"May the infinite Effulgence, the silent Witness of all our actions , bless us all"
Following the recent posts from ALV titled "reflections" , the following introspective queries and relevant shlokas from "Atmabodha" seemed worthy of sharing -
1. While "advaita stiththi (status)" of the atman is taken for granted almost unanimously by all jignyaasus (of this blog), why is it elusive in experience? (the constant refrain for "Grace" in all blogs)
सदा सर्वगतो'प्यातामा न सर्वत्राभासते ।
बुद्धावेवावाभासेत स्वच्छेषु प्रतिबिम्बवत ।। १७ ।।
सदा - always; सर्वगतः - all-pervading; अपि - although; आत्मा - the self; न - not ; सर्वत्र - everywhere ; अवभासते - shines ; बुद्धौ - in the intellect ; एव - only ; अवभसेत - manifests; स्वच्छेषु - in the transparent surface; प्रतिबिम्बवत - just as in the reflection
The Atman does not shine in everything although it is all pervading. It manifests only in the inner equipment, the intellect (buddhi), just as the reflection in a clean mirror. (17)
Excerpt from Swami chinmayananda's commentary :
The Atman, being infinite, is by Its very nature all-pervading. Although, it is available in the cognition of all objects, in the pure intellect (buddhi) alone can we come to realize the Self (Atma) in all its essential splendor. Just as in a clear polished mirror alone, are we able to see our reflections distinctly, although according to the principles of reflection our faces are reflected everywhere on all objects
(there is an explanatory foot note which says that though by the principle of reflection we should be able to see our face on a rocky surface too , but we obviously can't do so.)
2. So, is it sufficient to have pure intellect alone for realization of advaitam ?
आत्मनः सच्चिदम्शश्च बुद्धेर्व्रित्तिति द्वयं ।
संयोज्य चाविवेकेन जानामीति प्रवर्तते ।। २५ ।।
आत्मनः - of the Self ; सच्चिदम्शह - the existence-consciousness aspect ; च - and ; बुद्धेः - of the intellect ; व्र्त्ति - vritti - the thought wave ; इति - thus ; द्वयं - the two ; संयोज्य - blending च - and ; अविवेकेन - through indiscrimination ; जानामि - I know ; इति - thus ; प्रवर्तते - functions
By indiscriminate blending of the two, the Existence-Consciousness aspects of the Self and the thought wave of the intellect, there arises the notion of 'I know' (25)
Excerpt from Swamiji's commentary -
It is the theory of Vedanta that the knowledge of things is not gained in the direct light of Consciouness, but it is in the beam of Consciousness reflected in the mind. I will explain it with the help of an illustration. Suppose there is a storeroom in your house which is ever in darkness. One day you realized that the room was extremely well illumined. Why? There was a bucket of water on the verandah, where the sunlight got reflected and threw a pool of light on the dark wall of the room. if you little son were to come at that time and play with the bucket of water, the illumination in the dark room will disappear; for, when the reflecting medium is disturbed and the reflected light is splashed about, the room is again in the dark until the reflection rehabilitates itself on the wall.....
3. So, then how is the atman realized?
स्वबोधे नान्यबोधेच्छा बोधरुपतयत्मनह ।
न दिपस्यान्यदीपेच्छा यथा स्वात्मप्रकशने ।। २९ ।।
स्वबोधे - with reference to Self -knowledge ; न - not ; अन्य्बोधेच्छा - need for other knowledge ; बोधरुपतया - because Its form is Knowledge itself ; आत्मनः - one 's own ; न - not ; दीपस्य - for a lamp ; अन्यदीपेच्छा - need for another lamp ; यथा - just as ; स्वात्मप्रकशने - to illumine itself
A lighted lamp does not need another lamp to illumine its light. So, too, Atman, which is Knowledge itself, needs no other knowledge to know itself.
Excerpt from Swamiji's commentary :
The outer world of objects is illumined as long as I am extrovert. The moment I turn introvert and my attention is inward, I realize that, that Light alone is the real one, which illumines the entire (gamut of) experiences everywhere, not only in my heart but in the entire world of beings. Whatever be the technique we adopt, we are bound to realize this Reality, if we faithfully follow the path laid down by the learned sages and experienced seers.
