LAMP OF NON-DUAL KNOWLEDGE-14

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ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA

[LAMP OF NON-DUAL KNOWLEDGE]

 

VASANAKSHAYA CHAPTER VI: THE ANNIHILATION OF LATENCIES

 

1. This chapter succeeds the five earlier ones on superimposition,

its withdrawal, the requisites of the seeker, hearing, and

reflection. To the disciple who after reflecting on the Self has

gained direct knowledge, the master further says as follows.

 

2. Wise son, the shastras have nothing more to teach you; you have

finished them. Henceforth you must meditate on the Self. The

scriptures say: `Dear! the Self must be heard of, reflected and

meditated upon'. Having finished reflection, you must proceed with

meditation. Now give up the shastras.

 

3-6. D.: Is it proper to give them up?

 

M.: Yes, it is proper. Now that by enquiry you have known what need

be known, you can unhesitatingly give them up. D.: But the shastras

say that to the last moment of death, one should not give them up.

M.: Their purpose is to teach the truth. After it is gained, of what

further use can they be? A further study will be so much waste of

time and labour. Therefore leave them aside. Take to unbroken

meditation.

D.: Is this statement supported by scriptures?

M.: Yes.

D.: How?

 

M.: They say: After repeatedly hearing from the master about the

Self, reflecting on It and directly knowing It, the seeker should

give up the shastras even as the pole used to stir up the corpse in

the burning ground is finally consigned to the burning fire of the

corpse. From a study of the shastras let the seeker of Liberation

gather an indirect knowledge of the Self and put it into practice by

reflecting on It until by experiencing It a direct knowledge is

gained; later like a gatherer of grains who takes the grain and

rejects the chaff, let him leave the shastras aside. The man

desirous of liberation should make use of shastras only to gain

knowledge of the Self and then proceed to reflect on It; he should

not be simply talking vedanta, nor even be thinking of it. For talk

results only in so much strain on speech, similarly thinking on the

mind, no useful purpose can be served by either. Therefore only know

just what need be known and give up tiresome study. Controlling his

speech and mind a sensible seeker should always engage in

meditation. This is the teaching of the shastras.

7. Wise son, now that you have known what need be known from them,

you should efface the impressions left by your studies.

D.: What constitutes these impressions?

M.: It is the inclination of the mind always to study vedantic

literature, to understand the meaning of the texts, to commit them

to memory and constantly be thinking of them. Since this inclination

obstructs meditation, a wise man must overcome it with every effort.

Next the latencies connected with the world (lokavasana) must be

eliminated.

8. D.: What are these latencies?

M.: To think, this is my country, this is my family pedigree and

this is the tradition. Should any one praise or censure any of

these, the reactions of the mind denote the latencies connected with

the world. Give them up. Later on, give up the latencies connected

with the body also (dehavasana).

9-13. D.: What are they?

M.: To think oneself to be of such and such age, young or old and

desire the full span of life with health, strength and good looks.

Generally thoughts pertaining to the body indicate these latencies.

Ambition in the world and love for body distract the mind and

prevent meditation on Brahman. Since all objects are ephemeral, they

must be eschewed. Then the latencies connected with enjoyments

(bhogavasana) must be given up.

D.: What are these?

M.: These are made up of thoughts like: this is good and I must have

it; this is not so and let it leave me; now I have gained so much

and let me gain more, and so on.

D.: How can this be overcome?

M.: By looking with disgust upon all enjoyments as on vomit or

excreta and developing dispassion for them, this can be overcome.

Dispassion is the only remedy for this mad craving. After this, the

mind must be cleared of the six passions, namely, lust, anger,

greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.

D.: How can this be done?

M.: By (maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha) friendship with the

holy, compassion for the afflicted, rejoicing in the joy of the

virtuous and being indifferent to the shortcomings of the sinful.

Next must be effaced the latencies connected with the objects of the

senses (vishayavasana) such as sound etc. These latencies are the

running of the senses such as hearing etc., after their objects.

D.: How can these latencies be effaced?

M.: By a practice of the six-fold discipline consisting of sama,

dama, uparati, titiksha, samadhana and sraddha, withdrawing the mind

from going outwards, controlling the senses, not thinking of the

objects of the senses, forbearance, fixing the mind on the Reality

and faith. Next all latencies connected with mutual attachments

must be overcome.

 

14-15. D.: What are they?

M.: Though the senses are restrained, yet the mind always thinks of

objects: `there is that; there is this; it is such and such; it is

this-wise or otherwise' and so on. Because of brooding over objects,

the mind gets attached to them, this constant brooding is called the

latency connected with mental attachment.

D.: How can this be checked?

M.: By practising uparati which means desisting from all thoughts

after concluding by proper reasoning that they are only fruitless

daydreams.

16. When in the right manner, all this has been accomplished, the

greatest evil-doer, namely the latency connected with wrong identity

must be put an end to, even with great effort.

 

17. D.: What is this latency connected with wrong identity?

(viparita vasana)

 

M.: Owing to beginningless Ignorance the non-Self is mistaken for

the Self as `I am the body' from time immemorial, this Ignorance is

hardy and can be ended only by the practice of Brahman.

18-20. D.: What is this practice?

M.: It consists in discarding the body, senses etc., as being non-

Self and always remembering that `I am Brahman', remaining as

consciousness witnessing the insentient sheaths. Meditating on

Brahman in solitude, speaking of or teaching only Brahman in the

company of others, not to speak or think of anything but It, but

always one-pointedly to think of Brahman, is the practice.

So say the wise. By this transcend the ego and then proceed to

eliminate the idea of `mine'.

21-22. D.: What is the nature of this idea?

M.: It consists in the single concept of `mine' in relation to the

body or whatever pertains to it, such as name, form, clothing,

caste, conduct or professions of life.

D.: How does this go away?

M.: By a steadfast meditation on the Reality.

D.: How?

M.: Always to be aware that the body etc., its interests and

effects, enjoyments, activities etc., are only figments of ignorance

on pure knowledge i.e., the Self, that like the appearance of silver

on nacre, ornaments in gold, water in mirage, blueness in the sky or

waves in water, all but the Self are only false presentations or

illusory modes of the Self. In reality there is nothing but

our `Self '. Next the sense of differentiation (bheda vasana) must

go.

 

23-25. D.: What is this sense of differentiation?

 

M.: It consists in ideas like: " I am the witness of this; all that

is seen is only insentient and illusory; here is the world; these

are the individuals; this one is the disciple and the other, the

master; this is Isvara, and so on. " This must go by a practice of

non-duality.

This practice is to remain non-dual, solid Being- Knowledge-Bliss,

untainted and free from thoughts of reality or unreality, ignorance

or its illusory effects, and internal or external differentiation.

This is accomplished by a constant practice of modeless (nirvikalpa)

samadhi. Here remains the experience of Brahman only. After leaving

the sense of differentiation far behind, the attachment to non-

duality must later be given up.

26-27. D.: How is this to be done?

M.: Even this state must finally pass into untellable and

unthinkable Reality absolutely free from modes and even non-duality.

The Bliss of Liberation is only this and nothing more. When the mind

is cleared of all latent impurities, it remains untainted, crystal-

clear so that it cannot be said to exist or not to exist and it

becomes one with Reality, transcending speech and thought. This

unmoded, untainted fixity of the mind is known as Realisation or

Liberation while alive.

28. Though direct knowledge of the Self has been gained, yet until

this Realisation ensues, to be liberated while alive one should

always meditate on Brahman with proper control of mind and senses.

Thus ends this chapter.