Need of the hour -10
PHILOSOPHY OF ADVAITA
-J.P.Bharathi
I am in agreement with this Philosophy of Advaita, which tries to drive sense into this whole set of aspects of life and there by keep us focused on this internal dialogue which is the means towards achieving the higher level objectives of life…! Only then is, one able to nullify the bad effects of ‘prarabhdha’ and continue with his
‘Purushartha’!
I would want to deal with Dharma, subsequently…
We continually attempt to grasp the reality of our lives and the implications of our existence all the time. That is but natural. We also strive, all the time, to understand this reality and its implications in ways that are reassuring and hopeful. Hence we all seek to frame everything that forms the context of our life stories within enduring ideas and frameworks that at once comfort us and lend meaning to the daily grind of life.
In my previous note above, I indicated the continued relevance of Hindutva and its quintessential core…. the Adviata. Advaita is one of those first principles from which we can build a meaningful narrative for our life.
In our comments below, we refer to the constant influence of unyielding circumstances that impose their power on our lives and the apparent powerlessness we feel in dictating the consequences of the unfolding events…some of which we initiate, some of which we are a witness to. That is as it should be. The Karmic principle dictates that. And I do believe in the pervasive truth of Karma. I did not, neither did you, have the power to dictate the circumstances of our lives nor do we feel empowered to dictate the consequences of our intended and unintended actions. And so it should be that way…I am at peace with this eternal principle. And hence I do not sweat too much about why I am bound under the conditions I live today, nor do I repent the consequences of my actions! I act out of free will and am willing to face the unfolding realities of future with anticipation, confidence and hope.
We do not have much choice on the hand fate deals us…we do however have the power to dictate the choices we make in discriminating our actions through free will and in selecting the means through which we execute those actions. I cherish that freedom with all the vigour!
Karmic guidance aside and the uplifting power of free will secured, how do we now make the choices in life that build a meaningful narrative that defines our life? What is our story? This question more than anything else could be the basis for developing a steady basis for our daily actions and thoughts…I have my approaches to handling this fundamental question. Dharma is basis for most of these approaches…. of course subject to individualistic interpretations…
Isn’t it a puzzling thing that we most often end up either feeling ourselves or trying to ascertain the feelings or thinking, if I may say so? Of others in the pursuit of understanding? But think again what brings insight and understanding? Not ‘what ‘obviously, for ‘what’ is colored or refracted most of the time with the ‘conditioned mind’! Instead ask ‘ Why?’ ‘Why does he think differently from me ‘ would fetch more insight and depth into the personality! Why journeys through into other personalities core and what distracts us into soliciting responses in expected lines…. proving the theory of resonance!
Well, is there anything called unconditional? When is the last time we tried to defy gravity and spring ourself up unconditionally? Think? ‘ Spring unconditionally’? And the presence of gravity is a mere knowledge, which we neither are trying to exploit nor defy? Yet spring?
When have words become expressions? Words are mere words just like the payload containers! What’s important is what payloads are we loading knowingly or unknowingly, with or without our own consent. Hence, I as such cannot say unequivocally! Yes, we could while communicating mundane things and definitive tasks however when its expression of thoughts its the mind which is speaking and the words are mere dead wood!
Nothingness …might infact be infiniteness but may be impossible to acheive! The five senses in our selves and the intellect, which we hold ensure that in the normal state there is, no way we could hold ourself hollow and empty! Its like the multiple drainage pipes across any city for that matter never goes dry! Our five senses are ever flowing or ever polluting each other in the normal state! Never could keep dry, never could keep empty …never could achieve nothingness!
The fundamental puzzle that life is that as we get initiated into the world so is it infused without our ever knowing it! By the time we know it, it is too hard to drain it out under normal circumstances! We could never get that drained possibly from the blood? What effect does that have? Does it matter? The fact that it is there is all that matters!
The question is how do you get around it? Well, it says ‘go figure it out ‘!
When one is out and done with all that is there to taxing the intellect through the philosophical thoughts or ‘ritualistic ‘ thoughts or some such and when you have gone past the crucibles of the religions that exist, this question alone remains ‘ Now Go figure it out ‘ now that we are drained and empty!
The only ground rule here is, my commentary is unconditional and my words do not require re-interpretation. What we see is what we get (WYSIYG)! I mean nothing more than what I state unequivocally.
While I am not a great proponent of absolutes…especially while grounded in the realms of the “relative” worlds, I do believe in the enduring power of non-duality. That is the only absolute I am convinced of…as to what all there is to learn in life and how one can seek guidance through divine inspirations or otherwise, I hold my judgement.
The litmus test of wisdom, I am somehow not fully excited about…what is it that when we know, we need to know nothing else? Nothingness may be…. infiniteness, possibly.
We communicated more than we have written! What have we communicated pains me, to say the least…
Its one thing to be in different wavelengths and completely different thing to be posing to be in different wavelengths. Just wear that cap of the ‘Observer’ and let us ‘Observe’ our own thoughts as we go on and on.
However, we can’t miss the litmus test of wisdom! That man says, ” I can teach you everything that is to learn”? Are these the profound utterances of a common man or a Wiseman? Think about it?
Philosophy is not about intoxication; philosophy is about carrying oneself into the deepest portals of ones own self without the guidance of emotions and without leaving behind the two pillars of logic and rationale! For on them we stand and journey towards the Truth!
Yes indeed. And I sincerely hope we march by leaps and bounds in our newfound endeavours.
The gospels of wisdom we have written, I have no comment, for it is common knowledge…
In the interest of coherence, I will stop here for now. Let us think about this and then we will continue.
THERE IS NO END TO ADVAITA
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