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Intuitive conviction

CHENNAI: Discipline is indispensable if one has to make headway in life irrespective of the field one chooses to explore. Spiritual exploration is more demanding in terms of discipline (Sadhana) for herein one needs to overcome hurdles of all kinds and also keep a check on one's mind and senses. Scriptures state that the most meaningful enquiry relates to finding out the true nature of one's self, the understanding of which can relieve one from the never-ending cycle of Samsara.

"Who am I", "To whom does this Samsara belong?" are the questions that one should try to answer. But to be able to plunge into this kind of philosophical enquiry and not get misled, one needs the help of Sastras and a good preceptor, said Sri Mani Dravida Sastrigal in a discourse on Yoga Vasishta.

One should be able to identify what is good and understand the genuine advantages of its beneficial nature without getting things distorted.

The value of good guidance becomes crucial when there are plenty of opportunities to easily get deluded about values and when doubts arise about what is to be done to get good results, and what is to be avoided to keep away bad repercussions. There is the likelihood of something appearing good at the immediate level and capable of causing harm later or the vice versa as well. One has to be absolutely sure about what is essential and reject the unwanted.

The advice of Sastras leads to the cultivation of Jnana that in turn leads to Vairagya (dispassion).

It is only when the understanding that Samsara is a mix of joy and sorrow and that unalloyed bliss is possible only when one is liberated takes root in the consciousness of the individual, that one will decide to search for the means to get liberated.

Listening to expositions of scholars well versed in these matters and imbibing the sense of devotion from the experiences of the devout can help the seeker of truth. The cause of all sorrow is the foolishness that refuses to recognise the true nature of the self.

To him who turns his thoughts inwards, the unstable nature of the world cannot cause any anxiety.

He knows it to be unreal, and being filled with eternal consciousness, intuitively is convinced that Brahman is the only reality. Inner analysis shows the path to liberation.

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