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.
Continuing
with examples of how it is that Aatman creates the illusion of multiplicity;
pÂkaezaidyegen
tÄNmy #v iSwt>,
zuÏaTma
nIlvSÇaidyaegen S)iqkae ywa.15.
Panchakoshaadi-yegena
tat-tanmaya iva sthitaH,
Shuddhaatmaa
niilavastraadi-yegena sphatiko yathaa ||15||
In its identifications with the five sheaths, the
immaculate Aatman appears to have borrowed their qualities upon Itself; as in
the case of a crystal which appears blue or yellow depending upon the colour of
the cloth in its vicinity.
A
question which often arises in the minds of spiritual seekers and students of
philosophy is 'why would the Lord wish to disperse Himself in this manner?' or
'how is this great illusion perpetuated?' Here we are given the example of
crystal sitting in proximity to something of colour. This could be altered to
something more mundane… a glass tumbler sitting upon a tablecloth which could
be (to use the analogy of the shloka) of blue or yellow - or both. Through that
glass we see the colour and if we are not entirely paying attention, mistake
the glass itself for having that colour. Indeed, even if we know the glass
itself is clear, we still see the colour in it purely because it reflects what
is sitting upon.
The
crystal analogy in some ways is firmer, because we also know that the crystal
is capable of taking pure white light and splitting it into the full-colour
spectrum. Aatman is the pure white light, the body in which it sits is the
spectrum. The body, remember, consists of the panchakoshaH;
annamaya, praanamaya, manomaya, vighnaanamaya and aanandamaya. Further, within
annamaya, we find the energy centres called as chakras, each reflecting one of
the colours of the spectrum.
Just
as we see the glass as being blue or yellow, our mind being tricked by what the
eye perceives, we think the Aatman is this body because that's what we can see.
The
Self is ever-pure and the same everywhere and it is never contaminated by the
objects it reflects through. The traditional example of Vedanta is that of the
snake superimposed upon the rope. We, in the poor light of ignorance, see a
rope and assume it to be a snake. The rope is ever the rope and not at all
damaged by this superimposition - neither can it be poisoned by the bite of
this illusionary snake - it remains ever 'pure' as the rope substratum. The
glass is ever the glass and never actually gets stained as blue or yellow, no
matter how much our eyes tell us otherwise.
The Aatman remains uncontaminated by the flesh, the breath, the mind,
the intellect or the individual soul which carries it.
The
following shloka is directly related to this one so we shall proceed with it
today;
vpuStu;aidi_a>
kaezEyuR´< yu®yv"att>,
AaTmanmaNtr<
zuÏ< ivivCyaÄ{ful< ywa.16.
Vapustusha-adibhiH
koshairyuktam yuktya-avaghaatataH,
Aatmaanamaantaram
shudham vivichyat-tandulam yathaa ||16||
Through discriminative self-analysis and logical
thinking, one should separate the pure Self within from the sheaths, as one
separates the rice from the husk, bran and so on that are covering it.
Here
Shankara-ji is demanding that the serious seeker must put the 'little grey
cells' into action! Thrashing about the idea of pure Self being at the base of
all else and the way to reach it is to put it through the thresher of
shravanam, through the winnowing of mananam, through the mulling of
nididhyaasanam, just as rice is torn from its 'sheaths' of husk, bran, et
cetera. Only then can the rice be cooked - jiivanmukta… realisation.
Chitta
shuddham, purification of the mind, takes time. Do not rush into the task, as
there is risk of further mistakes, a danger of damage. There is a process tried
and tested over the centuries. Modern technology has resulted in our grains
becoming adulterated, impure even in the name of 'purification and refinement'
- no time is given for the maturing and the fullness of procedure; now there
are allergies and other body reactions to foods which were once staple.
Incorrect
processing, fast-tracking, does us no favour.
