Let us continue the contemplation on characteristics of a Sthithaprajna.
“Vishaya vinivarthanthe niraharasya dehinaha rasavarjam rasopyasya param drushtva nivarthathe”.
‘Vishaya vinivarthanthe niraharasya dehinaha’ – for one who does not feed sense organs, senses come back to himself, but the longing remains, desire remains. But, having seen Brahman, that is, when the Self is known, even the longing goes away, the desire goes away.
So, continuing the characteristics of Sthithaprajna – earlier we had said that Sthithaprajna handles different situations in life with equanimity. Now, let us see how he handles desires, sense objects.
If a person sees something which is attractive, he gets attracted to that, he works for that, and acquires it. There is a sense gratification which happens. What will happen in the case of a Sthithaprajna and what will happen in the case of a yogi, or one who is practicing? There are many people, who practice abstinence from senses. They avoid objects of senses. As a part of spiritual practice, they do not indulge in sense gratification. Compared to them, a Sthithaprajna, even though he engages in sense gratification, his inner urge or desire for them, disappears. A Sadhaka, a yogi, intentionally, as a part of Tapasya, as a part of spiritual practice, avoids sense objects, doesn’t indulge in them. I can give an example – somebody has diabetes, and the doctor has told him not to eat sugar. So, he avoids sugar. But, his desire for sugar may not go. There are two inner aspects – one is intellectual understanding and the other one is emotional aspect. Intellectually, he knows that sugar should not be eaten. But, emotionally, he may be still attached to sugar. There is a desire.
Who is a Jnani? One who has seen Brahman, Supreme Consciousness. But as I told you earlier, the Supreme Consciousness cannot be seen, it is the Seer. How does he become knower of Brahman? By dropping the ignorance of the Self, he becomes a knower of Brahman, because he is Self already. A person who is the knower of Brahman is content within himself. For him, there is no craving for sense objects; there is no desire left for sense objects.
I told you, the desire has two aspects – one is the intellectual understanding, and then the emotional attachment. Intellectual understanding tells him that he knows that everything else in the world is temporary, and only Self is permanent; so that is why you don’t have to worry, you don’t have to get attracted to sense objects. At the same time, the desire is also emotional in nature. There is a craving. In case of a Jnani, in case of a Sthithaprajna, the craving also disappears, because he has attained the Supreme, he has attained the Supreme Bliss, after attaining which there is nothing else to be attained; everything else looks inferior. Such a person is a Jnani. For a Sadhaka, even though he abstains from sense objects, desire remains. For a Jnani, the desire disappears, having realized the Supreme Brahman.
Pranams