Sat, Chit, Ananda

[Guest guest]

Namaste Advaitins,

After finishing reading Monk Bhikku Yogi's post on the above subject, i had

almost retired to bed when suddenly i remembered a note that i had prepared in

Jan.2005. A friend had asked for a note on this subject and specified that it

should not contain quotations, tough sentences, etc. and should be simple. I

felt like posting it here, not to counter any views that have appeared already

here, but just to present another point of view of the subject. By no standards

is it scholarly.

 

Pranams to all here,

subbu

 

Srigurubhyo namaH

 

OUR TRUE NATURE

 

Every one of us exists. We say 'I am' and never doubt our existence. We have

our thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, etc. All these exist. We see around

us things that exist. When we seek objects outside, we look for existing

objects only. We want a pen that exists on the table. We want food that exists

in the kitchen. We seek friends who exist in their places. The world exists,

the planets, the galaxies exist. When we wake up from sleep, we see around us an

existing world. The scientist who is looking for the truth of anything is

looking indeed for what exists as the truth. He goes layer after layer and

ponders that fundamental truth that is AVAILABLE although hidden somewhere. He

may not succeed in his search. He might look for it elsewhere; nevertheless he

is after something that exists. He is not looking for something that is

nonexistent. A doctor looking for the cause of a disease expects to find an

existing cause, a bacteria, a virus, a cancerous

growth etc. The just born baby cries for an existing food.

 

Objects may go out of existence. A bottle breaks and no longer exists as a

bottle. But we still see the glass pieces. The glass pieces ARE there.

Scientists say that matter never goes out of existence; only it exists in

another form, energy. When someone dies, the body is burnt and we have the

ashes. When the body is buried, the remains exist in the grave only to slowly

decompose into other forms. A person committing suicide to be free from some

bothering problem does so only to BE free from the bothering problem thereafter.

No one can escape existence even if one wishes to. That one will never wish to

go out of existence is another proof for us: the fundamental nature of every one

of us is Existence,SAT.

 

Don't we KNOW that we exist? We are AWARE of our existence. We are endowed

with sense organs only to make sense out of the world that we see around us. We

see with our eyes to know a colour, a form of an object. We get inputs of

sound, touch, smell and taste from the world outside. These inputs are all in

the form of knowledge. We open a book to know its contents. We watch a movie

and get inputs of sound and vision. The world is full of knowledge. The

oceans, the rivers, the waterfalls, the forests, the mountains, the air, the

sky, the people around, all are experienced by us. And what comprises

experience? It is knowledge. We all seek knowledge, both of the good and the

bad; to perpetuate the good and avoid the bad. The child asks a number of

questions, it explores the world around it, only to know. Even a dunce or a

dullard or a person idling away the time,KNOWS that in order to be idle he ought

not to do anything worthwhile. Knowledge precedes every action.

 

The whole world is there brimming with knowledge only for us to be aware of.

There is no time when this awareness ceases. During the waking state we are

aware of the world and ourselves through the sense organs. When we dream, the

experience is of a slightly different kind. The world that is experienced then

is not through the sense organs, for they are not functional then, but the

medium is the mind. There is an imagined world that is created for a person to

experience. During sleep, although the mind too becomes dormant, there is still

the awareness of the nothingness as well as the blissful experience of the

sleep. This becomes manifest when the person wakes up and recalls the sleep

experience. Even the person who commits suicide wants to exist after that, only

free of the trouble that pushes him to the extreme step and most importantly

expects to be AWARE of such post-suicide existence. To sum up, no one wants to

be in a state where he is not aware of his own

existence. All this go to show that our fundamental nature is one of

consciousness,CHIT.

 

When we stop to think as to why we undertake any activity, major or minor, we

come to the revelation that it is to obtain happiness out of that activity.

There is a saying in

Sanskrit which means 'Whatever a living being does is motivated by desire'

Eating, drinking, bathing, having friends, labouring to earn money, getting

married, raising a family, getting educated, partying, picnicking, merry-making,

every act of ours is driven by the thirst to fulfil a longing, deriving joy.

Even visiting a sick relative at a hospital is motivated by our urge to derive

satisfaction by paying a visit to the hospital and being of some solace to the

patient. Not only this, the brutal act of a terrorist too has this motive

underlying. He is desirous of furthering a cause to which he s and when

that is accomplished, even at the cost of the lives of several innocent people,

he gets a feeling of fulfilment, a sadistic pleasure. Inflicting injury on

others or oneself has fundamentally the desire for some pleasure. People take

to burglary or murder with this motive of gaining something. That there is the

threat of punishment is another matter. Again,

considering the case of the person who commits suicide, the preparedness to

undergo the pain involved in taking out one's own life is motivated by the joy

of the getting rid of the botheration that pushes the person to that extreme

step. The basic motto of everyone is 'Let happiness be to me and never misery'.

