Shri Karunakaran's note

[Guest guest]

Namaste Shri Rajkumar, Professor Krishnamurthy and Shri Madathil,

 

Very interesting to read Shri Karunakaran's note about levels of

'realism' and 'idealism' on the way to non-duality (in Shri Rajkumar's

message, 7 Dec). And to read Professor Krishnamurthy's comparison (7

Dec) with similar levels described by Shri M.K. Venkatrama Iyer.

 

And in respect of Shri Madathil's request for clarification of Shri

Karunakaran's 6 levels, I would say that it might be done by grouping

them together into the three familiar levels of body, mind and

consciousness.

 

Objects (1) and Knowledge of objects (2) belong to the level of body in

an outside world. At this material level, a person first sees outside

*objects* and then goes on to a slightly deeper recognition that the

objects have to be known. So we have *knowledge of objects*, as in our

physical sciences.

 

Objects of knowledge (3), Objects in knowledge (4) and Knowledge as

objects (5) belong to the level of mind, as it conceives inner objects

that are made of its own thoughts and feelings. The starting level here

is to see that inner objects come into existence only when they are

known. As *objects of knowledge*, they have no existence independent of

knowledge. When that is seen, it leads to a deeper appreciation that

each object is no more and no less than an *object in knowledge*. In

turn, that appreciation leads to a further understanding that when an

object is experienced, there is only knowledge there. So all experience

is of knowledge only, appearing in the form of objects. This is the

deepest level of experience in the mind, where experience is of

*knowledge as objects*.

 

But knowledge itself (6) is completely beyond the mind. For knowledge

to appear in the form of objects, mind is still needed. There is still

an assumption here of latent or hidden or 'unconscious' samskaras --

which cause appearances by sprouting forth and growing and blossoming

into manifestation, like seeds grow into plants with manifested

branches and leaves and flowers and fruits. This is a last assumption,

of manifesting causality, beneath all mental and physical

manifestations in time and space. To find *knowledge in itself*, this

last assumption must be questioned and given up, thus leaping utterly

beyond all space and time and all cause as well. That is the final leap

where non-duality is realized, as all apparent levels are dissolved in

it.

 

But this is perhaps an unnecessarily involved elaboration, of the

simpler and more straightforward analysis in Shri Karunakaran's note

(appended below). Perhaps Shri Rajkumar could explain more clearly, by

correcting this elaboration where it has gone wrong or by saying

something simpler.

 

I look forward to seeing more of Shri Karunakaran's notes, either

through Shri Rajkumar, or on a trip to Kerala (perhaps in March or

thereabout) when I hope to have the opportunity to meet Shri

Karunakaran.

 

Ananda

 

 

 

Shri Karunakaran's note (from Shri Rajkumar Nair, 7 Dec):

 

SIX LEVELS

 

Disciple: How can we reach the reality from the perception of an

object?

 

Gurunathan: You can see an object from six levels as given below. Each

is an improvement on the other. When you come to the last level, you

reach the reality.

 

1. Objects : This is the stand of an ordinary man.

 

2. Knowledge of objects : When the fascination for objects becomes a

little less, objects are examined and found that they cannot stand

independently of knowledge. Side by side with objects, knowledge is

also seen. Both objects and knowledge have equal emphasis and

therefore, this too is the stand of an ordinary man.

 

3. Objects of knowledge : When fascination becomes further less,

objects are examined at closer quarters. Knowledge can exist all alone

(deep sleep); but objects cannot. Therefore all that appear do so only

as objects of knowledge. Here begins the stand of an aspirant.

 

4. Objects in knowledge : Here fascination is almost dying. Nothing is

seen outside knowledge. There is greater emphasis for knowledge.

 

5. Knowledge as objects : Here the fascination is almost extinct.

Grossness of objects has ceased to exist. what remains is only

knowledge as objects. Knowledge reigns supreme.

 

6. Knowledge : Even the samskara of objects has disappeared. All is

knowledge.

 

In the beginning, it was all objects and in the end it is all

knowledge.