Sandra: Due to a botched surgery done to my back, I’ve experienced chronic pain for years. Regardless I’ve continued to try and meditate in the lotus position and I try my best to accept the pain as a part of maya, a part of nature, a part of the body and not my Atman/Self. I try and seek out of my meditation a sattvic mind state. An acceptance and indifference to my thoughts if and/or when they arise, the world at large, and a calming one pointed undisturbed mind focusing on realizing my true Self; as it’s not something to be obtained but realized since it’s our inherent nature.
In a sense I would say that my pain has been a purifier. Because you are right, I highly doubt I would have sought out Advaita Vedanta if I didn’t have this pain as Advaita Vedanta makes logical sense to me; where I doubt it would if I were to have an easy and balanced life already.
Rory: I’m sorry to hear that you experience chronic pain, Sandra. I have a loved one who deals with a similar issue, and I know how difficult it can be in all ways. I myself have had to live with chronic and acute illnesses and a somewhat struggling body most of my life. I agree, pain is a great purifier — at least it can be, if we respond in the appropriate way and don’t let it consume us. I’m grateful for everything that happened to me in my life, as it forced me to look inward.
One of the great things about Vedanta is that it really teaches you dispassion, and what is called in Sanskrit titiksha; the ability the deal with life’s inevitable pains and problems. It doesn’t take them away, but it really helps us to deal with them. It sounds like you are doing exactly that, which is amazing. Self-knowledge enables us to turn papam into punyam–‘bad karma’ into good.
Sandra: I’ve been taught that having a qualified guru to help guide me through these emotions, samskaras/past impressions habits and worldly tugs and pulls is just as essential as jnana yoga, karma yoga and bhakti yoga, etc. Otherwise what you say in your article would be right, we would not be able to properly assimilate the knowledge and devotion we learn without also running the risk of improper discrimination. We would think we are becoming less ignorant when we could be doing just the opposite. Do you share this same opinion on the necessity of a guru?
Rory: Yes, I agree that a teacher is essential. Self-study only gets a person so far. The mind is a tricky thing, as it always tends to evaluate things in terms of what it already thinks it knows.
I’ve heard this termed “spiritual narcissism”. Without a teacher, we tend to only accept the parts of a teaching that ‘resonate’ with us and discard the rest. We do this because we already think we know it all — which is clearly not the case, otherwise we wouldn’t be seeking liberation in the first place. Sadly, what happens is that ignorance filters and distorts our ability to understand and accept what is being taught. Confirmation bias really is a deal breaker.
Vedanta requires what the Zen tradition calls a ‘beginner’s mind’. It necessitates utmost humility and a willingness to learn. That begins by accepting that we don’t have all the answers and seeking out a qualified teacher who can help. That’s all part of having a qualified mind. The teaching simply doesn’t work without one. The best thing I ever did was admit I didn’t know half as much as I thought I did, and when I found Vedanta, I was humbled into submission! The key moment in the Gita was at the start of chapter two where Arjuna basically tells Krishna, “I can’t do this myself — please, teach me! Show me the way forward.” The rest is history as they say.
Thanks again for your message! Namaste.
