Sankara SampradhAyam - 5

[Dr. S.R.Marur]

VishistAdvaitins and Dvaitins who object to both Bhuddhism and
advaitham do so based on the [*perceived*] similarities between
these two schools of thought, in the realm of gyAna. They used to
even abuse our AchAryAl as a Bhuddhist in disguise - 'Prachchanna
BhuddhA'. But, this perception is not at all correct.

Even though AchAryAl Himself is accused of having been a 'BhuddhA in
disguise'- based on issues such as both Bhuddhism and advaitham
claim the world to be a mAyA and in advaitham, at a very high stage
of gyAna as even the Ishvara upAsanA drops out - on deeper analysis
it will become clearer that this [*accusation*] is quite invalid.

While claiming the world to be a mAyA, AchAryAl never meant any
thing to be a sUnyA of Bhuddhists. He considered the world
to be only a temporary truth (tharkAlika unnmai) and emphasised
that it shouldn't be construed to be an absolute truth. He
clarified that this mAya lOkA doesn't dissolve itself into sUnyA;
instead when the realisation that this world is not an absolute
truth dawns [*in us*], it'll also be realised that this lOka and
even we, who realise this world to be a mAyA, also are the
absolutely true and complete (pUrna) Bhrahman itself. The mokshA
of Bhuddhist - the nirVanA - is a substratum less empty sUnyA. On
the other hand, the mOksha described by AchAryAl is advaitham which
is becoming [*one with*] the complete state (pari-pUrna-nilai) of
highest truth, knowledge and bliss - ie sat-chit-AnandhA.
Equating these two [*Bhuddhism and advaitham*] to be identical is
wrong!


What is the greatness of AchAryAl ? It is His accepting all paths
and SiddhAnthAs at different levels and establishing that all these
together, at their highest level, lead to gyAna mArga. BhoudhAs are
those who not only renounced 'vEdic karmas'; but those who even
objected to them. While AchAryAl was the one who went out-and-out
in support of the practise of vEdic karmAs. The very starting
verse of His 'upadEsa sAram' is

|vEdO-nithyam-adHIyathAm-thath-udithama-karmasu-anushtIyathAm |


As a prelude to the dawn of the knowledge, the mind has to remain
focussed. Bhakthi upAsanA is essential for achieving that one
pointedness of the mind. As the mind will remain absorbed
only in BhagavAn, [*AchAryAl*] has incorporated bhakthi as a
pre-requisite. KarmAnushtAnam is a very essential step prior to
[*this stage of*] bhakthi.

He observed that the impurities of the chittham will be cleansed
off, only when the mind is always engaged in [*doing*] karmAs,
advocated by vEdAs. Only when one engages, more and more, in vEdic
karmAs, the mind will become purer. The mind, thus purified, when
immerses itself in bhakthi, will become focussed or one-pointed.
Only after that, such a focussed mind will be able to lose itself
and dissolve into the gyAna, which is the absolute truth. Thus,
AchAryAl has given us a very well ordered step-by-step path [*for
spiritual evolution*].

                                    .... to be continued

Regards,

Sudhakar

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Translated from,
HH Sri Chandhra sEkharEndhra Saraswathi Swamiji, 'Sankara
SampradhAyam'. Deivathin Kural (in Tamil), Vol. II, Second
Edition, ed. rA. Ganapathi, Vanathi padhippagam, Chennai,
pp: 119-157 (1980).
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