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the monthly ezine of Vedanta Mission, running in its 11^th year

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Vedanta Section

Desire is a Must:

Desire provides the drive for any endeavor, whether it is worldly or spiritual. Desire is a must for any dedicated & concerted effort. Without any desire no effort, karma or even gyana is possible. That is why in the four fold qualifications of a student of vedanta, the scriptures keep 'Mumukshutvam' as one of the qualifications. Mumukshutvam means Desire for Moksha, that 'May I be liberated'. It is this Mumukshutvam which drives a person to search for a teacher, go to even some godforsaken place, to study or do some sadhana.

Essence of Desirelessness:

It is important to appreciate here that the so called Nishkamata, or desirelessness only implies absence of self-centered desires and not desire per se. A selfless devotee is one who sincerely wishes to be a devoted instrument of God and sincerely follow the path of Dharma under all circumstances. So a desire is a must, and that also a clear and an intense one. The intensity of our efforts are always directly proportional to the intensity of our desires. Some people are seen to dedicate their heart & soul for their work and they alone succeed. So also the happiness and a sense of fulfillment & achievement. We get happiness only regarding the objects of our desires. Happiness is never objective but subjective, and therefore the thing which gives us joy may not give the same to the other person.  

Mumukshutvam is Desire for Freedom:

Mumukshutvam implies a desire for freedom. The subject matter of this desire itself is very subtle, and therefore the majority are not seen to entertain it. If we ask anyone as to what is the nature of your problems and bondage if any, then we find that majority either do not have any such problems and if at all there is then it is normally the incapacity to express ourselves fully or get what we want. It takes years to understand that the real bondage is that we have a 'compulsion to seek' something. What we seek alone differs from one person to the other, but everyone has to seek, they are rather helplessly bound to seek. Initially this is not seen as a problem but is rather seen as a basis of a deep-rooted motivation to do something. As years go by we see that inspite of all achievements we still cant get rid of this deep-rooted sense of insufficiency and lack, which starts choking a person. Inspite of all the heavenly comforts, status, security and pleasures we still need to seek or even depend on things outside. Our lack expresses itself in the form of either desire to seek something or the desire to hold on to something, and this doesn't seem to end, even when we are at the fag end of our life. He who realizes this becomes a true mumukshu, and the state of mind of such a mumukshu is called Mumukshutvam. To have mumukshutvam is an expression of great wisdom and subtle observation. Whoever gets this desire is not satisfied with just one more possession or pleasure. In fact all these acts are seen to be catering to this never ending desire of having to do and achieve something. We realize that we are not really free to do anything we are rather being driven and are compelled to do what we do, and the question which envelops these people is whether we can really be free from such a deep-rooted lack which has been driving us crazy throughout our lives. These people are blessed ones, they alone are the choosen ones for the next step of evolution. However, just to have this mumukshutvam is not enough assurance for our success in this field.

Mere Mumukshutvam is not enough:

Desire for freedom like any other desire has to be fulfilled, and here alone comes the multi-million dollar question, as to how to really quench this thirst. Even though the majority may not appreciate this desire properly and therefore their mind remains hazy regarding this goal, yet in their heart of hearts the process of the fulfillment of every desire is in a way an expression of desire to be free in some way. So we find that every person is in some way aspiring for freedom, and there are also those who have humbly taken resort to some religion and philosophy to be free of this bondage and compulsion. Yet the seeking goes on. Some pray, some meditate, others do some rituals and what not, yet apart from some happiness is having done something which is worthy to be done, we continue to seek. Some religions have accepted this fact and say that you will continue to seek, till a particular time when God will finally liberate his choosen few. All these are sincere seekers yet they remain thirsty till the very end of their lives. This gives us another lesson that it is not sufficient to have mumukshutvam, but we need to go still deeper into the problem and identify its nature. Vedanta says that it is only when this Mumukshutvam gets converted into Jignyasa that there is any chance of its fulfillment, and never till then. 

Mumukshutvam needs to get translated into Jignyasa:

Jignyasa means desire for knowledge. We need to see this fact that mere desire for liberation implies lack of understanding of this problem. Why has this lack come in the first place, what is it which is sustaining this desire. When we go into this problem then we come to know that desire for freedom is basically a desire for attaining our natural state of being. Something made us take ourselves to be something else and this alone is always making us uncomfortable. Whatever we take ourself to be is not satisfactory and we are uncomfortable and want to get rid of this unnatural state. In fact we have somehow imposed the dharma of all that which we are not on ourself. This was prompted by the ignorance of our real self. So the real problem is ignorance of our real self, followed by taking ourself to be something which we are not. It is very important that we diagnose the problem properly, and in this way alone, then the solution comes in our hands, and it is all very logical too. All our various efforts are a process to create better identity, so this alone is the problem. Thus a real student of vedanta is one whose Mumukshutvam has got translated into Jignyasa. This is indeed a big step forward, a step in the direction of real freedom and fulfillment. It is here that the study of scriptures makes sense. We take resort of that knowledge which negates our mis-apprehensions and finally the ignorance of our self. Such a jignyasu (inquisitive person) sees the Self as Self and the Not-Self as such, and thus doesn't mix issues and remains a free person in all circumstances. Such a person doesn't have any sense of lack within, and thus doesn't live under any compulsions but does everything out of love & fulfillment. This alone is the real difference between an ignorant and an enlightened person. This alone is the real difference between bondage and liberation. Such a person alone is truly healthy and they alone see the human life as a real blessing.

Vedanta Mission Web Site News

Web Site News

Almost full last month the web site of Vedanta Mission (vmission.org) was down. The web hosts were facing technical problems.

In the meantime we also got registered a .in domain of vmission.org, and now we have two domains registered in our name. www.vmission.org and www.vmission.org.in

As of now both the sites are working, and we shall now observe the services of both hosts and then will have to think of segregating the contents.

Quote

"Holding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned."

Gautam Buddha

Story

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Quote

"He who would leap high must take a long run."

Danish Proverb

Letter Section

Quote

"Men are born with two eyes, but only one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say."

Charles Colton

Mission News

Earlier Programs

Imp Dates

Important Dates in June 2008

Hindu Festival Calender

Forthcoming Programs

VMission Programs Calender

Trip to UK : 

Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji leaves for the UK on 30th May 2008 for a period of two months. Details of the trip can be seen HERE in Poojya Swaminijis Calender

Sadhana Camp, Rishikesh : 

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji and Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct a Sadhana Camp at Arsha Vidya Peetha, Rishikesh, from 18th to 24th June 2008. The subject matter will be the last two sections of Kathopanishad and the 7th chapter of Gita.

Guru Poornima Camp, Indore : 

A five days Sadhana Camp is being organized at Vedanta Ashram just prior to Guru Poornima. The camp will be from 13th to 17th July. 

Guru Poornima, Indore : 

This year Guru Poornima is on the 18th July. 

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. Om Tat Sat .