Evolution from Brahmi to Gupta to sanskrit part 40
“Truth without consciousness is illusion. Consciousness without Truth is delusion. The two must be taken together and realized together to attain the highest state of the soul and life.”
“YOGA’, the very first image that comes to our mind is that of our physical well-being, ie, various Asanas and Pranayama and some physical postures. It is believed that Yogic exercise will free our body from many ailments.”
“Yoga is to become aware of the presence of the SELF or Ishvara, first within us and later in all creations. Let us not be under the impression that the divine is present only in temples and other places of worship.”
“Yoga helps us turn inward to feel the Creator within so that we can turn towards our co-creations and serve them with a sense of gratitude to Him.”
“The end and aim of Yoga is to realise Ishvara. Both the goal and the methods employed for reaching it are called Yoga.” Swami Vivekananda.
“When we come to this world from the womb of our mother, we do not bring anything. Apart from giving us a human life, He also provided everything for our existence through His creations- Mother Nature and the Society.”
“In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Yoga is also defined as dexterity in all actions and also as equanimity in all situations. Yoga is to transform all our thoughts, words and deeds to bear a Divine Touch - a touch of love, a touch of perfection, a touch of gratitude and a touch of dedication.”
“God, Spirit, Atma all are synonyms. Yoga is to become aware that our body is a sanctified temple where Ishwara resides in all His glory.”
“Yoga makes us aware that each one of us is a tiny, but nevertheless, integral part of the stupendous whole. “
“Maharishi Patanjali in his Sutras has explained that Yoga covers everything that is needed for the overall refinement of man and not merely to be limited to bodily exercise.”
“In Brahman we live, move, and have our being. “All this is indeed Brahman,” the Upanishads—the scriptures that form Vedanta philosophy—declare.”
“Mithya means neither true nor false. The world cannot be false because we all clearly see and perceive it. “
“Shankaracharya says that the world is not true either, because it is constantly changing and everything that the world has to offer is temporary, transient and impermanent.
Shankara calls this world as Mithya which means anything in this world can only give temporary happiness and not permanent happiness.”
“We forget the happenings in our dream very quickly. The experience we have in the waking world also we do forget but slowly over the time. This is what is conveyed by the adage “And, this too, shall pass away”.
“This temporariness, irrelevance, impermanence of everything related to the outer world and the similarity of the experience with the dream world is what made Shankara term the world as neither false nor real, but illusory and need not be given any importance apart from what is required practically to transact.”
“Shankara is conveying that the realization of the individual Self, Atman, Life Energy in its purest form (without the ego) is nothing but realizing the Brahman, the Almighty Energy. These sayings assert that one learns more by studying oneself (Svadhyaya) by making the mind calm and quiet and directing the single-pointed concentration inwards.”
“Henceforth an ineluctable(in escapable) inference was drawn that the world makes sense only when there is a Observer.”
“Both time and space are proven empirical -- Time itself being relative and Einstein adhering to lorentz transformations as a crux for special relativity.”
1. Brahma is the truth,
2. The world, that is, all the names and forms of the world, are false or perishable, and
3. The soul and brahma of man are one in the root, not two. ’’
In this state of practice or austerities, what happens is that the jeeva atman and atman gets in confluence to the very nature of parama atman consciousness state or blissful state of mind. Yet again this could be referral point for anyone one to understand the very meaning of the shloka.
Yet again this is mater piece work of the seers who has written this shloka by and large. One needs to understand one thing that, yoga or meditation on anything of the primary aspect which will lead to the salvation of one’s life will lead to the salvation of one’s life.
This is a proven point which one should be knowing during his stay in this material world existence holistically. One needs to understand what tis true meaning of the yoga. It has to be pronounced as yoga not yogaaa.
Body is the platform on which the sense of individuality exists.
What is that platform where one could be practicing upon. And what are those that needs to be controlled the 25 gnana indriyas, and pancha koshas what are existing in the body. Though what was the need for anyone to do this is the question one should be asking himself or herself. This is where the definition of consciousness and sub consciousness starts to the interrogated.
The point is that none of us know what is the true definition of consciousness and sub consciousness to this day. The scientists and medical practitioners are still struggling hard to find the true meaning of consciousness or sub consciousness to this. In fact if we see one needs to really understand the true meaning of reality according to the shankaracharya. This is where one’s individuality is pre-defined rather unique for every individual as a whole.
It is the residence of the indwelling Reality. So it has to be taken care of. Yogic exercise, as is prevalent now, should be done as perfectly as possible.
