Purnamadah, Purnamidam. . . .revisited

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Nairji & Sri Narendranji, and Others

 

Thank you Sri Nairji for giving us the opportunity of reading Sri Narendranji’s

very commendable understanding regarding Bhakti and Gnana. May I say few words,

which reflect only my understanding of certain aspects of Advaita Siddhanta.

Please do not misinterpret, as all I want is to get myself corrected by our dear

members.

 

Sri Narendranji wrote:

 

<<<The question to which I am seeking an answer is, how can I, having attained

this indirect knowledge (aparoksha jnana) of the Absolute Truth, face all the

rocking of temporal experiences and still stay

 

attached to that Truth, from which I had for quite some time detached myself and

ran after the unreal experiences and perhaps still do. In other words, how to

avoid Atmavismrthi in the present and future. I see is Atma as Absolute

reality and experiences as

 

temporal reality. This is how I interpret Brahma Satyam, Jagan Mithya, since

jagat though unreal in absolute terms is a reality in time. Therefore, as long

as the self attaches himself to time, it

 

is possible for him to forget the Truth and run after unreal experiences. The

only solution as I see is to attach oneself to Kalakala (The destroyer of time)

which again is only the true form of Self (Sivoham) to ensure that Atmavismrthi

does not occur. Vairagya

 

(detachment towards experiences) in the form of Vibhuthi is the prasad I am

seeking.

 

<<<Let me explain my concerns a little more, to make them clearer. I am totally

in agreement with your comment that for being Immortal there is no need to yearn

after it. But I still think that attachments to

 

mundane matters can take away that knowledge of Immortality leading to the old

state of ignorance and all that I am seeking is to prevent that happening.

Rather how to turn knowledge to realization. How to

 

overcome vagaries of memory?>>>

 

IMHO, First of all, one cannot attach himself to the Truth. We have to know that

there is neither attachment nor detachment possible, as we are Truth itself.

Again, it is not required to get detached from the world, because the attachment

is just apparent. So, only apparent detachment is possible. It is to know that

the attachment is mithya, or we have to falsify the attachment.

 

Again, IMHO, Advaita involves only falsifying the knowledge that

attachment/detachment is required etc., because any attachment/detachment etc.

are all notion oriented, or mithyagnana janita, i.e. resulting from notions, and

not from Knowledge, which never changes.

 

IMHO, “tat chintanam, tat kadhanan, tat paraspara bodhanam” said Sri Shankara

Bhagavadpada, i.e., “Thinking of That, talking of that, mutually understanding

of That” always i.e. always bringing “Aham Brahmasmi” as the background music

while one engages in his mundane activities, slowly but definitely, help. IMHO,

learning to analyze every thing we come across, every situation, we are in, with

this background music, is perhaps “Abhyasa” referred to by the Lord in His Song.

 

What exactly is this Moksha? Is it getting freed from the cycle of Births and

Deaths?

 

I read somewhere. A contemporary of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Poonthanam,

who authored Gnana Pana, one of the Greatest Devotees (there are no degrees in

devotion, but I just use the word Greatest only to emphasize) of Lord Sri

Guruvayoorappan said “Oh Lord, I do not want Moksha, if it means there is no

Punarjanma (birth again) for me. I want to take birth again and again, so that I

can continue to be a Bhakta of Thy”.

 

May I ask most humbly, is Punarapi Janam and Punarapi Maranam is the problem we

are facing? I do not know how and why I came in this planet. I do not know

equally what will happen to me once I kick my bucket. Having come here, there is

a world, whether from the absolute point, Real or Not real or Mithya, I have to

encounter. Whether Self Knowledge, that is the encountering I and the

encountered world, both are Mithya (having temporary appearances only), is there

or not, this encountering continues. However, the attitude of one’s, i.e. the

one who encounters, encountering the world changes when he knows that he and the

Ultimate Reality are one and the same. Then everything becomes a sport for him.

As Swamiji used to say, there is a “growing over” over everything. As young

boys, we all used to play with marbles. At that time when we get defeated in

such plays, we could not stand that. Now I am a grandfather, and sometimes when

my grandchildren ask me to join them in playing with the

marbles, I play and if I lose/win the game, what is my attitude? Do I get

emotionally upset? That is growing over, or emotional maturity. Once the

knowledge takes place, once this “growing over” takes place, everything is just

a play for me. Yes, I play various roles, but I play them very well, when I know

in reality I am neither a gainer nor a loser, because the gain/loss pertain to

the I that encounters, or to the Role being played. I am always I am. Any gain

or any loss does not make me happy or sad. Why, because I am happiness itself.

So, Samsara is not a problem, as I play roles there. Samsara is in me but I am

not Samsara. Pardon me if I am “carrying coal to New Castle”, but when one’s

approach to one’s life changes with this knowledge, that itself is freedom from

further falling into the earlier approach, further taking birth with that

earlier approach with the notions that this world, this samsara, makes me

unhappy, I am bound by it, etc. If this knowledge is there with me,

what is the problem in taking birth again and again.

 

Now coming to Vairagya, is it shunning the objects? Is it not getting freed from

Raga i.e. running after objects for happiness. Creation has a purpose and so all

objects have various purposes. I can have objects for fulfilling the purposes

they are meant for. They are not meant for making me happy, because I am already

Poorna. I can have a Luxury car to serve my purpose, but if I feel that my

status is enhanced by having this luxury car, it is just ignorance only. My

status, that the reality of myself, does not depend on the clothes I wear, on my

intellect, on my getting attached/detached, etc. My Status is Trikala abadhidha

Satyam, Poornam, and Anandam. The whole problem is we are trying to improve upon

our Status. Likes and dislikes themselves are not a problem. When fulfillment of

likes/dislikes is for my happiness, it is a problem, as the fulfillment of likes

and dislikes cannot make me neither happy nor unhappy.

 

Advaita Siddhanta is Knowledge of Self, the Pramana for which is the Sacred

Upanishads, and IMHO, it does not involve any action on my part, and until it

reflects through my wisdom and in my attitudes, I have to continue Sravana,

Manana and Nidhidhyasana.

 

Dear friends, please correct me as it is only “paraspara bodhanam”, and our

Group is an excellent field for that.

 

Hari Om and Warm regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SBC - Internet access at a great low price.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste Maniji.

 

Your post 22884.

 

I am in total agreement with all that you have said. As usual, you

are very thought-provoking. I am sending a copy to my brother and

requesting him to reply you directly.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair