A Perspective - 9

[Guest guest]

Jnaana yoga and Self-realization – VII

 

In the last post we have differentiated ignorance and ignorance caused vaasanaas

or ignorance generated likes and dislikes or raaga dhveShaas. Knowledge of I am

that or tat tvam asi, eliminates the ignorance which is anaadi – that part is

immediate and direct. On the other hand ignorant generated vaasanaas can only be

eliminated by constant remembrance of my true nature, which is called jnaana

smaraNa. These vaasanaas are habitual notions which manifest in their true

colors as I involve my self in the worldly transactions. Hence seekers complain

that they understand Vedanta, but that understanding remains only in the class

room. Once they come out into the world of transactions, they forget the

teaching and get entangled in the emotional world. If they understand the truth

as implied by Vedanta, then that understanding is the knowledge all that one

needs in order to eliminate the ignorance of myself. This should be understood.

 

That understanding only eliminates the ignorance but not the ignorance generated

vaasanaas that formed before I gained that knowledge. In my transactions, I am

not able to utilize that knowledge because of the pressure of these vaasanaas.

The only way to counter this forgetfulness is to bring back from memory the

understanding of the nature of myself – that is called jnaana smaraNa, and

reflecting on the true nature of myself, from which perspective all other

worldly things become trivial, since fundamentally they are false.

Nidhidhyaasana is, therefore, not meditation on some Brahman, nor seeking some

transcendental experience of Brahman, but constant recollection of my own true

nature that I have understood by the application of the mahaavaakya, tat tvam

asi. This knowledge I had gained by shravana and manana, that is by consistent

and systematic study of Vedanta, under a competent teacher. The recollection and

constant abidance on my true nature

will help in looking at the problems at hand objectively as I face the world.

The problems that come (obviously they do not belong to me as I am aware of the

problems) will be understood either as part of praarabda of the BMI or

understood as Iswara vibhuuti, depending how much I can detach myself from the

problems and be objective about it. This is what Nidhidhyaasana means; and

scriptures says after shravana and manana, one has to do nidhidhyaasana –

nidhidhyaasitavyaH. Nidhidhyaasana therefore is constant remembrance of my true

nature, which I understood on the basis of mahaavaakya shravana. That needs to

be done whenever I forget due to habitual notions acquired when I was ignorant.

With practice, it becomes natural and spontaneous where I am conscious of my

true nature all the time in spite of ups and down in the life. The world will be

understood as mithyaa and therefore can never affect me, who is absolutely real.

 

Here, we need to understand the nature of the vaasanaas that try to pull us back

to the world. The sanchita and aagaami karmas will not affect us since in my

understanding of myself, I have realized I am akarthaa, non-doer, and abhoktaa,

non-enjoyer too. What is left is only praarabda which have already been let out

to germinate. Hence because of praarabda only I have taken a particular body in

particular womb; similarly the mind and intellect along with kaaraNa shariira or

causal body. These are like arrow shot, have already been initiated and need to

be exhausted, whether I am jnaani or not. Hence body continues to have the

problems that it is destined to have. Similarly, the mind and intellect and

their limitations will continue as before. That means BMI problems remain as

they were before I became a jnaani. As I transact with the world with the

vaasanaas that were pre-existing, I forget my understanding that I am sat chit

ananda swaruupa. This is

expressed as – ‘Sir, I understand very well in the class, but when I go out

into the world I forget and get carried away with attachments and aversions’.-

In such situations, the solution is, therefore, to keep bringing back that

understanding gained in the class to the field where I am in. This constant

remembrance of the knowledge of my own nature has to be done deliberately until

it becomes natural. Nidhidhyaasana can be done therefore anywhere; solitarily

sitting in Himalayas, or actively involved in life, with constant study of

scriptures, teaching, writing, discussing, contemplating – any or all of the

above – in order to keep reminding oneself, and in the process reminding the

others as well, of the nature of the absolute reality. Once we understand the

theory, we can adopt it to suite to our needs. What is the essential requirement

is for the mind to dwell on the absolute truth that the mahaavaakya has pointed

and to remain in that

knowledge that is gained by shravana and manana. All other external

environments, the doos and don’t, prescribed or interpreted, as requirements

are all to be understood only as means to accomplish the above essential

requirement. Giving more importance to the means than what they deserve is to

miss the essential requirement. The best advice one can give is to follow the

advice of your own teacher who can guide you considering your qualifications and

circumstances.

 

We will address one final objection particularly from those who profess that who

am I enquiry is enough and there is no need of Shaastras, particularly those

that do not understand Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi’s teaching fully or

correctly, although they claim themselves to be Ramana Maharishi’s disciples.

Who am I inquiry will lead only tvam padaartha vichaara or inquiry of subject

in the sentence - you are that. The mahaavaakya is not complete without the

predicate. By ‘who am I’ enquiry using anvaya vytarika logic one can arrive

at I am not this not this, as all this and this come under objects, while I am

the subject different from the object, this. The object can include starting

from external objects (like pot), physical body, sense organs, mind and

intellect or suukshma shariira or subtle body. By rejecting all the objects as

different from the subject, I will be able to arrive at the knowledge of who I

am: That will leave us with the

knowledge that I am the witnessing consciousness:

1. different from all the witnessed objects

2. different from all the triads – knower-known and knowing –

pramaataa-prameya-pramANa

3. which remains changeless all the time – hence beyond time – nityaH or

eternal

4. and which is a conscious entity unlike the objects or saakshyam

5. most importantly that saakshii is myself – aham.

 

Knowing who am I is not complete knowledge but only saamaanya jnaanam or common

knowledge, since it leaves me with dvaita or duality as saakshii and saakshyam

– the witnessing consciousness and the witnessed unconsciousness. Yoga,

Saankhya, Nyaaya, VaisheShika, all stop this point. Hence the philosophy of who

am I enquiry is not really new. In addition, that enquiry still leaves us as

ignorant, since there is no advaita knowledge or vishesha jnaanam involved.

Advaita knowledge comes only via mahaavaakya upadesha, which provides the

identity relation between saakshii and the saakshyam with clear understanding

that I, the conscious entity, pervade even the saaskyam too, thereby leaving

behind all the saakshyam as mityaa. Therefore inquiry of –tat – and the

identity relation between tvam and tat – is important and that is provided

only by Vedanta. Nisargadatta Maharaj is an example where his teacher taught him

- tat tvam asi- statement. He was a

gRihasthaa too. In contrast, if you read the writings of the Peace Pilgrim

(www.peacepilgrim.org - an American lady, who walked around in US in fifties

like parivraajaka preaching peace, appears to have understand the essential

meaning of tvam padaartham and teaches that in simple terms) but the writings do

not reflect that she has the substantive knowledge of jiiva, jagat and Iswara,

the essence of the mahaavaakya statement.

 

As a result of Nidhidhyaasana, what will happen? Nothing will happen. Only thing

that happens is I firmly get established in the knowledge that I am sat chit

ananda swaruupa, and I understand that all actions are happening in my presence.

Others think I am a kartaa or doer but I remain akarthaa or non-doer, in spite

of very many dynamic actions that benefit the society at large. Praarabda will

flow as it is destined to be and interaction with the world also continues as

before. The only difference is I do not miss myself, that is, I keep that

knowledge all the time, while all transactions with the world will go on while I

am enjoying myself as myself – aatmani eva atmaanaa tuShTaH. These are called

aatma kriiDa and aatma rati. Yes, my attitude towards the life situations will

change. I see the beauty in everything – order in everything. I see some

people complaining all the time, while some put-up with inconveniences, and some

cause others to

complain; all are within the order. Advaitins and dvaitins will continue to

argue, while Nayyayikas logically trying to establishe the illogicality of

multiple aatmaas or conscious entities that are eternal and all pervading

(nithaH and sarvagataH); all this is within the order. We have some people

trying to blow up everything and other trying to counter that process – both

within the order. People will be born, they grow, enjoy and or suffer and become

old and die – generations come and generations go – All within the order.

