Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 20

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 Sun shines and the Moon also shines. But the Moon shines differently. The Sun has its own source of illumination. The Moon does not have its own source of illumination. But it shines after the Sun. It reflects the light received from the Sun.

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.

 

 

Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 19

Verse 4

 

(A jar is having many holes, with a great lamp placed inside it, having a bright light.

Now imagine it is the Light of Consciousness.

Through the ‘inner instrument’ and sense organs, that Light ‘flashes’ outside, and declares “I know”. [Consciousness is knowledge.]

Only after He (Consciousness) shines His Light, does the whole universe become known,

To that “Perceiver of All”, the Revered Form of the Guru, do I offer my salutation; He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!)

The main point here is how Jiva obtains knowledge of Jagat, helped by Atman.

This verse is primarily about the “Theory of Perception”, by which our senses obtain knowledge for us from the world of sense objects. It is based on the principle of the all-pervading Consciousness which works in conjunction with the senses.

A simile is presented to illustrate the whole theory. 

Simile of “Lantern with Holes”

This verse stands out due to the metaphor it uses. The metaphor used here is a lamp placed inside a pot. The pot has been pierced with many holes. You see the beams of light streaming out of the pot through those holes. Sankara uses this beautiful imagery as a very profound metaphor.

 – shining

 – light

 – lamp

 – great lamp (refers to Consciousness)

 – placed

 – belly

 – pot

 – holes, pierced

 – many

This whole sentence is one word. 

Jnanam typically means knowledge. But it also means Consciousness.

This Consciousness is shining like the light of a lamp. It is not an ordinary lamp, but a great lamp. It is Consciousness. 

This light of Consciousness is like the lamp placed in the belly of a pot.

The pot is pierced with many holes. The light streams out from the pot. 

The seven holes in the cover of the lantern represent the seven sense organs, i.e. two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth (tongue).

The beams of light leaving our eyes, leaving our ears, leaving out of our senses going out in the world, contacting the sense objects and returning the knowledge of the sense objects to us. 

The Light of Consciousness goes out, first through the subtle instruments (mind and intellect) and then through the sense organs to the gross sense objects. 

The Vritti Vyapti (reflected consciousness) from the intellect and mind envelopes the object and the Phala Vyapti of Consciousness reveals or illumines the object, making it known to us. Consciousness is associated with ‘knowing’. 

In this way, mind, intellect and Consciousness work together to bring knowledge to us. 

This is the simplified “Theory of Perception” in Vedanta. This process is always going on in the waking state.

There is reflection of Consciousness taking place in the intellect; only after that, does the reflected consciousness go out through the senses and return with the knowledge. 

This means the source of Consciousness is within us. If I am aware of the things outside, there must be some means for my Consciousness to contact the external object and return with the knowledge of that object. This is completely in conformance of our experience. Our Consciousness does in a very real sense pick up the knowledge of external objects and brings it back to us. 

The light of Consciousness not only illumines your mind but travels out to bring the knowledge.

To understand this clearly, please note that my thoughts are known to me and your thoughts are known to you. There is no difference in the way thoughts are known.

Let us introduce the concept of “knownness”. The objects have knownness. Your thoughts have knownness. My thoughts have knownness. But the “knownness” (the way thoughts are known) of your thoughts is no different than the knownness of my thoughts.

Consciousness does not have any particular qualities. For example, there is no male Consciousness and female Consciousness. There is no short Consciousness and tall Consciousness. There is no Indian Consciousness and American Consciousness. There is no black Consciousness and white Consciousness. Consciousness is featureless. 

You cannot distinguish between your Consciousness and my Consciousness. They appear to be identical. That is why Consciousness is called mahadeep.

One Consciousness is simultaneously present in every pot, simultaneously illumining every mind (omnipresent).

In a Shruti passage in Chandhogya Upanishad it is said, “Everything is kissed by our Consciousness.” This is the same principle at work.

 

…..Continued in next post

Love.

 

 

Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 18

After having such a direct experience, never again shall the realized one return to this ocean of worldly existence.

To that “Liberated One”, the Revered Form of the Guru, do I offer my salutation, He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurthy.

Na Punah Aavrittih: “Never again returns”. By realizing one’s unity with God, one is elevated to the Paramarthic Sathya, the highest or Absolute level of Reality, beyond this transitory world. This is called transcending worldly life; it means never returning to take birth again in this relative world. It is Liberation from the bondage to all sorrow. It is the ultimate spiritual freedom.