The intellect cannot comprehend the One homogenous whole, because It is not an object of cognition. With a telescope, I cannot see myself. I can only see other objects in front of me and around me. Similarly, so long as, the intellect is there, it is indeed very useful to discriminate, to reason out, to analyse, and to understand the objects and happenings in the field, other than the intellect itself. Now, when we try to understand the transcendental Truth with that limited intellect in an objective fashion, the intellect is trying to achieve the impossible, for the Self is ever the subject that illumines the very intellect that tries to understand the Self...........
In terms of the familiar analogy of the dream, the dreamer is none other than the waker, because when the dreamer wakes from his dream, he rediscovers himself to be the waker; so too in the supreme plane of Self-awareness and Bliss when all duality has ended, when I remain in my own nature, to understand, to realize, and experience that bliss of the Self (svarupananda), no other illuimination is necessary. It is a question of one awakening oneself to the state of God-consciousness - the Selfhood.
How?
निषिध्य निखिलोपधीन्नेति नेतीति वक्यतह ।
विद्यादैक्यम महावाक्यैर्जीवत्मपरमात्मनोह ।। ३० ।।
निषिध्य - after negating ; निखीलोपाधीन - all conditionings ; न इति - as not this ; न इति - as not this; इति - thus ; वाक्यतः - from the scriptural statements (commandments); विध्यात - know ; ऐक्यं - oneness ; महवक्यैहि - by the great mahavakhyas ; जीवात्मपरमत्मनोह - of the individual soul and the supreme Soul
By the process of negation of the conditionings (upadhis) as per scriptural statement 'it is not this, it is not this', the oneness of the individual soul and the supreme soul as indicated by the great mahavakyas, has to be realized.
4. And then, what ? Tatat Kim?
तीर्त्वा मोहार्ण्वम हत्वा रागद्वेषादिराक्ष्सान ।
योगी शान्तिसमायुक्त आत्मा रामो विराजते ।। ५० ।।
तीर्त्वा - after crossing ; मोहार्ण्वम - the ocean of delusion ; हत्वा - killing ; रागद्वेषदिराक्ष्सान - the monsters of likes and dislikes; योगी - the yogi ; शान्तिसमायुक्तहः - united with peace ; आत्म रामः - one who revels within himself ; विराजते - shines
After crossing the ocean of delusion and killing the monsters of likes and dislikes, the yogi who is united with peace becomes Atmarama, that is , he comes to revel in himself.
Excerpts from Swamiji's Commentary -
.......This crucial word "Atmarama" , poetic in itself, is highly suggestive.......Sankara, a master of Hindu traditions, brings the entire story of Ramayana to pack up the words of this verse firmly into its mighty beauty....
The very name of the hero of this great classic is significant and suggestive; Rama , means the reveler who revels everywhere in all hearts - 'sarve ramanti it Ramah'. The Self , Rama, wedded to Sita, who is none other than His own nature, peace, lives on joyously with unperturbed equanimity, both in the Kingdom of Ayodhya (the term literally means without war, and is used to indicate the state of effortlessness enjoyed by a Man of Realization) and in the jungles of his exile. His sorrows start when his consort 'peace' falls prey into the hands of Ravana, the ten headed monster. Ravana represents the lower animal nature in an individual which has ten heads even today - the five organs of perception and the five organs of action. The kingdoms of the secular and of the materialist can never sustain for long within the boundaries of the Aryavarta, the land of Sanatana-dharma, the garden of spirituality.......Rama then seeking his consort has to necessarily cross the ocean, reach Lanka, destroy the demonic forces and rediscover Sita, His lost peace. Sankara mentions in this verse that the ocean to be bridged over is the delusory attachment and fascination and the forces that array themselves against Rama are negative tendencies, which are natural in a deluded mind. When the inner personality is purified and rehabilitated, peace, the eternal consort of the Self, is regained. Thereafter, the Man of Realization, rules over the kingdom of life, from his capital known as 'Ayodhya'.....It is only in Sanskrit that a classic can be summarized by the suggestiveness of the words that are, at once, directly describing the highest spiritual Truth............OM TAT SAT
Following the recent posts from ALV titled "reflections" , the following introspective queries and relevant shlokas from "Atmabodha" seemed worthy of sharing -
1. While "advaita stiththi (status)" of the atman is taken for granted almost unanimously by all jignyaasus (of this blog), why is it elusive in experience? (the constant refrain for "Grace" in all blogs)
सदा सर्वगतो'प्यातामा न सर्वत्राभासते ।
बुद्धावेवावाभासेत स्वच्छेषु प्रतिबिम्बवत ।। १७ ।।
सदा - always; सर्वगतः - all-pervading; अपि - although; आत्मा - the self; न - not ; सर्वत्र - everywhere ; अवभासते - shines ; बुद्धौ - in the intellect ; एव - only ; अवभसेत - manifests; स्वच्छेषु - in the transparent surface; प्रतिबिम्बवत - just as in the reflection
The Atman does not shine in everything although it is all pervading. It manifests only in the inner equipment, the intellect (buddhi), just as the reflection in a clean mirror. (17)
Excerpt from Swami chinmayananda's commentary :
The Atman, being infinite, is by Its very nature all-pervading. Although, it is available in the cognition of all objects, in the pure intellect (buddhi) alone can we come to realize the Self (Atma) in all its essential splendor. Just as in a clear polished mirror alone, are we able to see our reflections distinctly, although according to the principles of reflection our faces are reflected everywhere on all objects
(there is an explanatory foot note which says that though by the principle of reflection we should be able to see our face on a rocky surface too , but we obviously can't do so.)
2. So, is it sufficient to have pure intellect alone for realization of advaitam ?
आत्मनः सच्चिदम्शश्च बुद्धेर्व्रित्तिति द्वयं ।
संयोज्य चाविवेकेन जानामीति प्रवर्तते ।। २५ ।।
आत्मनः - of the Self ; सच्चिदम्शह - the existence-consciousness aspect ; च - and ; बुद्धेः - of the intellect ; व्र्त्ति - vritti - the thought wave ; इति - thus ; द्वयं - the two ; संयोज्य - blending च - and ; अविवेकेन - through indiscrimination ; जानामि - I know ; इति - thus ; प्रवर्तते - functions
By indiscriminate blending of the two, the Existence-Consciousness aspects of the Self and the thought wave of the intellect, there arises the notion of 'I know' (25)
Excerpt from Swamiji's commentary -
It is the theory of Vedanta that the knowledge of things is not gained in the direct light of Consciouness, but it is in the beam of Consciousness reflected in the mind. I will explain it with the help of an illustration. Suppose there is a storeroom in your house which is ever in darkness. One day you realized that the room was extremely well illumined. Why? There was a bucket of water on the verandah, where the sunlight got reflected and threw a pool of light on the dark wall of the room. if you little son were to come at that time and play with the bucket of water, the illumination in the dark room will disappear; for, when the reflecting medium is disturbed and the reflected light is splashed about, the room is again in the dark until the reflection rehabilitates itself on the wall.....
3. So, then how is the atman realized?
स्वबोधे नान्यबोधेच्छा बोधरुपतयत्मनह ।
न दिपस्यान्यदीपेच्छा यथा स्वात्मप्रकशने ।। २९ ।।
स्वबोधे - with reference to Self -knowledge ; न - not ; अन्य्बोधेच्छा - need for other knowledge ; बोधरुपतया - because Its form is Knowledge itself ; आत्मनः - one 's own ; न - not ; दीपस्य - for a lamp ; अन्यदीपेच्छा - need for another lamp ; यथा - just as ; स्वात्मप्रकशने - to illumine itself
A lighted lamp does not need another lamp to illumine its light. So, too, Atman, which is Knowledge itself, needs no other knowledge to know itself.
Excerpt from Swamiji's commentary :
The outer world of objects is illumined as long as I am extrovert. The moment I turn introvert and my attention is inward, I realize that, that Light alone is the real one, which illumines the entire (gamut of) experiences everywhere, not only in my heart but in the entire world of beings. Whatever be the technique we adopt, we are bound to realize this Reality, if we faithfully follow the path laid down by the learned sages and experienced seers.
