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Panchadashi Lesson G0206: Tenth Man - 2

Panchadashi
Module - G
Unit - G02
Lesson G0206: The story of the tenth man - Part II
By Raja Subramaniyan

This is happening here and now in the midst of our modern society. Man is under the impression he is fully evolved and his intelligence is par excellence. Nevertheless, every one of us is behaving like one of the ignorant persons in the group of ten. So the very same story of ten people is now retold and the student can figure out which one of the ten ignorant persons he represents.

All of us are progressing in the journey of life. Our common destination is to reach a stage where one can remain in non-diminishing happiness, undisturbed security and everlasting peace all the time. Unless someone teaches us the correct path to this destination, we will continue to remain ignorant. According to our level of intelligence, we choose our own path (name, fame, wealth, money, power, position, status) and progress towards the destination.

While traveling through our chosen path we come across many positive and negative experiences. We assume that all of them are part of the journey and continue to progress towards our destination.

We do get many opportunities to think and reflect whether the chosen path is the correct one or not. However, we ignore them in our hurry to progress. Nevertheless, when a greater tragedy strikes, we may become more receptive to one such opportunity in which we seriously contemplate on our chosen path and the ultimate destination.

Is it ever possible that a man can remain in non-diminishing happiness, undisturbed security and everlasting peace? In other words, can one ever live joyfully forever?

Normally this question does not make sense and we remain blissfully ignorant. As a result, we become happy when our path is pleasant and nice. However, when it becomes harsh we suffer.

When this question makes sense, after a particularly bad experience, we reflect on it for some time and conclude "A joyful man who is changeless all the time? No. I do not perceive such a man and he does not exists"

Such reflection reminds us the fact about our destination. When we look back at our youth, we realize that happiness was with us when we were young. Somewhere along the journey, we seem to have lost this everlasting happiness.

Therefore, we are sad that the happiness is missing. We struggle to locate the everlasting happiness in all locations, in relationships, in friendships, in the family, in the profession and in the society.

It appears that all our journey is wasted since experience shows us that our path (Name, fame, money, wealth, power, position and status) do not bring us the ever-lasting happiness. We do not find any security in the relationships or in family. So we feel miserable.

A wise man is passing-by and asks one of us the reason for the sadness.

The first man explains him the situation. The wise man (who is more evolved than the rest) could see their problem and said, "I can help you." However, the first man responds "No thanks sir. You will not be able to help since we have now learnt that the happiness belongs to our yesteryears and since we are now old, we have lost it. Life is like that. It is a mixture of pleasure and pain. We should learn to accept the pain if it is so destined"

The wise man then moved on to the next person and offered to help.

The second man got very angry and responded. "We do not want your help. How can you help us? We all tried our level best in all possible paths to find everlasting happiness. Are we fools? How can you solve our problem when all our efforts have failed? So please go away."

The wise man then moved on to the next person and offered to help.

The third man was more hopeful. He asked the wise man "Can you really help us?" The wise man replied, "Yes….I can". "Then please get me more money. Then I will get back the happiness. We are sure we lost the happiness since we do not have enough money!" The wise man replied that he cannot give him any money but he can help him find happiness without bringing in money! The third man replied, "That is not possible. You cannot help us without getting us money" and ignored the wise man.

The wise man then moved on to the next person and offered to help.

The fourth man was very desperate and he somehow wanted to solve the problem. Therefore, he asked the wise man to find the everlasting happiness in whatever way he thinks fit. The wise man replied, "I do see happiness here. Happiness is not missing anymore." Hearing this, the fourth man became very happy. He fell on the feet of the wise man and thanked him for his help.

The fifth man overhearing this conversation was not satisfied with the answer of the wise man. He asked him 'How do you say that there is happiness here. Prove it to me'. The wise man then asked him to stay quiet for some time and look within. Thinking happiness is within us, the fifth man became very happy. He fell on the feet of the wise man and thanked him for his help.

The sixth man was not happy with the solution. He told the wise man 'You are cheating us. I do agree we can find happiness within ourselves for a brief period. But then it is not everlasting." The wise man replied that it is not necessary that one should sit quietly in order to enjoy the everlasting happiness. One can be happy even in action. Hearing this, the sixth man got somewhat convinced.

The seventh man said, "How can we be happy in action? In all our actions, we have choices. We are not sure whether we are choosing the right choice. Many times, it appears that the choice that we made does not seem to be the right one. Even when we do the right actions, we are not sure if we have done it perfectly. Perfection seems to elude us. Therefore we feel guilty and not happy".

The eighth man added, "The action always brings us results. The results do not seem to meet our expectations. Even if it meets our expectation, we are hurt when we see that others have better results than we do. Moreover, the results are not long lasting. We are forced to act continuously in order to improve the results. Therefore we are hurt by the results and do not get everlasting happiness".

