6 – Tattva Bodha: Endurance & Interpreting Life Circumstances Optimistically
Summary:
Discourse 6 expands with examples of applying shama (cognitive flexibility), dama (pause before replying), uparama (duty), and titiksha (endurance).
Source: Tattva Bodha
Adhikārī qualification 3 — 6-fold-wealth:
śamādi sādhana saṃpattiḥ kā? (What are [6-fold] sādhana wealth, starting with śama?)
They are, (1) śamaḥ: management of mind. (2) damaḥ: control of senses. (3) uparama: observance of duties. (4) tititikṣā: endurance. (5) śraddhā: faith/trust. (6) samādhānaṃ ca iti: and single pointedness.
śama / dama / uparama
- See video. We expanded upon last session. Notes for them are in last session.
titikṣā
titikṣā kā? śitoṣṇa-sukhaduḥkhādi-sahiṣṇutvam
What is endurance or resilience? (It is) endurance of cold, heat, pleasure, pain, etc …
- Capacity to cheerfully put up with difficult situations.
- Just “putting up” isn’t enough. Because…
- “Putting up” comes with comma (gives space for further complaints). EG: It’s cold, and… and… and… Which makes it harder to cope with and becomes even more prominent in our mind.
- “Putting up cheerfully” comes with “full stop”. EG: It’s cold. You’re acknowledging a fact, then can think solution mode.
- Involves remaining decently equanimous towards censure/praise, gain/loss. Doing so, minimizes complaints about small things, and helps us acknowledge life is not designed to make us either happy nor sad. Both are subjective experiences. Life is an impersonal order that accommodates everyone's primary needs (including animals and plants). Insisting life delivers one's subjective fancies (vasanas) is what REDUCES endurance/tolerance.
- Most don’t develop resilience because of denial (pretending it’s not happening, or reducing its significance in hopes to convince self that it’s not important). Or because of victim mentality (caught up with poor me, I’m so unlucky, the world is out to get me; indicated by tendency to blame someone/thing for their misfortunes).
- So resilience is developed when we're willing to face the hardships, and strive to overcome them. Next time they show up, we enjoy a higher level of resilience.
Homework:
- Study following sentence and answer q's: Endurance (titiksha) is capacity to put up with unpleasant situations (overly cold-hot, criticized, unacknowledged, treated unfairly, physically ill, etc) — with a relatively equanimous or poised mind. In short — not getting overly elated nor depressed upon situations.
- Questions:
- Rewrite above sentence in your own words based on your understanding of “endurance”.
- List 3 realistic ways how to enjoy greater endurance next time something unpleasant happens. How will you remain collected?
- EG: I'll mentally prepare myself. Resort to prayer. Use my breath as reminder that all is well in big picture, etc…
- Questions:
Keywords:
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Credit for help in Tattva Bodha to Chinmaya Mission's Swami Advayananda, and Arsha Vidya's Swami Dayananda.
Recorded 25 June, 2023
Hi Andre
I have had to catch up on classes the past few weeks because of time difference-moved countries again. I really am trying to apply the teachings to my life but I am going through a very difficult time. My partner betrayed me in the most hurtful way. I try to apply śama. I try to not let myself get carried away with my thoughts and apply dama and give myself time each day to reflect on situation and get angry. titikṣā however is proving very difficult at the moment. I also believe it is of no doing of my own and a reflection of him and not me. Even though proving very difficult, the teachings are of great help and I believe that they are doing their magic in the background.
Thank you
Karla
Dear Karla. Sorry to hear about the hurtful situation. May God give you the strength to endure this difficult time when emotions and thoughts can be momentarily overpowering over what’s happened. Rest assured, it will gradually subside within some weeks, and you will feel lighter again.
This is not a question but just a comment. My understanding of the6 fold qualification is that is a pre requisite for the study of this text. Just as when you apply for a job asa councillor, you need to have a liking for your job, you need people skills, understanding of human nature, experience in dealing with conflict, etc , here you need sama, ie mindfulness of your mind and thinking and ability to manage it, dama is mindfulness of your sense perceptions and ability to reign in runaway emotions, uparama is knowing where your boundaries are, your strength and weaknesses. Titiksha is accepting minor irritations of life in the pursuit of your goal of study. There will always be pin pricks of life and we should not let them take over. Shraddha is faith in the Guru and scriptures, sama dharma is single pointed focus . I’m mindful we haven’t done the last 2 yet
Please add or correct any.
Yes. Just as getting into intimate relationship has Prerequisites, so are there for buddhi (intellect) entering relationship with Truth. In relationship, we have our part to play or duty to fulfill (uparama), manage our inner stuff (śama/dama), endure and survive the challenges (titiksha), and have faith/trust in ourself that we’re are capable of upholding the vows. Take one out, and relationship may fall apart. Similarly, nitya vastu needs a decently cultivated (prepared) soil of the buddhi.
Re Andre asking for ways people cope with significant challenges
Occasionally, when I become too discouraged to comfortably maintain equanimity, I throw myself a pity-party. No one is invited since I would have been universally abandoned by kith & kin (i.e. chased them off).
I pull the shades, lock the doors, and gather together “unrequited” tear-jerking videos – anything to make me sob – to my favorite spot. I surround myself with comfort food, a bit of wine. I regale myself with stories of my most hyperbolic victimisations. I count lost friends, sing sad songs, purging the toxic, introverted emotions gumming up the works.
Next thing y’know I am smiling at my foolish self, then giggling, and finally – a chocolate or two later – I am laughing out loud with myself. Full of good cheer, I shake out the sheets – ready for the world.
Thanks to classmates for all the excellent comments and responses. They are all valuable to learning