Advaita from scratch: Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses - 3

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Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaitam

 

KMDA – 3

(For KMDA – 2 see #43815)

 

Tamil original starts from http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part4kural288.htm

 

Note: In these discourses, `the Acharya' refers to Adi Shankaracharya. The speaker is the Kanchi Mahaswamigal.

 

It is the Mind that is the Cause of Bondage

 

We noted that there is always fear of something so long as there is duality instead of One Absolute Truth. Becoming this One Absolute Truth is mokshha – the state of total Release or Liberty.

 

`Liberty from what?'

 

From samsAra (the transmigratory cycle).

 

`Why did we get bonded to this samsAra?'

 

Obviously, because of our actions (karma)!

 

`Why did we do those actions?'

 

Well, to fulfill our desires, certainly.

 

`Why did those desires spring up?'

 

Because there is a Mind. It is the mind that wants to fulfill its desires through the senses and gets those experiences through their actions. Watching movies, engaging in small talk, consuming anything and everything, … many such actions.

 

`In that case, to be free from this samsAra, should mean that one should get release from the mind?'

 

Yes, certainly.

 

The Bliss of the Atman sans the Mind

 

`But if mind is gone, we would not cognize anything! When mind is gone it is as good as we ourselves are gone! Then who is it that can enjoy the Bliss of Mokshha? Does it mean then that the Bliss of mokshha is just being inert like in sleep or in unconsciousness?'

 

No, No. That is true Bliss – eternal and permanent. That is what is usually referred to as BrahmA-nandam, or AtmA-nandam. Even in ordinary conversation too when we want to refer to something experienced as most pleasant, we refer to it as BrahmA-nandam. Is Brahman this or that? So asked Brighu and he went on thinking of various things as Brahman and at the end of his search he discovered that it is Bliss (Ananda) that is Brahman – so says Taittiriya Upanishad. Hence that section itself of the Upanishad is known as Ananda-valli.

 

`That is all O.K. Swamiji, but when there is no mind to experience anything, how can one recognize any bliss?'

 

This is where, my dear, the question of duality vs. non-duality appears. While mind can recognize another thing, it can never recognize itself. Its very smartness in probing into innumerable things still leaves it most inefficient when it comes to knowing itself! Analyse it yourself, my dear, you will understand. Mind can think, understand and interact with, things other than itself. You write hundred things, think about them and understand them; but have you ever understood what does all these? Can you hold it before you and make it understand itself? This minute it appears to be good; the same mind the next minute turns bad. In one second it is happy; the next second it is unhappy. Right at this moment it may be very quiet but you cannot guarantee it will be so in the next moment. What exactly is this mind? Really inconceivable!.

 

`The JIva gets all the experiences only because of this. If it does not work or if it is in an unconscious state, there is no experience for the JIva'. By this very fact we all think we are the mind. In fact only on that assumption you asked the question. Didn't you?'

 

`Yes, that is what I thought. But you have not yet shown me that it is not so'.

 

"We" sans Mind

 

Alright. You have no experience while you sleep or while you are conscious. You are not then aware that you exist. But, have you really ceased to exist? If it were so, how did you get up after sleep? Even after you had overcome your sleep, how did you start working with double vigour as if to compensate for that period of inert inaction during sleep? Think in the same way about the state of unconsciousness. Whoever you were before sleep or unconsciousness, the same person are you after sleep or unconsciousness. Whatever relationships, experiences or opinions you had before, continue with you even now. You have the same body. Over and above all this, both while you were asleep or while you were unconscious, your life was certainly there! Blood flow, body temperature, breathing – all these continued to exist. Thus even when the mind was not there, you certainly did exist. In other words, though it is the mind that makes you recognize and proclaim `I' , `I', even when the mind is not there this `I' does exist.

 

(To be continued in KMDA-4)

PraNAms to all the advaitins.

PraNAms to Kanchi Mahaswamigal.

profvk

 

 

 

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We are all blessed to understand this highest form of Philosophy.

Thank you.

