Vivekachudamani of Adi Sankara[Crest Jewel of Discrimination]A Summary - Based on the Commentary of Pujya Sri Jagadguru Chandrasekhara Bharati SwamiBy S. N. SastriIntroductionSri Sankara Bhagavatpada has blessed the world with an enormous legacy ofinvaluable gems. These can be grouped under three broad categories. The firstcategory, meant for the intellectually most advanced, comprises his commentaries(bhaashya) on the Upanishads, Brahmasutras and the Bhagavadgita, knowncollectively as the prasthaanatrayam. The second category consists ofindependent works, known as prakarana granthas, which expound the gist of theupanishads in simple language. These vary in length from half a verse to onethousand verses. In the third category fall devotional hymns addressed tovarious deities. Through these devotional hymns also the teachings of Vedantaare conveyed. There is a wrong impression among some persons, particularlyWestern scholars, that Sri Sankara did not attach importance to devotion to apersonal God. On the basis of this view they conclude that the devotional hymnscannot be works of Sri Sankara. This view is belied by Sri Sankara's ownstatements in his commentaries, which are accepted by all to be his works. Forexample, in his commentary on the Gita, 2.39, he explains Krishna's words toArjuna thus - "You will become free from bondage by the attainment of knowledgethrough God's grace". Again, in18.65 - "Knowing for certain that liberation isthe definite result of devotion to God, one should be intent only on surrenderto God". Moreover, Sri Sankara is well known for having re - established theworship of the supreme God - head in His six aspects, and is referred to as theShanmatasthapaka. Unlike the Sankhyas who gave importance only to the Jnaanakaanda and the PurvaMimamsakas who dismissed the Upanishads as mere arthavada or eulogy, Sankaraestablished in his bhaashyas that both the kaandas have validity, though atdifferent stages of the aspirant's spiritual progress. In his bhaashya on Br.Up. 4.4.2 he says - "All the obligatory rites serve as means to liberationthrough the attainment of Self - knowledge. Hence we see that the ultimatepurpose of the two parts of the Vedas, that dealing with rites and that dealingwith Self - knowledge, is the same". In many places in the Karma kanda there areclear indications that the ultimate goal of life is liberation.What is Advaita Vedanta? Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan says in his book 'Ramana Maharshiand His Philosophy of Existence' - "We believe that Advaita is not a sectariandoctrine. It is the culmination of all doctrines, the crown of all views. Thoughother views may imagine themselves to be opposed to Advaita, Advaita is opposedto none. As Gaudapada, a pre - Sankara teacher of Advaita, says, Advaita has noquarrel with any system of philosophy. While the pluralistic world - views maybe in conflict with one another, Advaita is not opposed to any of them. Itrecognizes the measure of truth that there is in each of them; but only, thattruth is not the whole. Hostility arises out of partial vision. When the wholetruth is realized, there can be no hostility. (Mandukya Karika, III. 17 &18; IV.5)".The core of Advaita is that Brahman is the only reality. 'Reality' is defined asthat which does not undergo any change at any time. By this test, Brahman, whichis absolutely changeless and eternal, is alone real. The world keeps on changingall the time and so it cannot be considered as real. At the same time, we cannotdismiss it as unreal, because it is actually experienced by us. The example of arope being mistaken for a snake in dim light is used to explain this. The snakeso seen produces the same reaction, such as fear and trembling of the limbs, asa real snake would. It cannot therefore be said to be totally unreal. At thesame time, on examination with the help of a lamp it is found that the snakenever existed and that the rope alone was there all the time. The snake cannotbe described as both real and unreal, because these two contradictory qualitiescannot exist in the same entity. It must therefore be said that the snake isneither real nor unreal. Just as the snake appears because of ignorance of thefact that there is only a rope, this world appears to exist because of ourignorance of Brahman. Thus the world is also neither real nor unreal; it is 'mithya'or 'anirvachaniya', meaning 'indescribable'. Just as the snake is superimposedon the rope, the world is superimposed on Brahman. Our ignorance of Brahman iswhat is called avidya or ajnana or nescience. This nescience has two powers, thepower to conceal the reality, known as aavarana sakti and the power to projectthe unreal, known as vikshepasakti. Because of these two powers, nescience notonly covers Brahman, but it further projects the universe and makes it appearreal. The world has no reality apart from Brahman, just as the snake has noreality apart from the rope. When the knowledge of Brahman arises, the world isseen as a mere appearance of Brahman. Another example may be taken to explainthis. Ornaments of different sizes and shapes are made out of one gold bar.Their appearance and the use for which they are meant vary, but the fact thatthey are all really only gold, in spite of the different appearances and uses,cannot be denied. The appearance may change, a bangle may be converted intorings, but the gold always remains as gold. Similarly, on the dawn of theknowledge of Brahman (which is the same as the Self), though the different formscontinue to be seen by the Jnaani, he sees them all only as appearances of theone Brahman. Thus the perception of difference and the consequences of suchperception, such as looking upon some as favourable and others as the opposite,and the consequent efforts to retain or get what is favourable and to get rid ofor avoid what is not favourable, come to an end. This is the state of liberationeven while living, which is known as Jivanmukti.The Jiva, or individual, is none but Brahman, but because of identification withthe body, mind and senses he looks upon himself as different from Brahman and asa limited being, subject to joys and sorrows caused by external factors. Thisidentification with the body, mind and senses is what is called bondage. Inreality the Jiva is the pure Brahman and is different from the body - mindcomplex. When this truth is realized as an actual experience, the identificationwith the body - mind complex ceases. This is liberation. Thus liberation is notthe attainment of a state which did not exist previously, but only therealization of what one has always been. The illusory snake never existed. Whatexisted even when the snake was seen was only the rope. Similarly, bondage hasno real existence at all. Even when we are ignorant of Brahman and think ofourselves as limited by the body, we are really none but the infinite Brahman.Liberation is thus only the removal of the wrong identification with the body,mind and senses. The attainment of the state of liberation - in - life orJivanmukti is the goal of human life according to the Upanishads. The method followed in Vedanta to explain the nature of Brahman is known as'superimposition and denial' (adhyaaropa and apavaada). Only an object that hasa quality or an activity or a relationship with some other known object can bedescribed by words. Brahman is devoid of all these and so it cannot be describeddirectly. The world, with which we are familiar, is therefore taken as thestarting point and we are gradually led from the known to the unknown andunknowable that is Brahman. It cannot be known because it can never beobjectified. It is the eternal subject in whose mere presence the body, mind andthe sense organs function. It is pure consciousness and it is the reflection ofthis consciousness that makes the body, mind and senses appear to be conscious.The world is called prapancha because it has five characteristics, namely,existence (asti), manifestation (bhaati), lovability (priyam), name (naama), andform (roopa). Of these, the last two are different for each entity or object.They are always subject to change and are the products of maaya. Theunenlightened person looks upon this aggregate of five characteristics as theworld. The first three constitute the essential nature of Brahman (or the Self)which is Existence - Consciousness - Bliss. The enlightened person knows thatthis Brahman is the only reality and that the world is only an appearance onthis Brahman which is the substratum. The Upanishads speak of Brahman as thecause of the world, but this is only to enable us to understand the ultimatetruth that the world has no reality. Sri Sankara makes this clear in hisbhaashya on Br.up.2.1.20 : "Therefore, the mention in all the Vedanta texts ofth eorigin, sustenance and dissolution of the universe is only to strengthen ouridea of Brahman being a homogeneous entity, and not to tell us that the origin,etc, is real. Nor is it reasonable to suppose that a part of the indivisible,transcendental Supreme Self becomes the relative, individual self, because theSupreme Self is intrinsically without parts". This is the method ofsuperimposition and subsequent denial. Ultimately the nature of Brahman as theonly reality is brought out by the famous words in the Br.Up, 'neti, neti',('not this, not this'). When the whole universe, which is only a projection bynescience, is negated what remains is the eternal, immutable, non - dualBrahman.Vivekachudamani is a prakarana grantha. It consists of 581 verses. It is notdivided into chapters or sections. It is in the form of a dialogue between anardent seeker and his Guru. The fundamental principle in Vedanta is that itsteachings should be imparted only to those who sincerely seek it and approach aGuru with deference and faith. In this work the Guru proceeds step by step,answering the doubts of the disciple with patience until at the end the discipleattains realization.The actual text will be taken up in the subsequent pages. Though this isentitled 'A Summary', what is proposed is not only to give the meaning of theverses, but to further supplement it by explanatory notes wherever necessary.