Vicharasetu Nov 2010
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1 Attachment of all kinds, when deeply studied, is hollow, as both our body and the objects around have no independent status. Mind alone imbues relevance to them. Mind wields the body and causes all activities and interactions, whose outcome falls on the mind itself. Should you then care for the inner mind, or be enmeshed in outer objects? Attachment taints the mind, making it dense, distorted. When freed, the same mind, imbibing expansion and joy, becomes the very Self! November 2010 Vol. 46 No. 02 Vicharasetu - November 2010 2 Contents Science of Inner Redemption – 24 Unreality and Irrelevance of Plural Existence 03 Verses for Introspection - 1 True Blessedness – M¡ Gurupriy¡ 14 Prabh¡ta-ra¿miÅ - 181 Knowledge Orientation – Not Emotional Outburst 19 Chennai Jµ¡na Yajµa 2010 – Kalpana Subramanian & PR Natarajan 23 Correspondence Strengthening & Stabilizing the Wavering Mind 31 News & Notes 34 Satsang Bestows Benevolence x… ¡®®…™…… x… i…“l……« x… x… n‰˘¥…… ®…fiŒSUÙ±……®…™……:* i…‰ {…÷x…xi™…÷Ø˚EÚ…±…‰x… n˘∂…«x……n‰˘¥… ∫……v…¥…:** áreemad Bh¡gavatam 10.48.31 Not the holy waters, not the divine idols in clay and stones (are to be resorted to); for, they purify the mind of man after a very long association, while the holy men do so by their very presence (dar¿an¡t-eva). Narayanashrama Tapovanam Venginisseri, P. O. Paralam, Thrissur. Kerala - 680 575. India. Fax & Tel. (0487) 2278363 email: [email protected] Website: http://www.brahmavidya.org Vicharasetu - November 2010 3 Science of Inner Redemption – 24 (Series on Yoga-vasiÀ¶ha, Nirv¡¸a-prakara¸a) Unreality and Irrelevance of Plural Existence Can singular Consciousness become plural? ∏…“ ¥… ∫…π`ˆ =¥……S… * S…xp˘…v…«∂…‰J…Æ˙v…Æ˙ S…k…k¥…∫™… ®…Ω˛…i®…x…: * +x…xi…∫™…ËEÚ∞¸{…∫™… u˘i¥…∆ EÚl…®…÷{……M…i…®…¬ ** EÚl…∆ S… i…x®…Ω˛…n‰˘¥… ∞¸f∆¯ {…™……«™…∫…∆E÷Ú±…®…¬ * ¶…¥…‰qŸ˘:J……‰{…P……i……™… |…Y…™…… ¥… x…¥…… Æ˙i…®…¬ ** (6p.33.1,2) O wearer of the crescent of the moon, how has duality befallen the supreme Consciousness, which is infinite and singular in nature? How does Consciousness, which has firmly contracted manifold misery for long (pary¡ya saÆkulam), terminate it, even if the Soul wisdom has the potential to redress it? This discussion on the singular and supreme nature of Consciousness, disproving the existence of everything else is very unique. That it transpires between Sage VasiÀ¶ha, the Master Knower and Lord áiva, makes it all the more paramount. Every Knower, to begin with, is an enquirer or a seeker. In pursuit of his enquiry or seeking, he goes to a Knower, to further his search and s¡dhan¡. With fidelity, he then pursues his seeking on the lines instructed by the Teacher. Such s¡dhan¡ attains siddhi, fruition, making him a Knower, raising him to a very unique spiritual and experiential pedestal. Sage VasiÀ¶ha is such a rare Knower of Truth. When he himself cites the dialogue he had with Lord áiva, it gains greater relevance and authority. Explaining how Brahman remains the singular, untransforming supreme Vicharasetu - November 2010 4 Reality, Lord áiva shows how groundless is VasiÀ¶hadeva’s question, a point, which seekers should take special care to note and assimilate. Reality, all-pervading as it is, cannot be two. On any ground, it cannot give rise to a second entity. Hence any thought or assumption that a second entity is there, or based on such an assumption, to enquire why it is there, is simply irrelevant. Lord áiva points out that such an absurdity or untenability is there in VasiÀ¶ha’s question itself. All imputation of duality baseless Lord áiva said: ∫…¥…«∂… HÚ Ω˛ i…n¬˘•…¿ ∫…n‰˘E∆Ú ¥…ti…‰ ™…n˘… * i…n˘… x…®…⁄«±… B¥……™…∆ u˘i¥…ËEÚi¥…EÚ±……‰n˘™…: ** ∫… i… u˘i¥…‰ EÚ±…ËE∆Ú ∫™……i∫…i™…‰EÚi¥…‰ u˘∞¸{…i…… * EÚ±…‰ u‰˘ + {… S…p⁄˘{…‰ S…p⁄˘{…i¥……k…n˘{™…∫…i…¬ ** EÚ…™…«EÚ…Æ˙h…™……‰Æ‰˙EÚ∫……Æ˙i¥……n‰˘EÚ∞¸{…i…… * °Ú±……xi…∫™…… {… §…“V……n‰˘Ã¥…EÚ…Æ˙… n˘Ω˛ EÚ±{…x…… ** (6p.33.3,4,6) When Brahman, the all-powerful (sarva-¿akti) singular existence, (sad) alone exists, any imagination or imputation of unity-duality is baseless indeed. Both imaginations – oneness in duality and duality in oneness – are groundless, when imputed to Consciousness, which cannot give rise to anything unreal like these. Cause and effect, having the same essence, are truly of the same nature. It is like the seed and fruit, its end outcome. All transformations in between are sheer imagination. Duality, existence or prevalence of more than one entity, cannot be accepted at all, says áiva. Rising Consciousness above matter and energy, which constitute the transcends all laws and sequences whole visible creation, when our attention is lodged governing matter in Consciousness, which has the power and and energy. Vicharasetu - November 2010 