Ignorance & Self Inquiry
From Verse 17, Advaita Makaranda, Swami Tattvavidananda
Yet this ignorance is some inexplicable fog in the space of Awareness. It is kept alive by the absence of self-inquiry. The rise of the sun of self-inquiry ends it.
This fog is shining. Ignorance is like fog. It appears thick as a wall, but there is nothing. It is intangible, undefinable. It is, yet it is not. One cannot draw definite conclusions about it, but it asserts its presence. For example, there can be no darkness in the presence of the sun and yet there is ‘as though’ darkness when thick fog rolls in. The fog obscures the sun that illuminates it. This is the irony of life. Atman, the Self, is the self-evident Reality and ignorance cannot touch It even remotely. However, the human being remains ignorant of his own Self because ignorance, which is illuminated by the awareness of the Self, covers the Self, its illuminator. This is the paradox.
The face of the truth is covered by the golden disc. For example, the brilliance of the sunlight covers up the orb. Dark glasses that filter excessive light are necessary to see the sun’s orb clearly. Necklace covers up gold. To see the gold, it is necessary to shift the focus of attention from the ornament. The multiple names and forms of the world exist and shine in Atman, but they cover up Atman. The world is empty of essence, yet very glittering. The glitter misleads us.
What is the strength of ignorance? How is it able to cover up the self-shining Atman? Kept alive by the absence of self-inquiry. Fog is kept in place by certain weather conditions. So too ignorance is kept alive by lack of investigation into one’s own nature. People keep away from spirituality because they are too busy in the affairs of the world. They want peace, harmony, and happiness, which is a perfectly legitimate aspiration. But unfortunately, they search for them in the world, and get frustrated. As you live an extroverted life, problems accumulate. They come into focus only when you start looking at yourself. If you transfer the responsibility of security and welfare to a god man, it will be fruitless because there is no substitute for intense atma vicara, self-inquiry. ‘Look within, search within’, be with yourself. You will come to know your true Self.
Self-inquiry begins with sravana, listening to the Shastra, like the Gita, as it is expounded by the enlightened. It gains momentum as you shut the mind off to the world, suspend the ego with its web of desires and fears, and listen to the teaching with love. In sravana, doubts are raised and refuted. Follow it up with manana, self-study and reflection, and nididdhydsana, meditation. Sri Krisna advises in the Gita, (13-10,11), stay in a place of solitude, shun the attachment for company of people, and live in constant abidance in the Self. In simple terms, be with yourself. Psychological dependence on others, and the need for their company, is a burden to you as well as the others. Abide within yourself; be the awareness of the Being. Just try to ‘be’; that alone matters.
Even while living a normal life, while practicing an honest profession, be alert to the movement of the mind. Such alertness, called samadhana, is indispensable for spiritual life. In fact, watch the mind every moment. You take yourself to be the body without questioning and believe many things about yourself based on hearsay. Ask yourself, ‘who am I?’ ‘Thisness’, which pervades the body, is proof enough that I am not the body. I am not this or that, I am what I am. As you gain clarity about ignorance, you become free of ignorance. Atman, the Awareness, is not opposed to ignorance; on the contrary, It illuminates and blesses ignorance. For example, the wrong notion that you are the body is illuminated by awareness only. If Atman were opposed to ignorance, nobody would be ignorant because everybody is Atman alone.
Bhagavan has given us a will and it has to be used for the purpose of self-inquiry. Shallow digging will not bring ground water up. You have to dig deep till you hit water. Investigation is not raising superficial questions, answering them, and again going back into the world. The Taittiriyopanisat says: aspire to know Brahman by reflection (3-1-1). Look within and abide in the Self. In fact, tapo brahmeti, your effort to look within itself is Brahman. You are the awareful Being and be aware of It. Ahamasmi, am’, is an incontrovertible truth. You are the only truth in this apparition called the world. You are saccidananda. Your inability to stay with yourself is the veil. All you need to do is to remove that veil. Its only strength is your laziness to investigate, attraction for the world, and the greed for its pleasures. The vicara, inner abidance, helps to overcome ignorance.
