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Some thoughts on Samadarsi as a practice in yoga
on Krishna Ashtami on 27th Aug. 2005.
Dear fellow travelers on the path,
Pranams .
We have understood through our sadhana that we
have a unique relationship with the great Lord
Sri Krishna. The relationship we have with Him
as the guide and head of our Institution through
our beloved Master I have tried to detail on
earlier occasions.
Many aspects of the Gita were discussed earlier;
and I think there is no harm done by recalling
them in brief during this auspicious occasion.
Though it is stressed by the Lord that the lower
nature of ours has to be brought under control
by the higher nature (in the verse Bandhuratma
atmanastasya ye natmana atmana jitah), as to
exactly what is the way and what role Pranahuti
does in this was explained only by our Master in
the book Efficacy of Rajayoga through a
diagrammatic presentation of the subject. The
traditional approach to consider the two natures
of Atman as that of Atman and Brahman though to
a certain extent is acceptable, the
juxtaposition of the Atman and Brahman as
separate is something that is not true for yogi.
I have tried many times to explain that Atman
which is thinking and moving in nature when
transforms itself into the nature of thinking
and growing gains the name Brahman. Our grand
Masters clarification to this effect makes us
understand the scripture.
Another aspect which we find our Master
accepting totally is the concept of nishkama
karma. However by bringing in the concept of
trusteeship and blending to apply to all our
daily transactions he has made it easier for us
follow the path.
A very important concept that highly emotive in
nature is the statement of the Lord that there
is need to remember the Lord at the time of
death and that is stated as a sure means of
liberation. This statement of the Lord bothered
some of the great saints who prayed that they
may remember His adorable form at the time of
death as in verse ‘Adharahita charu vamsanalah..’
of Gopala Vimsati. There were others who wanted
their remembrance of the Lord be counted as
remembrance at the time of departing for all
that they know they may be not in position to
pray at that time due to illness and ailments-
as a verse says in Mukundamala. In our beloved
Masters method there is no such insistence and a
person is brought to the condition of Jeevan
mukta provided the person follows the path as
commended.
In the verse ‘Vidya vinaya sampanne.. .’ (Chap
V, verse 18) of the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord said
that the wise men have "equal vision." This is a
very important concept or teaching in the
Bhagavad Gita and needs clear understanding. Our
Master used to point out Samadarsi (man of equal
vision) is different from Samavarthi (man who
behaves alike to all). We are asked to see the
same self in all; but that should not lead us to
the absurd position of trying to feed the goat
with meat and the tiger with grass.
To remove the possibility of such misconception
Lord Krishna used another expression here - Sama
buddhi. This same-mindedness is an entirely
inner state that is very difficult to bring down
to the level of exhibitionism. The yogi is aware
of his unruffled state of mind when he meets any
of the people listed in the verse above.
The yogi knows the difference between a
newspaper and a currency note, but the sight of
the currency note does not produce in him the
excitement that it does in a worldly man. The
only sign by which we shall know how he feels is
the total absence of greed he exhibits and his
unwillingness to hoard wealth.
The yogi has trained his buddhi or intelligence
to be aware of the indwelling presence in all.
But as long as he lives in the physical body, in
this material world, he has a
double-consciousness: he sees the gold and the
clod of earth, but is aware that they both are
part of God's nature. His intelligence is aware
of God's omnipresence, though the mind and
senses still receive the varied impressions in
the world. His actions and reactions are
strictly in accordance with God's will,
unconditioned by personal likes and dislikes,
love or hatred. He is naturally not attached to
anything.
Sufferings are there to stay whatever may be the
advances in medicine and science. It is the way
we respond to the situations that cause
suffering that needs to be understood. There are
some ways of looking at things and let us
examine them briefly.
Bahirdrishti: There is an apparent
external way of perceiving suffering which may
be called Bahirdrishti. The subject of Suffering
is of universal interest. It is so because
suffering is universal. Nobody seems to be
exempt. The poor suffer from poverty, the rich
because of their riches; some nations suffer
from dependence, others from independence. There
is no adequate food, clothing or shelter; no
suitable education, medical attention or
employment. Floods and earthquakes, famines and
plagues, strikes and lockouts, are not
altogether infrequent. Generally speaking, in
high circles as well as in low, in big matters
and in small, there is hardly any will to agree
except perhaps to disagree. It is a topsy-turvy
world. Master has stated that he had his own
pack of sufferings and miseries and that article
of his should be read and reviewed several
times.
