Valluvar on Spirituality

Valluvar on Spirituality

Dr. R. Prabhakaran

Definition of Spirituality
Although we frequently use the terms “Religion” and “Spirituality” in our day-to-day conversations, it is hard to come up with precise definitions of these terms. There has rarely been a consensus among scholars on the definitions of religion and spirituality because different people see different things in their various religions, and they also differ in their ideas regarding spirituality. The Oxford English Dictionary defines religion as “the belief in a superhuman controlling power, especially in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship.”  The same dictionary defines spirituality as “the quality or condition of being spiritual; attachment to or regard for things of the spirit as opposed to material or worldly interests.” A more direct and useful pseudo-definition can be inferred from a statement made by Dr. Deepak Chopra, an author, public speaker, and a prominent figure in the New Age movement. He says, “Religion is a belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.”

Basic Questions Related to Spirituality

The underlying motivation for religion and spirituality is essentially the same. Mankind has always been curious for answers to questions like “What is the ultimate reality (that which is permanent and never changing)?”, “Is there a soul?”, “If there is a soul, what is the nature of the soul?”, “What is the relationship between the soul and the ultimate reality?” and so on. Each religion is an attempt to communicate the answers to these mysteries either as revealed to their leaders by God or obtained by their leaders as a result of their attaining enlightenment after years of contemplation. Religions tell their followers what to believe. On the other hand, spirituality lets an individual investigate and experience it himself and make up his own mind as to what he should believe. 

 

During the days of Valluvar, the main religions that were prevalent in India were the Vedic religion, Jainism and Buddhism. In addition to these three main religions, people worshipped various local deities. But the worship of various deities mostly consisted of rituals that were performed in anticipation of certain benefits. In other words, these rituals were not based on philosophical foundations or theories that explained the nature of “ultimate reality” and its relationship with human beings. However, the three major religions of Valluvar’s time had their own well-developed philosophies that were different from each other with some common factors.

The Law of Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul, upon the death of the body, comes back to earth and dwells in another body or form. The idea of reincarnation is found in many ancient cultures, and a belief in reincarnation was held by Greek philosophers like Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates. Two of the three religions that were prevalent during the days of Valluvar, the Vedic religion, and Jainism, believed in the existence of a soul associated with every human being and that the soul is permanent. According to them, the soul undergoes an endless cycle of births and deaths, which is referred to as the reincarnation of the soul. Buddhism, the third religion that existed during Valluvar’s days, did not believe in the existence of a soul and the concept of reincarnation. However, Buddhism talked about “rebirth” instead of reincarnation. According to Buddhists, it is the “evolving consciousness” or a “stream of consciousness” that reincarnates. They are of the opinion that there is no permanent consciousness that moves from life to life. The lack of a fixed self does not mean a lack of continuity. In the same way that a flame is transferred from one candle to another, there is a conditioned relationship between one life and the next: they are neither identical nor completely distinct.

 

Valluvar on the Law Reincarnation

With respect to reincarnation, Valluvar’s ideas are very similar to those of the Vedic religion and Jainism. Valluvar is of the opinion that everything in this universe is transient. At some point, everything ceases to exist. Even material objects undergo changes. He sees the impermanent aspect of the universe and wonders, “Is there anything that is permanent in this universe?” He says that human existence is so unpredictable that one does not know when one’s life will end.

If rightly understood, each day in the span of life is like a saw that cuts off life little by little.             (kural- 334)

The man who was here yesterday is no longer here, and that is the greatness of this world.            (kural - 336)

Although Valluvar realizes that life is impermanent in this world, he is not really convinced that life ends with death. In fact, he believes in the existence of a soul and that upon the death of the body, the soul comes back to earth in another body or form. According to him, “Death is like sleep, and birth is the awakening from sleep (kural - 339)”. In fact, he compares the relationship between the body and the soul to that of a nest and the bird that resides in the nest. He says, “The fledgling flies away abandoning the nest; such is the relationship the soul has with the body (kural - 338).” There are a number of kurals where Valluvar mentions the next birth or the future births.

