Foundations Of Non-Duality And Importance Of Ethics For Spiritual Seekers

Here is brief and basic but essential information on Advaita. An introduction of Advaita. The emphasis and the importance of ethics in Advaita Vedanta. The meaning of Advaita (Sanskrit) is Non-Dual (English). There is no difference between the Advaitic non-dual philosophy and the Buddhist philosophy. Where Buddha defines non-dual as void or emptiness, the Advaita Vedanta says it a Brahman. Both say the situation of self-realisation (the ultimate reality) is beyond time, space and causation. It will be much more interesting and important to interact with the readers here.

There are talks about different models of self-realisation. Basically, there are two models of enlightenment while talking about Buddhism. One is called an epistemic shift model where our entire view of the world is transformed. So the enlightenment experience transforms our understanding of what we are and what the world is. It distinguishes from the very root (subjectively) between our self (individual identity) and the entire universe. A clear distinction without a shadow of a doubt. For example, in Tibetan Buddhism, it might mean realising the emptiness itself. All that is void (of the world) would be the wisdom that arises out of Bodhi (the enlightening wisdom); in Advaita Vedanta, it would mean realising that I am Brahman and the world is an appearance.

That is a tremendous shift in the way we see ourselves and the world. This is one way in which enlightenment is understood in all the ancient cultures. These are the ways of understanding enlightenment. That is basically an epistemic shift; a shift in the way we understand in contrast. The other model of enlightenment is called an ethical manifestation model in addition to that. Basically in this path, if a person is enlightened or seeking enlightenment or on the way to enlightenment, that person is expected to manifest certain ethical qualities like integrity, truth, non-violence, self-discipline, a check on indulgence. A variety of ethical practices should be manifested to some level of excellence.

In a Buddhist sense, one might say manifestation of the Buddha-nature. So, the first model would be recognition of the Buddha-nature within ourselves (self-realisation in a Buddha way), but the second model would be a manifestation of the qualities of a Buddha in our day-to-day life. So, the full idea of enlightenment would be the two together, one would realise the ultimate truth in whatever way one conceptualizes, it becomes a reality for us and the second is, one would manifest the qualities of the integrity of love of unselfishness or feeling of oneness in one’s day-to-day behaviour.

From the Advaitic perspective, ethics are integral to spirituality. It is emphatically and minutely observed that one can be good without being particularly spiritual but one cannot be spiritual without being good in all traditions. This is the basic foundation that connects ethics to spirituality in Advaita Vedanta. We see that ethics are the foundation of the path; it remains throughout the path and also the manifestation of discipline for the attainment of emancipation. The enlightenment should also be manifested in an ethical life. So, it is there throughout from the beginning of the path.

The process of ethical foundation in Advaita Vedanta is fundamentally a study of the texts on reasoning and contemplation of the text. Here the process of meditation becomes crucial until what is told in the text becomes a living reality right.

There are four practices that we are expected to manifest to internalize and express in our lives so every Advaita student starts the study of traditional Advaitic texts. The first thing that these texts will usually mention is the qualifications of a student. For Upper Vedantic or Advaitic student, the qualifications are much-specialised one. They are not generally just good what you need to be a decent human being but something more than that. It is already taken for granted that one is already a decent and moral human being, a little more than that if he/she is able to discern between eternal and non-eternal. So maybe we have studied and we have heard that there is an ultimate reality and this world is an appearance. It is the insight that there is something worth having in spiritual life.

1) VIVEK (DISCERNMENT)

First is Vivek, means to analyze, to separate, to discern, to distinguish and see separately in Sanskrit. Suppose, something is coming mixed up with you, so you have to develop an awareness to see them separately. Currently, that is the grammatical derivation in Sanskrit; the root meaning is to perceive a difference. Here seeing separately means the discernment between the eternal and the non-eternal. We must have heard about in seminars and lectures, read many books and articles about an eternal reality, a spiritual reality that is the most invaluable thing that we can keep clearly in mind. But that is insufficient; one has to awaken his/her inner senses to discriminate.

Such truth is available to us, the eternal reality beyond sorrow which promises complete lasting deep fulfilment and everything else is non-eternal. By non-eternal, we mean transitory. It is a transitional object. The disintegrating of an object. That is one which comes and goes, even the best of things that this world has to offer will one day perish, will one day die and will one day go. The one that is born has a death. The one that has a beginning has an end. So, this difference should be kept clearly in mind.

