[Summary of the 3-day series of discourses held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between 7th and 9th September 2001. The talks were based on the 5th chapter of Bhagavadgeeta.]
Harih Om Tat Sat! Jai Guru. As usual, I shall begin by uttering the sacred syllable ‘Om’ three times. This is a very beneficial recitation and I would like all of you to join me without any hesitation, fear or shyness. Close your eyes if you want, and chant loudly and heartily along with me. (Poojya Swamiji chants in his characteristic long drawn manner: “Om….Om…..Om….” The audience responds enthusiastically.)
So, we are going to have a three-day session here to understand the secret of “Interactional Excellence through Inner Renunciation”. I wonder if you have given enough thought to the relevance of this topic in today’s competitive world.
What is this ‘excellence’ related to our ‘interactions’? How is it connected with ‘inner renunciation’? These questions naturally arise.
Human life is a series of interactions. Right from the moment of birth a child begins to sense the surrounding air and earth through the sense of touch, through the skin. It senses the warmth of the mother. Then gradually it sees with the eyes, hears with the ears, and so on – all the senses wake up to the outside world.
When a body is evolved completely and it comes out of the womb, it is supposed to be ready with these five senses, to interact with the objects of the world. The purpose of our coming into this world is only to interact with the objects of the world. If a child is born and it does not have the instruments by which interactions with the world and the objects can be had, then of what use is the child’s life? So, right from the beginning, life means interactions, and it continues to be interactive till the last breath of ours.
These interactions are primarily in the sensory level. As the child grows physically, these interactions go on building up inputs. These inputs fall on the so-called mind of man. When eyes begin to see, ears begin to hear, the tongue, nose and skin do their respective functions, these interactional inputs get registered inside the body. Then they are collected, codified, collated and arranged in a sequential manner. That sequential arrangement and its availability is what we call the mind of man.
After all, what does the mind do? It only remembers. What can it remember? It can only remember the interactional inputs. What else does it have to remember? Does it bring any memory from the world before the birth of the body? Certainly not, it is not available to us. If we remember something now, we can only remember whatever we have done, whatever we have heard, whatever we have understood.
So, for the mind to remember, there must be interactional inputs, interactional outcomes. This mind process goes on collecting the interactional data and arranging them. After that there is a further development that is called ratiocination. We are able to put two and two together; we can add, multiply, increase, infer. The senses do the physical interactions, the mind does the mental interactions with the sensory interactional inputs, the intelligence further goes on ratiocinating – rationally, cogently thinking about whatever the mind has in its stock of information.
So, initially it is interaction with the objects. Later on it is interactions within the mind, with the interactional inputs. Then it is the intelligence interacting with the stock of information. Is there, therefore, anything in human life other than interactions? Except during the hours of sleep, always we are interacting. Either we interact with the objects of the world outside, or we interact with our own thoughts, feelings and emotions, or we interact with our own understanding, memory etc. That is why Bhagavadgeeta says:
The entire life is no other than maatraasparsaah – contact and interactions between the senses and the objects around us.
So life for anyone, anywhere in the world, is interactional. In the interactional process of life, we want to have an excellence. What is this excellence?
We must be able to conduct our interactions without getting affected by them, afflicted or agitated by them, keeping our composure, keeping our stability. Whatever is to be assimilated during the course of interactions, we must be able to assimilate. Whatever is to be generated from within us, in the form of timely inspirations and emotions, creative thoughts and ideas, we must be able to generate.
Assimilation of all the inputs without being affected by them and generation of the right and timely outputs – these two processes together constitute interactional excellence. The question is: Do we have an abundant measure of this excellence, or, do we feel now and then a lack of poise and confidence?
If there is an adverse situation, we must not lose our poise or composure. What should we do if the mind becomes agitated, if the mind lacks confidence? We must have something within us that will provide the mind the timely strength, vision and confidence irrespective of the external situation. What is that something? Is it something of flesh and blood, or the muscles of the body? Or, is it something deeper – not relating to the material body? Is it not something relating to the supra-material content in the body, namely the emotion-based mind and the knowledge-based intelligence?
So, in order to have interactional excellence, we have to treat the mind. We have to orient the mind – enrich and empower the mind. We have to enlighten it with the knowledge of the real nature of things. We have to cultivate qualities like composure, poise, flexibility and expansiveness. Unless these qualities grace our own mind and intelligence, unless we are able to think progressively, confidently and comprehensively, we will not be able to interact excellently and successfully in this world.
This kind of excellence that we want to cultivate, does not depend on the involvement of anyone else. It depends solely on our own inner resources.
When we try to become excellent drawing upon our own inner resources, it can never become a confrontation with another. When we amass wealth, it will be a confrontation, a competition to another. But when we harness our own inner resources, where is the question of a conflict? Let the wife become immensely rich in her inner resources. Let the husband also become likewise rich. There cannot be any conflict between them. Because, the treasure is within us and it is unlimited. The mind is infinite in its capacity and magnitude.
So, this internal identification is very important. In all interactional processes, we will find that the interaction proceeds outward from within. It originates from us, subsists in us and also finally terminates in us. When we see a person, the seeing process proceeds from our within. To see him we do not have to physically go near him. His image is formed within us. The seeing process thus subsists on us. The result of seeing is also not to be found outside; it is located in our mind and personality. So the interactions proceed from us, subsist on us and also terminate in us.
