Self Realization

Why do we need to realize the self? by A.V. Srinivasan The famous Indian novelist, India’s Garrison Keillor, R.K. Narayan’s Vendor of Sweets casually says to the hanger-on sitting just outside his shop “Conquer taste and you will conquer self.” The irony is simply marvelous because the person who sees virtue in conquering taste is a seller of sweets! But the hanger-on asks: why should we conquer self? Once again the Indian mind and thinking pattern is brought about brilliantly: “I don’t know. But that is what our elders have always said!” Why should we conquer self? Hindu religion uses the word realization rather than conquer. A whole system of yoga with very strict discipline has been developed over the centuries to teach the aspirants how to achieve this realization. But a clear case has not been made as to why. Is this perhaps like the Socratic assertion made immediately upon drinking the hemlock that he owes a debt to Asclepius, the God of medicine, because he has been cured of the long disease of life? Is realization of self the cure for this “long disease?” Furthermore, the ancients, speaking different tongues (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, English, French, …) all set down the very same “stirring admonition found in identical words” gnoti seauton nosce te ipsum atmanam viddhi know thyself connai-toi toi meme et cetera, Nirad Chaudhury says at the very beginning of his book (Continent of Circe, Oxford University Press, 1966) that "This introspection seems to have been looked upon as a duty by the peoples who spoke these languages and whenever they have forgotten it they have also lost their soul." Hindus talk about Moksha (salvation) as the ultimate goal that releases the soul from bondage of inhabiting another body and another life in the mortal world. With realization, the individual soul is assumed to merge with the 1

supreme Soul and that is the end. No more cycles of births, deaths and rebirths. The implication is that this life on earth is not real and reality is what we need to seek and strive for. All religions pontificate about the ultimate reality and imply something spectacular and entirely blissful awaits us elsewhere. This ultimate reality is God and we are charged to realize Him. This was precisely what bothered Narendranath Dutta (future Swami Vivekananda). The young Narendra never stopped asking any and every holy man he met if the holy one has seen God. He got no satisfactory answer from anyone until he met Ramakrishna. He asked Ramakrishna: “Sir, have you seen God?” Without a moment’s hesitation the reply was given: Yes, I have seen God. I see Him as I see you here, only more clearly. God can be seen. One can talk to Him. But who cares for God? People shed torrents of tears for their wives, children, wealth, and property, but who weeps for the vision of God? If one cries sincerely for God, one can surely see him.” Vivekananda was naturally astounded (See Vivekananda: The Yoga and Other works by Swami Nikhilananda, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1953, p13). It is significant to note here that Ramakrishna knew about his new disciple and saw in him the future Vivekananda who would shake the world with his dynamic message. Still, he didn’t take Narendra by hand and say: Yes, I have seen God. Come with me and I will show Him to you. Why? Because the clear message is: If you want to see God, go and work on it yourself. It is your problem. It is your realization. Only you can do it, if you want. You are on your own, Pal. Vivekananda insists that we do not have to believe in anyone else’s statements or even experiences. We need to figure it out and experience it ourselves. We need the passion, intensity, love, devotion, patience and 110% commitment and be absorbed unconditionally in the pursuit of the truth, the soul, Brahman, God, Self. No one else can or will do it for us. Note that Vivekananda did not follow the route to seeing God and seek Moksha. He was distracted by the suffering of his countrymen and journeyed to America to seek technology and assistance in order to improve the lives of Indians. On the one hand he had mastered this extraordinary knowledge that would lead to bliss and on the other hand there was poverty, sickness, loss of confidence, lack of self respect in the then British India. What a shocking contrast? What India needed to uplift its people, lift their 2

