Page 52 - NAMAH-Apr-2022

Namah Vol. 30, Issue 1, 24th April 2022

power of one man’s argument establishing the things for the sake of the Eternal.” Then the
primacy of the soul, against a final extinction in lord taught to the child Naciketā who grew
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the void. Nirvana is the exact opposite of yoga, up to be a jıvanmukta, one who is free of all
union with the Supreme. I suspect Buddha bondage in life, yet participates in life to his
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did not mean nirvana in that sense, but let’s fullest. He lived like the lotus leaf immersed
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say the Buddhism that was being practised in in water, padmapatramivambhasa. There were
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Shankara’s time did. Nor did later generations king jıivanmuktas like Janaka, and rrssis like
interpret Shankara’s “brahma satyam jagan- Yaajñyavalkya, and sculptors and musicians
mithya” correctly. They thought it meant the and householders.
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Supreme alone exists, the world is an illusion.
The reason is because they stopped short. A So let the machines do all our work, and
verse should be read whole, otherwise the let them also think for us — the mundane
punchline will be missing, and worse — it can things like driving a car or remembering a
be interpreted out of context. Shankara said, friend’s birthday or composing a letter with
“Brahma satyam jagan-mithyaa, jivo brahmaiva perfect grammar. Then we get all the time to
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na-aparah.” (Brahma jñanavalımala, verse 20). pray to Govinda, and practise jıvanmukti by
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(3) uncluttering our minds of tasks and timings.
Of course it means that we are deserving of
“The supreme alone is permanent, the world this lifestyle, that we are aspiring to become
is impermanent. jıvanmuktas, of uniting with the supreme. That
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we can enjoy luxuries not for their sake, but
The embodied souls are none other than the for the sake of the soul within. That if these
supreme.” luxuries are taken away from us tomorrow,
we can remain as poised and glad as the
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Mithya is impermanence, the ephemeral. And day before. That we will fight for the good of
jagat is anything that is born, which excludes humanity, and use technology wisely. And
the unborn soul, the jıiva. The jıiva is already this discrimination of what’s good for us and
the eternal to start with. Once born, to re- what’s not — let’s not let AI decide for us.
unite with the eternal he has to know that
the world is a snare of impermanence. To rid There will be domains where we will have to
himself of this ignorance he must practice non- weed out technology, like warfare. A man or a
attachment. This verse is part of Shankara’s village should not have to fight an unmanned
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Brahmajñanavalımala where he teaches the truth bomber in the sky. The water diviner, the
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of the Brahman, the Supreme. rain maker, the shamanic healer should be
resurrected — since humanity needs bridges
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So said Naciketa in the Katha Upanisad, thirsting to connect to the spirit-world. Hands should be
for the eternal knowledge, “These things that honoured and the potter, weaver and carpenter
are unstable will not take us to that which be allowed to grow in spirit while they work
is stable. Na hi-adhruvaihh prapyate hi dhruvam with their hands. The lost mysteries, languages
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tat. Therefore O lord, teach me the eternal and intuitive skills should be re-learnt. And all
wisdom, and delude me not with worldly the adventures of the inner journey have to
things for I have sacrificed all these transitory be experienced with personal endeavour —
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