A Perspective - 16

[Guest guest]

tat tvam asi – VII

 

Role of the mind: The role of the mind in self-realization has to be clear.

There is always a question that rises in the minds of the seekers, even after

many years of Vedantic study. aham bhrahmaasmi – who realizes that or says

that? Essentially, who is that aham that says I am Brahman. Brahman does not

have to realize that I am Brahman. If atma or self is also sat chit ananda

Brahman – it cannot become Brahman – it is Brahman all the time and

therefore no need for it to realize any thing. Mind of a jiiva is limited inert

entity – it cannot become Brahman or realize that I am Brahman. Then who

realizes that I am Brahman? A simple answer is – the one who is asking the

question is the one who realizes that I am Brahman. Who is asking the question?

A conscious entity that I am, identifying with BMI, which is essentially the

ahankaara or ego, is asking the question. Then that limited ego entity

realizes. That realization involves an understanding

that I am not the limited BMI that I am currently identifying as myself and

asking the question of who that aham is, but I am the infinite eternal

sat-chit-ananda swaruupam. The answer is still vague since that - I am - is

still not aatma, since aatma need not have to realize neither it is really ego,

since ego cannot be infinite aatma. There is some apparent contradiction here,

which is inevitable. It is like ring saying I am not really a ring that I

thought that I am with limited name and form, but my true nature is I am the

brilliant glistering gold, the substantive for all gold ornaments in the

universe. Who says that? It is ring only that says I am not the ring but gold.

How can ring say that I am not the ring while being a ring? Ring realizes that

the ring is only a name and form for transactional purposes but in truth, I am

only gold and not a ring. Gold does not have to discover that I am gold since it

is all the time gold only. However, ring

has to drop the notions that I am limited by the name and form, as they are

just superimpositions or adhyaasa on the substantive gold that I am. Actually,

there is no ring at all and what is there is only gold but in varieties of names

and forms- That one who thought I am a ring has to realize dropping all the

wrong notions about itself. If one asks - Is there really no ring at all? Well

there is a ring different from bangle and bracelet, and utility of each is

different– but those differences in names, forms and utilities are only

superficial for the purpose of transaction only or vyaavahaarika satyam -

relatively real at transactional level. However, from the point of gold, there

are no rings and bangles. Well – there are rings and bangles; but gold says

that is only my expression or vibhuuti or glory to be able to express myself in

varieties of names and forms. Gaudapaada call this as swaabhaavikam or natural

for me to exist in varieties of

names and forms. Hence the contradiction is only apparent since all the

distinctions exist only at transactional level, but from the point of absolute

truth there are no distinctions of any kind. Krishna makes a similar, apparently

contradictory, statement that ‘all beings are in Me, nay none of them are in

Me– look at my glory Arjuna’. There is a plurality from the point of

vyavahaara while there is no plurality from the point of paaramaarthika. Thus

all contradictions are resolved once one understands the reference state from

which the statements are made. The confusion arises only if one mixes the

references state. That in fact is the definition of adhyaasa or superimposed

error as Shankara defines adhyaasa as satyaanRita mithuniikaraNam that mixing of

absolute truth and untruth, where truth is that which is not negated at any

time.

 

Hence from the point of self-realization, the conscious entity that identifies

itself with the limited BMI and takes the role of an ego or ahankaara has to

recognize that I am the pure all pervading consciousness without any

distinctions of any kind. The difficulty arises only because this recognition

occurs in the mind only. Hence it is also called akhanDaakaara vRitti – an

unbroken form of thought of oneself as I am, I am, I am…aham aham tayaa

spurati hRit swayam – I am, I am, I am, … raises spontaneously in the core

of the individual, says Bhagavan Ramana.

 

amRitabindu Upanishad says – manayeva manushyaanaam kaaraNam bandha mokshayoH|

bandhaaya vishayaasaktam muktair nirvishayam sRitam| For all human beings, mind

alone is responsible for both bondage and liberation. The bondage arises with

attachments to the sense objects and liberation is freedom from dependence on

sense objects for happiness. prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan partha manogataan|

aatmanyeva aatmanaa tuShTaH .. the one who is free from all desires for sense

objects and one who revels in himself by himself is a jnaani – says Krishna.