To understand the reality concept one needs to understand the brahman / maya and maha maya concept :
According to Adi Shankara, Brahman, the Supreme Cosmic Spirit, is alone true. Other than Brahman, everything else, including the universe, material objects and individuals, is false. Brahman, described as the One who is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient, is the divine ground of all Being. Brahman is also described as neti neti, meaning "not this, not this", as it is Adrishya (beyond the reach of the materialistic eyes).
Why he had to come to that conclusion, there two reasons for this, which are as follows:
1) When this body which is experiencing the material objects like car, house, movable property, immovable property, etc till the time that atman is there in the deha. Which will be in consistent motionusing the 25 gnan indriyas. And this body will be in the existence till the time it is designed for.
2) As we know that this body has to someday leave. But the atman or that atom which will be always in its brahman consciousness state mind never dies. Niether it can be destroyed or created as well. Here is the point the individual misses.
3) Rather self interrogate or do that exercise of looking deep within inside. However once this so called shakthi or energy or soul leaves this body, this body becomes jada or stays in jadatva state meaning the 25 gnanindriyas or organs stop working thus the body will expire. Thus this body will be burnt and it turns into ashes.
4) This is the exact meaning why vibhuti is applied to make sure that this body remembers that someday we as individuals will also get down to this state.
5) And he or she does not take away the moveable assets or immovable assets. Though the body or deha will be lying. This is where adi shankara talks about the maya aspect. Why do we crave for those items which we cannot take and why do we get that attachment in terms of relationships be it mother and son / father and daughter / father and son.
6) When individual dies he neither takes anybody, he goes all alone, and comes all alone. Though if we see this body as a whole does not have any attachments, it is when it comes to the worldly place or maya or mahamaya place this deha starts to generate that in consciousness levels. That is the reason why shankara says that one should be aspiring thinking beyond the level of worldly affairs or place.
This body is always in Brahmin state, yet again we as individuals give it a name, it does not have the name or nomenclature. The point here is that one should be aware of the brahman state of mind is always present, ever present omnipotent, omnipresent and you can feel that, subject to the trespassing the maya and maha maya aspect meaning illusion and delusion aspect of the existence of the life.
It is the basis of the material world, which in turn is its illusionary transformation (Maya).
Maya is the veil that covers our real nature and the real nature of the world around us. Maya is fundamentally inscrutable: we don’t know why it exists and we don’t know when it began. What we do know is that, like any form of ignorance, maya ceases to exist at the dawn of knowledge, the knowledge of our own divine nature.
Brahman is not the effect of the world whereas, this world is nothing but the work of Brahman. Brahman is said to be the source infinite knowledge in its purest form. Brahman is not an object; Brahman is not another. This is the statement in itself, why shankara is talking about the illusionary transformation here or maya aspect or the material world. Not everyone gets that brahman consciousness just like that, it through rigorous practice and penance that one will be able to reach that brahman consciousness.
It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge and self-bliss. It is Svarupa (essence), Nirikara (formless). It is the essence of the knower. It is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya) and Silent Witness (Saakshi).
Even though Brahman is self-proved, Adi Shankara came up with some logical proofs for Brahman:
Every person experiences his soul, or Atman. According to Adi Shankara and his teachings as well, Atman and Brahman are no different. This argument also proves the omniscience of the Brahman.
The world appears to go in an orderly fashion and all things seem to fall into place. The reason for this is not an unconscious principle; it is but Brahman. And hence, Brahman is the basis of this world.
Maya (Illusion) Maya is the complex illusionary power of Brahman which causes the Brahman to be seen as the material world of separate forms: Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman.
Shankara says :
Nirguna Brahman is impersonal / It becomes a personal God (Saguna Brahman) only through its association with Maya / Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman are not two different Brahmans.
Nirguna Brahman is not the contrast or opposite of Saguna Brahman, and neither the vice-versa; if at all they were, it would be completely contradictory to the Advaita Vedanta.
The same Nirguna Brahman appears as Saguna Brahman for the pious worship of devotees. It is the same Truth from two different points of view.
Nirguna Brahman is the higher Brahman, the Brahman from the transcendental viewpoint (Paramarthika); Saguna Brahman is the so-called lower Brahman, the Brahman from the relative viewpoint (Vyavaharika).
Maya has two main functions:
one is to hide‘ the Brahman from ordinary human perception, and the other is to present the material world in its place. Maya is also said to be indescribable, since the fundamental reality underlying sensory perception is completely hidden, even though all sense data entering ones awareness through the five senses are Maya.