The wise man replied to the seventh and eight men:

It is true that the action will always leave a feeling of guilt. It is never fulfilling. And it is also true that the results will always leave a feeling of hurt. It is ever inadequate.

The reason for this feeling of this guilt and hurt do not lie in the actions or results. It is due to ignorance of the existence of ONE.

We need to understand and appreciate the existence of changeless, ever witnessing joy so that the action could be done without guilt and the results could be enjoyed without the feeling of inadequacy. That change less ever witnessing joy is called ONE.

To this, the ninth man replied, "if you are saying such ONE exists, where is it?" If this question is asked without trusting the wise man, further explanation will not help. If he trusts the wise man, the explanation will lead to direct knowledge.

The wise man says 'You are that ONE' and explains the seven stages to reach the perfect satisfaction. (As listed below in the 'Analysis of the story')

The tenth man reflected on the teachings of the wise man, replied 'I am everlasting happiness', and thanked the wise man for his invaluable teaching.

The wise man walked away without being sad (that he could not teach 9 of them) or happy (that atleast one learned the truth) about his performance; for he knows one day or other all the remaining nine will learn the truth.
Analysis of the story:

Life is a journey. During the initial part, we were quite happy. As a newborn baby, we were happy all the time. As we grow, somewhere down the line, without our knowledge, we seem to have lost our happiness. From being happy all the time, we were happy most of the time. Then happiness has become an occasional experience. By the time, we reach our middle age happiness has become a rarity.

After crossing the halfway through our journey, we realize that life is full of problems and challenges. When we meet the challenges or solve the problems, happiness visits us very briefly. Apart from this flirting experience of happiness, we are immersed in anxiety, worry, hope, frustration and host of such negative emotions.

Example: Being chased by a hungry lion, a man fell in to a dry well. He caught hold of the roots of a tree that is protruding out of the wall of the well and escaped falling on the sharp rocks deep below. The lion was still waiting at the mouth of the well. A rat started to eat the roots from which he is hanging down. When he fell down he had disturbed a beehive and the bees started stinging him. As he turned his face away from the bees, he saw a snake approaching, may be to catch the rat. At that point of time, a drop of honey from the hive fell on his tongue.

The happiness in our life corresponds to the sweetness 'enjoyed' by the man who is being stung by the bees, hung by the roots that are being cut by a rat and oscillating between the hungry lion and sharp rocks down below, avoiding the snake that is approaching from the side.

Let us analyze the cause of this misfortune, how it is resolved into perfect satisfaction/ happiness in the mind of the tenth man.

There are seven stages in the process. It is very rare that a person progress through all the seven stages and reach the ultimate salvation in one lifetime. More often than not, there will be a slip and people will continue to oscillate between pleasure and pain like the man hanging inside the well. One who is persistent and consistent with a matured mind alone can cross all the stages to reach the final stage of Joyful Living.

The first three stages are grouped under the heading 'suffering' and the later four stages are grouped under the heading 'liberation from suffering'.

Group A: Suffering

(1) Ignorance, (2) Specifying the Ignorance and (3) Knowing the cause of the suffering are the first three stages in the process of moving from suffering to Joyful Living.

Most people in the world are in the process of making their mind matured enough to commence the journey towards the destination of Joyful Living. When they do commence, they will progress through these stages.

Stage 1: Ignorance refers to the understanding that they want eternal happiness. It is titled 'ignorance' because when they commence the journey people do not yet clearly know that they want eternal happiness.

Stage 2: Specifying Ignorance is the next stage wherein people are able to specify that they want eternal happiness.

Stage 3: Knowing the cause of the suffering is the final stage in this group named 'suffering'. People realize that their ignorance is the cause of suffering and start seeking knowledge, which will give them liberation.

Group B: Liberation from suffering

(4) Indirect Knowledge, (5) Direct Knowledge, (6) Removal of suffering and (7) Joyful Living are the next four stages in the process of moving from suffering to Joyful Living.

Only those people who understand that the only cause for suffering is ignorance and the only solution to the problem is to gain knowledge move on to the fourth stage.

Stage 4: Gaining indirect knowledge removes the ignorance with respect to existence of everlasting happiness.

Stage 5: Gaining Direct Knowledge removes the ignorance on the experience of everlasting happiness.

Stage 6: Removal of the ignorance will lead to removal of suffering.

Stage 7: Attainment of Joyful Living is the final stage of the journey.

After reaching this stage people live happily ever after.

All the seven stages are now explained in detail in continuation of our story of the tenth man.