The intellect cannot comprehend the One homogenous whole, because It is not an object of cognition. With a telescope, I cannot see myself. I can only see other objects in front of me and around me. Similarly, so long as, the intellect is there, it is indeed very useful to discriminate, to reason out, to analyse, and to understand the objects and happenings in the field, other than the intellect itself. Now, when we try to understand the transcendental Truth with that limited intellect in an objective fashion, the intellect is trying to achieve the impossible, for the Self is ever the subject that illumines the very intellect that tries to understand the Self...........
In terms of the familiar analogy of the dream, the dreamer is none other than the waker, because when the dreamer wakes from his dream, he rediscovers himself to be the waker; so too in the supreme plane of Self-awareness and Bliss when all duality has ended, when I remain in my own nature, to understand, to realize, and experience that bliss of the Self (svarupananda), no other illuimination is necessary. It is a question of one awakening oneself to the state of God-consciousness - the Selfhood.
How?
निषिध्य निखिलोपधीन्नेति नेतीति वक्यतह ।
विद्यादैक्यम महावाक्यैर्जीवत्मपरमात्मनोह ।। ३० ।।
निषिध्य - after negating ; निखीलोपाधीन - all conditionings ; न इति - as not this ; न इति - as not this; इति - thus ; वाक्यतः - from the scriptural statements (commandments); विध्यात - know ; ऐक्यं - oneness ; महवक्यैहि - by the great mahavakhyas ; जीवात्मपरमत्मनोह - of the individual soul and the supreme Soul
By the process of negation of the conditionings (upadhis) as per scriptural statement 'it is not this, it is not this', the oneness of the individual soul and the supreme soul as indicated by the great mahavakyas, has to be realized.
4. And then, what ? Tatat Kim?
तीर्त्वा मोहार्ण्वम हत्वा रागद्वेषादिराक्ष्सान ।
योगी शान्तिसमायुक्त आत्मा रामो विराजते ।। ५० ।।
तीर्त्वा - after crossing ; मोहार्ण्वम - the ocean of delusion ; हत्वा - killing ; रागद्वेषदिराक्ष्सान - the monsters of likes and dislikes; योगी - the yogi ; शान्तिसमायुक्तहः - united with peace ; आत्म रामः - one who revels within himself ; विराजते - shines
After crossing the ocean of delusion and killing the monsters of likes and dislikes, the yogi who is united with peace becomes Atmarama, that is , he comes to revel in himself.
Excerpts from Swamiji's Commentary -
.......This crucial word "Atmarama" , poetic in itself, is highly suggestive.......Sankara, a master of Hindu traditions, brings the entire story of Ramayana to pack up the words of this verse firmly into its mighty beauty....
The very name of the hero of this great classic is significant and suggestive; Rama , means the reveler who revels everywhere in all hearts - 'sarve ramanti it Ramah'. The Self , Rama, wedded to Sita, who is none other than His own nature, peace, lives on joyously with unperturbed equanimity, both in the Kingdom of Ayodhya (the term literally means without war, and is used to indicate the state of effortlessness enjoyed by a Man of Realization) and in the jungles of his exile. His sorrows start when his consort 'peace' falls prey into the hands of Ravana, the ten headed monster. Ravana represents the lower animal nature in an individual which has ten heads even today - the five organs of perception and the five organs of action. The kingdoms of the secular and of the materialist can never sustain for long within the boundaries of the Aryavarta, the land of Sanatana-dharma, the garden of spirituality.......Rama then seeking his consort has to necessarily cross the ocean, reach Lanka, destroy the demonic forces and rediscover Sita, His lost peace. Sankara mentions in this verse that the ocean to be bridged over is the delusory attachment and fascination and the forces that array themselves against Rama are negative tendencies, which are natural in a deluded mind. When the inner personality is purified and rehabilitated, peace, the eternal consort of the Self, is regained. Thereafter, the Man of Realization, rules over the kingdom of life, from his capital known as 'Ayodhya'.....It is only in Sanskrit that a classic can be summarized by the suggestiveness of the words that are, at once, directly describing the highest spiritual Truth............OM TAT SAT
Beautiful. Thanks for a painstaking effort to pen down in such detail.
ReplyDeletelove
Vichu