Ignorance is the fog in the space-like consciousness. Fog disappears when the sun rises. Similarly, as the sun of self-inquiry rises in the heart, as you abide in yourself, ignorance melts away.
Suppose you are sad, do not accept it blindly.Close your eyes and ask yourself, ‘to whom is this pain happening’? ‘To me,’ is the answer. Then enquire, ‘who am I?’ Sleep can be cited as an example to show the effectiveness of self-inquiry. In sleep, you are an unself-conscious being. In the waking state, you are a self-conscious person. When you are deeply immersed in something like a movie or a joke in the waking state, you are not self-conscious, but you are there. You are another self-conscious person in the dream state. Therefore, you cannot be a person. You are the origin of the consciousness with its persona. Once you understand this, ego can be overcome with ease, because now it is objectified. It cannot parade as the subject any more. Vicara, insight, brings out a very meaningful conversion in the heart. That is the real conversion that we need.
The world is full of contradictions and cannot give happiness. One has to discover this for oneself. If you want to find peace and harmony, you have to go within. The thing called world comes into being only when you are a body. They come together and merge together in the consciousness. When there is absorption in another world, the movie world, the world in which you live is absent. Inquire what this body is and whether you are the body.
It is very important not to allow life to be ruled by contradictions. Life of a striver should be orderly, simple, and sober. It should assist the pursuit; not be contradictory to the pursuit. What you gain should not be undone. You have to hold on to the conquered ground. Vicara includes the tenacity of purpose and honesty of pursuit, which will take you to the goal. A sincere seeker gains Isvara krpa, the blessing of God, guru krpa, blessing of the preceptor, Shastra krpa, blessing of the teaching, and atma krpa, blessing of Atman, the inner sadguru. Ignorance, which seems to bind you to samsara, becomes powerless with vicara.
This ignorance is something or somebody. Ego is the ignorance. It has no existence of its own. It is a phantom, an imposter. It draws its being from the inner Self, and shines in the shine of the Atman, but still manages to cover the truth. It arises between Atman and the body and creates problems. Atman is beyond hurt and guilt and body, being insentient, does not know. Until you start inquiring, the ego remains with you and causes suffering.
Ego is alert not only when a person is arrogant, but also in sorrow. It wants the wealth and power of the world, and even psychic powers. These expectations cannot always be fulfilled, and therefore, ego becomes sorrowful. It is the source of all pain. As you live in identification with the ego, it does not occur to you that it is false. The darkness of ignorance and lack of inquiry are ego’s main strength. It is like an owl, which survives in darkness.
Religious ego is very dangerous. Sri Krsna describes it as: “I am rich and noble, who equals me? (16-15)”. Sri Sankara describes the religious ego as: “I am endowed with the qualities of scholarship of Vedas etc. for seven generations (Gita bhasya, 16-15).” If there is one obstacle for Self-knowledge, it is the ego. In Vedanta, another name of ego is abhimana or ajnana. The striver has to observe ego’s method of operation in various situations, and be wary of it.
The fog in the spacious awareness. Ego is the fog. All relationships are ego-ridden so one has to be very cautious of its machinations. When two egos clash, the issues can never be settled because for the ego, prevailing is more important than seeing the truth. Setting aside one’s view amounts to negating or rejecting the ego itself, because ego has identified with that view and asserts itself to make that view prevail. Ego never likes to disappear. It will not allow itself to be decimated. It will put up a last ditch fight. Therefore, be alert and do not allow ego to gain mastery.
Fog covers up the whole vision. Even great people sometimes cannot accept the truth if somehow, wittingly or unwittingly, they have taken the opposite stance. It is very difficult to admit a mistake or apologize, for that signifies death for the ego. There is only one enemy and that is the ego. It creates enemies outside, so that it can masquerade as a friend. In reality, there is no within or without except in body-identification. Once you know that you are not the ego, you will know that there is no within and without.
