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This
page is taken from Chapter Seven, "Intelligently Aware," of Sermons
of the Guardian of Devotion - Volume III, in which His Divine
Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj explains the meaning of
the word anartha. |
| The
Meaning of "Anartha" |
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Anartha
means "separate interest." Krishna consciousness is causeless, nirguna.
It has no end. Nirguna means that the
central flow and vibration of Krishna consciousness is eternal: that
wave has no end. Any interest which is separate from Krishna consciousness
is anartha. Artha means necessity, and
anartha is that which is not my necessity
-- that which is opposed to my necessity, being based on separate
consciousness and interest.
So
to get out of the trap of separate interest which is misleading
us, and to learn how to read the Infinite, we are to identify with
the universal flow, the universal wave. At present we are being
carried away by different waves of separate-interest consciousness:
anartha -- it is not necessary for us. Our only necessity is to
merge in the wave of the universal interest, which is for Itself,
for Himself. The Lord says:
aham
hi sarva-yajnanam / bhokta ca prabhur eva ca
[Bhagavad Gita - 9:24]
"I
am the only enjoyer of all sacrifices, of all movement in this world.
I am the only enjoyer, and everything belongs to Me unconditionally."
God's
position is such. He is paramount. He is the highest harmonizing
center, and we must all submit cent-per-cent to Him. Any deviation
from that is anartha. Anartha means "meaningless," it has no meaning.
The only real meaning or purpose worthy to be served is the connection
with the universal wave, the universal movement. Anything besides
that is anartha -- undesirable and unnecessary. The anarthas will
serve no purpose. We are in connection with anarthas, undesirable
things which will not serve any real purpose towards our cause.
But
the real cause of our life, and the whole satisfaction of our very
existence will be found only in connection with the universal wave
of the whole Absolute. That is Krishna consciousness. It is the
most universal, fundamental wave and we have to catch that. Our
goal, our satisfaction, and the very fulfillment of our life is
only to be found there, in that layer, in that plane, and not in
the superficial plane of nationality interest, family interest,
or social service, for that is provincialism.
One
section of the population is busy with many local interests, and
another section wishes to stop all activity. To stop one's own movement,
to do away with one's own existence, is renunciation or samadhi,
and that is suicidal. We have to give up renunciation as well as
enjoyment. The tendency to do evil and the tendency to go on strike
-- both are to be given up. In a nation, we may find so many workers
doing some wrong, going against the principle of the law, and that
is bad because it is disorderly - but to go on strike or to refuse
to work is also bad. The good path is to work only for the interest
of the country.
This
we have to learn: from local interest we must go to the universal,
the Absolute. We are not to have any local interest, however extensive
it may be. Whether self-centered, family-centered, village-centered
or society-centered as in humanitarianism -- it is all only a part
of the Infinite. This is the fact, and generally we are to try to
understand things in such a way. The technical words like anartha
nivrtti, bhava, asakti, all these are covered by this understanding.
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| How
to conquer lust |
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Lord
Krishna has recommended in Srimad Bhagavad Gita
how one can conquer kama, or lust, by
regulating the senses. He advises us to become acquainted with the
nature of the soul, then all the problems caused by kama will be turned into ashes:
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
buddher yah paratas tu sah
evam buddheh param buddhva
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam
[Bhagavad Gita - 3:42, 43]
Lust
is not easily accessible, but is hidden. We cannot easily trace where
he lives, but he comes suddenly, and after looting, disappears. But
here we are told that lust really lives in the intelligence, the mind,
and the senses. To conquer that lust we have to regulate the senses,
but in order to do so we must first analyze what the senses are and
what is their position, and then what is the position of the internal
king of the senses, the mind. After that we must analyze what is the
intrinsic position of the buddhi, or
the faculty of reason, judgement, and intelligence. With the help
of reason, we must try to find out what is in the background of that
faculty of reason, of judgement, and of decision-making.
In
the background is a pencil-thin ray whose nature is diametrically
opposite to the world of experience. In Srimad
Bhagavatam, an example is given that in the night a cloud
may cover the moon. Though the cloud obscures the moon, still the
cloud can only be seen by the light of the moon.
na rarajodupaschana / svajyotsna bhasitairghanaih
aham matya bhasitaya / svabhasa puruso jyatha
In
this example the soul is likened to the moon and the ahankara
is likened to cloud cover. The sense-consciousness, the mind, and
the intelligence have all combined to form a system, ahankara,
which has covered the soul. But they are seen, and it is possible
for them to act, only because there is light -- the light of the soul,
the moon. So by the help of our reason we must try to perceive what
is above reason, and we shall come to see that it is the atma,
or the soul. In this way we may have some direct connection with the
atma, or at least some conception, however
vague, of its existence and nature. At that time our whole material
aspiration will turn into trash and within ourselves we will be able
to conquer all the charms of this world. The Lord's advice in Srimad
Bhagavad Gita is to somehow or other
try to obtain understanding of the true nature of our own atma. We
are really of such a superior nature and hold a noble, dignified position
in the higher plane, but lust and so many base things have come to
entrap us.
raso
'py asya / param drstva nivartate
[Bhagavad Gita - 2:59]
By
even slightly coming in contact with the dignified position of our
own soul, all worldly charm will vanish, and even that will seem to
be a negligible thing compared to the awakening of higher levels of
realization all the way up to the SuperSoul [Paramatma]
then to Narayana and Krishna. There is so much ecstatic enjoyment
on that side, and it will be realized only when it is revealed within
us. |
| The
dignified position of the soul |
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Although
to our present conception it is far away, still, that experiencer,
that taster is within us: it is the jivatma,
and if we try to concentrate there even for a second, we will discover
what a dignified position the soul holds. We shall think: "Who are
these thieves? The intellect, the mind, the senses -- all thieves
and plunderers! They are taking me into the land of misery as if through
some intricate conspiracy." It will seem like that to us.
indriyani
parany ahur / indriyebhyah param manah
[Bhagavad Gita - 3:42]
Our
senses are superior in comparison to all the things that we experience
around us: if we had no sense of touch, sight, hearing and so on,
then we would have no conception of anything external. The world would
mean nothing to us.
At
the center of all the senses is the mind. Someone may call but we
may not hear. We may find: "He was calling me? Oh, I was unmindful,
unconscious, and did not hear him. Even though I have my senses,
because I was unmindful, I did not hear or see him." So the mind
is the center of the senses, and it has two functions, sankalpa,
and vikalpa, or acceptance and rejection.
"I want this, I don't want that; I don't want that, I want this."
This is mainly the function of the mind.
Higher
than the mind is the buddhi, or intelligence.
From the mind we will go up to the buddhi, the reason. What is it?
Discrimination. "Oh, my mind wants that, but that will bring such
a reaction, so don't do that." The buddhi,
the intelligence or faculty of judgement will give the warning:
"Don't go! Don't listen to what the mind says! Don't obey him."
That is the intelligence.
If
we go higher, surpassing the intelligence, searching for what is
next, what is above the intelligence, backing it and making the
function of intelligence possible, we will be able to see: "Oh,
this is my real self and everything else is an outside extension
in the material world -- it is all a material overcoating. I can
leave it, and with only myself, my own atma,
alone, I can go up to somewhere higher. This present atmosphere
is not at all necessary for me, rather it is harmful, a coating,
a garment which has been thrust onto me in order that I come in
connection with this bad environment." With this realization, with
our soul proper, we can go in a higher direction, towards Paramatma,
Narayana, and Krishna.
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Math, Nabadwip.
Founder-Acharyya: Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaj
President-Acharyya: Srila B. S. Govinda Maharaj
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