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"The way of life should be pregnant with high morals" (Easiest Way,
Showers of Divine Grace, page 65, 2006 Edition)
Dr.S.V.Raghavan
The topic of the seminar forms part of the message of the Master
delivered on the occasion of the celebrations of His
78th birthday at Madurai. A perusal of
the message reveals that there are so many pearls of
Divine wisdom scattered through the entire message.
The Master says in the message, ‘One who dives deep,
gets the pearls.’ We are indeed blessed to be
connected to the great Master who is the foremost
example of this very pearl of wisdom. Many
utterances of the Master herein have been chosen for
seminar topics by Imperience and it is our duty as
serious and sincere aspirants to study the
expositions on those topics, contemplate and
assimilate the true import of Master’s sayings in
order to mould our living according to His
expectations.
The message covers a wide canvas and a full commentary on it would
comprise the entire system of the Natural Path. The
Master starts by stressing the importance of
cultivating a strong and sincere desire to reach the
state of realization on the part of the seeker which
will surely get him the means to take him to that
goal. A burning desire for the achievement of the
goal brings it nearer. He then goes on to say, ‘If
anybody wants that he should be benefitted, he
should encourage himself to cultivate right faith,
right cognition and right morals.’ It is then
obvious that realization of the object of life is
impossible without developing the above virtues. It
is to be noted that they are to be cultivated by the
aspirant through assiduous practice and the
indispensable assistance offered through the divine
prana by the trainer; they are not going to
be delivered on a platter. It is the paramount
responsibility and duty he owes to himself that the
aspirant cultivates these virtues. Another point to
be observed is that the sadhaka has to
encourage himself for developing the said virtues. I
would take the word ‘encourage’ to mean endowing
oneself with courage in what follows. We recall here
another of Master’s utterances, ‘the background of
spirituality is moral courage which rises when one
is moral.’1 in this context- This
sentence has been the topic of a seminar.
Dwelling a bit more on courage, we find Master saying that it is for
us to remove the nervousness even like the warrior
who is never nervous on the field as he has some aim
before him. He says further that courage starts when
confidence is there and confidence is there when the
seeker has willed to reach the destination.2
Elsewhere He says He needs such persons who may
shine out like sun for the task on hand and with
emphasis that one lion is better than a hundred
sheep.3 Courage of the highest order is
required on the part of the aspirant to shine out
like the sun and expressing through his behavior the
highest moral values in daily life as he travels the
path towards the Ultimate Reality undeterred and
undistracted while navigating through the various
trials and tribulations, disappointments, enjoyments
and temptations which earthly life has to offer. In
fact that becomes the true austerity and penance for
the seeker of the Ultimate adopting the life of an
ordinary householder. The adherents of the Natural
Path know and appreciate the beauty, simplicity and
efficacy of the path which makes it possible for
them to attain and live in tune with progressively
subtler and universal planes of consciousness on the
path towards Infinity while carrying out at the same
time their duties as householders in the spirit of
karmayoga. A dynamic and wholesome balance is
brought into being between a life in the world and
the life as a seeker after the realization of his
true self for the dedicated adherent of the Natural
Path through the grace of the supreme Master, that
is, the infusion of the Divine Prana into his
heart.
We saw above that development of right faith, right cognition and
right morals in the aspirant have been insisted upon
for him to derive the desired benefit in his divine
pursuit.
We are aware that the Master has warned us about the pitfalls
arising from having blind faith. It should be firmly
based upon reason, that is to say, upon the
practical experiences one has had by association and
through the guidance received from his prospective
spiritual guide.
Faith develops through stages of increasing submission to and
reliance upon the guidance of his teacher till it
assumes the form of an unquestioning attitude
leading to total obedience to the directions of his
Master under all circumstances. Right faith
encompasses the faith the aspirant has in his
ability to achieve the goal, in the capacity of the
Master to take him to the ultimate destination and
in the means he has adopted for the purpose. Faith
when fully mature assumes the form of
self-surrender; it is the dauntless courage which
leads us on to success. The meaning of faith is that
one should firmly link up his thought with the
courage of his teacher.4 We can thus see
that the aspirant who has developed the right faith
would also have developed the indomitable courage
and unshakeable conviction so necessary for pursuing
a life pregnant with high morals.