The fog disappears when the sun rises. As one abides in Atman, ego dissolves. Ego is not a constant entity. It rises and subsides in the space of consciousness all the time. The ego is always objectified, whereas the true Self can never be objectified. You can only ‘be’ That. If you encourage the ego, it will grow and flourish and when you restrain, it becomes weak. When you witness the mind, you gain control over it.
Vicara, Self-inquiry, is seeing the false as false. You need courage to see the false as false. The social ego and relationship-based ego are false, superimposed. As the obsession with the objects of the world, desires, and fears are rejected, you abide in yourself. Once the sun, the ability to see the false as false, rises, the fog of ego lifts.
Jiva Yatra
Extracted from JivaYatra Talk by Swami Paramatmananda
Verse 4
प्राप्यं िि् परं सुखं दह मुनयो मोक्षं समाचक्षिे
जीवेशानजगदद्वशेषरदहिं ज्ञानैकसाध्यं ध्रुवम् ॥
येनात्मन्यतिरोदहिः स्वमदहमानन्दात्मको भासिे
ममथ्याध्यासममिश्च येन गलति ज्ञानं िदेवामलम् ॥४॥
The jivas journey towards moksha is not a physical journey as we think, covering a physical distance, but it is a travel from ignorance to knowledge. It is a figurative journey which one travels from ignorance to knowledge. It is because moksha happens to be my real nature.
Here we are going to approach this knowledge in four stages. Four important ideas are going to be conveyed which constitute the Vedantic teaching. (Kathopanishad pancha kosha viveka). I will just tell you those four important ideas and then we will deal with them one by one:
1. I am of the nature of consciousness.
2. I am free from all attributes or properties.
3. I am the only reality in the creation, only substance in the creation.
4. I am of the nature of änanda.
The first principle we have to apply to know this is: I am different from whatever I experience. What is the logic behind it? I am the experiencer, and whatever I experience, is an experienced object. Therefore the logic is, the experiencer, the subject has to be necessarily different from the experienced, the object. The subject cannot be the object. The experiencer is not the experienced, the knower is not the known, and the subject is not the object. This is the first lesson, and using this principle we have to decide the first point: I am caitanya svarüpa. How do we do that? Applying the first principle, you go on negating every object of experience. Then Vedänta asks the question, what about your own physical body? Is it an object experienced by you or not? What should be our answer? I also intimately experience the body. My hunger I know; my thirst I know. When I sit down and get up, my knee joint pain I know well – it is intimate and intense. So Vedänta says if body is an object of experience it is also not you; so I am not the world, I am not the body.
Then you have to extend this to the mind also and ask the same question, “Do I experience my mind or not?” What will be the answer? In fact that is my problem – I am experiencing my mind too much. All my anxieties, worries, pains, and depressions; all of them including happiness are intimately experienced. Therefore I am different from the mind also. Then who am I? Then we say, “I am the consciousness principle who is aware of all of them”.
Then we have to arrive at the second one, for which we have to apply the second principle of Vedänta. What is the second principle? Any experienced attribute like colour, form, smell, taste or any property or attribute belongs to an experienced object only, and it never belongs to the experiencer – the subject. I am experiencing the flower; it is an object of my experience. I am experiencing the color; it is an experienced attribute. The experienced colour belongs to what? It never belongs to I the experiencer. When I experience the red color it does not belong to me. Similarly, I am experiencing a variety of attributes. Vedänta says all attributes; you know are all experienced attributes. It belongs to some experienced object or the other. It can never belong to the experiencer subject. Therefore I do not have any attribute at all. The moment you name an attribute, I will ask you the question, “Do you know it or not?” Suppose you say, “No, or don’t know”. Then how can an unknown attribute belong to you? It cannot! Then to avoid it you say, “No, No, I know it”. I ask you, “How do you know it?” “I have experienced”. If you say it is an experienced attribute, it either belongs to the experienced world or it belongs to the experienced body or to experienced mind. Always, it belongs to object anätmä, never to the subject – ätmä. Ahaà nirguëa svarüpaù asmi. This is the second important lesson.
