ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


No Comparison

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.

There are only ten shlokas remaining in this text. Nine of them make further attempts to describe the indescribable. Today, we will take three together, as their explanation requires little more than is given in the verses themselves. These are verses for deep contemplation.

t*u´miol< vStu Vyvhariídinvt>,
tSmaTsvRgt< äü úaIre sipRirvaiole.59.
Tadyuktamakhilam vastu vyavahaarashchidanvitaH,
Tasmaatsavagatam brahma kshire sarparivaakhile ||59||
All objects are pervaded by Brahman. Also, all actions are possible because of Brahman Alone. Therefore, Brahman permeates everything as butter permeates milk.

When you look at a pint of milk, do you necessarily see the butter it contains? Rarely! You simply perceive it as it presents itself to you. Butter is most definitely there, though; it just takes some work to bring it out. This is what we are to understand - the Pure Consciousness is to be found in every possible thing upon which you rest your thoughts and eyes; it just takes some work to bring it out… and that work itself is only possible because of that Consciousness.

AnPvSwUlmùSvmdI"RmjmVyym!,
Aêpgu[v[aROy< td!äüeTyvxaryet!.60.
Ananvasthuulam-hRsvam-diirgham-ajam-avyayam,
Aruupaguna-varnaakhyam tad-brahmetya-vadhaarayet ||60||
Realise that to be Brahman which is neither subtle nor gross, neither short nor long, without birth or change, without form, attributes, colour and name.

This is the subtlety of Pure Consciousness; it is beyond all physical description - split open a neutron and It will still be present beyond (as indicated in previous shloka). This demonstrates also the vastness… which in our finite selves, we cannot imagine.

yÑasa _aaSyte=kaRid _asyEyRÅau n _aasyte,
Yaen svRimd< _ait td!äüeTyvxaryet!.61.
Yadbhaasaa bhaasyater-kaadi bhaasyairyattu na bhaasyate,
Yena sarvamidam bhaati tad-brahmetya-vadhaarayet ||61||
That, by the light of which, the luminous orbs like the sun and the moon are illumined, but that which is not illumined by their light; realise that to be Brahman.

When you are standing out in full sunlight, do you light up a torch to see better? No - and even if you did, the torchlight would be 'drowned' by the luminance of the sun. Now, physicists even of the novice kind will say, "but the sun is self-luminous" - which is true in terms of our relative world of perception. This is the point to be taken, however. That which illumines all else cannot be, itself, illumined. Our very perception of the sun can only take place due to the illumination of Consciousness within us.