Self Realization

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Why do we need to realize the self?
by
A.V. Srinivasan

The famous Indian novelist, India’s Garrison Keillor, R.K. Narayan’s
Vendor of Sweets casually says to the hanger-on sitting just outside his shop
“Conquer taste and you will conquer self.” The irony is simply marvelous
because the person who sees virtue in conquering taste is a seller of sweets!
But the hanger-on asks: why should we conquer self? Once again the Indian
mind and thinking pattern is brought about brilliantly: “I don’t know. But
that is what our elders have always said!”

Why should we conquer self? Hindu religion uses the word realization
rather than conquer. A whole system of yoga with very strict discipline has
been developed over the centuries to teach the aspirants how to achieve this
realization. But a clear case has not been made as to why. Is this perhaps like
the Socratic assertion made immediately upon drinking the hemlock that he
owes a debt to Asclepius, the God of medicine, because he has been cured of
the long disease of life? Is realization of self the cure for this “long disease?”

Furthermore, the ancients, speaking different tongues (Greek, Latin,
Sanskrit, English, French, …) all set down the very same “stirring
admonition found in identical words”

gnoti seauton
nosce te ipsum
atmanam viddhi
know thyself
connai-toi toi meme
et cetera,

Nirad Chaudhury says at the very beginning of his book (Continent of Circe,
Oxford University Press, 1966) that "This introspection seems to have been
looked upon as a duty by the peoples who spoke these languages and
whenever they have forgotten it they have also lost their soul."

Hindus talk about Moksha (salvation) as the ultimate goal that releases the
soul from bondage of inhabiting another body and another life in the mortal
world. With realization, the individual soul is assumed to merge with the
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supreme Soul and that is the end. No more cycles of births, deaths and
rebirths. The implication is that this life on earth is not real and reality is
what we need to seek and strive for. All religions pontificate about the
ultimate reality and imply something spectacular and entirely blissful awaits
us elsewhere. This ultimate reality is God and we are charged to realize Him.

This was precisely what bothered Narendranath Dutta (future Swami
Vivekananda). The young Narendra never stopped asking any and every
holy man he met if the holy one has seen God. He got no satisfactory answer
from anyone until he met Ramakrishna. He asked Ramakrishna: “Sir, have
you seen God?” Without a moment’s hesitation the reply was given: Yes, I
have seen God. I see Him as I see you here, only more clearly. God can be
seen. One can talk to Him. But who cares for God? People shed torrents of
tears for their wives, children, wealth, and property, but who weeps for the
vision of God? If one cries sincerely for God, one can surely see him.”
Vivekananda was naturally astounded (See Vivekananda: The Yoga and
Other works by Swami Nikhilananda, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center,
1953, p13).

It is significant to note here that Ramakrishna knew about his new disciple
and saw in him the future Vivekananda who would shake the world with his
dynamic message. Still, he didn’t take Narendra by hand and say: Yes, I
have seen God. Come with me and I will show Him to you. Why? Because
the clear message is: If you want to see God, go and work on it yourself. It is
your problem. It is your realization. Only you can do it, if you want. You are
on your own, Pal.

Vivekananda insists that we do not have to believe in anyone else’s
statements or even experiences. We need to figure it out and experience it
ourselves. We need the passion, intensity, love, devotion, patience and 110%
commitment and be absorbed unconditionally in the pursuit of the truth, the
soul, Brahman, God, Self. No one else can or will do it for us.

Note that Vivekananda did not follow the route to seeing God and seek
Moksha. He was distracted by the suffering of his countrymen and
journeyed to America to seek technology and assistance in order to improve
the lives of Indians. On the one hand he had mastered this extraordinary
knowledge that would lead to bliss and on the other hand there was poverty,
sickness, loss of confidence, lack of self respect in the then British India.
What a shocking contrast? What India needed to uplift its people, lift their
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living standards and make their lives more comfortable was technology. And
so he looked west. He would share with them the dynamic message of the
Vedas and in exchange he wanted their skills to uplift India. Personal
salvation took a secondary role. And that was a boon to mankind. Because of
that, his messages will last till the end of time.

