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Advaita Bodha Deepika [Lamp of Non-Dual Knowledge]

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Advaita Bodha Deepika [Lamp of Non-Dual Knowledge] ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA [LAMP OF NON-DUAL KNOWLEDGE] Sri Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai 2002 FOREWORD Originally Sri Shankaracharya and other great Sages had written several works like the commentary on the Vedanta Sutras and thus furnished the methods for those engaged in Self enquiry to accomplish their purpose. From those, Sri Karapatra Swami later condensed the salient points into Sanskrit verse in a work of twelve chapters, called Sri Advaita Bodha Deepika. Still later, some great man seems to have translated this into Tamil prose. For some unknown reasons only some eight chapters of the same are found published. They are: 1. Adhyaropa = Super imposition. 2. Apavada = Its removal. 3. Sadhana = The means of accomplishment. 4. Sravana = Hearing, reading, talking about God. 5. Manana = Reflecting on sravana. 6. Vasanakshaya = Annihilation of latencies. 7. Sakshatkara = Direct Realisation. 8. Manonasa = Extinction of the mind. In this work the author has explained how Ignorance obscures the true nature of the Self which is non-dual only; how by its veiling aspect it covers It (the Self) with two effects — ‘that It does not exist’ and ‘that It does not shine forth’, how by its other aspect, in the shape of the mind, projecting individuals, Iswara and the world and presenting them as real, thus giving rise to illusion; how one fully qualified is alone fit to obtain this knowledge; how a bare scholar of the shastras cannot be fit; how enquiry is the chief means for knowledge; how this enquiry consists in hearing of, reflecting upon and contemplation of TRUTH, and Samadhi; how the indirect knowledge gained by hearing puts an end to the idea that ‘It does not exist’ and the direct knowledge gained by reflection, which means enquiry ‘WHO I AM’ and seeking within, destroys iii the wrong notion that ‘It does not shine forth’; how the knowledge of THOU in THAT THOU ART is identical with the knowledge of THAT; how by meditation the different latencies perishing which were the obstacles on the way and the mind which is the limiting adjunct (upadhi) of the individual perishes too and by the eventual unobstructed realisation of BRAHMAN (God) the Seeker becomes free from the bondage of the three kinds of Karma which form the cycle of births and deaths; how in truth there is neither bondage nor release for the SELF and in what way to extinguish the mind. Thinking that this will be helpful to Seekers of Liberation Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi (formerly Munagala Venkataramiah) a devotee of Bhagavan has by the grace of Sri Ramana rendered into English the eight chapters of the work now available. The last four chapters, Savikalpa Samadhi, Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Jivan Mukti, and Videha Mukti not being found in Tamil, Telugu or Sanskrit Manuscripts could not be translated into English. Information on the missing chapters is earnestly sought and will be gratefully acknowledged by the publisher. Our grateful thanks are due to H. H. Smt. Shanta Devi Maharani of Baroda and H. H. the Maharaja of Travancore for sending us the original Sanskrit Manuscripts of this work from the State Libraries for Maharshi’s consultation and return. This book is one of the few esteemed by Sri Maharshi and this translation was thoroughly revised in His Presence. So we are encouraged to present this small volume to the public with full confidence that the reader will benefit by it. PUBLISHER. ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA OR THE LAMP OF NON-DUAL KNOWLEDGE INTRODUCTORY 1. I salute the holy feet of the Supreme Lord, the Refuge of all the universe, the One Means to kill the samsara (the cycle of births and deaths), the Eternal God Ganesa of elephant face! 2. I meditate on the holy master known as Chidambara Brahman, the very being of the non-dual Supreme Self, Its very Bliss and the foremost yogi among men by whose light glance I, a fool blinded by the massive darkness of beginningless Ignorance, gained the precious jewel of Jnana (Wisdom)! 3. I meditate on that holy master, by contact with the dust of whose lotus feet men are able easily to cross the shoreless ocean of samsara, as if it were only a span. 4-5. To those who are fitted (by all) their sins having been burnt off by austerities (practised) in several past births, their minds made pure, their intellects discriminating the real from the unreal, themselves indifferent to the pleasures of either this or the other world, their minds and senses under control, passions held down, actions given up as a worthless burden, faith firm and minds tranquil, eagerly seeking release from bondage, this work — SRI ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA — is presented in twelve short chapters. 