ATMA BODHA 27

 

                                                                        ATMA BODHA 27

                           “RAJJU-SARPAVAD-ATMANAM JIVO GNYATTWA  BHAYAM VAHETI

                            NAHAM JIVAH PARATMETI GNYATAS-CHET NIRBHAYO BHAVET”

Similar to a person who considers a rope as a snake, is overtaken by fear, one considering himself as the Ego (Jiva) is overcome by fear. Our individuality, which is ego-centric, become fearless by realizing that It is not a Jiva or an Individual but is itself this Supreme Soul.

In darkness the rope is mistaken as a snake. But really there is no snake. The form of the snake is super imposed on the rope and therefore the fear.  This super imposition of a snake vision on a rope takes place only when the existence of the rope is not perceived. As soon as this misapprehension starts, it multiplies itself, in its own imaginations, into a thousand baseless ideas.  The individual under his own delusions suffers the consequences of such a perception.  He imagines the details of the snake, the pain of its bite,  the fear of the death that would ensue  by the snake on the rope.

 This results because of the non apprehension of the Self. The misapprehension of the gross physical body, mind etc are seen  as real. This misunderstanding leads the confused ego to suffer in its own illusory sorrows. We should understand that we are not ‘limited individuality’ as we imagine ourselves to be. There is a limitless experience beyond our knowledge at present and this is shut out from us because of our self-centered existence. When the realization of the true nature of Self dawns on a person, his perpetual state of fear and sorrow miraculously vanishes and he appears to wake up from his own limited existence. He rediscovers himself to be the Blissful, Eternal Self which is All-pervading.

This illustration of seeing a snake in a rope is called “rajju-sarpa branthi. Darkness and the form of the rope create the illusion of the presence of the snake. Darkness is Avidya or ignorance.  When there is light the real nature of the rope is revealed. Light stands for knowledge or illumination. In short when Knowledge dawns all illusion vanishes and the real state of matter is known.  The purpose for which man is born is to realize himself. He is under the illusion that he is the body only. Though he is aware of the Self or Atma within, he does not identify himself with It. Under the firm grip of maya or illusion, he is eternally involved in material pleasures and cannot escape from the cycle of birth and death. Sankara states that this non-realization that He is not the limited Jiva but the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and omniscient SELF or the ATMAN is the root cause of all his sorrows and difficulties. The moment he realizes that he is not the body but the Eternal SELF or ATMAN, he is in total Bliss !   

ATMA BODHA 26

                                                                     ATMA BODHA 26

                             “ATMANO VIKRIYA NA-ASTI BUDDHHEH-BODHO NA JATWITI

                               JIVA SARVAM –ALAM GNYATTWA GNYATA DRISTETI MUHYATI”

“ATMAN NEVER DOES ANYTHING. THE INTELLECT BY ITSELF, IS INCAPABLE OF EXPERIENCING  “I KNOW”. BUT the INDIVIDUALITY IS DELUDED INTO THINKING THAT HE IS HIMSELF THE SEER AND THE KNOWER.”

Human intellect ,by itself, is not empowered to  feel, think, will or wish  because it is a product of matter. In other words it is inert and insentient. A simple illustration is a bulb which has no light in it without a connection to electric current. “That which is not thought by the mind, but that by which, they say, the mind is made to think----know that as Brahman, and not what people worship here.” (KENOPANISHAD)

Atman is knowledge itself. It is totally unaffected by physical actions and mental thoughts. The Jiva or the individuality, a reflection of the Pure Consciousness in the mind, in its ignorance or Avidya  falsely identifies itself with the body-mind- intellect equipment. Thus it super imposes the characteristics of the true Self on the insentient matter-envelopments. In this manner the delusion that one is a seer, knower etc crops up in the ego. It is all because of a false notion in himself.

The bedrock of all these changing phenomena is the eternal changeless Atman. The names and forms appear to rise and fall like the waves on the ocean. It is an illusion experienced upon that substratum. The waves are in and of the ocean only. They have no existence, even for a second, apart from the waters of the ocean. Similarly the entire waves of creation  is in and of the Absolute Supreme viz the Atman.They have no separate existence of their own. ATMAN, the Supreme Being is totally unaffected by the changes caused in the sphere of time and space.

The illuminating Consciousness is the Supreme Reality which creates awareness of the different objects and activities of the inner mind. Waves after waves of sorrow, despair, depression, joy, success, anger, jealousy and passion rise and fall in the mind. But one who knows the “Knower” of these waves is completely unaffected by them. ‘ I AM THE SELF.’ I am the LIGHT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. NONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE MIND IS ME. The wise always gloat over this wisdom!                                                                    

                 

ATMA BODHA 25

                   ATMANAH-SATH- CHID- AMSAS-CHA BUDDHEH VRITTI-RITI DWAYAM

SAMYOJYA-CHA AVIVIKENA JANAMITI PRAVARTATE”

The Atman is self effulgent while the mind is inert matter. The mind will be inert and powerless to  feel  without the power of illumination in consciousness. Bereft of this awareness within, we will not be conscious of our own thoughts. At the same time, a combination of these two contradictory things is impossible. Hence an alliance between the two is at best a delusory super imposition.

The mind-intellect -equipment  is ever exposed to the Eternal Self and the light of awareness. When from the sense organs the stimuli from the external world reach the bosom, the mind responds with the knowledge acquired in the past which in turn is expressed in actions. Life is an ‘unbroken chain of experiences’ and hence the individual is expected to respond to it constantly. Self is Absolute Knowledge.  Since  It is Knowledge itself, there is nothing for It to know. Self is considered as the only ONE Subject without any object to be known. Yet we experience the intellectual life of constantly knowing. How is it possible?  Sankara explains the subject in this stanza.

According to the theory in Vedanta knowledge of things is gained not through direct light of Consciousness but through “the beam of Consciousness reflected in the mind.”  The following illustration makes it clear. There is a dark room in your house. Suddenly you observe that it is fully illuminated on a day! How did it happen? A bucket of water in the verandah where the sunlight got reflected threw a pool of light on the dark wall of the room. When the reflecting medium is disturbed the reflected light is splashed about and the room is again in the dark.

Similarly the Self never illumines the objects directly. But the Light of Consciousness reflected on our intellect throws out a beam of reflected Consciousness that illumines the objects. This gives us the experience ‘I Know.’ Feelings and ideas shining in Consciousness are our knowledge of things! Remember that Anger, knowledge are characteristics of the mind. It is lack of discrimination that they are attributed to the ATMAN. In reality the nature of ATMAN is Sat- Chit-Ananda. The Eternal Self does not experience any change even when the individual experiences anger, pleasure pain etc. in his mind