Atma Bodha - Post 82

Dear All,

Further similes continued from the previous post.

Verse	Simile used		Learning from the simile
TOWARDS REALIZATION
42	By using a contraption made of a wooden rod rotated between two wooden hemispherical-shaped sockets with a piece of cotton in one of them. The rotation, similar to the action of churning, would produce heat by friction until the cotton ball catches fire.		The two hemispherical sockets are the lower ego and the higher Self. They are ‘churned’ with the Mahavakya rod of “I am Brahman”. The fire of Knowledge that is generated by this churning process of meditation ignites the cotton ball of ignorance.
43	In the minutes before sunrise, the dense darkness of the sky lightens up slowly until the sky has a reddish glow to it.  As the process advances and the skies turn red and then orange, the sun rises of its own accord, as it were, bringing on the bright day.		This period, called dawn or ‘aruna’, symbolizes the period of intense meditation when the darkness of ignorance is being gradually removed. The darkness had to be removed by Sadhana to usher in the state of illumination of the Self.
44	After a thorough and exhaustive search for a necklace, one finds the same necklace is found on the neck of the same person who has been searching for the necklace all along		Atman is an ever-present Reality. Yet, because of ignorance it is not realized. The sadhaka, after rigorous sadhana, finds / discovers that the Goal - Atman, is he himself, on the destruction of his  ignorance
45	In darkness, a post appears to be a ghost and one is terrified by the appearance of Ghost before him. When light is brought nearer, it is realized that it was only a misapprehension within one's mind and the post was ever a post and there was no ghost at all there.		Atman is an ever-present Reality. Yet, because of ignorance it is not realized. On the destruction of ignorance Atman is realized
48	Pots and jars are verily made of clay and cannot be said to be anything but clay		Nothing whatever exists other than the Atman: the tangible universe is verily Atman. Just as pots, etc, can be said to be only clay, so also, the wise one sees everything as his own Self.
49	A wasp brings a tiny lump of clay, moistened with its saliva.  With its legs it maneuvers the ball of clay firmly. When numerous balls are in place, the wasp sees a worm one day.  Then the wasp takes its position at the entrance and just sits there, glaring intently on the worm. The worm also stares at the wasp all the while, but out of fear, terrified by the sight of the wasp. If it takes its attention off the wasp even for a second, the wasp gives it a little sting and pulls it to attention once again! His intense concentration by the worm on the wasp transforms the worm into another wasp.		The spiritual seeker is the worm. The transformation of worm to wasp is a perfect comparison to what the meditator achieves through his meditation, when he becomes a Self-realized Jivanmukta. The stare at the wasp with such intense ‘fearful’ concentration is the practice of meditation on the Self. After a prolonged practice of this meditation, the seeker-worm emerges as a completely transformed being. He acquires the freedom of a new ‘body’, completely different from the one that limited him before. He can now fly into great heights of ecstasy he can behold the whole universe as himself; and he can now raise himself above all limitations that he suffered from previously. He is a free being, entirely different from his old personality-based existence.
51	When a lamp is placed inside an opaque pot it cannot be seen from outside. It shines within the pot		The self-abiding Jivanmukta, relinquishing all his attachments to the illusory external happiness and satisfied with the bliss derived from the Atman, shines inwardly like a lamp placed inside a jar.
52	There is a pot which appears at physical level like a pot but what exists within that pot is space. 2nd example- A fool exists apparently detached from the world and not behaving like a normal human being would behave. 3rd example - Wind moves about freely. no one can control it.		Though living with Upaadhis and their attributes, the contemplative one is unattached to them, like Space. Though knowing everything, he may behave as a fool, or, totally unattached, he may yet move about like wind