VMK--- On Sun, 3/1/09, V. Krishnamurthy <profvk wrote:

V. Krishnamurthy <profvk Advaita from scratch: Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses - 3advaitin Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 10:28 PM

 

 

 

Kanchi Mahaswamigal' s Discourses on Advaitam

 

KMDA – 3

(For KMDA – 2 see #43815)

 

Tamil original starts from http://www.kamakoti .org/tamil/ part4kural288. htm Note: In these discourses, `the Acharya' refers to Adi Shankaracharya. The speaker is the Kanchi Mahaswamigal. It is the Mind that is the Cause of Bondage We noted that there is always fear of something so long as there is duality instead of One Absolute Truth. Becoming this One Absolute Truth is mokshha – the state of total Release or Liberty . ` Liberty from what?' From samsAra (the transmigratory cycle). `Why did we get bonded to this samsAra?' Obviously, because of our actions (karma)! `Why did we do those actions?' Well, to fulfill our desires, certainly. `Why did those desires spring up?' Because there is a Mind. It is the mind that wants to fulfill its desires through the senses and gets those experiences through their actions. Watching movies, engaging in small talk, consuming anything and everything, … many such actions. `In that case, to be free from this samsAra, should mean that one should get release from the mind?' Yes, certainly. The Bliss of the Atman sans the Mind `But if mind is gone, we would not cognize anything! When mind is gone it is as good as we ourselves are gone! Then who is it that can enjoy the Bliss of Mokshha? Does it mean then that the Bliss of mokshha is just being inert like in sleep or in unconsciousness? ' No, No. That is true Bliss – eternal and permanent. That is what is usually referred to as BrahmA-nandam, or AtmA-nandam. Even in ordinary conversation too when we want to refer to something experienced as most pleasant, we refer to it as BrahmA-nandam. Is Brahman this or that? So asked Brighu and he went on thinking of various things as Brahman and at the end of his search he discovered that it is Bliss (Ananda) that is Brahman – so says Taittiriya Upanishad. Hence that section itself of the Upanishad is known as Ananda-valli.

`That is all O.K. Swamiji, but when there is no mind to experience anything, how can one recognize any bliss?' This is where, my dear, the question of duality vs. non-duality appears. While mind can recognize another thing, it can never recognize itself. Its very smartness in probing into innumerable things still leaves it most inefficient when it comes to knowing itself! Analyse it yourself, my dear, you will understand. Mind can think, understand and interact with, things other than itself. You write hundred things, think about them and understand them; but have you ever understood what does all these? Can you hold it before you and make it understand itself? This minute it appears to be good; the same mind the next minute turns bad. In one second it is happy; the next second it is unhappy. Right at this moment it may be very quiet but you cannot guarantee it will be so in the

next moment. What exactly is this mind? Really inconceivable! .

`The JIva gets all the experiences only because of this. If it does not work or if it is in an unconscious state, there is no experience for the JIva'. By this very fact we all think we are the mind. In fact only on that assumption you asked the question. Didn't you?' `Yes, that is what I thought. But you have not yet shown me that it is not so'. "We" sans Mind Alright. You have no experience while you sleep or while you are conscious. You are not then aware that you exist. But, have you really ceased to exist? If it were so, how did you get up after sleep? Even after you had overcome your sleep, how did you start working with double vigour as if to compensate for that period of inert inaction during sleep? Think in the same way about the state of unconsciousness. Whoever you were before sleep or unconsciousness, the same person are you after sleep or unconsciousness. Whatever relationships, experiences or opinions you had before, continue with you even now. You have the same body. Over and above all this, both while you were asleep or while you were unconscious, your life was certainly there! Blood flow,

body temperature, breathing – all these continued to exist. Thus even when the mind was not there, you certainly did exist. In other words, though it is the mind that makes you recognize and proclaim `I' , `I', even when the mind is not there this `I' does exist.

(To be continued in KMDA-4) PraNAms to all the advaitins. PraNAms to Kanchi Mahaswamigal. profvk