ATMA BODHA 30

 

                                                           ATMA BODHA 30

                            NISHIDYA NIKHILOPADHEEN NETI—NETI –ITI VAKYATAH

                            VIDYAT-AIKYAM MAHA-VAKYAI JIVATMA PARAMATMANOH

“BY a process of negating the upadhis through the help of  the 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 ealised.”

The Vedic  aphorisams or Mahavakyas are 1“THAT THOU ART 2 “THE ATMAN IS BRAHMAN 3 CONSCIOUSNESS IS BRAHMAN  4 “ I AM BRaHMAN” All these indicate the NonduaL identity between  the individual soul (Jiva) and the Supreme Soul (Atma) since the Reality behind them both is the One Brahman, the Absolute.

Sankara indicates in this stanza  the way to Self realization by a process of negating the limiting factors of the individual namely the gross, the subtle, and the causal body developments and also  the  not-self(Anatma) objects  as seen by us in the outer world through these bodies. This guides the seeker  on  to the realization that the individual soul is in its real nature is nothing but the Supreme Soul  (Paramatman) Itself.

The Pure Consciousness in me is the Absolute Reality and this alone in you and in every other being is the Self everywhere. The Guru imparts the truth as “That Thou Art”. The seeker after truth in his burning desire to reach the goal analyses his own upadhis as well as their corresponding objects in the outer world; the body and the sense objects, the mind and its feelings, and the intellects and its thoughts. His power of discrimination rejects every one of them as not-self. Time, space and causality are also negated as perceptions of the mind and intellect. The process of negation “Not this, Not this” (‘neti’ ‘neti’) makes him realize that one is not one of the non-Self  vestures ( Anatma Kosas) within or without. He perceives and realizes the One Eternal Truth embedded in every one of the objects. It becomes a living experience, as “the only permanent in the impermanent.”

“The ‘ Mahavakyas  are no mere aphorisams but the golden keys opening to the gateways to a richer experience beyond words and comprehension by our intellect. By this process of negation of the false and assertion of the positive Truth one reaches the holy land of the full and pregnant spiritual experience: ‘I am Brahman’ ( Aham Brahmasmi)

The Jeeva conditioned by the body, mind and intellect bound by its own Vasanas, tempted by a number of objects, experiencing limitless sorrows and despairs  is the same as the “ Unconditioned  Infinite  Immutable Sachidananda Truth. The Jeeva in its limitations and sorrows can never become the ALL - Blissful Unlimited Brahman. But when the Jeeva dissociates itself from all its matter embellishment, it  is shorn of its ego centric individuality and experiences  The Truth Divine.

The common denominator in both the Jeeva and the Supreme is the term “Asi.”  In short the Infinite conditioned by matter is the Jeeva. The Jeeva that transcends its equipments  and rediscovers itself is  the Immaculate Divine>