[Advaita-l] APerspective 17-2

[Michael Shepherd]

'Darshana' is just one of those key concepts that do not readily find an English equivalent.

In a sense, 'philosophy' in its literal Greek meaning, as love of wisdom, is not so far off..

The standard Western term is 'systems' which provides the sense of scope and limit to that scope.

A favourite Hinglish rendering is 'windows onto truth'.

A 'showing-forth' isn't standard English, but is nearer to the dhatu ? 'Revelation' is near, because it preserves the sense of two-way illumination.

No ready answer -- but a useful reflection !

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of Sunil
Bhattacharjya
Sent: 31 January 2010 13:48
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] APerspective 17-2


My only comment is that the word "philosophy" used for the Darshanas is not correct and the Darshanas are not competing philosophies and the Darshanas are right within their scope of treatment. Lord Krishna puts the Darshanas in the proper perspective.
 
Regards

--- On Sun, 1/31/10, Vishy <vishy1962 at yahoo.com> wrote:


From: Vishy <vishy1962 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] APerspective 17-2
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 5:32 AM


Poojya/ Acharya Sadaji
 
It is truely wonderful series which clarified all of my doubts and my sincere thanks with heartfull of gratitude,
 
I cant have anything more do shravana or manana and already in the state of nididyasana
beg for your blessings to succed in my journey and your guidance not to fall back
 
Once agin my  heartfull of thanks and pranama
 
Vishwanath
 
 
 
 
 
 


--- On Sun, 31/1/10, Kuntimaddi Sadananda <ksadananda108 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Kuntimaddi Sadananda <ksadananda108 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Advaita-l] APerspective 17-2
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Date: Sunday, 31 January, 2010, 12:19 PM


tat tvam asi – VIII-2



Self-realization is therefore recognition that I am pure
existence-consciousness-limitless, satyam, jnaanam, anantam Brahma. In that
realization, I recognize I am ever free or I am nitya mukta swaruupam. It is
a clean recognition of the truth, and not becoming something, which means I
am all the time nitya mukta or eternally liberated even when I was thinking
I am bound. Once I recognize that I am nitya mukta swaruupa – eternally
liberated soul then any differences in the mukti becomes superfluous. There
cannot be jiivan mukta liberation while living with BMI and videha mukta
liberation after dropping the BMI or krama mukta or progressive liberation,
once I recognize that I am nitya mukta swaruupaH, eternally liberated.  There
cannot be any gradations in jiivan mukta once I have realized that I am pure
sat chit ananda swaruupa. That means I am ever liberated, not just after
gaining jnaanam but even when I have ajnaanam about myself.  Any gradations
in liberation are like making dvaita in advaita. Then what are the
gradations mean? The gradations are not in mukti itself, but in the degree
to which I am fully abiding in that knowledge – that is in jnaana niShTaa.
Again, it is not gradations in the knowledge itself. I cannot have half rope
and half snake situation.  Understanding that I am Brahman is full and
complete, if I am able to use the proper means of knowledge or pramaaNa.  Where
the gradations can occur is only in the internalization of that knowledge or
where due to habitual notions arising from the pressure of the
ignorance-generated lingering vaasanaas, which make me forget my true
identity. Hence the scriptures say that Nidhidhyaasana is required.
Nidhidhyaasana is not a means of knowledge or pramaaNa.  That is, no new
knowledge will take place by that process. It eliminates the habitual
notions due to the past karmas so that knowledge can become firm and
abiding. We are reminded of Mr. Jones story wherein Mr. Jones got the
feeling that he is a rat than a man. After several sittings with his
psychologist he understood that he is a man and not a rat. After that
knowledge he went back home and to his horror he saw his cat waiting for
him. He ran back to the doctor saying that he understood he is a man and not
a rat, but he is not sure if the cat knows that he is a man and not a rat.
That I am nitya mukta swaruupaH does not depend on others certifying it. It
is a fact and not a belief. Like any other fact as in the statement – light
travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per sec. One, who knows, knows it. In
contract self-knowledge is a subjective understanding, no one else can know
whether other person is jiivan mukta or not. We have posts claiming that
this saint is realized therefore what he says is true, etc.  This is not a
disrespect of anybody but the fact of the matter is no one else can declare
that other has realized or not realized. A realized soul normally does not
declare he has realized, only because it is useless to declare or noone will
believe it anyway – because everybody has some concept what realization
means and others do not appear to meet those notions. We listen to all
saints as long as what they say agrees with sRiti, yukti and anubhava,
scriptures, logic and ones own experience – in that order.  Hence Shankara
says discriminative intellect is essential in the field of Vedanta, since we
have several darShaNaas or philosophies, all given by saints and sages of
the yore.  Many of them are based on Vedas. Every daarShanika or philosopher
is convinced that he is right and others are wrong. Everyone of them is
considered as avataara purusha or Lord incarnate, by those who believe in
that. We can not have truths that contradict each other (interestingly this
question is addressed by Sureswara in his Naiskarmya siddhi). Hence aham
brahmaasmi has to be understood as a fact not as a philosophical position,
subject to various interpretations. That I am Brahman has to be understood
as a fact, notwithstanding any objections or counter objections or beliefs.
Hence JK says it is an understanding as an understanding as a fact and not
as understanding as understanding as a thought. I cannot tell if others are
realized or not, but how about myself?



