(2.) Indifference to the enjoyment of the fruits of one's actions in
this world is to have the same amount of disinclination for the
enjoyment of worldly objects of desire (such as garland of flowers,
sandal-wood paste, women and the like) beyond those absolutely necessary
for the preservation of life, as one has for vomited food, &c. The same
amount of disinclination to enjoyment in the society of Rambha, Urvasi,
and other celestial nymphs in the higher spheres of life beginning with
Svarga loka and ending with Brahma loka.*
--------
* These include the whole range of Rupa loka (the world of forms)
in Buddhistic esoteric philosophy.
--------
(3) Q. What are the six qualities beginning with Sama?
A. Sama, dama, uparati, titiksha, samadhana and sraddha.
Sama is the repression of the inward sense called Manas--i.e., not
allowing it to engage in any other thing but Sravana (listening to what
the sages say about the Spirit), Manana (reflecting on it), Nididhyasana
(meditating on the same). Dama is the repression of the external
senses.
Q. What are the external senses?
A. The five organs of perception and the five bodily organs for the
performance of external acts. Restraining these from all other things
but sravana and the rest, is dama.
Uparati is the abstaining on principle from engaging in any of the acts
and ceremonies enjoined by the shastras. Otherwise, it is the state of
the mind which is always engaged in Sravana and the rest, without ever
diverging from them.
Titiksha (literally the desire to leave) is the bearing with
indifference all opposites (such as pleasure and pain, heat and cold,
&c.) Otherwise, it is the showing of forbearance to a person one is
capable of punishing.
Whenever a mind, engaged in Sravana and the rest, wanders to any worldly
object of desire, and, finding it worthless, returns to the performance
of the three exercises--such returning is called samadhana.
Sraddha is an intensely strong faith in the utterances of one's guru and
of the Vedanta philosophy.
(4.) An intense desire for liberation is called mumukshatva.
Those who possess these four qualifications, are worthy of engaging in
discussions as to the nature of Spirit and Not-Spirit, and, like
Brahmacharins, they have no other duty (but such discussion). It is
not, however, at all improper for householders to engage in such
discussions; but, on the contrary, such a course is highly meritorious.
For it is said--Whoever, with due reverence, engages in the discussion
of subjects treated of in Vedanta philosophy and does proper service to
his guru, reaps happy fruits. Discussion as to the nature of Spirit and
Not-Spirit is therefore a duty.
Q. What is Spirit?
A. It is that principle which enters into the composition of man and is
not included in the three bodies, and which is distinct from the five
sheaths (Koshas), being sat (existence),* chit (consciousness),** and
ananda (bliss),*** and witness of the three states.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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