[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Mirage water analogy for the world in the Bhagavatam

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Subbu ji.

The crucial point is this. In waking world, we see A as the cause of B.
Father as a cause of son. Study as a cause of passing exam. Exercise as a
cause of health.

This causation is accepted in siddhAnta to be as much illusory as A and B.
So, just as A and B have simultaneous creation, their causal-connection is
also simultaneously created.

The emphatic statement is - यो विवर्तः स न कस्यचिदपि कारणम्. (Sanskrit
VichAra SAgara: page 212). If x is a vivarta, then x is not a cause of
anything.

So, father and son appear together, and together appears their
causal-connection. And together appears the पूर्वभाविता of father and
पश्चाद्भाविता of son.

So, fom avidyA, not only are the objects born, but चिरन्तनत्व,
पूर्व-पश्चात्-भावित्व and परस्पर कार्य-कारणता are also born.

This understanding transforms the way we look at world and the efforts we
make to say prepare food, going to office etc.

We dissociate ourselves from the activities. We start seeing them. Even I
is being seen. That is why VivaraNa would say - अहम् इति तावत् प्रथमो
अध्यासः। Even I is an object of perception.

So, "am" is replaced by "is". Instead of "I am going to office", it is "I
is going to office". Instead of "I am eating food", it is "I is eating
food". Just as "you" is seen, "I" is also seen. So, AshTAvakra GItA would
say - चेष्टमानं शरीरं स्वं पश्यत्यन्यशरीरवत्। संस्तवे चापि निन्दायां कथं
क्षुभ्येत् महाशयः।। (३.१०)

The seen is momentary and disjoint. Seen-1 and seen-2 have no mutual
connection and dependence. They are products of ignorance. They do not
exist, they just appear as if they exist. Like a mirage.

So, what would a sane person's attitude towards such products of ignorance
be?

To ignore them. To be disinterested thereto.

And ignore the "lack of disinterest" also. Basically, whatever is seen, is
worthy of being ignored.

"I have not been able to ignore", "I am unable to live in accordance with
this teaching" - are equally worthy of being ignored being products of
ignorance.

*Methodical presentation*

1. One appreciates his misery and finds that his misery is rooted in desire
and fear.

2. He enquires into the cause of desire and fear. So that he can remove the
cause of desire and thereby end his misery.

3. He enquires and he finds a surprising thing. He finds that seen is
illusory. That his desires and fears are illusory. That they are momentary
and disjoint. That they have no cause. That they appear existing but they
do not exist. They are illusory. To find the cause of desire/fear will lead
him nowhere as causation itself is illusory.

4. His hitherto effort to find cause ceases. For he appreciates the
illusoriness of causation. Knowing seen to be nothing but illusion, he
ignores them. The entirety of seen is ignored.

5. Illusion needs substratum. Seen needs non-seen. Ignoring seen is
identical to situating as non-seen.

And here ends the matter.

----------------
Now: with this knowledge:

The persistence of desire is ignored. The persistence of fear is ignored.
Comparison with past is ignored. Anxiety for future is ignored. "Nothing
has changed despite this knowledge" - is ignored. "I am experiencing bliss"
- is ignored. "My meditation has been superb" - is ignored. "I am comparing
with past" - is ignored. "My meditation is not happening well" - is
ignored. "I am wasting my time" - is ignored. "I am progressing well in
spirituality" - is ignored. "I have become worse" - is ignored.

In a nut-shell, the entirety of seen is ignored. The "ignoring of seen" is
also ignored.

And here ends the matter. No desire for freedom is entertained for desire
is ignored. No desire for bliss, kundalini, moksha is entertained for
desire is ignored. Desire for knowing Brahman is ignored.

Ignoring the seen in entirety is situating as non-seen, the substratum, the
truth, the reality. This is meditation for me.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.