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.

Atma Bodha - Post 80

Let us take in the essence of the remaining three theme  from verse 25 to 68, in this post.

THE BIRTH OF THE EGO

Verse 25: The Birth of Ego.

In this single verse, the author states how the ‘indiscriminate blending’ or ‘unholy wedlock’ between the Jiva (the individual soul) and the Intellect produces the fundamental error by which we become identified with all that is unreal in relation to the Self. 

This is a very important verse. The blending is unavoidable – it is how the human being was created to function. However the blending, from being ‘indiscriminate’, can be made ‘discriminate’. In the verses from 26 to 37, the focus is on training the intellect to do so.

Verses 26-27: How the Ego Thrives.

The first step in this training process is to recognize the ways in which the ego seeks to perpetuate itself. This is covered here.

Verse 28-29: Supremacy of Self.

By learning that the Self does not need anything else to reveal it, we are taught not to allow the ego to hijack the function (and the glory) that belongs to the Self.

Verses 30-33: ‘Neti-Neti’ the Doctrine of Negation.

A process is now offered to the seeker to relentlessly negate everything that is not the Self in a systematic manner, starting with that which is grossest to that which is subtle. The gathering of the knowledge which will execute this step successfully is called Sravana. Reflecting thoroughly on the knowledge obtained through Sravana is called Manana.

This is explained in verses 32 and 33. It calls for a firm conviction that these externals are perishable and unreliable, and cannot give us the happiness we seek.

Verses 34-37: Nididhyasana.

With Manana bringing firm conviction, Nididhyasana or meditation can begin. These verses teach the student the qualities of the Self upon which one has to meditate. This eventually brings the student to realize “I am Brahman”. 

TOWARDS REALIZATION

With the realization of the Self being accomplished, the nature of the text takes a distinct turn. What follows are observations from that priviledged platform. From here onwards, there are some beautiful insights into what life is like after realizing the Supreme.

Verses 38-39: From Savikalpa to Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Having come to this advanced stage of negating all the Upadhis by the “I am Brahman” thought, this thought itself is now renounced and the student is teken to the ultimate realization of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Verses 40-46: Emerging Out of Ignorance.

The immediate focus is on how the new experience differs from the old (or ordinary) consciousness. Some of the most exquisite similes are used in these verses to indicate how different the state of realization is from ordinary human consciousness.

Verses 47-50: The Universal Attitude.

We now get a glimpse of how the realized sage views this world, how he relates to each and every object as though it were he himself. The poetry gets more and more intensely sublime, with a climax in verses 49 and 50.

Verses 51 – 53: Freedom Beyond Limitations. 

In these verses the same universal theme is continued, but with an emphasis on the freedom experienced in the Self-realized state. From here onwards the student can only marvel at the sheer beauty and pageantry of every verse, as it oozes out the fragrance of true divinity lived in flesh and blood!   

REVELLING IN FREEDOM 

The author invites us to join in the spiritual party he has laid out for us. We need to shut our intellects and open our hearts to live the great experience that it is to realize the Self. What better guide can we hope to have than the inestimable Sri Shankaracharya for this meditative tour! When these verses go through us without any blockage from our mind and intellect, then we can know that we are ‘close’ to clarity.

Verses 54-55: Merits of the Realised State.

Verses 56-62: All-pervasiveness of Brahman.

Verses 63-65: Administering the “Medicine”.

Verse 66: The Toughness of Sadhana.

Verse 67: Summation

CONCLUSION

Verse 68: The Promise of Fulfillment

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 79

Dear All,

One of the Acharyas of Chinmaya ashram has given a very elaborate commentary on many Vedantic treatises as well as on many books / works on Bhakti by Sankara and other saints.

In the Atma Bodha blog posts, author has taken relevant extracts from the commentary on Atma Bodha by that Monk.

Towards the end, that acharya has nicely summarized the thought flow of Atma Bodha text, which is being given to the readers as it is, because, it has been sequenced in such a nice manner that it requires no alternation or addition.

Let us see the same in the next 2 posts from today’s post.

