GADHADA I-2: THREE LEVELS OF VAIRĀGYA
On the night of Māgshar sudi 5, Samvat 1876 [22 November 1819], Shriji Mahārāj was sitting in Dādā Khāchar's darbār in Gadhadā. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of sādhus as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.
Thereupon Mayārām Bhatt asked Shriji Mahārāj, "Mahārāj, please describe the characteristics of the highest, intermediate and lowest levels of vairāgya?"
Shriji Mahārāj explained, "A person who has the highest level of vairāgya engages in worldly activities, either by God's command or as a consequence of his prārabdha karmas. But, like King Janak, he is not affected by those activities. He may indulge in the most alluring of the panchvishays - sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch - attained as a consequence of his own prārabdha, but he does so dejectedly and with total indifference towards them. Those vishays are unable to entice him; thus, his renunciation remains undiminished. He invariably views those vishays as flawed and treats them like enemies. Moreover, he constantly remains in contact with sādhus and the sacred scriptures, and remains in the service of God. Even if he were to encounter adverse places, times, company, etc., his understanding would not diminish. Such a person is said to possess the highest level of vairāgya.
"A person who has an intermediate level of vairāgya also indulges in the best of thepanchvishays and remains unattracted to them. But, if he were to encounter adverse places, times, company, etc., he would become attached to those vishays. Consequently, his level of vairāgya would diminish. Such a person is said to possess an intermediate level of vairāgya.
"As for a person who has the lowest level of vairāgya, if he were to encounter ordinary or inferior vishays, he may indulge in them, but he would not become bound by them. However, if he were to encounter and indulge in appealing vishays, he would become bound by them. Such a person is said to possess the lowest level of vairāgya."
Jay swaminarayan! What a great way to start our blog..maharaj gives us grade levels for three different levels of satsangis. By knowing where we are and where we need to get to, we can work towards it.. Lucky for us, we have satpurush to exlampify to become uttam Bhakt.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that we are unable to maintain the best level of vairagua we have achieved?
DeleteWhen I read this Vachanamrut, it always reminds me of where I stand and what I want to work up to.
ReplyDeleteThis Vachanamrut reminds me of the prasangs of Atmanand Swami and how he was completely detached from his body --- to the point where he developed mites and if they were to fall off his body, he would put them back on because blood was their source of energy.
It always seems simple to talk about and think about reaching a greater level of detachment, but realistically what is it that we actually do to accomplish it...
We truly have such great example. maybe not as drastically, to help us achieve that upper level of vairagya.
Do you get that realisation that you're falling into /indulging in a particular vishay?
DeleteIt's really quite a depth of a description of each! I has to read it like 3 times to understand each category..from personal experience, why is it that we fluctuate from one level of vairagua to the other? Like sometimes we don't want to indulge in the vishays, but do so (indifferently) to maintain het with a particular satsangi or gunbhaavi..how does that work?
ReplyDeleteThat's the point maharaj makes. You may indulge in some vishays but it's the attraction or attachment you may have to indulgence of vishay.
DeleteSometimes we indulge in things but without attachment -- just part of this manushya life -- which doesn't lower our Vairagya level ( because Maharaj understands ;) )
I like to think Maharaj sort of suggests that in this vachanamrut.