Sarvam paravaSham duHkham sarvam aatmavaSham sukham – dependence on any thing

else for happiness is sorrow and dependence on one’s own self is happiness –

says Manu. Most of this was discussed in the previous posts but we emphasize

here since this confusion is deep rooted for many seekers. In terms of

summarizing comments we state the following:

 

1. Brahman is infinite. Therefore, by definition, there cannot be anything other

than Brahman. Hence the scripture say it is one without a second, advitiiyam.

It is expressed as homogeneous eternal conscious-existence without any parts or

properties; and therefore imperceptible. Hence it is beyond any concept

including space and time, objectifications or conceptualizations.

2. Self or aatma is also existent consciousness, therefore infinite, and all

pervading entity. Hence it cannot be different from Brahman.

Existence-consciousness is indivisible.

3. If I do not know myself that means if I have ignorance of my true nature,

then I take myself to be something other than myself and suffer the consequence

of that misunderstanding. The self-ignorance caused suffering is called

samsaara. The superimposed limitations on myself due to identification of myself

with the limited body, mind and intellect, BMI, is bondage.

4. Liberation, moksha or freedom from samsaara, or nirvana, is then knowing

myself as myself as infinite existence-consciousness which is nothing but

Brahman. I do not become Brahman- I realize that I am Brahman. One cannot become

infinite; one has to recognize one is already infinite- that recognition is

required since one has a notion that one is finite.

5. I know that I exist and I also know that I am a conscious entity, but I do

not know that I am limitless too. I take myself as existent BMI or conscious BMI

or qualified existence-consciousness (aham jiivaasmi –I am an individual) than

pure unqualified limitless existence-consciousness (aham brahmaasmi).

Limitlessness is a state of happiness, since any limitation causes inadequacy

and unhappiness. Not knowing that I am pure existence-consciousness which is

limitless, I mistake myself to be the existent-limited BMI. All my pursuits in

life are to gain that limitless state of my true nature, or put it in mundane

terms to gain absolute inexhaustible happiness. All pursuits to gain the

limitless state or pure happiness miserably fail, since I am trying to solve a

problem where there is no problem to solve. Hence Vedanta says you are not what

you think you are, but you are indeed the limitless existence-consciousness

which is of the nature of pure

happiness. Hence the solution to the problem is to recognize my true nature or

my swaruupam by getting rid of the wrong notions about myself or

misunderstandings of who I think I am. Hence the tat tvam asi statement, the

teacher indicating you are already that what you are longing for.

 

The question that is posed is who is that I that has this misunderstanding or

ignorance of myself and who is the one that is going to get rid of this

misunderstanding and realize I am Brahman. I cannot say Brahman has ignorance

since Brahman is pure unadulterated existence-consciousness. I cannot really say

jiiva has ignorance since jiiva is a notion arising due to ignorance. There is

an inherently an interdependence (anyonya aashraya) like seed and tree situation

in terms of which is a cause and which is an effect. Inherent problem arises

because ignorance cannot have a beginning and therefore jiiva notion is also

beginning-less.

 

At this stage, it is important to recognize that mind includes all the four

components – 1. the emotional faculty, manas, 2. the intellectual faculty or

buddhi, 3. the memory, chitta and 4. ego or ahankaara. We use the generic word

mind to indicate any or all of the four. Mind is the instrument for knowledge.

Hence, I need the mind to gain knowledge. Without the mind as in deep sleep

state, no knowledge can take place. Without the mind, I cannot even know my

ignorance, as in deep-sleep state. However mind itself is inert. Inert things

cannot know anything. Then how does the knowledge take place? This is the

greatest miracle of all miracles. It is wonder of all wonders to the degree that

everyone takes it for granted without questioning how that happens. By the very

presence of the consciousness, the inert subtle body becomes sentient and

dynamic. The consciousness illumines in the buddhi which is the subtlest and

from buddhi, the mind and from the

mind the sense organs and the rest of the gross body. Shankara says in Atma

bodha –

sadaa sarvagatopyaatmaa na sarvataavabhaasate|

bhudhyaaveva bhaaseta swaccheShu pratibimbavat||

Although the self is all pervading, it does not illumine everywhere, it

illumines in the intellect like the light getting reflected by the mirror.

