In what is the Realized Master established? How does he relate with sense objects?
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ५८॥
When like the tortoise which withdraws its limbs from all sides,
He withdraws His senses from the sense-objects then His Wisdom becomes steady. ॥2- 58॥
__________________________
तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः ।
वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ६१॥
Having restrained them all, He should sit steadfast, intent on me;
His Wisdom is steady, whose senses are under control. ॥2- 61॥
This verse can also be logically explained using simple mathematical equations.
Thought = Object + Consciousness.
Consciousness = Thought – Object.
Withdraw from the Objects and realize Consciousness.
Like the tortoise controls its 6 limbs, a man of perfection has controlled his 5 senses and the mind, through devotion to the Supreme. He withdraws the mind from the objects and realizes Consciousness as the Self. Senses do not tempt him anymore and he lives unaffected in this world.
How to control the Senses?
Say a firm NO to any sense-indulgence that is harmful to the body or mind (Indriya-Samyam) Practice Moderation and avoid all extremes in permissible enjoyment (Brahmacharya) See the Pain of sense-pleasures(Pratipaksha Bhavana)
Anecdote:
Swami Chinmayananda in his late 70s addressed a group of Vanaprasthis dynamically. One gentleman asked after the talk – “We are also old and so are you. How are you so enthusiastic & energetic?” Swamiji asked him what was his profession before retiring. He replied, “I was in the army.” Swamiji said wittingly, ‘When you were young, you drank Rum and I drank Ram.’
Many times while watching a cultural programme or presiding over a programme etc. and Swami Chinmayananda would be silently doing japa using the small mala on his wrist.
‘Let Dr. Diet be your physician, Sister Quiet be your nurse and Mr. Alert, the compounder’ autographed Swami Chinmayananda when he was recuperating in the hospital.
Ladder of Fall – How man gets bound due to brooding on sense objects?
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥२- ६२॥
When a man thinks of objects, ‘attachment’ for them arises;
from attachment ‘desire’ is born; from desire arises ‘anger’. ॥2- 62॥
__________________________
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥२- ६३॥
From anger comes ‘delusion’; from delusion ‘loss of memory’;
from loss of memory the ‘destruction of discrimination’; from destruction he ‘perishes’. ॥2- 63॥
Ladder of Fall
1. Brooding on sense enjoyments
2. Attachment
3. Desire
4. Anger
5. Delusion
6. Memory-loss
7. Loss of discrimination
8. Destruction
Design Notes
The third archway is painted with the form of a tortoise, indicating the perfect sense-control that a Realised Master has. The visitor walks through the form of the head of the tortoise. The ground below is landscaped with flowers.