This innate attraction to happiness and abhorrence to misery proves that our

fundamental nature is joy, Ananda.

 

We see from the above analysis that our basic nature can be said to be

existence, knowledge and bliss. But in reality, when we examine the way we

live, do we actualise the pinnacle of this triad of our basic nature? We do not

get a positive reply to this. Our existence is always under threat of forces

beyond our control. Insecurity haunts us at all times. Insecurity in job,

health, with regard to property, life, travel, etc. is experienced by everyone.

The wide range of insurance policies marketed now is a proof of this. Our

knowledge is often tainted by ignorance. Someone said 'Specialisation is

knowing more and more about less and less'. The joy that we so passionately

seek is always elusive. It is short-lived and gives place to misery. There is

no joy that is unalloyed by grief. A joyful phase is replaced by an unhappy

phase. In effect, there is no prospect of reaching the acme of happiness. What

is the remedy to such a deplorable condition? It is here that

Vedanta comes into the picture by pointing out that our true nature of

Existence, Consciousness and Bliss (Sat, Chit and Ananda) can be realised in its

fullness resulting in unalloyed bliss obtaining for ever. Realising one's native

Infinite Existence, Infinite Consciousness and Infinite Bliss is a definite

possibility here, even in this bodily existence. To that daring person who is

serious about seeking a way out of the insecurity that embodied life is, Vedanta

is ready to open its secrets. Vedanta promises to lead that seeker from

insecurity to total security, from ignorance to knowledge and from death to

eternity.

 

Om Tat Sat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC for low, low

rates.

 

 

[Guest guest]

V Subrahmanian <subrahmanian_v wrote: Namaste Advaitins,

 

 

OUR TRUE NATURE

 

Every one of us exists. We say 'I am' and never doubt our existence. We

have our thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, etc. All these exist. We see

around us things that exist. When we seek objects outside, we look for existing

objects only. We want a pen that exists on the table. We want food that exists

in the kitchen. We seek friends who exist in their places. The world exists,

the planets, the galaxies exist. When we wake up from sleep, we see around us an

existing world. Dear sir,

I am of opinion that your statement, " The oceans,

the rivers, the waterfalls, the forests, the mountains, the air, the sky, the

people around, all are experienced by us. And what comprises experience? It is

knowledge. Don't we KNOW that we exist? We are AWARE of our existence." requires

some examination. Is there not a fallacy and assumption when we say that we are

aware that we exist? Are we actually seeing the mountains, rivers, waterfalls,

the air, and the people around? Is it a knowledge per se? Are we not seeing only

the images we have of all these things, the image of the past, when it comes to

the question of insentient objects? When it comes to the question of other human

beings, are we actually related to them, or are making evaluation,

interpretation of their statements so continuously, that we are never in contact

with that, 'which is,' but naming them as good, bad etc, etc, all our

perceptions being through an illusory psychological

centre, which seperates itself from that which is by interpreting it. Even the

knowledge that we exist unbrokenly in all the three states, in the present state

of our psyche, is also not an actual perception, but a conclusion. We are being

propelled only by the unconscious, atavistic, tendencies, to protect our

individual self. What we are aware is only a series of thoughts, and not that

which is the basis of thoughts. As far as I am concerned, I think, I am only at

the position of Descartes: " cogito ergo sum," ( I think I am ), and not that of

I Am, which alone is considered to be the truth by the vedantins. I am

intellectually aware of the depth of this statement, but am not able to

translate this into action. But, even the desire to achieve this is also a

becoming, surely. My thinking and meditation makes me think that it would be

relevant, if one could abide in the state, " I do not know," not inviting any

thing other than what actually exists, as any effort to be

other than what one is, is only a distraction from the perception of truth.

 

 

 

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

 

 

[Guest guest]

advaitin, Ganesan Sankarraman <shnkaran

wrote:

>

>

>

> V Subrahmanian <subrahmanian_v wrote: Namaste Advaitins,

>

>

> OUR TRUE NATURE

>

> Dear sir,

> I am of opinion that your statement, "

The oceans, the rivers, the waterfalls, the forests, the mountains,

the air, the sky, the people around, all are experienced by us. And

what comprises experience? It is knowledge. Don't we KNOW that we

exist? We are AWARE of our existence." requires some examination. Is

there not a fallacy and assumption when we say that we are aware

that we exist?