****In the first sloka Sri Sankara pays obeisance to God and his own Guru. The slokasays: I bow down to Govinda who is the goal of all Vedanta, who is beyond wordsand thought, who is supreme bliss itself and who is my Guru. By the word Govindathe supreme Lord as well as Sri Sankara's Guru Sri Govinda bhagavatpada aremeant. It is laid down in our tradition that the Guru should be looked upon asGod Himself and not as a mere human being. In his work entitled Satasloki, inthe very first sloka Sri Sankara declares that the Sadguru is incomparable inall the three worlds. He says:"There is nothing in all the three worlds that can be compared to the Sadguruwho imparts the knowledge of the Self. The legendary Philosopher's stone mayperhaps be suggested as an apt comparison, because it has the capacity toconvert a piece of iron into gold, just as the Sadguru converts an ordinarydisciple into an enlightened person. But this comparison cannot stand because,while the Sadguru makes the disciple another Guru like himself, thePhilosopher'ss tone does not have the power to convert a piece of iron intoanother Philosopher's stone like itself. Therefore the Sadguru is incomparableand his glory transcends the world". ****Human Birth is PreciousAfter paying obeisance to God and Guru, Sri Sankara says that birth as a humanbeing is difficult to get. A jiva goes through innumerable births in the form ofvarious other creatures before being born as a human being. Even after birth asa human being, to have an inclination to study the scriptures, to attaindiscrimination between the Self and the not - Self, and ultimately to attainliberation, are the results of punya acquired in innumerable past lives.Three things are very rare, and attained only through the grace of God: thequality of being a human being in the true sense of the term (not mere birth asa human being), an intense yearning for liberation, and association with a greatsoul. A person who, in spite of having the advantages of birth in a culturedfamily and study of the Vedas does not strive for liberation wastes his preciouslife. Liberation cannot be attained through acquisition of wealth or throughmere performance of rituals laid down in the Vedas or through noble deeds, aslong as they are performed with the desire to get some personal benefit. Thisshould not be understood to mean that rituals and noble deeds are to bediscarded. On the other hand, Sri Sankara stresses in many places that theactions ordained by the Vedas should be performed in order to attain purity ofmind. If the same actions are performed as karma yoga, that is, without desirefor any personal benefit for the performer and as an offering to God, they willlead to purity of mind. Even a good action, whether ritualistic or worldly,performed with the desire to derive some personal benefit or just fame, createsbondage. Even the acquisition of punya by the performance of good deeds producesbondage because the person has to be born again in order to enjoy the results ofhis good actions. So a spiritual aspirant has to perform actions in such a waythat they do not produce even punya. The Gita says that no one can remainwithout performing action even for a moment. Since the performance of actions isinevitable, one has to perform them in such a way that they do not produceeither punya or paapa. The method of achieving this is karma yoga. Sri Sankaraexplains in his commentary on the Gita that in the word 'karmayoga' the word'yoga' is used in the sense of the 'means to attain union with Brahman'. So 'karmayoga'means action performed in such a way that it becomes the means to union withBrahman, which is liberation. The statement in Bhagavadgita, 2.50, "yogahkarmasu kaushalam' is interpreted by Sri Sankara in his Bhashya thus: Yoga isskillfulness in action. The skillfulness consists in converting action which isby its very nature the cause of bondage into a means for removal of bondage.This means is karma yoga. Karma yoga purifies the mind. It is only a pure mind,that is, a mind free from desires, greed, infatuation etc., that is fit toreceive the knowledge of the Self. Liberation is attained only through knowledgeof one's real nature and not by actions alone, whether Vedic or worldly. Forattaining knowledge of the Self one should give up the hankering after worldlypleasures and approach a Guru who is an enlightened person. He should thenenquire into the nature of the Self, in accordance with the instructions of hisGuru.A man who has mistaken a rope for a snake in dim light is frightened and screamsfor help. His fear will disappear only if he finds out the real nature of theobject in front with the light of a lamp. No action to drive away the illusorysnake will help. Similarly, one should enquire into one's own real nature byhearing the scriptures from his Guru (sravanam), reflecting on what he has heardto remove doubts (mananam) and meditating on the teachings (nididhyaasanam).Why liberation cannot be the result of any action.The results of all actions fall under four categories only: production,attainment, modification, and purification. Brahman is ever - existent and so itis not something to be produced. We are always Brahman even when we do not knowit and so it is not something to be attained. Brahman ever exists as changelessand so it is not something to be attained by modifying something. It is everpure and so it is not to be got by purifying something. As we know from actualexperience, anything brought into existence by action has a beginning and hastherefore an end also. But liberation is permanent. Because of all these reasonsliberation cannot be the result of any action. Liberation is nothing but theremoval of our ignorance about our real nature. Ignorance can be removed only byknowledge and not by any other means. The spiritual aspirant has to acquire certain preliminary qualifications knownas saadhana - chatushtaya. These will be described in the next article. ****Four Preliminary Requisites (Saadhana Chatushtayam)In order that hearing, reflection and meditation may be fruitful, the aspirantshould have acquired the four preliminary qualifications mentioned below.The four requisites are (1) discrimination between the eternal and the non -eternal (nitya - anitya - vastu vivekah),(2) detachment towards all enjoymentsin this world as well as in higher worlds like heaven (iha - amutra - phalabhoga- viraagah), (3) possession of the six virtues commencing with control of themind (shamaadi shatka sampattih), and (4) intense yearning for liberation (mumukshutvam).Each of these is explained below.(1) The firm conviction that Brahman alone is real and that the universe isillusory (mithyaa) is discrimination between the eternal and the non - eternal.(2) Detachment is revulsion towards all objects of enjoyment in this world aswell as in higher worlds, including one's own body.(3) The six virtues starting with shama are - shama, dama, uparati, titikshaa,shraddhaa, samaadhaana. These are explained below.(a) Withdrawing the mind from all sense - pleasures by realizing their harmfulnature, and making it rest on one's objective (namely, the Self) is shama.(b) Restraining the organs of sense and of action (jnaanendriya and karmendriya)is known as dama.(c) When the mind ceases to function through the external organs, that state isuparati.(d) Enduring all adversities without lament or anxiety and without seeking tocounter them is titikshaa.(e) Firm conviction about the truth of the scriptures and the teachings of theGuru is shraddhaa.(f) The mind remaining firmly fixed in the attributeless Brahman is samaadhaana.(4)The fourth requisite, mumukshutvam is intense yearning to become free fromnescience (avidya) and its effect, bondage, by the realization of one's truenature. In his Bhashya on Gita,4.11 Sri Sankara says that itis impossible for aperson to be a seeker of liberation and also a seeker of the fruits of action atthe same time. From this it is clear that only a person who has attained totaland intense detachment can be called a mumukshu. The definition of yogaarudha inGita 6.4 as one who is free from attachment to sense - objects and actions anddoes not even think of them indicates that both these terms have the samemeaning. Of these, detachment and the yearning for liberation are the most important.Only if these two are strong, will the others like shama, etc, be fruitful. Ifdetachment and desire for liberation are not very strong, the other qualitieswill be unreal like the water in a mirage and will be of no use.In sloka 32 of Vivekachudamani it is said, "Among the various means forliberation, bhakti is the greatest". But the word 'bhakti' is not used here inthe usual sense of devotion to a personal God. In this sloka itself bhakti isdefined as 'continuous contemplation of one's essential nature - sva - svarupa -anusandhaana. According to the commentary of Swami Chandrasekhara Bharati thisword means nididhyaasana or profound repeated meditation on the mahaavakya,which follows sravana, hearing the sruti from the Guru, and manana, reflectingon the same to remove all doubts. In this context the specific meanings of these three words, sravana, manana, andnididhyaasana, as given in other authoritative works may be quoted because thesewords have a very important place in Vedanta: - - Vedantasaara of Sadaananda, ch.5, para 182 - Hearing is the determination, bythe application of the six characteristic signs, that the purport of the entireVedanta is the non - dual Brahman. The six signs are - (1) the beginning and theconclusion, (2) repetition, (3) originality, (4)result, (5) eulogy and (6)demonstration. The Sanskrit terms for these are, respectively,upakramopasamhaara, abhyaasa, apoorvataa, phala, arthavaada, and upapatti. Eachof these terms is explained below.Vedantasaara,ch.5. para 185 - The term ' the beginning and the conclusion' meansthe presentation of the subject matter of a section at the beginning and at theend of the section. For example, in the sixth chapter of the ChhaandogyaUpanishad, Brahman, which is the subject - matter of the chapter, is introducedat the beginning with the words, "One only without a second", etc. (6.2.1). Atthe end of the chapter Brahman is again spoken of in the words, "In It all thatexists has its Self", etc. (6.8.7).Para 186 - Repetition is the repeated presentation of the subject - matter inthe section. In the same chapter, Brahman, the One without a second, ismentioned nine times by the sentence "Thou art That".Para 187 - 'Originality' means that the subject - matter of the section is notknown through any other source of knowledge. For instance, the subject matter ofthe above section, namely, Brahman, cannot be known through any source ofknowledge other than the sruti. Para188 - The 'result' is the utility of the subject - matter. For example, inthe same section, we find the sentences" One who has a teacher realizes Brahman.He has to wait only as long as he is not freed from the body; then he is unitedwith Brahman". (6.14.2). Here the utility of the knowledge is attainment ofBrahman. Para 189 - Eulogy is the praise of the subject - matter. The words in thissection, "Did you ask for that instruction by which one knows what has not beenknown, etc" (6.1.3) are spoken in praise of Brahman.Para 190 - Demonstrationis the reasoning in support of the subject - matter,adduced at different places in the same section. An example is - "My dear, as byone lump of clay all that is made of clay is known, every modification beingonly a name, and being real only as clay" - (6.4.1). This shows that theuniverse has no reality except as an apparent modification of Brahman, the onlyReality. Para 191 - Reflection is the constant thinking of Brahman, the One without asecond, already heard about from the teacher, by making use of arguments in aconstructive manner.Para 192 - Meditation is keeping the mind fixed on the thought of Brahman,uninterrupted by any other thought. The result achieved by 'hearing' etc.'Hearing' removes the doubt whether the upanishadic text which is the pramaanapurports to teach about Brahman or about some other entity. This doubt is knownas pramaana - asambhaavanaa, or the doubt about the pramaana itself. Thepramaana here is the upanishad.'Reflection' removes the doubt whether Brahman and the jiva are identical ornot. This doubt is called prameya - asambhaavanaa, doubt about the subject -matter. 'Meditation' is intended to remove wrong notions such as "The universe is real;the difference between Brahman and jiva is real", which are contrary to theteachings of the upanishads, by developing concentration of the mind. Such wrongnotions are known as viparita - bhaavanaa. Thus the purpose of hearing, reflection and meditation is the removal ofobstacles in the form of doubts and wrong notions that stand in the way of theorigination of Self - knowledge.A person who has acquired the preliminary qualifications mentioned earliershould approach a Guru and seek his help. Sri Sankara says in his Bhashya on theMundakopanishad that no one should undertake the enquiry about Brahman withoutthe help of a Guru. This is because the subject is very subtle and one is apt tomisunderstand the scriptures.Qualities of the GuruThe Guru should be well - versed in the scriptures, sinless, free from desires.The mind of the Guru is always fixed on Brahman. He is full of compassion. He isalways intent on helping others without the expectation of anything in return.The disciple should approach the Guru with humility and pray to him to instructhim on the means to attain liberation. The Guru tells such an earnest seekerthat he is in reality none other than the supreme Self and that all sufferingsare due only to ignorance of his real nature. This ignorance can be removed bythe knowledge that will arise by a proper enquiry into the import of theUpanishads. The disciple then asks the following seven questions.1. What is bondage?2. How did it arise?3. How does it continue?4. How can it be eradicated?5. What is the not - Self?6. Who is the Paramaatmaa?7. How can we distinguish between the two?These questions are answered in the rest of this treatise.