Once I am fully established in my own nature or in my swaruupa – I see myself

everywhere and everything in me, since my nature is existence-consciousness

which is limitless. Nothing will ever affect me. All I see is the incredible

order and beauty in the universe from micro organisms to macro organisms, from

very fundamental particles to gigantic galaxies, all within the order. Small

insects crawling on the floor as if

there is nothing more important than what they are doing, while humans are

worried about how to cope up with melt-down of the stock market, or Dubai having

debit problems – all fascinating and incredible drama of life. Ten years from

now all these problems become unimportant, since we will be more preoccupied

with the equally unimportant problem of that day. How inert material assembled

intelligently becomes so dynamic in the very mere presence of the consciousness

is mind-boggling. The life in an inert or insentient body making so dynamic,

repairing itself and even reproducing itself into many, is the miracle of all

miracles. The moment it leaves the body, Shankara says, it becomes so unholy

that even wife does not want to be near that- gativati vaayou dehaapaaye

bhaaryaa bibhyati tasmin kaaaye. - No, I do not need someone dropping ash or

make things appear or disappear as miracle. No, I cannot do all that. The

greatest miracle I see is the inert

body can eat, breath, digest, and reject and move around and also sometimes

think these things – that is the wonder of all wonders. I see happening all

the time wherever I look, yet everyone takes that as granted. Thus there is a

perfect order every where. All we need is to stand apart as saakshii and have

the wisdom to see. Everything is the way it should be and it is; even though

every body will be complaining that it is not the way they want it or that it is

not the same as before; even that complaining is part of the order too. If one

looks at Socrates writings we will find he was complaining exactly the same way

as we are complaining now about the younger generation. Nothing has changed.

Thousand of years ago people were concerned about the security of their kith and

kin; same thing now, and same things will be happening thousand years from now.

All this is within the order. Einstein was asked how they are going to fight the

world war III. He

said I am not sure, but I know for sure how they are going to fight the world

war IV; with sticks and stones. Star-wars remind us the human nature taken to

the stars. That is part of human mind, and this is also within the order. Life

moves forward to keep everything in dynamic status quo. We recognize His hands

in everything, His signature in every movement. His glory in every smile of a

child and in every barking of a dog – Hence Krishna says:

 

vidyaa vinaya sampaanne braahmaNe gavi hasthini,

sunicaiva shvapaake ca panDitaaH samadarshinaH|

 

One who understands the truth, looks at Brahmin, cow, elephant, dog or even dog

eater with the same vision of equanimity, since substantive of all is nothing

but Him only - thus he cannot but see His signature in all of them. That is the

underlying order in the universe, in all things and beings. Equanimity for the

whole creation becomes natural as one basks in the infinite wisdom permeating

everywhere. That is what firm abidance in the knowledge of -I am that- implies.

That is bhakti, that is sharaNaagati or prapatti as Shankara says Bhakti in

vivekachUDAmaNi as – swaswruupaanusandhaanam bhaktirityabhidhiiyate or

swaatmatatvaanusandhaanam baktirityapare jaguH|| as contemplation and abidance

on one’s own true nature, where saakshii and saakshyam have become one, the

advaita jnaanam, resulting in seeing myself as the essential self in all and

everything in myself; sarva bhuutastam aatmaanam sarvabhuutanica aatmani; while

I remain as unqualified – I

am neither saakshii nor saakshyam – but substantive of both.

 

With this, discussion on the essence of jnaana yoga and self –realization is

over.

 

We will discuss now some of the aspects that were missed before in relation to

the mahaavaakya, tat tvam asi, that involves tat and asi aspects in the identity

relation although they are implied in the above discussions.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda