Now the disciple asks , “ O Swami! Maybe the Jiva will be happy
after attaining Moksha but what is the harm if he remains happy in the world it
self ? Why should saints keep making
effort to get rid of the world?” Acharya
says :
12. The world is like a
paddle wheel in which the moment one
pushes one paddle ( calamity) away, the next paddle(disaster) immediately replaces it. ( Thus one after
another calamities keep appearing).
Meaning: the worldly pleasures are illusionary and worth giving up. The problems keep
appearing one after another hence one should destroy the worldly existence.
The disciple says. “Bhagwan! All do not face calamities. Some
rich people are seen to be enjoying also. “ Acharya answers:
13. Just as a person suffering from fever with chills drinks or
applies Ghee and believes himself to be alright again, in the same way a person
believes himself to be happy with laboriously earned wealth which really cannot
be protected.
Meaning: The foolish person believes application of ghee makes him healthy again. Similarly collecting
wealth one considers himself to be happy but this is illusion. The wealth gives
pain in earning, in protecting, at its
departure; hence in all conditions it causes misery.
The disciple enquires, “ It is
a matter of great surprise that since such wealth which is laboriously
earned is a cause for suffering in this loka and next loka , then why do people
no discard it?” The Acharya tells:
14. This worldly Jiva does not realize that calamities can strike
him also, similar to a man sitting on top of tree who considers himself to be
safe in the middle of wild forest fire where deer etc. are burning. ( He does
not realise his own situation.)
Meaning: The foolish person believes himself to be safe on the
tree from the fire thinking that he is protected. He does not realise that his
turn would also come.
The disciple asks “ Bhagwan! What is the reason that the people
do not notice the misfortunes even though
they are quite nearby?”
Acharya replies ‘ Out of greed, O Vatsa! The greed for wealth
causes the approaching calamities not to be noticed.’ Since:
15. Those who are happy with
the passage of time, since it is
a cause for increase of interest on given loan, even though it is also cause
for reduction of their own life; to such greedy people the money is more
attractive than their own life.
Meaning: Even though his own life span is reducing, the greedy
businessman wants longer time to pass so as to earn more interest. Hence this
money is really cursed.
Here the pupil says, “ Money which is a means for accruing punya
, how can that be condemned? Without money one cannot acquire punya by donating
to needy, conduct puja etc. Hence money cannot be blamed. In fact it should be
praised. Therefore one should acquire wealth to donate to needy and accrue
punya for acquiring future pleasures.” For this Acharya replies:
16. The poor person who collects wealth for the purpose of donation
in order to accrue punya, he covers his body with mud thinking that ‘I would
take bath later’.
Meaning: If someone indulges in pap to accrue wealth thinking
that he can acquire punya by its means
then he is deluded only.
The student says again, “ O bhagwan! If earning the wealth
generally results in accruing pap and therefore should be shunned being cause for
misery, but on the other hand one cannot enjoy pleasures without wealth hence
wealth should be praiseworthy?”
Acharya replies “ this is not so. From the objective of accruing
punya, it is not right to collect wealth as I have told earlier. Now you are
asking if wealth is a means for pleasures and enjoyments then such is not the
case either.” “ If you ask , how so?” Then:
17. The lack of which causes misery, on acquisition it causes lack
of fulfillment and which cannot be given
up without great efforts, which wise person would indulge in such enjoyments
with desire ?
Meaning: The beginning-middle-end of enjoyments are cause for
pain, thirst and lust which can never be satisfies like fire which does not get
subdued by any amount of fuel, or ocean which does not get filled by waters of
the river.
Further Acharya adds, “ The body for whose enjoyments all the
efforts are made with sufferings, that body is utterly unholy as told next “.
18. The object in whose contact even the holy things become
unholy, that body is always surrounded with hindrances, difficulties, obstructions etc. therefore the wishes for
its enjoyments are futile.
Meaning: Body is always cause for sufferings. It is a dwelling
for diseases and even most holy object become impure and stinking in its
company. Hence one should give up its attachment.
Even then the disciple says, “ Even if wealth cannot help body
due to presence of so many obstructions etc., still the soul can be benefited by
the wealth besides the fasting, restraints etc. “ To this Acharya says, “ It is
not so, for the following reason”:
19. Those things which are beneficial to the soul, they are harmful
to the body. The things which are helpful to the body, they are detrimental to
the soul.
Meaning: Food, wealth etc. are beneficial to the body but
earning wealth leads to pap which leads to birth in hell etc. On the other hand
fasting causes destruction of karmas but causes the body to become weak.
The disciple now quotes from Tatvanushasan, “ The benefits of this loka as well as other
loka can be attained by means of dhyan. Hence with dhyan every thing can be
achieved.” Acharya says this is not so. Dhyan(meditation) should be used for
benefitting the soul not the body.
20. At one end there is
Chintamani jewel and at another end there is a piece of oil cake; both of them
can be achieved by means of dhyan. Then which one the sensible people shall give importance?
Meaning: The wise person will always opt for the Chintamani
jewel. In the same way the wise people use dhyan for attaining pleasure of the
soul rather than the sensual pleasures.
The disciple who is now attaining belief after the explanations,
now asks Guru to tell him the form of
soul which is the subject of dhyan. To this Acharya responds:
21. The soul is knower and seer of both loka and Aloka , having
nature of infinite bliss, of the size of the body, permanent and can be
experienced by own self directly.
Meaning: Here five major characteristics of the soul have been
described. The soul is knower and seer of loka and aloka. Its nature is to be
infinitely blissful. It occupies space in akash equal to the size of the body.
It is indestructible and can be experienced by own self.
Here the disciple enquires that how should such a soul be worshipped?
Basically he has enquired of the means for carrying out meditation of the soul.
Acharya says:
22. With concentration of the mind, restraining the activities of
the senses, one should contemplate upon the soul by his own soul.
Meaning: Once the soul is known by means of srutagyan
(scriptures or preachment) then all activities of senses and the mind are
totally restrained. Subsequently the knowledge is turned inwards to know the
soul. This is the method of meditation leading to experience of the soul.
Here the student asks “ O bhagwan! What is the objective of the
worship of the soul? What purpose is served by serving the soul since the
activities of the thinkers is dependent upon the knowledge? Acharya answers:
23. The worship of ignorance ( i.e. body etc. devoid of knowledge)
provides ignorance. The worship of the knowledgeable people/soul gives knowledge. After all, whatever one owns
, he gives that only, such is the dictum.
Meaning: When one is worshipped then whatever he owns, he can
give that much only. The service of gurus as well as knowledge natured soul
leads to acquisition of knowledge.
Continued.......
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