Tag Archives: Knowledge

saccidānanda

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The Nature of the Absolute

In the vast lexicon of Indian philosophy, few terms are as ubiquitous—and as frequently misunderstood—as saccidānanda (often written as sat-cit-ānanda). Used across classical treatises, prakaraṇa granthas, and modern spiritual discourses, this compound Sanskrit word is routinely translated into English as “Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.” For many contemporary seekers, this rendering conjures up visions of a permanent mystical trance, an everlasting emotional high, or an ecstatic, non-dual “feeling” to be attained through deep meditation.

However, traditional Advaita Vedānta, as systematised by Ādi Śaṅkara, offers a far more precise and intellectually rigorous account. In authentic Vedāntic pedagogy, saccidānanda is not a description of an object, nor is it a promise of unending experiential euphoria. Rather, it functions as a svarūpa-lakṣaṇa—an essential pointer or definition designed to reveal the nature of the unconditioned Self (Ātman / Brahman) by negating our false superimpositions of finitude, inertness, and mortality.

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“Knowingness … or Not” — A Response *

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Dear Dennis,

Thank you for the 3-part article, “Knowingness … or Not.”

I must say, I was disappointed.

Knowing the thoroughness with which you normally approach a subject, and the attention to detail you bring to a task once you undertake it, I had hoped to see a scholarly critique of “Knowingness”—particularly one supported by shAstric evidence showing where the term falls short, together with possible suggestions for improvement or alternative vocabulary for consideration.

Instead, much of the investigation seems to have gone into tracing the frequency of its occurrence, rather than examining the more fundamental question: whether “Knowingness” is an appropriate rendering of jñAnam in the particular context in which I have used it. Continue reading →

Knowingness – Part 3

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*** Read Part 2 ***

This is the second part of my search to find other users of the word ‘knowingness’, and the final part of the series.

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Knowingness… or Not

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I apologize for the length of this. I had intended a single post but, at over 4600 words, it is clearly much too long, so it will now be in three parts. (My target length is 1500 words per post.) Please postpone comments until the end, except for Ramesam to confirm or deny that my AI-assisted summary of his understanding is essentially correct).

In his series ‘Quintessence of 10 Upanishads’, Ramesam has used the word ‘knowingness’ quite a few times. For example, in Part 27 (Taittirīya Part 2), it occurs 11 times and, in Part 30 (Aitareya Part 1), 25 times!

On 5th Aug, I made the following comment on Part 3 of the Aitareya series (https://www.advaita-vision.org/quintessence-of-10-upanishads-32-aita-3/):

I also see that you have used the word ‘knowingness’ again. When I read your first post, on Aitareya, I began my search to find our previous discussions about this (to me meaningless) word. Unfortunately, I could not immediately locate it and have embarked upon a long process of building a local AI to help me to track it down. As soon as I do so, I will aim to generate a separate post to talk about it.

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Upadesa Sahasri (Part 36)

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Part 35

Part 37

18.201–18.206
The opponent argues that liberation is not realized simply by knowing the meaning of TTA, just as boiled milk-rice cannot be produced from cow dung. Knowing about food is not the same as eating it.
Shankaracharya clarifies that indirect knowledge is produced by understanding sentences regarding the non-Self. However, in the case of the Self, knowledge is immediate, as illustrated by the story of the tenth man.
The opponent argues further that what is conditionally evident cannot be self-evident. If the knowledge of the Self depends on knowing the meaning of TTA, how can Advaita claim that the Self is self-evident?
Shankaracharya maintains that the Self is self-luminous. TTA does not reveal the Self; strictly speaking, the Self reveals TTA. The sentence TTA removes ignorance regarding the ego. When the ego is negated, Self-realization occurs. This is figuratively called the immediate knowledge of the Self.

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Knowledge and Experience

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Clearing the Minefield of Modern Advaita

For many modern seekers, the spiritual path feels like a journey from the ‘dry’ realm of intellectual study to the ‘wet’ realm of mystical experience. There is a pervasive belief, often propagated by Neo-Vedantic and Western satsang circles, that acquiring Self-knowledge through the scriptures is a ‘merely intellectual’ achievement—a collection of concepts that must eventually be ‘transformed’ into a direct, non-dual experience through meditation or samādhi.

