How modern Positive Psychology and Ancient Texts point to the same paths!
In the previous Blog (Purpose of Life: Part 1) we observed a striking similarity between the first 3 levels of Happiness in the PERMA Model - Pleasure, Engagement and Meaning - and the first 3 levels in the Bhagavad Gita - Kama, Artha, Dharma. Most of us are experiencing these forms of happiness in some way or the other. So, the question to ask is "How does one go about attaining Self Realization, the final level?" In this blog, we take the help of the Bhagavad Gita, which is essentially a text for Self-Realization, to understand the four paths that can lead us to Moksha or Ultimate Freedom.
The Path of Action (Karma Yoga) - Karma Yoga is any work that is done with 4 qualities: Firstly, the work is performed as service for the greater common good. Secondly, we drop any expectations of results, focusing entirely on the work. Thirdly, we give up the sense of "I-ness" in doing the work by recognizing that many players contributed in the entire chain. And finally, we surrender the results of the work and accepts any outcome as a blessing from the Universe.
The Path of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) – Bhakti Yoga is service to one's chosen Deity, be it Krishna or Devi, or Allah or Jesus or the Universe. The attitude of a devotee or a Bhakta is one of complete surrender to the Supreme Lord who is most loving, benevolent and will always take care of their devotees’ needs. Most theistic religions fall in this path, promising ultimate happiness and complete freedom from suffering.
The Path of Meditation (Dhyana Yoga) – A popular form of Dhyana Yoga follows Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, or eight-limbed path of ultimate meditation. It starts with Yama, the inner control of senses. Next is Niyama or regulating one's external living followed by Asana, posture control, Pranayama, breath control, Pratyahara, withdrawal from the world (today it is popular as Minimalism), Dharana, building single-pointed focus, Dhyana, deep focus on the object of our meditation, and finally, Samadhi, ultimate absorption & complete cessation of all thought.
The Path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) - The 3 steps for the path of knowledge are Sravana-Manana-Nididhyasana. Sravana is listening to the teachings of Vedanta, Manana is contemplating on the teachings till all doubts of the mind are removed, and Nidhidhyasana is settling down with the teachings until all counter tendencies are quietened making the Truth a living reality.
How do the 4 paths work together? In Vedanta, the first 3 paths, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Dhyana Yoga are used to prepare the mind for Jnana Yoga. A 3X3 Structure is used to explain how the four paths work together:
Problem | Solution | Method |
Ignorance of Self (of one's true nature) | Knowledge of Self (of one's true nature) | Gnyana Yoga (Sravana-Manana- Nidhidhyasana) |
Scattered Mind (Chitta Vikshepa) | Concentrated Mind (Chitta Ekagrata) | Dhyana Yoga / Bhakti Yoga (Meditation / Devotion) |
Impure Mind (Chitta Mala) | Pure Mind (Chitta Shuddhi) | Karma Yoga (Selfless Work, giving up fruits of Action) |
We go from the bottom to the top of the table:
Starting in the bottom row, the problem to address is an Impure Mind. Hence, the solution is a Purified Mind and the Method is Karma Yoga.
Once the mind is Purified with the help of Karma Yoga, in the second row, we encounter the next problem - Lack of Focus (Scattered Mind). The solution for this stage is Focus (Concentrated Mind), and the Method is Meditation or Dhyana Yoga & Devotion or Bhakti Yoga.
Finally, in the top row, we encounter the problem of Ignorance of our true nature. Hence, the solution is Knowledge of our true Nature as Sat-Chit-Ananda or witness-consciousness-bliss, and the Method is Sravana-Manana-Nididhyasana
Key Take-Away: Just like a spade is used to remove weeds and cannot replace the scalpel of a surgeon, each problem on our path to moksha has its own specific, appropriate solution.
One needs Karma Yoga to get rid of the strong self-centered tendencies arising from our life conditioning. As one matures with a more purified mind, one starts becoming ‘Selfless’. However, one may still get distracted by the pulls of the world. This is where the role of Dhyana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga helps the mind to overcome the distraction with concentration. Despite a pure and concentrated mind, one still has to overcome ignorance of the reality. This is the stage when the teachings of Vedanta through Jnana Yoga are applied, thus paving the path to Self-Realization.*
While the structure describes a sequential set of steps, we do not need to wait to complete Karma Yoga, before coming to Meditation or Vedanta classes. Each of the paths is to be practiced simultaneously for maximum effectiveness. However, without some degree of Karma Yoga, Dhyana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga is likely to be less effective.
In summary, we navigate most of our lives evolving on the first three paths to attain happiness: Kama, Artha & Dharma, which, as we saw in the Part-1 of this blog, are closely connected to Pleasure, Engagement and Meaning in Dr Martin Seligman's PERMA framework of Happiness. We eventually come to the eternal question: Is this all that there is? That is the beginning of our search for lasting peace and the end of our suffering - we come to the realization that there is only one ultimate Goal in life: Self-Realization. As per the wisdom of Vedanta we are all on the same path. And each path leads to the same goal - to remove ignorance and reveal our true nature as Sat-Chit-Ananda!
*Note: This framework is as per Advaita Vedanta and the laddering will look different if we were to follow other branches like Dvaita or Vishishta Advaita Vedanta.
Sources: PERMA model of Happiness by Dr.Martin Seligman, Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta Teachings by Swami Sarvapriyananda
Photo Credits: (Top to bottom) Prateek Gautam, Keegan Houser & Sebbi Strauch on Unsplash
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