****Self-effort StressedOn hearing the questions put by the disciple the Guru tells him that by hisintense yearning for liberation he has sanctified his lineage. Now the Gurustresses the importance of personal effort by giving several examples. If afather has incurred debts, his sons and others can relieve him by paying off thedebts, but liberation can be attained only by one's own effort and not byanybody else's help. Even the Guru can only show the way. If a person carrying aheavy load is tired, some other person can take it over, but the sufferingcaused by hunger can be assuaged only if the person himself eats. A person canget cured of a disease only if he himself takes the medicine. The nature of theReality can be known only if the person himself acquires the knowledge free fromall doubt by his own effort by the practice of hearing, reflection andmeditation and not by merely hearing a learned person talk about it. The beautyof the moon can be seen and enjoyed only through one's own eyes and not bysomebody else seeing and describing it. This example shows that one shouldhimself attain the experience of the Reality and mere intellectual knowledgeacquired from books and teachers is not enough. Who, other than the personhimself, can liberate one from the bondage caused by ignorance, desire andactions even in millions of years? Desire, action, and rebirth form a continuousvicious circle, each being the cause of the next. This circle can be broken onlyby the realization of the Self. Liberation cannot be attained through the Yogaof Patanjali or the Sankhya of Kapila because they give only dualistic knowledgeand not the knowledge of the non - dual Brahman. Nor can liberation be attainedby any action including Vedic rituals, as already explained earlier. Knowledgeof the upasanas (meditations on Saguna Brahman) described in the Upanishads toocannot give liberation. Only the knowledge of the identity of the individualself with Brahman will give liberation. Even here it is wrong to say thatrealization of Brahman is an effect of the knowledge of Brahman. If it is aneffect it will, like all effects, be subject to destruction at some time.Knowledge of Brahman does not make one Brahman. It only removes nescience oravidya and reveals the fact that he was always Brahman, which was not knownearlier. Scholarship in the Sastras and the ability to give brilliant discourseson them can help to earn fame and a comfortable life, but not liberation.As long as the supreme Self is not known, mere study of the Sastras isfruitless. Once the supreme Self is known, the study of the Sastras does notserve any further purpose. The idea is that the study of the Sastras is forattaining Self - realization. Until it is attained the purpose of the study isnot achieved. After realization the Sastras are no longer necessary. Mere studyof the words of the scriptures only confuses the mind. One should, with effort,learn the inner truth of the scriptures from a Guru.For a person who has been bitten by the snake of ignorance the only medicine isknowledge of Brahman. How can the Vedas, Sastras, mantras and other medicineshelp? A person cannot be cured of a disease unless he takes the appropriatemedicine. Mere repetition of the name of the medicine cannot cure him.Similarly, release from bondage can be attained only by direct realization andnot by merely repeating the word 'Brahman'. Without negating the world as unrealand without knowing the truth of one's nature, how can liberation be attained bymere repetition of words? In order to retrieve a treasure buried under the earthone must first of all know the exact location of the treasure from aknowledgeable person. Then he should dig and remove the earth, stones, etc.,that cover the treasure. Merely calling out to the treasure will not make itcome out. Similarly, the pure Reality which is covered by the products ofignorance (the body, mind, and senses) can be attained only by hearing the srutifrom a competent person who has realized Brahman, and by reflection andmeditation and not by perverted logic. Therefore each one should himself strivefor liberation with utmost effort, just as a sick man strives hard to get cured.After stressing personal effort and explaining in detail what a seeker shoulddo, the Acharya encourages the disciple by telling him that the questions he hasasked are excellent, in accord with the scriptures, brief and full of meaning.The answer to these questions should be known by all seekers of liberation.After this the Guru first takes up the fourth question, how can bondage be gotrid of, because this is the most important subject.****Means to LiberationThe first requisite for a spiritual aspirant is intense detachment towards allthings that are impermanent, i.e. everything other than the Self. Then comecontrol of the senses, control of the mind, etc. He should give up all actionsmotivated by desire for his own benefit. That means that all actions should beperformed in the spirit of karma yoga. He should hear the teachings of the srutifrom a teacher, reflect on the teachings to remove all doubts, and meditate onthem. All these should be done continuously over a long period.Discrimination between the Self and the not - SelfThe seventh question asked by the disciple is now taken up. The Acharya firsttakes up the physical body which every one knows about and which every onerefers to as 'I'.The physical body is made up of seven substances; marrow, bone, fat, flesh,blood, skin and the cuticle. All these are the products of the food and drinksconsumed. This is explained in Chandogyopanishad as follows: - - Ch.up.6.5.1. SankaraBhashya (S.B) - Food, when eaten, becomes divided in threeways. The grossest portion of the food turns into faeces. The medium constituentbecomes flesh. The subtlest part, having reached the heart, enters into the finenerves named hitaa, becomes transformed into the mind - stuff and nourishes themind. It therefore follows that the mind is made of matter. It is not consideredas eternal and part less as held by the Vaiseshikas. (It is of the size of thebody - madhyama parimaana).Ch.up.6.5.2.S.B - Water (or any liquid) when drunk becomes divided in threeways. The grossest portion becomes urine. The medium constituent becomes blood.The subtlest part becomes the vital force (praana). Ch.up.6.7.1 says - "Thevital force is made up of water. It will depart from him who does not drinkwater".Ch.up.6.5.3.S.B - Butter, oil, etc, when consumed, become divided in three ways.The grossest portion becomes bone. The medium constituent becomes marrow, thegreasy substance inside the bones. The subtlest part becomes the (subtle) organof speech (vaak). It is a well known fact that by the consumption oil, butterand the like, speech becomes clear and powerful.The physical body is the basis of the delusion in the form of 'I' and 'mine'. Itis made up of various components as stated above. Just as a house made up ofvarious materials is meant for its owner, so also the body made up of variouscomponents is for the atma which is the owner of the body. So the atma isdifferent from the body. Moreover, the body is always undergoing changes and isimpermanent and so it cannot be the atma which is changeless and eternal.The gross body is made up of the five gross elements. The process by which thefive subtle elements, namely, ether, air, fire, water and earth, become grosselements is known as 'pancheekaranam' or quintuplicate. The process is describedby Swami Vidyaranya in Panchadasi as below: - Panchadasi.1.26,27 - The omnipotent Lord combined the five subtle elements bythe process known as 'pancheekaranam' (quintuplicate) and produced grosselements to provide the jivas (individual souls) with physical bodies andobjects of enjoyment. The process of combination of the subtle elements is this.Each subtle element is divided into two equal parts. The second half of eachsuch element is again divided into four equal parts (i.e. to get one - eighth ofeach element). Then the first half of each element is combined with one - eighthof each of the other four elements to make a gross element. The result is thatin a gross element of earth one half is earth itself and the other half is madeup of the elements of water, fire, air and space in equal shares. Similarly withthe other four gross elements.The five essences of the subtle elements, namely, sound which is the essence ofether, touch which is the essence of air, colour which is the essence of fire,taste which is the essence of water, and smell which is the essence of earth,become the objects of sense which are experienced by the respective sense -organs. Human beings who are attached to objects of senses continue totransmigrate. As long as there is attachment to sense - objects there is no hopewhatsoever of liberation. A person who attempts to cross the ocean oftransmigratory existence without acquiring total detachment is sure to be seizedby the crocodile of desire and drowned. One who has killed the crocodile in theform of desire for sense pleasures with the sword of detachment can alone hopeto cross the ocean of samsara without obstruction. The aspirant for liberationshould follow the teachings of his Guru and cultivate detachment. He should shunworldly pleasures, equating them to poison. He should cultivate with greateagerness the virtues of contentment, compassion, forbearance, honesty, straightforwardness, calmness and self - control. He who aspires to realize the Selfwhile continuing to indulge in sense pleasures is like a man who tries to crossa river on the back of a crocodile, mistaking it for a log of wood. He is sureto be swallowed up by the crocodile midway. For the seeker of liberationattachment to his body, wife, children, etc., is as bad as death. He alonedeserves liberation who has completely rid himself of attachment. The importanceof detachment has been stressed in a number of verses by the Acharya. In orderto create dispassion it is pointed out that the gross body is despicable becauseit is made up of revolting substances such as skin, flesh, blood, blood -vessels, fat, marrow and bones and contains within it urine and faecal matter.The gross body is produced by one's own karma in past lives. It is theinstrument for all worldly experiences which the jiva has to undergo. In thewaking state the gross body experiences gross objects through the sense organs.A person's entire contact with the external world is through the gross body. Thegross body is to the jiva what a house is to its owner. The gross body undergoesbirth, old age and death. It is qualified by stoutness, leanness, and the like.The ideas of caste and station (varna and asrama) apply to it. It is afflictedby diseases. It is subjected to worship, honour, dishonour, etc.After dealing with the gross body and stressing the need forgiving up attachmentto it, the subtle body is taken up for examination. This will be dealt with inthe next article. ****Subtle BodyThe sense of hearing, the sense of touch, the sense of sight, the sense of tasteand the sense of smell are known as jnanendriyas or organs of perception. It isthrough these organs that external objects are experienced. These organs areproduced from the sattva part of space, air, fire, water and earth respectively.It must be noted that these are not the physical organs, such as ear, skin, etc,in the physical body. These physical organs are known as golaka. The indriyasare the subtle counterparts