Understanding of JK

[Guest guest]

WAH! Quite an interesting discussion on JK's! Happy to read different

perspectives on JK's writings. There are some beautiful lectures, he gave,

where there was not much of discussion about conditioning by cultures and

traditions, but more on the reality. I will try to post some when I can

transcribe them. But I want to share one of his statement that hit me.

 

" It is not an understanding as an understanding as a thought,

it is an understanding as an understanding as a fact"

 

This reminded me of Kenopanishad sloka where the student screams "I

understand" then realizes that that may give indication that it is an

intellectual understanding - corrects himself - "No, I understand it not"

as 'it' is not an object to understand - Then again realizes that the last

statement does not communicate his real understanding - again says - "not

that I donot understand" -

Essentially the communication vehicle breaks down. Of course the teacher

understood his student's dilemma -

 

Hence the teacher also says:

"Those who understand it, understand it not" -

a reflection of JK's first part of the statement.

 

The unconditioning that JK tries to emphasize in all his talks is

essentially urging us to jump from the first part of his statement to the

second part of his statement.

 

But how do I jump from the first part of the statement to the second part -

JK leaves us in cold, urging us to find our way. Kena also leaves it for

us to find out; but give hints in terms of how or where one should look

for the answer, to free from all conditionings! There are five beautiful

slokas pointing the directions to contemplate - leaving all the traditions

and cultural conditionings aside.

 

yadvaachaa anabhyuditam yena vak abhyudyate|

tadeva brahma twam viddi nedam yadidamupaasate||

That which speach can not speak but because of which the speach has the

capacity to speak, that alone is Brahman not this that you worship here.

 

yan manasaa na manute yanAhur manomatam|

tadeva ............

That which the mind cannot think, but because of which the mind has the

capacity to think, that alone is ......

 

yat chakshushhaa na pasyati yena chakshumsi pasyati|

tadeva ......

That which the eyes cannot see, but that because of which the eyes have the

capacity to see, that alone is ...

 

yat shrotrena na shroNoti yena shrotamidam shrutam|

tadeva ..........

That which the ears cannot hear but because of which the ears have the

capacity to hear, that alone is .....

 

yat praNena na praNoti yena praNa praNiiyate|

tadeva ......

That which the living cannot enliven but because of which the life itself

is enlivened that alone is ... .

(one can take the last sloka to mean as, one cannot be conscious of that

which enlivens but because of which all life forms are enlivened that is

the very consciousness itself)

 

The context is more clear if one realizes that teacher in response to

student question said earlier that it is the eye of the eye and ear of the

ear etc. indicating that it is the true eye behind the eye; that the eyes

can not see, but because of which the eyes have the capacity to see.

 

Kenopanishad was the first text Swami Chinmayananda used to take for

morning classes - when discussing these slokas he used stretch his hand and

ask what do you see - we all responded that we see the hand - He asked is

that all? - Of course we could not find any thing else to see. Then he

removed his hand, asked again what do you see now - We said we see nothing.

- He again asked " how do you say that there is nothing to see - on what

basis" - we were blank - He stretched his hand again and asked - " How do

you know there is a hand here - is it not because there is light that is

falling on the hand and illumining the hand for you to see". Now removing

the hand, "when you said there is nothing - is there not light that is

illumining that nothing" - Then he asked us to close our eyes asked to

think of an object cow - "can all see the cow" we said yes. In what light

you are able to see that cow, he asked? - that is the light of

consciousness. Now he asked - shift your attention from the cow to the

light that illumines the cow - you are that.

 

Meditation became a new meaning. In stead of objects that distracts the

mind, a thought, the same thought, a repeated thought for the mind to avoid

all other distracting thoughts - but not to pay attention to the thought

but to that which illumines the thought -This is essence of Japa yoga or

Mantra that Lilia Stepanova asked before. It is only a tool to go beyond

the tool and man tarati iti mantra - that which takes the mind beyond the

mind. When Swami Chinmayanandaji showed the practical demonstration of it,

I realized the importance of the teacher right there.

 

There is no contradiction in JK's teachings and Vedanta. Contradiction

comes in terms of purification of the mind - Vedanta insists based on

experience of many, that it is not easy to contemplate in the direction

pointed unless the mind is free from extrovertedness. For that sadhana is

required and the sadhana, properly done under the guidance of a teacher

does not leave one with new conditioning. Shankara in Atmabodha emphasizes

this ..kR^itvaa, JNaanam swayam nasyet, jalam kaTakarenu vat. - having done

its job (purification), the JNanayoga, get destroyed by itself, just as

kaTaka nut powder added to purify the drinking water. In those days they

use to add kaTaka nut powder to water which forms a slum and coagulates the

dust and everything else and becomes heavy and sinks to the bottom leaving

pure water to drink, leaving the water free from the original dirt as well

as kaTaka nut powder; much similar to the modern purification process.

Hence what vedanta emphasizes is that it is self-cleaning purification

process leaving one alone to oneself.

 

But more than that, Vedanta also teaches that the self-in me is the self

in all, as Krishna points out "sarvabhuutastham aatmaanam sarva bhuutaani

ca aatamanione-self is in everything and everything is in one-self.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

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K. Sadananda

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Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

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