According to Advaita Vedanta, Viveka means discriminative wisdom and is one of the qualifications specified as part of Sadhana Chatushtaya (Fourfold Qualifications).
Viveka - Power of Discrimination
Viveka is the intellectual ability to discriminate or discern between the truth and the untruth (Satya and Asatya), permanent and the impermanent (Nitya and Anithya), Self and the non-Self (Atman and Anatman).
Viveka means reasoning and comprehending using the intellect. Let us explore some great reasoning explicated in the book Aparoksha Anubhuti (Direct Experience) authored by Adi Shankaracharya.
We usually identify ourselves with our body and we even point to our body and say this is “I”. Shankara renders robust arguments to show that we are actually the Sentient Energy and the body is only an instrument powered by that Sentient Energy which is the Chit Shakti or Self or Consciousness or Awareness or Atman.
Ekam Anekam Viveka – One and Many
We clearly feel that the feeling “I” points to “one” complete individual which is us. “I” always means singular, not plural. But the body is clearly made of many different parts such as fingers, hands, legs, foot, eyes, ears, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc. Each body part is different and the body is an assembly of “many” different parts. How can one and many become the same? Therefore, Shankara thunders that there cannot be any greater ignorance than not recognising “I” as the One Sentient Energy and instead, mistaking the one “I” to be the body which is clearly made up of Many different parts.
Nitya Anitya Viveka – Eternal and Ephemeral
Ever since we can remember, the feeling of “I” has never changed. The Sentient Energy inside us has been the same ever since we were born. Clearly, the body has been constantly changing, hence it is ephemeral. All of us clearly know that we have different bodies at different stages of our lives such as infant, toddler, child, teen, youth, middle-aged, elderly and old. How can the eternal and ephemeral be the same? Therefore, there cannot be any greater ignorance than not recognising “I” as the Unchanging Eternal Sentient Energy and instead, mistaking “I” to be the Ever-changing, Temporary, Ephemeral body.
Anthar Bahya Viveka – Inside and Outside
When we wear a shirt, clearly the shirt is outside the body and the body is inside the shirt. That means what is inside and what is outside are two distinct things and can never be the same. We clearly feel that the feeling of “I” comes from inside whereas the body is outside. How can inside and outside be the same? Therefore, there cannot be any greater ignorance than not recognising “I” as the Sentient Energy which is the controller present Inside and instead, mistaking “I” to be the body which is the controlled and is Outside.
Chit Jada Viveka – Sentient and Insentient
When we look at our hand, we are looking at the hand and it is not that the hand is looking at us. That means we are the Sentient Energy which is the Consciousness or Awareness. The hand or any body part is inert and insentient. How can the sentient and the insentient be the same? Therefore, there cannot be any greater ignorance than not recognising “I” as the Sentient Energy and instead, mistaking “I” to be the Insentient body.
Shankara says without doing such enquiry and reasoning, an ignorant person though uses language like “My body”, “This body is mine”, yet remains deluded and thinks “I am the body”. Shankara argues that when we say “My car”, I am the owner and the car is the owned. The owner and the owned are two distinct things and can never be the same. We use language like “My body”, “My mind”, “My intellect”, and hence we cannot be the body or mind or intellect. We are actually the Sentient Energy which is the true owner powering the body, the mind and the intellect.
Viveka, the reasoning is very much needed to first understand the concept clearly without any doubt before starting the execution (meditation).
In the software world, we say do the design first before touching the keyboard and writing a single line of code. There may be refinements in the design as we indulge in the effort, but right in the beginning having a concrete design and meticulous planning are essential to succeed in achieving any goal.
Such kind of total commitment, dedicated involvement and attention to the minute detail bring out the passion. The passion, in turn, brings out the best effort, makes the effort enjoyable and enables one to achieve great feats with ease, grace and elegance.
A passionate architect thinks about the structure or the building while sitting, standing, walking or bathing. Such an architect would be able to imagine and clearly visualise the structure from all the 360-degree angles even before a single brick or a piece of iron is moved to the site.
This is exactly what is Viveka (reasoning), which is, doing the required reasoning and clearly understanding the job to be done before embarking on getting the job done which is attaining Enlightenment or Self-Realization.
Viveka (reasoning and discrimination) is acquired by doing the Vichara (enquiry) to learn and understand the concept clearly. Viveka is studying, reasoning, deliberating and preparing oneself meticulously before the execution. This is the brainstorming and planning phase. Viveka is required for anybody to succeed in attaining their desired goal.
For an Advaita seeker, Viveka is clearly understanding the distinction between Atman (Self) and Anatman (Not-Self).
For an Architect, Viveka is vividly visualising the structure to be built from all 360 degrees even before a single brick or piece of iron is moved to the site.
For a Software Engineer it is doing a complete design even before a single line of code is written.
For a business person it is a meticulous and detailed preparation of the business plan and clearly laying out the idea how the execution need to be done.
For a sports person, it is keenly watching ones own videos as well as of others, having extensive discussions with the coach, analysing one's own techniques and coming up with the strategies.
You might also be interested in knowing What is Drig Drishya Viveka?
Post a Comment
Post a Comment