[Advaita-l] Jnaani and the Life-Problems - II

[kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l]

continued from part I
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Objection by a shiShya: 

Sir, with due respects, I cannot agree with this. When the problem appears, I find myself in trouble. I have to solve the problem at hand – starting from food to eat, shelter to lie down, diseases that need to be treated, medicines that need to be taken, etc. Statements that these are mithyaa will not solve the problems at hand when I and my children are starving. No doubt that mithyaa need not be eliminated. Mithyaa problems require mithyaa solutions just as in the dream. If one is sick in dream, one has to go to dream hospital, see the dream doctor and take the dream medicines. Hospitals in the waking state would not help the dream diseases. The dream is not a dream for a dreamer who is in the dream. When the body pains become unbearable, the statements like that there is really no body- does not help in relieving the body pains. 

The Teacher responds: 

 Any mithyaa is adhyaasa that is it is only a superimposition on the truth. That includes both the problems and the solutions to those problems. Problems will remain as long as there is BMI and life. The problems will continue life after life – there is no permanent solution to the problems within the frame work of problems or within the transactional reality. It is in this framework, solving a problem will only reinforce the problem. That is, one gets caught up with one problem or the other, life after life.  

The dream world is perceived as long as the dream BMI is there. Similarly the waking world is perceived as long as BMI in the waking state is there. The problems will remain as long as the BMI is there. This is true in the waking world, and is true in the dream world. The BMI will be there for both jnaani and ajnaani. The difference between the two is jnaani knows that the BMI, its problems, and the solution to the problems are all real only within the frame work but from the absolute point they are not real. Hence they are all mithyaa. The real is only the adhiShTaanam which is changeless. Every mithyaa must have a substratum or adhiShTaanam that is more real than the appearances or adhyaasa. The problems of the waking or dream state remain as real as long as one has not gained the knowledge of the adhiShTaanam of the BMI and the world. adhishTaanam has no problem. Knowledge does not involve understanding that - this is adhiShTaanam- but that I am the
 adhiShTaanam or substratum for the whole universe. As adhiShTaanam I have no problems, and in fact being infinite I cannot have any problem. Hence the knowledge involves recognition that I have no problem and all the problems belong to only to the relative framework of adhyaasa or mithyaa. Dream world is mithyaa but that knowledge cannot be gained by the dreamer BMI, since he does not have the requisite viveka to know what is real and what is not real. If he has that viveka, he will not be dreaming. Hence for him to know that it is mithyaa he has to awak to the higher state of consciousness, i.e. waking state. Waking state is also mithyaa since it is negated by the dream state and deep sleep state.  In contrast to the dream state, a seeker can acquire the requisite saadhana sampaatti using the very BMI to recognize the adhiShTaanam or substratum of experiencer and experienced. He can abide himself in the knowledge that I am that adhiShTaanam or
 substratum Brahman, while still being associated with the BMI and witnessing its problems and solutions to those problems. BMI is required to gain this understanding that in spite of the differences between the changing BMI and the changing world, I am the changeless substratum for both. As long as BMI is the world is there and the problems of the BMI with the world will continue. By gaining the knowledge that I am the adhiShTaanam or substratum for both, the problems will not go away but reality assumed to the problems is now reduced to mithyaatva darshanam or understood that they only relatively real or experientially real but not absolutely real.  Therefore they do not affect me, the self that I am, who is the very substratum for the world and BMI and for the problems too. 

Reality assumed for the BMI and the world, or for the adhyaasa error in my understanding is only due to the lack of knowledge that I am the adhiShTaanam for the BMI and the world. Hence ignorance of my own self is the cause for giving reality to the BMI, the world and the problems that BMI faces with the world. Taking the anaatma as aatma is the basic problem which cannot be solved unless on recognizes that I am the very substratum for everything and I am free from any problems. When we do not accept the reality to the very existence of the objects and the world then the problems also reduce to mithyaa only. It is like the moment sun raises in the sky, the appearance of the stars which are still there in the sky but there are not recognized. However, when the sun sets, the millions of the stars in the sky become very much evident. Similarly when the knowledge is not there all the problems in life become intense. However when the knowledge arises in the
 mind then the problems will still be there, but become insignificant. In fact world and the BMI are seen as vibhuuti of the self that I am. 

Thus by forgetting my real nature, the life becomes a problem but by remembering or recognizing my real nature as the very adhiShTaanam for the world and its problems then the life becomes blessings – an opportunity to claim my glory without complaining or contesting. 
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Continued in part III.