Mahavir Vani Lecture 11 Unodari Evam Vrutti Sankshep

Here's a comprehensive summary of "Mahavir Vani Lecture 11: Unodari evam Vrutti Sankshep" by Osho Rajnish, based on the provided Jain text:

This lecture, delivered by Osho Rajnish, delves into two of Lord Mahavir's important spiritual disciplines: Unodari (अपूर्ण भोजन / अपूर्ण आहार - incomplete eating) and Vrutti Sankshep (वृत्ति-संक्षेप - curtailment of modes of being). Osho highlights that these practices are not mere external actions but profound inner transformations.

1. Unodari (Incomplete Eating):

• Mahavir's Order: Osho first addresses the surprising order in which Mahavir presented these austerities: Anshan (अनशन - fasting) followed by Unodari. He explains that this is deliberate. While typically people reduce their diet before fasting, Mahavir placed Anshan first.
• The Purpose of Anshan First: Anshan, or complete fasting, helps one discover their natural hunger. Without any food, the body's genuine need becomes apparent, distinct from the habitual hunger or mental hunger created by clocks, conditioning, or desires.
• The Nature of Hunger: Osho emphasizes that most of our hunger is not natural. We have a "habit clock" in addition to a "biological clock." Different cultures have varied eating habits, demonstrating that these are learned behaviors, not purely biological necessities.
• Distinguishing True vs. False Hunger:
  • Mental/Habitual Hunger: This arises from the mind, influenced by external cues like time, advertisements, or social norms. It's "cerebral" and tied to external clocks. For example, feeling hungry at noon even if not biologically ready.
  • Natural/Physical Hunger: This comes from the entire body, every pore crying out for sustenance. It's deeper and not dependent on external schedules.
• Unodari as a Practice After Discovering True Hunger: Once natural hunger is identified through Anshan, Unodari means eating less than what the natural hunger demands, leaving a little space (the "unodara" or incomplete stomach).
• The Significance of "Incomplete": This "incompleteness" is crucial. It's about stopping before the peak of desire or the point of no return. Osho uses analogies like heating water to 99 degrees Celsius (before it turns to steam) or stopping a story just before the climax.
• The Point of No Return: When any desire or impulse reaches its peak (the voluntary mechanism handing over to the involuntary mechanism), it becomes difficult or impossible to control. Unodari is about stopping at the threshold of voluntary control, before the action becomes involuntary.
• Unodari and the Senses: This principle applies to all senses. We over-consume sensory input (seeing, hearing, etc.), leading to diminished sensitivity and dissatisfaction. Unodari in each sense means stopping before saturation.
• Unodari is Difficult: Contrary to the common perception of it being simpler than Anshan, Osho asserts that Unodari is actually harder. It requires disengaging from desires at their peak, which is a significant act of self-control. It's easier to abstain entirely from something than to engage with it partially and stop at the right moment.
• The Outcome of Unodari: By practicing Unodari, one conserves their vital energy, preventing its dissipation at the peak of indulgence. This conserved energy leads to greater self-mastery and ultimately, liberation.

2. Vrutti Sankshep (Curtailment of Modes of Being):

• Beyond Superficial Renunciation: Osho clarifies that Vrutti Sankshep is not simply about reducing possessions (like having fewer clothes). While external reduction might be a consequence, the core meaning is deeper.
• Focus on the Center of Each Faculty: Mahavir's teaching is about identifying the "center" of each faculty or mode of being (e.g., the center for hunger, for sexuality, for intellect) and confining its activity to that center.
• Confusion of Centers: In our current state, these centers are confused. We use one center for the work of another, leading to inefficiency, dissatisfaction, and fragmentation of our being. For instance, using intellect to ruminate about food or sex, rather than allowing the biological or instinctual centers to function naturally.
• Consequences of Center Confusion:
  • Incompetence: The center whose work is taken over by another cannot perform its original function, leading to perpetual dissatisfaction.
  • Stagnation: The original center, not being used, becomes stagnant and potentially dysfunctional.
  • Disorientation: Our entire personality becomes confused and maladjusted.
• The Role of Intellect (Buddhi): Osho highlights that our intellect often gets overloaded with trivial tasks, preventing it from performing its true function: wisdom (Pragna). This leads to a decline in intelligence, making us "stupid" not due to a lack of inherent intelligence, but due to its misuse.
• The Hippie Experiment and Meaninglessness: Osho cites the example of the Hippie movement's attempt at free sexual expression, which ultimately led to the meaninglessness of sex. This demonstrates that when natural desires are indulged without limits or "centers," their essence is lost, and they become hollow.
• The Meaningfulness of "Covered" Things: Conversely, things that are kept somewhat concealed, like certain body parts, gain meaning and significance through the human tendency to uncover them. Marriage and family structures, despite their perceived restrictions, create a framework that lends meaning to sexual experience.
• Vrutti Sankshep as Concentrating Energy: The essence of Vrutti Sankshep is to allow each faculty to operate intensely and purely within its own center. When a mode of being is experienced in its totality at its core, it reveals its true nature, often leading to its eventual transcendence.
• The Role of Observation: When each center functions appropriately, the intellect (Buddhi), acting as a watchful observer, can discern what is meaningful and what is wasteful. This natural discernment leads to the shedding of unnecessary activities and the preservation of essential ones.
• The True Meaning of Renunciation: True renunciation, according to Mahavir, is not about external abandonment of possessions. It's an internal process where the centers of our desires contract, and the outward expansion naturally ceases.
• Inner vs. Outer Change: Osho stresses that focusing on external renunciation without internal transformation is a delusion. True change stems from within.
• The Ultimate Goal: When all vital energies are redirected to the intellect (Buddhi), which then becomes the center of wisdom (Pragna), a state of liberation is achieved. This is a state of profound joy, not a struggle against desires.

In essence, Osho explains that Mahavir's teachings on Unodari and Vrutti Sankshep are profound psychological and spiritual disciplines aimed at helping individuals transcend the limitations of conditioned desires and habits, leading them towards genuine self-awareness and liberation by understanding and mastering their inner faculties.