Dear Friends,
Namaste!
We have seen the real meaning of “Sanyas” and “Vairagya” of which the Zen master Hakuin was but one living example.
Acceptance and equipoise are the cornerstones of the lifestyle of a “Sanyasi” and therefore, let’s define “Sanyas” as “Acceptance of Reality with equanimity and compassionate behaviour within the same”.
A simpler definition of “Sanyas” is “Being a Hakuin” or “Being a Buddha”!!!
“Sanyas” or Being a Buddha:
We are expected to play the role of a “Buddha” during the last phase of our life (from seventy five years onwards).
By this time we have developed our personality, completed major responsibilities as a family person and also made a significant contribution to the society and country we are living in. Now we are expected to merge our identity with the whole universe. (This is how we pay back “Samaj Rina”). We are expected to become the global citizen in the true sense of the word. We are expected to embrace the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – that the whole planet is like one family!
Whilst personal enjoyment and continuing to pay back other debts at the same time are not prohibited, we should give highest priority to the whole world (rather than a specific individual, family, society or country) during this time.
In this phase, we should give more priority, more attention and more focus to roles interfacing with all living beings without a differential treatment based on species, country, religion or any other parameter that gives the impression of duality.
This would expand the notion of our “self” from merely being a coveted citizen of our society and country to a true Buddha having universal identity. Thence we spend the rest of our life as a person who, in Lord Krishna’s words, is “Sarva(All) Bhoota (living beings) Hitaihi (welfare of) Ratah (interested and engaged in)”.
The foregoing discussions bring forth one more fact. Throughout our life we are focused on development of “self”. The focus does not change – what changes is our notion of “self”. Starting with faculties of our persona, viz. body/mind/intellect, our “self” expands to our family, society, country and then the whole world! And as we begin to expand (and understand the limitlessness of) our “self” we end up working for the expanded sphere of our influence/identity.
So there is absolutely nothing wrong in being self-centered or selfish at all times! (“Selfish” is another misunderstood word!!!). In fact it is absolutely necessary to be “self”ish in order to eventually understand the Buddha in us, the Krishna in us!
“Pray do not dismiss merely as rubbish
The noble idea of being very selfish
Of us, the only thing I sincerely implore
The notion of “self” we must continuously explore”
Indeed throughout our journey we must be firmly focused on the objective of our journey which in Yoga jargon is “Swaanta Sukhaay” (For the happiness of self). The entire evolution of a being can be summarised – with apologies to Abraham Lincoln – as ‘journey for the self, of the self and by the self’!
Although this journey is long and arduous – actually spanning centuries, continents, species and births – Yoga Shastra lays down a roadmap for reaching the destination in just one human lifetime! Hence there IS a shortcut to success – Yoga!! Hence, “Good – Better – Yoga!!!”
The question that naturally arises is – if this journey is interrupted in between due to death of a human being, does that person start all over again? This was another question raised by Arjuna to which Lord Krishna has firmly answered in the negative. Just like sleep only temporarily interrupts or pauses our activities and we get up the next morning to continue from where we left the previous night, death is also a momentary pause taken by a being in order to change its apparatus and ambience to resume (and NOT RESTART) the journey towards its ultimate destination, which, as we know only too well by now, is to acquire eternal and infinite happiness.
How this happens in the physical world, what happens when we die and what happens when we are born again, how science (“Vigyan”) as we know it corroborates this theory and what are the areas yet to be discovered by the contemporary science are the topics that we will discuss at length later on when we cover “Gyan Yoga” (Yoga of Knowledge).
For now, it is sufficient to have faith and move on. Lest it becomes a chicken and egg situation where unless we have faith, we will not understand and unless we understand, we will not have faith!
Having discussed the various common phases and roles within human life, we now move on to specifics. Let’s train our thoughts on “our specific role” (“Swa-dharma”) in the forthcoming discussions.
Till then... be selfish, be a Buddha!
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