Words that are kind and free from meanness will give happiness in this life

as well as in the next.                                                                                                  (kural  - 98)

When cruel poverty comes on, it destroys one’s happiness in this life as

well as in the next.                                                                                                      (kural - 1042)

If one is bestowed with blameless and good-natured children, no evil

will befall him for the next seven births.                                                                    (kural - 62)

Throughout the next seven births, the wise ones will remember those who

have helped them in their times of need.                                                                  (kural - 107)

Like a tortoise, if one is able to control the five senses, it will serve

him as a shield in the next seven births to come.                                                      (kural - 126)

The learning that a man acquires in one birth will stand him in

good stead in the next seven births.                                                                          (kural -  398)

One should observe those things which have been commended by the wise;

if one neglects to do them, there will be no happiness for him throughout

his next seven births.                                                                                                  (kural – 538)

A fool can procure in a single birth a hell into which he may enter and

suffer through the next seven births.                                                                         (kural – 835)

 

In addition to the kurals listed above, there are other kurals where Valluvar makes references to the multiple births taken by a soul. In the kurals listed above and in other kurals as well, Valluvar’s reference to “seven births” should not be literally interpreted as “exactly seven births.” It really means multiple births that are yet to be taken by the soul. The next logical question is, “Why does the soul take multiple births?”

The Law of karma

Karma means action, work, or deed. It also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where the intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence this birth or the future births of that individual (effect). Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and future happiness (merit) in this birth or in future births, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and future suffering (demerit) in this birth or in future births. All three ancient religions of India subscribe to the concept of the law of karma. The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have a modified view of the law of karma. Since they do not believe in reincarnation, they believe that the individual is judged after his or her death and spends time in heaven or hell according to their actions and intent during the course of this birth.

 

Valluvar on the Law of Karma

Valluvar seems to believe that bad actions will result in suffering and good actions will result in happiness. The suffering and happiness may be in this birth or in the future births. Although Valluvar does not explicitly use the term karma, his belief in the law of karma can be seen from the following kurals:

 

Just as the shadows follow the feet wherever they go, the effect of evil relentlessly

follows the evildoer.                                                                                       (kural - 208)

One can survive whatever enmity one has incurred. However, the enmity

 incurred because of evil deeds will unceasingly pursue and kill him.           (kural - 207)

If one inflicts pain upon others in the morning, the pain will

automatically come upon him in the afternoon.                                           (kural -  319)

Words that are kind and free from meanness will give happiness

in this life as well as in the next.                                                                     (kural -  98)

 

It is clear that Valluvar believes that the evildoer will suffer the consequences of his actions in the future. That future may be in this birth or in future births. Also, the one who does good deeds will benefit either in this birth or in future births.

The ancient religions of India differ as to the mechanism which controls the cause and effect. Valluvar does not explicitly state his ideas about how the law of karma works. There is a reference in one kural, where Valluvar refers to the “ordainer” as the one who determines whether an individual is able to enjoy the wealth he has accumulated.

Even for those who amass wealth to the tune of millions, enjoyment is

rarely possible except as determined by the ordainer.                                  (kural – 377)

           

It is not clear whom Valluvar refers to as the ordainer. It may be a reference to God, the Government or simply his way of personifying the law of nature. In any case, this kural cannot be considered his explanation of the mechanism of how the law of karma works. All we can conclude is that Valluvar subscribes to the law of karma and that he is silent on the mechanism of the law of karma.

From the law of karma, it follows that all actions have inevitable consequences and the consequences have to be experienced in this birth or in future births. Since the consequences may transcend this birth, they have to be somehow associated with the soul of the individual (or the consciousness in the case of Buddhism). In fact, all three ancient religions of India subscribe to the idea that the reason for reincarnation (rebirth, as Buddhists call it) is to experience the fruits (consequences) of one’s karma. This offers an explanation for the cycle of births and deaths from the point of view of the religions that were contemporaneous to Valluvar.  What is the reason offered by Valluvar for the cycle of births and deaths?

Valluvar’s ideas on the reason for the Reincarnations

Before one can understand Valluvar’s reasoning for the cycle of births and deaths, one should understand Valluvar’s stance on desire and attachment. Desire is defined as a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. On the other hand, attachment is not wanting to be separated from someone or something. In other words, attachment is intensified or exaggerated form of desire for something.

 

The desire for something sets up an expectation, and if that expectation is not met, frustration sets in, and the frustration results in unhappiness. More desires mean more unhappiness. Life becomes miserable. Valluvar is of the opinion that “There will be no misery to those with no desire; if there is desire, sorrow will come to him more and more unceasingly (kural – 368). “  But, there are varying degrees of desire. The misery resulting from the desire must be proportional to the intensity of the desire.   In addition, to be the cause of unhappiness, Valluvar considers desire as the seed which gives rise to births. In fact, Valluvar states that “They (the wise ones) say that desire is the seed, which produces unceasing births, at all times, to all creatures (kural - 361).”

