By Shri
Lakshminarayan Aithal
(This is a guided discussion on the essence of Vedanta which shows us
how to deliberate and reach the conclusion that the real I is actually Divine and not the mind-body-intellect complex.)
I
AM PURE, FULL, ETERNAL AND ONE.
On the whole,
we have deliberated
and proved that
the Self is
Pure ( Shuddha ); and He doesn’t have
an iota of
impurity either of
the worldliness or
of the inert
world. There is
no valid evidence
to tell that
the Self is
bound by wakefulness,
dream and deep-sleep
states; and the
states are tagged
to the Self.
For the Self
remains to exist
as He is,
in spite of
appearing and disappearing
of the states
in Him, the
Self is Full ( Poorna ). It
is a wrong
concept that He
exists somewhere else
in the world
and He is
bound by time
and space; and
He is suffering !
Really, there is
no place where
the Self doesn’t
exist; and the
place is also
imagined in the
Self and it
appears in Him;
and therefore, the
concept of place
doesn’t agree with
Him in the
least. Similarly, the
Self is not
bound by time;
for, the time
is also imagined
in the Self.
That which is
bound by time
and space, at
a particular point
of time is
destroyed by either
the destruction of
its parts or
the separation of
its parts; but
the Self is
not bound by
either time or
space; and therefore,
the Self is
Eternal One ( Nitya ). For
all these reasons,
the Self is
One alone ( Eka ), that
means, the Self
doesn’t have a
second entity including
the self and
the inert. When
the self and
the inert objects
appear, as we
have shown already,
these have a
mere appearance; and
in the deep
sleep there is no trace
of living and
non-living. If the
dream is off,
the dreamer alone
remains and so
the delusion is
off; the rope,
etc. the support
of the delusion
alone remain; and
in the deep-sleep
which is bereft
of the appearance
of the wakefulness
and the dream,
this Self alone
remains; and therefore,
the Self, Himself,
alone is the
essence of the
states. Therefore, the
Self, in all
respects, is the
One without the
second.
I
AM THE AUSPICIOUSNESS (SHIVA).
Therefore, it is
decided that I
am really the
Auspiciousness ( Shiva ), the
scripture tells that
the Supreme Lord
is the Cause
for the birth,
etc. Of the world. Similarly,
our Self-Form is
the Cause for
the birth, appearance
and disappearance of
the world. As
the scripture has
told that the
Supreme Lord has
become everything; so
our Self-Form has
become everything. As
the scripture describes
that the Supreme
Lord is of
the Nature of Eternally Pure-Awareness-Liberation (
Nitya-Shuddha-Buddha-Svabhaava );
similarly, the reason
supported by the
experience has proved
that our Self
also exists so.
Therefore, the Self
of us is
the Auspiciousness ( Shiva ) as
mentioned in the
scripture.
IV.
THE REMOVAL OF
THE DELUSION OF
THE STEADINESS OF
DUALITY.
The snake of
the rope and
the dream are
not completely the
proper examples to
illustrate the delusion
of the self
and the inert
world. For, the
world appears to
exist even after
the one has
obtained the Self-Knowledge. But
the snake of
the rope disappears
after the reality
of the rope
is known, and
the dream world
disappears in the
wakefulness. If the
Vedantins tell that
the world really
disappears after the
one obtains the
Knowledge of the
Self; this saying
of theirs may
not be the
proper one. For,
according to the
vision of the
knower of the
Self none exists
other than Himself.
Then, the Knower cannot preach the reality to anyone. Then,
the empirical activity
of the Teacher
and student doesn’t
exist. In order
to solve this
doubt of anyone,
the following verse
is quoted:
Matto Naanyat-kinchid-atraasti
Vishvam Satyam Baahyam Vastu Maayopa-klrptam I
Aadarsha-antar-bhaasamaanena Tulyam
Mayyadvaite Bhaati Tasmaachhivoham II
Meaning- Atra: here, mattah:
than me,
anyat: other than, satyam: real, vishvam: the
world, kinchid: anything,
naasti: doesn’t exist, baahyam: external, vastu: object,
maayopa-klrptam: imagined due to
delusion, aadarshaantah: in
the mirror, bhaasamaanena:
to the
appearing ( image ), tulyam:
equal, advaite: in ( me )
who don’t have
the second thing,
mayi: in me, bhaati:
appears, tasmaat: therefore, aham: I , shivah: Auspiciousness.
