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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Hinduism

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Old 31-01-2017, 05:42 PM
dattaseva dattaseva is offline
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Correlating Vaama Aachaara/Marga (Left-Hand Path) with Nivrutti

There are two paths mentioned in the scriptures as Dakshina Aachaara (worship of God by normal traditional modes) and Vaama Aachaara (worship of God by abnormal-indecent modes).

These two paths differ due to the dissimilarity in the taste of devotees, which is again based on their inherent qualities. The taste pertains to specific devotees only and not to God in any way. This debate on the peculiar tastes of specific devotees is discussed for the sake of those devotees only, and such specific debate is not in the scope of every person.

The second path is also called as Samaya Aachaara as said by Shankara (in Soundaryalahari). The first path is related to the quality of Sattvam whereas the second path is related to qualities of Rajas and Tamas, which induce high emotions with firmness. In this second path, sinful and indecent practices like non-vegetarian food (including extremity like eating dead human bodies), smoking, drinking, moving naked in society, illegal sex between human beings etc., are seen.

The partial sacrifice for God in the first path is within the limits of justice or Pravrutti. The sacrifice for God in second path is beyond the limits of Pravrutti or conventional justice. By this difference alone, the second path can’t be called as Nivrutti since in this second path also, selfishness with aspirations for various fruits exists.

In the second path, a greater number of fruits (rewards) are attained in a faster way due to excessive devotion, which is not appreciable. Ravana, who cut off all his heads and burnt them in fire for the sake of God, is not appreciated since aspiration for many fruits in the corresponding level mainly exists in this second path.

Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also jumped on the knife to kill Himself for the sake of a vision of the Divine Mother and not for selfish fruits (superpowers) like Ravana. Hence, similarity in the devotion and practical sacrifice may be the same, but, Ravana belongs to Vaama Aachara and Shri Paramahamsa belongs to the most pious path of Nivrutti.

Similarly, illegal sex between devotees is seen in Vaama Aachara, the background of which is only self-enjoyment since aspiration for fruit exists here. The same illegal sex between Krishna and Gopikas is between God in human form and devotees in the climax of devotion. Here, total dedication of self to God is seen on the side of the Gopikas whereas examination of the strength of the Gopikas’ bonds with their life partners as compared to their bond with God is seen on the side of Krishna. Self-enjoyment is not seen on any side in this case. Hence, the emotion and activity is the same in both the two cases. But, the first case is lower Vaama Aachara and the second case of Gopikas is the climax of Nivrutti.

Irrespective of level of devotion and sacrifice, any path can become Nivrutti if the selfishness-based aspiration for fruit disappears.

In the absence of aspiration for any fruit, partial sacrifice of worldly bonds with a few exceptions corresponds to the phase of general Nivrutti (as seen in the case of the Pandavas) and total sacrifice of worldly bonds without any exception is related to the phase of climax of Nivrutti (as seen in the case of the Gopikas).

Similarly, irrespective of the level of devotion and extent of sacrifice, once aspiration for fruit exists based on selfishness, the phase becomes Pravrutti only.

Therefore, you can’t decide whether the path is Pravrutti or Nivrutti simply based on the extent of devotion and sacrifice since the only deciding factor is the aspiration for fruit in return with selfishness.

This means that in Pravrutti or Nivrutti, both Dakshina Aachara and Vaama Aachara can co-exist.

Simply based on the aspiration of fruit, you can try to place Vaama Aachara in Pravrutti also. But, Pravrutti relates to justice and non-acceptance of injustice or sin, and cannot allow Vaama Aachara into it. Therefore, Pravrutti is Dakshina Aachara with aspiration of fruits based on selfishness.

In Nivrutti, Vaama Aachara can be present, but, the aspiration for fruit based on selfishness is totally absent here.

You can see consumption of non-vegetarian food and hunting in the case of the hunter Kannappa (incarnation of Arjuna) who worshipped Shiva and similarly, you can see illegal sex in the case of the Gopikas (incarnations of sages).

However, in the case of the Gopikas, it is based on total dedication and sacrifice (of anything and anybody) to God, which differs from Vaama Aachara, which is characterized by selfishness-based self-enjoyment between human beings. Similarly, in the case of Kannappa, he hunted animals and sacrificed non-vegetarian food to God and not just for self-enjoyment. Hence, you can say that only modified Vaama Aachara enters Nivrutti.

Climax of Nivrutti, a special and extremely rare case, may appear like ‘scented gold’ in case of excess of devotion (expressed in abnormal ways sometimes) associated with absence of aspiration for any fruit in return from God, as seen in the case of Gopikas and Kannappa. It is like the gold (excess of devotion and total sacrifice crossing all limits) associated with a sweet scent (lack of aspiration for fruit in return).

Thus, Pravrutti and Nivrutti are the real two ways as explained in the Gita (Shukla Krishna gati...), and these two paths should not be misunderstood as Dakshina Aachara and Vaama Aachaara respectively.

Hence, this classification (Nivrutti and Pravrutti) is perfect and far better than the earlier classification of Dakshina Aachaara and Vaama Aachara. The decency of Dakshina path and indecency of Vaama path don’t make much of a difference since both are dealing with God only as the goal with true love and total sacrifice (lacking selfishness and aspiration for any fruit in return).

In the latter classification (Pravrutti and Nivrutti), sometimes, indecent Vaama Aachara can be present and is called as Madhura Bhakti. Even then, such sweet devotion (Madhura Bhakti) can’t be found to be at fault since the indecency, which is marked by the absence of legality of Pravrutti, becomes pure by the fire of true love to God, which is characterised by total surrender and total sacrifice (of everything and everybody including self, body and life as well) without any aspiration for fruit in return.

Hence, aspiration for fruit based on selfishness makes the actual difference between the two paths and not mere decency and limits of justice followed in any path. In the absence of God, even legality and sacrifice (as seen in social service) are impure and indecent like sugar poured into a drainage canal. In the presence of God, even illegality becomes decent and pure like a thorny stick burnt in fire to become sacred ash (vibhuti).
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