Three
kinds of Bodies! Author
P.N. Parasuraman
Gurunāthar having instructed the devotee on five Great Elements began
his next lesson on
Sthūla
Śarīram,
Sūkṣma Śarīram
(Gross body and Subtle body).
Don’t be confused by such words, Sthūla and Sūkṣma. Variar Swāmigaḷ
explains them in simple terms.
“How does the car run? It runs on four wheels. The wheels have tires.
Inside the tire, there is the inner tube. Inside the inner tube there is
compressed air. The visible tire is the gross body. The Inner tube is
the
Sūkṣma body. The air
inside the inner tube is causal body (Kāraṇa
Śarīram).
Helped by the compressed air, the tire on the rim whirls and the car
moves. But we cannot see the air. We see only the spinning tires.
The tire is the Sthūla Body.
We all know each our body.
In the manner of the spinning tire, we think, ‘I should do this, I need
to experience it, I must enjoy a happy life, and run all over spinning
like a tire!
We get one or two (get one or two benefits) in fast-paced life.
“Oh, I received a good education! I am accomplished!
Not even a
Komban (=
கொம்பன்
=
Clever man) can do anything to me or outwit me!
Savoring such thoughts of victory and enjoying the desirable
aspects of life, we destroy everything with the same erstwhile hand of
success (becoming a hand of loss).
Later, satiated first and disgusted later, we run looking for new
adventures like the spinning tire.
Should we not give a break for a few minutes in the fast-paced life? Let
us take rest. Come in, let us cogitate (life in general). What do we
seek in our aimless wanderings?
We don’t know. Having seen things one after another in many places, our
pervasive (wandering) sight at the end sees only darkness.
Facing others doing things against our wishes, we get inflamed and
angry, which deepens our enveloping darkness.
We totter not knowing the direction.
We grieve looking for a streak-of-light tranquillity. If given in hands
a great torch emanating a light of wisdom, won’t the darkness disappear
and the relentless wanderer advances?
That torch emanating the Light of Wisdom is ‘Kaivalliya Navanītham.’
There is no use for fear once the path is laid out. Kannadasan sang,
‘Begin the journey, the sins will disappear.’ In that spirit, let us
begin the journey!
Give up the evilest of evils, the Fear!
Ignorance is the darkness that blocks our vision, preventing us from
seeing the goodness and experiencing divinity; that darkness is veiling
of Jñāṉa
Dṛṣṭi
(vision of Wisdom), that confers clarity.
ஊன்நிறை உயிர்கள் உள்ளின்
உணர் விழிக் குருடாம் வண்ணம்
வான் நிலம் திசைகள் மூடும்
மழை நிசி இருள் போல் மூடும் (கை.நவநீதம்42)
In this verse, we should pay attention to the mention of
Sky,
Earth,
and
Direction.
This is an uncommon use of words.
Ignorance blinds our sight and brings us sorrow. We say, ‘I don’t see
the way out of this withering sorrow,’ and look up the
sky.
Unable to bear the sorrow, we are crest-fallen and look at the floor (earth)
but don’t see the way out of the predicament.
We see in all four
directions,
looking for someone coming to help or rescue us.
Whichever way we see, the sky, the earth and the cardinal directions, we
notice the dense darkness and no streak of light.
That being so, how can we know ourselves?
Since we don’t know ourselves, how could we attain joy, happiness…and
the highest of all, ecstasy?
God created us. He is the
Supreme Being with no impediments. Why do we suffer from grief?
Why are there so many nets of sorrow and grief?
When an object is fashioned from iron the product is still iron. The
same holds good for gold.
If God created us all, should we not expect to have the divine qualities
like God?
But it does not appear that is so. Why is there such a difference in
human life?
Continued.