Introduction It is a ‘dialogue’ between AtmA and the mind. AtmA is free from action. As such the dialogue is figurative. Nevertheless, it is a unique method of nidhidhyAsanA which is the third phase of jnAna yoga after sravan and manan. The aspirant has clear knowledge of AtmA and he needs to assimilate it to make it a living knowledge. The aspirant knows that his essential nature is consciousness which is different from the mind. The locus of knowledge is the mind. It is a peculiar situation where the mind tells itself that the real nature of the aspirant is consciousness which is different from the mind. The mind has to further tell itself that consciousness is changeless and eternal whereas the mind is mithya. It is as though the mind splits in two parts, one part takes the role of AtmA, the subject and the other part is the mind, the object. AtmA uses the mind to talk to the mind and while talking, considers Itself different from the mind. There are Upanishad’s sayings that a knower of Brahman is Brahman and AtmA is Brahman. A Self-realized person and AtmA are used interchangeably. In some verses, there are repetitions of the same idea. Repetition is not a defect when the teachings are complex and are to be assimilated.

19.01 AtmA is complete. An ignorant person identifies himself with the mind. The mind is finite and limited. There is a desire to become complete and happy by acquiring worldly objects and relationships. And indeed, he becomes complete and happy. However, it is short-lived. After gaining, knowledge, the person knows that AtmA is the real source of happiness, nay, it is happiness. Verse 1 says that desire is like fever and is the cause of cycle of birth and death. The fever has continued in body after body. Knowledge and dispassion are the medicines. Taittiriya Upanishad tells that dispassion can give happiness many times greater than the highest happiness obtained by fulfilling material desires.

19.02 AtmA, i.e., a Self-realized person addresses the mind. Before acquiring knowledge, the mind has troubled him in different ways, e.g., transferring its doer-ship and enjoyer-ship to AtmA thereby making it vulnerable to worldly vicissitudes. After acquiring knowledge, he as AtmA has no relationship with the mind which is mithya and of a lower order of reality. As AtmA he is ever complete, and the mind cannot improve it further. He tells the mind that he does not accept the views of other philosophies, e.g., Samkhya, according to which, the mind is the doer and AtmA (Purusha) is the enjoyer, and the mind tirelessly works for AtmA and therefore AtmA should be grateful to the mind. This view is defective. As the mind is inert, it cannot work in an intelligent manner and further that AtmA has no relationship with the mind (Prakriti). Therefore, a Self-realized person wants the mind to know its position in the scheme of things. AtmA does not need the help of the mind. If at all, it is advised to remain quiet.

19.03 AtmA is complete and has no desires and does not require any service from the mind. On the contrary, AtmA wants the well-being of the mind. As such, the mind should work for its welfare. For this, the mind should stop overthinking, remain calm and quiet. An action has seed in thought. A man is what he thinks. During meditation, AtmA tells the mind that It is not the enjoyer of the results of mind’s actions. The mind reaps the fruits of action. Therefore, in its own interest, the mind should engage in virtuous thoughts resulting in virtuous deeds leading to its well-being of the mind and the body. This way, the mind is controlled also.

19.04 AtmA is beyond six inflictions, namely, hunger and thirst as properties of vital forces, delusion and grief of mind, and old age and death of the gross body. The Sel-realized person says that he has gained this knowledge from scriptures and other sources, e.g., Bhagavad Gita, Brahma-sutra. The knowledge is valid and consistent with logic and experience. In the light of this knowledge, your (mind’s) effort to make me (AtmA) subject to vagaries of the six inflictions will be in vain.

19.05 and 19.06 The dialogue continues. The Self-realized person is established in the knowledge that he is AtmA and the same AtmA is present in every living being. Therefore, in his vision, there is no duality. The perceived differences are due to wrong notion. During deep sleep, mind and sense organs are withdrawn and reside in AtmA in dormant state. Because the mind is not active, there is no duality and there is serenity. The mind reappears during the waking state and in the dream giving rise to duality. In the waking state too, a Self-realized person ‘sees’, i.e., cognizes same AtmA behind every Mind-Body System (MBS). Even though there are different MBSs, the AtmA is same. They are adjuncts of AtmA and have no existence of their own. Ever cognitively established in AtmA, a Self-realized person uses MBS for worldly dealings. The mind and sense organs, experience differences. But there are no differences in AtmA, which a Self-realized person is. Thus, AtmA tells the mind that latter’s efforts to create differences in It must fail. The mind would do well to refrain from such efforts.

19.07 An ignorant mind thinks that it can improve the status of I, the AtmA. The wise person knows that mind cannot improve AtmA and neither is there any such need because it is already complete. AtmA is self-effulgent. It does not require any outside support, e.g., from the mind to shine. It is other way round. It is the mind which is illumined by AtmA. If improvement is in time, it will vanish with time. Hence any improvement in the mind or by the mind is mithya. How can mithya mind improve the real AtmA? Therefore, AtmA tells the mind to remain quiet and mind its own business, i.e., look after itself.

19.08 Bhagavad Gita 2.16 instructs that there is no permanence in a changing entity and a real entity is immutable. A Self-realized person knows the two facts. Change and time are two faces of the same coin. All the worldly objects including the mind change with time. Time consumes everything. AtmA which is of the nature of consciousness is alone eternal and non-changing. It is the reality. It is beyond time, space and causation. An object in the field of a sense organ creates modification in the mind giving rise to thought and thought illumined by AtmA results in perception. An inert mind cannot have perception. In the presence of AtmA, the mind functions and enjoys perception. AtmA advises the mind to acknowledge that it owes its sentiency to AtmA .

19.09 and 19.10 Non-dual AtmA which is of the nature of consciousness is devoid of the triad, viz, seer, seen and seeing. They are created by the mind and are superimpositions on AtmA. One AtmA pervades the three states of experience, namely, waking, dream and deep sleep. AtmA is changeless and is the only reality. Other entities including the mind are mithya. There is no relationship between real and mithya. The seeming relationship is on account of ignorance. When the knowledge dawns, there is Self-effulgent AtmA only.

19.11 The view of some philosophies that each mind-body system has a different AtmA and that there are many AtmAs is not correct. If there are many AtmAs, then each will limit the other and make AtmA finite and subject to destruction. When all AtmAs die, there will be no creation. Whereas, according to scriptures, creation is eternal. Hence, ‘many AtmA’ theory is not true.

19.12 AtmA wants the mind to realize its mischief of creating two powerful misconceptions, viz, ahamkAra and mamakAra because of which samsara goes on endlessly. By ahamkAra I connect myself with others and by mamakAra I connect others with me. The fact is that I have no relationships because there is no second thing of my order of reality. The relationship is at the level of mind for worldly transactions. I am the substratum of mithya. I am not a superimposition because I, the subject, exist before all the superimpositions.

19.13 and 19.14 That AtmA cannot be seen is no proof of its non-existent. I cannot see my AtmA because I am AtmA. Others also cannot see my AtmA because there is only one AtmA. The debate done by the mind whether AtmA is existent or non-existent is a non-starter. The mind itself is a creation and mithya. AtmA is the substratum which exist even before the arrival of the debating mind and will continue to exist when the mind is resolved when creation dissolves. It is like a child questioning existence of father. The mind can analyse everything except the existence of AtmA upon which mind itself stands. Whatever is experienced is mithya. AtmA is beyond experience and is real. Mystic experiences are also mithya. It is death knell to the commonly held view that real and experience are same.

To be concluded