Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from ... - Mandhata Global

niSkAma karma and vedAnta: tridoza and Their Antidotes
the body senses. To this sensation manas or citta reacts, and this natural process of
reaction is the second part of vikSepa. Manas has to be withdrawn from the environment
to an internal focus, and this is where upAsana helps to steady the manas or
citta. Thus, upAsana is needed to remove the doza of vikSepa.
With all the desires gone, and the steady manas, one would “vegetate.” Vegetate
has a negative connotation – sit around, stagnate, be passive, be sluggish, loaf,
twiddle your thumbs, or kill time. But literally with desires gone and steady manas
one simply lives a physical life, responding to context and people, and simply serving
their needs. In this state, even the desire to help others is not there, but since
there is no desire to acquire anything for oneself, the person is simply helping
people around him or her. This is an advanced stage of pursuit of spirituality, but
not the end. There is still the AvaraNa or cover that prevents the person from seeing
the spiritual form, the oneness with brahman. This doza is the subtlest of the three
and is called svarUpvismRti, forgetfulness of one’s true self, and is removed by
spontaneous kindling of jnAna – the deep realization that tat tvam asi, you are that.
This is the sthitaprajna state. One does not lead a life after this doza is removed.
One simply is.
sakAm karma leads to heaven and hell through dhUmamArga, and one keeps
going through the cycle of birth and death in the samsAra. niSkAma karma and
upAsana leads one through the acirAdimArga to one’s favorite deity, and one
enjoys sAlokya, sAmIpya, sAruSya, or sAyujya depending on how advanced one is
(ChAndogyopaniSad Canto 5). The person who has attained jnAna does not leave
this body to go anywhere, but each element (tatva) of the body merges in the five
mahat elements, and the person experiences kaivalyapAda right here. Such a
person is viewed as jIvanmukta and videhamukta by others but jIvanmukti and
videhamukti are irrelevant for this person himself or herself, and he or she is nityamukta,
right here, every moment, and this is captured in the dictum – “vimuktazca
vimucyate.”
Thus, the spiritual journey necessarily has four phases – the phase of karma, the
phase of niSkAma karma, the phases of upAsana or bhakti, and the phase of
jnAna. This journey is captured in the schematic diagram below (See Figure 5.2)
as a progression from sakAma karma to jnAn. It is plausible that the sakAma karma
is to be pursued when one is brahmacAri, and the objective is to acquire knowledge
and skills. As a grihastha one should already start practicing niSkAma karma. This
is why the dharma of grihastha Azrama is said to be dAnam 36 or charity. The practice
of charity can lead to the cultivation of niSkAma karma. The dharma of
vAnaprastha Azrama is said to be austerity, and upAsana or bhakti could be argued
to be a form of austerity. As can be seen from the life of great devotee saints, they
lead a very austere life. One who is in love with brahman would not need anything
else and simply accepts whatever comes his or her way. Acceptance of what comes
36 yatInAm prazamo dharmoniyamo vanavAsinAm; dAnameva gRhasthAnAm zuzrUSA brahmcAriNAm.
The dharma of sannyasins is pacification of manas; that of the forest-dweller is austerity; of the
householder is charity; and that of the students is service. zR viSNu sahasranAma, p. 120. Swami
Tapasyananda (1986) (Translator). zR viSNu sahasranAma: Commentary of zR Adi zankara.
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