ATMA BODHA 19

 

ATMA BODHA 19

“VYAPRITESHU- INDRIYESHU-ATMA VYAPAREEVA- AVIVEKINAM

DRISYATE ABRESHU DHAVATSU DHAVANNIVA YATHA- SASI.”

“The moon seems to be running as the clouds move in the firmament. Likewise to the non discriminating individual the ATMAN appears to be active when it is observed through the functions of the sense organs.”

When the Eternal Self illuminates the life of the perishable individual, it appears as if the SELF itself is acting! But actually the actions and movements are of the sense organs or indriyas and are not of the Self. SELF is the Life Spark in us and the sole nourisher of all life. It provides the organs the power for  such manifestations. As an illustration, the steam in the engine supplies the power for the locomotive to pull the train and the carriages. It is bereft of any favor or prejudice against any traveler. In fact it has no destination. Similarly, the Supreme ATMAN, expressing itself through the body, mind and the intellect seems to act. But actually the SELF does not participate in any activity of the sheaths or layers. There is no gain for the SELF through any such activity! The SELF is the substratum for all thoughts and actions and it is through the Light of the SELf they are recognized and experienced. Individual life and cosmic order would be extinct without the Omnipotence of the Supreme SELF!

A common man without the power of discrimination—Aviveki—does not perceive the truth behind. He mistakes the activity of the non- Self as that of the SELF though IT is an ‘unbiased Witness and detached observer.’ ’Sankara, in almost every one of the stanzas gives a comparison without which the existence of the ‘real SELF’ as the ‘Immaculate, ever uncontaminated by the frolics of the ‘unreal’ cannot be indicated. The example given here, by Sankara, is that of the moon which appears to the ignorant people as moving because of the clouds that pass in front of it. It is a common experience for children who think that the moon is running fast in the sky. In fact the clouds are moving fast in the sky creating an illusion that the moon is moving fast. Similar is the experience of the passenger in a train. Sitting by the window, he observes that the trees, and other objects outside are moving very fast as the train moves fast. When the train runs slow they appear to move slowly. In fact it is the train that moves fast or slow but not the trees and other objects. How can the trees and other objects run or move fast or slow? It is absolutely impossible! The point is that the objects observed gather to themselves the  properties of the medium through which we observe!

The Infinite SELF when seen through the restlessness of the body, mind and intellect, looks as though IT is agitated and active. With sufficient mental balance and scientific observation of life, a student can easily recognize that all agitations belong to the matter layers in us and the SELF is never involved in them. in short, the moon appears to move because we look at it through a moving medium! Life is considered as dynamic, active, and ever pulsating.  In fact, Life as such is not active. The vehicles thrilled by life act and these actions are super imposed on the Self and hence the SELF seems to be active!

When the mind is agitated the SELF seems to be agitated. But the Self has no such agitations. It is dispassionate, silent, steady and firm.  These agitations are only on the surface of the mind! We have to understand, therefore, that the functions of the different layers of matter are wrongly super imposed on the glorious SELF. One can realize ITs Infinitude and full Divinity without the intervention of matter sheaths--- the pancha kosas!