Hari OM
'Text-days' are for delving into the
words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.
We are now studying Aatmabodha. As
always, with each week, you are encouraged to review the previous teachings and
spend some time in contemplation of the meanings as the affect your life.
Please do consider purchasing the text. Remember, also, to recite the mangala charana before each study and
review the lessons before each new one.
The
next shloka, number twelve, now begins the delve into Sanskrit science! The
Rsis, high in their thinking, somehow knew and understood basics of the
physical sciences; not in this but in later texts, reference is made to the
'anu' - the atom! Deep and logical thought and powerful meditation brought
these things to light for those incredible men - the seers. Here now is the
essence of it.
pÂIk«tmha_aªtsM_av<
kmRsiÂtm!,
zrIr<
suodu>oana< _aaegaytnmuCyte.12.
pangchiikRta-mahaabhuuta-sambhavam
karmasangchitam, shariiram sukhadukhaanaam bhogaayatanamuchyate ||12||
Determined for each individual by his own past
actions, and made of the five elements which have gone through the process of
fivefold self-division and mutual combination - is born the gross body, the
medium through which pleasure and pain are experienced; the tenement of
experiences.
Thus
are the upaadhis explained. To understand how the components of Self called as
jiiva, individualised souls, it is necessary to explain how the body comes
about. All the matter of life comes about through a process called the
panchikarana; the 'five times making'. Recall at this point the learning from
TattvabodaH about the sthula, suukshma and karana shariiras, the gross, subtle
and causal bodies…[now would be a good time to revise!]
The gross body, pure matter, is made up of the five elements
called Aakaz-aakaasha/space, vayu-vaayu/air,
Agin-agni/fire, Ap>-apaH/water
and p«iwvae-pRthivii/earth. In modern biology we will
call all the combinations of these things as many long and interesting names,
but they all fall into one or other these categories in terms of their
'quality'. Every creation is a manifestation of the gross arising from the
previously subtle state. We all know that cause will have effect and that there
can be no effect without cause. In panchikarana, we find an explanation of how
everything has a pure, subtle state (tNmatr-tanmaatra), which becomes impure through
a process of division; first into two halves; then one half holding and the
other half again splitting but now into four; these smaller divisions have a
tendency to migrate and mingle with the smaller divisions of other elements,
meaning that each element now holds something of the other four, but it is
dominated by its main tanmaatra. This process is shown visually in the
following manner;
Everything
in the universe arises from this grossification of the pure elements. The
originating cause is a matter of much debate; Vedanta ultimately holds that all
is illusion - like the silver on the shell. This does not deny the presence of
matter but questions the value we place upon it. The focus of this shloka is on
the upaadhi (conditioning) that we know as the human body, one of the effects
from all the mixing and matching of the tanmaatras. It having developed, Aatman
found a home - but in entering the body and enlivening it, Aatman also became
attached to it and developed ego/ individuality and thus became forgetful of
its origin. [It is worth mentioning that the
Adam and Eve tale of the dawning of self-consciousness in the form of the body
and wishing to cover it and satisfy its needs equates, philosophically, with
the loss of Divine connection and the need to always keep searching for
reconnection.] As a result of taking on jiivaatman status, each
individualised soul now has to go through the duration the body allows it
facing up to pleasures and pains and all manner of experiences as a result of
karma. Here the shloka is referring to the greater span of karma - the bank
balance of the spirit, whereby each and every thought and deed leaves a mark
upon the account. The jiiva must go through as many lives as are necessary to
wipe that account clean and rediscover the fullest treasure of reunion with
Aatman. Everything we do in this life determines the kind of life we have to
live in next incarnation. Karma is the cause of our life path... and it can be the solution also.
The
concept of reincarnation is best understood when one considers again that basic
tenet of Vedanta as stated prior - all is illusion. In the same way that each
of us can go to bed each night and have dreams, often different, sometimes the
same but always with some small variance… so it is with the Pure Consciousness
which has split and drifts off into the manifest conditionings. We awaken and
say "such a dream I had!"… eventually, we will Awaken and Realise the
wholeness of our dreaming! Till then we must accept the body as our 'tenement
of experience' and understand that it is within our power to determine its
destiny.
