July 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Vairagya

[Srivatsa Ramaswami]

July 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami–Vairagya

I taught a 20 hr (10 days) on line program on Patajala Yogasutras in June 2023. The program was hosted by Atmayogashala in Chennai

Vairagya

Yoga students are quite familiar with the sanskrit terms as viveka and vairagya and to some extent vicara.

Deep analysis until the end without coming to any premature conclusion is called vicara. After deep analysis one would be able to distinguish between pairs of opposites like dharma (what is right) from what is wrong (adharma) or what is the truth (satya) from what is untrue (anruta). This is known as viveka meaning discrimination. vivichyata iti vivekah. The word viveka (according to dhatupata vicir prutag-bhave) or the state when one is able to separate two opposites that get mixed up.. Viveka should lead to viraga and that mental attitude is called vairagya. Raga is intense attachment (ranjayati it ragah)

Viraga is the opposite--the state of complete detachment is vairagya.

Vivekis are deep thinkers who are able to see through complex matters. However, the next step vairagya is more difficult. Many people, even when they know what is right from wrong or what is true from false, are unable to eschew wrong (adharma) or falsehood (anruta). Duryodhana the scholar villain of the great epic Mahabharata is said to  lament as follows.

जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृत्ति:, जानाम्यधर्मम् न च मे निवृत्ति:

Janami dharmam na ca me pravrittihi  janami adharmam na c menivrittiH

I know what is right (dharma) but do not follow (inclined to ) dharma

I know what is wrong (adharma) but do not refrain from doing it.

Vichara leads to viveka or the ability to discern. Viveka should lead to viraga or vairagya, but the old samskaras (unwholesome habits) prevent even a wise person (viveki) from following the right path. Patanjali would commend abhyasa or practice of dharma and satya until the old samskaras are replaced by new samskaras or until the mind habitually turns to what is right and what is the truth.

Samkhyas and Yogi Patanjali give  very interesting instructions about vairagya. We have just seen that many Vivekis do not develop deep vairagya as they do not deal with samskaras of attachments and desire by abhyasa.  There are many who develop vairagya due to intense suffering in their lives and also studies. Patanjali nicely puts it in his yogasutras as “parinama tapa samskara duhkaih gunavritti virodhacca duhkhameva sarvam vivekinaH

परिणाम ताप सम्स्कार दुःखैः गुणवृत्ति विरोदाच्च  दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः॥

 It is possible to develop vairagya when one sits back and finds out that life here and hereafter is  full of duhkha. There is pain due to constant change in prakriti or objects around us. What appears favorable at a time becomes unfavorable due to change in the object itself (parinama). Then there's  the deep disappointment in not getting what one  works for or not getting rid of what one does not want despite the appropriate efforts (tapa duhkha). Further, there is samskara duhkha or the state when one is habitually/clinically depressed. Moreover, there are constant changes in one’s own mind due to the dominance of the three gunas at different times. Patanjali calls these ones as vivekis in a way, not from the point of distinguishing between purusha and citta. These kinds of vivekis may develop vairagya towards all the objects of the world and other worlds detailed in the vedas.This vairagya is called lower vairagya or aparavairagya, as the subject completely withdraws from the world and become bairagis or as some do, run away from all responsibilities like the emotionally disturbed Arjuna before receiving gitopadesa from the Lord. But this kind of vairagya does not lead to kaivalya the state of permanent release from repeated samsara. According to Patanjali such vairagis try to attain a certain out of body existence (videha) or hide in a subtle aspect of prakriti (prakrit layas). But Patanjali points that the vairagya one gets by the clear understanding of the nature of the real Self ( purusha) by  direct yogic perception ( yougika pratyaksha) is superior.. Patanjali calls it paravairagya or superior vairagya, 

