Going the Distance in Spiritual Life – Part 4
The Three Great Boons, continued
#3 – Desire for Freedom
Only through God’s grace may we obtain those three rarest advantages – human birth, the longing for liberation, and discipleship to an illumined teacher. Vivekachudamani v. 3
In Shankara’s verse above he places mumukshutvam, longing for liberation, as the second of these three boons. When I first learned about these three boons, mumukshutvam was listed third. This has caused me to reflect on who Shankara was teaching and who my teachers are teaching.
In the Upanisadic era the teachers of Vedanta looked for 4 qualifications in their students, the sadhanachatushtaya: discrimination, detachment, the six jewels, and longing for liberation. We are led to conclude that a teacher would not take a student without these. The ideal was even for a student to be so qualified that upon hearing the mahavakya from the guru the disciple would fully awaken to realization of the Atman. While youths, these students had learned the Vedic rituals, aligning themselves via meditation with the various cosmic forces/deities, acquired concentration and forbearance, building their character in a society that placed the material welfare of all (abhyudaya) at the service of the highest good (nihsreyasa), which was spiritual emancipation. In the end, they knew that Freedom could not be had in the worlds, gross or subtle.
The scene today appears upside down from this, and at least from the standpoint of the westerner, the building of character alongside meaningful ritual and philosophically sound religion is generally missing. People do not often know what the goal of life should be, or if there should be one outside of enjoyment and a little service (hopefully). Speaking from personal observation spanning nearly 30 years in the Vedanta movement in the U.S., the students who are coming are often seeking an alternative to secular-scientific materialism and/or religious dogmatism. The Personal God and the Impersonal Reality of Vedanta with its nondual philosophy are tremendously appealing, yet, there are still earthly desires to be dealt with. Most students are householders with families and jobs. They come to learn the dharma and the philosophy, and seek a high spiritual Ideal. They want to know the Truth. But in general, students are a long way from yearning for liberation. Instead of sending these students away, today’s compassionate teacher looks to see if they are sincere, and if that is in place, then he or she will teach and guide those students toward sincere longing for liberation.
What is the nature of this longing? Sri Ramakrishna tells the following story:
“The guru said to the disciple: ‘Come with me. I shall show you what kind of longing will enable you to see God.’ Saying this, he took the disciple to a pond and pressed his head under the water. After a few moments he released the disciple and asked, ‘How did you feel?’ the disciple answered: ‘Oh, I felt as if I were dying! I was longing for a breath of air.'” [Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 497]
If we have never felt this intensity, where life is unbearable without the realization of the Self or the vision of God, then, we have to work up to it via sadhana, spiritual practice, and holy company. Association with the holy, especially one’s teacher, confers this longing via subtle transmission, if we are sincere. Sincerity is essential, for without it, no matter how wonderful the teacher is, one will go astray led by desires not subjected to dharma, to restlessness, or deluded understanding.
Another approach is to consider this longing as a cumulative effect of acquiring the first three qualifications of the student. If one has discrimination between the Self and the non-Self, and has experienced a vision of the infinitely blissful Self, then renunciation of anything that impedes realization commences. Nothing in this world or any other world – no sensual gratifications, intellectual attainments, no duties of any kind, and even the coverings of mind, intellect, and ego – would be tolerable. “Strengthening the sense of the real Self via this vision, reject the ego and its evolutes, remaining indifferent them as to objects like pots and clothing.” (Adhyatma Upanisad) As one strengthens this renunciation of false identification of the Self with the insentient non-Self, one acquires the six treasures of inner peace, self-control, self-settledness, forbearance, concentration, and faith – a faith that has been defined as a “…grasp upon the Ultimate, faith in the power of one’s own self.” (Ashtavakra Samhita, Sw. Nityasvarupananda, trans., p. 2.) Imagine, then, that one has acquired great mastery in all of these, but still has not awakened fully to one’s inherent Freedom and Bliss. It would generate intense longing.
In the Ramakrishna lineage there is a tradition of citing a fourth boon in addition to the first three. It is set before us by Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort and wife of Sri Ramakrishna. She tells us that there are those who have a human birth, a desire for freedom, and an illumined teacher, but still do not become free because they are lacking a fourth boon – the friendship of one’s own mind. Shankaracharya alludes to this in the following verse:
Nevertheless, there are those who somehow manage to obtain this rare human birth, together with bodily and mental strength, and an understanding of the scriptures – and yet are so deluded that they do not struggle for liberation. Such men are suicides. They clutch at the unreal and destroy themselves. Vivekachudamani, vs. 4
In the next installment we will look into the Five Causes for Lack of Spiritual Success.
