Upadesa Sara | Talk #3

Upadesa Sara

Notes from talks by Swami Advayananda, Chinmaya International Foundation

Talk 3: 22^nd May, 2022

‘What is the need to pray, go to a temple or remember Bhagavan? All that matters is to do good work and make the world a better place to live. All well-intended actions will give the right results.’ Often we hear such statements especially from people who are involved in a lot of good work like working for social causes. In the first verse of Upadesa Sara, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi explains, why it is not sufficient to do good work to achieve the Supreme. In this talk, Swami Advayananda ji unpacks the arguments and thoughts about action, results, doership and the laws that govern them.

In the last talk we saw that even though the Purva Mimamsakas were following the Vedic rituals and actions sincerely, they didn’t have the means to come out to achieve the final goal – moksha. The reason was that in their entire scheme of action and result, they didn’t have Ishwara in it. The sequence was Karma – Apurva – Apurvaphala/Karmaphala with no place of Ishwara.

There is a relationship between KArya and KAraNa which is explained as: kArya niyata pUrva vritti kAraNa. Meaning: That which necessarily precedes action (karma/karmaphala/result) is cause. As seen in the earlier talk, Jyothisthoma yaga performed accurately results in attainment of swargaloka. A question that arises is that when the Jyothisthoma yAga has ended, how is it that the yajaman is not attaining swarga immediately? How is it that the Shastras say that the Jyothisthoma yAga give the result (the effect) when the yAgas (the cause) have ceased to exist? It is here that the Purva Mimamsakas introduce the concept of ‘Apurva’ which means ‘unique effect’ which functions as the ‘preceding cause’. Since the Apurva has been generated by a certain action, the action becomes the distant cause and Apurva (can be equated to ‘punya’) becomes the immediate effect that precedes the action. But in this law of cause-effect, when the Lord is out, there is no concept of moksha (liberation from bondage). In other words, the maximum that one can aim for is swarga (a certain type of state to revel in for some time) and not moksha.

Lord Shiva thought that there was essential goodness in the Tapasvis because they were performing the actions with utmost sincerity and their goals were noble. It was only that they had gone astray which is why they had become egoistic. Since there was an essential goodness in them they could be helped. Their focus had changed from moksha to attaining siddhis. Here, Swamiji takes a moment to explain Siddhis as exceptional accomplishments gained in the course of actions. Vedas being the storehouse of all types of knowledge, if we don’t have the right goal, we maybe misled into aiming for something that is not necessarily the best thing or maybe even wrong things to aim for. Here, one may feel why Vedas would give knowledge about wrong practices as well. We need to understand that knowledge is of all sorts. And Vedas being apaurusheya (that which has not been written by someone) but something that the rishis ‘saw’ (not necessarily through their eyes), it is doesn’t contain only the knowledge that a preceptor may preach.

The tapasvis of Darukavana were seeking pleasurable states (like swargaloka) by means of action but forgot that the pleasures in any loka would end because it has been created. These results cannot lead to fulfillment. When Lord Shiva demonstrated that by their actions they cannot achieve certain things, the Tapasvis realized their mistake. Here, Swami Advayananda ji says, “Action is not meant for bondage. Action is a stepping stone for liberation. Purpose of action is not just for fulfillment; it is meant for ‘chittashuddhi’. It is this guidance that the Tapasvis had lost. In order to give them (us) the direction to move forward in the process of evolution (which was their original goal), Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi brings Bhagavan into the picture of action.”

कर्तुराज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम् । कर्म किं परं कर्म तज्जडम् ॥ १॥

We perform an action to get Apuva. But who decides that? Did karma (action) decide that? Action is not sentient. It has been created by an individual. It can utmost be a support but not the master of the individual. Neither you, nor the action, can decide what the Apurva is. Then how can the action be supreme (as the Purva Mimasakas think) if it cannot decide what its result is? It is here that Bhagavan Ramana asks – Karma kim param: How is action the ultimate/supreme (when it cannot decide what its fruits should be)? Karma tajjadam: Action has no power to think, it is not sentient. How can such a thing decide the result of action?

