The indivisible source

[Guest guest]

This is in response to Revered Sri Ramachandran's request to write some thing on

Shankara Jayanti. I just happened to see his request.

 

[The following article is offered at the Lotus feet of my teacher H.H. Swamini

Saradapryiananda. If you found any mistakes in the following article, please

forgive me for my intellect based ignorance. And if you found any thing good in

the following article, say thanks to my teacher, who made me realize, whose

words are sunk deep in to my memories, who is in me, and who is everywhere...]

 

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bhava saMkara dESika mE SaranaM!

 

In the time before Sri Adishankara --- the karmakanda (ritual parts of veda) has

got greater significance in day to day life. People were being carried away

with the idea of pleasing the Demi-Gods. It was not a wonder that some students

belong to Poorva Meemamamsa school even thought that the Demi-Gods are there to

listen to humans, a human possess the full power to command them. In deed, the

following lines from mimamsa very much support their argument:

 

"dEvatAvA prayOjayEt atithivat bhOjanasya tadarthatvAt " (mimamsa 9-1-6)

"apivA Sabda poorvatvAt yagna karma pradhAnaMSyAt guNatvE dEvatA SRUtiH"

(mimamsa 9-1-9)

 

Those days Vedic rituals have taken higher importance than necessary. Also, the

followers of Veda, who are collectively identified as Hindus, are divided

amongst themselves as six schools of thought. (i.e. poorva meemamsa,

uttarameemamsa, sAMkhya, yOga, vishEshika, nyAya) The deep rooted debates and

difference of opinion regarding the Omnipotent source made them deeply involve

in mundane works and made them ignore the "indivisible truth" that is hidden in

the Vedas. The distinct voice of Yagnavalkya was also ignored. Perhaps, this

is due to the reason that human is vulnerable to desire. I wonder if there is

somebody, who will refrain from buying a Lottery ticket, in case I provide them

with the winning number!...

 

Desire makes the world born, it makes the world living, ultimately it also makes

the world perish. The Vedas are used much for satisfying the human desire. And

in course of practicing the Brahmana part of veda, seekers happily opted to

ignore the Upanishad part of the Veda. Upanishads are the part of same Veda.

How ever, since Upanishads speak of the mundane of the world, people ignored

them. And in order to put a brave face to the world, in pre Shankara era, I

believe seekers hide their faces behind statements like "mukta baddhayO

ranyatarAbhAvAt natatsiddhiH" (sAMkhya sootra 1-93). They said that since the

bound and liberated are different there is no importance to the existence of

eeSvrara! Though they accepted the importance of people with greater power

(Siddhas) they gave less importance to the path (advaita) that is shown by the

same mukta purashas "muktAtmanaH praSaMsA siddhasyavA" (sAMkhya 1-95)

 

As I mentioned in the above paragraph, people tried to put a brave face, where

as in reality they are falling pray to their own desires. Satiating the desires

is become like satisfying the ever hungry ghosts! Then the time has come to the

world to learn the right path, the indivisible source has taken shape as Adi

Shankara. In fact, there was nothing that Adi Shankara has newly propogated.

It is very much there in the Vedas, but ignored by people. Adi Shankara lit the

light of nonduality knowledge in the minds of people. He made them listen to the

truth clearly stated in our upanishads:

 

avidyAyAM bahudhA vartamAnAH, vayaM kRUtArdhA ityabhimanyaMti bAlAH,

yatkarmiNOna pravEdayaMti rAgA ntEnAturAH kheeNa lOkAScyavantE (munDakOpanishad

- 8,9)

 

MundakOpanishad says that people behave like children, by thinking that the

yagna can bring them TOTAL happiness! Having attained some powers by performing

the right yagna, some people become self-boasting where as others having failed

in attaining the powers --- cry like madmen. In deed, they both are blind men.

This is all because of the lack of knowledge...