This is the emphatic message of this Pada. There are hundreds of Shruti passages which speak of this fruit of Vedantic Sadhana. Hence, we need not elaborate on it. 

However, it is interesting that not all schools of thought aim for such a fruit. 

The Karma Kandis aim specifically for a material result for their actions. They want some material gain. That is their goal and therefore they perform action. 

The Upasakas aim for a place in heaven, but that is also in the realm of Samsara. They follow the rules of Dharma, earn merit and then spend it in heavenly pleasure. At the end of it, they have to return to earth to take another birth. 

Vedanta is the only path where renunciation is the main Sadhana and the goal is to transcend this cycle of rebirths and coming out of Samsara.

Our thoughts are known to us because of consciousness. We exist because of consciousness. Suppose we really understand that this consciousness is the same consciousness that is the reality of this universe. Then there is no return for us in this world. There is no rebirth. The concept of rebirth does not sound so bad.

However, with rebirth, not just we get to born again and again but we  have to die again and again. Dying once is very difficult. Dying again and again would be extremely grim.

The knowledge of Brahman makes us free from suffering in this life. It also liberates us from rebirth into this vast ocean of suffering. We get the knowledge when our guru instructs you using the teachings of the Veda. 

Guru imparts knowledge using the mahavakya such as to lead us to discover the truth which is not remote. The truth that is here and now, available for the discovery. 

The Guru is the one who makes us recognize the truth. Guru is the one who wakes us up from the illusion of thinking this world is the ultimate reality. 

Swami Krishnananda sums up the state of Moksha or Liberation or “No return to Samsara” in a beautiful way

“By knowing Him alone one goes to That which is beyond death. By knowing the Supreme Being, the wise one casts off both joy and sorrow. They who see Him, the Self-Existent – they, and no others, have eternal peace. Of him, whose desires are completely satisfied, who is totally perfected, all desires dissolve themselves here itself. 

The liberated one becomes onefold, threefold, fivefold, sevenfold, ninefold, elevenfold, hundred-and-elevenfold, twenty thousand-fold! He goes to the other shore of darkness. That state is ever illumined, it is always day there. 

Time, age and death, sorrow, merit and demerit do not go there. Fearless is the state of the Bliss of Brahman. Even the gods fear him, even Indra and Prajapati cannot obstruct him – he becomes the Self-Emperor. The knot of the heart is broken, all doubts are rent asunder, and all actions perish, when That is seen. Which is the Highest and the Deepest. 

His vital-spirits do not depart, they are gathered up, here itself. Being Brahman already, he becomes Brahman Itself. He is the maker of everything, he is the creator of all, the universe is his, he himself is the universe. This is the supreme treasure. 

The freed souls enter into the All, they enter into Brahman, they are liberated beyond mortal nature. The whole constitution of individuality becomes unified in the Supreme Imperishable. As rivers enter the ocean, leaving name and form, so the wise one, liberated from name and form, reaches the Transcendental Divine Being. Thus, is Immortality."

On not rerturning to the world after realization or not being aware of the creation after realization, Janaka says,

Where is creation, where is destruction, where is the end and where is the means?  Where is the seeker and where is the accomplishment for me, abiding in my own non-dual nature?

Love.

 

Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 17

Let us take up the second line of the 3rd Stotram today.

Direct enlightenment, through “Tat Twam Asi” the Mahavakya or ‘Great Vedic statement’, is imparted to those who have surrendered to Him.

Surrender & Enlightenment

The Guru first ensures that the student has the spirit of surrender before imparting to him the knowledge of “Tat Twam Asi”. 

One has to surrender to a Guru (who is the Lord Himself) and learn about the nature of God and the nature of his own Self. 

By checking this single quality, all the six-fold virtues, named Shad Sampat, are guaranteed to exist in the student. Only to such a student is the precious knowledge of “Tat Twam Asi” imparted.

After receiving the instruction from the Guru, the student still has much Self-enquiry to do before enlightenment follows. 

Enlightenment comes when we realize that Twam or “Thou”, the microcosmic Reality Atman at the individual level, is none other than Tat or “That”, the macrocosmic Reality Brahman at the total level. To experience this identity is enlightenment.