THE OVERALL THOUGHT-FLOW OF ATMA BODHA

Verse 1                 INVOCATION

Verses 2 – 5        KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF

Verses 6 – 9        THE WORLD

Verses 10 –14     THE UPADHIS

Verses 15– 24     AN ERROR OF MISAPPREHENSION

15 The Problem Outlined

16-17: What is Discriminative Enquiry?

18-22: Cultivating Witness-ship

23-24: Mind is Responsible

Verses 25 – 37   THE BIRTH OF THE EGO

25: The Fundamental Error

26-27: How the Ego Thrives

28-29: Supremacy of the Self

30-33: ‘Neti-Neti’: Doctrine of Negation

34-37: Nididhyasana

Verses 38 – 53 TOWARDS REALISATION

38-39: Samadhi: Savikalpa & Nirvikalpa

40-46: Emerging Out of Ignorance

47-50: The Universal Attitude

51-53: Freedom Beyond Limitations

Verses 54 – 67: REVELLING IN FREEDOM

54-55: Merits of the Realised State

56-62: Attributes of Brahman

63-65: Administering the “Medicine”

66: The Toughness of Sadhana

67: Summation

Verse 68 CONCLUSION – The Promise of Fulfillment

Now, let us list down the essence of each verse for our contemplation purpose.

1. INVOCATION Verse 1: 

“Tapas” is the auspicious word with which the text begins. This is therefore taken as an invocation. The Anubandha Chatushtaya is given fully. The characteristics of the person who is ready for this path are given – peacefulness, desireless-ness and aspiration. This is tantamount to Sadhana Chatushtaya.

2. KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF Verses 2-5: 

The path of Vedantic enquiry is direct, taking the route “as the crow flies”. However, its starting point is a well-prepared mind. Knowledge of the Self is most important. Hence, this is where the text begins. 

Action on its own does not bring liberation. At some point the seeker has to come to knowledge of the Self, for knowledge is the only antidote for ignorance. 

This means removal of Ignorance through Self-knowledge is the way forward. When that is achieved, the self-luminous Self shines forth as it is now unobstructed, just as the clearing of clouds allows the sun to be seen.

3. THE NATURE OF THE WORLD Verses 6-9: 

The text turns its attention now to the world, with all its attachments and aversions. It is seen as a dream. As soon as the dream ends, the unreality of the world is experienced. 

The dream will only end when Brahman is realized. The world is also seen as a mental projection upon the Self. The objects in the universe, the stars and the planets, are like bubbles in water – they come and go back into their source, the Self. The world is ever-changing, but the substratum, the Self, is constant.

4. ASSOCIATION WITH THE UPADHIS Verses 10-14: 

The idea is now developed of how the Self, which is ever pure, appears to be tainted. This is traced to its association with the body, mind and intellect – known collectively as the Upadhis. 

This is a major concept in Vedanta and is the arena for the basic Vedantic Sadhana. By explaining the origin of the gross, subtle and causal bodies, it is shown that they are not the Self but the Self dwells in them. The Self gets a colouring from them, in the same way as clear water gets coloured or flavoured.

 5. AN ERROR OF MISAPPREHENSION

Verse 15: Wrong Identification. 

The spiritual problem or predicament of human beings is stated very precisely in this verse as being identification with the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts. This identification appears to taint the Self, that is, gives it attributes which it does not possess. We generally identify with this tainted self, and not the true Self. Verses

Verses 16-17: Discriminative Enquiry. 

The solution lies in using the human intellect to discriminate between the truth and the untruth, the real and the unreal, and thereby reprogram the pattern of our thinking.

Verses 18-22: 

Cultivating Witness-ship. When discrimination begins, the seeker is able to develop the ability to be a Witness of all his actions and thoughts. He separates himself from the Upadhis bit by bit, by learning how to observe them, to study their ways, and avoid falling into their clutches. 

Verses 23-24: 

Mind is Responsible. Clarity is given in these verses on how the mind is responsible for the delusion.

In the next post, we will sum up the essence of the remaining posts 25 to 68 under the following theme:

• Birth of Ego
• Towards Realization
• Revelling  in freedom

Love.