Looking at the cycle of action, we see: Karta-Karma-Apurva-Phala-Karta. The karta (doer) performs karma (action) which gives a unique effect that acts as the preceding cause for the phala (result) that will be enjoyed by the karta (doer). But the karta in the first verse of Upadesa Sara under whose ajna (command) only the phalam is received is not the doer-karta. It is the Karta because of whom all these laws exist, the Creator of all these laws in whom these laws exist. But often, we forget about the Karta (with a capital K) and think that it is the karta (with a small k) who does all the amazing things. Here’s an anecdote from Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda ji’s life when he took the opportunity to drive this message to one of his devotees. Once Gurudev was invited to a devotee’s home for a bhiksha. The hostess offered him a sandwich and said that it’s an Italian sandwich she made. She probably wanted Gurudev to make note that she made something very special, so she repeated it 3-4 times. On that Gurudev exclaimed, “Oh wow! It was so good. What did you make in this sandwich? Was it the bread?”. She replied, “No, Swamiji. I bought the bread from a bakery.” “Then was it these vegetables?”, he asked. “No, Swamiji. I bought those from a vegetable vendor.” “Was it the butter or the sauces?”, And he continued with each and every ingredient of the sandwich to which she regretfully said ‘No’. “Then what exactly did ‘you make’ in this sandwich?”, Gurudev asked.

How many times do we get into this notion of ‘I being the doer’? How close are we to the Tapasvis of Darukavana? Bhagavan, with all his karuNa, keeps coming in different forms to remind us of this first verse of Upadesa Sara so that we get back on track and don’t forget about Ishwara in the scheme of things. Let us all see Bhagavan through all the actions that we do.

Image Source: http://www.mooji.org

Upadesa Sara | Talk #2

Upadesa Sara
Notes from talks by Swami Advayananda, #ChinmayaInternationalFoundation
Talk 2: 17th May, 2022

‘For every effect there is a cause. To get a desired result, an appropriate action needs to be performed. In this law of action and result or cause and effect, is there any place for Ishwara (God)?’ Scientifically viewed, this is a very valid question. The answer to this question by a certain school of thought (Purva Mimamsa) is that there is no place for God and what exists is only the cause-effect relationship.
In different Puranas, we see a story of the tapasvis of Darukavanam, who were staunch believers of this thought, and how Lord Shiva corrects their thought through an Upadesa (advice). However, what was that advice is not mentioned in the puranas. It is only when Muruganar requests Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi that he gives out the advice that Shiva had given to the tapasvis. This talk brings us to the context of the origin of Upadesa Sara and what it has in store for us.

“Switching on the switch, a bulb is lit. To get the desired effect in a light bulb, the action of switching on the bulb is sufficient. But can any switch light a bulb by itself? Unless there is someone who wired the bulb to the switch, how can the switch light the bulb? Can the laws exist on its own without someone putting them in place?”
~ Swami Advayananda

The work Ramana Sannidhi Murai (Homage to the presence of Sri Ramana) that Murugana was composing was in a Puranic style spread in 1852 verses. In the entire work we see Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi doing actions that Lord Shiva had performed and which is stated in Shiva Purana and other places. Murugana imagined Bhagavan Ramana doing those actions. He writes the text meticulously but at one place, he is stuck. He surrenders to Bhagavan Ramana and requests to write that part. The story goes like this…

In a place called Darukavanam, there lived tapasvis who were very pious and performed the Vedic rituals in the most appropriate ways. However, over a period, their focus had shifted so much on the actions (karma) that they had forgotten and ignored the presence of Ishwara (God). One of the possible reasons could be that the part of the Vedas (Purva Mimamsa) composed by Jaimini (who was one of the direct disciples of Veda Vyasa) doesn’t refer to Ishwara. The commentators of Jaimini sutras also don’t write about Ishwara. So, it is quite possible that the idea of Ishwara was thus completely missed by some of the followers. Probably, the tapasvis of Darukavanam also forgot about Ishwara in a similar fashion.
Feeling sorry for the tapasvis, Lord Shiva decides to correct them and bring them back to track. He takes the form of a handsome mendicant and goes to Darukavanam. Seeing him go, Lord Vishnu also decides to go with him, and he takes his avatar of Goddess Mohini. As we know, there could be no one as enchanting as Mohini who can madden anyone with love. Both Mohini and Shiva (in the form of the handsome mendicant) reach Darukavanam. While the men of Darukavanam were busy with the rituals, their wives go awestruck by the vision of the attractive mendicant. They forgot everything that they were doing and started gathering around the mendicant. The men get mesmerized by the beauty of Mohini and start following her. Mohini charms the men and leads them to a forest only to disappear and leave the men in utter confusion. Soon, the men realise that something is not right and return home.