 

Namaste Sankarraman ji,

 

The very fact that i do not require anyone else to remind me or

certify that i exist shows that i am aware of my existence. I do

not see any fallacy in this. Our existence is crystal clear to us

that we do not need to make any assumption for this. This is one of

the first things that Acharya Shankara points out in the

Sutrabhashya: I.i.1 - (quote)..Besides, the existence of Brahman is

well known (prasiddhiH) from the fact of Its being the Self of all;

for everyone feels (the word 'pratyeti'= experiences, verb) that his

Self exists and he never feels, 'I do not exist'. Had there been no

general recognition of the existence of the Self, everyone would

have felt, 'i do not exist'. And that Self is Brahman. (End of

quote). The Acharya is pointing out what one actually experiences,

even uninstructed. So, it cannot be said that the awareness that we

exist is a dogmatic one. In most cases this fact is known for the

first time only when it is brought to their attention by the

Shastra. Before that also this experience has been there but not

noticed in particular. When it is brought to our notice, we say 'Ah,

yes, it is true' and nod in affirmation; at least this is what

happened to me. This experience of everyone forms the foundation

for the Vedantic teaching.

 

Sankararaman ji says:

Are we actually seeing the mountains, rivers, waterfalls, the air,

and the people around? Is it a knowledge per se? Are we not seeing

only the images we have of all these things, the image of the past,

when it comes to the question of insentient objects? When it comes

to the question of other human beings, are we actually related to

them, or are making evaluation, interpretation of their statements

so continuously, that we are never in contact with that, 'which is,'

but naming them as good, bad etc, etc, all our perceptions being

through an illusory psychological centre, which seperates itself

from that which is by interpreting it.

 

Response:

What i have stated is the general experience of all. When someone

calls me to accompany him to see a waterfalls, i would not put such

questions to him. I will simply go, enjoy and report it to others.

Even a Jnani would do just this. I have only placed these

experiences of ours which all point to the Sat-Chit-Ananda nature of

ours, when serious enquiry based on the teaching of the Vedanta is

undertaken. In fact, when i first entered the Vedanta class, i was

exposed to this kind of 'looking into one's own day to day

experiences', not yet put under the lens of the Shastra. 'From the

known to the unknown' was the maxim and there was no difficulty in

taking in the teaching as it unfolded.

 

 

Sankarraman ji says:

Even the knowledge that we exist unbrokenly in all the three

states, in the present state of our psyche, is also not an actual

perception, but a conclusion.

 

Response:

Here again, much of what i said above applies. Why do you get a

doubt like this? If the above unbroken knowledge is not present,

how do i get up in the morning after sleep and relate to the world

as before?

 

Sankarraman ji says:

We are being propelled only by the unconscious, atavistic,

tendencies, to protect our individual self. What we are aware is

only a series of thoughts, and not that which is the basis of

thoughts. As far as I am concerned, I think, I am only at the

position of Descartes: " cogito ergo sum," ( I think I am ), and not

that of I Am, which alone is considered to be the truth by the

vedantins. I am intellectually aware of the depth of this statement,

but am not able to translate this into action. But, even the desire

to achieve this is also a becoming, surely. My thinking and

meditation makes me think that it would be relevant, if one could

abide in the state, " I do not know," not inviting any thing other

than what actually exists, as any effort to be

> other than what one is, is only a distraction from the perception

of truth.

 

Response:

My dear Friend, to the above, all i can say is this: It is

essential that one engages in sadhana under the guidance of a

competent Master. Acharya Shankara says in the Bhashya: 'Even if

one is a master of all shastras, one should not undertake

Atmavichara all by oneself.' The meaning of this statement is very

profound and can be appreciated only by one who is in sadhana.

Again, if he does not have shraddha in the Acharya, this statement

also will look meaningless. Also, it is important to be in a

sampradaya. Again, it is important to be in Satsangha, where the

sadhaka interacts with other sadhakas of the same Guru, the same

sampradaya, etc. This is emphasised because, gaining Atman

Knowledge is not just from reading several books, not by just

hearing, not just by contemplating. Every one of the above plays a

vital role in the fruition. For example, there is a thing

called 'influence by association'. When i am in doubt about a

particular teaching, i see another brother-sadhaka not disturbed by

such a doubt and quite comfortably disposed to that particular

teaching. When i see this, i ponder, discuss with him and an

unspoken feeling that 'i should be like him' comes up and i take

steps to overcome that particular doubt and sooner or later, on the

strength of this positive attitude, i arrive at the right conviction

regarding that particular teaching. There are too many subtle

things involved and it may not be proper to put them in writing. I

shall end this with a quote, although it may not be to your liking,

i mean the idea of a quote, not its meaning!!:

 

Aacharyaat paadam aadatte, paadam sishyaH sva-medhayaa |

Paadam sa-brahmachaaribhyaH paadam kaala-kramena cha ||

 

A student (disciple, sadhaka) grasps one quarter (of the teaching)

from the Teacher. A quarter is grasped by his own reflection (of

the teaching). Another quarter is grasped by discussion with his

classmates. And the last quarter, over time.

 

Warm regards, sir,

subbu

>

>

>

> New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC

and save big.

>

>

>