Who is born?

[Guest guest]

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[Guest guest]

Dear Mr Wright,

 

Thank you for writing to me.

 

Yesterday, being the 1st day of the new millennium, I

was at Ramanasram, Tiruvannamalai. Spent about two

hours there praying and meditating alongwith friends

from different part of the world.

 

It was a wonderful feeling.

 

Did you ever visit Asram at Tiruvannamalai?

 

Pray Lord that may 2001 and beyond be blissful, happy

and wonderful to you.

 

Subramanian.

--- Miles Wright <ramana.bhakta wrote:

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[Guest guest]

Ajatavada - The Theory of Non-Origination

 

In the Mandukya Upanishad we find one of the earliest

expositions of Advaita. This Upanishad, one of the ten

principal Upanishads, was glossed by Gaudapada, the teacher

of the teacher of Sankara, in his famous Karika. Here we

find the first systematic attempt at enunciating Ajatavada,

the theory of no-birth. The core of Gaudapada's disputation

is that there is nothing that is ever born (ajata), nothing

that ever dies, no evolution or involution, no seeker, no

one bound, and no liberation. Ramana Maharshi states,

"According to this, there is only One and it admits of no

discussion." (Talks; 383)

 

Ramana Maharshi has explained that for the jnani the

appearance of the world is non real when seen as a product

of cause and effect, while the Absolute (Self) alone is

real. However, the world is real for the jnani as an

uncaused appearance in the Self. The underlying reality of

the world, which is of the nature of Being (sat), is

inseparable from the Self. The dvandvas (pairs of opposites)

which divide the world into mind and matter, subject and

object, I and you, etc. are such in name only, like the ring

made from gold is never more than gold. Here we already

begin to see the reason for the difficulty of discussion;

any discussion, itself, must start from within the

constructs of illusory suppositions, as if the ring is

assumed to be self existent and different from the gold.

Enquiry shows this to be false.

 

It might still be asked, "how can you say the world is not

real when I can touch it, see it etc.?" In reply we might

recount the analogy of the snake in the rope. It is possible

to mistake a piece of rope for a snake and as long as the

mind sees and understands 'snake' there cannot be a rope.

The non reality of snake has been imposed on the rope. The

conviction however becomes fixed. Even if a reliable witness

tells you that the snake is indeed just a harmless piece of

rope still the conviction might remain that there is

'really' a snake in front of you. If the appearance is taken

to be real then no attempt to enquire into the reality

itself can be effective. However if there is doubt as to the

reality of the 'snake' then enquiry becomes extremely

effective. Reality is all there is, all else is imposition.

 

If we look at the Mandukya Upanishad itself we can catch the

impetus for Gaudapada's Karika. In this wonderful work,

having been told that the personal self in reality is none

other than the Self, we are told about the four states of

Atman (Self). The first state of the Self is that which is

common to all situated in the waking state with seven

agents; head; eye; breath; heart; stomach; feet; and trunk

along with their nineteen agencies; the five organs of

sense; the five organs of action; the five fires; ahamkara;

manas; buddhi; and citta. All are outwardly directed and

actively enjoying. The second state of the Self is the

subtle mental state of dreaming in which all the above

agents and agencies again participate in the enjoyment but

with perception turned inward. The third state is that of

deep sleep. No desires, no dream weaving plagues the mind of

one in that state. This is known as the intelligent state

wherein knowing that one Self, in complete singularity, with

unbroken knowledge, there is total bliss. The Self is the

Lord of all; dwelling in the hearts of all; he is the source

of all; he is the knower of all; he is the beginning and

dissolution of all. In the fourth state the Self is not

known by perception whether turned inwards; outwards; nor by

a combination of both; nor as the sum of all that is known,

nor that which is known, nor that which is not known; nor as

that which is perceived, grasped or described. The Self is

unthinkable; undefinable; and indescribable. The proof of

its existence is its own self-existence wherein the world

disappears; tranquil; good; one without a second. That is

the Self, which should be perceived and indeed which in

reality is ever perceived.

 

Gaudapada in his gloss quite categorically states that there

is no difference between the waking and the dreaming states.

This is borne out by statements made by Bhagavan, again and

again, throughout Talks, confirming that the jnani sees no

difference between waking and dreaming. The Self is the sole

Reality. All else is appearance.

 

Miles

[Guest guest]

Dear Subramanian,

 

This must have been an uplifting experience I am sure. To meditate in the

vicinity of the Hill is a very fortunate experience.

 

When I was younger (many years ago) I used to pray for the day that I would

travel to Arunachala, even although Bhagavan had declared that merely to

think of Arunachala was sufficient for moksa. Nowadays the desire to

physically travel there is not very strong. Atmavicara, I feel, is the

surest way to find Arunachala, here and now.

 

However I love to read and hear of devotees experiences at Tiruvannamalai.

Please tell us more of your experiences if you are so moved.

 

Thank you for your best wishes.

 

Kind Regards

Miles