Doership is of the Senses

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Jaya Guru Datta,

 

Here is today's saying:

 

"Question. Wait a minute! Atma appears to be an Akarta during Sushupti because,

during that period such of the components of Atma which are necessary for the

manifestation of doership are not present. Consider the example of a brave

soldier. When he has a sword in his hand, his bravery manifests and he will be

able to tackle hundreds of people. But he will not be sporting a sword all the

time. For example, when he eating, we can not see his bravery. But it does not

mean that he is not brave! Similarly, in the state of Sushupti, because the

connection between the Indriyas and the Atma is severed, the doership of Atma

can not be appreciated.

 

Answer. Such a situation is not peculiar only to the state of Sushupti. Even

when a person is in the wakeful state, when he is sitting idly, thinking

nothing, he will not be doing anything (he will be a non-doer then). In such a

state, the contact between the Atma and the Indriyas and Antahkaranas is intact.

Still, one cannot appreciate doership of that person. What should we call this

state as?

 

There is only one way to explain this. One should realise that the Kartritva

(doership) is of the Indriyas. Because of Adhyaasa (superimposing) man

attributes doership to Atma. He then thinks 'I am the doer'.

 

In the example of the boy in the train, the boy imposes the attribute namely

movement (which belongs to him) on the trees and imposes on himself the static

nature of the trees. Such act of imposing is called Adhyaasa. Therefore, there

will be no inconsistency if we say that the Kartritva infact belongs to the

Indriyas and that because of Adhyaasa, the person attributes doership to the

Atma.

 

If we accept this logic, the seeming paradox about the non-manifestation of

doership of Atma during Sushupti does not arise at all, because Kartritva is not

the nature of Atma. There will not be any contradiction to the fact that Atma is

devoid of modifications. There will be no disagreement to the dictum about the

nature of Atma - 'Saakshee chetaa kevalo nirgunashcha' (Atma is absolute, a

witness, of the nature of consciousness, one without a second and devoid of

attributes).

 

It will also not contradict the experience - 'I am the doer' because, it has

been said that the experience of doership is indeed present, but it is merely an

imposed one. It can therefore be said with certainty that the Kartritva

(doership) pertains to the Indriyas."

 

Sri Swamiji

Lessons in Vedanta - 35 part VI

Bhakti Mala, November 1998

 

Sri Guru Datta,

Swamiji Says

 

 

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