ATMA BODHA 65

 

ATMA BODHA 65

“SARVAGAM SACHCHIDATMANAM GYANA- CHKSHUR- NIRIKSHITE

AGYANA-CHAKSHUR-NA-EEKSHETA-BHASVANTAM-BHANUM-ANDHAVAT.”

“Despite the fact that ATMAN is Pure Consciousness and ever present everywhere, IT is perceived by the eye of wisdom alone. But IT is not seen by one whose vision is obscured by ignorance. It is similar to the blind who cannot see the resplendent sun.”

Just as the blind man cannot see the radiant Sun, one who is incapable of grasping the Truth can never hope to see IT! One who has not developed the eye of wisdom  cannot perceive IT! One should be discriminative enough to reject the unreal from the real in order to perceive the Truth! He should have a pure mind and be bestowed with the serene light of knowledge within him to illumine the right judgment of things! He should havs single pointed devotion and penance. He should not super impose the finite qualities of the outer world of objects on the Infinite Self! It is only on such conditions that one can experience the presence of the Eternal Self as his own true nature.Though the ATMAN is SUPREME, it is the limiting factors in the seeker after Truth that veils and distorts the beauty of the Absolute Reality! It is the blndness in man that makes the sun dark though the sun  shines ever bright and brilliant!

The Vedantic teachers hold in theory that on transcending all equipments all seekers will realise the SELF, the Truth. Students, in the beginning try to follow the teacher only with their intellect.Carrying this impression, he student asks as to how one can experience the Truth when once the3 body-mind- intellect-equipment is transcended. It is here that the Rishis import the idea of the faculty of intuition—Gyana Chakshu for the benefit of students.

Contemplative power alone can understand the Reality! “This is not an objective experience. It is an uncompromising and total Becoming.”

A mind fully involved in feeling and thinking of the objects of the world  is so agitated and restless  that the Supreme cannot be capture in experience! The mind is slowly and intelligently withdrawn from its  outward fascinations. It is trained to turn inward and develop in itself the power to apprehend the Reality! Hence the intuitive power  ( Gyana Chakshu) is nothing other than a mind turned inward and held in attention! According to the Gita, such a prepared mind is a true vehicle to reach Knowledge and in itself is called  Gnanam!!  

 

ATMA BODHA 64

 

ATMA BODHA 64

“DRUSYATE SRUYATE YAD-YAT BRAHMANO- ANNYAT-NA- TAD BHAVET

TATVA-GYANAT-CHA TAD-BRAHMA  SACHIDANANANDA-MADVAYAM”

“ALL THAT IS PERCEIVED OR HEARD IS BRAHMAN AND NOTHING ELSE.AFTER ATTAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OFTHE REALITY, ONELOOKS AT THE UNIVERSE AS THE NON-DUAL   BRAHMAN. EXISTENCE-KNOWLEDGE- BLISS ABSOLUTE.”

Whatever one sees or hears through the sensory organs cannot be anything other than the Brahman. It is similar to whatever one sees in his dream state cannot be anything other than one’s own waking -state mind. It is the Consciousness that presides over lending its potentiality in all our activities of  perception, feeling and thinking. The awareness in us illumines the knowledge, ignorance, anger, love and many other feelings and emotions in us. But for the Consciousness that gives life to the “Prana” in us there is no existence.

One must realize, therefore, that  whatever exists in this mortal body, mind, and intellect (microcosm) or in the external world ( macrocosm)  are all Its own manifestation and nothing else. When this Truth is  totally realized and experienced one cannot but see the entire universe as a huge play-ground where the PARAMATMAN alone revels as  SAT-CHIT-ANANDA  ABSOLUTE for ------ It is One and one only “EKAM  EVA ADVITEEYAM  BRAHMA.”

 

  

 

ATMA BODHA 63

 

ATMA BODHA 63

“JAGAT VILAKSHANAM BRAHMA BRAHMANO- ANYAT-NA- KINCHANA

BRAHMA-ANYAT-BHATI-CHET MITHYA YATHA MARU- MARICHIKA.”

“BRAHMAN IS ENTIRELY OTHER THAN THIS, THE UNIVERSE. NOTHING EXISTS WHICH IS NOT BRAHMAN. IF ANY OBJECT OTHER THAN BRAHMAN APPEARS TO EXIST, IT IS UNREAL LIKE THE MIRAGE>”

In the previous stanza, the iron ball is other than the fire:  Is then the Brahman other than the universe which has an empirical existence; or is it in itself ever uncontaminated  by the world of matter?

What appears as the world of diversity with its names and forms to the ignorant  is realized by the illumined as an indivisible and non-dual Brahman. This multiplicity is only illusory. Hence it does not defile the Brahman. In the case of the desert and the mirage, the desert alone exists. It is the ignorant thatthat have the delusion of water-pools in the desert called the mirage. The deluded mind,  after seeing mirage,  multiplies its misapprehensions and sees waves in the waters of the mirage. The mind  sees even the sun reflecting on the water surface of the mirage.

