Here is Part 4 of a new, short series (5 parts) on the Mandukya Upanishad, from James Swartz.
This post is not actually part of the Upanishad but provides a simple meditation technique for reaching ‘absolute silence’.
Tag Archives: ego
Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam) – Part 7
shabdAdi rUpam bhuvanam samastam
shabdAdisattendriya vRRitti bhAsyA
sattendriyANAmmanaso vashe syAt
manomayam tad bhuvanam vadAmaH
shabdAdi rUpam = of the form of sound etc; bhuvanam = world; samastam = entire;
shabdAdisatta = the existence of sound etc; indriya = organs; vRRitti = functions;
bhAsyA = illumined;sattA = existence; indriyANAm = of the sense organs; manaso = of
the mind; vashe = control; syAt = is; manomayam = made of mind; tad = (here tad=
tasmAt) therefore; bhuvanam = world; vadAmaH = we say.
The entire world is of the form of sound etc. the existence of sound etc is illumined by the functions of the organs. The existence of sense organs is in the control of the mind. Therefore, we say that the world is made of the mind.
The entire world and the whole gambit of transactions that take place within it are but divided only into five categories viz. sound, sight, smell, taste and touch. There cannot be any transaction beyond these five divisions. The world is rightly called prapa~ncha – a division into five categories (pa~ncha means five). The world therefore is five -fold based on the five sense organs. Continue reading
Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam – Part 6)
sarUpa budhirjagatIshvare cha
sarUpa dhIrAtmani yAvadasti
arUpa Atma yadi kaH prapashyet
sA dRRiShtirekA anavahirhi pUrNA
sarUpa budhiH = the notion they have a form; jagatIshvare cha = in the world
and Ishvara; sarUpa dhIH = notion that Truth has a form; Atmani = in one self;
yAvat = as long as; asti = is there; arUpa Atma = if self iswithout form; yadi = if
(one has knowledge); kaH = who; prapashyet = sees; sA dRRiShtiH = that
vision; ekA = alone; anavadhiH = infinite; hi = indeed; pUrNA = full
As long as, in oneself one has the notion of being with form, i.e. as long as one is identified to the body mind, so long, the world and Ishvara also will be considered to be with form. If the self is without form, who sees? That vision, indeed is infinite and full.
It is the identification with the body which gives rise to different notions about oneself and the world. If one considers oneself limited to the body and mind then, naturally, the world and Ishvara are separate from him. Being separate, they are then limited and hence with form. So, a person having the wrong notion of oneself being the body will see a world which is limited.
Continue reading
Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam – 5)
Arbhyate jIva jagat parAtma
tattvAbhidhAnena matam samastam
idam trayam yAvadahamatiH syAt
sarvottamASham mati shUnya niShThA—4
Arbhyate = begins; jIva jagat parAtma = divisions of individual, world and Ishvara;
tattvAbhidhAnena = principles of the three tattvAs; matam samastam = all philosophies;
idam = this; trayam = three; yAvat = as long as; ahamatiH = ‘I’ notion; syAt = is there;
sarvottamA = the greatest of all; aham mati shUnya = devoid of ego; niShThA =
abidance;
All philosophies begin based on the principles of the three divisions of individual, world and Ishvara. The abidance in self, devoid of the ego is the greatest abidance of all.
All religions are based on the three divisions of individual, total and world. These religions culminate in some philosophy which again is based on this triad only. Theology sticks to these divisions and does not attempt to go beyond. Continue reading
Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam – 4)
sarvairnidAnam jagatohamashcha
vAchyaH prabhuH kashchidapAra shaktiH
chitretra lokyam cha vilokitA cha
paTaH prakAshopyabhavat sa ekaH—3
sarvaiH = by all; nidAnam = cause; jagataH = of the world; ahamaH cha = and of ‘I’;
vAchyaH = is (popularly accepted); prabhuH kashchit = somemLord; apAra shaktiH =
limitless power; chitre = picture; atra = here; lokyam cha vilokitA cha = seen and the
seer; paTaH = canvas; prakAshaH = light; abhavat = became; saH ekaH = that one.
The cause of the world and the ‘I’ (individual) is popularly accepted by all to be some Lord of limitless power. Here, in this picture, that one has become the seer, seen, the canvas and the lights also.
