THE ROOT FOR ATTAINMENT OF THE ENLIGHTMENT: BY R.PRATHAPAN
I have given a speech on 02-12-2023 regarding the above said topic i.e. “THE ROOT FOR ATTAINMENT OF THE ENLIGHTMENT,” at King Town Rotary Hall, Pudukkottai in the celebration of 96th year of Tamil Federation arranged by the Branch of Pudukkottai Theosophical Association – Tamil Theosophical Federation, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry The significance is being improved, developed and set right the style of our life with happily and peacefully, without suffering from hardship i.e., mentally, physically and also monetarily. So, read and follow the same for benefits of our life.
The Enlightment study from 1st Century BC and 6th Century AD during the period of about 700 years Buddhism. The Gnana :- intellect, intelligence, spirituality. knowledge, wisdom, erudition. Learning; Mystic or recondite knowledge; knowledge of the nature of deity, the soul, intellect &c., derived from meditation1a. By concentration a man may acquire the wonderful comprehension and vast power of a CEASAR: by meditation he may reach the divine wisdom and perfect peace of a Buddha. The perfection of concentration is power; the perfection of meditation is wisdom. By concentration men acquire skill in the doing of the things of life-in science, art, trade, etc., – but by meditation they acquire skill in life itself: in right living enlightment. Wisdom, etc., saints, sages, saviours- wise men and divine teachers are the finished products of holy meditation.
The teaching of the Guru, experience, self mortification &c., and connected with corresponding practice according to the stage of the religionist In the saiva system that of the exalted ascetic who by austerities is said to have annihilated his passions freed his soul from earthly desires; and become ripe of absorption The conduct of the (Gnani) or professor of the fourth degree of the saiva system right knowledge, true, wisdom (A spiritual principle; state, quality, a stage of the soul, when by the exhaustion of the good and evil influences of forms births it dominates over the immerging principle, censes 2 from actions and approaches assimilation to the deity. . This is applicable alike to human and to super-human beings, and to the forms of deity as high as (Sadhasivam) Note. Knowledge is considered attainable in three ways: 1. By evidence of the senses, perception, &c .2. Inference 3. Divine revelation. these are subdivided into sixty-five varieties.
Gnana is twofold; 1 wordly or secular Knowledge. 2. Divine or spiritual knowledge of the nature of deity, spirit and (love) ( , with a state of soul approximating toward union with the universal spirit. (Gnanaguru): – (Gnanasaariyan) the spiritual guru i.e. the deity appearing in human form, for the instruction and illumination of his discipline or the deity represented by the officiating guru. Gnanakan:- spiritual sight, vision, illumination- oppos to unakkan :- Earth, World sand &c as ballast of a dhoney,
(Gnanafather Christ usage) A sponsor to a child in baptism; a god Father and Gnana Mother- A god Mother. Theological Treatises. Meditation and concentration constitute together a path of emancipation from karmic matter. The system of meditation while samathi is defined as concentration of pure and skillful thought. Samathi means a state of mind which is to be developed by meditating systematic training. In ordered to avoid unnecessary confusion, the developed mental process of meditation in both the samathi and vipassana methods. Samatha- Vipasyana means Concentration and insight. There are two basic kinds of meditative practice. The first is the development of concentration, where we give the mind a single object and rest there (samatha). The second kind is the development of mindful awareness, in which we use the tranquillity that arise from concentration in ordered to see the impermanent, changing nature of all our experience (vipasyana). The sole right motive for mind- development, the enlightenment of the meditator for the benefit of all mankind5.
Awakening of the faith Treatise: –
❖ Treatise on the awakening of the faith.
❖ The treatise on the awakening of the faith specifically recommends Buddha Recitation for all but the most advanced practitioners.
❖ He has cultivated toward that goal, then he will be born there.
Awakening vs Enlightenment
❖ A clear distinction should be made between awakening / great awakening and Supreme Enlightenment.
❖ Only after becoming a Buddha can, one be said to have truly attained Supreme Enlightenment (attained the way).
❖ The path of Birth and Death, filled with fearful dangers for those who have not attained Supreme Enlightenment is the same. Therefore, to claim that we should not fear Birth and Death is a superficial point of view.
At Whose behest does the mind think? Who bids the body live? Says one of the Upanishads. To the enlightened soul the self is all how can there be delusion or grief? Eastern. Why some people are healthy, gifted and rich while others are crippled, unhappy and unfortunate. Each one is working out his Karma, that is the consequence of all of his acts, good and bad in every life time.