As they reach Darukavanam, to their utter shock they see all their women sitting around this handsome young man. One important point to mention here is that like the men of Darukavanam, the women were also proud about their righteous actions and ways of living. They were proud that they were performing karmas in the best possible ways. Seeing their women who they considered to be so pious but now falling for a mesmerizing mendicant, the men flamed in fury. They decide to teach the mendicant a lesson. They perform black magic to invoke creatures that would destroy the mendicant. Out of their sacrificial fire first came a tiger. It roared and jumped on the mendicant. But the mendicant killed it with bare hands and used its skin as a cloth for himself. Stunned by this sight, the men go back and perform another black magic and an elephant comes out of the fire. No sooner it tries to attack the mendicant, it gets killed by him and its skin is used by a cloth by the mendicant. The men are appalled and they send fire to destroy the mendicant. The mendicant holds fire in his hand showing that he is not affected by the fire. Lastly, the men bring out a trishul (trident) from the fire and even that doesn’t harm the mendicant. The men are dumbfounded and realise that this mendicant is no ordinary mortal. They go and surrender at his feet seeking mercy. Here, the Puranas say, that Lord Shiva empathises them and gives them an advice.

This is the part where Muruganar is stuck because, what was the advice given by Shiva is not given in the Purana. It just says that Shiva gave the advice and they were all back on track. But what is that advice? Muruganar thought, what best way than asking Bhagavan Ramana who, for him, was none other than Lord Shiva himself, speak about what the Upadesa (advice) was. Upon requesting Bhagavan Ramana to kindly bless with the advice, Ramana Maharshi agreed. He gave out the Upadesa in 30 verses.

The original text by Murugana was written in Tamil in Undipara metre. Bhagavan Ramana gave the Upadesa in Tamil in the same metre. In Tamil, these 30 verses came to be known as Upadesa Undiyaar. This was later translated into Malayalam, Telugu and Sanskrit by Ramana Maharshi. The Sanskrit one is called Upadesa Sara.

Before closing the session, Swami Advayananda ji takes us through an argument given towards why the Purva Mimamsa philosophy (that doesn’t have a place for Ishwara and only has ‘action and result’) holds no ground. He explains using an example of Jyotishtoma yaga that is performed for the attainment of heaven. The belief is that by performing the yaga in the most righteous manner, heaven is sure to be attained. However, heaven is not attained immediately at the completion of the yaga (else, no one will perform the yaga) but only after the person dies. But if that is so, isn’t there a disconnect between the action and the result? The action is completed but the result hasn’t come. To explain this, the Purva Mimamsakas introduce a law called as ‘Apurva’ which is ‘result accrued’ and will be manifest when it is due (just like Punya and Paapa are also accrued but not always enjoyed instantly). But then, who made these laws, is the argument by the Vedantin to Purva Mimasakas? It is true that the laws result in getting fruits of the action, but shouldn’t there be some cause (creator) for the laws to exist?

कर्तुराज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम् । कर्म किं परं कर्म तज्जडम् ॥ १॥

The first line of Upadesa Sara says, ‘It is the Karta on whose command one gets the desired result’. Who is the karta? Are we (who do actions) the karta or is Ishwara the karta? Can a switch light a bulb on its own?

(…to be continued)

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Upadesa Sara | Talk #1

Upadesa Sara

Notes from talks by Swami Advayananda,
Chinmaya International Foundation

Talk 1: 15^th May, 2022

Upadesa Sara is one of the most powerful texts that can lead a seeker into a path of Self Inquiry through simple, yet profound, ways suggested by the author, Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Talk 1 introduces us to stories from the life of Bhagavan Ramana and a few people who were the earliest ones to discover the greatness of the great Mahatma. It also gives us a glimpse of the personality of Bhagavan Ramana and how he sets up a direct path of inquiry into ‘Who am I?’ without getting into preliminaries that usually scriptures prescribe. It also leaves us with a lot of surprising questions like – how Bhagavan Ramana attained this Supreme Knowledge without the study of any Sastras, why did he remain silent for more than a decade, how did he know many languages without learning them, and more.