Ignorance: Each one of them is ignorant since none of them knows that they are happiness themselves. They are wise enough to know correctly that they want to be happy all the time. If they do not even have this wisdom, they will be blissfully ignorant even if they had really lost the ever-lasting happiness while crossing the journey of life. They are wise enough to comprehend that they are supposed to be happy all the time. Hence, this half-baked wisdom is the root cause of the suffering.

Total ignorance is bliss. That is the reason animals do not have stress or tension. If they get food, they are happy. If they do not get food, they may die. They do not worry what will happen if they are not able to hunt their food on the next day.

Partial knowledge and partial ignorance is the first stage

Example: Two people do not know Mandarin language. One of them does not even know that there is a language called Mandarin exists.

While both of them do not know Mandarin Language, one is ignorant of his ignorance and the other is aware of his ignorance.

Every living being wants to be happy all the time. However, many do not think that it is ever possible to live happily all the time. Such people have not yet commenced their journey towards Perfect Satisfaction.

Only those who are aware of the absence of everlasting happiness declare 'I want eternal happiness' enter the first of the seven stages in their journey towards Perfect Satisfaction

Specifying the ignorance/ inability: The tenth man (each one of them) saying 'I could see changing, limited and mortal being (in us). There is no changeless, infinite, immortal being. Everlasting happiness (tenth man) is missing. Since I cannot see such a person, he is not here.' This is the second stage. Animals also may find one missing but they may not express the situation like this. Therefore, with respect to animals this half-baked wisdom will not mature into prolonged suffering. The ability to specify the ignorance results in suffering.

In the first stage, people want to be happy all the time and they are aware that they do not have eternal happiness. Those who put in efforts to reach eternal happiness enter the second stage.

Example: Two people do not know Mandarin Language. One of them does not know anything but the other has started to learn the language.

While both of them may not be able to converse in Mandarin, one who has learnt the language partially will be able to specify his ignorance. He may say, I know how to speak in broken language. I do not know how to speak fluently without grammatical mistakes.

Similarly, those who have progressed in life by putting efforts on earning money, wealth, name, fame, power, position and people, have learnt the basics of being happy all the time. However, in this second stage they are able to specify their ignorance more clearly.

Most people are hopeful of finding everlasting happiness through hard work. They assume by correcting the external environment it is possible to attain Joyful Living.

Example: People go abroad to earn more money with a hope that they will come back and settle down to live happily ever after. This target date is never reached. They keep chasing the horizon hoping that one day they will reach it.

Only when they realize that it is not possible for them to reach Joyful Living, they declare their inability and express their ignorance.

Specifying the ignorance of the everlasting happiness and the inability to find the same is the next stage.

People stay in this stage for a long time (atleast until they are around 35 - 40 years) since they are under the assumption that since they have commenced their journey towards Joyful Living only now, in due course of time they will reach it.

Example: A person who has spent around six months studying Mandarin Language will not give up his effort thinking that he has not yet mastered the language. He knows that he has to spend more time and effort he will master the language.

Similarly, people will continue to be in this second stage, working harder towards finding the everlasting happiness. However, unlike learning a language, everlasting happiness cannot be found through hard work in the external world. Only when they realize that they will not able find everlasting happiness, they will accept their inability. So long, they do not specify their ignorance and accept their inability, they will not progress to the next stage.

Suffering: Since the ever-lasting happiness (tenth person) is missing, each one assumes that it is lost during the journey of life. Therefore, they are crying at their misfortune. The result of their ignorance has caused them this misfortune. Suffering actually starts in the very first stage of partial ignorance. While the search is on suffering continues. Finally, when they realize the futility of their search and conclude that it is not possible to find everlasting happiness, the suffering reaches the peak. Atleast during the first two stages they were hopeful of finding everlasting happiness but in this stage, they have lost their hopes too.

People cross this third stage only when they realize that the suffering is the result of ignorance.

This is the most difficult stage among all the seven stages because people are under the assumption that they are suffering because the ever-lasting happiness (tenth man) is missing and not because that they are ignorant. Only when they realize that the ignorance is the cause of their suffering they will cross this stage.

Normally people are happy when they gain name, fame, money, wealth, property and prosperity. Therefore, they wrongly assume that the source of happiness is external. The truth is just the opposite. There is no happiness in the external objects, events and persons. Nothing in the world can ever give any happiness and surely, they cannot give everlasting happiness.

Without knowing this truth, everyone assumes that more name, fame, money, wealth, property, prosperity and people will bring eternal happiness. People keep working in the external world trying to gain more of all these so that eternal happiness could be found. In spite of our best efforts, eternal happiness could not be found. As a result, suffering continues. People assume that they suffer because the fruits of their work is insufficient and not because of the ignorance of the source of happiness.

Thus, most of them do not know that all the sufferings are the result of the ignorance. It is generally thought that the suffering is due to poor environment. People assume that they are inadequate and keep searching for fulfillment.

