Some entries from a student’s notebook
How has Vedanta changed over the last 1300 years? How do Shankara and Vivekananda complement each other? Both were sannyasins. Both had a penchant for Yoga. Patanjali, the Father of Yoga, systematized Yoga (sometime between 400 BCE and 140 CE), giving it Eight Limbs. Then, Shankara, who was born about 788 CE, augmented it into 14 Limbs. In the late 1800’s, Vivekananda proposed the Four Yogas and their integration, and the three Stages of Philosophy as the natural progression of spiritual development: Dualism, Qualified Non-Dualism, Advaita.
Shankara accented three kinds of Liberation: Liberation of transcendence (which Babaji related to Dissolving the Mindstream), Liberation of renunciation, and the Liberation of knowledge.
Shankara focused on Mukti/Moksha. Shankara’s Order of sannyasins was only interested in Liberation, just like Buddha. Why only sannyasins? Because the householders were not producing liberated beings, and the focus on this needed to return to the people of India.
Shankara contributed the idea of Jivanmukti, liberation in life.
Then, in his time, Swamiji, bless his soul, saw how weak human beings were. It was as if he was saying, “send me your poor, weak, huddled masses,” at the spiritual level. Without telling us we would not get free (i.e. because today’s aspirants have far to go to get qualified), he said we could achieve a kind of collective liberation if we pulled and practiced together.
What is the difference between sannyasins and monks? Generally, that sannyasins wander, monks often do not, but live in monasteries.
The Yoga of nonduality is what Shankara exposed to the people of the day, along with rites and worship, but one had to give up worldly action. He brought out the concept of jivanmukti.
Swamiji brought out the Four Yogas, and that they should be integrated. He also brought forth the idea of work as worship and labor as love.
Neo Vedanta, the Vedanta of today, has a much larger field to work in, i.e., the entire world. Shankara taught in India only, and set up maths (monastic centers) in the four cardinal places of India. Vivekananda began the work of setting up maths and Vedanta Societies around the world.
Shankara concentrated on Jnanam and Dhyanam, i.e. the Liberation of Knowledge.
Swamiji concentrated on all four Yogas while in the West, because Western culture and its peoples were not ready for meditation, and were stuck in materialism.
With regard to Maya, Shankara focused on the three maya shaktis: avarana shakti, maya’s covering power; vikshepa shakti, maya’s distorting power; and prakasha shakti, maya’s influence towards freedom. (These can be found in the Vivekachudamani, the Crest Jewel of Discrimination, by Shankara.)
Throughout the retreat, Babaji presented various charts to elucidate the different points made by Shankara and Vivekananda. A few quotes pertaining to teachings inspired by these charts follow:
Violence, war, and stealing are all signs that one’s prana is not under control, therefore one’s mind is not controlled. In order to transcend rebirth one has to become completely nonviolent.
Western Religion is missing Cosmology, Philosophy, and Nonduality.
If one becomes fully concentrated, that is Samadhi. Few people recognize this.
To seek the formless, one has to become formless.
The Six Esoteric Yogic Gateways:
- Knowledge of creation as vibration
- Perceiving the internal movement of particles
- Knowing objects consist of particles
- Observing moments forming the passage of time
- Seeing time and space to be apparent
- Comprehension of Eternity
Sadhana allows for the remembrance of one’s ever-free state.
One cannot call on Siva or Kali and expect Them to take up residence within. They will deal with one’s negativities first. “You can’t call on Us with all that rubbish present.” In other words, one needs to undergo purification before God will take up residence in one’s heart.
Q: Is it proper to walk around as Siva or thinking “I am Brahman” even before one has realized it? Yes, so long as one remembers that the sheaths of mind, intellect, and ego are still imposing themselves. This will keep pride in check. This is what is called “assuming the position” – making oneself ready for realization. Shankara says to practice Samadhi. Make yourself ready for it.
Divine Mother does not put things in your way; you do. Then, once you are fully surrendered to Her and ready to serve others, She puts them in your way. Before, you could not help yourself, but now you are fit for Her to “put you on” in order to serve God in others.