4. No real world, apart from me
exists here. All external
objects are imagined
due to delusion;
and this appears
in Me who
am not having
the second thing;
and this appearance
is similar to the image
in the mirror.
Therefore, I am Auspiciousness.
EXPLANATION: NO WORLD EXISTS APART FROM ME.
There is one
main objection to
tell that the
Self is not
having a second
one. When the
world appears clearly,
in front of
us, can it
be negated? If the world
exists really, then,
how does the
Self become the
Unique One?
(Relief: -) It is
wrong to believe
that the world
exists along with
the Self. For,
the world doesn’t
exist independently apart
from the Self.
The Self and the world are not two objects. For,
the Self and
the world don’t
belong to the
same kind of
entity. If they
don’t belong to
the same species
we cannot count
them as two.
If a chair is added
with the other
one, they become
two chairs. If
a chair is
added with a
bench, then it
becomes two wooden
articles of furniture.
But, there is
no answer to
the question: what
does happen when
the world is
added with the
Self?
(Objection: -) Why there is no
answer? The Self and the world are two
entities. Why don’t we tell two?
(Relief: -) We should not tell
so. For, the Self is not an object
(Padaartha). Here, pada- artha means
the meaning of a word. A thing
which is grasped
by the mind
can be identified
by means of
a word; and
that thing is
the meaning of
the word. But the Self is not grasped by the mind. The Self, himself, illumines the mind. Therefore, the Self is not an object. For this reason alone, the words: Self, Auspiciousness, etc. Of the Vedantins appear meaningless for many
others. If the
word ‘Self’ is
meaningless, none can
tell that the
Self doesn’t exist.
For, the Self
appears in the
experience and by
the support of
the experience of
the Self alone
we identify the
mind and the
word that appears
to the mind.
(Objection: -) If the Self
is not an
object, let it
be so. By
the experience of
the Self and
that of the
world alone, don’t
we decide the
existence of the
two?
(Relief: -) No, not at all.
For, objects exist
in a place or in
the same time
can be counted
in the manner, ‘one,
two, three, etc.’
The Self and
the world don’t
exist either in
the same time
or in the
same space; and
both of them
don’t belong to
the same species.
Then, how, at
all, numerical can
be applied to
the Self and
the world?
(Objection: -) If both of
them are not
separate two things,
how could this
usage of words
be possible? Is
it possible to
tell that the
Self and the
world are one?
(Relief: -) The One Principle can
be seen in two ways. Therefore, we use
two words. From the
view point of
the wise, the
Principle is the
Self and from
the view point
of ignorant people,
the Principle is
the world. They call the Self as the world.
(Objection: -) If the One
Self, himself, appears
in two ways,
why are the
two not real?
(Relief: -) We have already answered this. The world is not real. The ignorant people misconceive the false world
in the Self.
(Objection: -) If the world
is unreal, why
do the people
who know the
Self also see
it? As the
dream world disappears
in the wakeful
state, why doesn’t
this world disappear,
when the Knowledge
of the Self
is dawned?
(Relief: -) If we really view the world, certainly, it disappears. Or,
instead of telling
that it vanishes
after the dawn
of the Knowledge;
say that the
world never exists
itself is the
correct statement. Therefore,
the world that
has to be
vanished, does never
exist at all.
(Objection: -) Then, why does the
world appear?
(Relief: -) The reason
for which the
world appears need
not be given.
The world is not real,
it is a mere appearance.
It is enough to know this much.
(Objection: -) Let it be an appearance.
After knowing the
reality, why should
not the appearance
go as the
dream does?
(Relief: -) There is no
such a rule
that all the
appearances disappear by
knowing the reality.
There is a
rule for all
appearances: At first,
we consider that
appearance, itself, is
real; and after
the dawning of
the knowledge the
reality applied to
it alone vanishes.
……to be continued in the next edition of Venugaanam
(Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal has served for over 3 decades in Swami’s
institution and is the former Principal of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva
Institutions at Muddenahalli. Inspired by Swami’s direct message to study the
Upanishads, he first learnt Sanskrit and then studied the direct works of Adi
Shankaracharya and Swami. Sincere perseverance led him to the reality of Aham
Brahmasmi and He realized and experienced Swami’s words: “I am God and so are
you”. He shares the import of the Upanishadic teachings with us in this series
of articles.)
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