As a result, all of them continue to work harder towards finding everlasting happiness without knowing that all they have to do is to remove their ignorance by gaining knowledge.

Only when a big tragedy strikes, people realize their helplessness in finding everlasting happiness. Normally people assume that the result of any action corresponds to the effort spent in the action. This is not true.

People are under the wrong assumption that the cause and effort have linear relationship. They will always work harder and better so that the result of their action brings them everlasting happiness. This never happens.

When people cross the first three stages (which are grouped under the head 'suffering') they enter a new group (of four more stages) called 'liberation from suffering'. Although people continue to suffer during the next two stages, they are progressing towards removal of suffering (the sixth stage).
They can cross the third stage only with external help. It is not possible to enter the fourth stage with one's own effort.

Indirect Knowledge: The wise passerby says 'The ever-lasting happiness is available here'. This statement gives the knowledge that the ever-lasting happiness is not lost and it exists (somewhere!). This is the indirect knowledge.

Indirect knowledge is gained when one gets to know the truth from a wise person. It is essential that the teacher should be wise and the student should have strong desire to learn and absolute trust in the teacher. If any one of these three factors is absent then it is not possible to gain the indirect knowledge.

The first step towards the Joyful Living is to gain Indirect Knowledge that the everlasting happiness exists.

This is the first sign of hope. In the third stage, people were suffering without seeing any possibility of Joyful Living. Then due to the past good deeds, they get an opportunity to meet a wise man who is willing to teach them the truth. And now, it appears that it is possible to gain the knowledge that will remove the ignorance resulting in removal of suffering. In fact this indirect knowledge removes part of the ignorance. From the stage of saying 'it is impossible to live happily all the time', people are now convinced that it is certainly possible in the near future.

Once the light at the end of the tunnel is seen, the progress will be faster. People will start working seriously and absorb the indirect knowledge. They will be eager to progress and gain the ever-lasting happiness. This eagerness will take them forward.

This stage is distinguished from the previous group of three stages from the point of view of suffering. For the first time the suffering starts reducing and happiness start increasing. There is consolation that the everlasting happiness is not lost forever! This ray of hope, start growing into happiness and as he passes through the remaining three stages, it will culminate in to everlasting happiness.

Like the previous stage, even this stage might take a long time to cross for most people although unlike the previous stage the progress does not depend on the availability of external help. One has to spend time and effort to do deep enquiry and reflect on the knowledge obtained from the wise man.

Direct Knowledge: When the wise man clarifies "you are happiness", the tenth man has to conduct a deep enquiry on these words and reflect on the meaning. When he understands the meaning, it becomes direct knowledge.

Direct knowledge is gained when one enquires and reflects on the indirect knowledge.

Gaining indirect knowledge is comparatively easy. One has to work extensively to gain the direct knowledge. Indirect knowledge can be overthrown by another indirect knowledge. However, once the Direct Knowledge is gained it will not leave us.

Both indirect knowledge and the direct knowledge have to come from the teaching of the wise man. It is impossible to gain this knowledge through one's own effort without the guidance of the wise man.

After gaining the indirect knowledge, people will assume that they have to work harder, search and locate for experiencing the ever-lasting happiness. This misconception is removed through deep enquiry into the teachings of the wise man. That is the only way to gain the direct knowledge that I am happiness.

Thus, direct knowledge removes the final covering of the ignorance, namely the absence of experience. While existence is cleared by the indirect knowledge, the quest for experience is cleared by direct knowledge.

Removal of suffering: Because of the direct knowledge, he stops suffering. It takes a while for him to remain in this stage without any suffering before he could move on to the next stage of perfect satisfaction. Both the physical and mental sufferings do not cease on the instant of gaining the direct knowledge.

The first effect of Direct Knowledge is removal of suffering.

Perfect satisfaction: Soon after removal of the suffering, he starts rejoicing. He enjoys the mere presence of himself since the very thought that he is the happiness which he was searching so long. Whatever is the situation or the environment he rejoices his own presence.

Example: A father after a long struggle arranges the marriage of his daughter. There is a perfect satisfaction in his mind about his achievement. While conducting the wedding he may come across many situations, some of them pleasant and some of them not so pleasant. Nevertheless, in and through every experience he has perfect satisfaction that he has successfully completed his long pending duty.

Similarly, the tenth man will remain in perfect satisfaction that he has found the everlasting happiness. He will enjoy his meal more. Supposing as he walks a thorn pokes the leg he will stop and remove it from the foot. Although it is painful, this experience is ignored since he is immersed in the thought that he has found the everlasting happiness.

Thus, the 'enlightened' tenth man will live joyfully.

Panchadashi Lesson G0205: Tenth Man - 1 << Home >> Panchadashi Lesson G0207: Gaining Knowledge

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