of these physical organs and form part of the subtlebody. The presiding deities of these five indriyas are, respectively, thedeities of the quarters, the deity of air, the sun, Varuna (the god of thewaters) and the two Asvini devas. (See alsoPanchadasi.1.19). It may be noted that each sense - organ is produced from the particular subtleelement whose distinctive quality it has the power to reveal. For example, theorgan of hearing which is produced from the sattva part of the subtle element,space, reveals sound, which is the distinctive quality of space. The organ ofsmell is produced from the sattva part of the subtle element earth whosedistinctive quality, smell, it reveals. Sri Sankara says in his commentary onBr.up.2.4.11 - The sruti considers the organs to be of the same category as theobjects, not of a different category. The organs are but modes of the objectsthey perceive. The subtle counterparts of the vocal organ, hands, feet, anus and genitals areknown as karmendriyas or the organs of action. These are produced from the rajaspart of the five subtle elements. The presiding deities of these organs are, inorder, the deity of Fire, Indra, Vishnu, Yama and Prajaapati.From the sattva parts of all the five subtle elements together is produced theantahkaranam or internal organ which is known by four different names accordingto the different functions performed by it. The four names are - manas, buddhi,chittam and ahamkaara. (Sometimes only two names, manas and buddhi, arementioned, as in Panchadasi.1.20, the other two being included in them). Thesefour functions are explained in Vivekachudamani, verses 95 and 96 thus. When anysituation arises, a person first considers various alternatives to explain orunderstand the situation. When the internal organ performs this function ofcogitation it is known as the manas or mind. When ultimately a determination ismade or a decision is taken, it is known as buddhi or intellect. The function ofstoring experiences in memory is called chittam. Behind all these threefunctions there is the notion of 'I' in the form 'I cogitate', 'I decide', and'I remember'. This 'I - ness' or ego is named ahamkaara. Very often the word'mind' is also used to denote the antahkaranam as a whole, when thesedistinctions are not relevant. We shall use the word 'mind' in this sensehereafter.There is difference of opinion among Advaitins on the question whether the mindis an indriya, organ, or not. Vaachaspati Misra, the author of Bhaamati,considers the mind as an indriya. Prakaasaatma muni, the author of Vivarana,takes the view that the mind is not an indriya. The author of Vedantaparibhaashaa also takes the same view. This point assumes importance when thequestion as to how realization takes place through the mahaa vaakyas isconsidered.From a combination of the rajas aspect of the five subtle elements, is producedpraana, or vital air. This has five divisions, according to the functionperformed. These are described in the Bhashya on Prasna upanishad, 3.5, thus: -He (praana) places apaana, a division of himself, in the two lower apertures, asengaged in the work of ejecting the excreta. Praana himself, who occupies theposition of the sovereign, resides in the eyes and the ears and issues outthrough the mouth and nostrils. In the navel is samaana, which is so calledbecause it assimilates all that is eaten or drunk, distributes them equally inall parts of the body and effects digestion. Udaana, another division of praana,moves throughout the body and functions upwards. It leads the soul out of thebody at the time of death and takes it to other worlds according to one'spunyaand paapa. Vyaana regulates praana and apaana and is the cause of actionsrequiring strength. (See also Br.up.1.5.3.S.B).Br.up.3.9.26.S.B. - The force called praana would go out (through the mouth andnostrils) if it were not held back by apaana. The force called apaana would alsodepart (through the lower orifice) if it were not held back by vyaana. All thesethree forces would go out in all directions, if they were not fixed to udaana.All these four forces rest on samaana.Taitt.up. 2.2.S.B. Praana is that aspect which goes out through the mouth andnostrils. Vedantasaara - Paras84 and 85 - According to Sankhya, there are five more vitalforces known as naaga, koorma, krikala, devadatta and dhananjaya. Theirfunctions are, respectively, causing vomiting, winking, creating hunger,producing yawning and nourishing the body.The aggregate of these eight, namely,(1) the five organs of action (karmendriyas),(2) the five organs of perception (jnanendriyas),(3) the five forms of praana or vital air,(4) the five subtle elements beginning with space,(5) the four divisions of the antahkaranam (manas, buddhi, chittam and ahamkaara),(6) avidya,(7) desire, and(8) the impressions of all actions,is what is called the subtle body or sookshma sarira. This is also known as thelinga sarira. The word 'linga' is derived from the root 'ligi'which means 'thatwhich reminds'. The subtle body reminds us of the atma and so it is called lingasarira. The word 'sarira' is used in the sense of 'that which perishes'. Thesubtle body will cease to exist on the realization of the self and so it is alsocalled a sarira though it does not have any shape or form like the gross body.The subtle body is made up of the five subtle elements as they exist before theprocess of quintuplicate described earlier. It has in it the impressions of pastactions. It is the experiencer of the fruits of actions. It is the beginninglesslimiting adjunct (upadhi) of the atma. The dream state is the special state ofthe subtle body. In this state the gross body is not active, but the subtle bodyprojects various objects and experiences based on the vasanas in it. In thisstate the atma itself illumines the objects projected, since the sense organs donot function then and there are no sources of light like the sun.The intellect (buddhi) is the limiting adjunct of the atma. The atma is the merewitness of all the modifications of the intellect, but is not tainted by themodifications or their results. It is compared to the sun which enables allcreatures to act by providing light, but is not in the least affected by theirgood or bad actions. The atma is therefore described as unattached. The subtlebody is the cause of all activities. It is the instrument of the self, just likethe tools for a carpenter. A carpenter cannot do his work without his tools. Sotoo all activities are possible for the atma only when it is associated with thesubtle body. In deep sleep the atma is not associated with the subtle body andso there is no action. However, even in the waking state the atma does notperform any action but is a mere witness; it is wrongly looked upon as a doerand an enjoyer because of identification with the subtle body, as a result ofignorance.The qualities such as blindness, poor vision, clear vision, etc., belong only tothe eye and not to the atma. Similarly, deafness, dumbness, etc., pertain onlyto the respective organs. Inhalation of breath, exhalation, yawning, sneezing,secretion, departure from the body on death, hunger and thirst are qualities oractivities of the vital air (praana). It is the internal organ that experiencessound, etc., through the respective sense organs. Because of the reflection ofthe atma which is pure consciousness in the internal organ, the latter itselfappears to be conscious, like the moon appearing as bright because of thereflection of the light of the sun on it.Sri Sankara says in his Bhashya on Br.up.4.3.7 : - - Justas an emerald or any other gem, dropped into a vessel of milk, imparts itsluster to the milk, so does this luminous self, being subtler than even the mindand the intellect, impart consciousness to the whole body, mind and organs.(When an emerald is dropped into milk, the latter gets a green hue. Similarly,the self, being pure consciousness, makes the insentient mind, body and organssentient.)Why people identify themselves with the body, mind, etc. Sri Sankara says in his Bhashya on Br.up.4.3.7: - - The intellect, being transparent and next to the self, easily catches thereflection of the consciousness of the self. Therefore it is that even wise menidentify themselves with the intellect first; next comes the mind which catchesthe reflection of the self through the intellect; then the organs throughcontact with the mind; and lastly, the body, through the organs. Thus the selfsuccessively illumines with its own consciousness the entire aggregate of bodyand organs. This is the reason why all people identify themselves with the body,mind and organs, to a greater or lesser degree, according to the extent of theirdiscriminating capacity.The ahamkaara or ego - sense is the internal organ (antah karana) with thereflection of consciousness init. It identifies itself with the body and senseorgans and looks upon itself as a doer and an enjoyer. It assumes the states ofwaking, dream and dreamless sleep by association with the three gunas. Thewaking state is the result of association with rajo guna, the dream state withsattva guna, and dreamless sleep with tamo guna, according to the commentary ofSri Jagadguru Pujya Swami Chandrasekhara Bharati of Sringeri Peetham. Though allthe three qualities are present in all the three states, the particular qualitymentioned above predominates in each state. When sense objects are favourable, the person is happy. If they are not, he isunhappy. Happiness and unhappiness are the qualities of the ego and not of theatma which is ever blissful.All objects in the world are dear only for the sake of the atma; they are notdear in themselves. But the atma is dear to every one by itself. This sloka inVivekachudamani (sloka 108) is based on Br. up. 2.4.5.It is said in the Brihadaranyaka upanishad (2.4.5) that the husband is dear tothe wife not for the sake of the husband, but for her own sake. The wife is dearto the husband not for the sake of the wife, but for his own sake. Everything isdear only for one's own sake. The idea is that the wife, son, wealth, etc, aredear to a person only because he derives happiness from them. The self (theperson himself) is thus the real object of love and not others. When the wife,son and others dear to a person do not act in the way he wants them to, theycease to be dear to him. Even the greatest miser will not hesitate to spend hismoney when that becomes necessary to save his own life from disease or danger.Attachment to wife, son and others is given up by a person when they becomeobstacles to the fulfillment of his own wishes. Even attachment to wealth makesway when one's own life is at stake. Attachment to the body however continuesbecause everyone looks upon the body as himself. In order to realize the truththat he is the self or Atma which is different from the body he has to give upattachment to the body also. Attachment is the cause of all sorrow. Thus it istaught here that one should first give up attachment to wife, son, wealth andthe like which are known to be external to oneself. Ultimately attachment to thebody, which is looked upon, due to ignorance, as identical with oneself shouldalso be given up by one who seeks liberation.The atma is ever blissful. It never suffers misery. In dreamless sleep there areno sense objects, but the bliss of atma is experienced then. This is testifiedby perception, tradition and inference. This matter has been dealt withelaborately in Chapter11 of Panchadasi. Please see the summary of this chaptergiven in this website under the head 'Panchadasi'.The causal body is taken up next. This will form the subject - matter of thenext article.****Causal BodyMaya is unmanifest (avyaktam). It cannot be known through the sense - organsbecause it has no quality like colour, etc. It is the power of the supremeBeing. If such a power is not accepted, the creation of the universe cannot beexplained, since Brahman by itself is devoid of any activity. It isbeginningless nescience. It is constituted of the three gunas, sattva, rajas andtamas. It can only be inferred from its effects by the wise who follow the sruti.Maya is neither real nor unreal, nor both. An unreal thing is some thing that isnever experienced, such as the horn of a hare. Since the universe, the effect ofMaya, is actually experienced, its cause cannot be unreal like the horn of ahare. At the same time, it cannot be real because it is sublimed on theattainment of self - realization. It cannot be both real and unreal, becausethese contradictory qualities cannot exist in the same substance at the sametime. It is therefore indescribable (anirvachaniya). It is neither different nornon - different from Brahman, nor both. It is neither composed of parts norwithout parts, nor both. If it has parts then it must have an origin, but it iswithout a beginning. If it has no parts then it cannot become modified as theuniverse. It is most wonderful.Maya will cease to exist for a particular individual when he realizes the purenon - dual Brahman, just as the illusory snake disappears when its substratum,rope, is known.Maya is made up of the three gunas, sattva, rajas andtamas. There are threepowers in Maya: the power of concealing the reality (avaranasakti), the power ofprojecting what is not real (vikshepasakti), and the power of jnana (jnanasakti).The first two are the causes of bondage; the third leads to liberation. Thefirst is the result of the tamas part of Maya, the second is due to the rajaspart and the third is due to the sattva part. Isvara's Maya is predominantlysattvic and it is under His control. So there is no bondage for Him. The jiva'sMaya is constituted of all the three gunas in different proportions and so hesuffers bondage. The rajo guna is the cause of attachment, aversion, etc., inthe jiva. All qualities such as desire, doubt, fear, courage, resolve, faith,lack of faith, anger, avarice, pride, jealousy etc., (both good and badqualities) relate only to the mind and not to the atma. They are superimposed onthe atma because of lack of discrimination between the mind and the atma due toignorance. These qualities of the mind are the cause of all the activities ofthe jiva. The veiling power of Maya belongs to its tamasic aspect. It is only because thereality, Brahman, is concealed by it that the projecting power of Maya is ableto function and project the world and make it appear real. Thus the veilingpower of Maya is the root cause of the jiva's bondage and transmigration. SriChandrasekhara Bharati Swami says in his commentary that even in the case of arealized person the projecting power (vikshepasakti) continues to operate as aresult of praarabdha karma. Therefore he also sees the world as ordinary personsdo, but he is not affected by any happenings, good or bad, because his knowledgeof Brahman is not veiled and so he looks upon everything as Brahman. An examplemay be given to illustrate this. A child looks at a lion made of stone and runsaway screaming in fear. An adult also sees it as a lion, but is not frightenedbecause he knows that it is only stone. So it is the veiling power of Maya thatis the cause of all misery.Even a person who is learned in the scriptures does not realize the nature ofthe self if he is overpowered by tamo guna. He considers the world, which isonly a superimposition on the self due to beginningless nescience, as real. Thisdelusion leads to sorrow. The power of Maya to delude has been described by SriSankara thus in his Bhashya on Kathopanishad, 1.3.12: - "Alas, how unfathomable,inscrutable and variegated is this power of Maya, that every human being, thoughin reality identical with the supreme Brahman, and is told this again and againby the upanishads, does not realize that truth, but considers himself as thebody, mind and senses, even though he is not told so by any one". The veiling power of Maya produces four obstacles to knowledge in the mind ofman. These are, (1) the notion that the identity of jiva and Brahman and theillusoriness of the world propounded in the upanishads cannot be correct (knownas abhaavanaa), (2) the idea that the body itself is the self (viparitabhaavanaa),(3) notions contrary to the teachings (vipratipattih), and (4) doubt (asambhavana).The vikshepa sakti of Maya which projects the world as a reality keeps the manin bondage.Ignorance, laziness, lack of discrimination, torpor, indifference, delusion, andsimilar negative qualities are the result of tamo guna. A person subject tothese does not make any effort to uplift himself.Sattva guna is very pure. But because of admixture with rajas and tamastransmigration results. When a person is predominantly sattvic, with only atinge of rajas and no tamas, he is free from pride, and practices thedisciplines such as yama and niyama. Such a person has faith, devotion, yearningfor liberation, and divine qualities. He withdraws from the pursuit of worldlypleasures. 'Yama' has five components: non - injury, truthfulness, not covetingother's possessions, continence, and non - acceptance of gifts. 'Niyama' alsohas five components: purity of body and mind, contentment, austerity, study ofthe scriptures, and dedication of all actions to God.When sattvaguna is uncontaminated by rajas and tamas the results are alertnessof mind, experience of the self, supreme calmness, contentment, bliss, andremaining established in the supreme bliss because of which there is everlastingbliss.The causal body made up of the three gunas is unmanifest. Dreamless sleep is itsdistinctive state. In this state the organs and the mind do not function. Themind remains in seed form in this state. The absence of knowledge of any kind inthis state is evident from the fact that a person who wakes up from sleep saysthat he did not know anything. The not-selfThe physical body, the sense organs, the vital air, the mind, the ego - sense,all functions of these, all the sense - objects, pleasure, pain, etc., the fiveelements, the entire universe up to the un - manifested (Prakriti) - all theseconstitute the not - self. All this is mithya, what cannot be described aseither real or unreal. These are all the effects of Maya. On the realization ofBrahman these will be found to have no reality. In Panchadasi, 6.130 Swami Vidyaranyasays: - - From the standpoint of theordinary worldly man, Maya is real. From the standpoint of the man ofrealization, Maya has no existence at all. For those who try to understand itthrough reasoning, Maya cannot be determined as either real or unreal; it isanirvachaniya.Sri Sankara says in Maayaa panchakam that Maya has the capacity to make theimpossible happen. It imposes on Brahman, which is eternal and devoid of partsand which is pure Consciousness, the false distinctions as the world, individualsouls and God. It makes even those who have mastered all the scriptures nodifferent from animals by tempting them with wealth and the like. It makesBrahman which is infinite bliss, pure Consciousness and non - dual, struggle inthe ocean of samsaara by associating it with the body made up of the fiveelements. It imposes on Brahman which is devoid of qualities the distinctions ofcolour, caste, etc, and attachment to wife, son, possessions and the like. Itcreates even in non - dual Brahman distinctions such as Brahmaa, Vishnu and Sivaand deludes even the learned into thinking that they are different from oneanother.The question 'What is the supreme Self' will be taken up in the next article.****Supreme Self [Paramatma]By realizing one's real nature as identical with the supreme Brahman one becomesfree from the bond of samsara and attains liberation. All the effects of Maya,from Mahat to one's own body, are mithya, like a mirage. The Self is self -existent (It has no cause). It is the substratum of the ego - consciousness. Itis the witness of all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep and isdifferent from the five sheaths (which will be described later on). It illuminesthe experiences in the states of waking and dream and also the absence of allexperiences in deep sleep. It perceives all the activities of the sense organs,but the sense organs cannot know it. It illumines the intellect, but theintellect cannot know it. It pervades the whole universe, but no object in theuniverse can pervade it. Everything else in this universe is insentient andattains sentiency only because of it. Because of its mere presence, the body,senses, mind and intellect perform their respective functions, as if prompted byit. This means that the Self does not itself do anything, nor does it cause thebody, etc., to act. It merely provides the sentiency for them to act by its merepresence. The Self is therefore compared to the sun which provides the light forevery one to act, but is not the cause of their actions. Being of the nature ofeternal consciousness, everything from theego - sense to the body, as well asall objects, all emotions such as pleasure, pain etc., are known by it. They areall objects of knowledge and the Self alone is the subject. The Self isinnermost, eternal, without a beginning, of the nature of infinite bliss, isalways of the same nature, and is behind every cognition. It shines in the caveof the intellect.The Self has no birth or death; it does not increase or decrease or undergo anychange; it is eternal. It is not destroyed even when the body is destroyed, justas the space inside a pot is not destroyed when the pot is destroyed. it isdifferent from Prakriti as well as its modifications. It is pure consciousness.It illumines everything, those with form and those without form. It is devoid ofall attributes. It shines in all the states of waking, dream and deep sleep asthe witness of the intellect and as the basis of the ego. One should realizethis self as identical with oneself by controlling the mind and making it pure.Thus one can cross this ocean of samsaara with its waves of birth and death.The answer to the question, "What is bondage" is taken up next. ****What is Bondage?The firm belief that one is the body, senses, etc., (the not - self) is bondage.It is due to nescience, i.e. ignorance of one's real nature. It is the cause ofrepeated births and deaths and all sorrows. Because of it a person looks uponthe unreal body as real and identifies himself with it. He nourishes the bodyand protects it by indulging in sense pleasures. Just as a silkworm builds acocoon of silk threads around itself and becomes imprisoned in it, man becomesbound to his body.(Note. When a person says 'I am stout', 'I am lean', etc, he is really referringto his body as identical with himself. When he says 'I see', 'I hear', 'I taste'and so on, he is identifying himself with his organs of seeing, hearing andtasting. When he says 'I am intelligent' or 'I am dull' he identifies himselfwith his intellect. All these identifications are totally wrong. The Self isever pure, untouched by the joys or sorrows of the body and mind).The not - self is mistaken for the self by everyone because of lack ofdiscrimination between the two, resulting from ignorance. In sloka 140this iscompared to a person mistaking a snake for a rope and taking it in his hand. Theusual example of a rope being mistaken for a snake is reversed here to show howdisastrous such a mistake is. A man who mistakes a snake for a rope and takes itin his hand is almost certain to be bitten by the snake and lose his life.Mistaking the body, mind, etc., for the self is pointed out to be equallydangerous because one cannot progress spiritually as long as one does not getrid of this wrong notion. Taking the not - self to be the self, i.e. identifyingoneself with the body - mind complex is bondage. The concealing power of avidyaconceals the atman, like Rahu concealing the sun. Because of this, people aredeluded and consider themselves to be nothing other than the body, etc. Thisgives rise to desire, which is the cause of all misery. The man who is in thegrip of the crocodile of delusion is not able to realize the real nature of theself. He drifts in the ocean of samsaara.An example is given here. Clouds arise when the heat of the sun makes the waterof the ocean evaporate. Thus the sun is the ultimate source of the clouds. Theclouds conceal the very same sun from our view. At the same time, we are able tosee the clouds only because of the sun behind them. Similarly, Brahman is thesource of the world, and the very same world conceals Brahman from us. We areable to experience the world through our sense organs only because of the lightof consciousness which is itself Brahman. Just as a wayfarer suffers when thesky is overcast and it is very cold, the man whose self is hidden from himsuffers misery. The tree of samsaara is now described. Avidya is the seed of this tree. Theshoot is the wrong notion that the body is the self. Desire is the tendersprout. Karma is the water. The body is the trunk. The praanas are the wind. Thecontacts of the senses with the objects are the tendrils. The sense - objectsare the flowers. Suffering is the fruit arising from different karmas. Theexperiencer is the bird on the tree which eats the fruit.The cause of bondage is ignorance of one's real nature. This ignorance isnatural to every one and is without beginning. It continues until it isdestroyed by self - knowledge. It is the cause of all suffering in the form ofbirth, disease, old age, death, etc. This ignorance cannot be destroyed by anymissiles, nor by the wind, nor by fire, nor even by the performance ofinnumerable rituals laid down in the scriptures. It can be destroyed only by thesharp and beautiful sword of discrimination which arises by the grace of thesupreme Being. But it should not be thought that the rituals laid down in the scriptures arefutile. The performance of these rituals with full faith is essential forattaining purity of mind which is the prerequisite for the dawn of knowledge.****Discriminating Self from Non-selfThe self is not clearly known because it is covered by five sheaths, which aresuperimposed on it, like the water in a pond covered by a layer of moss. Whenthe moss is removed, the pure water becomes clearly visible and accessible. Itcan quench one's thirst and make him happy. Similarly, when the five sheaths arenegated the indwelling self which is pure, eternal bliss, homogeneous, supreme,and self - effulgent shines unobstructed. Therefore one should discriminatebetween the self and the not - self and negate the not - self for attainingliberation from bondage. Realizing the self which is Existence - Consciousness -Bliss one becomes blissful.The five sheaths are described one by one in the subsequent sections. ****Five SheathsThe three bodies of the jiva were previously named the physical or gross body,the subtle body and the causal body. Now the same three bodies are beingdescribed as five sheaths covering the atma or self within. The gross body isthe first or outermost sheath. It is named annamaya kosha or the sheath of food.The subtle body is made up of three sheaths, praanamaya kosha or the sheath ofvital air, manomay kosha or the sheath of the mind, and vijnaanamaya kosha orthe sheath of the intellect. These sheaths have to be negated one by one inorder to realize the self.Sheath of FoodThis is the physical body, known also as the gross body. It is born of food,sustained by food, and dies if there is no food. It is made up of skin, flesh,blood, and excreta. It is impure. It is always undergoing change. It has a birthand a death. It is an object of knowledge like a pot. So it cannot be the atmawhich, according to the upanishads, is pure, unborn, eternal, changeless, andthe knower of all changes and all objects.The body has limbs such as hands, feet, etc. One is able to live even if any ofthese limbs is damaged and cannot function. So the body cannot be the self whichis devoid of parts and is homogeneous. It is by the light of consciousness,which is the very nature of the self, that all the limbs, the sense organs andthe mind are able to function. The Kathopanishad says that it is not by thevital airs such as praana, apaana, etc., that creatures live, but by the atmawhich enlivens them. The vital airs themselves are insentient, like the physicalbody.Because of ignorance the human being identifies himself with his body. When aperson says 'I am tall, or short, or stout, or lean, etc.' he looks upon hisbody as himself. Such a person is not even aware that he has a subtle body whichis different from the gross body and which does not die when the physical bodydies, but goes to other worlds and is again born on this earth in a new body.The person who has acquired intellectual knowledge about the nature of the selffrom the scriptures knows that there is a subtle body which goes to other worldsand is again born on this earth in a new physical body. In normal worldlytransactions he identifies himself with his physical body. But when he performsvedic rituals such as yajnas for attaining heaven, he does not identify himselfwith his physical body, because he knows that the physical body cannot go toheaven and that itis only the subtle body that goes to heaven after death. So hethen looks upon the subtle body as himself. The man of realization, however,knows that he is not either of these bodies, but is the atma which is identicalwith Brahman which is devoid of all the three limitations of time, place andother objects. (See Panchadasi of SwamiVidyaranya - - 3.35, 36, 37 - Being all -pervasive, Brahman is not limited by space. Being eternal, it is not limited bytime. Since all objects in the universe are merely superimposed on Brahman,Brahman is not limited by any object, just as a rope is not limited by theillusory snake superimposed on it).Therefore the aspirant is exhorted to give up identification with the body -mind complex and fix his mind on Brahman. As long as the scholar does not giveup his identification with his body, mind, etc., there can be no question of hisrelease from transmigratory existence even if he is most proficient in Vedanta.Mere intellectual knowledge that he is not the body, etc., but the atma is notsufficient; it has to become an actual experience. Just as one does not identifyoneself with one's shadow or the reflection of the body in a mirror, etc., orwith his own body seen in a dream, one should not identify oneself with hisliving body. Identification with the body is the root cause of all sorrows andof repeated births and deaths.The sheath of vital air will be taken up in the next article.Sheath of Vital AirThis sheath, known as the praanamaya - kosha, is made up of the vital air (withits five subdivisions) and the five organs of action. It permeates the sheath offood and enables it to perform all its functions. But, as already stated in theprevious article, this sheath is also insentient and is enlivened only by theself. The vital air is nothing but a form of wind. So it cannot be the self.Sheath of MindThis sheath, known as manomaya - kosha, consists of the mind and the five organsof knowledge. It permeates the sheaths of vital air and food. It is the cause ofthe sense of 'I' and 'mine'. This sheath is very powerful because bondage andliberation depend on the mind. Attachment of the mind to sense objects is thecause of bondage and detachment towards them is the means to liberation. Thefive organs of perception bring offerings to the mind in the form of experienceof sense objects. The sheath of the mind is described as the sacrificial fire,the five organs of perception as the sacrificial priests, and the sense objectsare the oblations which are being continuously poured into the sacrificial fire.The vasanas in the mind are the dry fuel for the fire. If there is no fuel,there can be no lasting flame in the sacrificial altar even though the oblation,clarified butter, is continuously poured into it. Similarly if there are novasanas, the mere presence of sense objects will not be able to produce bondage.It is the vasanas that obstruct one's spiritual progress. So it has been saidthat the elimination of vasanas is liberation. When the mind is functioning, asin the waking state, there is bondage in the form of identification with thebody and the sense of possession, which are the cause of sorrow. When the mindis not functioning, as in deep sleep, there is no identification with the bodyand so there is no experience of sorrow.In dream there are no objects, but various objects and experiences are createdby the mind. Similarly the objects in the waking state are also not real. Theyare only an expansion of the mind.(Note: In this context Mandukya Karika, ch.2, verses 6 and 7 are relevant. Verse6 says that what does not exist in the beginning and at the end is unreal. Bythis test things experienced in the waking state as well as those in dream areequally unreal. Verse 7 points out that the objects of the waking state arecontradicted in the dream state. For example, a man goes to bed after a fullmeal, but soon dreams that he is extremely hungry. A man who dreams that he haseaten a hearty meal, wakes up feeling very hungry. Because of these reasons,things experienced in both the states are equally unreal. But though they areboth unreal, it is admitted that there is a difference between the two. In hisBhashya on Brahma sutra 2.2.29 Sri Sankara points out that there is a differencebetween the dream state and the waking state. The difference consists in theperceptions in dream being sublated immediately afterwards and the other not. Toa man who has woken up from sleep the objects perceived in dream never had anyexistence at all, for he says "I falsely imagined that I was in the company ofgreat men. In fact, I never came in contact with great men; this delusion arosebecause my mind was overpowered by sleep". But an object seen in the wakingstate, such as a pillar, is not thus sublated under any condition. Moreover,dream vision is a kind of remembrance, whereas the visions of the waking stateare forms of perception. The difference between remembrance and perception,consisting in the absence and presence of objects, is well known).In the state of dreamless sleep nothing is experienced because the mind isdormant. This further establishes that the mind is the creator of objects indream and waking. Clouds are brought together by the wind and they are alsodispersed by the wind. Similarly both bondage and liberation are brought aboutby the mind. The mind creates attachment for all objects including one's ownbody and binds a man. Later the same mind creates aversion for objects byreminding him of their harmful nature and leads the person to liberation. Themind is the cause of bondage when it has a preponderance of rajo guna. When themind becomes free from rajas and tamas it leads to liberation. The mind becomescapable of leading to liberation if firm discrimination and strong dispassionare cultivated. So one who seeks liberation should cultivate these qualities.The mind is like a ferocious tiger which roams about n the forest of sense -objects. The wise person should restrain the mind from roaming about in thisforest. It is the mind that produces the experiences of sense - objects andcreates all kinds of distinction such as body, varna, ashrama, causes andeffects.The jiva is in reality the pure consciousness which is free from all attachment,but the mind makes him forget his real nature and identify himself with thebody, mind, senses and vital airs. As a result he looks upon himself as an agentand an enjoyer with the notions of 'I' and 'mine'. Avidya by itself cannot causebondage without the association of the mind. Attachment to the body, etc., isnot there in deep sleep even though avidya is present, because the mind does notfunction then. As the mind is the cause of samsaara, the enlightened personshave