Atma Bodha - Post 63

Verse 53

उपाधिविलयाद्विष्णौ निर्विशेषं विशेन्मुनिः ।

जले जलं वियद्व्योम्नि तेजस्तेजसि वा यथा ॥ ५३॥

UPAADHI VILAYAAT VISHNAU

NIR-VISHESHAM VISHEN MUNIH

JALE JALAM VIYAT VYOMNI

TEJAH TEJASI VAA YATHAA

(On the dissolution of the Upadhis, in the Spirit, the contemplative sage is absorbed in the all pervading and attribute-less One, like water into water, space into space and light into light)

The state of Jivanmukti is being described below:

1.    The Upadhis of body, mind and intellect are dissolved by withdrawing all identification with them. 

2.  When the seeker does succeed in dissolving them, i.e. dis-identifying with them, then the naturally occurring state of Self-realization blossoms forth by itself. 

The blossoming takes the form of a total absorption of the individual self (ego) with the universal Self.

At this point, come the three similes which illustrate such a state of absorption of the little self into the universal Self. 

Like Water, Space and Light, we have another 3 similes, as we did in the previous verse. Here, too, let us first see the inter-relationship between them before going into the details.

The three similes describe the merging process at three different levels:

§  Water represents the merging at the gross level; 

§  Space represents it at the subtle level; and,

§  Light represents it at the causal level, the level of ignorance or darkness.

Jale Jalam: At the gross level, merging can best be observed when water unites with water. There is complete mergence, which is irreversible. 

This is not so when solids unite, for they can again be separated. Air masses too can unite perfectly, but then they are not visible.

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.

  

Viyat Vyomni: At the subtle level of the mind and intellect, Space becomes the perfect simile to illustrate mergence, not only because it is subtle, but because it is all pervading. Everything physical is pervaded by space.

A Jivanmukhta has transcended the individual mind and become one with the universal mind. This is the purpose of the Space simile.

Tejah Tejasi: 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. In all three cases above, the Upadhis are overcome, and Infinity is realized.

Mundaka Upanishad explains the same import in 3.2.5 and 3.2.8 as:

SAMPRAAPYAINAMR SHHAYO JNAANATRPTAAH

KRITAATMAANO VIITARAAGAAH PRASHAANTAAH

TE SARVAGAM SARVATAH PRAAPYA DHIIRAA

YUKTAATMAANAH SARVAMEVAAVISHANTI

Having attained this, the seers become contented with their knowledge, established in the Self, freed from attachment, and composed. Having realized the all-pervasive One everywhere, these discriminating people, ever merged in contemplation, enter into the All.

YATHAA NADYAH SYANDAMAANAAH SAMUDRE.A

STAM GACHCHHANTI NAAMARUUPE VIHAAYA

TATHAA VIDVAAN.H NAAMARUUPAADVIMUKTAH

PARAATPARAM PURUSHHAMUPAITI DIVYAM.H

As rivers, flowing down, become indistinguishable on reaching the sea by giving up their names and forms, so also the illumined soul, having become freed from name and form, reaches the self-effulgent Purusha that is higher than the higher (Maya).

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 62

VERSE 52:

UPAADHI-STHAH API TAD-DHARMAIH

ALIPTAH VYOMA-VAT MUNIH

SARVAVIT MOODHA-VAT TISHTHET

ASAKTAH VAAYU-VAT CHARET

(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.)

Three similes are interwoven in this single verse – that of Space, that of a fool or mad-man, and that of wind.

SPACE

Firstly, the inter-relationship of all three needs to be seen. The primary simile is the one on Space. This is intended to illustrate the attribute of non-attachment. To illustrate two extreme examples of this non-attachment, the other two similes arise.

Vyoma-vat: “like Space”. Reference is again made here to ‘Space’

An ordinary person identifies himself with the pot, not the free space within or outside the pot.

The Jivanmukta is the opposite. He identifies himself with the free space, and remains indifferent to the pot (the body) which he views as a temporary shelter. He is free to move in and out of his pot-body or mind, and identifies himself with all space.  

Space, within which all objects are found, is never attached to those objects. Even if the objects transform into other objects, the Space remains the same. There are two extreme cases that illustrate such a non-attachment, and each of them has been ascribed a simile in this verse.

FOOL

The first of the two extreme examples illustrates the non-attachment which leads one to do nothing – he is regarded by the world as a fool.

Moodha-vat: “like a Fool”.

The detached sage, not being attached to any image of himself, has no need to display himself in society. His detachment frees him from all obligations to please society. 

Thus he is able to withdraw himself from all activity amongst men. Thus he opens himself to appearing as a fool by those who do not have any knowledge of his spirituality. He is comfortable with that charge! He remains unconcerned with such matters, having risen above praise and censure. Only one who is unattached can do this.

