Summary:

Four factors are essential for spiritual knowledge to take place effectively: (1) Adhikari – a qualified seeker with reduced binding likes-dislikes (raga–dvesha) and mental discipline (tapas); (2) Vishaya – the right subject matter, which is knowledge of the self ; (3) Prayojana – getting clear what is your gain studying the text (freedom from sense of inadequacy) and is it talking to you, is it targeting your problem; (4) Sambandha – you need to be mature enough to recognize the connection between what you're seeking and the method required to solve the problem. Likes-dislikes aren't inherently problematic unless they become binding and create mental distortions.

Continuing from previous session. We're still on FACTOR 1 – Adhikari, one who is truly ready for enlightenment.

Anubandha-chatushtaya: 4 Factors To Consider for Best Learning and Understanding

FACTOR 1: Adhikari — Who is ready or capable of truly grasping the subject matter of enlightenment (moksha)?

Price paid for not practicing Tapas:

Price is pāpa (unpleasant future consequences), which is what you bring onto yourself from inappropriate choices & inconsiderate thoughts towards others and yourself. Actions and results are always connected. So you’re not doing world a favour by doing the right thing, but yourself by not going through future suffering.

• • • EG: Moving slowly from complaining thoughts (“World is like that, parents treated me like that, etc”) – to constructive, solution-oriented thoughts. Each time you inject new causes into the field.
    • Acknowledge: Some areas you’re good, others need to work on.

SUMMARY: Improve causes > better effects. Then you’re naturally more cheerful, enthusiastic, quicker to forgive, and less rigid about opinions.

Metaphor showing relationship between knowing Atma and Mastery of Mind (Tapas)?

Suppose sun and 3 vessels. Need clear water for sun to reflect properly. Sun has nothing to do with water, same time water needs to be clear to reflect the sun. Similarly, to understand Atma, need clear mind, which tapas gives.

Adhikari is one who has reduced Binding Likes-Dislikes (Vītarāgiṇām / Raga-dvesha):

Adhikari is one from whom raga (likes) dveshas (dislikes) have relatively gone away. Don’t take literally because people do what they like and end up serving other people’s needs. World operates on likes-dislikes. Likes-dislikes are not your enemy. They are means of expression.

When are they unhealthy?

When become BINDING. Don’t allow you to express yourself freely. Make you lose spontaneity/perspective.

How to know they are Binding?

When you think, “Without THIS, I will never be happy, I can’t, I’m not good enough. This is the only way”. Or “I really, really need this person to be in my life”. Means you’re giving the person/object value it doesn’t intrinsically have. Makes one lose perspective when assigning imagined value on things.

Example How Binding-Desires Negatively Affects Life:

1. 1. 1. Life is made so that it doesn’t satisfy most of your likes/dislikes. This produces anger and disappointment.
      2. Love/Care turns to caring too much about the other person (control), because your well being depends too much on the person, thus don’t want to lose them. EG: My father gets angry when my mother falls or gets hurt, because his wellbeing is deeply tied to her well-being.
      3. Over-dependence on another. Can’t do simple things on one’s own. This can be potentially an issue in Indian family culture where “we share everything”.

Reason why people falsely think one has to eliminate all likes-dislikes (vasanas):

Because likes-dislikes come with distortions (attributing unrealistic value to objects), which causes loss of perspective, which produces suffering (such unfulfilled expectations). Thus conclude, “I have to give up all likes-dislikes”.

Likes-dislikes are not the problem:

When distortions are removed, your likes-dislikes become embellishments, or gifts to the world. So likes-dislikes are not the problem (because world is manifestation of Ishvara). Distortions are the problem.

For example, you want to have a strong like for moksha, which only comes with a cultivated, distortion-free mind, and not a dissatisfied mind.

Example of mind distortions created by binding likes-dislikes:

• • • Disassociation: “My mind has problems, I am it’s witness”. In reality, there’s no distance between mind and Atma.
    • Worried what others say: Not knowing what’s important to me. What becomes important is others conversations. Which gives an impression, “I’m tuned in. They are so ignorant”. If knew what’s important to me, their stories wouldn’t even trigger me.

3 Eligibilities for Moksha:

1. 1. 1. I come to see, normal pursuits are not giving what I want.
      2. I recognize place for knowledge and it’s connection to moksha.
      3. For knowledge to be grasped, I need a refined mind (self-mastery). No skipping. Irony is, the ones who really need to hear this, are the one’s who don’t ever hear it.

FACTOR 2: Vishaya / Pratipadya (subject matter / topic):

Answers the question “What is taught?”

Atma Bodha (nature of self) is taught.

Once I know what I want, and I’m relatively eligible, what do I need to know to achieve it? What subject matter do I need to know to accomplish it?

For a Mumukshu, the subject matter isn’t initially clear. Though figured out artha/kama/dharma won’t remove sense of inadequacy. So he/she pursues: Theta Healing, Aura cleaning, Looking for “enlightened master who can transfer moksha”, Past life regression, being a channel from higher beings, etc…

What sets Atma-Bodha apart from modern-spirituality?

Starting point of modern-spirituality is “I’m small and have to DO things to be bigger”. PROBLEM: Each action is finite, thus benefit is finite. Finite + finite = finite.

Only solution to moksha: Only way to solve problem of smallness, is to recognize you’re not small in the first place. This is why Atma Bodha starts with, “Atma is already free, infinite”.

Next question: If I’m the whole, how come I don’t know it? Teaching uses methodologies to make you see your freedom.

LOGIC of Atma Bodha: I am already free. I have to known this directly. How to know it? Becoming eligible.

SUMMARY: Vishaya is topic of Atma.

FACTOR 3: Prayojana (benefit): What is the purpose for studying this text? What will I gain (from this book)?

Meaning you need to revisit your purpose ongoingly as life tends to derail us into mini purposes.

Benefit or purpose is moksha (freedom from sense of inadequacy or incompleteness).

EG: Meaning one point in life your purpose changes vastly. Purpose is to be free from all limitations of time-space. While recognizing Artha/kama/dharma is means for moksha. So purpose for moksha only changes when personally see limitations of life.

FACTOR 4: Sambandha: What is connection between teachings of this text (vishaya) and moksha (prayojanam)?

It is a means by which you are freed from your illusionary sense of inadequacy.

Beginner mumukshus don’t know the relationship between knowledge and moksha, thus they keep trying hundreds of things. EG: You tell them “Noone can transfer enlightenment onto you. Moksha is matter of knowledge”, they’ll dismiss you.

TECHNICAL: Another way to look at it is, Sambandha is established by knowing relationship between: (a) Pratipādya : the subject matter being taught (nature of self), and (b) Pratipādaka : the technique or the method. This isn't common sense for many. For example, people don't see the connection between building a successful business (pratipadya; the goal) and a having a comprehensive business plan/strategy (pratipadaka). 

SUMMARY:

What am I looking for?

What will give me what I’m looking for?

How do I become eligible for accomplishing it?

What will it give me?

NEXT VERSE: Shows why knowledge alone, and not action, gives liberation…

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Recorded 8 Jan, 2025