It is this kind of an interactional life that we want to be excellent in. Naturally, the study of the 'Subject' within us becomes very important. Which Subject? The Subject which perceives the entire objective world. The subjective part of our personality is spiritual. So the interactions proceed from a spiritual level. The interactions subsist on the same spiritual level. The interactions also finally conclude, terminate, in that same spiritual plane. Hence, if we want to become excellent in interactions, the spiritual plane will have to be sufficiently understood and known.
Now, how do we achieve this interactional excellence? We say, “Through Inner Renunciation”. Unless we have this inner renunciation – the renunciational orientation – we will never be able to interact successfully and excellently in this world. What is this inner renunciation, naturally becomes our quest.
What is meant by inner renunciation?
Generally people think of recluses, sannyasins, ascetics, in ochre robes as renunciates. We are not discussing about that kind of renunciation. We don’t mean to say that one can have interactional excellence only when one becomes a sannyaasin. The renunciational note is a quality, it is an embellishment, it is an attainment. This can be acquired by anyone who has mind, intelligence and heart. The inner renunciation is not reserved for the sannyasins alone.
Just as everyone else, the Sannyasins are also products of households. The majority in the society are non-sannyaasins. We are discussing this subject particularly with reference to Bhagavadgita. And what is the Bhagavadgita? It is a dialogue between Arjuna, a householder, and Sri Krishna, another householder. The conversation took place in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. And for what purpose? Only to serve the kingly purpose of fighting a war to establish a just rule.
Right from the beginning, although Sri Krishna had been explaining the nature of the Soul or the ultimate Reality, all this was to help Arjuna overcome his weakness and delusion, and make him fight. “Therefore, O Arjuna, get up and fight,” was the last message. What does it mean? In the case of Arjuna, the warrior, it was fighting – an activity that needs the most intense involvement. For householders, it is to run the household properly, without delusion or fear. For professionals, the message is to be good professionals with clear and comprehensive vision. The call ultimately is to perform your interactions properly and well.
We should never waver, never feel disgusted. We should have sufficient enthusiasm, enough of confidence. Never be subdued by any situation. On the other hand, we should ‘overwhelm’ the situation. Our mind has got the capacity. It is not mind alone, it is the power of the infinite Soul available to us in the nature of the mind. The power that moves is the Soul, and that is greater than space, greater than the created universe. It is that expression of the Soul that comes to us in the form of the mind. We are the infinite, the unconquerable.
Who were those standing before Arjuna? Bheeshma, his beloved grandfather and Drona, the adorable teacher. Both of them were leading the opposite army! So, psychologically, emotionally, Arjuna felt weak, indecisive and confused. Even from the military point of view also, the opposite army was much more powerful – it was an unconquerable army. In both ways Arjuna felt subdued. It was such a subdued mind of Arjuna that Sri Krishna was able to elevate and invigorate through a process of enlightenment.
What did Sri Krishna do? He only offered enlightenment. He activated the clouded, uncreative intelligence of Arjuna. As a result, the intelligence started working on the mind and senses. As the conversation progressed, Arjuna’s activated mind raised more and more doubts and questions. Krishna deftly cleared all of them.
Sri Krishna spoke about renunciation, about sannyaasa. What he meant was renunciation or sannyaasa as an inner orientation, as an inner attainment. Did he ask Arjuna to shave his head and become a sannyaasin? Certainly not! Sri Krishna instituted the attitude of renunciation in Arjuna. Arjuna understood and absorbed the message. He picked up the Gandeeva, the famous bow that had slipped from his hand, to fight the war with full fervour and determination.
In the same manner, unless we are able to incorporate this renunciational note in our minds, to crown our intelligence and heart, we will not have interactional excellence. To put it positively, by incorporating this renunciational note, we will certainly have interactional excellence. That is why we discuss it as a subject. And by this renunciation, one is not physically adopting sannyaasa, wearing the ochre robe. The Ishaavaasya Upanishad says:
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किंञ्व जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जिथा: मा गृध कस्य स्विद् धनम् ।।
Isavasyamidam sarvam yatkinca jagatyam jagat :
Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya sviddhanam.
Isavaasyopanishad 1
What a beautiful statement! “Everything in this universe is permeated, interpenetrated, by Divinity, God. Therefore, the world is to be enjoyed only through tyaaga (renunciation). And, never should you foster greed for anybody’s wealth.”
Let your heart be enriched by the spirit and the purpose of renunciation. Graced with this enrichment of your heart and mind, enjoy the world comfortably. You cannot enjoy your marriage, you cannot enjoy your parentage, you cannot enjoy your riches, you cannot enjoy your profession, unless you have this tyaaga, this spirit of renunciation to adorn your heart and mind. The call of the Upanishad is: Enjoy comfortably, but do so having the refinement and the enrichment of renunciation.
Before concluding the 4th Chapter, Krishna declared
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंच्छिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनंञ्जय ।।
Bhagavadgeeta 4.41
“One whose actions stand renounced by Yoga and the doubts get cleared by wisdom, one who is well established in the Self – never gets bound by his actions.”
Mark, Krishna says: Yoga-sannyasta-karmaanam — "one whose actions are all graced by yoga-sannyaassa." He is not speaking of “orange-robed sannyaasa” or “shaven headed sannyaasa”. All his actions stand renounced by yoga.