Anyone else can free him from the effects of his own deeds; he must work out his own salvation. This belief is known as reincarnation that is, the soul is clothed, again and again, in a fleshly body.
Ideally there were four stages or steps, in a man‟s life. The first step was a time of study, a boy went to a teacher, a guru either House or forest. The second step was, became finished his studies, he came home, married and became householder. He pursued the three aims of worldly life; duty, wealth and pleasure. If men or women chose to take this third step, their families understood what they were doing and did not stain in their way, for So, it was ordained and the decision was honored. There was still a fourth and final stage, if the spiritual journey were to be complete. In this, one renounced everything except a ragged garment and a begging bowl.
The Sannyasin (san-yah-sin) as he was called, had not been even a hut. But slept under tree; he did find and cook his own food, but accepted whatever was put in his begging bowl and all creatures in himself; therefore, he harmed no one, not even an insect, and feared no one; he possessed nothing and was at peace. And therefore, not to be born again in the world.
Only a few persons went into the forest and system of physical and mental discipline was worked out to help them in their purpose. It is called Yoga & which means uniting the English word yoke comes from the same root; one who practices it is a yogi or yogin it cannot be attained by any outer activity; it is an inner effort of the mind and spirit. The yogi must first of all free his heart of anger and fear and desire and of malice toward any living creature. The mind is controlled through meditation.
Yoga is also used in the sense of meditation. The Theravada School denote meditation and in Jainism Yoga‟s is applied for the action of the body, the organ of speech and mind. The Buddha means “the enlightened one”, it is not a name but a title that is given to men of great wisdom. The four noble truths and the eightfold path had been teached by the Buddha. In which the eighth is right Meditation, when you have abandoned all sensuous pleasures, all evil qualities both joy and sorrow, you must then enter the four degrees of meditation, which are produced by concentration. This is the eight-fold path to the ending of all suffering.
Salvation was in one‟s own hands as soon as one was able to follow the Eightfold path all the way, absorption in to Nirvana. Nirvana means „blowing out‟, extinguishing and most people believe that the Buddha meant it to be the extinguishing of the passions of desire, anger and sloth. The annihilation of all consciousness. That life is one of goodness, selflessness, purity, kindness to all creatures‟- animals as well as men and steadfast spiritual purpose. One of the king Ashoka‟s daughters had become a nun.
The great spiritual teachers, like the Buddha and Jesus they had complete faith in what they taught. The Dharma which I have taught you will be your teacher when I have gone‟, said the Buddha. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life, said Jesus. The spiritual condition of Buddha or Bodhaisattva. The causes of Bodhai are prajna or wisdom and Karma or compassion. Bodhai is the name given to the highest state of samadhi in which the mind is awakened and illuminated.
How the Buddha practiced to achieve his goal :-
After trying each of the four directions he chose the east which is always chosen by all the great sages for the removal of all defilements.
Gautama sat down cross-legged and upright under the Banyan tree. Determined to achieve enlightenment and the (Gautama), he said to himself, skin, sinew and bone may dry up as they will, my flesh and blood may dry in my blood but, without attaining complete enlightenment I will not leave this seat. And finding no sweetness there, the crow departs thence. So, like a crow attacking a rock, the evil passions left Gautama in disgust. So, in the end, after meditation for four weeks, darkness was dispelled, light arose ignorance was dispelled and knowledge arose. He saw a new way the discovery of a new Dhamma. Dharma means the Buddhas leading this is often called sad-dhamma.
There is a difference of opinion among the two ascetic school of the Jainas and the Buddhist about the right and erroneous types of penance in the sense of self- mortification. Penance (Tapas) comprises „negative virtues; it is a rigorous effort to annihilate the wrong or false values.
Even the Thirukkural is perhaps a Siddha work presenting an alternative scale of wisdom12 a. As narrated the penance by the saint Thiruvalluvar in his immortal creation Thirukkural that „the hotter glows the fining fire, the gold the brighter shines; The pain of penitence, like fire, the soul of man refines.
On his (Thiruvalluvar) right rule rested the Penance of the sage, the purity of the wife” (P68 The Cola‟s by K.A.Neelakanda Sasthiri, University of Madras, 1975). Avvai Pratiyaar (her) establish herself in the highest state of Yogis and Siddhas. In all works if Siddha Avvaiyar. Practitioners of Yoga and followers of the Siddha tradition strongly maintain that Siddha Avvaiyar must be the one and same person. Through yogic practices and Kriya Yoga and many practitioners of yoga and followers of Siddha tradition hold the view that Siddha Avvaiyar should be the one and same person across a wide time span.