The Sadhana for God-realization, under the direction of a perfect Master, is pointed out in this Pada. The main elements of this Sadhana are Manana and Nididhyasana. 

Brahman is the truth of everything. But where Brahman can be discovered? Ishvara pervades the universe. But where is the Ishvara‟s presence felt? It is within one’s own self. This is the uniqueness of Vedantic perspective.

How would guru make you understand the reality? Through the Vedantic teachings

“That thou Art”.

"That" here means the underlying reality because of which this world of forms exists. Ishvar’s pulsating active creation giving existence and appearance is discovered through the knowledge that "you are that"  by looking within.

The TRUTH of you is the TRUTH of everyone. This is discovered directly / immediately.

This is not a matter of belief or faith. This is something you discover directly. The reason you discover directly is it is right within you. Anything that is remote is known indirectly. 

For example a temple in Gangotri in Himalayas is known to you indirectly. 

Suppose the temple is right in front of you, it is known to you directly. It is present in your experience. You are in your experience. You are not remote from your experience. Your true nature is not remote from your experience. That true nature “Atma”, happens to be identical with the reality because of which everything exists.

The Guru wields the teachings of the Veda. The Guru uses the scriptures as a road map to lead you along a path of discovery. The teacher makes you discover the TRUTH (absolute reality) that he or she has discovered.

What do you finally discover? The irony is that the scientists are looking through the microscope. They are looking for the reality because of which the thread exists. But the reality cannot be found on that side of the lens. The reality can only be found on the other side of the lens. That is through a process of self-enquiry, you have an opportunity to discover the reality of all. 

Swami says,

“Tat Twam Asi’, That Thou Art, is the holy declaration of the Sama Veda. Tat (That) was in existence before creation and will remain subsequently too. It is the principle of Total Consciousness, the totality of Being and Becoming, encompassing, and transcending the physical, mental and spiritual realms – Yato Vaacho Nivartante, Apraapya Manasaa Saha, beyond the horizon of expression and imagination. 

The cosmos did not originate from God. It is God. There is nothing ‘other’. There is no second. Some people ask, “Have you seen God?” You reply, “Yes. I have seen God.” Then they might ask, “Where is He? Show Him to us.” If God is in one specific place, you can point your finger in that direction and say, “He is there”. But there is nothing in the Universe different, distinct, or higher than God. 

This microphone, this garland, this handkerchief, all these are God. He is the ‘Tat’ (That), the Omnipresent (Eternal Awareness – Chaitanya). It is referred to as ‘Tat’ (That), since we now imagine It to be distant, far from us. But far from where? Far from your body, your senses, your mind, your reasoning faculty, which are all equipped with limited capabilities? But once your intuitive consciousness is aroused, that which appears to be ‘far’ becomes ‘close’.”

One looks up to the Guru as the one who can solve the problem of suffering. Refuge is the place we go for safety, security, comfort, peace. The Guru is the one who can teach you in such a way that you can find peace, comfort, safety and security. Guru can remove any fear and can finally remove all your suffering.

Love.

 

Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 16

 Verse 3 

(He whose manifestations are themselves nothing but the Reality alone appearing as the delusory objects of the world.

Direct enlightenment, through “Tat Twam Asi” the Mahavakya or ‘Great Vedic statement’, is imparted to those who have surrendered to Him.

After having such a direct experience, never again shall the realized one return to this ocean of worldly existence.

To that “Liberated One”, the Revered Form of the Guru, do I offer my salutation, He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurthy.)

 

The main points of discussion in this verse, line by line are:

     i.            the Jagat, Brahman and Maya

  ii.            Surrender & Enlightenment through Atma Vichar or Self-Enquiry

iii.            Freedom from Transmigration & Rebirth

iv.            All this is attained by the Grace of the Guru.

We will take up the first line of the verse today for contemplation.

He whose manifestations are themselves nothing but the Reality alone appearing as the delusory objects of the world.

Relationship between Jagat, Brahman and Maya

This Pada has the first main point. As mentioned in the opening verse, the universe is Brahman Himself manifested in the form of a multitude of names and forms. 

The big point made here is that from Reality, only Reality can arise; the names and forms are merely unreal appearances over the Reality.

Maya’s connection with these manifestations is to veil the Reality from the manifestations. That is the delusory nature of Maya at work. Maya’s purpose is to keep our attention fixed on the names and forms and take it away from the Reality which is found in the Existence, Knowledge and Bliss aspects of the manifestations.

