DROPS OF NECTAR
Sri Bhagavan Maharishi Ramana said that the Self is pure consciousness in deep slumber, and He also indicated the Self of the transition from sleep to the waking state as the ideal for realisation. The Self is pure consciousness in sleep; it evolves as aham (‘I’) without the idam (‘this’) in the transition stage; and manifests as aham (‘I’) and idam (‘this’) in the waking state. The individual’s experience is by means of aham (‘I’) only. So he must aim at realisation in the way indicated (i.e., by means of the transitional ‘I’). Otherwise the sleep-experience does not matter to him. If the transitional ‘I’ be realised the substratum is found and that leads to the goal. Again, sleep is said to be ajnana (ignorance). That is only in relation to the wrong jnana (knowledge) prevalent in the wakeful state. The waking state is really ajnana (ignorance) and the sleep state is prajnana (full knowledge). Prajnana is Brahman, says the sruti. Brahman is eternal. The sleep-experiencer is called prajna. He is prajnanam in all the three states. Its particular significance in the sleep state is that He is full of knowledge (prajnanaghana). What is ghana? There are jnana and vijnana. Both together operate in all perceptions. Vijnana in the jagrat is viparita jnana (wrong knowledge) i.e., ajnana (ignorance). It always co-exists with the individual. When this becomes vispashta jnana (clear knowledge), It is Brahman. When wrong knowledge is totally absent, as in sleep, He remains pure prajnana only. That is Prajnanaghana. Aitareya Upanishad says prajnana, vijnana, ajnana, samjnana are all names of Brahman. Being made up of knowledge alone how is He to be experienced? Experience is always with vijnana. Therefore the pure ‘I’ of the transitional stage must be held for the experience of the Prajnanaghana. The ‘I’ of the waking state is impure and is not useful for such experience. Hence the use of the transitional ‘I’ or the pure ‘I’. How is this pure ‘I’ to be realised? Viveka Chudamani says, Vijnana kose vilasatyajasram (He is always shining forth in the intellectual sheath, vijnana kosa). Tripura Rahasya and other works point out that the interval between two consecutive sankalpas (ideas or thoughts) represent the pure aham (‘I’). Therefore holding on to the pure ‘I’, one should have the Prajnanaghana for aim, and there is the vritti present in the attempt. All these have their proper and respective places and at the same time lead to realisation. Again the pure Self has been described in Viveka Chudamani to be beyond asat, i.e., different from asat. Here asat is the contaminated waking ‘I’. Asadvilakshana means sat, i.e., the Self of sleep. He is also described as different from sat and asat. Both mean the same. He is also asesha sakshi (all-seeing witness). If pure, how is He to be experienced by means of the impure ‘I’? A man says “I slept happily”. Happiness was his experience. If not, how could he speak of what he had not experienced? How did he experience happiness in sleep, if the Self was pure? Who is it that speaks of that experience now? The speaker is the vijnanatma (ignorant self) and he speaks of prajnanatma (pure self). How can that hold? Was this vijnanatma present in sleep? His present statement of the experience of happiness in sleep makes one infer his existence in sleep. How then did he remain? Surely not as in the waking state. He was there very subtle. Exceedingly subtle vijnanatma experiences the happy prajnanatma by means of maya mode. It is like the rays of the moon seen below the branches, twigs and leaves of a tree. The subtle vijnanatma seems apparently a stranger to the obvious vijnanatma of the present moment. Why should we infer his existence in sleep? Should we not deny the experience of happiness and be done with this inference? No. The fact of the experience of happiness cannot be denied, for everyone courts sleep and prepares a nice bed for the enjoyment of sound sleep. This brings us to the conclusion that the cogniser, cognition and the cognised are present in all the three states, though there are differences in their subtleties. In the transitional state, the aham (‘I’) is suddha (pure), because idam (‘this’) is suppressed. Aham (‘I’) predominates. ‘Why is not that pure ‘I’ realised now or even remembered by us? Because of want of acquaintance (parichaya) with it. It can be recognised only if it is consciously attained. Therefore make the effort and gain consciously.
