Jnana Vahini - Post 22

Maya, by means of its power of (1) hiding the real nature and (2) imposing the unreal over the real, makes the one and only Brahman appear as Jiva, Eswara and Jagath, three entities where there is only one! 

The Maya faculty is latent, but when it becomes potent, it takes the form of the mind. It is then that the seedling of the huge tree (which is the Jagath) starts sprouting, putting forth the leaves of mental impulses or Vasanas, and mental conclusions or Sankalpas. So all this objective world is but the proliferation or Vilasa of the mind.

Jiva and Eswara are caught up in this proliferation and they are inseparably intertwined in the Jagath and so they too are creations of mental process like things appearing in the dream-world.

Imagine Jiva, Eswara and Jagath as having been painted; the pictorial Jagath has both Jiva and Eswara incorporated in it and all three appear as different entities though created by the same paint. So also the same mental process creates the appearance of Jiva and Eswara as pervading and immanent, in the background of Jagath.

It is Maya that produces the illusion of Jiva and Eswara and Jagath: this is declared by the Sruthis. The Vasishtasmrithi made clear that mental processes were responsible for the magic dance of He and I, This and That and Mine and His. 

Truth and untruth must be kept apart by means of the sharp sword of Jnana. It keeps the world afar and bring the Residence of the Lord within reach. That Residence is Nithyananda, Eternal Bliss, Paramananda, the highest Bliss; the Bliss of Brahman:

The expression "Sohamidam" found in that text indicates Jiva, Eswara and Jagath. "Sah" means He, the Unmanifested, the Supersoul, the Power beyond and Above, the Easwara. "Aham" means "I", the entity enveloped by the consciousness of doer etc. "Idam" means this objective world, the perceivable sense world. So it is clear that these three are the products of mental process only and they do not have any absolute value; their value is only relative.

The great souls who have won this Atmajnana deserve worship. They are holy; for they have attained Brahman, the right of everyone in the world, however great or whatever the Tapas. 

That is the Kingdom they seek, the honor they aspire for. This is the great mystery, the mystery elucidated in the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Sastras. The solving of this mystery makes life worthwhile; it is the key to liberation.

Love.

(Author's note- Swami has touched upon Jiva, Jagath and Iswara in this post.

The same was explained in one of the posts in another theme. The same is recaptured below.

Since we have our identity as Jiva, we need to know more about JIVA.

Our identity as JIVA is relevant only in the context of the people around us, the society in which we live, the world comprising of many societies, many beliefs, many faiths ETC. Hence, in this context, the importance of CREATION, the world around us, is important.

Jiva and Jagath has become important in the above context. But a question arises now. What is the principle, the power, the energy which has caused this Jagath and then we the Jiva in this jagath??? Who is the Supreme Creator?? In this context, the need / relevance of ISWARA arises. 

(1) Jiva or Individual

Vedanta approaches Jiva or an individual through the analysis of its internal nature. It says Jiva consists of three:

(a) physical body,

(b) mind and

(c) consciousness. 

After death the physical body is destroyed, but the same mind travels to find a next body – this is called rebirth. Consciousness part of Jiva always remains pure and it does not travel. Whereas mind experiences the various type of enjoyments and miseries through the physical body and preserves impressions within it. After the fall of physical body, mind carries those impressions with it to the next life.

(2) Jagat or Creation

Vedanta analyses the nature of this cosmos or creation around us through generalization. 

It says the perceived cosmos is available to us while we are awake in day time. In our dream while sleeping we have another creation – the individual dream world. 

In our deep sleep there is no such perceived creation. This waking cosmos is constantly changing – it is Anityam or temporary. It also does not exist eternally. Vedanta says –It is not really created, rather it is projected from Pure Consciousness. 

(3) Iswara or Creator

Iswara is defined as that from which the origin, sustenance and dissolution of this world proceed. Vedanta says the Pure Consciousness is the God itself. 

People also say it as Brahman, Supreme Self, Iswara, Bhagawan etc. Its nature is described as Satchidananda – Sat (Existence), Chit (Knowledge or awareness), Ananda (bliss) – The Blissful Conscious Existence.

Pure Consciousness ‘projects’ the cosmos out of its own. Iswara is both the intelligent cause and material cause of this cosmos. For example – Spider projects the web from its own body. Similarly, the Pure Consciousness, the greatest magician projects this cosmos. And swallows it when required. )

Love.