 

Knowledge about the world is very important. AdiShankara brought out the

knowledge about the world. He said that the world is as real as your dream. He

stressed the importance of the 4 great sayings (mahavAkyas) of Vedas.

 

1) tatvaMasi [ChandOyOpanishad 6-8-7]

2) ayamAtmA brahma [mAMDookyOpanishad 2]

3) sOhamasmi [eeSAvASyOpanishad 16]

4) ahaMbrahmAsmi [brUhadAranyakOpanishad 1-4-10]

 

It is the same truth that is brought down to us by Sri GaudapAda, the great guru

of Sri Adishankara. If we read the GaudapadaKarika we can understand the roots

of Shankara's exponential philosophy.

 

Sri Gaudapada in his MandookyakArika says:

 

"jeevAtmanOrananyatvaM, abhEdEna praSasyatE,

nAnAtvaM nindatEyacca, tadEvahi samaMjasaM" [mAndookyakArika 3-13]

 

There is no difference between the Jeeva (individual soul) and the Deva

(paramatma - supreme soul). The Sruti (veda) is glorifying this truth. Though

they seem to be different, in reality they are not different. The difference is

negated hence the oneness only is the reality.

 

We are humans. As humans we tend to err; we tend to mis-understand. We

understand that by earning some money we can buy some comfort, that is why we

all struggle to earn money in doing the back breaking jobs. Thus, we keep

satisfying the desires that arise in us. But, where is the end to these

desires! We have to know that the desire is a projection of Maya. The concept

of Maya should not be mis-understood here. In my opinion, "Maya is that which

makes things appear otherwise". A 60kgs of flesh, bones and blood can appear as

a beautiful lady, because of Maya, and you may fall in love because of the same

Maya. The person who has seen the Beautiful lady out of the flesh, blood and

bones; and the Lady who appeared such are also part of Maya. They appear

different, though analytically they both are the products of same organic

material. They both are the appearances of the same indivisible truth, which is

otherwise called as Consciousness...

 

"ghaTa kuDyAdikaM SarvaM, mRuttikA mAtramEvaca

dRuK brahma dRUSyaM mAyEti, iti vEdAMta DiMDimaH" [vEdaMta DiMDima - by Adi

Sankara]

 

SriSankara made it as clear as possible for us. Every thing that is seen,

including the body of the very seer, is nothing but mud (just like plants we

sprout, and like any other animals we move on this earth; when the time comes we

also perish and go back in the the same earth (mRUttika]. We have to understand

that what ever we see is bound to perish, because it is maya. And the seer (the

apparent consciousness) is nothing but Brahman alone.

 

Once we understand the truth that there is no end to the desires, we turn

inwards. We have to find our source. The source is indivisable. It is

brahman. It is always in us, it is every where! Like the fire expresses as

huge when takes the shape of a forestfire, the indivisible truth takes shape of

an "avatarapurusha", and expresses itself so that we can understand what it

is...

 

There is nothing outside in the world, everything is your own creation. The

desire is your creation, the joy, and the resultant sorrow is also your own

creation. He who understands the truth that he alone is the creater of his

universe, will come to know the highest truth. He is a real Yogi. There is

nothing to desire for such a man in this universe, except the wellbeing of all

universe --- "lOkASsamastA ssukhinO bhavaMtu". Let the whole universe be

happy...

 

Realizing the Godhood within is the goal of Advaita. And such a realized

advaiti enjoys the everlasting bliss as told in BhagawadGita.

 

"yOntassukhOntarArAm stathAntarjyOti rEvayaH

sayOgee brahma nirvANaM brahMa bhootOdhi gaccati 5-24

labhaMtE brahma nirvANM mRUshayaH ksheeNa kalmashAH

chinnadhivadhA yatAtmAnaH, sarva bhoota hitE ratAH 5-25

 

 

OM SANTIH! OM SANTIH! OM SANTIH!

tat sat SrigurucaraNAraviMdArpaNamastu...