Right cognition results when the discriminative intelligence (viveka)
has developed to a stage of full maturity. The
aspirant is in a position to discriminate between
the eternal and the ephemeral, right and wrong, good
and bad and so on. I wish to draw here the attention
of the aspirants to the discussion on the
vijnanamaya kosa6 (five kosas
), the cognitive-intuitive sheath in this connection
to get a practical bearing for the subject.
Buddhi one of the faculties (the cognitive
element) belonging to this kosa, has three
stages of which ‘the highest stage is characterized
by pure intuitive discrimination. Right knowledge
spontaneously appears. It is the inner voice that
cuts through all maya or ignorance’. However
for this stage to be constantly and consistently
active in guiding our choices between right and
wrong what is to be adopted and what is to be
eschewed, the kosa has to be in a highly
purified state. The purity of this sheath is ensured
only through the purity of the three lower sheaths
viz., annamaya, pranamaya and
manomaya sheaths for which total adherence to
the practice of A and B meditations and the
commandments is an absolute must.
The help of the trainer in the movement and stabilization in the U
plane and the diversion of the flow to the atman is
indispensable for maintaining the purity in this
sheath. Moving in the company of highly enlightened
persons will be highly beneficial in this regard.
Surrendering to the Master, heart, mind and soul is the only sure
means for escaping the traps of the charming
intellect. If one can maintain the state of perfect
yielding to the Divine Master in the heart, he will
be able to get the divine guidance in the matters
before him however intricate or befuddling the
situation may be. Divine guidance can never be
wrong, this being an axiomatic truth.
It will appear that right and wrong are relative to circumstances
dictated by the age one lives in, the tradition and
cultural settings, occupational group one is born
into and the stage of life or ashrama, times
of war or acute scarcity to name a few. However if
one has fully determined to know and realize his
real divine Self nature, has developed goal clarity
and realization of that goal is his highest
priority, the choice between right and wrong will be
within his grasp. Here what is right becomes what is
conducive to the achievement of the ultimate purpose
and wrong that which is opposed to it. As Rev. KCV
has put it in his article on Dharma Purushartha6
moral existence is a manifestation of
spiritual existence and depends on it. I would
interpret ‘spiritual existence’ as existence in and
expression in thought, feeling and action as the
divine Self of all. We are convinced that morality
flows from the Divine which is its source and
sustenance. We hold the divine to be just and
balanced the very characteristics of a truly moral
person. Hence eternal and absolute morality would
naturally be exhibited by those who have attained
oneness with the Source, the Absolute. This is the
idea behind the exhortation to follow the footsteps
of the really and fully enlightened Masters. We have
before us the lives of the Masters of our Order
inspiring and guiding us in leading a life of
spirituality pregnant with high morals.
I think it will be appropriate in this context to recall the
inspiring and invigorating words of Rev. Dr. KCV
from his talk, ‘Eclipse of Conscience’5 .
I quote: ‘The earliest stage of this conscience was
the science of inward values which was secret in the
heart of every human individual, to which he could
turn in moments of personal distress or cosmic
distress.
It was the voice of God because it came with an imperativeness and
with a necessity to obey it, at the cost of one’s
life itself. For the value of the voice of God was
paramount over every practical, economic or karmic
conception. So we have the ideal of a conscience.’
He rues its degradation from voice divine to vox
populi or the voice of the people leading to its
total eclipse. He shows in the article how the
influx of the divine prana as in our system
prepares us surely and silently for listening to the
voice divine once again. Elsewhere in the same
article he says, ‘all that you are needed to do is
to surrender to that supreme godly force by which
your whole life may not be merely illuminated, but
also guided in the most ethical sense of the term.’
We have seen above that right morals are to be cultivated by the
aspirant along with right faith and right cognition.
