We come to the last of my collage of “vakyams”, which reads as follows
Don’t be fascinated by “advaitham”; Experience & become an “advaithin”.
This to my mind is less of a “vakyam” and more of a poser to “me”, and goes a step further from Arun’s observation about going beyond, like doing our nitya karma, meditation etc., besides just acquiring book-knowledge. Before I elaborate, on these, let me tell you all, a small story which I had heard during my childhood days.
A devout “pundit” is in his prayers, and his wife is in the kitchen making “Prasad”. The pundit is in a sort of a questioning mood in his prayers; he asks his lord as to how long will he have to wait for his liberation?
The Lord answers immediately; there is a “Pushpak Viman” with Lord Vishnu’s messengers asking him to board so that they can take him to the Lord’s abode. He immediately calls for his wife so that they can both go where they have to go ultimately.
The wife sees the “Viman” but remembering something, says she needs a couple of minutes and gets back to the kitchen. Alas the messengers have had their instructions, they would not wait & so the pundit alone boards and is taken to that final abode of the Lord.
Folks, you will have to bear with me for some time before I link this with both Arun’s and my own Vakyam.
There is a saying “See Naples & die”. The meaning seems clear; Naples is so beautiful that before you die you must see the place. This (to me) appears to confine itself purely into the realms of this temporal world. The spiritual parallel for us (me) is
“Go to Kaasi”, drop all your identity, and merge”
This dropping of identity is the crucial step to get on to the path of merger with Him. The practice of making a sort of promise not to partake a simple vegetable/fruit etc is pure symbolism.
Now coming to the Vakyam;
The Providence’s poser is simple enough.
“You (me) have finally gone to kaasi, so why are you not asking yourself the query “Thathah Kim” - meaning what next? Mustn’t this question be agitating your mind and impel you to take that “dropping of identity” step without further ado? Instead you (me) have been so fascinated by discourses on “advaitham” spending even today almost all your time continuing the exercise -since retirement days about 5 years ago -- of pouring out your angst, sadness, turmoil, confusions, blasphemy et al, writing & sharing all of this in the blog, and with others. What are you waiting for? Some recognition your way? Well, that’s fine but let me see”.
“But if & when you are in the mood to tread that path, the “Pushpak Viman” will come. You can either be ready to board or like that lady, you can want a few more minutes. “I” have no problem either way. You are the one (me) who says that you want me to deliver. It’s indeed your call”.
Arun said we must supplement book knowledge with some action. The message to me goes further and is clear; “the only action is to surrender; dropping all my identities, & become “one” with Him.
Am I ready? Yes & No. The Pundit could see the Viman, I am not so fortunate. I am in that state where the pundit was prior to when God’s messengers came to him. So “yes” since I am clear I want to be ready, and “no” since I am unable to see the vehicle, and dropping of identity is not easy as of the moment, and like that lady I feel the need to do something which I have forgotten.(Probably a couple of more Jignyaasaa pieces!!!).
Jokes apart, my counter is also simple; Just because I am fascinated by the urge to write, discuss, share, notwithstanding my limited wherewithal, does it mean that He will not guide me to see the “Viman” & board without that all-too-familiar “Prarabhdha” bogey? In one of the famous shlokas of Adi Shankara, he says when there is the Lords Grace and you are in realization all your “prarabdha’ vanishes. (Well that’s my understanding BTW).
And as if this is not enough, the more serious poser is this: Why do you make me feel that I am singled out for a specially lousy treatment when people all around me, starting from my neighbors, the friends and even not-too-well disposed towards me seemingly thriving with your enormous kindness & oozing of Grace?
Why is it that the lady in the story is destined (forever?) to remain in the Kitchen even though she was sincerely preparing “Prasad”? I can only empathize with this lady’s plight incidentally.
Advaitham meaning no-dual-ness is a doctrine; one can be fascinated with this to start with, but this cannot be an end in itself. You have to look within meditate and become an “advaithin”- the scholar, the Siddha, the pundit, or the Brahmn “ITSELF” - the non-dual-one in merger. That’s the meaning of the Vakyam incidentally.
The answer to my posers therefore are simple; As to the time when I will get the “viman” to board it’s known only to Him. Kaasi is only a step, this has to be followed by a resolve to slowly withdraw from all activities relating to this temporal world including the fascination to blog even if it is on the subject of “advaitham”, if “deliverance” is the goal.
Is it easy? Far from it. Being Vichu, I am unable to resist the temptation to end this Bhashyam with a pure Vichiism reflecting the flavor of the Vakyams.
“I am Vichu, so I am unique as also odd, alone as also lonely, but it’s not because I am all that I am Vichu.
Being Vichu, I guess, I will probably continue to blog but make sincere attempts to withdraw .……till He decides that I am ripe and I get to that stage of moving out of the sphere of influence of this alluring temporal world, into that Spiritual embrace of His Grace.
May that God’s Grace be upon us…….(soonest)
Love Vichu
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