Bhagavan Ramana, Chinmaya International Foundation, Chinmaya Mission, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Advayananda, Upadesa Sara, Upadesha Sara, Vedanta

“Till one reaches the Truth, Shastra is the umbrella. Once one reaches the Truth, he becomes the umbrella of the Shastra (he comes the protector of the Shastra.”
~ Swami Advayananda

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi was born on 30^th Dec 1879 in Tamil Nadu. As a young boy, he was just like any other kid of his age who loved to play, swim and be merry. However, certain incidents in his life is said to have given him some jolts and they were very crucial in the process of him realizing the Truth and leaving his home later to revel in the Truth at the hill Arunachala in Tirunvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.

The story of Bhagavan Ramana getting engulfed by the fear of death as a teenager is famous. Around the age of 17, Bhagavan Ramana experienced a weird feeling in the body as though he was going to die. For some reason, he didn’t feel like telling this to his parents or friends and taking help from them, but thought that he should just follow the feeling and submit to it. He thought, a dead body doesn’t move, and it doesn’t breathe. He lied down with limbs stretched and lips tightly clutched so that he couldn’t breathe. For him, he was sure that he was dead. His breathing stopped and his body was motionless but he realized that ‘he’ still existed. He came back to normalcy and started contemplating – What is that in me that knows all the experiences I go through even if my body and mind stop functioning? This set him on a quest to the Self inquiry of ‘Who am I?’. He left home to Arunachala at that young age and the rest is history.

Before he was known to the world as Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, he lived in silence for about 11 years in the caves of Arunachala. One day, a great Mahatma ‘Sheshadri Swami’ saw young Ramana who was absorbed in deep meditation and who wasn’t even aware that his body was bruised after being pelted with stones by miscreant children in the attempt to wake him up. Bhagavan Ramana was almost in the state of dying after not having eaten for many days. He immediately lent himself to take care of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi who he understood was a Balayogi. He fed him, cleansed his body and brought Bhagavan back to good condition.

Another very important person whom we owe is a great scholar, yogi, tapasvin, an extempore poet, a Vedantin and an ashtavadhani – Kavya Kantha Ganapathy Muni. He when he saw Ramana Maharshi, he knew that he has found his Guru and he completed surrendered to Ramana Maharshi. He asked, “I have read and studied all that needs to be read. But I haven’t been able to understand the nature of Tapas. I am seeking refuge in you. Please enlighten me about the nature of Tapas.” It was then Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi broke his silence of 11 years and said, “If one watches from where the notion of ‘I’ springs, the mind will be absorbed in that. That is Tapas.” If a mantra is repeated and if one watches the source of the mantra within, that is Tapas. So, in this way, Jnanis like Ramana Maharshi who haven’t studied the Shastras but has the experience, realize the Truth. For those who are not Jnanis we have the Shastras that can lead them to the experience. For the ones who have gained the experience, they don’t need the Shastras. They become embodiment of the Shastras.

The story continues of how Kavya Kantha Ganapathy celebrated this teaching of his Guru on the nature of Tapas, by writing a work called Uma Sahasram (1000 verses about Devi). In fact, it was Kavya Kantha Ganapathy who gave him the name – Ramana Maharshi. ‘Ramana’ was taken from his original name. But why ‘Maharshi’? One of the most fascinating things from Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s life is that he did not study the scriptures. The Truth was revealed to him like the Rishis of the yore. Who is a Rishi? A Rishi is someone who experiences mantras. In that sense, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi was truly a Rishi who experienced the mantras and reveled in it.

There is another interesting story from Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s life. While Ramana Maharshi was becoming a little popular, many scholars started coming to meet him. One amongst them was Jagadisha Shastri. Jagadisha Shastri would give discourses on various texts in the scriptures at the ashram and Ramana Maharshi would sit at the back and listen to it. One day, somebody asked Ramana Maharshi, “What is the need for you to listen to all this? You have already realized the Self.” Ramana Maharshi said, “I’m just listening to whatever the Shastras are talking about me. And I see that whatever they are saying is correct.” That was the level of his abidance in the Self.

The discourses ended with a suspense note about a great saint, Tamil scholar & poet – Murugana who used to live with Ramana Maharshi. He was composing a work called ‘Ramana Sannidhi Murai’ which literally means ‘Homage to the presence of Sri Ramana’. While he was composing that there was one incident in the composition about which he said ‘I cannot write this and I need your (Ramana Maharshi’s) help. What was that incident? (Register for the online camp on Upadesa Sara from 15^th to 25^th May https://www.chinfo.org/home/event/upadea-sra/97 and the suspense will be revealed in the evening session of 15^th May).