53	Water merges in water, Space merges in space, light merges in light		Water represents the merging at the gross level. At the physical level the sage breaks through the barriers set up by the many different types of bodies creatures have. He sees the common Self in all of them.
			Space represents it at the subtle level. A Jivanmukhta has transcended the individual mind and become one with the universal mind. This is the purpose of the Space simile.
			Light represents it at the causal level, the level of ignorance or darkness.
			At the causal level, ignorance or cosmic delusion is the factor that is being addressed. Light represents the Truth (Reality); darkness stands for Falsity (unreality).
			There is no such thing as darkness merging with darkness for it is unreal. However, light can merge with light as they are real entities.
			Similarly, the Atman (Light of the Self) merges with Brahman (Universal Light) when ignorance is destroyed by knowledge.
REVELLING IN FREEDOM
59	Butter, from which ghee is made, may be said to be the best part of the milk. It is certainly where all the energy comes from. Without the butter, what is left is not milk but only water.		(i)  God is there in every part of this creation in the same subtle way as butter is in every drop of the milk. We have to look beyond the physical and consider the essence of things to be able to see God.
			(ii)  The underlying presence of God is the only real part of creation. The physical manifestation, arising from Maya, is illusory like Maya. As butter is the essence of milk, so also God is the essence of creation. Non-dualists would say, “God alone is”!
62	A cold iron ball is a dull, unattractive object. However, in the presence of great heat, it cannot help but glow. We cannot see heat but we see its effect on a ball of iron. An iron ball, when it comes to contact with fire for. Long time, comes to glow exactly like fire.		Brahman is Consciousness absolute, and it is only because of this Consciousness that all objects of the world are known. All the creations including the celestial bodies are illumined only because of the consciousness. Thus even the Sun and moon that illumine the different worlds would not exist apart and independent of this all pervading consciousness.
63	In the mirage which appears while one walks in a desert on a hot day, actually only desert exists. The ignorant sees the water pools in a desert, known as the mirage.		Brahman is other than this, the universe. There exists nothing that is not Brahman. If any object other than Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal like the mirage.
65	A blind man cannot see the resplendent sun.		Though Atman is Pure Consciousness and ever present everywhere, yet It is perceived by the eye-of-wisdom alone: but one whose vision is obscured by ignorance he does not see It; as the blind do not see the resplendent Sun.
66	The gold ore contains the tiny gold nuggets in the midst of solid rock. The whole ore has to be heated to a very high temperature in furnaces. Then, with both in liquid form, the gold separates from the rock completely, and is siphoned off as it sinks below the molten rock. When cooled down to form gold bars, it has a beautiful golden shine.		Jiva is Consciousness (the gold) mixed with the impurities of Vasanas, as well as ignorance together with all its effects (the subtle and gross body). This Jiva (the raw gold ore) has to be smelted down through the rigorous processes of Sadhana. After undergoing this “heating” process, the impurities are removed and the pure gold Consciousness shines forth in the realized sage who has discovered his true identity as Atman, by this process
67	Space, or sky, is huge and limitless. However, When Sun is not there, the limitless sky is enveloped in total darkness. This darkness of the sky is illumined by the rise of the SUN.		The Atman, the Sun of Knowledge that rises in the sky of the heart, destroys the darkness of the ignorance, pervades and sustains all and shines and makes everything to shine.

