Detachment from Body Identification
by Swami Swatmananda
What is the best we can achieve with our human Life? Achieve the Infinite.
Swamiji gave a disclaimer on some of the slides which could shake one’s attitudes and false notions. Root cause of our sorrow is our identification with this body. The body is a fabulous equipment to realise the SELF but ignorance prevents us and one thinks the world is real and objects in it are attractive. This prevents our liberation.
What Detachment from Body-identification is not?
It is not ignoring the body, so do not ignore its well-being/health.
The body is a temple and Lord Krishna is the dweller. Know that I’m not the body and it’s just an equipment.
Pujya Gurudev compared the body to the shadow and just as one does not worry if its praised or criticized, similarly is the body.
Swamiji explained Ignorance of the SELF leads to false identification with BMI and it leads us into the cycle of karma.
Experience 1st at the body
Swamiji explained the difference between Jiva Atma which moves from one body to another and the Atma which is Infinite Consciousness.
The analogy in the Geeta is the body is like old clothes which are discarded by the Jiva Atma and he moves on and adorns new clothes. We are not this body but the in dweller. To move from the Jiva Atma to the Atma one should have the ability to turn within.
Solutions are in Bhagawad Geeta Ch 13 Verse 9:
1) Indifference to the sense objects
2) Absence of egoism/perception
3) Evils in birth, death, old age, sickness, pain. Identify the dependencies and drop them.
Vairagya between what is real and not real. Every pleasure is pain in disguise. Raaga/Dvesha strengthen body identification.
Pujya Gurudev gave 3 analogies of how a man of detachment would few sense objects which would make one cringe. Invoke Viveka and vairagya and say NO firmly to temptations. Detach from the body and do duties selflessly. Do work and dedicate it to the higher (karma yoga).
Bhakti is supreme. Remind yourself that we are merely the instrument and God is the doer.
If we are aware of the pain of the body and its limitation and detach from it, we will get free from ignorance, karma and cycle of birth/death.
