Wisdom - The Middle Path between Caring and Non-attachment

 by Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati

According to the teachings of Gyana Yoga (also called Advaita or Vedanta), All that Is, is Consciousness, and everything that exists in the manifest universe is an expression of that Consciousness. What we consider reality, the physical universe, has no separate existence at all – it is nothing but Maya, Cosmic Illusion. Though this flies in the face of our sensory experience, it is based on the deepest realisation of yogis and sages throughout human history. They say that this seemingly solid, material world of ‘sticks and stones’ is more like a dream, or a mirage, than substantial reality.
Modern science tells us the same thing - that so called solid matter is really 99.99% empty space. This too contradicts the evidence of our sensory experience, yet we find that science confirms the findings of the mystics: what we see is not the way things are. Illusion and Reality. If what we think is real is actually illusory, how can one hurt anyone or anything - for does one actually injure or even kill a figure in a dream? Of course, this may seem like sophistry, but it is an understanding that comes from those who have seen deeply into the nature of existence.
This understanding of illusion and Reality is one of the most important teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the classical Yogic text. On the battlefield, Krishna (who symbolises Consciousness; the Source) urges the great warrior Arjuna (representing the individual aspiring to spiritual realisation) to fight against injustice and, if necessary, to kill his enemies:

“Both he who thinks he slays and he who thinks he is slain are ignorant.
They do not know the Truth that the Atma (Consciousness) is never slain.”

Bhagavad Gita verse 2:19

From Krishna’s ultimate point of view, all that exists is nothing more than a cosmic dream. Therefore whilst seeming to kill in battle, Arjuna is actually killing no-one. After much soul searching, Arjuna does fight, kill and defeat his enemies who were causing so much chaos in society. Justice is served.

Non-violence - the Other Side of the Coin. The reader may say that this is dangerous philosophy for it seems to give anyone the licence to do anything: misconceived spirituality can be used to justify anything - even the most barbarous acts. Fortunately, there is another side to this coin of profound yet practical Yogic philosophy.
On the same battlefield, Krishna also urges Arjuna to adhere strictly to a life of non-violence (Sanskrit, ahimsa), to have an attitude of compassion and respect for all life-forms. This seems to blatantly contradict his earlier exhortations to fight, and also doesn’t seem to be very good advice to a professional warrior about to fight the battle of his life!
It is a deeper understanding of this paradox that brings the necessary wisdom for us to live a balanced life. Hopefully, it will not be necessary to fight on a battlefield or even kill as Arjuna did, but rather only figuratively be spiritual warriors on the battlefield of life.
No matter what we may think of ourselves as humans, we are really no more important than animals or plants. We are all important, but no life-form is more or less important than others. We must cultivate the attitude in our heart that every living and non-living entity in the universe - everything, even the smallest insect or a stone - is the creation and expression of the Totality. At first, this may be more of an intellectual understanding, but as we go deeper we start to realise - profoundly - that it is an existential fact.

The Integration of Non-attachment and Non-violence. The first teaching of Krishna (i.e. all is Maya – a cosmic dream) says that nothing is important. This understanding engenders the attitude of non-attachment (vairagya). The second teaching, that of non-violence (ahimsa), says that everything is important. By embracing this understanding, love and respect for everything in existence will bloom in our hearts. To go deeper in spiritual wisdom we need to understand and then synthesise these two apparently contradictory statements. This is only possible when we deepen our understanding through Yoga and meditation and we become more Aware.
In our daily life, we can’t even walk down the garden path without treading on numerous tiny insects. We can’t breathe in without destroying bacteria. Jain sadhus (monks and nuns) practise an extreme form of ahimsa – they wear masks over their mouths so as to not destroy tiny organisms whilst breathing and also brush the path in front of them lest they tread on small insects. However, life itself depends on some life-forms eating others: the tiger eats the deer, the big fish eats the little fish and the bird eats the worm. We humans can’t eat without destroying living organisms, whether animal or vegetable. Even vegetarians can’t escape this fact. Even if we care intensely for life and all life-forms, it is impossible to live without harming something or someone in some form or another, knowingly or unknowingly - physically, mentally or emotionally. We have to accept this as a fact of life. The attitude of non-violence doesn’t mean that we become neurotic at the thought that we are destroying living beings. The key word is intention. It is our intent that can transform a seemingly harmless act into a harmful one and, conversely, a seemingly harmful act into a harmless one. Ahimsa in its deepest sense depends on our attitude. It means that even if we disagree with someone and raise our voice, the intent to harm should not be there. Ultimately, even if we have to kill to protect our family or nation (as in the case of Arjuna), there should be no intent to harm. Although we may need to harm, on a deeper level the attitude of harming must be absent; in fact, there should be compassion. This may sound impossible, but the sages have shown us that it is indeed possible. A recent example is Mahatma Gandhi, who had an uncompromising attitude of non-violence, but who was very firm in his fight for Indian independence – and succeeded.

Wisdom. Out of these two paradoxical teachings comes Wisdom. When we are able to understand these two apparently contradictory attitudes and apply them in our lives, we begin to embody Wisdom: we realise that all things manifest are ultimately dream-like wisps that only seem substantial to our senses. Therefore as Krishna said, even if we want to we cannot really harm anything. If this concept is based on an intellectual understanding rather than a deeper perception it can easily makes us cold and uncaring. However, this is only half the story. The opposite attitude, ahimsa, makes us care for all things as much as we care for ourselves. We realise that the essence of all living things, and even the apparently non-living things, is Consciousness Itself. There is the same Intelligence in everything. Therefore, any harm done to what appears to be another is ultimately harming one’s own Self. The application of these two teachings, non-attachment and non-violence, vairagya and ahimsa, brings us to the middle path of spiritual life. Treading the middle path between caring and not caring, between non-attachment and non-violence, brings Wisdom – the capacity to care about people, to feel the suffering of others, yet at the same time to see the wider picture.
Wisdom means that we don’t want anyone to suffer and at the same time we realise that suffering is part of life and precipitates evolution. Wisdom means that while we would like to ameliorate all the pain and suffering in the world, at the same time we don’t care one iota if the whole universe blows up tomorrow, because in fact, Consciousness, the essence of All, cannot be destroyed. Embodying the Wisdom of this synthesis is indispensable if we are to live a balanced and meaningful life, full of Joy.