Verse 4 (..contd.)
The process of how consciousness illumines our thoughts / senses etc was explained in the current verse with the analogy of Light within the pot with 7 holes in the pot.
The process
has been further explained in a wonderful manner in Ashtavakra Gita.
The summary
learning from that verse is given below
When an
object is seen, the reflected consciousness falls on the object and then the
image of the object/human reaches our senses through our sight and our sense
exactly capture and produce the same replica image of the object within us, in
our sense perception.
The result
of the knowledge of object is “phalam” as given in this verse.
1) Sight of
objects creates disturbance in mind, called vritti
2) This vritti glows in the
light of consciousness ( reflected consciousness)
3) With that
glow, the vritti culminates
into knowledge, and this culmination is expressed as phalam.
Often, at intellectual level, there is a common question that if
my Consciousness is the same as your Consciousness, then why don’t I know your thoughts?
First of
all, thank God for having this natural law. It is God’s blessings that we do
not know other’s thoughts. It is difficult to deal with even one’s own
thoughts. What to speak about dealing with other’s thoughts?
It is
important to address this question. If my Consciousness and your Consciousness
is identical, why don’t I know your thoughts?
The one who
is asking the question is not the Consciousness. The one who is asking this
question is mind. And my mind is separate from your mind.
Everyone’s
mind is in their own pot. Therefore, even though it is the same Consciousness
that illumines your thoughts and my thoughts, the thoughts belong to the mind.
Mind is absolutely distinct. Hence, the thoughts that belong to one mind are
not known to the other mind.
Nonetheless,
one Consciousness illumines all. Not only the thoughts, but your Consciousness
also streams out from your eyes, streams out through your ears, though your
nose, through your mouth, through your skin and contact everything around it.
This is how we come to know the world around us. This knowledge is known as
Consciousness.
Consciousness
is the one because of whom one can thus say “I know”. You can’t say “I
know” in the absence of Consciousness.
That alone
shines and this entire world shines after “That” refers to Consciousness
in the form of Sri Dakshinamurti as well as the Guru who imparts this knowledge
to the seekers.
The Moon is known to you because of the Sun. If there was no Sun, you would not know the Moon.
Similarly,
this entire world is known because of the Consciousness. The Consciousness
shines upon the entire world. The entire world is illumined by Consciousness.
Therefore, the world is available for perception – available to be known.
Shrutis say,
Salutation is unto that Consciousness that alone shines illumining the entire cosmos, who is in the form of Guru as well as in the form of Sri Dakshinamurthy.
Love.
