Jnana Vahini - Post 15

Swami says, 

Brahman is JNANAM

"The unique Jnana of the Brahman is known by a variety of names like Jnana, Vijnana, Prajnana, Chit, Chaitanya, etc. Chaitanya means Pure Consciousness; its opposite is the Unconscious or the Jada, the Inert. 

Atmajnana makes everything Conscious, Active. Brahman is Eternally Conscious, Nithya Chaitanya.

Many people argue that Jnana is one of the attributes of Brahman, that it is of the nature of Brahman, a characteristic of Brahman etc. But such opinions arise only in the absence of actual experience, of actual attainment of Jnana. Arguments and discussions multiply when there is no firsthand experience; for the realization of Reality is individual, based on revelation to oneself.

I declare that Jnanam is Brahman, not a mere characteristic or attitude or quality. 

The Vedas and Sastras announce that Brahman is Sathyam, Jnanam, and Anantham, not that Brahman has these and other attributes. 

When Brahman is known, the knower, the known and the knowledge all become One."

Brahman is SATHYAM

"A Jnani will feel that the Atma immanent in everyone is his own Atma; he will be happy that he is himself all this; he will see no distinction between man and man, for he can experience only unity, not diversity. 

The physical differences of color, caste and creed adhere only to the body. These are but the marks of the external body. The Atma is Nishkala, that is to say, it has no parts; it is Nirmala, blemish-less, unaffected by desire, anger, greed, affection, pride and envy; it is Nishkriya, activity-less. 

It is only Prakriti that undergoes all these modifications or at least gives the impression that it is so modified. The Purusha is but the Eternal Witness, the Ever-inactive, the Modification-less.

Of what can you say, 'This is Truth'? Only of this, which persists in the Past, the Present and the Future, which has neither beginning nor end, which does not move or change, which has uniform Form, unified experience-giving property. 

Well, let us consider the body, the senses, the mind, the life-force and all such. They move and change; they begin and end, they are inert, Jada. 

They have three gunas: Tamas, Rajas and Sathwa. They are without basic Reality. 

They cause the delusion of reality. They have only relative value; they have no absolute value. 

They shine due to borrowed light only.

Absolute Truth is beyond the reach of Time and Space, it is A-parichchinna, that is, indivisible. 

It does not begin; it is always and ever existent; it is the basis, the fundamental, the self-revealing. Knowing it, experiencing it, is Jnanam. 

It is A-nirdesyam, that is, cannot be marked out as such and such and explained by some characteristics. How can something that is above and beyond the intellect and the mind be described through mere words?

It is also termed Adrisya, invisible to the eye, the optical apparatus that undergoes change and which is very limited in its capacity. Brahma can never be grasped by anything elemental and physical; through Brahman, the eye is able to see, so how can the eye perceive Brahman itself? The mind is bound by the limitations of time, space and causation. How can the Param-Atma who is superior to these and unaffected by them, be limited by them?

Know that the Jagath is the Swaroop of the Viraatpurusha, the form imposed by Maya on the Super-soul. 

Brahman is that which has become or appears to have become all this, the Antharyami, the Inner Motive Force.

In the Nirguna aspect it is the Primal Cause, the Hiranya Garbha, of which Creation is the manifestation. 

Grasping this secret of the universe and its origin and existence - that is Jnana.

Love.

Author's note - Only a week before, there was a long session on the subject - "Sathyam Jnanam Anantam Brahman”, at author's home. 

SATHYAM

1.    Brahman is Sathyam, the eternal truth.

2.  Brahman is not the effect of any cause. While the 5 elements are caused by Brahman which in turn go one to create this Jagath, Brahman is Birth less and death less, as it is not caused by anything.

3.  The above causeless nature of Brahman proves that Brahman is ETERNAL PURE EXISTENCE- SATHYAM

JNANAM

1.    While all other objects are known by our mind, Brahman is the pure Knowledge, which illumines our very intellect / mind and senses.

2.  In all the worldly knowledge, there are 3 aspects - the knower of the object, the object that has to be known and the process of Knowing.

3.  Brahman is above these three aspects - It illumines the universe, it illumines each Jiva's intellect but with that intellect, Brahman cannot be known!!

ANANTHAM

·       All that we can perceive in this creation are limited by any or all of these three aspects.

1.    Desa / Space (One thing cannot appear in 2 places).

2.  Kala / Time (Anything is present only in one time).

3.  Vastu / Object (An object is limited by its shape / its properties / its characteristic).

·       Brahman is all pervading, infinite, not limited by space / time / object.

Though the above points are summarized above, it takes few hours to actually explain the above, which happens in the Kutir sessions.

Love.