How does one systematically practice vairagya or dispassion, the  lower one arising out of a reaction to the incessant pain as described by Patanjali, the Samkhyas and also vedantins? It is said to take place in four baby steps according to Vacaspati Misra who has written commentaries to samkhya karika, yoga sutras and other texts. . The first one is known as “yetamana” or the first attempt, making up one’s mind not to allow unfettered freedom to the senses to engage in the respective objects. This comes after having realized the pain arising out of the external objects as referred to earlier in a quote from yoga sutras. It is to make up the mind to restrain the senses from engagement due to desire and anger. If one practices this for a while it is called the state of attempt and in course of time the senses will be kept on a leash. Then spending time on finding the defects of the outside objects that cause pain is called the second stage called vyatireka. With this, the vairagyabhyasi will have a much better control in avoiding objects that are responsible for causing much pain. By constantly looking at the defects of the objects even when the desire is not eradicated from the mind is known as ekendriya samjna  or where the desire is in only one indriya the mind. Then with further deliberations when one is able to eschew all desires from the mind or manasit  is called vasikara samjna vairagya. It is to be understood that because of the old samskaras, habits or inherent tendencies, this four step detoxification process is to be followed. But Patanjali calls it as inferior vairagya as it will not lead to kaivalya or permanent freedom  but may lead to some siddhis as “videha’ or out of body existence or prakriti layas as explained earlier.

But the paravairagya or the higher dispassion arises due to the direct perception or yougika pratyaksha of the purusha by the satvic buddhi. And that leads to kaivalya or permanent or irreversible freedom. 

Samkhya karika explains it in its own beautiful way.

अध्यवसायोबुद्धिर्धर्मोज्ञानंविरागाइश्वर्यम् । सात्त्विकमेतद्रूपंतामसमस्माद्विपर्यस्तम् ||

Adhyavasāyobuddhirdharmojñānaṃvirāgāiśvaryam।

Sāttvikametadrūpaṃtāmasamasmādviparyastam ||

Of the 24 prakritic tatvas, the one that is most important is Buddhi or intellect. And, of the three gunas the one that is most beneficial is satva. So Buddhi, when  it is satvic can accomplish much for the individual. And the first goal of yoga is to make the yogabhyasi predominantly satvic. And a satvic mind can do wonders for the dedicated yogabhyasi. A satvic buddhi can develop intense discrimination (viveka) and discern the difference between dharma(right) and adharma(wrong)--possibly as enunciated in the scriptures and also what is consideredto be  general good. On the other hand, if the yogi with intense concentration called samadhi would train the buddhi towards the discrimination between purusha the real self and the empirical body/mind self, the drishyatm, then such a person will develop paravaragya due to the buddhi’s perception of the majesty of the immortal Self. This is called jnana by the samkhyas also known as viveka jnana. Such an application of a satvic buddhi leads the goal of yoga which is kaivalya. A satvic buddhi can also work towards understanding the cause of pain and thus lead to vairagya as described earlier. Such vairagis attain an inferior goal of prakritilaya or videha as pointed by Patanjali (bhava pratyayo…). Then there are the siddha yogis. Like fundamental scientists, these siddha yogis are able to understand the prakriti in its entirety and attain supernatural powers known as vibhooti, aiswrya or siddhis. However sankhyas point out that only the path of jnana  taken by the rajayogi will lead to the coveted kaivalya state and the other three may not prevent the recurrence of samsara.

While the buddhi faculty is to be cherished, when it is infested with tamas it could lead to one’s downfall. A sharp intellect when vitiated becomes cunning and would indulge in adharmic activities, just the opposite(viparita) of a satvic buddhi. Or it may continue to consider the empirical person as the real self and spend the entire lifetime trying to humour the false self. This is called ajnana the opposite of jnana and the common state of the most majority of mankind in the past, present and future as well. The tamasic buddhi could lead to intense sensual attachments and the resultant pain in this life and the life hereafter. A tamasic budhhi becoming weak, will make the subject weakling among others and otherprakritic  forces.

Vicara, viveka and viraga (vairagya) with a satvic buddhi made possible by regular and appropriate yogabhyasa would lead to the desired goal of absolute eternal freedom .