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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00133 Apr 2002

 
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Respected Ramanuja Bhaktas,

Yesterday, HH Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy concluded his inspiring
discourse in Telugu on the Purpose of Life that he had started last
month. I am blessed that solely because of his anugraham (the
Teacher's Compassionate Grace), Sri Jeeyar Swamy has asked me to
continue to share what I have learned from his discourses with all of
you.

Once again, I can only reiterate that the credit for what you find
inspiring in these words can only go to HH Sri Jeeyar Swamy; and what is
in error is solely due to my ignorance.

HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy Discourse
The Purpose of Life - Discourse II
April 27, 2002

Part I

In the previous month's discourse, Sri Jeeyar Swamy had summarized that
the purpose of life centers on the cultivation of two good qualities:
vinayam, obedience and humility, and vide:yatha, commitment to
respectfully following our elders, our teachers, and our sa:stras. But,
now the question becomes as to how these two most important qualities
are to be cultivated.

When our clothes or body or dirty, the way to clean them is clear and
direct, simply wash them. But, what about our mind and intellect -
which in Sanskrit is known as the "manas" or subtle body? How do we
clean this?

The manas is a very mysterious and intangible thing, and yet somehow we
are aware of its presence. In Telugu, when we are not feeling quite
right emotionally, we speak of our manas as not being well. When we
are elated, we talk of the joy that our manas feels. So what is this
mysterious thing called the manas? From the Upanishads, we learn that
the manas is like an "operating system" of sorts, serving as the subtle
connector and processor betwen what we truly are, jeevathmas, and our
body and senses.

The manas has been with us since time immemorial, encouraging us and
recording for us all of the experiences that we have had through our
countless births. Consequently, our rishis and a:zhwa:rs say that it is
one of our two closest friends; the other friend being God Himself, who
is also accompanying us in our Heart of Hearts through our seemingly
endless journey.

The nature of the manas makes it very erratic. It roams about here and
there, experiencing life through the five senses, and filling us with
all sorts of desires and aspirations. At times, it seeks out the
spiritual, and at other times, it seeks out the purely mundane. Where
it can lead one is based on its experience, so it is virtually
impossible to predict where it will take us next.

But, in order to cultivate good qualities, this manas must be brought
under control. There are those who take great pains to do so, following
a life of strict discipline and meditation in order to withdraw the
senses. But, our sa:stras reiterate and emphasize that the manas is our
friend, not our enemy. So, we must not mistreat it or make it go
against its basic nature by force. A more subtle approach must be
taken, one that is respectful of the manas' nature, but one that is
effective in ensuring that it goes in the direction that we would like
it to go.

This approach can be likened to how a good parent tames an unruly
child. If a parent yells or harshly commands an already temperamental
child, he/she will tend to become all the more uncooperative. But, if
the parent uses a loving, supportive yet guiding tone in communicating
with the child, the child will usually tend to cooperate.

A similar apprach must be taken with the manas, as will be described in
the next posting.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mohan









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