Spiritual Evolution and Samsara

[Giri]

On Thu, 10 Apr 1997, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:

> > I will get lost in samsara and maya.  Any help on how to avoid that would be
> > greatly appreciated.
> Continuing to meditate, etc even after marriage would help I suppose.

Namaste. May I comment that this has been answered in detail by Janaka.
When Shuka (Vyasa's son) is asked to marry, he is shocked since his only
goal in life is to realize the Brahman. Vyasa points out that being a
householder and being a jnani are NOT mutually exclusive. Shuka says that
is impossible and is asked to go and meet Janaka, who is a jnani and a
king. Shuka wonders how a king who has to meet out justice, kill people to
defend the kingdom etc be a jnani. In fact, when he meets Janaka, he makes
fun of him saying 'Calling you a jnani is like saying my mother is
barren.' Janaka, then, slowly but clearly explains how a householder can
be jnani and a jnani can remain a householder (or a king, in his case). He
also explains what duties a householder should do and in what attitude he
should do it. Instead of me posting those details or interpreting and
translating it, I will just note that the complete incident can be found
in the devi-bhagavatam.

        For those who want to hand-wave and dismiss this is not vedanta,
please refer to the commentary on Bhagavad Gita by Shankara. I have posted
Shankara's words before on this list under the title 'Jnana and Sannyasa'
The following is a portion of that post. Shankara, very clearly, says that
a jnani can remain as a householder for several reasons (including being
an example for this world). Look at BG 4.19 onwards, he mentions,

        'Due to the desire to promote world's welfare, he finds no way out
of activity. Or, may be, he wants to avoid the censure of righteous folk.
So he MAY, as was his wont before Self-realization, CONTINUE to WORK.
Still, he works not; for he knows his identity with the work-free Self.'

        I am thankful to Rama for quoting HH chandrashekhara bhaarati on
this issue. We have to depend on Shruti or words from Shankara, Janaka
and other such jnanis on these issues.

        To end this posting, I will quote from Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi

   'One day, before dawn, when I was restless in my bed, rolling from one
   side to another, Bhagavan came to me and asked, "Are you not getting
   sleep? What are you worried about?" I told him, "I am thinking of
   taking up Sanyasa. If I do it here my people would discover it. So, I
   want to go away to a distant place like Varanasi and become a Sanyasi
   there." He at once went and brought Bhakta Vijayam, read out from it
   the portion dealing with Vitoba's determination to remain a Sanyasi in
   a forest and the advice of his son Jnana Dev, that the same mind goes
   with a man whether he stays at home or retires into a forest, and told
   me I could attain Jnana continuing to be a householder. Thereupon I
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   asked Bhagavan, "Why did you become a Sanyasi?" He replied, "That was
   my destiny," and added, "Though it is irksome to remain a householder,
   it is easy to attain Jnana that way."

        Please note that I am not saying it is easier to "attain" Jnana
being a householder than being a sannyasi. Since I have no intention of
convincing people who have already made up their mind that being a
householder and a jnani are mutually exclusive, this will be my final post
on this topic.

AUM shaantiH