Self/ *definition* of brahman

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Namaste All, Harsha,

 

Is it not that sat chit ananda are attributes, therefore refer only

to Saguna Brahman. Nirguna Brahman being without attributes...

Om Namah Sivaya, Tony.

 

 

 

 

 

.., "Harsha" <harsha-hkl@h...> wrote:

>

> V.M.Sundaram [venkataraman@p...]

> Sunday, February 11, 2001 4:06 AM

> advaitin

> Re: Re: Notes on BSB I-i-2-1E: *definition* of

> brahman

>

>

> The aatmaa which is yourself, can not be "perceived" in the same way

(thru

> any indriya

> and manas) because your own Self is not an object external to

yourself .

> Indriya-s are

> paraanci khani - externally oriented. So aatmaa cannot be

identified by

> any ruupa,rasa.

> gandha etc .

> In the sixth stanza of the nirvaNa shatkam itself Shankara says aham

> nir-aakara- ruupah

> and goes on to end the stanza with cit-aananda- ruupaH shivoham

shivoham !

>

> Cit - aananda ( you can add sat also in front) is NOT the FORM of

aatmaa

> that can be

> perceived by the senses. Nor is it an attribute or quality of

aatmaa. It

> is the very NATURE

> of aatmaa. Aatmaa IS cit-aananda. Aatmaa is not being described

as

> intelligent or happy.

> Aatmaa is Intelligence and Happiness.

>

> This my understanding. I am open to correction. I shall also be

happy if

> other sholars

> confirm my understanding as correct.

>

> Regards.

> V.M.Sundaram.

>

> It is essentially correct. Sat-Chit-Ananda is the Self-Nature.

Perception

> takes place through the indriya (senses) and manas (mind) due to it.

Sat is

> Existence. It means Self-Existence. Existence which does not depend

on

> anything external to it as there is nothing external to it. Chit

means

> Knowledge. It means Self-Knowledge. Knowledge whose nature is the

Pure

> Knowing of It Self without any external medium, there being nothing

external

> to it. Ananda means Bliss. Ananda means the Pure Bliss here as

Self-Bliss

> again there being no other medium through which Bliss is

experienced.

> Sat-Chit-Ananda is One Monolithic Whole. Upon Direct Self

Realization, Sages

> also add Nityam (Eternal)! Poornum (Whole)! It means the Self is by

its

> Self-Nature, Eternal and Whole. So from the perspective of the mind

five

> words are used by Sages as descriptive of the Self.

> Sat-Chit-Ananda-Nityam-Poornum. Each one of those descriptors

contains

> within it essentially all the others.

>

> Love to all

> Harsha