Kartavyadrishti: While the apparent
perception gives some grim picture if we look at
it from the angle of duty the problem does not
seem to be so. Further when one comes to think
of it, the picture need not appear so dark. The
suffering is obviously a result of our own past
thoughts, words and deeds. When we think an evil
thought, utter an evil word or do an evil deed,
we do not think of the consequences. We easily
forget what we have done. But when it comes to
facing the music, we squeal. We richly deserve
what we get. Suffering arises principally from
selfish desire. It will cease when such desire
ceases. The Law of Karma, of cause and effect,
is a just and merciful law. But for it, man
would be more and more of an animal. Because of
it, man tends to be more and more divine. It is
a law which makes for progress.
Antardrishti: There is an internal way of
looking at things. Sufferings not denied we make
an effort to put pieces of suffering as if they
were blocks in a puzzle and try to visualize the
whole picture and also see what part we have
played in precipitating this suffering. For my
part, it is a question of directing the vision.
If I always look at beings and things external,
I seem to see a lot of suffering. On the other
hand, if I turn my vision inwards, towards the
Divine or the Master in the heart as a Justice
personified, I behold nothing but peace. And
when I have made a practice of this, I see
happiness everywhere-not within alone but also
without. The question of suffering does get
suspended and slowly resolved in a natural way.
Premadrishti: The same result can also be
achieved by constantly remembering the Lord,
relying on Him and surrendering oneself to Him.
He is ever so sweet and kind. He ever guards His
devotee. He never neglects him. Whatever His
dispensation, it is undoubtedly for the
devotee's good. This form of faith turns poison
into nectar, suffering into bliss. The glorious
Sita of Ramayana said: "The presence of my Lord
is heaven for me, His absence the Hell of my
life." Not necessarily physical presence, but
even the mental awareness of the Lord's presence
in spirit gives the capacity to endure and
develop an attitude of santushti or contentment.
Then the attitude of taking things willingly and
we may as a wit said say "we can complain
because roses have thorns, or we can rejoice
because thorns have roses."
Samadrishti: The noblest way of looking
at suffering is to know that we only reap as we
sow. The Lord was explaining the transitoriness
of everything except the Divine and explained
the problem of suffering from various angles.
The law of suffering is a law of justice, of
mercy, of progress. In the Natural Path we
understand the subject thoroughly when we study
the Commentary of the Ten Commandments of our
Master. We understand from our study that
suffering can be avoided or even turned into
bliss, firstly, by cessation of selfish desires;
secondly by turning the vision inwards towards
the Divine in the heart and trying to see Him
everywhere; and thirdly, by constant remembrance
of the Lord and complete surrender to the Divine
Will. The Prayer given to us by the Master when
practiced with sincerity and love and devotion
to the Master grants us a vision that holistic,
integral and ennobling.
While discussing the subject of despondency that
many sadhakas might have regarding reaching the
goal, Master states that the special personality
has a neither a foe nor a friend and that he is
balanced in his ways and never loses
equilibrium. This indicates the state of perfect
samadarsitva that he has. Master in his message
to day says that Lord Krishna introduced Bhakti
in Raja yoga in a way the yogis know. It is
neither flattery nor worship in crude form that
can be considered as Bhakti. Bhakti in yoga is
not different from Surrender to the Master and
the message of the Lord in the verse 66 of
Chapter XVIII ‘Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam
saranam vrja Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo
mokshaishyami ma suchah’, sums up the final
stage of Bhakti that an aspirant should
cultivate.
In the interest of spreading the message of the
Master in a holistic manner we have been
supplying the sacred text Bhagavad Gita to the
aspirants on the auspicious Janmashtami. In this
context I would like to call your attention to
the statement of the Master “I do not want you
to dwell in an imagination that if you
repeatedly read the scriptures you will become
the master of spirituality. By so doing you can
become a philosopher or learned man, but you
cannot be a yogi without actual practice with
love and devotion.”
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