The mirage and the desert are two different entities.  But without the desert the mirage cannot exist. The mirage water cannot wet even a grain of sand on the desert. Therefore if one thinks that this world of plurality is real he is totally mistaken because it does not and cannot exist without the Brahman. Like the mirage its existence is unreal. The Infinite or the Brahman is never contaminated by the world of plurality.

The aim of illusion is to give us the wrong notion that the names and forms are real.  These are caused by the plurality agitations caused in one’s own bosom. Therefore, the Ultimate Reality----the Supreme Brahman is different. It is other than the universe. Yet , in a different angle, it permeates everything iIt has created. There is nothing other than the Brahman. If there should be anything different from It, it can only be an unreal appearance.

ATMA BODHA 62

 

ATMA BODHA  62

“SWAYAM-ANTAR-BAHIR- VYAPYA BHASAYAN-AHILAM-JAGAT

BRAHMA  PRAKASATHE VAHNI PRATAPT AYASA-PINDAVAT.”

“The Supreme Brahman pervades the entire universe outwardly and inwardly. It shines of Itself like the fire that permeates a red-hot iron ball and glows by Itself.”

The Upanishads declare the BRAHMAN as “ Satyam jnana maqnantam BRAHMA.”  It is Truth. It is the only Knowledge to be acquired. It is Eternal and Infinite. There is no other object where the Brahman does not penetrate. In other words the whole world of creation is the manifestation of the Brahman itself. It is the material and efficient cause through them.  It is the Pure Consciousness. Thus there is no difference between the outer world of finite experience and the subjective state of Reality.

Without Spirit matter is dead. But when matter and Spirit merge there is manifestation of life. The vital content  in every atom and particle of life is this Supreme Reality. Is it possible to separate the Spirit from the matter?  Yes, it is possible as in the case of extracting butter from milk. The Spirit can be realized  and separated from matter through meditation in the pure heart-cave.(hridaya kuhara)

An iron ball, in contact with fire for a long time glows as fire itself. The world of dead matter is inert, lifeless and stationary but when  they play in the vitality of the SUPREME BRAHMAN there is manifestation of life. Our cognition and experience shall fail miserably without the grace of  this Pure Consciousness. The Vedas and the Upanishads declare vociferously that the Infinite is unborn, deathless,  omnipotent and all-pervading.—“ ajayamano bahudha vijayathe”. On the other hand  the created world of things and beings is born, mortal, and limited in its power and scope In short, the finite and the infinite are diametrically opposite in nature. How can we identify the intelligence and existence which is the nature of the Self in matter which is inert and dead? The red-hot iron ball illustrates the point.

Iron ball is black and cold. Fire is golden in colour and hot. The colour and heat of fire penetrates the iron- ball as it comes into contact with fire after a sufficiently long time. Similarly, when inert matter  is in association with the SPIRI for a long time, Its SATH- CHIT –ANANDA nature is transferred  on to the matter.

 

ATMA BODHA 61

 

ATMA  BODHA  61

“YAD- BHASA BHASYATE- ARKADI BHASYATI- YATU- NA- BHASYATE

    YENA- SARVAM- YEDAM- BHATI TAD –BRAHMETI – AVADHARAYET

                THAT BY  THE LIGHT OF WHICH THE LUMINOUS, ORBS LIKE THE SUN, AND THE MOON ARE ILLUMINATED, BUT WHICH IS NOT ILLUMINED BY THEIR LIGHT, REALISETHAT TO BE BRAHMAN.

It is the Consciousness in me illumines for me the conditions of the things around me. There is no difference between the total Cosmic Consciousness and the illuminating Factor within me. But there is no conditioning of the individual ego. No doubt, the sun illuminates the entire universe with his brilliant light but he too derives his life from the Supreme Force which is All-pervading. In other words, the Sun and the Moon  do not have a special agency other than the SELF in us for their illumination

That which illuminates all others but which cannot be illumined  by anything other than Itself is ever the Illuminator. Hence, when there is no object for It to illumine, It illumines Itself. This BRAHMAN, the Light of Consciousness remains in its own glory. It remains unattached and unaffected, like the street lamp an example referred to in the earlier stanzas. BRAHMAN is thus  the light of all lights, the fountain head of pure Consciousness and the mighty illuminator of  all illuminations

“ The Sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars nor these lightnings.How then could this fire? When He shines, everything shines after HIM; by HIS light all this is lighted.” (KATHOPANISHAD)

“ That which is not seen by the eye, but that by which the eyes are made to see---- know that as Brahmam.” ( KENOPANISHAD)                      

“ That which is not heard by the ear, but that by which the ears are made to hear ---- know that as Brahman and not what people worship here.” ( KENOPANISHAD)