Our brief discussion on the nature of right
cognition shows that if the person has created in
himself the right conditions for the voice of the
Divine Master to be heard in his heart he would
automatically be in a position to act in consonance
with right morals.
Master goes on to emphasize that the basis of Yoga has always been
the right morals and proper behavior. He recalls
here the great emphasis laid by Rev. Lalaji saheb on
this aspect and His insistence on the cultivation of
principled character on the part of every spiritual
aspirant on the path of Yoga. Exhorting us to ensure
that the way of life is pregnant with high morals,
He also warns that failing to obey the instruction
would make us incapable of having the fine type of
spirituality which is beyond everything and worth
having. This illustrates the noble value of the
highest worth we should cherish and uphold to
deserve the grace of Master. The highest purushartha,
the aim, value and purpose of our life is to achieve
oneness with the Absolute. Our way takes us through
a transcendence of religion, spirituality, Reality
and bliss as Master has put it in a nutshell. Thus
the aspirant whose life is not governed by the
highest moral values cannot make any real headway on
the spiritual Path, rather he will have a
precipitous fall from the lofty heights of
spirituality the moment there is a transgression in
respect of the high morals he is bound to observe in
life and it can happen that even his Master may not
be able to save him at that time.
I would like to cite Rev. Dr. KCV in this context, taking a few
excerpts from his illuminating articles Dharma
Purushartha6 and Religion and Dharma7
for our contemplation. Citing first from
Ref.7 we note the following. Dr.KCV gives an
axiomatic definition of dharma right in the
beginning when he declares the ‘soul of religion and
the body of religion is dharma’. There is an
organic relation between the two and dharma is the
essential reality about the Good Life. Rev. KCV
makes an inspiring observation when he says, ‘Here I
take the term Dharma (moral law) in a more elaborate
sense as being available to us through the insight
into the fundamental nature of Divine. The true
activity, the ultimate Dharma, (as distinct from
Karma the activity in the unenlightened condition as
the result of mere rajas) is indeed the action that
proceeds from the vision of the Divine and from the
Divine who is the indwelling seer in all and in whom
all find refuge and support and sustenance as the
Gitacharya has stated.’ Going further he says that
Dharma is the right attitude that the individual has
to take in respect of the total all and in respect
of his participation in it. Karma is restrictive if
it is directed only towards the self-preservation
and self-perpetuating instincts of the lower forms
and matter. On the contrary it can become liberating
if it is directed towards the realization of the
supreme reality and ultimate harmony. It is the
transfiguration of karma into dharma. Dharmic
consciousness deteriorates when even actions obeying
scriptural injunctions are performed selfishly for
personal joy and delight.
This is precisely what the Master has stated1, ‘With the
overemphasis of ‘self’ morality decays. But it is
the part to be played by the preceptors alone that
self be turned to Divinity.’ As has been well
discussed in the seminar on background of
spirituality, the task cited is accomplished through
the diversion of the flow to the upper heart and to
the Atman. Hence the way for evolution in the divine
nature which ipso facto is the ideal perfected moral
nature is to exercise consciousness in the direction
of true selflessness. Every karma to become dharma
is to be transformed into a kainkarya or service or
obedience to the divine.
Acting thus keeping in view the happiness and harmony of every
sentient being and without upsetting the delicate
balance in the material environment at the same time
in a spirit of dedication of the fruits to the
Supreme Lord (as a karmayogi) he paves the
way for his liberation in this very life and stages
beyond with the grace and assistance of a Master of
caliber. He becomes at the same time a supremely
contented and happy person.