Valluvar being a realist, is aware that it is impossible to be without desire. In fact, the desire not to have a desire is also a desire. Although Valluvar states that desire is the seed that causes births and deaths, he realizes that a seed cannot blossom into a tree without the help of nurturing soil and suitable environmental conditions. Likewise, in the case of desire, ignorance creates the conditions that are conducive to the desire to become an attachment, and according to Valluvar, attachment is the reason the soul undergoes a series of births and deaths. As discussed before, there is nothing that is permanent in this world. But it is ignorance that convinces an individual to mistake the transient as permanent. Since the individual mistakenly construes the transient as permanent, the individual’s desire to hold on to the transient becomes intensified as the attachment. Valluvar’s remarks regarding ignorance and attachment can be seen in the following kurals:

The base ignorance that enables one to mistake the transient things of life

as of permanent value is really despicable.                                                   (kural – 331)

 

The final release from the chain of births and deaths will come only to those

who sever all attachments; others will continue to linger in the

impermanence of births and deaths.                                                             (kural – 349)

 

How does one relieve oneself from all attachments? It is by gaining true knowledge and thorough realization of the transient nature of life that one becomes aware of how ignorance clouds one’s thinking. Therefore, if ignorance is eliminated through proper knowledge, then attachment will cease to exist, and one can release oneself from all attachments and attain salvation (the state of not being born). 

An alternate approach to salvation

In addition to the elimination of desires and attachments, Valluvar suggests another approach to achieve the goal of not being born again. He suggests that only those who unite themselves with God through devotion and dedication will be able to cross the ocean of birth.

 

            None can swim the great ocean of births but those who are united

            with the feet of God.                                                                                                  (Kural -10)

 

The idea in kural 10 may appear to be a contradiction to the approach of attaining salvation by eliminating desires and attachments discussed above. There are two possible explanations for this apparent contradiction.

First, some scholars who subscribe to atheistic principles claim that Valluvar did not write the first four chapters (including the Chapter “In Praise of God” where kural ten is included) of the Kural and those four chapters were inserted by someone else at latter date. A vast majority of scholars do not agree with this suggestion that the first four chapters are not part of the Kural as written by Valluvar.

            Second, on a more serious note, the approach suggested in kural 10 may appear to be different from that of attaining salvation by eliminating all desires and attachments. It is possible that Valluvar might have been of the opinion that one with total devotion and dedication to God may overcome all his desires except that of attaining salvation. Such an individual would be convinced that God and God alone is permanent, and through his total devotion and surrender to God, he would be able to eliminate all desires and attachments other than his desire for salvation. In this approach, devotion to God is the path to eliminate attachments and attain salvation. Religions claim that several saints have attained salvation through their devotion to God. Therefore, there is really no contradiction.

Valluvar’s emphasis on Rationalism

On the topic of spirituality, or for that matter, on several key issues, there is no agreement among religions. For example, Buddhism and Jainism do not believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent God. Whereas the Vedic religion and its successor, Hinduism, are certainly theistic religions. Buddhists don’t believe in a permanent soul that outlives an individual and takes multiple births. Vedic Religion and Hinduism believe in the existence of a soul and its reincarnation. Western religions believe in the existence of a soul. But they do not subscribe to the idea of reincarnation of the soul. So, the basic question is, “Which religion is right?”

 

These contradictions among the religions seem to indicate that none of the religions may have the right answers to all the questions. Each religion is an attempt to answer the basic questions regarding the ultimate reality and its relationship to other beings. It must be noted that Valluvar does not advocate any religion. He remains secular in his approach. Although Valluvar attempts to answer some of the questions regarding the ultimate reality, he actually encourages his readers to use their rational thinking capabilities as the guide and arrive at answers that satisfy them instead of taking for granted the answers provided by religions or by any other authority. The fact that Valluvar seems to favor the approach based on rational inquiry is evident from the emphasis he places on reasoning based on free inquiry.

To discern the real truth in whatsoever is heard from whomsoever is real wisdom.           (Kural - 423)

Whatever is the thing and whatever be its nature, wisdom is to see the real truth in it.     (kural – 355)

 

The real answers to questions concerning spirituality may be elusive. It is quite conceivable that one may never find satisfactory answers to the questions concerning spirituality. But that should not deter one from investigating using a rational approach. One should investigate and try to obtain answers that are satisfactory to oneself. That is the real lesson from Valluvar’s ideas on spirituality.