In Part 27, the arguments of a Prasamkhyavadi who maintains that repetition is necessary was introduced. Sri Shankara responds.
1 TTA is taught on the authority of scriptures and reasoning (18.04). The formerly ignorant student becomes wise and claims ‘I am Brahman’ (18.05) and the notion of agentship is given up (18.06).
2 The Sruti talks about the method of ‘not this’, ‘not this’, and on such negation, Self is revealed by the scriptures as Existence, Consciousness (18.26). Action and its results are enshrined in earlier portion of Veda and not in the latter portion (18.19).
3 For a qualified student, hearing completes the teaching and produces right knowledge together with realization of liberation. The rise of right knowledge and realization of liberation are simultaneous, there being no time gap (18.103 and 18.104). The argument in support of follow-up actions is not correct because action is not a Pramana.
4 Indirect knowledge is produced in the case of teaching about non-Self (objects) and action is required to obtain direct knowledge. TTA, however, concerns the inner-most Self and it produces immediate knowledge of Self just as is in the case of recognizing the tenth man (18.172, 18.176 and 18.202).
5 If the statement ‘I am Brahman’ is not meaningful after sravan, it will not be meaningful even after being repeated a thousand times. During hearing, scriptural text which is a source of knowledge is unfolded by enquiry of the words ‘Tat’ and ‘Tvam’. If a single hearing does not produce knowledge, it should be repeated until the knowledge dawns It may take even one or more births.
6 Verse 18.208 presents a response in two steps. There are two possibilities: either the listener is different from Brahman, or he is Brahman. If there is a difference, then an action (repetition of “I am Brahman”) would be required to transform the listener into Brahman since an action produces a change. In case the listener is already Brahman, but he does not know, no action is required. Only listening to gain knowledge is required. In the next step, it is argued that since the listener is different from Brahman who is infinite, no amount of action can convert a finite listener into infinite Brahman. The listener will need infinite births to become Brahman. Therefore, knowing that one is eternally liberated, it is foolish to perform actions (18.209). 18.210 says that there are no duties or actions for a knower of TTA.
7 As a compassionate teacher, Sri Shankara acknowledges the problem in the point number 3 of PP (Part 27). He says (18.19) that liberation is eternal whereas other goals of life depend on action and are transient. He analyses the issue and provides a solution.
(I) 18.20-23 and 18.163-169 The distress experienced by the son is superimposed by the father on himself who has no distress. In the extreme case such as death of the son, the father may have a feeling as though he has himself died. By contrast, the pain of one man due to burn or cut is not felt by another man. Dirt and colour are wrongly superimposed on the sky. Likewise, ego is superimposed on the Self. Unhappiness and mental pain due to a cut or burn is in the mind and not in the Self which is the inner-most and distinct from the mind and body. However, ignorance causes superimposition of the mind and body onto the Self resulting in wrong notion that “I feel pain” and “I am unhappy”. Superimposition is sublated by the right knowledge. Consequently, pain etc are relocated to their rightful place. The wrong notion of not possessing a thin necklace is negated when it is discovered that it is around the neck. Reality is never be negated. A (false) superimposition is negated
“The pure Self might be freely imagined having the potentiality of pain in It if It were proved to possess pain at all. One’s identification with the body etc. is the cause of the pain felt and is responsible for the idea that the Self is susceptible to it” (18.166). “———Unhappiness is seen in one when one’s mind roams against one’s will on account of Ignorance. But it is not seen in one when the mind is at rest. It is, therefore, not reasonable that unhappiness is in the innermost Self.” (18.168/169) [ Translation by Swami Jagadananda R K Math]
(II) Repetition of ‘I am Brahman’ is not the solution (18.216) because repetition presupposes that I am not Brahman as against the fact that I am Brahman on the authority of scriptures. Any experience contrary to the fact should be questioned and not the fact supported by valid knowledge. Sri Shankara questions the very question: why do I suffer? In other words, one should seek clarification why the suffering persists despite the knowledge that “I am Brahman” (18.217). The clarification is like this. The suffering belongs to non-Self and not to the Self. Even after gaining knowledge and burning of Sanchit Karma and there being no possibility of Agma, the contrary feelings arise due to prarabdha.
(III) The student has asked for freedom from suffering, and he should be taught freedom. With TTA, the student is taught that ‘I am Brahman and ever free; the objective is achieved, and teaching is completed. TTA is not meant to establish that some entity other than ‘I’ is free from suffering (18.218). (IV) If worldly problems are real, they cannot be removed by any means. Vedanta teaches that Brahman is the only reality; world and its problems are mithya and cannot affect ‘I’ that is identical with Brahman. I am ever free. “I am unhappy” is a wrong notion.
Note: The suffering associated with non-Self is mithya which is effectively defanged through Self-knowledge. The scripture suggests nidhidhyasana, which is different from mere repetition, to address contrary feelings. In Naiskarmaya Siddhi, Suresvaracharya says that TTA removes ajnana and not ajnana vasana. However, when ajnana vasana arises, jnana vasana also arises to neutralize it.
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