Purity of the mirror determines the quality of the reflection. The

reflectability depends not on the consciousness but on the suitability of the

object that is getting illumined. Hence, consciousness has nothing to do with

illumination yet in its very presence the matter becomes dynamic and becomes

enlivening. It is like the sun shining all by himself, yet in its very presence

life pulsates on earth, but not in other planets.

 

Scripture says that after gross and subtle bodies are created, He - as though -

entered into it; this statement is called anupravesha statement; occurs in both

Ch. Up and Tai. Up. He being a conscious entity as though entered into the BMI

to enliven the equipments and make them dynamic. We deliberately used the word

– as though- since He being infinite cannot really enter into anything, since

He is all-pervading. It is similar to I creating the whole dream world and then

I myself -as though- enter into it as a part of jiiva with a limited dream BMI

that is different from the rest of things and beings in the dream. Similarly, He

being one – as though – enters into every conceivable jiiva that has

appropriate BMI conducive for His entrance. Hence Krishna declares –

kshetrajnam ca api maam viddhi sarva kshetreShu bhaarata. Know Me as the knower

of the fields in all fields. Minds with the reflected consciousness now become

local knower or

pramaataas. The reflected consciousness because now a source of illumination

for other inert entities. It is like moon because of the reflected light from

the sun becoming a source of illumination for objects in the night, although

moon does not have illumination of its own.

 

I, the conscious entity, who has no knowledge of my true nature, identify with

the mind and through the mind gain the knowledge (pramaa) of the unknown

(prameya) using a well-defined means of knowledge, pramaaNa. In addition, I, the

conscious entity indentify with the mind as ego or ahankaara, owns up the

knowledge as an agent as I am the knower, pramaataa. That I am the knower is

also a thought in the mind. Hence when the mind is awake, the jnaana prakriya or

process of knowledge takes place. According advaita, knowledge is said to occur

when the light of consciousness illumines the object of knowledge – just as I

perceive the objects in a pitch dark room as I focus flash light on them. Flash

light only reveals the objects that are there. It does not create the objects

for me to see. Without the flash light no knowledge of the objects can occur,

since objects being inert and are not self-shining to reveal themselves. In the

same way, for knowledge to

occur, advaita says, the light of consciousness must illumine the object of

knowledge. Now we will discuss how this process occurs during perception. More

details are discussed in the knowledge series.

 

Perception is the direct means of knowledge (or PramaaNa) – as soon as I open

my eyes and if all other secondary causes are conducive (my sense organs

functioning and there is enough light for me to see) I cannot but perceive the

objects. Senses perceive the attributes only not the substantive, since

according to Vedanta substantive for all the objects in the universe is Brahman

which is imperceptible. Thus eyes can see colors and forms, ears the sounds etc.

To see the forms, the external reflected light from the object in front enters

through eyes and forms an image on the retina. This image is transmitted to the

brain via optical nerve system as an electrical signal which is now translated

into an image of the object in the mind in the form of a vRitti or a thought.