Another reason why it said to be inexplicable is that it is neither completely real not completely unreal. Maya's shelter is Brahman, but Brahman itself is unharmed by the illusion of Maya; just like the Swan and the Lotus (unaffected by its surroundings), which is a depiction of the Advaita Vedanta. The Upanishads proclaim, Brahman alone is real, but we see this material world to be real.
Maya can be compared to clouds which cover the sun: the sun remains in the sky but a dense cloud cover prevents us from seeing it. When the clouds disperse, we become aware that the sun has been there all the time.
Our clouds—maya appearing as egotism, selfishness, hatred, greed, lust, anger, ambition—are pushed away when we meditate upon our real nature, when we engage in unselfish action, and when
we consistently act and think in ways that manifest our true nature: that is, through truthfulness, purity, contentment, self-restraint, and forbearance. This mental purification drives away the clouds of maya and allows our divine nature to shine forth.
walking down the darkened road of ignorance, we see ourselves as mortal creatures, and around us, the universe of name and form, the universe conditioned by time, space, and causation.
We become aware of our limitations, bondage, and suffering. On “closer inspection” both the mortal creature as well as the universe turn out to be Brahman.
Once the delusion breaks, our mortality as well as the universe disappear forever. We see Brahman existing everywhere and in everything.
Adi Shankara explained this anomaly by the concept of Maya.
Ishwara (The Supreme Lord) According to Advainta Vedanta, as explained by Adi Shankara, when man tries to know or understand the formless, the indescribable Brahman, with his mind and under the influence of Maya, the Brahman that he sees, is Ishwara. Ishwara is the effect of the integration of Maya with Brahman.
Adi Shankara uses a metaphor wherein he says that when the reflection of the Cosmic Being is viewed through the mirror of Maya, the Supreme Being (Ishwara) manifests. Ishwara is Saguna Brahman or Brahman using Maya as his tool or instrument.
He can be realised or seen by the spiritually enlightened. He may be even regarded to have a personality. He is the subject of worship.
He is the basis of morality and giver of the fruits of one's Karma. However, He himself is beyond sin and merit. His association with Maya does not affect the perfection of Ishwara.
Ishwara always knows the unity of the Brahman substance, and the Mayic nature of the world. The Supreme Lord is true only in the pragmatic level—His actual form in the transcendental level is the Cosmic Spirit.
Brahma Sathyam Jagan Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparaha
a) Brahman (the Absolute) is alone real. This world is unreal and the Jiva or the individual soul is non-different from Brahman. This is the quintessence of his philosophy.
b) Brahma Satyam ("Brahman is the Reality"): In Vedanta, the word ‗Satyam‘ (Reality) is very clearly defined and it has a specific significance. It means that, ―which exists in all the three periods of time (past, present and future) without undergoing any change; and also in all the three states of consciousness (waking state, dream state and deep-sleep state).
c) This is therefore the absolute Reality — birthless, deathless and changeless — referred to in the Upanishads as Brahman‘
Jagan Mithya (the world is an illusion):
The world appears ―real only in the ―waking state; but it is negated (it disappears) in the dream and deep-sleep states. Hence, it is not real, according to the definition above.
Therefore, the world is said to be mithya by the Acharya. However, many people seem allergic to the word, ―mithya‖, when it is used to refer to the perceptible world.
For this reason, perhaps, the Acharya, in his later works, like Brahmasutra Bhashya, calls it ―vyavaharika satta (relative reality) or ―pratibhasika satta(apparent reality), as if to accommodate them.
Jiva Brahmaiva Na para (the jiva is Brahman alone, none else):
Jiva refers to the sentient principle in all living beings, including human beings. In the deep-sleep state, the body, senses, mind and intellect are all negated (rendered totally ineffective or insentient).
Hence, the jiva is one with the sentient, inner life-principle, which revives the body, senses, mind and intellect after sleep. This life-principle is the pure consciousness that is the same in all beings. The all-pervading Brahman of the Upanishads is that pure consciousness present in all jivas as their antaryami (inner spirit).
Brahman is the real truth of our existence:
The changing world that we see around us can be compared to the moving images on a movie screen: without the unchanging screen in the background, there can be no movie. Similarly, it is the unchanging Brahman—the substratum of existence—in the background of this changing world that gives the world its reality.
