Atma Bodha - Post 36

Verse 26

आत्मनो विक्रिया नास्ति बुद्धेर्बोधो न जात्विति ।

जीवः सर्वमलं ज्ञात्वा ज्ञाता द्रष्टेति मुह्यति ॥ २६॥

AATMANAH VIKRIYAA NA ASTI

BUDDHEH BODHAH NA JAATU ITI

JEEVAH SARVAMALAM JNAATVAA

JNAATAA DRISHTAA ITI MUHYATI

There is no action for the Self and the intellect itself has no capacity to know; yet the individuality, experiencing them, thinks. “I am the knower and the seer”, and is thus deluded.

Three important facts are presented in this verse which we would need to keep in mind when engaging our intellect to the task of probing the Truth:

i)  Atman has no modification, hence it cannot be attributed the responsibility of acting; it does not act. 

ii)  The inner instrument is inert. It is composed of ‘matter’, subtle matter but still insentient. Human intellect is not endowed with the powers of feeling, thinking, willing or wishing, because it is a product of matter which is inert.

iii)  Intellect reflects the light of Atman: This makes it appear to be a conscious entity, but that is the delusion. The individuality (Jiva) which is a reflection of the pure consciousness in the mind, falsely identifies itself with the body-mind-intellect equipment due to ignorance of its true nature.

Accordingly, it comes to super impose the characteristics of the true Self on these insentient matter developments (Body, Mind, Intellect)

In this way, the delusion that “I am the seer”, “I am the knower” etc. arises in EGO.

This is a false self, not the real Self. But it does not know that. These are the items which our discrimination or intellect has to apply itself to in order to assist us in obtaining Self-knowledge.

Analogy of a Light Bulb:

There is no example or simile given in this verse but Swami Chinmayananda ventures an illustration: that of an electric bulb.

All three of the above points are illustrated by it:

In itself the bulb cannot give light without electricity flowing through it. When electricity (symbolizing the Self) flows, then the inert bulb lights up, as that is what it is designed to do; it cannot do anything else.

The bulb becomes the means by which we are able to “perceive” electricity. In the same way, the intellect plays its role of making us “aware of” the existence of the Self, although on its own it has no power to know it.

The point about the ego-sense is also illustrated by this analogy. If the bulb had an ego-sense, it would feel that it itself were producing the light, although it is only an instrument that is used by the electricity to give light. By its association with the electricity it is seen to be an instrument of light.

Chinmaya concludes his commentary on this verse with the following truth, which is crown jewel of wisdom.

“The illumining consciousness, because of which there is an awareness of the various objects and activities in the inner mind, is THAT supreme reality.”

Thus, though waves of sorrow, dejection, despair, joy, success, anger, jealousy, passion etc. may come in mind, he who knows the “Knower” of all these waves is not affected by them.

He rejoices in his experience of SELF and cries out in Joy, “THE SELF I AM. I am illumining my mental conditions.” 

I may be happy or unhappy but these are all the mental waves that “I” am illumining. I am the Light of Consciousness. None of the conditions of my mind is Me, the Pure consciousness!!!”

Love.