[Advaita-l] The Foundations of Adhyāsa - 8 (The Three States) -Mixing of Reference states

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

PraNAms

I find most of the discussions seem to stem from the mixing of reference-states. I am just summarizing some aspects based on my observations. 

 

1. In the tureeyam point, there pure satyam-jnaanam-anantam -one without a second - Homogeneous mass of pure sat-chit-ananda. 

 

2. No descriptions are possible – ‘na vaak gacchati,  na manaH’; ‘yadgatvaana nivartante apraapya manasaa saH’ 

 

3. End of the discussion from that reference. 

 

4. Hence, all the discussions rest in vyavahaara state. From that point only, we can talk about jnaani, jnaanam, ajnaani and ajnaanam, etc.

 

5. The Upanishads come down to the level of ajnaani and advise him to contemplate in the direction pointed out by ‘tureeyam’ described, using his prepared mind – ‘…advaitam ..sa vijneyaH’. These are lakshaNa vaakyaas or indicatory definitions. 

 

6. Jnaani is the one who by contemplation in the direction pointed out by the scriptures realizes that the self that he is, is the self in all. aham brahma asmi. 

 

7. He realized using his mind only as there is no other instrument available, or needed.

 

8. The realization involves clear and abiding knowledge (jnaana nishTa) in the mind only that ‘I am not this BMI, but I am that totality that includes this BMI and the world, and in the process Iswara also. 

 

9. Being Brahman, he also recognizes from that reference he is neither doer nor an enjoyer, while still at the BMI level due past habitual tendencies the actions and the enjoyments go on.

 

10. Hence from the Brahman reference he can declare – akartaaham abhoktaaham .., na mano budhi ahankaara chitaani na aham, etc, etc. 

 

11. At the same time, while transacting in the world, he does use his local BMI and depending on its capacities performs the action. The actions depend on the praarabda of the BMI which has two components – one coming from the individual remnant vaasanas and the other coming from samashTi. For example, BMI may continue to fulfill the demands of the disciples who need the appropriate teacher for their evolution. He may write bhaashaays and pray the Lord to bless this endeavor.  

 

12. Does the jnaani dream? The question can only be answered from the point of BMI only since from the point of pure sat chit ananda that question is irrelevant. What kind of dream he will have? Dreams are mostly due to the suppressions/oppressions in the waking state. The same criterion is valid for the BMI of the Jnaani also. What kind of suppressions and oppressions jnaanis BMI will have. They depend on the circumstances that particular BMI undergoes – No universal rule can be applied. 

 

13. Does the jnaani while dreaming has the knowledge of his true state? – Now – The discussion seems to shift from one reference to other. From the point of jnaanam, that question is irrelevant since there are no dream states to answer – ekam eva adviteeyam. We can only answer from the BMI reference.  

 

The BMI that dreams may or may not remember the waking state knowledge like any other BMIs since the dream world is projected based on what was suppressed or oppressed. He may dream of the disciple’s problems or the BMI’s problems in the past depending on its memory status. The dreamer BMI of a jnaani may not remember the status of his waker BMI just like the state of ajnaani. These problems belong to prakriti only. 

 

Does that BMI has still knowledge of the absolute state? – The dream itself arises first when the intellect is suppressed to some extent and when the mind projects. If the discriminative intellect remains sharp, then that BMI may not be in the dream state at all. Nithya – anitya vastu viveka is not fully available for a dreamer BMI while in dream. For every BMI, the falsity of the dream is recognized by the waker BMI and not by dreamer BMI. Dream is not a dream while one is the dream. This is the problem with the BMI and nothing to do with jnaani or ajnaani. ajnaani may claim that I did not know while jnaani may claim that ‘this BMI did not know’.

 

14. Jnaanam involves only the knowledge of the absolute by the BMI, which was gained by his prepared mind using Viveka. With respect to the transactional world, the knowledge of the BMIs of both jaani or anjnaani will still be limited. Jnaani’s BMI maybe sharp enough to learn quickly on a transactional need base. It is similar to a very good actor able to play any role as demanded by the script on the stage.  

 

15. Therefore, does jnaani dreams and what kind of dreams and does he have the knowledge of absolute truth etc., have no meaning from the point of the jnaani’s reference. However, from the point of BMI’s reference, it belongs to prakriti and all modifications of prakriti depend on the driving forces which are vaasanas – for jnaani’s BMI it is the remnant vaasanaas that is keeping the BMI to continue. 

 

16 In summary, as long as we do not mix up the reference states from which the topic is being discussed, there should not be any confusion.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda