To wish to know the truth of who I really am, is indeed a great proposition. How do I go about knowing that? The guiding scriptural texts tell us that even though one is qualified and a past master in all the Shastras, the enquiry of “Who am I?” should not be done by one’s own self. It is important to have a master guide us.
Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji says that for fit students, endowed with Sadhana Chatushtaya—the four main qualities that help an individual on the path of liberation—he would explain the means of arriving at a clear understanding of their own essence. This will help one in gaining knowledge of the eternal and infinite nature of one’s true self.
The word Viveka is from the root word ‘vic’ in Sanskrit. The word is pronounced like Which. It means to separate and segregate something. The brain has the capacity to distinguish between many things and understand differences. What we see outside us is just one scenery, but in that canvas the mind registers the presence of trees, lights, buildings, flowers and people walking about.
The whole screen before us is like watching a multi-dimensional motion film with features like sound, smell, taste and touch.
When this discriminative capacity of the mind is used for distinguishing between the real and the unreal, what is the essence and what is the chaff, what is true and untrue, what is eternal and temporary—then that very analytical process liberates the mind. Liberation is not something that is far away to be attained in time. In this moment, if there is an understanding of the whole vastness of this uniform universe, then the mind gets liberated at that very moment.
To get liberated, one should understand the nature of bondage. If someone is tied to the chair, it is easy to see that the person is bound. However, when the mind is caught in a limited thinking loop, it is not a visible bondage. To experience liberation of the mind and abide to it, the entry ticket is to possess these qualities.
What are they? Viveka (discrimination between the real and unreal); vairagya (detachment from what is unreal); and the six wealths called shama (peace of mind), dama (control of senses), uparama (minding one’s own work), titiksha (forbearance), shraddha (faith in the scriptures and the words of the Guru), and samadhanam (a mind that is established and unwavering). The last quality is mukukshuthwam—an intense desire to be liberated and revel in infinite joy, and not conditioned temporary happiness.
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