He taught America the man-making message: You are divine! Not sinners! It
is a sin to call you so. Get rid of your fears. Bliss is your birth right. Seek the
One. Attain perfection. Learn the non-duality philosophy- Advaita, which
insists ¯|¯¯|¹|l-| (tatvamasi i.e.thou art That). Choose a path suitable to your
personality: Karma (selfless work in the service of humanity), Jnana
(developing pure intellect to serve humanity) or Bhakti (total surrender in
devotion). Do not identify yourselves with your bodies. Be strong. He said “I
want muscles of iron and nerves of steel and a mind made of the same
material of which the thunderbolt is made of. Strength is life and weakness
is death.”

And there is a reason for emphasizing such strength. It is driven by a
Sanskrit saying: -||¯|¹||¯¹|| ¯|¯|¯|-|-| ¯|+¯|: (nāyamātmā balahīnēna labhya:
(this Atman cannot be realized by the weak!) In fact an associated humorous
poem confirms it:
¹μ| -|¯| ¹|¯| -|¯| ¯¯||¯| -|¯|¯| -|¯|¯|
¹¯|| ¯|¯| ¯|l¯| ¯¯¯|| ¯¯|| ¯¯|¯| ¯||¯|¬¯:
aśvaṃ naiva gajaṃ naiva vyāghraṃ naivaca naivaca
ajā putraṃ baliṃ datvā daivō durbala ghātuka:

neither the horse nor the elephant and never a tiger, it is
sheep that are offered in a sacrifice; even God destroys only the weak!

This illustrates the most essential requirement that we shed fear, become
courageous and remain strong.

May be we try too hard. If we subscribe to the Hindu belief that each soul is
divine and individuals we see everyday everywhere are such souls and that
we refuse to identify them with their bodies, then we see Gods here and
now. Why reject that great opportunity to live among Gods and why not
experience that bliss here and now?

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Hindus never said that we need to renounce this mortal world. Of course one
could and work towards salvation. But we are urged to aim at fulfilling the
¯|¯|l¯|°| +¯¯| ¯|¹¯||°| (caturvidha phala puruṣārtha) i.e. practicing the four
aspects for fulfillment in this life: Dharma, Artha, and Kama leading to
Moksha.

I interpret this to mean that we jump into this life with both feet and live
among Gods and be fully engaged in Artha and Kama within the framework
of Dharma (see my paper Dharmōrakṣati Rakṣita, Bhavan’s Journal, June
2005.) The adherence to such framework requires that we fulfill our duties to
our own selves, our family, our neighborhood, our town, our country and the
world at large. If we did that and serve Gods among us, may be we will
attain Moksha. What is wrong with that?
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Dr. Srinivasan was born in India in the village of Amruthur, Kunigal Taluk in Karnataka
State, India. He had eight years of formal education in Sanskrit. His latest publication
(The Vedic Wedding: Origins, Tradition and Practice, Periplus Line LLC,
www.periplusbooks.com) is widely acclaimed and received the 2007 USA Best Book
Award. He has developed a format for Hindu weddings, retaining the essential elements
of Vedic rites and blends the Vedic approach with practices of other faiths when the bride
or groom was raised in another faith.
He is the primary founder of the Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society (1979) and
served as its first President. He functions as a Hindu Priest in Connecticut performing a
wide variety of pujas, ceremonies, weddings, housewarmings, and bhajans since 1971.
He delivered monthly lectures on the Bhagavadgita for over 9 years and monthly lectures
on the Mahabharata to the Indian community for a period of 5 years.
He has published a book entitled Yaksha Prashna: A Hindu Primer released by the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, 2002 based on the Mahabharata series of
lectures. He choreographed and directed a play, " The Coronation of
Ramachandra", which was performed by the children in the community in 1984
and 1985. He has published/presented over 80 papers on a variety of cultural,
social and religious issues in the U.S. and India. He serves as a member of
Interfaith Council, Glastonbury. He was nominated to receive the Ellis Island
Medal of Honor in 1993. He taught Epics of India in the History Department at
University of Connecticut (1995) and taught Sanskrit to graduate students at
Wesleyan University in 1985. He is the 2007 recipient of the Kala Seva Mani
award by the famous Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival and a 1999 recipient of the
Connecticut Immigrant Award.