MAANASOLLAASA ( A repost )

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By harshanand_16

 

Jaya Jaya shankara !

Namastripurasundaryai !

Namo Kaameshwaraaya !

Namo narasimhaaya !

 

Just as one in a dream, sees the world within oneself as separate

entity,during the waking state also the external world has to be

judged. In dream, the reality of the objects is nothing but the

reality of oneself. Then, what is the speciality in objects seen in

the waking state which are insentient and quickly destroyed? Thus,

the common point of experience in dram state and waking state is

that, in both cases, the objects of experience are transient.

 

The revelation of objects in dream state is due to one's own light

and not due to anything else.Similar is the case in waking state.

Thus. using the example of dream state, we can deduce that the basis

of existance for all objects,even in the waking state is the Atman or

the self.This doctrine is supported by the upanishads: " aatmana eva

ayam jyotishaa aaste- He exists verily by the light of self etc". the

point to be noted here is that any object which cannot exist

independently cannot lso reveal itself. Just as one who has woken up

from sleep does not see the objects shown in the dream, so also, one

does not see the world, after attaining knowledge par excellence.

This knowledge is the realization of the Atman/Brahman, the basis for

all existance and consciousness.

 

When the jiva , who is asleep due tobeginless Maya, wakes up , then ,

he realizes the non-dual self, which is beyond the three states of

waking,dream and deep sleep. Ignorance of, and mistakes notions

about, the Atman are as good as sleep ; perhaps worse than sleep.

Sleep breaks in a natural way without our efforts, but ignorance and

false understanding of the self can be removed only by rigorous

sadhana. This awakening comes as a result of techings of a competent

guru.

 

By the kindness of the vedas,and the spiritual guru, and by the dint

of the practice of yoga, s also the grace of god,when knowledge of

the self arises,then, the yogi sees the whole world as swallowed by

the fullness of 'I' principle(i.e the self) even as the foodthat is

eaten and is in the stomach, is seen as a part and parcel of one's

self. The atman-Brahman principle can neverbe known through the

medium of senses or even intellect, by inference. It's existance can

be known only by revealed scriptures or the great vedas.Here when we

speak of yoga it is actually nidhidhyasana(meditation on the aatman).

 

Just as one becomes a king, in his dream, enjoys all desired

objects,assisted by an army conquers enemies, is later defeated by

another enemy, retires to forest and performs austerities, and thinks

that he has lived for a very long time, eventhough this was a very

short period of dream only, in the same way, in the waking state

also, he rules over the kingdom fancied by the mind, and does not

percieve how his life is getting destroyed ny powerful floods of the

river of time. Like the sun covered by the cloud, the atman, being

greatly deluded by maya, appears like one who knows little and an do

little.

 

Reality is only one and it is the Atman-Brahman principle. It is the

same principle that appears both as Ishwara and also Jiva. As an

example. it is the same person that becomes the king and also the

forest mndicant. Both these conditions have been brought about by the

dream state. In the same way, it is the association with maya that

makes the aatman appear as Isheara. Entering into the created world

and subjecting himself to the influence of maya, he becomes Jiva.

There is no seperate entity called Jiva at all.

 

It is due to the identity of the with Ishwara that the powers of

knowledge(Jnana shakthi) and action(kriya shakthi) have been

transferred to all living beings. That the jivas are also Ishwara is

established by the fact of accretion of the powers of Ishwara on the

jivs.

 

The powers of knowledge and action actually belong to ishwara. He

alone is independant. these powers are also seen in jivas, but they

are borrowed powers like the heat in a red-hot iron ball. Because

the jivas exhibit these powers which belong to ishwara , therefore,

ishwara is in them as their very own self. Hence he is Sarvaatma-Self

of all. Like the light of sun, it is the knowledge or consciousness

that shnes in all apprehensions like "this is pot", "this is a

cloth " etc. When an object like a pot or a cloth is seen in

sunlight, it is actually the sunlight that is reflected from those

oblects that is being seen. And sunlight does not need a second

object to reveal itself. It is self revealing. Similarly when we

actually know an object as "Thisis a pot", it is actuallly the

consciousness of our self that is revealing itself.

 

Activity is of the nature of movement and transformation. When

knowledge fows out, activity rises as its' effect. Kriya (activity)

manifests itself in 2 ways : Parispanda-vibration or movement a in

the case of an arrow shot from the bow.

 

Parinaama - transformation or change of state as in the case of gold

being made into ornaments. When a person sees a small boulder in his

path, lifts it with his hands and clears his path, a long chain

ofactions will ave taken place. First : His mindstuff, with he

reflection of the consciousness of the atman in it, flows out

through his eyes, envelopes the boulder and produces the

knowledge, "This is a boulder". He thinks " Since this is obstructing

my path, let me remove it". Third: He lifts it with his hand and

throws elsewhere. It is actually the last part of this sequence

thatis the actual kriya. This instrument has been moved by the power

of Praana, the vital breath of life force and energy. This prana is

situated in the body and supported by the atman(consiousness

personified). This proves that kriya is the end product of jnana.

This atman, who is the indweller in everything, is really the

ishwara. Hence whatever activity is seen I living beings, it is to

be understood as having ensued from ishwara himself