She narrated that Rare is the human birth: Even rarer is a birth without disabilities, Such as hump, blindness or deafness: Even if one has a defectless birth, Attainment of wisdom is still rarer: Even if one attains them, Rarest it is to perform dhana (can be translated as sincere charity) and tapa (penance): If one performs sincerely the two, The Abode of Diving Beings shall open doors! (collected from anaadifoundation@gmail.com)
The fourth state of Turiya.
You bestowed me with ways of subduing the instruments Dispelled darkness by removing the two-fold karma Blessed me with the experience of four-fold states Severed the illusion of triple impurities To shut the doors of five-fold subtle elements, Effecting the closure of nine-fold gates.
How the following saints are attained Gnana….
Thirunavukkarasu or Appar Swamigal, the pain has disappeared and he (Thirunavukkarasu) felt that the Lord was pleased with him. The appreciative appellation of Thirunavukkarasu or Lord of Speech. He dedicated is new power to the singing of the glory of God.
When (Nandanaar) he reached the boundary line of the Hall where the Lord was dancing nobody saw him any more. The great sages sang his praises. The Lord enslaved Naalai-P-Povaar. Lord Siva ordered Nandi the bull to move aside as much for himself to see Nandanaar with out Nandhi obstructing His view as for Nandanaar to see-him. After Nandanaar had worshipped the Lord to his satisfaction and attained Mukti.
The chronicle recorded in the periya-puraanam. A potter gained Mukti as a Potter, fisherman as a fisher man, a toddy-tappor as a toddy-tapper, everyone of the sixty three except Thiru-neelai-P.Povaar gained Mukti without undergoing the orderal by fire as Nandanaar had to. (PP-560-564. Periya Puranam by Sekkizhaar Sri Rama Krishna Math, Mylapore, Madras – 600 004).
Nammalwar a daring saint continued his life of meditation under the tree and lived in a world of his own. Nammalwar‟s poems is called Arthapanchakam, the goal of life, the means of its attainment and the obstactes to be overcome.
Aandal a glorified as Chodi Koduththa Sodarkodi, Aandal Naachiyar, typifies the highest aspiration of the human soul towards divinity. The holy mother Sarada Devi, the consort of Sri Ramakrishna embodied this idea.
Because of meditation and Concentration, Ramadas had many siddhis or yogic powers came to him.
Guru Govinda Singh, he had his bath in a well nearby and sat in meditation under a Banyan tree. He sat inside in meditation in his tent.
Baktha Mira Bai accepted her mother‟s statement that the pebble as her Husband and began to treat the pebble as her beloved and to workship it. In Mira‟s life and work are revelation of the nature of one pointed God- love or Prema.
Day and night, Ramakrishna‟s sole occupation was to worship to meditate, to pray or to weep for a sight of the divine mother, who weeps for God? people seeing him thought perhaps he was mad. And to overcome the body- consciousness, he would go to the cremation ground at dead of night, remove his clothes and sacred thread and sit in meditation.
Swami Vivekananda (he) sat in meditation, facing the Ganges. An hour after, he called then disciple and asked him to open all the windows and fan his head. Then he lay down quietly. At the end of an hour, his hands trembled a little and he breathed very deeply. His eyes became fixed and eternal silence fell. His tour during January – February, 1902 was his last wandering on his return to Belur the illness was aggravated. The attendant thought he was in Samadhi. Physicians declared at about midnight that the great soul had left its bodily framed – (P79 – Swamy Vivekananda RCMajumdar, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta – 1999)
And learnt of the divinity of the soul and he preached that arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Swami Vivekanandas (His) master regarded Naren as his spiritual heir and his mater said that he has given him everything he possess, by this power, he will accomplish great things in the world saints.
Holy mother Sarada devi after Sri Ramakrishna as his spiritual successor. After her daily prayer and meditation, she would attend to her work. Sho would not waste a single movement in idleness.
An inner change came over Ramanujar, the great thinker and who implemented social justice and lived for 114 years, began to think of the Lord as his friend and guide. A crocodile caught hold of Sankara‟s foot and he cried out his mother, asking for permission to become a monk.
Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhava are the three great Acharyas. When (Madhava) he had completed his studies, he set out in search of a Guru who could give him Sannyas. The Shudras were not allowed to study the vedas or take part in the religious ceremonies of the Aryans even he gave up his caste system also and he was not allowed to practice as sanniyasi.
The child (sambandar) began to cry. Legends has it that at this moment, Lord Siva with Goddess Parvati appeared there and comforted the child. Parvathi drew milk from her own breast in a tiny cup and gave it to the child – the child pointed to Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy who were fast fading away from his vision, there after he was called Thirugnana Sambandar. The son of God with sense of filial affection and privilege. According to Pali Buddhism suicide is not to be approved. The enlightment is free, having broken all bonds. The Buddha aimed at the development of a new type of free man, free from prejudices, intent on working out his own future, with one‟s self as ones light attadipa. Which is the cause for misery? one may reach the cessation of misery19. The enlightment gave birth to new gospel which contains the key to the solution of the problem which was haunting him. The foundation of new gospel is the fact that the world was full of misery and unhappiness in any scheme of salvation. The recognition of this fact the Buddha made the starting point of his gospel20.
Notes:
1. Buddhism is comparative Light edited by prof Sanghasen Singh, Indo- Asian publishing House, Delhi, Varanasi (India) in 1999-2000. [P-10)
1a. Winslow‟s Tamil and English dictionary, Asian Educational services, New Delhi 1862, 1979. [P-532]
2. PEARLS OF TRUTH- by MR Appadurai, Purasawakkam, Madras. 1947,1949. P-IX 3. Winslow‟s Tamil and English dictionary, Asian Educational services, New Delhi 1862, 1979. [PP-532, 533]
4. Buddhism is comparative Light edited by prof Sanghasen Singh, Indo- Asian publishing House, Delhi, Varanasi (India) in 1999-2000. [PP-76,77]
5. The seeker‟s Glossary: Buddhism, Sutar translation committee of the US & Canada, New York- San Francisco- Niagara Falls Toronto 2nd edition 1998 [PPS 529, 364, 365] 6. Ibid PPS-(50,51&53).
7. Eastern Religious by Elizabeth Seeger, 1973, Thomas Y Crowell Company, New York PPs 12, 13,15,20, 21).
8. Buddhism is comparative Light edited by prof sanghasen singh, Indo- Asian publishing House, Delhi, Varanasi (India) in 1999-2000. [PP- 76,77]
9. Eastern Religious by Elizabeth Seeger, 1973, Thomas Y Crowell Company, New York PPs -58,66,68,70,85&90.
10. The seeker‟s Glossary: Buddhism, Sutar translation committee of the U.S. & Canada, New York- San Francisco- Niagara Falls Toronto 2nd edition 1998 [P-190]. 11. Buddhism is comparative Light edited by prof sanghasen singh, Indo- Asian publishing House, Delhi, Varanasi (India) in 1999-2000. P-61.
12. Ahimsa, unto Tahtinon, Rider and Company London.1976, P-24.
12a. History of Tamil Nad by N. Subramanian –Koodal Publisher , Madurai (P-340)
13. Thirukkural Periyannan urai, Vanitha pathipakkam T-Nagar, Chennai-17. TN India. P 199.
14. Saints of India, By Anna, Sri Rama Krishna Math Madras- 600004, 1986. PPS-42, 47,52,55,60,65,66,68,72,73,97,100,101,11,26&28.
15. Eastern Religious by Elizabeth Seeger, 1973, Thomas Y Crowell Company, New York PP 18,19.
16. Saints of India, By Anna, Sri Rama Krishna Math Madras- 600004, 1986. PP-32,39. 17. Ahimsa, unto Tahtinon, Rider and Company London.1976, P-27.
18. Religion and culture, S. Radha Krishnan, Published by Hindu pocket Books (P) Ltd Delhi. 32, 1968.PP-128,132.
19. Dr. Babashed Ambedkar Writing and Speech Vol.3 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee Educational Department Government of Maharashtra 2008, P-445.
20. Dr. Babashed Ambedkar Writing and Speech Vol.11 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee Educational Department Government of Maharashtra 2008, P-447.
R. Prathapan, M.A, MPhil, M.L.
Advocate / Guest Lecturer,
Chamber No. 240, New Addl. Law Chambers,
High Court Buildings,
Chennai – 600 104.
Cell: 93619 24242