1 ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA 6. Many different works on Advaita have already appeared from Masters of yore, like Sri Sankaracharya and Vidyaranya; yet as a fond parent loves to hear the broken words of the lisping child, so also good people with large hearts can read this work as well, imperfect as it may be. u 2 ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA CHAPTER I ON SUPERIMPOSITION 7. Greatly afflicted by the three kinds of distress (tapa-traya), intensely seeking release from bondage so as to be free from this painful existence, a disciple distinguished by long practice of the four fold sadhana, approaches a worthy master and prays: 8-12. Lord, master, ocean of mercy, I surrender to you! Pray save me! Master: Save you from what? Disciple: From the fear of recurring births and deaths. Master: Leave the samsara and fear not. Disciple: Unable to cross this vast ocean of samsara, I fear recurring births and deaths. So I have surrendered to you. It is for you to save me! Master: What can I do for you? Disciple: Save me. I have no other refuge. Just as water is the only thing to put out the flames when the hair of one’s head is on fire, so also a sage such as you are, is the sole refuge of people like me who are on fire from the three kinds of distress. You are free from the illusion of samsara, calm in mind and sunk deep in the incomparable Bliss of Brahman which is beginningless and endless. Certainly you can save this poor creature. Pray do! Master: What is it to me if you suffer? Disciple: Saints like you cannot bear to see others suffer, as a father his child. Motiveless is your love for all beings. You are the Guru common to all, the only boat to carry us across this ocean of samsara. 3 ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA Master: Now, what makes you suffer? Disciple: Bitten by the cruel serpent of painful samsara, I am dazed and I suffer. Master, pray save me from this burning hell and kindly tell me how I can be free. 13-17. M.: Well said, my Son! You are intelligent and well disciplined. There is no need to prove your competence to be a disciple. Your words clearly show that you are fit. Now look here, my child! In the Supreme Self of Being-Knowledge-Bliss who can be the transmigrating being? How can this samsara be? What could have given rise to it? And how and whence can it arise itself? Being the non-dual Reality, how can you be deluded? With nothing separate in deep sleep, not having changed in any manner, and having slept soundly and peacefully, a fool on waking shouts out “Alas, I am lost!” How can you, the changeless, formless, Supreme, Blissful Self shout forth “I transmigrate — I am miserable!” and so on? Truly there is neither birth nor death; no one to be born or to die; nothing of the kind! D.: What does exist then? M.: There exists only the beginningless, endless, non-dual, never bound, ever free, pure, aware, single, Supreme, Bliss Knowledge. 18. D.: If so, tell me how this mighty massive delusion of samsara veils me in dense darkness like a mass of clouds in the rainy season. 19-20. M.: What can be said of the power of this Illusion (Maya)! As a man mistakes a post for a man, so also you mistake the non-dual, perfect Self for an individual. Being deluded you are miserable. But how does this illusion arise? Like a dream in sleep this false samsara appears in the illusion of ignorance which is itself unreal. Hence your mistake. 21-24. D.: What is this ignorance? 4 ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA M.: Listen. In the body appears a phantom, the ‘false-I’, to claim the body for itself and it is called jiva. This jiva always outward bent, taking the world to be real and himself to be the doer and experiencer of pleasures and pains, desirous of this and that, undiscriminating, not once remembering his true nature, nor enquiring “Who am I?, What is this world?”, is but wandering in the samsara without knowing himself. Such forgetfulness of the Self is Ignorance. 25. D.: All the shastras proclaim that this samsara is the handiwork of Maya but you say it is of Ignorance. How are the two statements to be reconciled? M.: This Ignorance is called by different names such as Maya, Pradhana, Avyakta (the unmanifest), Avidya, Nature, Darkness and so on. Therefore the samsara is but the result of Ignorance. 26. D.: How does this ignorance project the samsara? M.: Ignorance has two aspects: Veiling and Projection (Avarana—Vikshepa). From these arises the samsara. Veiling functions in two ways. In the one we say “It is not” and in the other “It does not shine forth.” 27-28.
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