11.10 is about avasthatraya prakriya- teaching on the basis of three states of experience. Vedanta uses ordinary experience to reveal extraordinary fact. Self is the unchanging observer of the three states. Vasanas are mental impressions left over from the experience in waking state. They are seen in the dream. They are like colour of the cloth coloured in turmeric. Self, the observer and the illuminator of the vasanas must be different from them and their locus, the mind. In waking and dream states what we experience are the contents of the mind which are illumined by Self. It follows that in the waking state also; Self is different from them. Self is different from the triad, knower, known and knowing.
11.11 One of the ways to describe human personality is in terms of five sheaths. They are arranged as sheaths of food, vital forces, mind, intelligence, and bliss in order of their grossness. Food sheath is the grossest and bliss sheath is the subtlest. The five sheaths are objects and Self which is of the nature of consciousness is the subject. It is different from the sheaths. It is the subtlest so to speak. Self which is of the nature of consciousness is as though covered by the five sheaths because a person identifies himself with the sheaths depending upon the situation. The mistaken identification is due to ignorance of his true nature. When ignorance is removed by Self-knowledge, a person understands that in dream, Self is different from the cause, namely, vasanas due to which the mind projects the dream, the effect. The author explains it with metaphor of sword and sheath. The sword (Self) is covered by sheath (ignorance). When it is taken out of the sheath, it is known in its true form. The five sheaths are sheaths of ignorance.
11.12 to 11.14 During dream, the dreamer may enjoy that he is a king. Kingship is superimposed on him which is found to be unreal on waking up. In the same manner, visible gross body and invisible subtle body are superimposed on Self in the waking state are unreal. The superimpositions limit the unlimited Self and actions of body and mind are attributed to Self. There is freedom when the superimpositions are removed by the knowledge of Self which is infinite and unlimited. As a person is awakened from sleep by push, a person is awakened from waking state of transactional reality to absolute reality (Self) when wrong notions, i.e., superimpositions are negated by the process of neti, neti. Thereupon Self is discovered as self-shining and free from action and mental impressions.
11.15 and 11.16 Identification with body is due to ignorance and habitual thinking. Action is central to conventional lifestyle and cannot remove identification. Results of action is finite and cannot give freedom from finiteness. Knowledge alone is the means of liberation. Knowledge does not depend on anything else. Immortality and enlightenment are synonymous. Immortality means freedom from fear and death. Enlightenment means that nothing in the world is as real as I am. They cannot cause fear and suffering. Self is the most loved and realized by the process of negation. Non-Self should be rejected along with actions done for the sake of non-Self. I am already perfect. Action is of no use.
Chapter 12 Prakash Prakaranam Name of the title is borrowed from the word in the first verse. Prakash means light (light of consciousness) The chapter, however, deals mainly with misidentification (adhyas)
12.1 to 12.3 Visibility is not intrinsic to the body. If it were so, the body would be seen in dark. Visibility is due to sunlight. Similarly, mind is inert. It becomes conscious due to the light of consciousness which is reflected in the subtle mind. The conscious mind acquires the power of knowing. It is wrongly held that sentiency is intrinsic to the mind. It is borrowed from Self (pure consciousness). In other words, sentient mind, the ego is wrongly considered as Self. Self is the real ‘I’, ego is pseudo ‘I’. Due to non-discrimination, I identify myself with mind.
In empirical transaction we come in contact with living and non-living things. Intimacy grows to an extent that identification is extended to things outside, like, my family, my car. Dent in the car is a situation to be fixed accordingly. My identification with car not only does not remove the dent, but it also makes me suffer as though I have got the dent. The identification is due to Self-ignorance. Non-discrimination between Self and ego is ignorance. For spiritual progress, conclusion drawn from experience is to be questioned to gain knowledge and get rid of ignorance. The author explains ignorance by the metaphor of tenth man. Similarly, Self(seer) is included among the objects (seen). The person doing the counting (seer) is so engrossed in the nine persons (seen) that he fails to count himself as though he has included himself among the nine persons The identification leads to suffering as in the case of the tenth man metaphor.
12.4 Vedas have two parts: Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda. KK prescribes various rituals to be performed for material gains in this life and after death. A performer of rituals is a doer because he identifies himself with ego. Jnana Kanda is for gaining Self-knowledge whereby identification with ego is replaced by identification with consciousness, the Self who is a non-doer. The two parts cater to two mutually exclusive group pf people. The two ideas, doer and non-doer cannot exist in the same person at the same time. A thing cannot be hot and cold at the same time
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12.5 Suffering is due to identification with MBS. There is no suffering if there is no identification, e.g., during sleep. Identification is removed by the teaching: Tat Tvam Asi. It teaches unity of Self and Brahman. In Ashtavakra Gita 1.6, Ashtavakra says to Janaka. Virtue and vice, pleasure and pain pertain to mind and not to you, the all-pervading. You are neither the doer nor the enjoyer of the actions. You are ever free.
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