Advaita from scratch - Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses - 4

[Guest guest]

Kanchi

Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaitam

 

KMDA – 4

(For KMDA -3 see #43890)

 

Tamil

original starts from http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part4kural291.htm

 

Note: In these discourses, `the Acharya'

refers to Adi Shankaracharya. The speaker is the Kanchi Mahaswamigal.

 

True `I'

 

It is true that all our thought-processes as

well as feelings have our mind as the base and it is also true that when the

mind is not there, we are equivalent to being inert. For this very reason we

tend to think that our mind is what we are.

But, when we recognize that even without the mind, there is `something'

which makes us exist and live, though as an inert object or something like

that, then it is reasonable to assume that it is `that something' that

is the true `we'. For, `it' exists even

in the absence of mind. On the other hand, when `it' is not there, mind also is

not there. When the life-principle goes out of the body, the body does lose all

sensation and feeling. A dead body has no mind. Well, even if the

life-principle that severed itself from the body is not any more in the body it

does not follow that the life-principle itself is no more by itself. It is itself the life-principle; how can it

die? Similarly, when the body dies, the mind does not die. When the JIva takes

another body in order to experience the fruits of its karma, it starts its work

in the new life. The very fact that there is a new birth means that the

life-principle starts its function in the new body. Thus the life-principle which leaves one body

takes another body. The mind also does the same thing. It is the life-principle that takes the mind

along with it and makes it work in the new body.

 

Even when the mind is not working – as in the

case of sleep or unconsciousness – even then the life principle is there. On

the other hand when the life-principle is not there in the body, mind cannot

work there; and right then the body rots and dissipates. From this it is clear

that neither the mind nor the body can act without the presence of the

life-principle therein. They cannot live on their own. When the body is

destroyed and the life-principle has gone into another body then and only then

does the mind start working in the new body. Thus it is confirmed that it is the life-principle that forms the basis for even the mind.

 

[Note by VK:

So far it appears the Swamigal has been talking

only very elementary things. But read carefully hereafter.

Enjoy how he takes us into deep waters of Vedanta without

our realising that the depth is increasing!]

 

Awareness of

Life-principle without the admixture of Mind.

 

It is that life-principle which has to be

aware of itself, without any mix-up with the mind, or the commitment to

the thoughts of the mind, or the karma

that arises from these. To be aware of

the presence of this life-principle in isolation is what is called

advaita-mokshha. It is not at all a state of inertness. When JIva implies life, that life-principle

cannot be a life-less inert object.

 

`But, Swamiji, when that (life-principle) was

alone , without the admixture of mind, as in sleep or in unconsciousness, there

was no sensation of feeling or anything of the sort and we were only lying like

an inert object?'

 

My dear, that you were like inert, without

having any sensation, is certainly true.

But what was lying inert was not the life-principle, but the mind. As

you said, there was no admixture of mind then, because mind was separate from

the life-principle. Therefore the life-giving power of the life-principle was

not with the mind. That was the reason for the mind being inert then. But the

life-principle was even then in full possession of life-power. That was what

was keeping the heart working and breathing uninterrupted.

In view of the Lord's great mAyA we are all able to understand only the feelings

and goings-on of the mind only; what the mind can feel about is what we

recognize as ours. That is why we are not able to understand, when the mind

stops working, even the presence of the life-principle within us. When the only instrument

that makes us understand stops working how can we understand anything at all? If we

close our eyes we can't see the world around us. So also when the mind stops

working we can't have any experience. So

we tend to think we have become inert. But think carefully now. When we have closed our eyes does the world

really cease to exist? When the clock

stops we don't know what time it is; but that does not mean that time has

stopped moving!

 

Even after the mind is gone, the

life-principle has an awareness present. That is the everlasting permanent

awareness, feeling. That is called the `super-awareness' by wise men. They also call it chaitanyam, or jnAnam.

To say that it has JnAnam (knowledge) is not right. It is itself JnAnaM,

Knowledge, chaitanyam, cit-svarUpam, cinmAtram. In English

also there are beautiful ways of distinguishing it. When mind is cognizing

something we say it is `conscious' – where we use the lower case `c'. That the

life-principle of a JIva is aware of itself as itself is denoted by

Consciousness – with a capital `c' – in the English language!

 

It appears therefore that what is truly `we'

must be the life-principle which stays active even when the mind is not there.

By falling back on it Mind gets its very sustenance; so Mind cannot be `we'.

(The same can be said of the body).

There are occasions when the mind is not there, but `we' are there. On

the other hand `we' cannot be there if the life-principle is not there. So we conclude that `we' are nothing but the

life-principle. Because, if `we' are the Mind, then since in sleep there is no

mind, `we' should also be non-existent! We know that is not true.

 

(To be

continued in KMDA-5)PraNAms to all advaitins.PraNAms to the Mahaswamigalprofvk

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

When the swamigal talks about the 'life principle' below is he talking about

Atman, and is therefore Atman the animating principle in all sentient beings?

 

 

thanks

 

Ju

 

 

advaitin , " V. Krishnamurthy " <profvk wrote:

>

>

> Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaitam

>

>

>

> KMDA – 4

>

> (For KMDA -3 see #43890)

>

>

>

> Tamil original starts from

> http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part4kural291.htm

>

>

>

> Note: In these discourses, `the Acharya' refers to Adi

> Shankaracharya. The speaker is the Kanchi Mahaswamigal.

>

>

>

> True `I'

>

>

>

> It is true that all our thought-processes as well as feelings have our

> mind as the base and it is also true that when the mind is not there, we

> are equivalent to being inert. For this very reason we tend to think

> that our mind is what we are. But, when we recognize that even without

> the mind, there is `something' which makes us exist and live,

> though as an inert object or something like that, then it is reasonable

> to assume that it is `that something' that is the true

> `we'. For, `it' exists even in the absence of mind. On

> the other hand, when `it' is not there, mind also is not there.

> When the life-principle goes out of the body, the body does lose all

> sensation and feeling. A dead body has no mind. Well, even if the

> life-principle that severed itself from the body is not any more in the

> body it does not follow that the life-principle itself is no more by

> itself. It is itself the life-principle; how can it die? Similarly,

> when the body dies, the mind does not die. When the JIva takes another

> body in order to experience the fruits of its karma, it starts its work

> in the new life. The very fact that there is a new birth means that the

> life-principle starts its function in the new body. Thus the

> life-principle which leaves one body takes another body. The mind also

> does the same thing. It is the life-principle that takes the mind along

> with it and makes it work in the new body....

 

> Even after the mind is gone, the life-principle has an awareness

> present. That is the everlasting permanent awareness, feeling. That is

> called the `super-awareness' by wise men. They also call it

> chaitanyam, or jnAnam. To say that it has JnAnam (knowledge) is not

> right. It is itself JnAnaM, Knowledge, chaitanyam, cit-svarUpam,

> cinmAtram.