September 23, 2021 – Class Notes by Rahul Kuppachhi

Introduction

The most universal need amongst all living beings is joy, otherwise known as peace or happiness. Because joy is considered most universal, it is not considered a want within this context, but a need, and our “need” to be joyous will never subside until we “are ” or exist as joy, peace, or  happiness. This is why, in our Vedic culture, this need for joy was nurtured since childhood with a Moksha Patha. The Moksha Patha, traditionally used, included one-hundred squares that were filled with virtues, with players falling down when landing on a vice. This game, rooted in Vedic culture, was taken by British culture and changed into the game “Snakes and Ladders,” transforming the essence of the game from virtues and vices, to economic practices. The Americans then incorporated this idea into the game “Chutes and Ladders.” The truest utility of the Moksha Patha is to provide us with a guide on how to live our life like it is a game of virtues. While vices may be there, it is important to skip over those phases, climbing back up repeatedly towards virtues despite occasionally falling to vices. This is exactly how our course is designed, for us to go through this Patha, or path, towards Moksha. We should strive to go from needing happiness to being happiness and the Moksha Patha gives us, as seekers, the tools to do just that.

Discourse

The Moksha Patha begins with:

Step 1: avidyā (Forgetfulness)

Forgetfulness, in this context, does not necessarily mean forgetting where we put certain items, or forgetting names; rather, it means forgetting how to be happy,  which is dangerous. 

What do we do? Inquire into the fundamental questions of life such as, “who are we?” or “what happens to us when we die?” Inquiring about life allows us to dig deeper into the truth and while doing so, we slowly start remembering the truth, which is Joy. 

If there is avidyā , there will be:

Step 2: kāma (Desire)

Once we have forgotten how to be happy, we then cultivate desire within ourselves by coming up with a plan, and working this plan out in attempts to rediscover happiness through pleasure, possession, and position. However, none of the three equate to happiness. So with the hopes of finding peace in that which is forever changing, we begin to realize we do not find peace, and work even more, perpetuating a cycle of doing and deserving. This is a trap, like a hamster on a wheel. 

What do we do?  We must desire peace instead.

If there is kāma, there will be: 

Step 3: rāga (Attachment)

Attachment is that which limits us, as the knots in our heart. The Sanskrt word for heart is hrdaya. Hrdaya can be broken down into two parts – hrd, meaning “that which is close,” and aya(m), meaning “this.” Whenever we feel “I”, there are no limits, but as soon as we say “i am”, limits begin. If we say “i am this body” then we are limiting ourselves to the body. Those who are attached, focus on aya(m), or “this’ ‘ which is constantly changing, and those not attached, focus on “I” or hrd which never changes. 

What do we do? If attachment is limiting us, we must engage in viraga, or independence, similar to how Shri Lakshmana, the icon of independence, cut Shurpanakha’s nose and ears, as she is the icon of attachment. That being said, it is not practical to simply let go of our attachments. Doing this through force will only strengthen our dependencies on the very same articles, beings, and circumstances we are trying so hard not to be attached to – similar to the “stop thinking about elephants” concept from the movie Inception. We also need Shri Rama, the icon of anuraga or love. When we love that which is higher such as independence (detachment), we naturally let go of that which is lower such as dependence (attachment).

The more we understand that we are going through this Moksha Patha, the more we accept this, and the more we adapt to this. However, not understanding this means not accepting, not adapting, and not evolving. 

If there is rāga, there will be:

Step 4: bhaya (fear) 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna teaches us that if there is rāga there is going to be bhaya, and if there is bhaya there is going to be krodha, or anger. Attachment precedes fear and anger comes immediately after. It is obvious why attachment leads to fear; not getting what we are attached to scares us. Similar to college students who fear not being accepted into the same colleges as their peers; they are attached to their school of choice and the fear of not being accepted comes from that attachment. If, however, we do get what we are attached to, then there is always a fear of losing it. Our fears start out specific, but when fears that are specific are not checked, they then become general fears, leading us to have low-grade fears. Like low-grade fevers, low-grade fears indicate that we are not well and prevent us from feeling free and joyous. Most of us find it easier to admit to anger, rather than fear, but anger cannot exist without fear. This shows how easy it is to focus solely on the effect (symptoms) instead of the cause (source). 

