February 20, 2011: Learning is in your hands

After the śiṣya conveyed his distress to the guru, and explained what he felt was his problem, the guru more clearly articulated the śiṣya's problem and its solution in these two points:

• Your problem is nothing other the fact that you, the paramātmā, are bound in anātmā, due to ignorance.
• The discrimination of paramātmā and anātmā is the knowledge that will destroy this ignorance and solve your problem.

Based on these two points, and the words the guru used, the śiṣya asked seven apt questions:

1. What is bondage?
2. How has it come about?
3. How is it sustained?
4. How is freedom possible?
5. What is 'anātmā'?
6. What is 'paramātmā'?
7. How is their discrimination possible?

The rest of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, and indeed the core of vedānta teaching, consists of answers to these questions. However, at this point the guru wants to make sure that the śiṣya does not have any unrealistic or unreasonable expectations of vedānta or the role of the guru. Specifically, he wants to show the śiṣya that mokṣa, being in terms of knowledge, is in the hands of the individual alone; nothing the guru does can substitute the decision of the śiṣya to pursue mokṣa, and put in the effort to learn the teaching. To illustrate his point, the guru gives three examples of other pursuits that are in the hands of the individual:

• Hunger can only be appeased if the hungry person eats
• Illness can only be over come if the ill person undergoes therapy
• Knowledge (of the moon) can only take place if the person who wants to know pursues that knowledge (by opening his eyes in the direction of the moon)

Like these examples, exposing oneself to vedānta teaching, and doing whatever it takes to prepare oneself for that knowledge is in the hands of the individual. If the śiṣya has even the slightest expectation that the guru can do something to directly give the śiṣya mokṣa, he is only going to be disappointed.

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Translations for next class:

58. न योगेन Neither by yoga न सांख्येन nor by sāṅkhya कर्मणा न उ certainly nor by action न विद्यया nor by learning; ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वबोधेन by the knowledge of oneness of brahma and atma मोक्षः the ultimate freedom सिध्यति happens न अन्यथा not by any other means. (Neither by yoga, nor by sāṅkhya, nor by work, nor by learning; but by the knowledge of oneness of brahma and atma the ultimate freedom happens, by no other means.)
59. वीणायाः of the vīṇā (an Indian guitar-like instrument) रूपसौन्दर्यं beauty of the form तन्त्रीवादनसौष्ठवम् skill of playing on its cords प्रजारञ्जनमात्रं they are for pleasing the subjects only तत् that न साम्राज्याय कल्पते does not suffice to conquer a country...
60. वाग्वैखरी शब्दझरी shower of words शास्त्रव्याख्यानकौशलम् skill in expounding the śāstra वैदुष्यं greatness विदुषां of the learned तद्वद् like that भुक्तये are for enjoyment न तु मुक्तये but not for freedom. (The beauty of the form of a vīṇā and the skills of playing on its chords are for pleasing the subjects only; they do not suffice to win a country. In the same way articulate speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding śāstra and greatness of the learned are merely for enjoyment, but not for freedom.)
61. अविज्ञाते when not known परे the ultimate तत्त्वे reality शास्त्राधीतिः study of śāstra तु indeed निष्फला not fruitful विज्ञाते when known अपि even परे तत्त्वे the ultimate reality शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला study of śāstra is useless. (When the ultimate reality is not known, the study of śāstra is not fruitful; when the ultimate reality is already known, then also śāstra study is useless.)
62. शब्दजालं the net of words of the śāstra महारण्यं a dense forest चित्तभ्रमणकारणम् cause for the mind to ramble अतः therefore प्रयत्नात् earnestly ज्ञातव्यम् to be known तत्त्वज्ञात् from the knower of the truth तत्वम् the truth आत्मनः of the self. (The net of words (of śāstra) is a dense forest which is a cause for the mind to ramble. Therefore earnestly the truth of the self is to be known from the knower of the truth.)
63. अज्ञानसर्पदष्टस्य the one who is bitten by the serpent of ignorance ब्रह्मज्ञान-औषधं medicine of the knowledge of brahma विना without किम् what उ indeed वेदैः by vedas च and शास्त्रैः śāstras च and किम् what उ indeed मन्त्रैः by mantras किम् what औषधैः by the medicine. (For the one who has been bitten by the serpent of ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of brahma. Of what use are the vedas and other śāstras, mantras and medicines to such a person.)
64. न गच्छति does not go विना पानं without taking व्याधिः the disease औषधशब्दतः by simply uttering the word medicine विना अपरोक्षानुभवम् without direct knowledge ब्रह्मशब्दैः merely by the word brahma न मुच्यते does not become free. (A disease does not go away simply by uttering the word 'medicine'. The same way without direct knowledge, a person does not become free merely by the word brahma.)
65. अकृत्वा not having done दृश्यविलयम् negation of the objects अज्ञात्वा not having known तत्त्वम् आत्मनः the truth of oneself बाह्यशब्दैः just by words outside कुतः how मुक्तिः freedom उक्तिमात्रफलैः the results of which is merely speech नृणाम् of the people. (Not having negated the outside world, not knowing the truth of oneself, just by words that result in speech alone, how there can be freedom for the people?)
66. अकृत्वा not having done शत्रुसंहारम् killing of enemies अगत्वा not having gained अखिलभूश्रियम् the wealth of the entire kingdom राजाहमिित I am the king शब्दात् by words न not उ indeed राजा king भवितुम् to become अर्हति wish. (Without killing enemies, without gaining the wealth of the entire kingdom, by words 'I am the king' indeed nobody can become a king.)
67. आप्त-उक्तिं knowledge from a great person खननं digging तथा उपरि and on top शीलािद stones, etc. उत्कर्षणं uprooting स्वीकृतिं taking out निक्षेपः treasure hidden underground समपेक्षते is expected न हि not indeed बहिः शब्दैः merely by calling तु निर्गच्छति comes out तद्वद् like that ब्रह्मविदः from the knower of brahma उपदेशमननध्यानादिभिः by teaching-reflection-meditation लभ्यते is gained मायाकार्यतिरोहितं hidden by the effects of māyā स्वममलं transparent तत्त्वं truth न not दुर्युक्तिभिः through irrelevant arguments. (A treasure hidden underground requires the process of knowing about it from a great person, digging, uprooting the stones, etc. on top of it and taking out in order to come out. It does not come merely by calling. Like that the transparent brahma hidden by the effects of māyā is gained through the process of teaching-reflection-meditation from the knower of brahma and not through irrelevant arguments.)
68. तस्मात् therefore सर्वप्रयत्नेन with all effort भवबन्धविमुक्तये to be free from the ocean of saṃsāra स्वैः by oneself एव only यत्नः effort कर्तव्यः should be done रोगादौ in case of disease इव like पण्डितैः by the wise people. (Therefore self-effort should be done with all effort to be free from the ocean of saṃsāra by the wise people like in the case of disease, etc. (i.e. the examples that were given before).)