The tantriks and others of the kind condemn Sri Shankara’s philosophy as maya vada without understanding him aright. What does he say? He says: (1) Brahman is real; (2) the universe is a myth; (3) Brahman is the universe. He does not stop at the second statement but continues to supplement it with the third. What does it signify? The Universe is conceived to be apart from Brahman and that perception is wrong. The antagonists point to his illustration of rajju sarpa (rope snake). This is unconditioned superimposition. After the truth of the rope is known, the illusion of snake is removed once for all. But they should take the conditioned superimposition also into consideration, e.g., marumarichika or mrigatrishna (water of mirage). The mirage does not disappear even after knowing it to be a mirage. The vision is there but the man does not run to it for water. Sri Sankara must be understood in the light of both the illustrations. The world is a myth. Even after knowing it, it continues to appear. It must be known to be Brahman and not apart. If the world appears, yet to whom does it appear, he asks. What is your reply? You must say the Self. If not, will the world appear in the absence of the cognising Self? Therefore the Self is the reality. That is his conclusion. The phenomena are real as the Self and are myths apart from the Self. Now, what do the tantriks, etc., say? They say that the phenomena are real because they are part of the Reality in which they appear. Are not these two statements the same? That is what I meant by reality and falsehood being one and the same. The antagonists continue: With the conditioned as well as the unconditioned illusions considered, the phenomenon of water in mirage is purely illusory because that water cannot be used for any purpose. Whereas the phenomenon of the world is different, for it is purposeful. How then does the latter stand on a par with the former? A phenomenon cannot be a reality simply because it serves a purpose or purposes. Take a dream for example. The dream creations are purposeful; they serve the dream-purpose. The dream water quenches dream thirst. The dream creation is however contradicted in the waking state. The waking creation is contradicted in the other two states. What is not continuous cannot be real. If real, the thing must ever be real – and not real for a short time and unreal at other times. So it is with magical creations. They appear real and are yet illusory. Similarly the universe cannot be real of itself – that is to say, apart from the underlying Reality.
“There is only the One Reality”
ADVAITA BRAHMAN IS ADVAITA VEDANTA
1. There is absolutely no difference in the ultimate reality between one thing and another in the entire universe.
2. One and the same divine Soul is concealed within all things, pervades all things and is the real Soul within all things.
3. To him who sees the unity of all things, there is neither ignorance nor knowledge.
4. The whole universe ought to be conceived as being pervaded by the one reality of Awareness.
5. THE SELF IS SATCHITANANDA/ANANTA/STILLNESS/SILENCE
6. The seer, the scene, and the seen is one Being.
There is no cognisor, cognition, and the cognised.
All merge into One Supreme Truth only!
THE SELF IS AWARENESS PURE
THERE IS NOTHING BESIDES THE SELF
Prajnana Brahman – Prajnana is Brahman or Brahman is Prajnana.
Ayam Atma Brahman – This Self (Atma) is Brahman.
Tat Tvam Asi – Thou Art That or That You Are.
Aham Brahmnasmi: I am Brahman (direct knowledge).
Brahmaivaham: Brahman I am (indirect knowledge)
The former is Pratyaksha vritti (direct experience), whereas the latter is Paroksha jnana (indirect knowledge). The first begins with the realisation of Aham (‘I’), whereas the later starts with the hearsay Brahman which cannot be apart from the Self, if the same has been realised.
Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya – Brahman is real; the world is illusory.
Ekam Evadvitiyam Braham – Brahman is one, without a second.
So-Ham – I am that.
Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma – All of this is Brahman.
Etad Vai Tat – This, verily, is That.
In the silence lies the subtlest definition of Yoga
There are many teachers of the one Reality.
All life arises from the One and the same Source. The Self, Atma, and Brahman are the same Truth.
I am only the essence of the Spirit.
The whole materialist world and its contents arises from One Reality.
There are many doctrines of wisdom from all ages. There are several paths to the One Truth.
The Yoga of Death is the Quest of the Light of Truth.
The Grace of the Light of Truth is free. You should neither pay not be taxed for esoteric knowledge by either institutions or gurus.
Proselytizing, coercement, and force conversions is violence against children .
Diksha, Darshana, and Grace if the Divine is free for all should one carefully look.
The goal, aim, and target of life is self-discovery. Discover the real you. Not the one that has been conditioned, not the one you think, but that ultimate Self.
True Happiness is to be found within the true Self.
Get rid of ignorance by turning within, for right knowledge is salvation.
“Ekam sat, viprah bahudha vadanti” – “There is a single Truth but the wise call it by different names.”
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – “The whole world is one family.”
Prajnanam – wisdom is the Soul or Spirit. Prajnanam refers to the insightful Truth, which cannot be verified or tested outside the Self. It is a higher function of the intellect that ascertains the Satchitananda or being-consciousness-bliss, i.e., the Brahman, Atma, Self. A truly wise person is known as Prajna; one who has attained Brahmanhood itself; thus, testifying to the Vedic Mahavakya: Prajnanam iti Brahman. The knowledge of Brahman is neither insight nor intuition of Brahman but itself is Brahman.
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