living standards and make their lives more comfortable was technology. And so he looked west. He would share with them the dynamic message of the Vedas and in exchange he wanted their skills to uplift India. Personal salvation took a secondary role. And that was a boon to mankind. Because of that, his messages will last till the end of time. He taught America the man-making message: You are divine! Not sinners! It is a sin to call you so. Get rid of your fears. Bliss is your birth right. Seek the One. Attain perfection. Learn the non-duality philosophy- Advaita, which insists iÉiuÉqÉÍxÉ (tatvamasi i.e.thou art That). Choose a path suitable to your personality: Karma (selfless work in the service of humanity), Jnana (developing pure intellect to serve humanity) or Bhakti (total surrender in devotion). Do not identify yourselves with your bodies. Be strong. He said “I want muscles of iron and nerves of steel and a mind made of the same material of which the thunderbolt is made of. Strength is life and weakness is death.” And there is a reason for emphasizing such strength. It is driven by a Sanskrit saying: lÉÉrÉqÉÉiqÉÉ oÉsÉWûÏlÉãlÉ sÉprÉ: (nāyamātmā balahīnēna labhya: (this Atman cannot be realized by the weak!) In fact an associated humorous poem confirms it: AμÉÇ lÉæuÉ aÉeÉÇ lÉæuÉ urÉÉbÉëÇ lÉæuÉcÉ lÉæuÉcÉ AeÉÉ mÉѧÉÇ oÉÍsÉÇ SiuÉÉ SæuÉÉã SÒoÉïsÉ bÉÉiÉÑMü: aśvaṃ naiva gajaṃ naiva vyāghraṃ naivaca naivaca ajā putraṃ baliṃ datvā daivō durbala ghātuka: neither the horse nor the elephant and never a tiger, it is sheep that are offered in a sacrifice; even God destroys only the weak! This illustrates the most essential requirement that we shed fear, become courageous and remain strong. May be we try too hard. If we subscribe to the Hindu belief that each soul is divine and individuals we see everyday everywhere are such souls and that we refuse to identify them with their bodies, then we see Gods here and now. Why reject that great opportunity to live among Gods and why not experience that bliss here and now?

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Hindus never said that we need to renounce this mortal world. Of course one could and work towards salvation. But we are urged to aim at fulfilling the cÉiÉÑÌuÉïkÉ TüsÉ mÉÑÂwÉÉjÉï (caturvidha phala puruṣārtha) i.e. practicing the four aspects for fulfillment in this life: Dharma, Artha, and Kama leading to Moksha. I interpret this to mean that we jump into this life with both feet and live among Gods and be fully engaged in Artha and Kama within the framework of Dharma (see my paper Dharmōrakṣati Rakṣita, Bhavan’s Journal, June 2005.) The adherence to such framework requires that we fulfill our duties to our own selves, our family, our neighborhood, our town, our country and the world at large. If we did that and serve Gods among us, may be we will attain Moksha. What is wrong with that? ************************************************************* Dr. Srinivasan was born in India in the village of Amruthur, Kunigal Taluk in Karnataka State, India. He had eight years of formal education in Sanskrit. His latest publication (The Vedic Wedding: Origins, Tradition and Practice, Periplus Line LLC, www.periplusbooks.com) is widely acclaimed and received the 2007 USA Best Book Award. He has developed a format for Hindu weddings, retaining the essential elements of Vedic rites and blends the Vedic approach with practices of other faiths when the bride or groom was raised in another faith. He is the primary founder of the Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society (1979) and served as its first President. He functions as a Hindu Priest in Connecticut performing a wide variety of pujas, ceremonies, weddings, housewarmings, and bhajans since 1971. He delivered monthly lectures on the Bhagavadgita for over 9 years and monthly lectures on the Mahabharata to the Indian community for a period of 5 years.

He has published a book entitled Yaksha Prashna: A Hindu Primer released by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, 2002 based on the Mahabharata series of lectures. He choreographed and directed a play, " The Coronation of Ramachandra", which was performed by the children in the community in 1984 and 1985. He has published/presented over 80 papers on a variety of cultural, social and religious issues in the U.S. and India. He serves as a member of Interfaith Council, Glastonbury. He was nominated to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1993. He taught Epics of India in the History Department at University of Connecticut (1995) and taught Sanskrit to graduate students at Wesleyan University in 1985. He is the 2007 recipient of the Kala Seva Mani award by the famous Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival and a 1999 recipient of the Connecticut Immigrant Award.

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