Bhikshu is a person who lives on alms. However, he must not be confused with a beggar who simply feeds on others. A bhikshu is a person who has a resolve of living to realise the true Self.
So he gives up earning a big fat pay cheque every month to provide for his ever-increasing desires. He lives out of the barest minimum, only enough to sustain the frame that is required for meditation.
Sri Adi Sankaracharya says in the Vivekachoodamani that for such a bhikshu who has spent earlier part of his life with the academic discipline of listening to the books of wisdom—the Upanishads—on the declarations of the true Self and also is endowed with peace of mind and control of senses, just absorption of mind through meditation would do. In the course of his striving, he would have done actions that scrape away the remaining desires for experiences of the world and his personality is polished clean.
Why should he ignore the objects of the world? The joy that springs from them is just an illusion and has no real standing.
Once the desires are firmly entrenched—it is especially the case for almost all human beings who have lived through numerous lifetimes steeped in ignorance and desire—it is difficult to destroy that sense of individuality. It is only by those who practice that state of absorption which knows no modification, called Nirvikalpa Samadhi, that the desired state of purity can be attained.
Explaining this thought further, the Master says that there is a deluding ogress called the “I-notion”. She makes the thought of I very strong by throwing her magic veil on the mind. Once the cloak covers the mind with an imaginary layer, the inherent power to project causes numerous thoughts and feelings that appear very real, when in reality there is no substance to it.
What is the repeated practice that must be undertaken to make this happen? The Acharya says it is very difficult to conquer the agitated mind that is constantly erupting with feelings and desires, especially when the veiling power of the mind that creates a layer of difference between the individual and the outer world has not gone.
However, through constant contemplative practice when the seeker has learnt to distinguish between the consciousness that is the seer and the thought, feeling and emotion—which are the numerous objects that are seen, like separating milk from water—the covering of ignorance dies a natural death.
Once this is accomplished, there is no obstruction that will allow the mind to be thrown again into the waves of thoughts caused by seeking impermanent sense objects.
The Master shows the path of no return to the world of confusion, chaos and repetitive cycle of birth and death when this clear discrimination between the seer and the seen arises. That destroys all bondages that cause illusions in our perception.
The writer is Sevika, Chinmaya Mission, Coimbatore
(www.chinmayamission.com); email: sharanya.chaitanya@chinmayamission.com