A jivanmukta may seem to be attached to the Upadhis such as mind and the sense organs on account of association to the body but he considers Self only as a witness to their activities and is least concerned about anything. 

We learn this from the lives of great saints such as Sadashiva Brahmendra, Ramana Maharshi etc. who were ever unattached to the body and the world. 

WIND

Asakta Vayu-vat: “free like the Wind”

The wind can move about in space freely. No man-made laws can control its flow.

A sage, identified with all space, may sometimes enter the Upadhis and function as ghattaspace or even go to a higher level and function as mutta-space (that is, as head of an organisation). 

He is not limited by his body or mind. His detachment from them gives him the power to act beyond those Upadhis and perform superhuman deeds as and when he likes. That is the freedom he has acquired, like wind.

Lord Jesus, after being in seclusion for 18 years of his life, returned to Jerusalem and in his remaining 3 years began his world-transforming mission.

In recent history we see the case of Srila Prabhupada, who went to the west at the age of 66 years, having two heart attacks on the ship that took him there. Within 10 years, he raised the world-wide organization of the Hare-Krishna Movement.

Swami Vivekananda and Swami Sivananda are other classic examples of sages who “moved like the wind” in spreading their mission. 

Like the wind, a sage takes his fragrance wherever he goes. He is welcome everywhere because he carries such a good, healthy fragrance. 

People are enchanted by the sweet aroma of his divine personality. That power of attraction draws people to him. He is wanted by many just for his presence.

Love

PS- A sincere reader who reads this post and contemplates on the same will realize the beautiful sequence in which the nature of a Jivanmukhta has been given by Sankara through this verse.

Once a yogi transcends this creation and moves about/exists like SPACE, totally unattached,  then, for those who are still bound to this world, the yogi will appear as a FOOL.

Once the yogi exists as SPACE, then he in fact transcends all limitations of even space and time and therefore, he acts like WIND, working faster than any other Jiva can work, in the mission taken up by him!

Love

Atma Bodha - Post 61

VERSE 51:

BAAHYA-ANITYA-SUKHAA-SAKTIM

HITVA-AATMA-SUKHA-NIRVRITAH

GHATA-STHA-DEEPA-VAT SHASHVAT

ANTAH EVA PRAKAASHATE

(Attachment for the fleeting joys of the outer world – after having renounced these, and contented with the bliss derived from the Self, as a lamp placed inside a jar, forever  shines inwardly alone within himself.)

All joy is experienced within, not in the objects. However, because the joys are triggered by various tempting objects in the world, they are referred to as “fleeting joys of the world”.

In truth, even that which we experience as sensual pleasure comes only from the Self but it is reflected via the body’s mental equipment.

Giving up the external objects, the Yogi finds his joy directly in the Self, the spring of all joy.

“Ghatastha Deepavat” Lamp in a Jar Simile  

The most important part of this simile is that the light is placed inside an opaque pot and hence cannot be seen from outside. This is supposed to teach us that the state of  joy of the liberated sage is not something that others can know. It is deep in his heart and will always remain there.

Externally, the sage may appear to be a very busy person, if his Prarabdha Karma is to be such, but inwardly he is always centred in his Self. 

That gives him the poise and equanimity, which are described in the Geeta as the essential qualities of a Sthitaprajna, the sage of steady wisdom. 

Only the sage knows how much he is enjoying the state of inner bliss. It cannot be fathomed from outside. This is the special message given by this simile.

Does another Jivanmukta know that state? There is a Tamil saying, “The route taken by a snake is known only to another snake!” This suggests that, yes, another Jivanmukta will appreciate the state of a Jivanmukta. 

If both of them are actually conscious of everything else as their own Self, then surely this is not difficult to accept. There are, nevertheless, many clues by which a Jivanmukta’s inner state may be deduced. 

Earlier, we studied how a light placed in a pot illuminates things around, but this verse  goes deeper. It is not about illuminating outside but it’s about illumination. In our self-development it is just “being”. For one who is enlightened, there is only light.

The lamp referred in this verse, the Bliss of SELF or Pure existence or Atman, is lit within ever. It is the light which shines without the need of a vessel ( our body), oil ( our karma) and wick ( our mind).

It is only that when our ego manifest, it brings attachment/hatred, Raaga/Dvesha in our mind, and this attachment/hatred then cloud our SELF, make us ignore/forget that we are verily the light that shines within.

Once a sadhaka, through untiring sadhana, transcends these Raaga/Dvesha, he experiences the illumined SELF within his heart!!

His detachment, his reactions, his calmness, and his absence of any sense cravings, etc, all speak without words of his majestic inner state as Emperor of his inner kingdom. 

Love