Even as children, we have a curiosity to know how the universe began. If the big bang occurred in time, there would have been time and space already; even otherwise who created that dense matter that made a bang. Such curiosity to go to the root is natural to a thinking person.
Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam – 3)
mRRityu~njayam mRRityu bhiyAshritAnAm
ahammatirmRRityumupaiti pUrvam
atha svabhAvAdamRRiteShu teShu
katham punarmRRityu dhiyaH avakAshaH—2
mRRityu~njayam = vanquisher of mortality; mRRityu bhiyA = by the fear of death;
AshritAnAm= of those who have sought protection; ahammatiH = the ‘I’ notion (I am
devotee);mRRityumupaiti = attains death; pUrvam = first; atha = thereafter; svabhAvAt =
by nature;amRRiteShu teShu = in the immortals; katham = how; punaH =again; mRRityu
dhiyaH = of the notion of death; avakAshaH = possibility.
The vanquisher of mortality (Lord shiva) destroys the “I am a devotee’ notion of those who have sought protection in him. Thereafter in them, who are immortal by nature, how can there be a notion of death?
Lord shiva is called mRRityu~njaya. He destroys the mortality of those who seek his protection. What does this mean?
I, as the individual see myself as limited. I consider myself as a part in the whole. A natural consequence is the rest of the world is the other part and the Lord is the protector of all parts. There is this feeling and need of being salvaged by the protector and one becomes a devotee. This devotee-hood though seems religious and serene makes once life stagnant and redundant, in that, the division is set and maintained forever. One has to grow beyond this. At the beginning, it is helpful to consider oneself a devotee, but carrying it too long will stunt a person’s spiritual growth. Continue reading
Understanding the Mind
A mind is the complex of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, thinking, reasoning, perception, and judgement — a characteristic of human beings, but which also may apply to other life forms. (Wikipedia)
(in a human or other conscious being) the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, judges, etc.: the processes of the human mind. 2. Psychology. the totality of conscious and unconscious mental processes and activities. 3. intellect or understanding, as distinguished from the faculties of feeling and willing; intelligence. (Dictionary.com)
It is generally agreed that mind is that which enables a being to have subjective awareness and intentionality towards their environment, to perceive and respond to stimuli with some kind of agency, and to have a consciousness, including thinking and feeling. (Wikipedia)
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Advaita vedanta is frequently criticized by Western advaitins for its intellectual approach. Many things can be said about this but I would like to clarify here what Advaita Vedanta means by mind.
In the West quite a number of functions are subsumed under this one term ‘mind’. From the point of view of vedanta the above definitions are a bit of a mumbo jumbo. Two flaws in particular need to be pointed out. The first is to do with the use of the word ’consciousness’. Whereas Wikipedia says mind enables consciousness, vedanta states the opposite: consciousness enables mind. The other flaw is that there is no differentiation between all the various functions listed: ‘thinking, reasoning, perception, and judgement ‘.
I would like to take up this latter point here. Continue reading
Am I awake yet? – Fred Davis
So, am I awake yet, or what?
by
Fred Davis
I edit Awakening Clarity, a Nondual blog, and as a result of that I get emails from the four corners of the worlds. A fair number of them express confusion. The writer has had some sort of spiritual experience. And now they want to know where they are on the spiritual map. One response that arises here when someone asks me something along the line of, “Hey, am I awake, or what?” is exactly this:
“If you’re concerned about whether you’re awake or not, then you’re not–at least not right now.” Such a question simply would not occur to conscious awakeness. Generally, in fact, given the nature of the situation the person is writing in about, and their choice of language their letter contains convincing evidence that they are not awake right now–at least not in the way they are asking about. In truth, everyone is always equally awake, so all we are ever talking about is whether or not we are consciously awake, knowingly awake–right now. If we can get clear on this we can see that there’s no room left for higher or lower, better or worse, more spiritual or less. All of those things spring from beliefs, opinions, and positions (BOPs), which conscious awareness simply doesn’t have. The apparently separate being it’s working through will certainly have a broad array of BOPs–that’s essentially what a separate being is–but not the awakeness behind it. You will understand, of course, that language is failing us here; we do what we can. Continue reading