I write this foreword with a sense of humility and gratitude to Shastriji, my Guru. He is the inspiration and spirit of this book which contains his message on wisdom from the Upaniṣad-s.
There exists a myriad of commentaries, interpretation and treatises written on Upaniṣad-s. The reader may wonder as to the significance of one more such exposition. The uniqueness of this book lies in the scientific approach to concepts like happiness and sorrow (Sukha & Duḥkha), demystifying the concept of enlightenment and liberation (Mukti) as espoused in Vedanta. Shastriji through his intense research into Upaniṣad-s and Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha found answers for the universal quest of reducing misery and enhancing lasting happiness. His objective was to bring forth this knowledge hidden in Vedanta to every spiritual seeker. Vedanta for him was an applied science which could help in realising the vagaries of our mind and bring it under conscious control. He truly believed that the psychologists of today had a lot to learn from our ancients. Having been in this field as a professional I fully validate his words.
The present book is an effort to bring together Shastriji’s seminal contributions in understanding Vedanta. His lecture series recorded in 2002 have been painstakingly transcribed and edited by Sri Garani S. Radhakrishnan, Prof. Nagabhushan, Gopal and Rangarajan. Some of the important themes which are contained in this book are the analysis of Sukha and Duḥkha using a new methodology (Prakriya) which was entirely original on Shasrtriji’s part. The association between Bhogasukha and Brahmasukha, the quintessential meaning of Omkāra and the concept of Dharma in Hindu thinking are rarely touched upon by other scholars.
The discourse that has existed so far on these concepts has predominantly confined itself to scholarly expositions and debates with little emphasis on its application to the daily life of an individual. Shastriji on the other hand took the Sadhakā-s (practitioner’s) perspective. He showed that the validity of this knowledge was established through experimenting and experiencing it oneself. For example, he showed that the quietened state of mind or “no-mind state (Amanī-Bhāva)”, is the true state of happiness or joy. This “no-mind state” can be attained through Japa, Meditation Śubhakarma or by contemplation of one’s true nature.
Happiness or well being in psychological research has focused on two general perspectives: the hedonic approach which defines happiness in terms of sensory pleasures or attaining valued outcomes in varied realms. The second perspective is the Eudaimonic view emphasizes on meaning of life and self realization. The two perspectives are often thought of as opposing viewpoints and there is no convergence between the two approaches.
Shastriji’s analysis of happiness bridges this gap through establishing the relationship between the hedonic (Bhogasukha) and the eudaimonic (Brahma- Sukha). He explains how the content of happiness is basically reaching the ‘no-mind’ state in both the approaches, the difference lies in the fact that the bhogasukha is short lived and is dependent on external objects while Brahma-Sukha is an internal state independent of external agencies which the person can experience at will and hence, long lasting. This extraordinary message of making a notional shift from focusing on the agency (what brings happiness) to the content (the mental state during the happy experience) has not been conveyed by any other scholar of Vedānta thus far.
His research on human suffering lead him to simplify the understanding of sorrow in two phases of the mind namely speed and intense focusing or ‘Coning’ as he called it. He clarified that all the disturbances of the mind are caused by its constant gyrations and fast vibration (spandana). He quotes from the Bhagavad-Ġīta to prove this point (chapter-5, verse-23), “man can be happy only when he is able to drop the speed arising out of desire, fear and anger”. Thus the common factor present in all moments of distress is speed, agitation and unruliness of forces inside.
The second dimension of sorrow he summarized as intense focusing where one reduces oneself to a single point or the mental posture acquires ‘coning phase’. When a person is experiencing a deep loss or constant worry, the mind acquires highest density and the person feels burdened. He loses his expansive and diffused state which is his true nature.
Such piercing clarity in the understanding of sorrow and happiness has not been achieved by any scholar before Shastriji. This vision can have great impact not only on the field of spirituality but in the mental health field where scientists are grappling with this eternal quest of reducing distress and promoting greater happiness. Hence, this book can be a resource for all those different fields of knowledge like philosophy, psychology and spirituality which delve into man’s quest for happiness.
As a practioner in the field of clinical Psychology, I have applied these principles with several of my clients who are receptive to such ideas and found them highly effective. The suggestion of reducing speed and slowing down mental activity to reduce distress has had the maximum impact on clients with anxiety and depression. One of the tormenting symptoms of these two conditions is an incessant, forceful rush of irrational and often negative thoughts. Creating awareness in them that pain and suffering is nothing but mental speed, the negative thoughts lose their intensity due to slow down. Clients find great relief after practicing this method.
A second category of clients who benefit using Shastriji’s suggestions are those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. Their obsessions are associated with certain religious beliefs and rituals which they follow to an extent that it starts harming them and affects the quality of their life. Exploring the true meaning of all these rituals as ‘Śubhakarma’ and showing the aim of Śubhakarma is to quieten the mind (Cittaśuddhi), they are freed from the torture of guilt and fear of being punished by God. This results in a reduction in their symptoms.
These examples are only a few among many more such applications of intervening effectively to resolve mental health problems. Rather than following western models of therapy which is generally the norm among professionals, Shastriji’s wisdom and insights inspire us to be innovative and create an Indian model of Therapy. It would be culturally more appropriate and Indian clients would probably internalize it more easily.
Omkāra Upāsana is extolled repeatedly in the Upaniṣad-s and prescribed as a superior path towards enlightenment. However, it was Shastriji who unraveled the hidden meaning about how the utterance of ‘Om’ represents the microcosm and the macrocosm of the universe. Further, he indicated that the Sādhaka could merge into deep silence through Omkāra Upāsana.
The concept of enlightenment or self realization has been demystified by Shastriji using the calculus model which has an appeal to modern scientific mind.
Finally, Shastriji’s brilliant exposition of Dharma in Hindu thinking is a jewel in the crown. He relates different episodes in Hindu mythology which seemingly appear inconsistent with ethical considerations but have a deeper meaning of achieving a calmer and quietened state of mind, thus, resulting in śāśvata sukha. He differentiates between concepts of nyāya and Dharma. He propagates a new definition of Dharma based on his research as;’ an act done in the background of ‘Cittaśuddhi ‘or for the expansion of citta is Dharma’.
Shastriji’s message contained in this book endeavours to communicate deep spiritual wisdom from the Upaniṣad-s without the overload of academic discourse. It has been rendered in a scientific manner with an emphasis on the experiential and Sādhana perspective. It can quench the thirst for higher spiritual wisdom among readers from across different disciplines of knowledge and different continents.
Dr. Lata Hemchand,
Professor of Psychology,
Richmond Fellowship Post Graduate College,
40-1/4, Vajpeyam Gardens, Bangalore.