Fundamental Human Problem and its Solution
Though everyone wants to be happy, yet we meet lot of sorrow all around. When we objectively examine our experiences in life, we discover that the root cause of all sorrow is self-ignorance—ignorance about the fullness of our being (puraṇatvam). Not knowing our true nature, we take ourselves to be incomplete, finite, and limited beings. This sense of self-inadequacy leads to myriad kinds of struggle resulting in attachments and aversions—rāga and dveṣa.
Now, if our problem ultimately lies in self-ignorance, it stands to reason that the solution must also reside in self-knowledge alone. This is the unique vision of Vedānta.
The Paradox: My first-hand experience indicates that I am a limited, incomplete being. Whereas Vedānta comes along and tells me, ‘you are whole and complete.’ Actually, it says that you are not only whole, you are the Whole.
How to reconcile these two contrasting views?
Obviously, no action will help in this regard because a finite being will not become infinite by doing actions which are themselves finite and limited. Therefore, Vedānta recommends the direct path of self-inquiry. That is, a concerted inquiry into the true nature of one’s self.
This inquiry does not mean merely asking the question, “Who am I?” No amount of repeating such phrases as “Who am I” or “I am That” will help, for the problem of self-ignorance lies much deeper. How can the self which is ignorant about its essential nature get self-knowledge merely by asking, “Who am I?”
“Who am I?” is a profound question to inquire into but not to be followed as a parrot-like repetitive practice.
Remember the story of a parrot that was taught, “Beware! Hunter is around.” One day the hunter came and cast his net. While caught inside the net, the parrot was still repeating, “Beware! Hunter is around!”
Consider another story which offers several clues to point out our true nature.
A tale is told of a lion cub who upon birth accidentally got dropped among a flock of sheep. The lion cub was raised by the sheep, and grew up behaving exactly like a sheep. Let’s call it a ‘sheep-lion.’ Years went by. One day, a big lion strolled out of the nearby forest and was delighted to see the flock of sheep. He pounced at them and the sheep started fleeing in fear. The sheep-lion, unable to run, fainted with fear. The big lion was puzzled more than ever to see this. He shook the sheep-lion out of his swoon. In a deep voice he rebuked, “What’s the matter with you?! Why did you try to flee from me and faint in fear?”
The sheep-lion closed his eyes and bleated out in sheep language, “Please let me go. Don’t kill me.”
The big lion caught the sheep-lion by the mane with his mighty jaws and dragged him toward a lake. “Open your eyes! Look! You are not a sheep.”
Then the big lion said, “Look at my face and your face reflected in the water. They are the same.”
Seeing his reflection in the lake, the sheep-lion roared bravely! He finally realized that he was not a sheep, he was a lion after all. Actually, the sheep-lion was never a sheep to begin with. He had only momentarily forgotten his real nature. It had been a case of mistaken-identity all along.
The story has profound implications for spiritual search.
First, like the sheep-lion, we feel weak and insecure by identifying ourselves with body-mind-senses complex (sheep flock). By taking ourselves to be limited body-mind-complex, we entertain all kinds of fears and worries and suffer unnecessarily.
When a compassionate teacher comes along and shows us our true nature, as reflected in the lake of our heart, we immediately re-cognize our essential self.
Second, realizing our essential nature does not involve any action, it entails turning inward and seeing our true face. It is not a new attainment but a fresh discovery. It is not a matter of doing something, just being who we truly are. After all, we are not human-doings; we are human-beings.
Let’s look at the wave-ocean analogy for more clarity about our essential nature.
Once upon a time, a wave felt itself to be limited, inadequate and insecure. It always got thrashed by other waves that seemed much bigger and stronger. It felt daunted confronting the vast expanse of the ocean. It became depressed with a very low self-esteem.
Then one day a guru wave came along and said, “Hey! How are you? Why you look so dismayed?”
“I feel so small and weak amidst all these big waves and the vast ocean,” replied the tiny wave.
“But you are not what you take yourself to be. In essence, you are not any different from the ocean!”
“Me? Ocean? You must be kidding!”
“No, I am serious. Actually, you are the ocean! Come on, tell me what does the ocean consists of?”
“Water.”
“And you?”
“Water.”
“So, both wave and ocean are really water only. In fact, there is no wave or ocean apart from water.”
“Realize your essential nature to be water indeed, and be free.”
Saying so the guru wave took leave and resolved into the big ocean.
No wave. No ocean. Only Water!
Bingo!
Right at that very moment, the tiny wave became en-light-ened. It became care-free and playful. It stopped regarding itself to be small, limited and inadequate. It stopped comparing itself to the surrounding waves or seeking validation from other waves. All struggle of becoming this or that came to an end. It attained the highest security in the realization that no matter what, I can never cease to be water. Best of all, it realized that it does not have to do anything to become water. All along it has been water only. Realizing itself to be water indeed, it discovered the ever-flowing, abiding Joy of the fullness of its being!
Where is the cause for any fear, worry or sorrow for the wave which has realized its essential nature to be water only?
तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ~ ईशावास्योपनिषद् ॥ ७ ॥
tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ~ Īśāvāsyopaniṣad|| 7 ||
Where is delusion or sorrow for the one who has realized this non-dual state?
This is the great gift of self-knowledge—knowing ourselves as we truly are, as limitless consciousness.
The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.1.3) declares categorically: तरति शोकम् आत्म-वित् (tarati śokam ātma-vit): One who knows the Self goes beyond sorrow.
In the same vein, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.1.1) says: ब्रह्मविद् अप्नोति परम् (brahma-vid āpnoti param): The knower of the Supreme attains to the Highest Good.
Thus, self-knowledge is the abiding solution to the fundamental human problem of sorrow.
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