We thus come to the conclusion of our learning through all the above similes and all the verses of Atma Bodha.

We conclude this theme post with the last verse which says thus:-

He who renouncing all activities, who is free of all the limitations of time, space and direction, worships his own Atman which is present everywhere, which is the destroyer of heat and cold, which is Bliss-Eternal and stainless, becomes All-knowing and All pervading and attains immortality.

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 81

Dear All,

Author had concluded the posts under the current theme with yesterday's post.

But then, it came from within to conclude with the listing of all similes used by the great Acharya Sankara in Atma Bodha so that the similes and the essence conveyed by Sankara by using various similes in Atma Bodha, stay with the readers and paves way for their contemplation on the same, at some point of time, if not now.

So, in the next 2 posts, we will once again summarize and take in the essence of all similes used in this treatise.

Verse	Simile used		Learning from the simile
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF
2	Fire is the Direct case for cooking , though many ingredients are used in the material for cooking		Though one may adopt various methods in sadhana, Knowledge of Self is the direct cause for moksha or liberation
3	Darkness cannot be destroyed by anything else other than Light.		Action cannot destroy ignorance as action originates from the ignorance (avidya, ignorance of one's divine nature, prompts various actions, as a Jiva). Only Knowledge can remove ignorance.
4	When clouds go away, the Sun's luminosity is experienced, that which always exists.		Like the Sun which exists eternally, we are the Pure Atman. When our ignorance is removed with Knowledge of SELF, we shine as Atman, which we ever are!!
5	Kataka nut, when placed in dirty water, removes the dirt and then dissolves itself		Knowledge, after removing all our darkness (of ignorance), leaves us (must leave us) so that we do not live with the load of Knowledge but exist as ATMAN.
THE WORLD
6	Dream appears to be true/ reality, only till one wakes up		World of attachments and desires appear to be real, only till one awakens (one gets the wisdom, the Knowledge of SELF)
7	Silver color appearing on the mother pearl appears to be silver only at surface level. Once the reality of pearl is known, the illusory color of silver does not attract us		World appears to be colorful and attractive (like silver appearing on pearl), only till one realizes the substratum of this world, the one reality, BRAHMAN.
8	Bubble arise, exist and then disappear in water, which is the substratum		This Samsara, with all its glitter, arises, sustains itself for some time and then disappears / traces back to the one substratum, BRAHMAN
9	Ornaments are many, but the essence is Gold in all ornaments made out of Gold		All the manifested world of things and beings are projected by imagination upon the substratum which is the Eternal All-pervading Vishnu, whose nature is Existence-Intelligence
THE UPADHIS- CONDITIONING
10	The All-pervading Akasa appears to be diverse on account of its association with various conditionings (Upadhis) which are different from each other. Space becomes one on the destruction of these limiting adjuncts		The Omnipresent Truth appears to be diverse on account of Its association with the various Upadhis and becomes one on the destruction of these Upadhis.
11	Various flavour, colour, etc., are super-imposed on water.		Because of Its association with different conditionings (Upadhis) such ideas as caste, colour and position are super-imposed upon the Atman
MISAPPREHENSION
15	A crystal appears to gather unto itself colour of its vicinity (blue cloth, etc.).		In its identification with the five-sheaths the Immaculate Atman appears to have borrowed their qualities upon Itself
16	One separates the rice from the husk, bran, etc., that are covering it.		Through discriminative self-analysis and logical thinking one should separate the Pure self within from the sheaths
17	Reflection of an image is perfect only in  a clean mirror		The Atman does not shine in everything although He is All-pervading. He is manifest only in the inner equipment, the intellect (Buddhi), which is pure, devoid of impure vasanas and ego
18	A king stands apart from all that surround him and witnesses events in his court without getting affected by any thing around him.		One should understand that the Atman is always like the King, distinct from the body, senses, mind and intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakriti); and is the witness of their functions.
19	The moon appears to be running when the clouds move in the sky		To the non-discriminating person the Atman appears to be active when It is observed through the functions of the sense-organs.
20	All beings depend upon the light of the Sun for working in open environment		Depending upon the energy of vitality of Consciousness (Atma Chaitanya) the body, senses, mind and intellect engage themselves in their respective activities
21	One attributes blue colour and the like to the sky, by error/  due to misapprehension		Fools, because they lack in their powers of discrimination superimpose on the Atman, the Absolute-Existence-Knowledge (Sat-Chit), all the varied functions of the body and the senses
22	The trembling that belong to the waters are attributed through ignorance to the reflected moon dancing on it		Agency of action, of enjoyment and of other limitations (which really belong to the mind) are delusively understood as the nature of the Self (Atman).
24	Luminosity is the nature of the Sun, coolness of water and heat of fire		The nature of the Atman is Eternity, Purity, Reality, Consciousness and Bliss.
BIRTH OF EGO, NEGATION OF EGO BY NETI- NETI
27	A rope is considered / misapprehended as a snake and one is overcome by fear. An onlooker removes the fear of that person by explaining to him to him that what he thinks as a snake is in fact a rope		Considering oneself as the ego (Jiva) is overcome by fear. The ego-centric individuality in us regains fearlessness by realizing that It is not a Jiva but is Itself the Supreme Soul.
28	A lamp illumines a jar or a pot in which lamp is placed		Atman illumines the mind and the sense organs, etc. These material-objects by themselves cannot illumine themselves because they are inert. Atman, which is present within a human, illumines his intellect, mind and senses.
29	A lighted-lamp does not need another lamp to illumine its light		Atman which is Knowledge itself needs no other knowledge to know it.
35	Space fills everything and yet exists as pure, unaffected by anything that exists in it		Brahman / Atman, fills every material that exists in it and yet, exists pure, changeless, stainless, unaffected by the objects that exist in Atman.
37	Medicine or Rasayana destroys disease.		The impression “I am Brahman” thus created by constant practice destroys ignorance and the agitation caused by it

Further similes continued in the next post.

Love.