Guest guest Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 namaste. While I was studying the Atmabodha (of shri shankara) recently, I notiticed that one point need to be clarified and I am seeking such clarification from the learned members of the List. Firstly, chandogya upanishad, chapter 6 (uddAlaka's teaching to svetaketu) and also taittirIya upanishad discuss how pancIkr^itam (in c.u. case trivr^itrIkaraNam) takes place and the statement that the finest essence of what we eat goes into the mind. That is, we eat the pancIkr^ita food and whatever we eat is processed through jaTharAgni and the finest essence of that food goes into the antahkaraNa [manas, buddhi, ahaMkAra, citta]. I take it then as the finest essence of the *pancIkr^ita" food that goes into the antahkaraNa. However there may be difficulty with taking antahkaraNa as pancIkr^ita material (even though the finest essence), as that means antahkaraNa has to occupy pancIkr^ita space. uddAlaka shows in a latter mantra, that when svetaketu did not take food for two weeks, his mind did not function properly. So, the upanishad shows a direct correlation between pancIkr^ita food-intake and the functioning of the mind. In Atmabodha (verse 13), shri shankara clearly states that the mind is made up of *apancIkr^ita* pancabhUtA-s. It should be apncIkr^ita only because mind does not occupy any pancIkr^ita space which it should if it were pancIkr^ita material. Then, my doubts: (i) where does this apancIkr^ita material come from to function as the mind?, (ii) How about uddAlaka's correlation then between pancIkr^ita food-intake and the functioning of the mind? (iii) Is there apancIkr^ita proportion in our pancIkr^ita intake? How is this proportion determined, if there is a proportion? Or alternately, is the following thinking correct? Only when we think of sthUla sharIra (annamaya kosha, and prANamayakosha), then the pancIkr^itam of the elements need to be considered. When we think of sUkshma sharIra, pancIkr^itam has no place. Just like the Atman (the subtlest) pervades through the whole universe and through this physical body and does not recognize or is not bothered by what It pervades through, similarly, the sUkshma sharIra when it pervades through sthUla sharIra is not bothered by the composition of the gross body. Thus, when we talk of antahkaraNa, the pancIkr^itam has no place. I wonder if the learned members correct any misconceptions above and clarify some of the points raised above and also suggest any references either in the upanishads or in shri shankara's writings. I am most obliged. regards gummuluru murthy -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 advaitin, "gmurthy_99" <gmurthy@m...> wrote: > > > > namaste. While I was studying the Atmabodha (of shri shankara) > recently, I notiticed that one point need to be clarified and > I am seeking such clarification from the learned members of > the List. > > Firstly, chandogya upanishad, chapter 6 (uddAlaka's teaching > to svetaketu) and also taittirIya upanishad discuss how > pancIkr^itam (in c.u. case trivr^itrIkaraNam) takes place > and the statement that the finest essence of what we eat > goes into the mind. That is, we eat the pancIkr^ita food and > whatever we eat is processed through jaTharAgni and the finest > essence of that food goes into the antahkaraNa [manas, buddhi, > ahaMkAra, citta]. I take it then as the finest essence of the Namaste GM, IMHO opinion in illusion there appears to be differences but it is itself delusory. If we give any validity to creation at all, for arguments sake; lets call it energy moving/acquiring energy, continually. So there is gross material energy rising to subtle. It is only at the gross material level that energy as an animal for instance eats and other animal to acquire sustenance or energy. At the subtle level there is no such violence but just the movement of energies, which is continual anyway. For in the energy soup there is nothing but movement, originating with the disturbance of the Gunas. So as the scale moves up it becomes subtler, so obviously the subtle mind would feed on subtle energy, the gross body on gross material energy. All being energy anyway! If we put on many thousand X glasses we would only see an moving energy soup. It is through a restriction, or limitation of senses that we see each other as gross material and perceive the world. For in the end if the soup stopped moving the world would disappear and us with it................ONS...Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 advaitin, "gmurthy_99" <gmurthy@m...