declared that the mind itself is avidya. It is by the mind that all jivasare tossed about like clouds by the wind. Therefore one who seeks liberationshould purify his mind by ridding it of desire, greed, anger, and all other suchemotions. When the mind is pure liberation becomes as clear as a fruit in thepalm of the hand. After getting rid of all attachments the seeker should resortto sravana, manana, and nididhyaasana (hearing of the scriptures, reflection andmeditation) with faith. This will cleanse the mind of rajo guna. The sheath of the mind cannot be the self because it has a beginning and an end,is always undergoing changes, is of the nature of sorrow, and is an object ofknowledge. The self is always the subject and never an object.Sheath of IntellectThe intellect (buddhi) along with the five organs of sense, the modifications ofthe mind (vrittis), and the notion of agency is known as the sheath of theintellect (vijnaanamaya kosha). Because of the reflection of pure consciousnessin it this sheath appears to have consciousness. Like the earlier sheaths, thissheath is also a modification of prakriti, since it is a product of the fivesubtle elements. It is characterized by knowledge and action. It is the cause ofthe identification of the jiva with his body and organs. It is beginninglessbecause creation is beginningless. It performs various actions, good and bad,prompted by its vaasanas. The states of waking and dream and the experiences ofjoy, sorrow, etc., belong to it. (In these statements this sheath is identifiedwith the subtle body of which it forms a part.) Because of the identification ofthe Atma with this sheath, the qualities of the latter are wrongly attributed tothe Atma, just as fire is said to be long or round according to the shape of theiron rod or ball which has been made red - hot.It has been said above that the sheath of the intellect, which is the limitingadjunct of the Atma, is beginningless. The question arises, whether it is alsoendless, in which case, no liberation would be possible. The answer is that thislimitation and the consequent identification with the sheath are only due todelusion caused by ignorance. The Atma is unattached, actionless and formless.It can have no connection with the objects of the world, just as blueness hasreally no connection with the sky. Jivahood continues only as long as there isdelusion born of ignorance. When the delusion ceases on the destruction ofignorance by knowledge, the jivahood ceases and there is only Atma or Brahman.Though avidya is beginningless, it has an end. When right knowledge arises,avidya ceases to exist. The knowledge that the jivatma is none other than theParamatma (Brahman) is what is called right knowledge.Justas water is not clear when it is associated with mud, but becomes clear whenthe mud is removed, the Atma is realized in its pure state when the taint ofidentification with the body - mind complex is removed.The sheath of the intellect cannot be the Atma because it is subject to change,is insentient, is limited, is an object of perception and is not constant, beingdormant in deep sleep. Sheath of BlissThe sheath of bliss (anandamaya kosha) is the modification of avidya in the formof the happiness which is experienced in the waking and dream states. In thesetwo states the happiness arises on the attainment of some desired object. Thissheath is fully manifested in the state of deep sleep. But even this sheath isnot the Atma because it is also a modification of avidya. When all the five sheaths are thus eliminated one by one, what remains is pureconsciousness, which is the Atma.The Atma which is self - effulgent, distinct from the five sheaths, theunchanging witness of the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, which isalways of the nature of bliss, and is not tainted by the defects of the sheaths,is to be realized as one's self.The disciple now raises a doubt - - when all the five sheaths are eliminatedthere appears to be only void. So what is there to be realized as the self?The guru answers that there is an entity that is the witness of the presence aswell as the absence of these sheaths and their modifications. This witness isthe self.The self or Atma shines in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep. It isbehind the awareness as 'I'. It is the witness of the ego - sense and of thefunctioning of all the organs. It is self - effulgent, eternal and bliss itself.A person of dull intellect thinks that the reflection of the sun in a pot ofwater is the sun itself. Similarly, human beings, being deluded by avidya(nescience), think that the reflection of pure consciousness in the mind is theAtma. A wise man knows that the sun in the sky is different from the pot, thewater in the pot and the reflection, and that the sun illumines all the three ofthem. Similarly the Atma is different from the mind and the reflection ofconsciousness in it and it illumines them. The Atma has therefore to be realizedas different from the body, mind and organs, as self - luminous, eternal,infinite, extremely subtle, and identical with Brahman. On this realization theperson becomes liberated from transmigratory existence. The realization of one'sreal nature as Brahman is the only means to liberation.****Unreal (Mithya) Nature of the UniverseBrahman is absolute existence and pure consciousness. It is infinite, pure,supreme, self - luminous, of the nature of eternal bliss, non - different fromthe indwelling self, and without parts.It is the only reality. The universe which is superimposed on it is notdifferent from it, just as the illusory snake is not different from the rope onwhich it appears. A pot made of clay is not different from the clay. There is noseparate entity as pot apart from clay. The pot is only a name given to clay ina particular shape. When the same clay is given another shape it is given thename 'plate'. So what really exists is only clay, and names such as pot areimaginary. The Chandogya Upanishad, 6.1.4says, "All modification (of clay) isnothing but name based on words; the clay alone is real". Similarly everythingthat is the effect of Brahman is nothing but Brahman. The appearance of theuniverse as an entity separate from Brahman is due only to delusion caused bynescience. The Mundaka upanishad declares that this universe is nothing but thesupreme Brahman. If the universe were real, the statement in the srutis thatBrahman is infinite would become invalid, the Vedas would lose their authorityand Isvara's words would become untrue. Such a result is not acceptable. If theworld is real it should appear in dreamless sleep also. As it is not at allperceived in dreamless sleep, it is unreal like objects seen in dream. Thereforeit is clear that the universe does not exist apart from Brahman.Therefore the supreme Brahman is the only reality. It is pure consciousness,without beginning or end, and devoid of any activity. It is pure eternal bliss.It is free from all differences brought about by Maya. It is eternal,unchanging, pure, beyond the faculty of reasoning, formless, subtle, and self -effulgent. It is beyond the trichotomy of knower, knowledge and known. It isbeyond mind and speech.The explanation of the maha vakya "That thou art" will be taken up in the nextarticle. ****Maha Vakya "That thou art"In the sentence 'tat tvam asi' the primary meaning of the word 'tat' is Brahmanas qualified by the functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution of theuniverse, that is, Isvara. The primary meaning of the word 'tvam' is the jiva asqualified by the states of waking, dream and deep sleep. The qualities of Isvaraand jiva are totally contradictory, like those of the sun and the glow - worm,or the king and a servant, or the ocean and a well, or the earth and an atom.Isvara is omniscient and omnipotent while the jiva's knowledge and power arelimited. The identity affirmed by the maha vakya cannot obviously be betweenIsvara and jiva which are the primary meanings of the words. Therefore theimplied meanings of the two words have to be taken. The contradiction betweenthe primary meanings of the two words is due to the limiting adjuncts which arenot real. Maya is the limiting adjunct (upadhi) of Isvara, while the upadhi ofthe jiva is the five sheaths. When these limiting adjuncts are negated, there isneither Isvara nor jiva. The kingdom is the symbol of the king and the shield isthe symbol of the warrior. When these are removed there is neither king norwarrior. The sruti negates the duality imagined in Brahman. The negation of thelimiting adjuncts is to be effected by reasoning supported by sruti. Everythingin the universe is a superimposition on Brahman by ignorance and has no reality,like the snake superimposed on a rope. The entire universe must therefore berejected as unreal. Then what remains is only Brahman . Thus both Isvara andjiva are found to be only Brahman when the unreal upadhis are rejected.Thus only the implied meanings of the terms 'tat' and 'tvam are to be taken foraffirming their identity. The implied meanings of words are of three kinds -jahal lakshanaa, ajahal - lakshanaa and jahad ajahal lakshanaa. jahal lakshanaa - (exclusive secondary signification) - The literal meaning isto be rejected and some other meaning consistent with it is to be adopted. Anexample is - gangaayaam ghoshah, the literal meaning of which is - a hamlet onthe river Ganga. Since there cannot be a hamlet on the river itself, it is thebank of the river that is meant. Here the literal meaning of the word 'Ganga'has to be given up completely and the implied meaning 'bank' has to be adopted.ajahal lakshanaa - (non - exclusive secondary signification) - Without giving upthe literal meaning of the word, what is implied by it is also adopted to getthe meaning intended to be conveyed. An example is - "The red is running", whichis intended to convey that the red horse is running. Here the literal meaning ofthe word 'red' is retained and the implied word 'horse' is added to get thecorrect sense of the sentence.jahad ajahal lakshanaa - (exclusive - non - exclusive secondary signification) -Here a part of the literal meaning is retained and the other part discarded. Thesentence "This is that Devadatta" is interpreted by using this lakshanaa. Themeaning intended to be conveyed by this sentence is that Devadatta who is seenat the present time in this place is the same as the person who was seen earlierin another place. The literal meaning of the word 'this' is Devadatta associatedwith the present time and place. The literal meaning of the word 'that' isDevadatta associated with the past time and some other place. Since thissentence purports to convey the identity of the person seen in different placesat different times, we get this meaning by discarding the reference to the placeand time conveyed by the words 'this' and 'that' and retaining the reference toDevadatta. This is also known as bhaagatyaaga - lakshanaa. The meaning of thesentence tat tvam asi is obtained by using this method. Just as in the sentence"This is that Devadatta" the identity is stated by rejecting the contradictoryqualities, so also in the sentence "That thou art" the contradictory qualities(namely, the limiting adjuncts) are rejected. Thus it follows that the jiva andBrahman are in essence one when the limiting adjuncts, namely Maya and the fivesheaths, are rejected. ****Meditation on BrahmanThe identity of the jiva and Brahman has been affirmed by the maha vakya 'Thatthou art'. Now Brahman is being described negatively, in order that the disciplemay give up his identification with the gross body. Brahman is not gross, notshort, not long, and has no attributes whatsoever. It is infinite pureconsciousness. It can be realized only by a mind which has been disciplined byreflection and meditation. Justas any object made of clay is nothing but clay,the entire universe, which is an effect of Brahman, is nothing but Brahman.There is nothing other than Brahman. The guru tells the disciple, "You are thatsupreme Brahman, ever full of peace, free from blemish, and without a second".The place, time, objects, and their knower, appearing in a dream are all 'mithya'.They have no reality. Similarly, the world experienced in the waking state isnothing but a projection of one's own nescience. Consequently, the body, senses,ego, are all unreal.The disciple is now asked to meditate that he is Brahman which is devoid ofdistinctions such as caste, lineage, etc., is free from the limitations of nameand form, and is beyond space, time and objects of sense. He should meditatethat, being himself none other than Brahman, he is not affected by the six waves- hunger, thirst, grief, delusion, old age and death. Brahman cannot beapprehended by the senses. It cannot be known by the intellect. Brahman is thesubstratum of the universe which is superimposed on it by ignorance. Since it isnot a substance, it cannot be described either as existent or as non - existent.It is existence itself. Everything in this world appears to exist only becausethey are all superimposed on Brahman which is existence, just as the illusorysnake appears to exist only because the substratum, rope, exists. It isindivisible. Brahman does not have birth, growth, change, decay, disease anddeath. All these are only for the body - mind complex, but they are wronglyattributed to the Atma which is the same as Brahman. Brahman is the cause of thecreation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe.Brahman is free from the three kinds of difference. The difference of a treefrom its leaves, flowers, fruits, etc, is the difference within an object. Thisis known as svagata bheda. The difference of one tree from another tree is thedifference between objects of the same species. This is known as sajaatiiyabheda. The difference of a tree from a rock is the difference between objects ofdifferent species. This is known as vijaatiiya bheda. None of these differencesexists with regard to Brahman, because there is nothing else of the same speciesor of a different species and there is no internal difference because Brahman ishomogeneous. This is what is affirmed in the Chhaandogya upanishad (6.2.1) bythe words "ekam evaadvitiyam" - one, only, without a second. The word "one'negates sajaatiiya bheda, the word 'only' negates svagata bheda and the words'without a second' negate vijaatiiya bheda.Brahman is motionless like a wave less ocean. It is of the nature of existence,consciousness and bliss. It is ever free from bondage. It is the cause ofmultiplicity as the substratum, but is itself causeless. It is however only fromthe empirical standpoint that it is said to be the cause of multiplicity. Fromthe absolute standpoint the multiplicity does not exist and so Brahman cannot bedescribed as a cause. It is neither cause nor effect. The aspirant shouldmeditate on Brahman thus.Brahman should be meditated on as devoid of internal variety, infinite,imperishable, different from the world as well as from Maya, supreme, eternal,of un - diminishing bliss, and not tainted by avidya. Brahman appears as name,form, quality, and action because of delusion, but is really free from change,just as gold, though appearing in the form of various ornaments, is itselfalways the same. Thus the name, form, etc., are unreal and they are all nothingbut Brahman .There is nothing before or after Brahman, because Brahman is infinite. It isdevoid of activity. It is higher than the highest. It is the indwelling self ofthe jiva. It is un - decaying.If one meditates on Brahman in this manner with conviction, he will attain tothe truth.In this way, one should merge the whole universe in Brahman and realize himselfas pure consciousness.In the cave of the intellect dwells the supreme non - dual Brahman which is theultimate reality and is different from all gross and subtle substances. One whoidentifies himself with this Brahman will not have any further birth.****Remaining Established as BrahmanEven after a person has acquired from the scriptures and by reasoning theknowledge that he is distinct from the five sheaths and is identical withBrahman, the beginningless vaasanaas which make him look upon himself as anagent and enjoyer, which are the cause of transmigration, remain strong. Thesehave to be removed with effort by turning the senses away from external objectsand fixing the mind on Brahman. The sages say that liberation is the eliminationof vaasanaas. The wise man should get rid of the notions of 'I' and 'mine' withregard to the not - self in the form of the body and senses by being firmlyestablished in the self. Realizing your innermost self, the witness of theintellect and its modifications, by means of the modification of the intellectin the form 'I am Brahman' give up the notion of 'I - ness' in the not - self.Give up concerns about conforming to the ways of the world and concerns aboutyour own body; give up reading books other than those useful for the attainmentof liberation. By these means get rid of identification with the body, etc.(In sloka 271 the Acharya says that 'lokaanuvartanam', 'dehaanuvartanam' andsaastraanuvartanam' should be given up. These three are referred toaslokavaasanaa, dehavaasanaa and saastravaasanaa by Svami Vidyaranya inJivanmuktiviveka. What he says there is reproduced below: - - Impure vaasana is of three kinds: desire for (unblemished reputation in) theworld (loka vaasana), obsession with learning (sasstra vaasana) and undueattachment to the body (deha vaasana). The first one takes the form 'I want tobe always praised by everyone'. This is called impure because it is somethingimpossible of achievement. No one, however good, can always escape slander. Evenabsolutely blemishless Sita was slandered. People speak ill of others merelybecause of local peculiarities. The southern Brahman as censor the northerners,well - versed in the Vedas, as meat - eaters. The northern Brahmanas retaliateby ridiculing the southern custom of marrying the daughter of a maternal uncleand for carrying earthenware during travel. A pure man is looked upon as adevil, a clever man as presumptuous, a man of forbearance as weak, a strong manas cruel, an absent - minded man as a thief, and a handsome man as lewd. Thusnobody can please everyone. So the scriptures advise us to treat censure andpraise alike.The obsession with learning (sastra vasana) is of three kinds: addiction tostudy, addiction to many scriptural texts and obsession with the mechanicalobservance of injunctions with regard to the performance of rituals. The firstonly is exemplified by sage Bharadvaja, who was not satisfied with havingdevoted three successive lives to the study of the Vedas and continued the samein his fourth life also. This is also an impure vasana because it is notpossible of achievement. Indra cured him of this by explaining to him theimpossibility of his undertaking and initiated him into the knowledge of theconditioned Brahman for the attainment of a higher end.Addiction to many scriptural texts is also an impure vasana because it is notthe highest aim. The example for this is Durvaasaa. Once he went with a cart -load of scriptural works to Lord Mahadeva. Narada ridiculed him by comparing himto a donkey carrying a huge load. Durvaasaa became angry and threw away thebooks into the ocean. Lord Mahadeva then imparted to him the knowledge of theSelf which does not come from study alone.Obsession with injunctions relating to the performance of rites is exemplifiedby Nidaagha, as described in Vishnu purana. Another example of this is Daasurawho, because of the intensity of his desire to adhere to the injunctions, couldnot find any place in the whole world pure enough for the performance of rites.This mad desire for performing karma is also an impure vaasanaa because itresults in the person continuing in the cycle of repeated birth and death.Saastra vaasanaa is also impure for another reason, namely, that it is the causeof vanity.Deha vaasanaa is of three kinds - - looking upon the body as the Self, concernabout making the body attractive and desire to remove defects in the body. Thefirst two are clearly impure vaasanaas because they are obstacles to spiritualprogress. The third is impossible of achievement because the body is essentiallyimpure and so it is also an impure vaasanaa).As long as these three vaasanaas are there, knowledge of the Self cannot arise.They are like iron fetters binding the legs.If a sandal - stick remains in water for a long time, its natural fragranceremains hidden. But if it is rubbed and the external odour is removed, then itsnatural fragrance emerges in full measure. Similarly, the fragrance of the Selfwhich remains hidden because of the dirt in the form of the vaasanaas, emergeswhen the vaasanaas are removed by 'rubbing' with wisdom. The aatma vaasanaawhich has remained obscured by the anaatma vaasanaas (loka vaasanaa, saastravaasanaa and deha vaasanaa) shines forth when the anaatma vaasanaas aredestroyed by concentrating the mind on the aatman.Note. Gita, 5.15 says that knowledge is covered by ignorance and so allcreatures are deluded. The jiva is identical with Brahman and so knowledge ishis very nature. But this is obscured by ignorance. Kathopanishad, 2.1.1 saysthat the creator has made the senses go only outward and so they cannot know theindwelling self. But a rare human being withdraws his senses from externalobjects and concentrates his mind on the self and realizes that he is Brahman).The more the mind is concentrated on the self, the more the vaasanaas relatingto the not - self are destroyed. When all the vaasanaas are destroyed therealization that one is the pure Brahman is perfect. When it is alwaysestablished in the self, the mind is stilled. This means that the mind gives uplikes and dislikes and remains calm whatever happens. Vaasanaas are thepropensity of the mind to react to situations by the rise of anger and othersimilar emotions without any consideration of the consequences. When the mindbecomes calm it means that the raajasic and taamasic vaasanaas have beeneliminated. In this way the superimposition of the not - self on the self shouldbe removed. The taamasic qualities such as drowsiness and laziness are destroyed by raajasicqualities such as activity. The raajasic qualities are eliminated by thecultivation of sattva guna by concentration of the mind. Ultimately one shouldgo beyond sattva guna also by concentrating the mind on nirguna Brahman.Convinced that the praarabdha karma will protect the body, with a mind which isnot affected even when some cause for worry arises, one should strive withcourage for the removal of super - imposition. One should get rid of superimposition by distinguishing between the self and thebody - mind complex and by the knowledge of the sruti statements such as 'tattvam asi' which declare the oneness of Brahman and the Atman. This processshould be continued till the awareness of the jiva and the universe becomes asfalse as a dream to one who has woken up from sleep. The Atman should beconstantly meditated on. As the space in a pot is dissolved in the universalspace, the individual self should be dissolved in Brahman. Like an actordiscarding his role after the play is over, one should dissociate oneself fromthe gross and subtle bodies and remain as the pure Self. That which is signifiedby the word 'I' is the witness of the ego, etc. It is found to exist even indeep sleep. The sruti says that it is unborn and eternal. Identification withone's family, clan, name, and station in life, all of which relate to the grossbody should be given up. Similarly the qualities of the subtle body such asagency should also be given up. The ego is the root cause of samsaara and is thefirst to be superimposed on the self.
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