The last step is like a programming language translating the electrical inputs

into machine language software. Thus brain acts like hardware while mind acts

like software memory. The

stereographic image is formed due to presence of two eyes displaced by about 7

degrees. The current scientific knowledge is limited to un-code this process

language. Traditionally, this mechanics is explained in advaita (Vedanta

Paribhasha) as mind going out with sense organs and engulfing the object sensing

the attributes of the object thus forming the vRitti in the mind.. This is also

does not explain how attributive knowledge is translated into vRitti. For the

sense of smell, we know that the fragrant molecules have to reach the nose and

for the sense of touch, the object has to come into contact with the skin. The

sound waves have to reach the ears for cognition. In essence the processes are

similar to image formation in a mirror where the attributive qualities of color

and form are imaged by the mirror. In the image formation the attributes of the

object (the original) are inseparable from their locus yet an image is formed

reflecting the qualities

of the object. The substantive of the object remains with the original. Hence

we can define the vRitti as the image transformation of perceptual attributive

content of the object on to the mind via sense organs. Quality of the image

depends on both the mind and the senses transmitting the image. As the vRitti

rises in the mind the reflected light of consciousness from the mind illumines

the vRitti as it forms and by the illumination the knowledge of the vRitti takes

place. The contents of the vRitti are the attributes of the object that the

senses have gathered starting from form and colors. From the attributes, the

mind infers that there is an object out there with the attributes as imaged in

the mind. A person who is color blind will only see what he has imaged based on

his sense input. Up to this is mechanics.. Vedanta paribhaasha discusses the

perceptuality condition, the contribution from advaita.

 

Perceptuality condition: The essence of perception involves the following as per

advaita. We have discussed before any object is nothing but substantive Brahman

expressed as existence with the attributes characteristic of the object. Thus

object is nothing but existence plus the attributive content of the object that

includes form, color, etc. Sense can only image the attributes on to the mind.

Existence is all-pervading. Hence vRitti that is image of the object is now

existence with superimposed attributes as gathered by in the individual senses

and projected on the mind screen. Thus vRitti is existence with imaged

attributes in contrast to the outside object which is existence with original

attributes. With the reflected light of consciousness from the mind, the vRitti

or thought is now known. The knowing process is completed when the perceptuality

condition is met. The perceptuality condition is met when the existence of the

object in the form of the

vRitti unites with the consciousness of the subject (i.e. reflected light of

consciousness via the mind). That means existence expressed as the image of the

object out there (the SAT part) unites with the consciousness (the chit part) of

the subject (knower) then I will become conscious of the existence of the object

out there. That is the essence of the perceptual knowledge. For anumaana or

inferential knowledge one can extend the principle where there is no direct

object out there but inferred based on vyaatpi or concomitant relation. Even

during perception which is direct and immediate, there is some inference

involved but not via a vyaapti. For example we see only the frontal image of the

object that is visible to us and mind infers by extrapolation the rest of the

object. When I see a cow I see the frontal image of the cow but I infer the rest

of the cow based on prior image of the generic cow. Like wise the other part of

inference during

perception is the assumption that there is an object out there based on the

attributes that my senses have gathered. The existence of the object is

generally confirmed by further transactions involving karmendriayas. Otherwise

the perceived object will become hallucination.

 

Most interesting aspect of the perceptual process is the Brahman expressed as

existence in the inert objects is combined with consciousness of the perceiver

subject for one to be conscious of the existence of the objects. Without uniting

with consciousness, the existence of the object cannot be established. That

means world, being inert, cannot be established independent of a conscious

entity. On the other hand the conscious entity can exist independent of the

inert as in deep sleep state – however, its existence cannot be established

without the mind, which is inert, reflecting that consciousness. It is not that

mind is creating the world but mind supported by conscious entity is required to

have the knowledge of the world. Otherwise the world remains as indeterminate

– that is its existence or non-existence cannot be established.

 

In essence – I need the mind to recognize that I am not the mind but I am that

light of consciousness that is getting reflected by the mind because of which I

can recognize both the mind as well as the light of consciousness that I am,

that is getting reflected by the mind. It is like seeing the object in room

light. As the all pervading light gets reflected by the object, I recognize both

the object and more importantly the light that is getting reflected by the

object. In fact what I see is only the light of reflection and not the object

per sec, just like the way I see myself in the mirror. In the same way every

thought or vRitti that rises in the mind is seen by the reflection of the light

of consciousness. The mind of jnaani shifts its attention to that light that is

getting reflected by the thoughts and from that recognizes that I am not the

mind but the light of consciousness that is getting reflected. Hence realization

is not elimination of the

thoughts but shifting the attention from the attributive content of the

thoughts to the light of consciousness that is getting reflected and because of

which the thought itself is known. Here is where vigilant observation is

required without getting lost in the attributive (qualities) content of the

thoughts but to the light of consciousness that I am.

 

With this we have completed the analysis of self-realization process. We will

discuss next the jiivan mukta status.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda