Chapter 9 Subtleness and Pervasiveness
9.1 to 9.3 The author presents knowledge of Brahman with the help of cosmology. Brahman is the material cause of creation (Br Up 1.4.23). The creation unfolds in stages from subtle to gross. If creation is traversed back, the subtlest entity is reached. An entity can be described in terms of imperceptibility (gross/subtle) and pervasiveness. The Vedantic theory is that body is constituted of five fundamental elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and space. It may not fully conform to the scientific view. However, it seems reasonable and serves the intended objective. Earth is the least imperceptible and the least pervasive. Imperceptibility and pervasiveness increase on traversing back from earth, water, fire, air, and space in succession. The space is the most imperceptible and pervasive worldly entity. Brahman transcends it and is the most imperceptible (subtlest) and all-pervading. Like the body, the external objects are also made of the five elements.
Brahman is not only the intelligent cause but also the material cause of the cosmos and pervades everything from Brahma (the highest creature) and a blade of grass. Brahman is of the nature of pure existence and pure consciousness. As Brahman is ascertained after negation of the five elements, it is not perceived by sense organs and is attribute-free. It is non-dual. It is untainted and unblemished.
9.4 to 9.6 Brahman pervades all bodies and is their Self. From the perspective of Self, all bodies are as though Mine. The Self illumines the intellects in all bodies. Then only they perform the function of knowing. Self is indirectly all-knowing. There is a flip side. Though Self is pure and untainted like space and free from sins and virtue, it is because of the intellect that impurities like anger, desire, lust which belong to the BMS (Body Mind System) are superimposed on Self. This is the complain of Self, so to speak. The superimposition is due to ignorance similar to a boy attributing blueness to sky.
9.7 to 9.9 Brahman is non-dual as it has no attributes and is not an object of knowledge. It is known in only one way, i.e., as the (ultimate) subject after negation of (known and knowable) objects. This removes a possible confusion that Brahman is an object which may arise from scriptural (Br Up2.4.5) statement that ‘The self should be seen, heard, reflected upon and meditated upon’.
The objects are subject to change and are unreal like dream objects. The waking and dream states are unreal though they are experienced. They are mithya because they are not present during dreamless sleep. Mind and body are resolved during dreamless sleep and are in potential form. Consciousness is present in sleep as there is an experience of sleep which is recalled from memory on waking up. Consciousness is in and through all the three states. It is the witness of the three states and is omniscient. Consciousness is ultimate Knower and is eternal (Br Up 4.3.23-30). The objects of knowledge change and are unreal (mithya).
Chapter 10 Right conception of the nature of consciousness
Introduction
Earlier chapters focus mainly on sruti and yukti to impart vedantic teaching. In chapter 10, emphasis is on anubhava of a jnani. Gaining knowledge is a process of three phases, sravan, manan, and nidhidhyasana. During sravan, the aspirant hears vedantic teaching from a teacher. During manan, he gets doubts clarified by the teacher. At this moment, there arises Self-knowledge in the student. According to verse 20 of Brahmjnanavalimala, Self-knowledge has three inter-connected parts. Brahman is the reality, world is mithya, and a jiva is not different from Brahman. Despite having Self-knowledge, a jnani is affected by contrary feelings. Nidhidhyasana is meditation on vedantic teaching to tackle contrary feelings. The chapter focuses on fruits of knowledge to practice nidhidhyasana.
In chapter 3, it has been explained that prarabdha has the capability to overpower knowledge. It means that despite Self-knowledge, a jnani encounters habitual wrong thinking called viprit bhavana. It is reasonable and supported by experience. It not possible that the moment of Self-knowledge arises, the vasanas in sub-conscious are removed altogether. Nidhidhyasana is repeated meditation on various aspects of vedantic teaching so as to reduce the impact of viprit bhavana. As prarabdha is co-terminus with death, nidhidhyasana is to be continued till death. Nidhidhyasana is Self-centred. The aspirant has to meditate in first person, e.g, I am attribute less, etc. The Chapter 10 is meant for nidhidhyasana. Some teachings are repeated because nidhidhyasana involves repetition for assimilation.
That consciousness is in the body is obvious. Vedanta says that it is more appropriate to say that body is in the consciousness since it is an object of consciousness. Instead of saying that space is in the pot, it is more appropriate is to say pot is in the space because the pot moves in the space. In nidhidhaysana, one shifts identification from the mind-body to consciousness.
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