such, ought to be adopted only to the extent that it actually facilitates one's bhajana, and doesn't leave one frustrated or unable to advance further.
For example: I am in my forties, and have never married. I do not expect that I will marry in this lifetime. But there is such a culture of "false renunciation" among devotees I have met, that people commonly assume that I am either a liar or a homosexual when I tell them that I have never in this lifetime had sexual relations. For me, celibacy seems natural, and it has surely helped me create an environment more favorable for bhajana than I would experience as a married man. But it would be wrong for me to expect everyone else to do as I have done. And I know plenty of married people who are far more advanced than I am.
Similarly, I know some devotees who have arranged their work so that they can spend several months a year in the dhama. I haven't done that, though I know I would be better off if I did. But does that mean that those who spend 2 or 3 months per year in the dhama should criticize me because I am busily engaged in business? No! Each of us should be our own harshest critic, while praising whatever renunciation and/or devotion we find in those around us.
If we remain humble, we can accept that we are far, far below the ideal, without either abandoning the ideal or rushing to put on a false show of achieving the ideal. From that place of humility, we can have confidence that we will advance toward the ideal to the fullest extent possible in our circumstances.
A mind that is averse to renunciation will surely not be a contented mind, as there are so many temporal temptations to distract one from bhajana. However, a mind that is merely pretending at renunciation will surely not be a contented mind, either. A mind that is aspiring toward renunciation, and engaging in appropriate and genuine renunciation according to capacity and circumstance, will be a contented mind in which bhajana can flourish.
Madhava - Sat, 04 Sep 2004 04:22:40 +0530
Dear Vamsidas, thank you for your comments, thoughtful as always.
| QUOTE (vamsidas @ Sep 4 2004, 12:41 AM) |
| I think that your comment may be subject to misunderstanding. It could be taken as a license to abandon behaviors that favor our eternal "peace and joy" at the expense of the temporal, and to rationalize our temporal lusts as "natural inclinations" that ought to be fulfilled in order to bring about a "natural peace and joy" that will inevitably end at the death of the body. |
Oh yes, certainly I do not mean that they ought to be prioritized to such an extent. Sometimes, though, one may need to balance with this, keeping in mind the pursuit for long-term devotional engagement, even if it might mean a less intense degree of engagement in one's current position. Say, for example, I may need to cut down on my bhajana in favor of work to be able to fly off to Vraja for several months. Of course, ideally life would be all bhajana, but more often than not that is the ideal which tends to still be a bit aloof from our current realities.
Madhava - Sat, 04 Sep 2004 18:06:35 +0530
I wish to clarify the "human growth" point, I do not mean sensual indulgence. The two are not synonymous. Rather, with human growth and natural inclunations I meant inclinations for producing art or poetry, or inclination for studying various subject matters, understanding the world in further depth from various angles, and so forth.
What prompted me to put together some thoughts on this is news I heard of a fellow Vaishnavi, who felt after some years of sAdhana that she had hardly made any progress, and took up another path she felt was more fulfilling, through which she felt she found a sense of fulfilment, inner peace and so forth. Over those years, I believe, if she would have cut some slack for herself and allowed her to pursue matters she would naturally be inclined to, instead of taking the approach of forced sAdhana, she would have been as content with her progress on our bhajana-mArga.
I suppose what I am saying that each of us may have to look for our golden middle road to keep the body and mind suitable for life-long devotional engagement. And "suitable" does not only mean "alive", not in my dictionary anyway. As Vamsidas suggested, one man's food is another's poison. Therefore, instead of becoming stereotypes, people would do well to strive to become individuals.
Conforming to a stereotype will not guarantee progress devotion, and indeed may often be contrary to one's best interest. Many of us have a background in the more monastic Gaudiya movements, and have absorbed a strong sense of molding ourselves in the form of the "ideal" stereotype devotee. With this, I do not mean an aspiration to become like the archetypal devotees, Rupa-Sanatana and others, but rather a forced endeavor to walk and talk in accordance with preset expectations.
Essentially I am talking about negating humanity and individuality with all it entails.
JD33 - Thu, 04 Nov 2004 22:45:00 +0530
Good discussion Madhava and Vamsidas. Although I have a hard time knowing when you are talking about IGM people and situations, my guess is that it is a high percent, and when you are talking about either the new phenomona of Sri Ananta das Baba iniciating westerners or Indian sadhus (which I doubt). Also understanding that the topic is broad and applies to all people.
Kindly excuse me here - I feel so left out of most of the conversations here, not knowing much about IGM and having not been to Radhakund in over ten years to see all the westerners there and how that has impacted life there.
