Tattva Bodha - Post 23

SAT-CHIT-ANANDA

(Continued…..)

SAT - PURE EXISTENCE 

In Chhandogya Upanishad, we find a dialogue between a sage and his son, Shvetaketu. The enquiry here is, ‘What is that knowledge by which everything becomes known?’  

And to grasp the answer to this bold question, we must appreciate the concept that by knowing the cause one can know the effects. Thus, if you know clay, you know all pots made of clay (you know that all such pots are nothing but clay), by knowing iron one understands all implements made of iron, by knowing gold, all gold ornaments are understood as nothing but gold and so on.  

In the same way, if we enquire deeply enough, the Upanishad claims, we shall see that all existent things are nothing but existence itself or pure existence. SAT is the term used for pure existence. 

Any matter that exists in this world, is made of 5 elements. The five elements, in between them, have this cause and effect relationship.

CAUSE	EFFECT
Water	Earth
Fire	Water
Air	Fire
Space	Air

Since each one of the 5 elements are an effect in themselves, they are perishable at one point of time or the other and hence they are not eternal existence.

However, from where came the Space? Who or what is the cause of Space?

Tasmadva etasmadatmana akash sambhutah |

Akasadvayuh | Vayoragnih | Agnerapah |

Adbhyah prithvi | Prithivya osadhayah |

Osadhibhyosnam |Annat purusah ||

(From that Atman (Supreme Soul) space came into being, from space wind, from wind fire, from fire water, from water earth, from earth plants, from plants food, from food man came into being.)

The cause of Space, as pronounced / revealed in our Vedas is Atman or Brahman, which is ETERNAL EXISTENCE. This has no cause, hence, it is never born and it never dies. This ETERNAL EXISTENCE IS “SAT”.

SAT is Truth, Existence or Pure Being. SAT is what always remains regardless of time or situation. When we awaken, we constantly recognize Pure Being. We are consciously aware of Pure Being as our true nature, the core and foundation of all life. 

CHIT - CONSCIOUSNESS 

In the Kena Upanishad, we find a very interesting question. We see, hear, speak and think—but what power impels our mind to think, our tongue to speak, our eyes to see and ears to hear? In other words, what are we in the deepest, most profound depths of our being? Like most deep questions, it appears deceptively simple. 

The Kena Upanishad begins with this question about consciousness—the inner experience of thinking, hearing, seeing, speaking. What is that shining within us which enables all these conscious experiences and functions? Who is that Being or what is that mechanism which makes these possible? 

The Guru’s answer is extraordinary and profound (and, at first, rather enigmatic). ‘It is the Ear of the ear, Mind of the mind, Eye of the eye ...’! Let us try to understand this. The answer, simply put, is pure consciousness—CHIT. 

CHIT is what you really are—pure consciousness. It is unchanging and undying and if you realize yourself as CHIT, you become immortal (rather, you realize that you are immortal and always were). 

In the context of an Upadesa Saram verse it was explained that the one who is apart from our three states of consciousness and our 5 koshas, which illumines all these, which is not Jada but which is sentient and which is within us through which we are even aware of our deep sleep when we wake up the next day, is AWARENESS or CHIT.

Continued.....

Love.