Merging of the individual in the Total
One feels happy when one
has the knowledge that this one little body is one’s own, right? Then, when one
knows that two bodies belong to one, shouldn’t one be twice as happy?
In the same way, with
the knowledge that one has an increasing number of bodies, the experience of
happiness goes on increasing.
When the whole world is
known to be one body and world consciousness becomes part of the awareness,
then the bliss will be full. To get this multi-consciousness, the limited
egocentric prison walls must be destroyed.
When the ego-self (or jivi) identifies itself with the divine Atma, death will cease. When the
ego-self identifies itself and merges with the bliss of the One, sorrow will
cease.
When it merges with spiritual
wisdom (jnana), error will cease.
“Material individual ness is born out of delusion; this body, which creates
that impression, is only an ever-evolving atom of a boundless ocean; the second
entity in me is the other form, namely, the embodied Self; when the ego of mine
merges with the divine Self in me, then the delusion disappears through the
upsurge of its opposite, supreme knowledge.” When one’s thought matures in the
process of time, undoubtedly all schools of thought have to reach this conclusion.
Introspection
Swami is giving us the
highest vedantic truth today in the above part in 2nd chapter of this vahini.
Let us try to understand
the merger of individual in total, the subject of today’s post from SS Vahini,
in this way:
The terms Brahman and Atman are used interchangeably in the Upanishads and in the Gita
and other scriptures. So, from one aspect they are synonyms.
The definition of Brahman is given in the Taittiriya Upanishad as:–
'That from whence all
beings are born, that by which, when born, they exist, that into which they
enter at their demise, seek to know that. That is Brahman.'
It further goes on to
say that Brahman is qualified by SAT
(Being), CHIT (Consciousness) and ANANTA (limitless) - some texts substitute
ĀNANDA or Bliss for ananta - but both refer to the limitless divine love and
bliss.
So, Brahman is the fabric or network of the Universe described a BEING
- there is no before or after, up or down, in or out - THAT simply IS - time-space.
Brahman is the Unified Field.
Consciousness pervades
the Universe and is integral to the fabric of the Universe itself. Bliss, love
– infinite and spacious is the very nature of Brahman.
Now the Atman is a mode,
or moiety of Brahman known is
Sanskrit as amsa. Each and every amsa of Brahman is qualified by the same three essential attributes but in
a state conditioned by KARMA.
These are known as:–
asti — existence - limited by time, space and
causation.
bhati – consciousness - defined by
(1) perception,
(2) cognition and (3) experience.
Priti or priya
– love. Every living sentient being has love - firstly self-love - then love of
partner, children, friends etc. in every expanding circle of inclusion.
In less developed
creatures it never goes beyond self-love and in the advanced stages of
spiritual evolution love is inclusive of all sentient and insentient beings.
The external universe in
which we exist is comprised of nama-rupa
— name and form.
When the individual ego/Jiva, transcends the limitations of Asti, Bhati, Priya, as
described above, then the limitation of the Jiva
atman as an amsa is transcended and
the amsa , jiva atman, merges with the whole, Parama atman or Brahman.
What are the limitations
which a jiva has to transcend in
order to merge with God/Universal consciousness??
1) Limitation
of time, space, objective (Asti)
2) Perception
and experience based on objects (Bhati)
3) Love,
based on individual, limited relationships (Priya)
Upon transcending the
above three, one easily goes beyond the limitation of his name and form as well
as names and forms of all others in the creation and the jiva merges with God, Atman
merges in Brahman.
Love.
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