Title: Spiritual Inquiry
Verses: 18, 19, 20, 21
The 18th verse says: “Those who want to learn about Advaita, they need to have four important qualities. When we attain these qualities, we can understand the spiritual concepts; otherwise, we do not.” These qualities should be imbibed at an emotional level, not just intellectual level.
The 19th verse describes the four qualities – Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatti.
The four qualities in Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatti are: nitya anitya vastu viveka, Ihāmutra phala bhoga virāga, Śamādi ṣatka Sampatti, and Mumukṣutvam.
First, we must use our discerning wisdom to determine what is real and what is unreal. Only the Atman is Absolutely Real. The world is not absolutely unreal, but it is not absolutely real either. It is only relatively real.
Second, we must hold on to what is real and disregard what is unreal. We should develop a sense of aversion towards enjoyments in this life or in heaven. Heaven in Vedanta is a temporary place with plenty of empirical enjoyments. True Vedantic inquiry begins when we develop a divine discontent, as Buddha did.
Third is Śamādi ṣatka Sampatti. It lists six traits: Sama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksa, Shraddha, Samadhana.
Fourth is Mumukṣutvam, a strong desire for spiritual liberation. Shankaracharya says that if we have an urge for the transcendental, it has a healing effect on our life.
The first sutra of Brahma-Sutra says: “Now, after the attainment of requisite spiritual qualities, we will make an inquiry into the nature of the Absolute Reality.” The desire for spiritual liberation does not begin at a definite point. It is part of the ongoing evolution of the jeeva. After innumerable lifecycles, we are born with a strong spiritual aspiration, and we begin our spiritual inquiry.
20th verse: “Only Brahman is Real. The empirical world is unreal. A firm conviction of this truth is called discrimination between the Real and unreal.”
Mithya does not mean non-existent. It means something that is non-eternal, which is only relatively real. Brahman cannot be verbalized. It is what is left when we have negated everything else as Real.
The conviction described in the 20th verse can be at two levels: (12) Intellectual conviction (2) Real, mystical experience of the truth.
21st verse: “Renunciation means repulsion towards forms of empirical enjoyments – that are of transitory nature, that is perceived by the mind and five senses of perception. It includes giving up desires for the human body and for higher kind of bodies after death. It also means giving up desires for enjoyments both in this world and in heaven.”
Kathopanishad explains the evolution of this quest for the transcendental with Nachiketa’s story. Nachiketa asks Yama for three boons: (1) Let my father not scold me when I return (2) Teach me rituals to get to heaven and (3) Teach me the reality beyond death. Yama then teaches Nachiketa the truth of Brahman as Real, and the world as Mithya.
Causal body is avidya. Jeeva is individual soul. Atman is Brahman immanent within the being.
There is space both within the pot (ghatakasha) and outside the pot (mahakasha). There seems to be a distinction between the two, but if the pot is broken, there is no distinction. Similarly, Atman is non-different from Brahman.
Brahma-satyam, jagad-mithya is a statement at the philosophical level. At the experience level, it is brahma Satyam jagad satyam. At the experience level, the world is seen as non-different from Brahman.
In the rope-snake analogy, when light is brought to the room, we realize that it is not a snake, but a piece of rope. Where did the snake go? The snake did not go anywhere, because, to begin with, there was no snake. What we previously thought was a snake was the rope itself. Similarly, at experience level, questions about the empirical world disappear.
