ATMA BODHA 29

 

                                                                        ATMA BODHA 29-1

           

              “SWA-BODHE NA-ANNYA BODHA-ICCHA jBODHA-ROOPATAYA-ATMANAH

                         NA DEEPASYA-ANNYA-DEEPA-ICCHA YATHA SWA-ATMA-PRAKASANE.”

“A LIGHTED LAMP DOES NOT REQUIRE ANOTHER LIGHT TO ILLUMINE IT. SIMILARLY, ATMAN WHICH IS KNOWLEDGE ITSELF DOES NOT NEED ANY OTHER KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW IT.”

Light is absolutely necessary to see any object in the dark room.  But is any other light is needed to see the light that has already illumined the objects in the dark room of the house?  It is totally unnecessary.  We do not require any light to see the sun that illumines the entire universe. That is because  the sun is, itself, illumination complete. The Self  is the illuminating light in all our experiences in all beings at all times. No other light is necessary because the Self alone is  the Real and lights up the knowledge of creation known and unknown. Thus  this Self is the all awaring Consciousness  Absolute.

 Even when all objects are removed from the dark room of the house, nothing happens to the light. The light continues to shed its power. In the same manner, when all our experiences in the waking, dream, and  deep sleep states have ended the Awareness continues to shine  because the Atman is Self-effulgent and Eternal.  No other light is necessary to know the Source of all Light. When we delve deep and turn our attention inward We realize that That light alone is the Real One illuminating  all experiences in the entire world of beings. We are bound to realize  this Reality if we faithfully follow footsteps of the learned sages and experienced seers.

The intellect is incapable of understanding the One Homogenous whole  as It is not an object of cognition. With a telescope I cannot see myself. I can see other objects in front of me and around me. Intellect is very useful  to discriminate, to reason out, analyse and understand in a different field. But when we try to comprehend the Transcendental Truth with our limited intellect we fail miserably.We should understand that the Self is the” Subject” that illumines the very intellect itself.

The body is gross and the mind subtle. The intellect is subtler As we delve deeper we reach the subtlest of thought experience. These thought waves sleep down and there is nothing for the Consciousness to illumine. In such a rare and sacred moment the Pure Consciousness  alone remains illuminating itself like a silent street lamp at midnight throwing light on itself.

It is interesting to draw an analogy with a dream. The dreamer is none other than the waker. He wakes up from the dream and rediscovers that he is himself the waker. Similarly in the Supreme plane of Self- Awareness and Bliss, at the end of all duality one remains in his Own Real nature and experiences  the Bliss of Self For this no other illumination is necessary It is in this state that one awakes himself to that state of God- consciousness---the Self—hood.