> wrote: > > erial. > > Then, my doubts: (i) where does this apancIkr^ita material > come from to function as the mind?, (ii) How about uddAlaka's > correlation then between pancIkr^ita food-intake and the > functioning of the mind? (iii) Is there apancIkr^ita proportion > in our pancIkr^ita intake? How is this proportion determined, > if there is a proportion? > > Or alternately, is the following thinking correct? Only when > we think of sthUla sharIra (annamaya kosha, and prANamayakosha), > then the pancIkr^itam of the elements need to be considered. > When we think of sUkshma sharIra, pancIkr^itam has no place. > Just like the Atman (the subtlest) pervades through the whole > universe and through this physical body and does not recognize > or is not bothered by what It pervades through, similarly, the > sUkshma sharIra when it pervades through sthUla sharIra is not > bothered by the composition of the gross body. Thus, when we > talk of antahkaraNa, the pancIkr^itam has no place. Namaste, Ramchandran-ji had posted on this subject an explanation from Tattvabodha, and also gave a link to Sureshvaracharaya's further explanation. This may help answer your questions: advaitin/message/13387 http://www.hinduism.co.za/three.htm#Further%20elaboration%20of%20PANCHIKARANAMBy\ %20Sri%20SuresvaracharyaSri%20Sankaracharya's%20worthy%20disciple Regards, Sunder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Namasthe, The finest of the foof essence is PRANA. This Prana statrts functioning after MAHAPRANA enters the foetus, in the mother's womb around the hundredth day, and gets fully established. Later when the fontanelle, hards and merges with the scalp skull bones, the Prana inside gets seperated from the touch of Mahaprana. Prana is nothing but mind flipped the other way round and Mind is noting put impure personalised consciousness. Impure consciousness is the aspect of CHIT, Prana is the aspect of Presence the Sat and both are rejuvenated in Ananda-Sleep, where the focus of the antahkarana, the Ego merges into ATman. With intense meditation, the Fontanelle starts opening up, and Mahaprana starts altering the Brain structure and this can be distinctively felt, as many kinds of many many vibrations emanating from the Centre of the Brain to tips of the body, and as Goosepimples. When Mahaprana enters, which is nothing but the reaction of solar activity on Gravity, the individual Prana is suspended and breathing stops. This is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. A complete study of the various components described herrein and a comprehensive study will answere the posed question without reference to Sacred Writings.Repeated NIrvikapla Samadhi Experiences will liberate. Pranams. gmurthy_99 <gmurthy wrote: namaste. While I was studying the Atmabodha (of shri shankara) recently, I notiticed that one point need to be clarified and I am seeking such clarification from the learned members of the List. Firstly, chandogya upanishad, chapter 6 (uddAlaka's teaching to svetaketu) and also taittirIya upanishad discuss how pancIkr^itam (in c.u. case trivr^itrIkaraNam) takes place and the statement that the finest essence of what we eat goes into the mind. That is, we eat the pancIkr^ita food and whatever we eat is processed through jaTharAgni and the finest essence of that food goes into the antahkaraNa [manas, buddhi, ahaMkAra, citta]. I take it then as the finest essence of the *pancIkr^ita" food that goes into the antahkaraNa. However there may be difficulty with taking antahkaraNa as pancIkr^ita material (even though the finest essence), as that means antahkaraNa has to occupy pancIkr^ita space. uddAlaka shows in a latter mantra, that when svetaketu did not take food for two weeks, his mind did not function properly. So, the upanishad shows a direct correlation between pancIkr^ita food-intake and the functioning of the mind. In Atmabodha (verse 13), shri shankara clearly states that the mind is made up of *apancIkr^ita* pancabhUtA-s. It should be apncIkr^ita only because mind does not occupy any pancIkr^ita space which it should if it were pancIkr^ita material. Then, my doubts: (i) where does this apancIkr^ita material come from to function as the mind?, (ii) How about uddAlaka's correlation then between pancIkr^ita food-intake and the functioning of the mind? (iii) Is there apancIkr^ita proportion in our pancIkr^ita intake? How is this proportion determined, if there is a proportion? Or alternately, is the following thinking correct? Only when we think of sthUla sharIra (annamaya kosha, and prANamayakosha), then the pancIkr^itam of the elements need to be considered. When we think of sUkshma sharIra, pancIkr^itam has no place. Just like the Atman (the subtlest) pervades through the whole universe and through this physical body and does not recognize or is not bothered by what It pervades through, similarly, the sUkshma sharIra when it pervades through sthUla sharIra is not bothered by the composition of the gross body. Thus, when we talk of antahkaraNa, the pancIkr^itam has no place. I wonder if the learned members correct any misconceptions above and clarify some of the points raised above and also suggest any references either in the upanishads or in shri shankara's writings. I am most obliged. regards gummuluru murthy -- Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman. Advaitin List Archives available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ To Post a message send an email to : advaitin Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages Visit your group "advaitin" on the web. advaitin Enjoy this Diwali with Y! India Click here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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