Here is an excellent email reply from Michael James to a devotee who was wondering whether one needed to engage in purificatory activities in order to make oneself ready to engage in self-enquiry. The original query was: The Acharyas of Sankarapeetam stress the importance of the performance of the obligatory rites as a must before one embarks on the higher goal of self-investigation... But such rites seem to have no meaning in the light of true spirituality… Most of the Kanchi followers, in line with the instructions of the guru, are satisfied with the performance of such routines as Santhyavanthana, that too being done in a mechanical way. Nochur Venkatraman also, despite his promoting the teachings of Bhagavan, is supporting these anachronistic ideas. I dont think that one well convinced in the self-enquiry path need be bothered about these things. Here is Michael’s reply: As you know, Bhagavan repeatedly emphasised that ātma-vicāra is the only means to attain ātma-jñāna, and that it alone is sufficient... It seems that, whatever his followers may preach, Adi Sankara was also of the same view. For example, in verse 11 of Vivēkacūḍāmaṇi he says: चित्तस्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये । वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किञ्चित्कर्मकोटिभिः ॥ 11 ॥ cittasya śuddhaye karma na tu vastūpalabdhaye | vastusiddhirvicāreṇa na kiñcitkarmakoṭibhiḥ || 11 || Karma is [prescribed only] for [achieving] citta-śuddhi and not for [attaining] vastu-upalabdhi. The attainment of the reality [can be achieved only] by vicāra and not at all by [even] ten million karmas. Bhagavans Tamil translation of this is: கர்மங்கள் சித்தசுத்திக்காக ஏற்பட்டனவே யன்றி வஸ்துவை யறிதற்கன்று. வஸ்து ஞானம் விசாரத்தால் வருமே யன்றிக் கோடி கர்மங்களாலும் சித்திக்காது. As Bhagavan says in verse 3 of உபதேச வுந்தியார் [Upadesa Undiyar], karma will purify the mind only if it done with love for God and without any desire for its fruit. In verses 4 to 7 he grades the niṣkāmya karmas that we can do with love for God according to their efficacy in purifying our mind, and in verse 8 he implies that ātma-vicāra (or அனனிய பாவம், as he refers to it there) is more effective in purifying our mind than any niṣkāmya karma. From all this we should understand that no karmas are necessary or even useful for anyone who is trying to practise the simple and direct path of ātma-vicāra. Therefore I agree with your distrust of anyone who says that in addition to self-investigation karmas are also necessary.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:44:56 +0000