Re: adhvan - a road, journey, path
namaste Yajvan.
yajvan on adhvan--a good thread you have started. It seems to me that there are many dependendies and differences between the two paths you have enumerated.
• As Eric has rightly put it, the first path, sthUla--worldly, is misguided meandering. The second, sUkShma--spiritual, has a definite purpose, but the goal and extent of liberation is set by the seeker's saMkalpa--resolution, and abilities.
• A common goal of both paths is happiness--unmitigated, everlasting and sustained happiness. In the worldly path it is never achieved, and whatever happiness accrues is only by afflicting others. In the second, happiness accrues for the seeker without any sort of affliction to another person.
• The inherent motive of the worldly path is to gratify the 'I'; of the spiritual path is to eliminate the 'I' that covers the Self,--or rather merge the 'I' in the Self. When the worldly path is aligned with Hindu Dharma, the elimination of the 'I' happens naturally and quickly, clearing the impediments in the spiritual path.
• The extent of accomplishment of the spiritual path depends on the extent of purification of the 'I' in the worldly path. 'I' is purified as it learns to share, love, sacrifice, acquire humility and align itself to dharma.
• In the worldly path, the 'I' goes out, seeks out, trying to grow. The spiritual path is not a journey per se, since what is involved is bringing the Self nearer and nearer to the 'I' for their ultimate merger.
KAnchi ParamAchArya teaches that the first path is known as the pravRtti mArga--path of outward accretion, and the second is nivRtti mArga--path of cessation, destruction and inward direction.
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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