Jagat appears delusory only because Brahman is veiled from us by Maya. The Jagat is not delusory in itself, but made to appear delusory because of our ignorance of Brahman.

When we look around, we see different forms e.g. cloth. The cloth seems real. But it is just the form. It is not real. The threads are more real. If we pull apart the threads, the cloth will disappear, threads will remain. So relative to the cloth, threads are real. Relative to the threads, fibers are real.

However, fiber is also a form. They are made of cells. This way, you can get down to the level of molecules, atoms and particles. Whatever level you come down to, you can break it further. Electrons and Protons have been broken down to quarks. The point is whatever you discover scientifically, can be broken down further.

From standpoint of reality, whatever form you see, appears real, but is unreal. We cannot find a real basis. We find all the forms. Forms are not real. The reality because of which the form exists is real. This applies to the entire universe. 

Whatever we look at seems real, but upon analysis we discover that it is unreal. The form cannot exist without the contents. There must be some underlying reality because of which the form exists. You cannot discover this underlying reality using a microscope. You need to discover through someone’s help who has the knowledge of the reality, who has understood the TRUTH.

One of the Mahavakyas is the essence of the first line of the current verse which says- “Brahman is the only reality who appears as various limited forms”

The Truth about this world is that the Reality, which is imperceptible to the senses, appears as this world when looked at through the senses. The ordinary man sees only the appearance and attributes complete reality to it. At the same time, he sees also the changeability of the appearance, but he shuts his eyes to it. All spiritual paths attempt first to show the Reality behind the appearance. When looked at from the Reality itself, there is no appearance either.

To take the disciples to the Truth, phenomenal illustrations are often made use of. 

For example, take the gold and the ornament. The ordinary man, at the first glance, sees only the ornament. But on second thought, he admits that it is made of gold. He still lays greater emphasis on the form rather than on the gold because he relies on his sensual perceptions. 

After some more thought, he admits that between the form and the gold of the ornament, the form frequently changes, while the gold remains constant. Since gold is the essential constituent of all gold ornaments and since the form is only a temporary appearance leaving nothing behind, he is forced to admit that the gold alone is permanent and that the form is merely an illusion. 

Thus, having been shown gold in its pure formless nature, he is asked to look at the ornaments from the standpoint of gold. Then he sees nothing but gold in the ornaments. Even in the appearance it is the gold that appears and not the ornament. An 'ornament' is an 'ornament' only by convention, but it is only gold.

Now applying the illustration to the Self and the world, having separated the world including your own body, senses and mind from the Self, you are shown the Self in its pure nature. Taking your stand in that pure Self, if you look at the world, you see the whole world as nothing but your own real Self. This is how you are helped to experience the Truth of the aphorism: 'All is Brahman'. The object of Vedanta is not to help you not to perceive the appearance; but to help you to see the essence, even when perceiving the appearance through the senses.

Pure gold comprehends all ornaments. It is formless, imperceptible and is by itself no ornament. The ornament is gold in some form, and is perceptible. When you put an ornament in a crucible and apply heat to it, it melts. Then the ornament part disappears, and the gold alone remains over. Of course, this gold also appears in the form of the crucible. You cannot help this if you look through your eyes. Pure gold is formless and imperceptible. Having transcended objectivity, it is the Reality itself. 

There is no superimposition

at any time.

 

Even the thought that there is superimposition,

is a superimposition.

 

There is no serpent in the rope

at any time.

 

There is no world in the Reality

at any time.

 

The Earth is not pot.

But the pot is Earth.

 

Consciousness is not the object.

But the object is Consciousness.

 

The wave and the ocean are both objects as such.

But in essence both are water, one and the same.

In the recently concluded satsangh on Ashtavakra gita (uploaded in the YouTube channel, satsangh date 4/9/2021), it is explained as to how a man of wisdom, a Jivanmukhta, sees all beings in the creation, who are apparently different from one another, as one. The expression of ChinMaya to describe this truth is 

“World of objects viewed from self by the master, who sees in and through them, the brilliance, Glow, Beauty and the effulgence of ever-present SELF everywhere”

This line echoes the same truth as the first line of today’s strotram depicts. This line was explained in the satsangh concluded.

 

Love.