25 Jul 2021
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
[Swāmi told that the answers given to Ms. Purnima must be read on Guru Pūrṇimā day since the word Pūrṇimā exists in Guru Pūrṇimā. Dr. Nikhil told that Guru Pūrṇimā is the conversation beteween preacher (Guru) and the devotee called Pūrṇimā! Swāmi appreciated this comment very much.]
Ms. Purnima asked: Swāmi, people say that we should treat equally all the human beings as one. I could not understand this. Please explain.
Swāmi replied: There is oneness in the external phase of human being whereas, in the inner phase there is unity and diversity. The external body of every human being contains same five elements, which are energy and matter. Energy subtle is space (Ākāśa) and energy gross is radiation or fire (Agni). Matter exists in three states: 1. Gas (Vāyu), 2. Liquid (Jala) and 3. Solid (Pṛthivī). The inner phase is pure awareness, which is called as Ātman or soul. This pure awareness contaminated with qualities is called as Jīva or individual soul. In both sugar solution and salt solution water is common unity. Similarly, in both a good person and bad person the Ātman is one and the same. But, the qualities are different like sugar and salt. Due to qualities, the individual souls are different. Due to the basic pure awareness the souls are one. Hence, in the inner phase, there is unity in diversity. Even in the case of incarnations of God, the same story continues. The bodies of the incarnations are one and the same made of matter and energy. The inner souls as pure awareness is also one and the same. But, due to difference in the qualities of awareness the individual souls differ from each other. Buddha is quite peaceful and Narasiṃha is quite furious. Since the qualities differ, there is unity in diversity in the case of incarnations of God also. When you see the human beings, you must find their unity as unity and their diversity as diversity. Unity should not be viewed as diversity and the diversity should not be viewed as unity.
In the Gītā, it is told that scholars see a Brāhmaṇa, cow, elephant, dog and untouchable person as one only. This does not mean that all these mentioned items are totally the same entities. In all these items, there is unity in diversity. In all these items, the external bodies have unity because, all of them are made of five elements only. In the inner phase, the souls (pure awareness) are also one the same. But, the qualities of these souls differ from each other. Hence, as said above, there is external unity and there is internal unity (soul) in the internal diversity (individual souls). There is no total external and internal unity. If you go near to a cow, it may not harm you. If you go near to a dog, it will bite you. Hence, both cow and dog are not the same total unity. If the qualities of all these items are also one and the same, there is total unity in both external and internal phases. Śaṅkara saw an untouchable person in drunk state and asked him to go away to give a side in the path. Śaṅkara did not say this based on the birth of the untouchable person since, caste is not decided by birth but, decided by the expressed qualities only. The untouchable person as a drunkard showed bad qualities. Based on these seen bad qualities, Śaṅkara decided him as untouchable. Śaṅkara did not decide him as untouchable based on his birth even though, he exhibited good qualities. Hence, Śaṅkara was logically correct to tell him to go aside because a drunkard may do any unexpected damage to anybody. Then, the untouchable asked Śaṅkara that whether Śaṅkara is asking the body to move away or the soul. Here, there is unity in both the body (five elements) and soul (pure awareness). But, there is difference between Śaṅkara and untouchable person in the qualities that contaminated the soul (Ātmā) to make the soul as individual soul (Jīva). Śaṅkara is made of pure sattvam quality and the untouchable is made of rajas and tamas qualities. Had the untouchable been also peaceful (sattvam) like Śaṅkara, then, Śaṅkara should not have told him to move away. If Śaṅkara said a peaceful untouchable person to move away, Śaṅkara must be blamed as ignorant since He is not based on the concept of decision of caste by qualities and deeds (as said by God in the Gītā) and Śaṅkara becomes wrong if He had said the peaceful untouchable to move away! This clearly shows that God Datta in the form of untouchable is wrong and Śaṅkara is correct. What is the answer here? The answer here is that there is an additional point on the side of God Datta about which Śaṅkara did not pay attention. Sometimes, God appears with negative qualities to test the awareness of the devotion of the devotee. Śaṅkara should have waited for some time before saying that the untouchable should move away. Śaṅkara behaved as ordinary human being confined to the path of pravṛtti in which justice and injustice are separated based on good and bad qualities respectively.
Śaṅkara is the topmost leader in the path of nivṛtti. Being in nivṛtti, Śaṅkara should have noticed this point of nivṛtti, which is that the devotee of nivṛtti should not confine to justice and injustice only, but, should rise above that to recognize and vote for God even against justice. As a follower of nivṛtti path, Śaṅkara should have waited for some time doubting whether the untouchable is God in disguise, Who came to test the strength of the devotion. In those days of Śaṅkara, generally, seeing such a great saint like Śaṅkara, every person moves aside giving path to Śaṅkara. In such case, why this untouchable person is coming straight in the path as if he is going to dash Śaṅkara? This unusual behavior should have been analyzed by Śaṅkara. Assuming that the untouchable drunkard is an ordinary human being, will such drunkard in unconscious state of drinking will move away by the words of Śaṅkara? Does Śaṅkara not have this much wisdom? The unusual behavior is always an indication for doubting God in disguise. Śaṅkara did not apply this point of nivṛtti, being Himself leading the path of nivṛtti. In this point, God Datta tested Śaṅkara on His nivṛtti side and not on His pravṛtti side because, Śaṅkara is perfectly correct on pravṛtti side. Actually, God Datta appeared only to Śaṅkara and then, Śaṅkara realized this concept of nivṛtti and fell on the feet of God Datta. Actually, Śaṅkara is God Śiva or God Datta. All this drama was played for the sake of the disciples following Śaṅkara. Both concepts of Pravṛtti (that the caste shall not be decided by birth but, shall be decided by qualities only) and nivṛtti (that God sometimes shows negative qualities to test the depth of the devotion of the nivṛtti devotee) were taught to the disciples of Śaṅkara.
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