Vairagyam

Nanda Chandran Nanda.Chandran at NBC.COM
Tue May 26 09:38:38 CDT 1998


>From the practical point of view vairagyam might be easier to understand
by linking it with both vivekam and mumukshutvam.

vivekam - discrimination between the real and the unreal

For the sincere vedantic student for whom only the Brahman is real,
almost the entire spectrum of relations towards the empirical world is
unreal. But just recognizing them as unreal doesn't mean that the
student is immune to it. So vairagyam comes into play.

vairagyam - detatchment from the unreal

As stated above, it's not easy to develop immunity towards the unreal.
It cannot be done overnight. So constant practice is suggested to
cultivate detatchment towards the unreal. When one starts developing
this detatchment towards the unreal, then the attatchment to the real
grows. Thus mumukshutvam.

mumukshutvam - burning desire for liberation or to see Reality

Contrary to what Nagy states, I think the more riches and comforts that
a person enjoys the more is he/she suseptible to suffering. Gautama
Siddhartha gave up his privileges as he was *greatly troubled* by all
the suffering he saw in the world - hence his first noble truth - all
life is suffering. So according to Gautama, in one form or other life is
fraught with suffering. And thus the ulitimate goal of the Eight Fold
Path - liberation from the cylce of rebirths.

And contrary to what GMurthy feels I think such suffering or misfortune
actually has great potential to make a man/woman realize the ultimate
futility of empirical existence and seek Reality.

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