2) VAIRĀGYA (DISPASSION)

There is something deep and profound here which is of enormous value to all of us. The second is dispassion for the non-eternal. So all that I was sunk or immersed in pursuing that maybe the goal of my life. Might be to be a rich person, a popular figure, have really good relationships, and have lots of possessions and gadgets or all of these. But this might become secondary and unimportant. They no longer remain the aspirations of my life. What is central is this pursuit of enlightenment. You can call it in different ways like enlightenment, God-realization, liberation etc. so this is called vairāgya in Sanskrit (dispassion).

3) A SET OF SIX PRACTICES

The third is actually a set of six practices. Sixfold treasures. They are principally disciplines of Advaita Vedanta. It is circumspect to pack them together. First is serenity, a certain calmness of mind which is called shama. That means, not to get upset or disturbed in the worst possible condition. For example, you may experience a tough time in your job, business, life, family, health etc. The second is called dama means control of the organs (that means the five sense organs and the five motor organs). The third is called uparati literally means sort of a withdrawal from too much engagement with the outside world. Controlling the senses and not get agitated. For example, one is busy throughout the week working and spends weekends partying. Like Manhattan, the city that never sleeps and has a big slogan “the city that dreams but never sleeps”.

So if people are busy working all day long throughout the week, they need time and energy left over for a serious spiritual pursuit. A little withdrawal from too much engagement with the world is called uparati. Rati is complete engagement with the world, like diving into a life of work and partying and just being with people all the time. Uparati is the reverse. It is like pulling back into solitude, into oneself, into a certain separation from the hubbub of the outside world. The fourth is titiksha. The Sanskrit word titiksha means a spiritual toughness or spiritual fortitude. Literally patience and tolerance, a kind of fighting spirit where a person stands firm, resilient and unshaken, no matter what life throws at me and no matter what the world throws at me. I won’t be tempted and dragged in the flow of pleasures. I shall stick to my spiritual pursuit; I shall stick to my study, my meditation, and my ethical practices.

People suffer a lot of trouble in order to pursue a career, to raise a family and even turn up for jobs and businesses, no matter how much sick they are and not feeling well because of that. They even tend to ignore unhappiness because of that personal illness. They forget to take care of their health during such time and always start worrying about losing money because of illness and not attending jobs. This is the natural tendency and habit we have developed so when we face a tough time in life, we sacrifice our spiritual practices.

Fifth is samādhāna. Means focus. You can observe all of them are connected to one another when the other practices are in place. Now with the extra time and energy, you have a focus on your spiritual path. This helps settle down to serious spiritual practice.

Sixth is shraddhā means faith. Here, the meaning of faith is not a blind belief but practically understanding the truth what the texts say. Faith is a practical sense of belief like a student goes to a school, college or university for studies. A student does not know anything about a teacher or a professor, what they teach or how the books are, but it is his moral duty to attend the classes and read the books. Maybe, he does not understand it right now but there is something special in it that will definitely help him develop. He does not start with thinking that a teacher is wrong or a liar or the textbooks are fake. But a student must have a belief in a teacher and books as well that what he teaches is right and what is written in the textbooks is also correct. But let me take teachings, learn and work it out. I will come to know the truth later. So obey your moral duty and have this kind of faith.

Thus these are the six practices that are included in the third qualification.

4) MUMUKSHATVA (INTENSE DESIRE TO BE FREE)

Just observe the immense seriousness with which a person is approaching this teaching. If this is true, what else matters and if this is not true then does not matter. If it’s true that Brahman is there and I am Brahman, it can be realised in this very life and all my problems will be solved. Then why should I don’t do that and why do anything else?

So the intense desire for freedom from suffering. It’s not just in the path of knowledge. It’s also in the path of devotion. It is called vyakulatā in Sanskrit, meaning a divine discontent, restlessness for realizing GOD. That itself is the central precondition for realisation if one has vyakulatā, a tremendous discontent, divine discontent. Not discontent about the world. We generally are very complacent about our spiritual lives but disturbed about our worldly lives. But it should be reversed, be content about what we have achieved in the world, about the fulfilled ambitions, and the discontent should be transferred into why have I not realized GOD yet. Like why I am not meditating more, studying more, trying to practice what I’ve understood. This is divine discontent. That’s a devotional language.

The discontent about realisation shows a burning desire for not been able to see GOD yet. There are so many enlightened persons, monks, spiritual seekers who have realized GOD. They have seen GOD then why can’t I? Why am I not able to see GOD? In the path of knowledge this starts as jigyāsā (curiosity) about self-enquiry, the greatest of inquiries is, is this true that I am none other than the absolute and it ends with enlightenment. Thus this is the whole process of intense desire to be free.

These are your strength in pursuit of self-realisation.