Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Of Ignorance, Doubt, Confusion, Trust and Conviction.

Of Ignorance, Doubt, Confusion, Trust and Conviction.
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With special reference to the shloka 40 of chapter 40, let us see how ignorance, doubt, confusion, trust and conviction are the 5 states of mind.
A comparison with the 5 states of mind as referred to in pātañjala yogasūtra will be of some help here, though.
The five states / modes (vṛtti)s of mind are as follows : 
kṣipta, mūḍha, vikṣipta, ekāgra, niruddha  / samādhi
All sentient beings have these 'states', but we can't say anything about beings other than human. In us, human beings the first is like of a primitive, uncivilised, uncultured man. The mind of such a man is very much in tune with nature. He lives almost at the animal level, behaving in the as the bodily needs prompt him to do. This stage kṣipta, strengthens the sense of 'me' as a separate identity in a 'world'. And one learns about pleasures and pains of just existing as a body. There is the next stage  mūḍha, when the distinction between 'me' (the body) and the 'other' becomes a habit of mind. And then one tries to exploit the 'other' to maximize pleasure and minimize the pain. Then the stage ekāgra, when the intellect has developed to a particular level, and one is able to direct the thinking in an objectified mode, when one can focus the attention on a particular thing of interest / study. But the tendency (vṛtti) of the mind  still keeps active while it passes through the three phases jāgṛti, svapna and suṣupti  (waking state, dream-level and deep dreamless sleep respectively). ekāgra state, when fully developed, and when the mind is pure and capable of understanding the deeper aspects of Life / Existence,  culminates into the niruddha state, one (such a mind) attains samādhi, such a state of mind when one is not in dream-state or the deep-sleep state, and nor the mind is overpowered by 'thought' vṛtti . We can also say, when the mind is NOT identified with any of the vṛtti yet just fully awake. Every-one once in a while comes across moments when one experiences something 'indescribable', and then seeks to gain control over the same, though seems to have been slipped off his hand. tripurā-rahasya, and    tantra maintain that every individual at an average, comes across such a moment approximately 6 times a day. 
Now let us see how an ordinary mind in Ignorance, doubt, confusion, trust and conviction passes through the above mentioned 5 states.
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Ignorance is in-born and with experience and development of thought / intellect one learns to form ideas about a perceived 'world' and a 'me' that seems to be different and 'other' than the 'world'. This is interesting to note that though the body and the world both are composed of the same fundamental and the same elements, while the 'consciousness' associated with the body turns into 'me' (idea), that too fades away in deep sleep. Along-with the world also. Without exception, both come up into perception with the other.  Obviously both are inseparable one whole.
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Ignorance is no problem. But with the arrival of the 'me' the problem begins. success and failures tend to creat doubt about the nature of things in mind. And not knowing the same becomes deep-rooted misery. Then when the attention is withdrawn from the observed' and is focused upon the observer, one comes across the understanding that this 'me' is basically 'consciousness' only. The 'consciousness' with the idea of a 'self'. Where-from arises this idea? When one goes in search of the root, one concludes the 'Self-Consciousness' is ever so by the very nature. And the idea of 'me' is but a reflection of this All-pervading 'Self-Consciousness', shining in everything, including the body. And the brain defines this reflection as 'me'. Once this is clear, one would no more dabble engage into endless discussions about God, spirituality, and others many philosophical questions. This is Trust and Conviction.
The salient point is :
A doubt needs to be cleared, not suppressed. Trust (śraddhā) should be arrived at by removal of doubts and confusion. Trust (śraddhā) is though basically present in all beings, the same needs to be strengthened and directed in the right way. 
अध्याय 17, श्लोक 3,
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सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥
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(सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ।
श्रद्धामयः अयम् पुरुषः यः यत्-श्रद्धः सः एव सः ॥)
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भावार्थ :
हे भारत! सभी मनुष्यों की श्रद्धा उनके अन्तःकरण (मन, बुद्धि, चित्त एवं ’मैं’-भावना रूपी चतुष्टय तथा उनका अधिष्ठान साक्षी-बुद्धि / शुद्ध चेतनता) के अनुरूप हुआ करती है । यह पुरुष श्रद्धामय है, अतएव जो पुरुष जैसी श्रद्धावाला है, वह स्वयं भी वही है ।
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टिप्पणी:
चूँकि श्रद्धा अन्तःकरण से अभिन्न है, इसलिए जैसा अन्तःकरण होता है, मनुष्य भी बिल्कुल वही होता है । इसीलिए मनुष्य में श्रद्धा भी सात्त्विकी, तामसी या राजस या उन तीनों गुणों की उपस्थिति के अनुसार भिन्न भिन्न प्रकार की होती है ।
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Chapter 17, shloka 3,

sattvānurūpā sarvasya
śraddhā bhavati bhārata |
śraddhāmayo:'yaṃ puruṣo
yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||
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(sattvānurūpā sarvasya
śraddhā bhavati bhārata |
śraddhāmayaḥ ayam puruṣaḥ
yaḥ yat-śraddhaḥ saḥ eva saḥ ||
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Meaning :
According to the sattva, every-one has the own specific construct of mind (thought, intellect, consciousness and ego, these 4 together form the tendencies and modes of mind, and this is the inherent spontaneous instinct śraddhā, of a man) . This man is verily the śraddhā, so one is of the kind, what-ever and of what-so-ever kind is the inborn tendencies of the mind / śraddhā, he has from the birth.
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śrīmadbhagvadgītā emphasizes that a man in doubt / confusion should try to get cleared the same, other-wise he is just doomed. With the removal (nirasana) of doubt / confusion (saṃśaya) , Intelligence, Trust, Conviction follow.
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