We arrive at a dynamic concept of dharma (duty as ordained) when we
view dharma as one’s relationship to God and the
exercise of such a relationship characterized by
part-whole, body-soul and divine-soul
interdependency (knot 2 characteristics). Dharma can
then be seen to comprise the sum total flowing out
of one’s true self-nature as a related being to
others, God, parents, society, creatures, nature
elements and so on taken individually and
collectively. It is something which flows out of his
place, station and nature and thus constitutes
svadharma. A very interesting observation is
made by Dr.KCV regarding the aim of all devoted
practice of dharma which is to gain the audition of
the inner voice divine, the awakening of and
empowering conscience discussed earlier.6
Svadharma when viewed from the point of view of a spiritual seeker
after realization would be to realize and live
according his true divine self-nature. Master has
called it to be man’s foremost duty. This is the
crux of the 5th commandment, ‘Be
truthful’. Svadharma in its highest and
noblest expression for a human being is to realize
his oneness with the Ultimate Oneness or Nothingness
and work and live assimilating that supreme
realization. His ethical behavior during such a life
will reflect and display automatically the high
morals referred to by Master for the fellow beings
to emulate.
The aachara conduct of such enlightened individuals
exemplified by the Masters of our Order becomes the
code of conduct sadaachara (yad yad
acharate sreshtah tadtadaacharate itare
janaah-Gita) as Dr.KCV would put it. Such
conduct would include automatically in its scope all
righteous conduct coming under the purview of the
traditional notions regarding what constitutes
dharma and ameliorative action loka samgraha.
Lastly we will examine briefly what may comprise the high morals in
the light of the Natural Path and how they may be
practiced in the light of the Natural Path. Master
has defined morality in the true sense as that which
obtains when all the faculties may come into proper
use1. We may say that the faculties have
come in harmony for proper use when they enable the
seeker to choose and act in such ways which are
conducive to his progress on the path and at the
same time capable of promoting harmony and happiness
of all. Most importantly the faculties can be deemed
to have been put to proper use when they are yoked
to the service of Master. We may note here without
further elaboration that as a person is able to
perfect his adherence to the 4th
commandment his faculties would be used properly to
the same degree of perfection. We may say that we
can reflect and express the real moral law in action
only when the faculties come into real harmony and
are in a state of balance and total moderation as
they were when man assumed his form in the
beginning. The Real Man our goal and who is an
epitome of perfect moderation and balance is such an
expression of the divine moral law. Our great Master
has shown through His life on earth what it is to
live and work as a Real Man for us to follow.
Love and piety are high order moral values which are to be
cultivated by us. The 9th commandment
exhorts us to live in such a way as to rouse the
feeling of love and piety in others. It counsels
moderation in all phases of our living and
activities. We are asked to copy the uniformity in
nature in our dealings with our fellow beings-vyavahara
according to the just needs and fair rights of
every one. In the 4th commandment we have
been directed to be plain and identical with nature.
Unless we cultivate the virtues of moderation,
balance and equanimity in us we cannot become
identical with nature.
We can conclude by saying total obedience to the ten commandments in
day to day life would ensure that our life is
pregnant with high morals. In addition active and
willing participation in Master’s work for the
transformation and divinization of man in tune with
the divine intention would add another significant
higher order moral dimension to it. Regular offering
of the 9 PM prayer would be an instance of it.
Master has mentioned about principled character. The principles on
which the follower of the Natural Path has to build
his character are enshrined in the commentary on the
ten commandments. Character is a consistent display
of a behavior trait by the person upholding a moral
value or values such as generosity, tolerance,
equanimity, endurance, fortitude, sacrifice and so
on irrespective of the nature of circumstances he
may be placed in from time to time. The values such
as satya, ahimsa, asteya,
aparigraha and brahmacharya when upheld
enables one to stabilize in the U plane
characterized by parahita consciousness.
Further growth in universal consciousness engenders
in one divine attributes of sharing, service and
sacrifice.
I end this article with a prayer that all of us here and elsewhere
grow into real suns of spirituality leading lives
pregnant with high morals by His munificent and
benevolent grace thus fulfilling His expectations.
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References:
1. Showers of Divine Grace pg 53
2. Showers of Divine Grace pg 38;
3. Showers of Divine Grace pg 164
4. Sruti p 198
5. Complete works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari. V1 p 413
6. Complete works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari.V3 p96-100
7. Complete works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari.V3 p125-30
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