What do we do? One strong way to come out of fear is to accept it because acceptance acts as the catalyst for adapting out of it. Another important way to overcome fear is to understand the three universal fears, along with their opposites:

• death      – the opposite of death       = existence (sat)
• unknown – the opposite of unknown = awareness (cit)
• sorrow    – the opposite of sorrow     =  joy (ananda)

We only fear that which is the total opposite of existence, awareness, and joy. We do not fear ourselves because we only fear that which is different from us, and because of this, our fears teach us about who we really are. Since we fear death, that must mean we are existence. Similarly, if we fear the unknown then that must mean we are awareness, and the same applies to sorrow and joy. Fearlessness is visualized as the abhaya mudra hand position seen on many of the icons within our Vedic culture. These icons act as a mirror for us to feel fearlessness as well.

If there is bhaya, there will be:

Step 5: moha (confusion) 

Moha is related to krodha because desire branches off into two different branches. First, desire gets expressed as krodha, which then gets expressed as moha. Visualize a six-pointed diamond. The top-point is desire; one of the branches then follows down to the next point which is krodha, and then continues further down to the next point as moha. The six points within this diamond are known as our six internal enemies. Internal enemies lead us to forge external enemies, so it is important to accept and adapt to these internal enemies. When we are angry we think, feel, and act confused, forget who we are, and forget what we are supposed to do. This confused action will only lead to a deeper confusion of who we are. A tactile expression of confusion is believing we are the equipments such as the body, mind, and intellect, rather than believing we use them. We should never believe we are what we utilize, similar to how we know we are not our clothes, phones, hands, etc. when we use them. Whatever we think we are, that is what we will pursue. We should not think that we are the equipments, because if we do we will keep on living for the satisfaction of these very equipments which themselves are forever changing. If we realize that we are not the equipments, but that they are simply there for our use, our pursuit will instead be for evolution.  

What do we do? When feeling like we are losing to confusion, we should not be by ourselves. Being by ourselves will lead to overthinking, which will further lead to a hardening of that confusion. Be with someone who likes us, not at a surface level, but in an authentic way, because only when we are with someone who likes us authentically do we begin to like ourselves. Liking ourselves is the catalyst to overcoming confusion, because when we like who we are we start to like what we do and vice-versa. This is why a guide is instrumental in helping us follow this Moksha Patha, because a guide will like us better than we can ever like ourselves – similar to the relationship between Shri Krishna and Prince Arjuna. Be with one who can guide you.

Summary:

Step 4:  Bhaya Practice:  Accept

Step 5:  Moha Practice:  Be with one who can guide  

Discussion subject

What causes you to be insecure?

Vivekji’s observation is that distraction causes insecurity. 

Questions

1. We need desires to live in a worldly way, so how do we know if these desires lean more towards aspiration or ambition?

Answer:  A majority of us do not have faith in ourselves which is why we are seeking Vivekji’s confirmation in this present community. We all know that when we act and our minds become quieter, this is the right way to think and act. Likewise, when we act and our minds become louder, we know we are engaged in wrong thinking and wrong action. If we have a desire that is making us quieter, this is called aspiration as it involves upliftment. However, if we are becoming noisier that is called ambition, and we are becoming more entrenched in the world and dependency. We must have faith. At a practical level, if we insert the word maximum, it is aspiration. If we insert the word minimum, it is ambition. 

2. Can withholding the pursuit of desires stop attachment?

Answer:  Yes, if we do not have desire, we cannot have attachment. Our journey is to be free (moksha) from desire, why? The only time we do not need to be happy is if we are happiness.  

3. Could you expand and provide more orientation on desire? 

Answer: Do not be overwhelmed, there is no point. Even if we should be feeling overwhelmed, what’s the point? The antidote to feeling overwhelmed is to be patient. In terms of desires, we should have desires in such a way that we have less desires, and this will only be possible by quality. When we desire quality, we will have less desires. Have the desire for unity, for all, as this is a very high quality desire. 

RAW:  Clean and organize your car, then observe how you feel about your car, and how you feel while you are in your car. If you can’t relate to a car, choose your desktop, or garage, etc.. Consider buying the R.A.W. workbook to supplement the Moksha Patha.