The Break of a Rosy Dawn-IV

By Staff

Friday, July 31, 2009, 14:45

Higher experience is in learning to reach our divine core within and finding our joy there. It is searching for the right thing in the right place. Generally we need experience either by our efforts or by observing others to come to this inner conviction.

The Mundakopa-nishad (I.ii.12) speaks of it in this way: 'Let a wise one, after having examined all these worlds that are gained by works, acquire freedom from desire; nothing that is eternal can be produced by what is not eternal.' Examining a thing means to see its pros and cons, weighing it on the scale of experience and seeing how much good it has to offer. Examination of this kind leads to the development of the ability to discriminate, the power of Viveka.

In one's state of ignorance about the real nature of man, which is divine, and a fountain-head of infinite bliss, one seeks fulfillment through satisfying one's desire for enjoyment. Desires themselves are born of ignorance of our divine nature, which is in fact ever-fulfilled (purnam).

This ignorance produces in us a feeling of inadequacy. This in turn drives us to make ourselves complete and self-sufficient. We thus seek fulfillment, which presumes an inner spiritual lacuna. This feeling of inadequacy, though illusionary, is the breeding ground for desires; and thus we are asleep to the spiritual reality.

Every desire once it is born, craves for fulfillment. This craving is the cause for life itself. That is how and why the Indian spiritual tradition believes, man is born and reborn. As one birth is insufficient to fulfil one's desires, considering the ever-rising number of desires in mind, man keeps taking birth again and again. Fulfilling one desire only gives birth to another desire.

It is only, after a long time (no one knows how long) when one is disillusioned that one turns to God, or his own divine nature in order to obtain ever-lasting happiness and security. 'At the end of many births, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realizing that all this is Vasudeva (the innermost self). Very rare is that great soul,' says Krishna (Gita, 7.19). Many births means many experiences that one undergoes while fulfilling one's desires for enjoyment.

About the author

Swami Atmashraddananda

Swami Atmashraddhananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and editor of The Vedanta Kesari from the year 2004 .

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