Since our tradition is a Bhakti yoga tradition we do things in a yogic way. Less than astanga yoga sadhus do them, but more than IGM people - correct?
Since I have a foundation of traditional astanga yoga I incorperate a minimum into my sadhana life and instruct students as well - because it adds not only years to one's Bhajan life, but ease and non-bodily-distraction (although malaria goes a long way to increase devotion! used in that way that is). One thing quite interesting is using gifts from the Caitanya tradition focused directly to deal with psycho-emotional problems that come up in one's life as they progress - exactly what I use for my students - it is very helpful.
Madhava - Thu, 04 Nov 2004 23:37:19 +0530
QUOTE(JD33 @ Nov 4 2004, 06:15 PM)
Good discussion Madhava and Vamsidas. Although I have a hard time knowing when you are talking about IGM people and situations, my guess is that it is a high percent, and when you are talking about either the new phenomona of Sri Ananta das Baba iniciating westerners or Indian sadhus (which I doubt). Also understanding that the topic is broad and applies to all people.
I wouldn't say this is an IGM issue as such. I did not start the topic with them in mind. Though most of us have a background there, we are less concerned over undertaking discussions on various reforms, whether social, philosophical or practical, on their ways.
My main concern here is with Westerners initiated in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Not exclusively students of Sri Ananta Das Babaji, I believe the problem sweeps across the scene without regard to the guru. The interesting question is, where do the Westerners import the disfunctional attitudes from? Is it something grown out of an IGM background, or rather something inherent in the common Western values that we misapply as we come in contact with Bengali / Indian culture and spirituality?
QUOTE
Kindly excuse me here - I feel so left out of most of the conversations here, not knowing much about IGM and having not been to Radhakund in over ten years to see all the westerners there and how that has impacted life there.
I wouldn't think that the Westerners have had all that much of an impact on the life there. For what I've heard, the general atmosphere has become more tolerant and accommodative towards Western Vaishnavas. I believe the main impact on life there has been caused by the amounts of people who immigrate there either from Bengal (through connections to Chaitanya) or from elsewhere (due to whatever reasons). The place is becoming less and less of a location where you can sit down peacefully and do bhajan, and more and more of a small city with lots of noise from the endless loudspeakers and so forth. I can only imagine how much more peaceful it must have been back in the days when they had no electricity there, what to speak of the days when the banks of two kundas weren't crammed with buildings.
QUOTE
Since our tradition is a Bhakti yoga tradition we do things in a yogic way. Less than astanga yoga sadhus do them, but more than IGM people - correct?
Could you define "yogic" for us? I think I get the idea, but just to be sure we're all clear on what we're talking about.
QUOTE
One thing quite interesting is using gifts from the Caitanya tradition focused directly to deal with psycho-emotional problems that come up in one's life as they progress - exactly what I use for my students - it is very helpful.
This, I hear, you have had quite some success with. What was your website, again?
JD33 - Fri, 05 Nov 2004 01:12:47 +0530
Yes Madhava - the psycho-emotional issuse lies alot with the western psyche it seems. Then the fitting into another culture as well as what arises with the purification of our negatives karmas. It is very interesting stuff. I think one problematic influence was the book of Ram Dass " Be Here Now" which set the stage for an unreasonable romantic expectation of the omnicient powers of the Guru/holy people of India. Then aslo the Christian thing - overcomming a lack of personal faith with zealouness/conversion of others, etc.
Yogic: Meditative absorbtion - we sit for sankirtan and sit for meditation - we are concentrated internally rather than externally. which includes a more sattvic attitude/developement.
Madhava - I am imbarassed by my rather old and unkept website - so rather is to say that the ability to take other peoples negative karma into my body and "burn" it up has become a Sacred Healing modality I use with students and clients. Others include 'Sacred Energy Healing' which reminds me of Mahaprabhu et al closing and locking the doors as they did premic sankirtan [at Sribas angan....right?]. The SEH work has resulted in palpable healing miracles of body/emotions, but also people experiencing unconditional love and joy, touch-by-God experiences, and tearing(tears streaming out the eyes) from the sacredness of the experience. I do other work including communicating with and doing Sacred Energy Healing (SEH) with people's ancestors [Ancestral Healing] which helps immensely with issues carried down from the family as well as through the DNA. The work has evolved so much since 1982 that it has become a powerful spiritual path itself. And it comes through my Sri Gurudev and Sri Nityananda Prabhu et al. It is quite extraordinary.