Yet for us this reality is conditioned, like a warped mirror, by time, space, and causality—the law of cause and effect. Our vision of reality is further obscured by wrong identification: we identify ourselves with the body, mind, and ego rather than the Atman, the divine Self.
अथ भगवान्मैत्रेयः कैलासं जगाम तं गत्वोवाच भो भगवन्परमतत्त्वरहस्यमनुब्रूहीति। स होवाच महादेवः ।
atha bhagavānmaitreyaḥ kailāsaṃ jagāma taṃ gatvovāca bho bhagavanparamatattvarahasyamanubrūhīti। sa hovāca mahādevaḥ ।
एक बार भगवान् मैत्रेय कैलास पर्वत पर गये। वहाँ जाकर महादेव जी से उन्होंने कहा- ‘हे भगवन्! मुन्ने परम तत्त्व का रहस्य बताने की कृपा करें।’ महादेव जी ने कहा.
Once bhagwan maithrai went to mount kailash which is the abode of lord shiva, and asked, my lord can you please explain me the concept / subjective / and objective understanding of the param tattva of the human existence as whole holistically.
देहो देवालयः प्रोक्तः स जीवः केवल:शिवः ।
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहं-भावेन पूजयेत् ॥
deho devālayaḥ proktaḥ sa jīvaḥ kevala:śivaḥ । tyajedajñānanirmālyaṃ so'haṃ-bhāvena pūjayet ॥
‘शरीर देवालय है तथा उसमें रहने वाला जीव ही केवल शिव-परमात्मा है।’ अतः अज्ञान रूप निर्माल्य को (पुरानी (बासी) माला की तरह से) छोड़ देना चाहिए तथा परमात्मा मैं ही हूँ. ऐसा समझकर ही उसकी पूजा करनी चाहिए ॥
देहो देवालयः प्रोक्तः जीवो देवस्सनातनः ।
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहं भावेन पूजयेत् ॥
“The body is the temple. The life within is the Divine. Removing your ignorance and coming to an understanding that ‘I am That’ should be one’s worship.”
Our body is itself the temple and the in-dweller is God. So we do not need to go in search of God elsewhere.
All that we have to do is to turn our vision inward. To revere and serve him means loving and serving the co-creation and for this, we have to maintain this temple-body in a healthy way.
The in-dweller of the body that we call as God is not an entity. He is the subtle and mysterious Power who is expressing in the form of the entire universe including us. To move closer to this dimension we can define the Power as the Life Force.
Awareness absolute, Intelligence absolute in everybody and everything. That is why Yoga is termed as union with God.
While Mother Nature provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth on which we exist, the space in which we move about, the body temperature because of which we exist, trees and plant kingdom, metals, minerals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and the like, all creature-comforts are provided by discovery, invention and innovation by the society.
Nobody can exist by himself or herself. Therefore we owe everything to His creations.
The life principle that activates all beings is the same. It will be helpful if we try to know our and the world’s origin.
When we ask ourselves as to how we came into being, normally our answer would be our parents. However, our journey starts from the origin of the first Uncaused Cause - The First Seed, about which our intellect cannot comprehend.
In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita the word “Seed” which is the origin of all creation including us.
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् |
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्
He says: “O Arjun, know that I am the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intellect of the intelligent, and the splendour of the glorious.”
गतिर्भर्ता प्रभु: साक्षी निवास: शरणं सुहृत् | प्रभव: प्रलय: स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम्
He says: “I am the Supreme Goal of all living beings, and I am also their Sustainer, Master, Witness, which were not known to us till then. Abode, Shelter, and Friend. I am the Origin, End, and Resting Place of creation; I am the Repository and Eternal Seed.”
यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन | न तदस्ति विना यत्स्यान्मया भूतं चराचरम्
He says: “I am the generating seed of all living beings, O Arjun. No creature moving or non-moving can exist without Me.”
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तय: सम्भवन्ति या: | तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रद: पिता
He says: “It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.”
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत
He says: “My womb is the real Brahman. In it I place the seed. From That Oh Bharata, is the birth of all beings?”
So we all owe our origin to God. We have forgotten this connection and feel that our sense of individuality with body, mind and intellect is the starting point of our life.
Now we, at least, know that we are not merely what we appear to be, a bundle of flesh, bones, blood and skin, nor a creature living and acting solely under the impulses and thoughts rising from the mind.
We have to recognize that beyond the exterior dynamics of the body and mind, there is within everybody the Spirit which is immortal. It is by the power of the Spirit that our life is activated in its manifold expressions.