5 potential to create, uncreate and also bring about changes in creation, any idea of its change or transformation should not be fostered at all. Consciousness clearly transcends all laws and sequences governing matter and energy. So, questions that generally arise in the context of something material and visible, do not apply to it. This fundamental should be kept in mind always, while thinking about Consciousness and trying to understand the mystery and magnificence it displays. Real cannot give rise to anything unreal. Cause and effect are mutual, and neither can nullify the other. Lord áiva explains clearly that any effect is nothing but the cause in content. Both have the same essence. Being so, any transformation we refer to in creation, can only be a product of imagination. At best it can be like a dream, where Consciousness, or mind, suddenly gives rise to a new world of matter, energy, etc. Is it not evident from this that mind, a functional note of Consciousness, has the potential to bring forth such a display? What is true of the mind is equally so of Consciousness, the one Source of all. Plural appearance does not imply plural existence S…k¥…∆ S…‰i™… ¥…EÚ±{…‰x… ∫¥…™…∆ ∫°÷ÚÆ˙ i… i…x®…™…®…¬ * ¥…EÚ…Æ˙… n˘ i…n‰˘¥……xi…∫i…i∫……Æ˙i¥……z… ¶…ti…‰ ** i…Æ˙R¬ÛM……: ∫… ±…±…‰ ™…‰% {… i……‰™…‰ ∂…˱…∫™… i…‰ ∫…®……: * ∂…∂…∂…fiR¬ÛM…∫…®…: ∫……‰% {… ™…∫™… ∫…i™…: ∂…∂……R¬ÛE÷ÚÆ˙: ** ¥…∫i…÷§……‰v……‰%j… ∫…∆v…k…‰ i…j……±…∆ ¥……ŒM¥…EÚ±{…x…Ë: * ¥™…¥…SU‰Ùn˘… n˘ n÷˘∂U‰t∆ ¥…S……‰ ¥……S™……ŒiEÚ±… u˘V… **Ù (6p.33.7,9,10) Consciousness modifies itself as thoughts. Whatever changes come to be felt in the process are in essence not different from the source, Consciousness. Like waves in water, mirage on mountain peak, grain sprouting on hare’s head, despite all outcomes that appear, nothing besides the source is ever there. Vicharasetu - November 2010 6 Direct knowledge and realization of Truth alone counts here. Any talk and arguments are in vain. It is indeed hard to overcome the impact of sensory plurality, like the meaning from a word. Whatever changes seem to transpire in the Consciousness has creational display, have to be evaluated and untold potential to adjudged on the fundamental ground that bring about any display any time. Consciousness has untold potential to bring about any display any time. In the whole display, what should strike the seeker is the ability and skill of Consciousness to effect the display, without ascribing any concreteness to the display. Perceiving a dual or plural display does not Perceiving a dual or make the phenomenon real. Even in the visible plural display does not make the world, we find some phenomena, caused by phenomenon real. matter and energy, where there is no factuality or truth at all. Sights of water on the mountaintop, or seeing ghosts in a post, are typical instances in this regard. These phenomena transpire around inert material substances, having no sentient potential at all. When we think of Brahman, the supreme Intelligence, we are referring to something with infinite potential, unlike everything else known or felt. Even the matter-energy constituents of creation evolved from it! •…¿h…: ∫…¥…«∂… HÚi¥…∆ i…k¥…i……‰ x… ¥… ¶…ti…‰ * i…Æ∆˙M… EÚh…EÚ±±……‰±…V…±……ËP… <¥… ¥…… Æ˙h…: ** {…÷π{…{…±±…¥…{…j…… n˘ ±…i……™…… x…‰i…Æ˙tl…… * u˘i¥…ËEÚi¥…V…M…k¥…… n˘ i¥…xi¥……Ω˛xi¥…∆ i…l…… S…i…‰: ** n‰˘∂…EÚ…±… ¥…EÚ…Æ˙… n˘: EfiÚi……‰ ¶…‰n˘Œ∂S…i…∫i…÷ ™…: * i…ŒSS…n‰˘i…n˘∫…i|……‰H∆Ú x… |…∂x……‰%j… i…¥……‰ S…i…: ** n‰˘˘∂…EÚ…±… GÚ™……∫…k…… x…™…i™……t…∂S… ∂…HÚ™…: S…n˘…Œi®…EÚ… B¥… S…i…: ∫…k¥……i∫…∆{… i…i……: ∫¥…i…: ** (6p.33.11-14) The multi-potent nature of Brahman does not in essence change at all. The plural appearance or modification cognized all around is merely like collection of waves, drops and bubbles of water. Vicharasetu - November 2010 7 Just as flower, bud, leaf etc. have no essence to make them different from the creeper, so too duality, oneness, world, you, I, etc. have nothing in essence to be distinct from the Source Consciousness. When place, time, modification and the like are not different in essence from singular Consciousness, how do you come with any question about them, which have no ground of distinct existence at all? The powers or properties of place, time, causality and sequence, etc. are all of Consciousness alone. All expressions, whatever be their nature, influence or looks, are derived from Consciousness itself. As such, they cannot be given any independent or distinct status at all. Lord áiva makes it clear to VasiÀ¶hadeva that Consciousness Consciousness alone reveals all things that we alone reveals all perceive and interact with through our senses. The things that we perceive and p¡µca-bhautika world, with all the laws and interact with. processes in it, is nothing but Consciousness itself.