However, traditional Advaita Vedānta, as systematized by Ādi Śaṅkara, offers a radical correction to this view. In this tradition, the ‘gap’ between knowledge and realization is non-existent for the prepared mind. To understand why, we must carefully define our terms and examine the relative value of knowledge and experience in the pursuit of liberation (mokṣa).

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Importance of Humility in learning Advaita

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Advaita Siddhānta (doctrine) is about the Knowledge of the Self—the one and only “substance” that is eternally present, immutable, infinite, and complete, lacking nothing. It is no exaggeration to say that the most fundamental prerequisite for correctly understanding this millennia-old pinnacle of human thought known as Advaita Vedānta is humility.

Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda beautifully summarizes the means to grasp Advaita Siddhānta in a single sentence in his commentary on Bhagavad Gītā 18.50. He adds that this is the very message conveyed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad Gītā 2.69 and at several other places. He writes:

“It is only a cessation of the perception of the differentiated forms of the external world that can lead to a firm grasp of the real nature of the Self.”

Śaṅkara is equally careful to point out that Self-knowledge remains unattainable for those: Continue reading →

jīvanmukti

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The Reality of ‘Liberation While Living’

In the journey of Advaita Vedānta, the ultimate objective is often described as mokṣa—liberation from the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra). For many seekers, however, there is a persistent question regarding the timing of this freedom: must one wait for the death of the physical body to be free, or is liberation possible here and now? Traditional Advaita answers this through the technical term jīvanmukti.

Derived from the Sanskrit roots jīvat (living) and mukti (liberation), jīvanmukti refers to the state of being ‘emancipated while still alive’. It is a concept that bridges the gap between the absolute reality of our nature and our transactional existence in the world. As we navigate the ‘minefield’ of modern spiritual teachings, understanding the nuances of jīvanmukti as defined by Ādi Śaṅkara is essential for clearing misconceptions about what happens to a person upon the dawn of Self-knowledge.

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Satyam and Mithyā

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Decoding the Reality of the World

In the study of Advaita Vedānta, no single sentence is as frequently quoted or as foundational as the one attributed to Ādi Śaṅkara: brahma satyam jaganmithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ. Translated, it declares: “Brahman is the reality; the world is mithyā (not in itself real); and the individual self is not different from Brahman”. To grasp the essence of this philosophy, one must dive deeply into the precise technical meanings of the two pivotal terms: satyam and mithyā.

For many seekers, these terms are the source of significant confusion. Does mithyā mean the world is a total hallucination? If Brahman is the only satyam, why do we still experience a solid, material universe? The resolution to these paradoxes lies in Advaita’s unique “two-level” approach to reality, which distinguishes between absolute truth (paramārtha) and transactional experience (vyavahāra).

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Parokṣa and Aparokṣa

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Bridging the Gap from Intellectual Understanding to Immediate Realization

In the pursuit of Advaita Vedānta, a seeker often grapples with a frustrating sense of distance. We read the great declarations of the Upaniṣads, we follow the rigorous logic of Ādi Śaṅkara, and we may even become ‘intellectually convinced’ that reality is non-dual. Yet, despite this conviction, we often feel as though we are standing on the outside looking in. This gap is technically defined by the distinction between two types of knowledge: parokṣa (mediate or indirect) and aparokṣa (immediate or direct).

Unravelling these terms is not just a matter of semantics; it is a vital step in clearing the ‘minefield’ of modern spiritual confusion. As I have argued in my series Confusions in Advaita Vedānta, many seekers are led astray by the belief that scriptural knowledge is ‘merely intellectual’ and must be transformed into something else through mystical experience. By looking at the original definitions and Śaṅkara’s own commentaries, we find a much more empowering truth: for the qualified seeker, the right means of knowledge (pramāṇa) can trigger immediate realization without the need for a secondary ‘mystical’ event.

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