We all breathe the same air, walk on the same earth, and are equally entitled to the enjoyment of the amenities which nature provides.
The earth yields its rich gift to all alike. The differences between man and man on the material plane are, in truth unnatural and improper. For, the component parts and composition of human bodies and the qualities inherent in them are not diverse and conflicting.
If we look with the pure vision that belongs to an enlightened mind, we do not see any clear-cut line of demarcation that isolates man from man, one set of people from another or one nation from another.
We are units that form the world-community or family. So we can live and act as members of a world-brotherhood or federation.
“the success of Yoga must not be measured by how flexible your body becomes, but rather by how much it opens your heart”.
We all are inter-linked and inter-dependent. We, being the recipient of the bounteous gifts of both Mother Nature and the Society should we not think in terms of paying back.
Are we to think only in terms of ‘me’ and ‘mine’? How do we pay back is the question. By bringing in a touch of love, a touch of gratitude, a touch of perfection and a touch of dedication in all that we think, talk and do, to a great extent we can pay back.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु |
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दु:खहा
`Yoga, which frees one from all misery, is attained only by him who is moderate in diet and recreation, regulated in performing actions, and in sleeping and waking.'
Yogic exercises directly and indirectly touch and kindle the following:
- Regularity
- Self-discipline
- Commitment
- Recognising the existence of different parts of the body and its harmonious functioning
- Aiming for perfection
- Becoming aware of the various gifts of Mother Nature
- Stimulating various parts of the body which otherwise remains inactive
- Regular upkeep of the body
It is also an act to bring in the spiritual dimension through a value-based life as taught in the Yoga Sutras. Students of philosophy know that Patanjali through the inspiring Sutras has dwelt on the various steps to lead a yogic life.
- Yama helps us to have proper and harmonious relationship with others. Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Not stealing, Not wasting energy, Abstaining from greed are some of the things that help us to move from our present level of ‘me’ and ‘mine’
- Niyama gives thrust to individual refinement by holding on to Purity, Contentment, Spiritual observances, Study and Devotion.
- Asana: The seat of consciousness; the yogi’s seat and postures to prepare the body.
- Pranayama: Expanding the life force through breathing exercises.
- Pratyahara: Turning the senses inward to explore the inner universe.
- Dharana: Effortless focused attention; training the mind to meditate.
- Dhyana: A continuous flow, meditation perfected.
- Samadhi: Lost or found in the Divine; unity.
The yamas and niyamas are yoga’s ethical guidelines laid out in the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eightfold path. They’re like a map written to guide you on your life’s journey. Simply put, the yamas are things not to do, or restraints, while the niyamas are things to do, or observances.
Together, they form a moral code of conduct. In fact, bereft of yamas & niyamas, the yogic quest may go astray as it lacks a solid moral foundation.
Yoga is the progressive settling of the mind into silence. When the mind is settled, we are established in our own essential state, which is unbounded Consciousness or Awareness. Our essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind.
- Yoga is to become aware of His presence within us, among us, around us and in everywhere and everyone.
- Yoga helps us turn inward to feel the Creator within so that we can turn towards our co-creations and serve them with a sense of gratitude to Him.
- Yoga is to transform all our thoughts, words and deeds to bear a Divine Touch - a touch of love, a touch of perfection, a touch of gratitude and a touch of dedication.
- Yoga is to become aware that our body is a sanctified temple where the Almighty Lord resides in all His glory.
- Yoga makes us aware that each one of us is a tiny, but nevertheless, integral part of the stupendous whole.
Adi Shankaracharya has elaborated on three kinds of reality
1) Päramärthika . Absolute reality -- the Brahman
2) Vyävahärika -- The empirical world -- The domain that our current modern science is mostly dealing with. Also curiously termed as "objective reality", (if ever truly objective reality was possible)
3)Prätibhäshika -- The illusionary world of appearances - the dream state -- the illusionary imaginary world.
Ancient Indian texts have it that the world is Sat-Asat referring to Vilakshana Anirvachaniya
To achieve the goal of Brahman, Shankara proposes:
“Sadhana Chatushtaya”, the four-fold qualifications :
1) Viveka (Reasoning), Vairagya (Dispassion),
2)Shad Sampath (Six Treasures) (are Sama (Control of the mind), Dama (Control of the senses), Uparathi (Internal dispassion), Titiksha (Endurance), Shraddha (Faith) and Samadhana (Focus and Concentration). And Mumukshutva (Burning Desire).