The Real Vision

A misconception that is spread around in many a Non-dual fora is that whether I know It or not, I am always perceiving God (or brahman). In order to corroborate this belief an easy analogy is given – whether we are aware or not we see only the screen when we watch a movie. As though watching the screen and watching the movie are the same! ЁЯЩВ

While explaining a verse from the Gita, the fallacy of the above concept was brought out clearly with a forceful illustration by a Swami Ji. (The Commentary of the Swami in three volumes is yet to be published and hence, the details are embargoed for now). The verse says, Continue reading

Dissolving The Apparent World

┬аOn the insistent questioning of the highly determined Naciketas, Lord Yama had no alternative but to reveal the secret code to ending the transient mortal world and realizing the “immortality” that one actually and already is.┬а It is not some thing new that one acquires. It is prAptasya prAptiH┬а(рдкреНрд░рд╛рдкреНрддрд╕реНрдп рдкреНрд░рд╛рдкреНрддрд┐:). Or, as kaTha says at 2.5.1, рд╡рд┐рдореБрдХреНрддрд╢реНрдЪ рд╡рд┐рдореБрдЪреНрдпрддреЗ (i.e. becoming freed, one becomes emancipated. In other words, he does not take up a body again).

Shankara explains it in his own inimitable way unpacking the involved intricacies in simple words. He writes in his commentary at 1.3.14, kaTha in the following way:

рдПрд╡рдВ рдкреБрд░реБрд╖реЗ рдЖрддреНрдордирд┐ рд╕рд░реНрд╡рдВ рдкреНрд░рд╡рд┐рд▓рд╛рдкреНрдп рдирд╛рдорд░реВрдкрдХрд░реНрдорддреНрд░рдпрдВ рдпрдиреНрдорд┐рдереНрдпрд╛рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдирд╡рд┐рдЬреГрдореНрднрд┐рддрдВ рдХреНрд░рд┐рдпрд╛рдХрд╛рд░рдХрдлрд▓рд▓рдХреНрд╖рдгрдВ рд╕реНрд╡рд╛рддреНрдордпрд╛рдерд╛рддреНрдореНрдпрдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдиреЗрди рдорд░реАрдЪреНрдпреБрджрдХрд░рдЬреНрдЬреБрд╕рд░реНрдкрдЧрдЧрдирдорд▓рд╛рдиреАрд╡ рдорд░реАрдЪрд┐рд░рдЬреНрдЬреБрдЧрдЧрдирд╕реНрд╡рд░реВрдкрджрд░реНрд╢рдиреЗрдиреИрд╡ рд╕реНрд╡рд╕реНрдердГ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдиреНрддрдГ рдХреГрддрдХреГрддреНрдпреЛ рднрд╡рддрд┐ рдпрддрдГ , рдЕрддрд╕реНрддрджреНрджрд░реНрд╢рдирд╛рд░реНрдердордирд╛рджреНрдпрд╡рд┐рджреНрдпрд╛рдкреНрд░рд╕реБрдкреНрддрд╛рдГ рдЙрддреНрддрд┐рд╖реНрдардд рд╣реЗ рдЬрдиреНрддрд╡рдГ |┬а ┬а — Shankara at 1.3.14, kaTha Upanishad. Continue reading