The Ending of Conflict

Question 34  / प्रश्न 34

What is Conflict?

संशय का स्वरूप क्या है? 

The root cause of Conflict :

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता :

अध्याय 2,

संकल्पप्रभवान्कामान्स्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः।।

मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः।।२४।।

अध्याय 2,

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।।

सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते।।६२।।

क्रोधात्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्समृतिविभ्रमः।।

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति।।६३।।

अध्याय 4,

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति।। 

नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः।।४०।।

Conflict is "संशय".

This may arise because of :

1. Ignorance - not knowing the Truth / Reality,

Ignorant is "अज्ञ".

2. Lack of Conviction, not convinced,

Conviction is "श्रद्धा"

Even a Scientist is convinced that there are certain laws of Science that govern the nature and tries to discover those laws. He is therefore :

श्रद्धावान्, श्रद्धामयः  as is described in following verses :

अध्याय 4, Chapter 4, verse 39.

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः।।

ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति।।३९।।

अध्याय 17, Chapter 17, verse 2 :

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।।

सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु।।२।। 

अध्याय 17, Chapter 17, verse 3,

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।। 

श्रद्दधामयोऽयं पुरुषः यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।३।। 

अश्रद्दधानः  -- One who is completely devoid of any kind of conviction, in any form, the sceptic.

The difference between the "faith" and "Conviction" :

A faith is an assumption only, but when the truth of the same is ascertained by proper scrutiny and examination and is arrived at beyond doubt, then the same is निष्ठा / "Conviction".

श्रद्धा  has been therefore said to be of three kinds, according to the mental construct of the individual, what one "wishes" to believe.

सात्त्विका, राजसी, तामसी

as described above in

Chapter 17 - verse 2.

While निष्ठा is only of two kinds, namely :

सांख्यनिष्ठा, कर्मयोग-निष्ठा

Again, these two kinds are only for the spiritual aspirant, the seeker of Truth.  Others may have many different kinds of "faith" until they become mature in mind so as to contemplate about the pier nature of the things,  :

What is permanent; and,

And What is transient.

This is called विवेक / the discrimination.

Having practiced this contemplation for a long time, the mind becomes pure and peaceful, and then gradually one develops repulsion towards whatever is transient, because ultimately it is all the cause of all misery and sorrow only.

This state of the mind is called वैराग्य / / "Dispassion".

Only after having attained these two, one can opt for either of the two ways : सांख्य-निष्ठा  / ज्ञानयोग, / The Path of Enquiry, or the कर्म-योग / समर्पण संपूर्ण कर्मफल त्याग, 

The Path of Submission To God.

The practice is  अभ्यास :

अध्याय 12, Chapter 12, verse 12,

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद् ध्यानं विशिष्यते।।

ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्।।१२।।

(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता अध्याय 12)

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