Vievkachudamani- Post 51

 

The highest Knowledge arises from the sincere contemplation upon the meaning of the Upanishad mantras. By this Knowledge, immediately a total  annihilation of all sorrows born of the 'perception of change' takes place. 

The previous verse assured us of a sovereign means by which we  could cross over the world of our finite experiences. Now we are given  a definition in the form of a clear declaration of what exactly that is. 

Constant vichara upon the meaning of Truth of Vedanta leads  one to true Knowledge. 'Vichara' is a term which has no corresponding  word in English. Words like thinking, contemplating, reasoning,  analyzing and so on, do not fully express the meaning of the technique  of vichara. 

Vichara comprises all these in synthesis, along with certain  essential mental and intellectual discipline. With a mind and intellect  trained and made steady, a seeker rips open the declarations of  Upanishad one by one and comes to experience the implications and the  deeper suggestiveness of each mantra - this process is called 'vichara'. 

The nectar in a flower is always secreted in its innermost  chambers. Its enchanted lover, the honeybee, which courts it with  ardour and adoration, alone can scent the nectar and groping  through its dusty exterior reach the honey treasured in the blossom. 

Similarly, in the garden of Vedanta are the flowers of the mantras of Upanishad. The sweetness of each is secreted not in its outer words, fascinating though they may be, but lies hidden in the  pulsating bosom where its immortal heart throbs with the thrilling  ecstasy of love fulfilled and perfection experienced. The divine secret can be reached with this meaning only through a prepared  mind and intellect. 

The process by which the acutely intellectual and the divinely sympathetic head and heart of a seeker come to live in their  subjective experience, the strangely enchanting voiceless cadence  rising from the rishi's heart, is called 'vichara'. 

Vedanta is only one thing, which is serving as a mirror. What is the difference between a telescope and a mirror? With telescope you can see everything else, except your eyes. With the microscope you can see everything else, except your eyes. 

Replace all the scope, telescopes and microscopes or any other scope for which there are scope, you remove all of them and you replace by a mirror. What is the uniqueness of the mirror; that is the only instrument which helps me to see my own eyes. I am seeing outside; but what I am seeing is myself. Seeing the mirror is never an objective vision; seeing the subjective knowledge.

Similarly, all sciences provide us only better and better instrument to study the world better and better, vedanta is the unique verbal mirror. It is the unique verbal mirror, mirror made of words and sentences in the form of teaching. 

And by that, I come to know that I am not the physical body, I am not the mind; but I am the consciousness which is ever the subject and never an object, and which consciousness is Sat chit anandaḥ svarupah. And thereafter wards I use matter, and I do not need matter for my fulfilment. Matter is there or not; it does not matter! Why because I am different from matter.

During moments of meditation when we strive hard to experience the meaning of mantras of Upanishad, we are in the realm  of vichara. Through vichara our misunderstandings about ourselves, which are the expressions of our ignorance, are removed, and when ignorance is banished, knowledge shines forth. With this right knowledge, instantaneously, all the delusive sorrows of samsara  end. 

And therefore, he says vedantarthavicarena; by enquiring into the subject matter of vedanta. Arthah means subject matter. And what is the subject matter of vedanta? It is not matter. Subject matter is a subject, which is not matter. Then what is it? 

It is the consciousness. Brahman. Vedantarthaha means Brahman or atma. Therefore, vedantartha vicharaḥ means Brahma vicharaḥ; atma vicharaḥ; chaitanya vicharaḥ; tatva viharaḥ; sarva adiṣṭana viharaḥ; any word you can use; by that enquiry. 

And what is that vidyā; I am not this body; I am not this mind; and I am poorna caitanyaṁ; what type of consciousness; I have told you before. Consciousness which is neither part of the body, nor product of the body, nor a property of the body, but which is an independent entity which pervades and enlivens the body and which is not bound by the limitations of the body. That purṇa chaitanyam ahaaasmi.

After waking up from our dream, the moment we realise  our waking state identity, all the sorrows created in us due to our  dream identification and the dreamworld end instantaneously.  

On the rediscovery that our spiritual nature is pure Knowledge,  uncontaminated by any trace of ignorance, we come to enjoy  our divine heritage of perfection and bliss ever beyond even the penumbra of any misery thereafter. 

Love