Our Fundamental Error - Parts 10 and 11

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Final two parts follow. (Safer this way since I keep forgetting to post!)

Inferred

Earlier, the process of inference was explained as involving four aspects -

the 'locus' of the discussion, the 'conclusion' that will be reached, a

'basis' for the argument and an 'analogy'. The example used was ' whenever

there is smoke, there is fire'. (The full form used for the analysis was

'(we infer that) there is a fire on the mountain because we can see smoke,

just as in a kitchen there is always fire when we see smoke'). Shankara's

analysis of adhyaasa can be put into the first form by saying that 'wherever

there is transaction, there is adhyaasa'.

 

He uses the example of using grass to catch a cow. The cow comes to the

grass because, believing itself to be the body, it has notions such as 'I am

hungry and the grass will remove the hunger, giving satisfaction'. It is the

mistaken belief or adhyaasa 'I am the body' that causes the cow to come to

the grass, 'going after things conducive to happiness'. Conversely, if

instead of holding out grass, we take a stick to the cow, the cow senses

danger and moves off, 'going away from things causing unhappiness'. This is

again caused by the mistaken idea 'I am the body'. In fact, in this latter

case, it is the belief that 'I am this physical body' (as opposed to the

subtle body, which cannot be harmed by the stick).

 

This provides the 'analogy' for the inference. Man goes after things he

likes and avoids those that he dislikes, just as the cow comes to the grass

and runs away from the stick. The full form of the inference then becomes:

'(We infer that) all human activities are based on error, because all

activities can be considered as either going after or going away, just as in

the example of the cow with the grass or stick'. Human activity is the

'locus'; that it is based on adhyaasa is the 'conclusion; "all activities

are either coming towards or going away" is the 'basis'; the example of the

cow, grass and stick is the 'analogy'.

 

Implication of adhyaasa

 

In everything that we do, we make the error of confusing what is real with

what is unreal. We have a single experience but our understanding of it is

confused. It is just like the example of the rope and snake. In our

ignorance we have a single experience - there is a snake - but in fact two

things are being mixed up viz. a real rope and an unreal snake. When I say

'I know', we think there is a single entity - a 'knower' but in fact there

is a real, conscious self and unreal, inert thoughts. In the sentence "I am

a knower", 'I am' is the 'general' part, referring to a real, conscious and

existent being, while 'a knower' is the 'particular' part and is unreal. The

two aspects are confused and adhyaasa occurs. The changeless part (existence

and consciousness) belongs to aatmaa and the changing thought process

belongs to anaatmaa. The two are mixed up and the idea 'I am a knower' is

the result. Aatmaa cannot be a knower since it is changeless and thus cannot

go through a 'knowing process'; anaatmaa cannot be a knower since it is

inert. The two are mixed up to form a new entity, a 'knower', as a single

experience but this is adhyaasa. ...............end Part 10

 

Conclusion of adhyaasa commentary

 

This understanding is not simply of academic interest; it is the source of

the belief that we are mortal and thus brings about our fear of death and

consequent insecurity. This then generates our constant concern with food

and shelter etc. and hence our obsession with money. The fact is that money

can only provide comforts; the basic insecurity does not go away however

much money we may have. Adhyaasa thus directly gives rise to samsaara.

Because we believe we are limited, we are continually trying to get those

things we like in order to remove the perceived limitations. The belief

that we 'do' anything, that we are 'doers' is due to adhyaasa and such

actions result in the merits and demerits of karma and in samsaara. All of

the suffering, from birth through disease, old age and death results from

this fundamental error that we make. And so it will continue until the

ignorance that is the cause of adhyaasa is removed. Actions are only a

movement within nature, the 'play of the guuNaa'; there is no doer.

 

The mistake takes place at all levels. With the thought 'I am the knower',

the anaatmaa of the mind an intellect is superimposed upon the aatmaa. At

the level of perception, a statement such as 'I am blind' superimposes the

anaatmaa of the sense organ upon the aatmaa. At the level of the body, ideas

such as 'I am a man' superimposes the anaatmaa of the body upon the aatmaa.

All of these various ideas and deemed to be properties of the Self, thus

mixing up aatmaa and anaatmaa in a disastrous mistake.

 

And so it goes on. Because of the identification with the body, we become

entangled in relationships with 'others' and imaginary 'needs' for 'external

objects' etc. The aatmaa has no relationships (there is only the aatmaa) but

because of the adhyaasa, the roots of samsaara spread everywhere.

 

The solution is to remove the ignorance of the Self. Only this can have the

required effect - removing any other ignorance will not affect this. Any

amount of education or knowledge in other subjects will only result in an

educated samsaari, someone who is knowledgeable about the anaatmaa. The

error is in respect of the Self, so samsaara can only be removed by

knowledge of the Self.

 

The ignorance is not total. We already know that we exist and that we are

conscious, just as in the rope and snake metaphor, we know that 'something'

is there (if we did not there couldn't be any error). The aspect about which

I am still ignorant is that I am Brahman. When we talk about searching for

knowledge of Brahman, we are not endeavouring to find out about some new

thing called 'Brahman' but about coming to realise our true status as

Brahman. Whilst this true status is not understood, we exist under the

mistaken impression that we are 'individuals' or 'jiiva-s'. It is the

purpose of the Upanishads to remove this adyhaasa.

 

Herein lies the difference between Vedanta and many other religions,

together with science, that they begin with the assumption that we are

inferior or 'sinners' and that we have to better ourselves. We waste our

whole lives trying to improve our status. Vedanta tells us that this

assumption of an inferior status is mistaken; we do not have to try to

improve ourselves, we are already perfect, whole and without limitation of

any kind. We need to enquire into the nature of Brahman and thereby remove

our adhyaasa. ..................end Part 11

 

Dennis