Vivek, the power of discrimination
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What is Vivék?
The Times of India, Sep 06 2016
Satish K Kapoor
The `Prashnottara Ratna Malika' by Adi Shankra contains precise, profound answers to equally short, profound questions: “Who is the truly intelligent?“ The sage replies, “Viveka“ one who is endowed with the power of discrimination. The question, “Who is the vigilant?“ evokes the same answer.
Viveka is the human faculty that enables one to discriminate between the real and unreal, the eternal and ephemeral, shreya, the good and preya, the pleasant. It is wisdom crystallised by satsang, holy company , and svadhyaya, study of scriptures made possible by contemplation on Brahmn Chintana, Absolute Reality . Viveka comes naturally to a prodigy as the result of prarabdha karma, righteous actions in past life.
The Katha Upanishad compares the Self of man to the Supreme seated in a chariot, with the body as chariot, intellect as charioteer, mind as reins, senses as horses, and sense objects as the road along which the chariot is driven. The unbridled horse can drive the chariot on a perilous journey .However, the one who has discriminative intellect can direct the senses with the reins of the mind, to attain self-control and purify consciousness.
Viveka helps one to find release from the cycle of birth and death. It also cultivates bhakti, reverence for the Supreme Reality which is at the root of the phenomenal world. With discriminative cognition one realises that the objective existence of name and form is maya, a delusion. The sole reality is the witness to the phenomena called Brahmn in its macroscopic form and Atman in its microcosmic manifestation.
Brahmn is eternal, immutable and self-existent. Yet, in its conditioned state, it is mobile and subject to change.Brahmn is unaffected by individual actions, bodily changes, states of mind, time, space and causation.
The growth of viveka in a person undergoes three stages: inquisitiveness, jnanadiptih or inner illumination and viveka-khyati, total awareness of Reality.Without discriminative discernment, the individual entangles himself in mundane pursuits his consciousness gets stuck in the chakras, lower nerve plexuses muladhara, svadhishthana and manipura and fails to move upward towards sahas rara, the cranial psychic force centre, the “thousand-petalled lotus“ signifying illumination.
Muladhara is at the base of the spine; svadhishthana is in the sacral area and manipura in the navel region.
The light of viveka removes the fog of avidya, nescience, annihilates ahamkara, ego, raga-dvesha, feelings of attraction and repulsion and vasana, subtle desires and helps one to get established in one's true divine nature.
With viveka one can perceive the cosmic Self in the individual self, the cosmic mind in the individual mind and cosmic consciousness in individual consciousness. As the spiritual aspirant sheds his finite individuality to be with the infinite being he ceases to do ignoble deeds and is filled with love and compassion for others. He realises the unity of existence and finds the world around as his own Self magnified.
The power of discrimination can be maximised by controlling manomayakosha, mind sheath, and empowering the vijnanamayakosha, the intellect sheath, in the subtle human body . This can be done by cultivating the habit of deep breathing for better control over sense organs, associating with noble people, observing regulation in eating and sleeping, practising silence, and remaining detached.
Sri Ramakrishna said: “By turning the mind within, one aquires discrimination, and then one thinks of truth“.Viveka resurrects man, relieving him of his sorrows, delusions and bondages.
Find truth with the power of discrimination
Kamal Jain, Find Truth With The Power Of Discrimination, August 1, 2017: The Times of India
The Shivasutras say that a seeker is one who makes right effort to find the truth, seeking moment to moment application of viveka, discrimination; the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. In sadhana, we need to be vigilant in applying discrimination, which is part of being awake, aware and clear.
Right effort means to get engaged in sadhana without distractions. Different thoughts, feelings, sensations, attitudes and impulses are distractions which arise from our ego and mind.Discrimination helps us to examine our mind and ego and put right effort to engage fully in sadhana by warding off distractions.
Adi Shankara, in `Vivekachoodamani', talks about discrimination: “Neither by weapons, nor by wind, nor by fire, nor by millions of actions can this bondage be destroyed. By nothing, save the wonder sword of knowledge, which comes from discrimination and is sharpened by purification of the mind and intellect, can we end this bondage.“
Viveka destroys ignorance which binds us, causing sufferings, and is sharpened by cleansing of mind and intellect. Purification can be done by reducing vasanas, desires. When desires are controlled, agitations of the mind are calmed down. The quieter mind enhances contemplative power which makes the ability to discriminate, sharper.
Dhammapada states that a wise man calmly considers what is right and what is wrong, and faces different opinions with truth, non-violence and peace. Thus, viveka becomes a great blessing and can be used in every walk of life. Discrimination is essential in our relationship with others and to differentiate between saintly appearance and a true saint. Not all situations that are pleasant are spiritually beneficial.Our inner growth lies in learning to differentiate between platitudes and real spiritual truths; between sentimentality and true compassion.
Viveka has great transforming power. Viveka brings about true wisdom in us and by use of it we are able to entirely change our whole nature from negative to positive. It is the ability of discrimination and thereby earned wisdom which facilitate victory over anger, jealousy and negativity in totality.
There is yet another level to the process of cultivating viveka. In the spiritual journey , one needs to know not only what is good or bad, but what is real or unreal; what is Self and `not self '. Here, viveka is more than a capacity of the mind; it becomes the property of Soul.
The challenge lies in cultivating the ability to discriminate in order to progress in our sadhana. Any practitioner of any tradition can develop his discriminative ability through studying scriptures, contemplation, witnessing consciousness, practice and through interactions with his guru and fellow seekers. Our conscience and intuition is also helpful in its cultivation, provided we heed our inner voice.
Sit quietly and meditatively; watch what arises in the mind and in the inner sky of awareness. If it is a thought, feeling or sensation which asserts, “that's mine“ or “me“, it comes from mind or ego. Keep watching the flow of thoughts, feelings and impulsive sensations and say silently to yourself about these, “that's not me or mine“, in response to whatever arises in your spacious awareness and you would reach a point where there would be a space of emptiness. Viveka would now be at a developed stage and will allow you to see the difference between form and emptiness, real and unreal, with clarity .