Is there a litmus test to test myself, whether I have realized or not?  Cha.
Up 6th chapter provides a test, if someone wants to take it.  A suspected
thief was brought in before a king with an accusation that he stole the
money, but the person denied it. Since there are no other witness to prove
the innocence of the accused, King orders a red hot iron plate and asks the
accused to touch it. If he gets burned, then he is not telling the truth.
That means he is a real thief. In addition to getting burned, he will be
punished by the King.  If he does not get burned it implies that the truth
is protecting him (like an insulating gloves).  He will be immediately
released and will be sent back with honors. If any body wants he can take
this test to see if he is realized or not. Shankara provides an
interpretation of this.  If one has realized that means he understood that
He is nitya mukta swaruupaH. With that understanding when he makes a contact
with the burning hot-world, he will never get burned.  Not only he will
enjoy the world as a sport as long as he lives but he will not be reborn. If
I have not realized, then I will get not only burned by the contact with the
burning world, but also I will be born again and again to get burned.
Essentially,
once I have understood my real nature, I understand the world is mithyaa
only and understood that it has no validity of its own. Hence the ups and
down in the world are only play of maayaa and a realized master  never gets
affected by world or by the praarabda that comes as ups and down affecting
his BMI. If I have not realized and when I make a contact with the hot
world, I will be constantly burning and karma will propel me to be born
again and again.  Essentially the attitude with which a realized master
operates in the world is different since he does not depend on anything for
his happiness. He is full and complete all by himself, yet enjoys the world
as a play. Whatever he does will not be for his benefit, but will be for the
benefit of the totality – essentially called loka kalyaanam.  Those who
follow him will get the benefit of his good company (sat sangh).  After
glorifying jnaanam, Krishna describes in Ch. 4 the state of the jannani and
his attitude towards all. 1. moha nivRittiH – he has no more delusion.
Illusion is the appearance of plurality during vyavahaara or during
transactions. Delusion is taking the illusory plurality as reality and
interacting with the world with that notional reality. Nature of the world
is to change continuously. Samsaara or human suffering arises by attachments
to the changing plurality. I suffer consequence of the changes since I take
them as real due to delusion. Jnaani has understood that change is the
inherent nature of the world and he is the changeless substantive of the
changing world; and therefore he is not affected by the superficial changes.
2. bheda nivrittH – negation of all differences – here we are referring to
fundamental differences that philosophers ascribe – a) difference between
one jiiva and the other jiiva, b) difference between jiiva and Iswara c)
difference between jiiva and jagat d) difference between jagat and Iswara.
All differences are understood as mithyaa or only apparent and not real.
Apparent difference can appear but jnaani will not get affected by those
appearances. They become his vibhuuti only. Shankara interprets the sloka
(B.G 4-35) as jnaani sees himself in all and all in himself. Furthermore, he
sees the Lord in all and all in the Lord – essentially indicating the jiiva
Iswara aikyamm or recognition of the unity between himself and the Lord.

yat jnaatvaa na punar moham yevam yaasyasi paaDava|

yena bhuutanyasheSheNa drakshyasyaatmanyatho mayi|| 4-35

Thus all differences are resolved into one or reduced to only apparent and
not real differences, therefore no more delusion. Krishna continues that
jnaani will not have any more sins (and Shankara says merits as well) since
he has realized he is akarathaa or not a doer – that is there is no more
notion of doer-ship as he realized that all actions are done by the prakRiti
itself supported by him. He may be worst sinner before, but all is wiped out
as if one wakes from a dream where as a dreamer he might have committed the
worst sins. They do not affect the waker. Similarly jnaani realizes he was
never a doer to have any sin of any kind. Finally all karmas (sancita and
aagaami) are reduced to ashes with the awakening of knowledge that I am pure
existent-conscious entity without any spec of division of any kind. Thus
Krishna provides the ultimate litmus test to evaluate oneself if he is
realized or not. This involves intense recognition that all are in me and I
am in all – sarva bhuutastam aatmaanam sarva bhuutanica aatmani or from the
point of Iswara – yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvanca mayi pasyati – who sees
Me everywhere and everything in Me. – (B.G. 6: 29 & 30). The same statement
is made in Kai. Up.  Both statements can be true only when jnaani recognizes
that there is no distinction between him and Iswara. Bhagavan Ramana says
the same thing as –IshajiivayoH viShadhiibidaa satva bhaavato vastu kevalam,
the difference between Iswara and jiiva is only in veSha or external costume
but the essence is the same – existence-consciousness, one without a second.
Scriptures glorify such a sage:

kulam pavitram jananii kRitaarthaa vishvambharaa puNyavatii ca tena|

apaara sat chit sukha saare2smin liinam pare brahmaNi yasya cetaH| (quated
by H.H. Shree Chandrasekhara Bhaarati Swamiji in his commentary on
VivekachuuDaamaNi).

His lineage and his mother who gave birth to him, nay the whole universe is
blessed by the presence of such a sage whose mind is reveling in that sat
chit ananda swaruupa of Brahman as his own self. Hence we revere our teacher
as personified god incarnate.

gururbrahmaa gururvishNuH gururdevo maheswaraH|

gurusaakshaat parabrahmaa tasmai shree gurave namaH|



With this,  I prostrate to all my teachers, starting from My Gurudev, H.H.
Swami Chinmayanadaji, whose knowledge only I have reflected in these posts.
As we understood, the lack of clarity in the reflection belongs to the
medium of reflection and not to the illuminating light.

----------------



In the next, I will provide my perspective about some questions that were
raised either privately or in the list.



Hari Om!
Sadananda
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