The third one is still deeper and subtler. There are two things now,
1. I the experiencer is caitanya svarüpa asmi, of the nature of consciousness.
2. Everything else that is experienced
What are they? The world comes under the experienced category. The body comes under the experienced category; the mind also comes under the experienced category and all the attributes belonging to them come under the experienced category. What is the relationship between them? Vedänta (taittiréya Upanisad,) says, the relationship is ätmä is the käranum – everything else is product, käryam born out of ätmä. I am käranum and everything else is käryam, then one important corollary I can derive. What is that? No product can exist separate from its cause because every product is nothing but cause with different names and forms e.g. gold; the cause is there, ornaments, the products are there. Now what does Vedänta say, “ätmä is käranum and everything else beginning from space, that is all käryam”. That means what? ätmä + varieties of näma rüpa are everything else. That is the object. Therefore the object depends upon the subject for existence.
The käryam depends upon käranum; anätmä depends upon ätmä and object depends upon subject for its existence. That means the object or objective world has got a dependent existence and the subject has got an independent existence. Therefore the conclusion is ätmä svatantra” and therefore satya, whereas anätmä is mithyä.
Now we come to the fourth one . Vedänta says only what is limitless or full alone can be of the nature of änanda, fullness alone can be änanda and ananta alone can be änanda. As long as there is finitude, as long as there is limitation, as long as there is something wanting or missing there cannot be änanda. Therefore limitation or finitude is sorrow. (seventh chapter of Chändogya Upaniñad, called Bhümä vidyä). Then the question will be, if I am änanda svarüpa how come I am not experiencing? We say, because you are änanda svarüpaù you are not experiencing. Like you can never see your own original eyes, try! Therefore original ätmä änanda is myself: original nitya änanda is myself. There is no question of experiencing it as it is myself. Then the next question will come, if I alone am the source of änanda and if the world does not have an iota of änanda, then how come I am getting änanda from the world now and then? Nice music gives me änanda, nice food gives me änanda, and an interesting class gives me änanda, Before enjoying a music programme, no änanda, after experiencing the programme there is änanda. Therefore the programme is the source, we conclude. Vedänta says the programme is like the “dog bone”, programme has not produced änanda. Programme has helped in the manifestation of my own änanda or we can call it the reflection of your own änanda in a quiet sätvik mind. When the external world quietens the mind, it does not produce änanda; my änanda is manifest (like the blood coming out when dog chews a bone, and enjoys it) Therefore all the time whenever I am experiencing änanda, I am enjoying my own änanda. Imagine when the mind is disturbed again, the reflected änanda goes away but not I the original änanda. When the mirror is kept the reflection is there, when the mirror is removed the reflection goes away. I the original one ever remain. Every sensory pleasure is a Xerox copy or a poor carbon copy of my own änanda whether it comes or not.
Spiritual Journey
Notes and summary of Acronyms from Swami Paramathananda.
Creation is to be seen as:
1. Multifarious, has no-substance, is transitory, and not real (Aneka, Asara, Anitya Asatyam -Jagat mithya, Everything is Ishwara in different Name and Forms (NF) only.
2. Jagat is effect, and useful for transactions in NF. Holding on/relying on effect is Samsara with all its problems. Discover the cause (Brahman) of the creation to be free.
3. Dependence on world, leads to Samsara life which becomes MBBS leading to HAFD. MBBS -Meaningless, Burdensome, Boring, Struggle. HAFD – Helplessness, Anger, Fear, Depression
Objects of world have features of OMACT – Objectifiable, Material (panch maha bhuta), Attributable, Changing, Temporary/Transitory (drsyatvam, bhautikatvam, sagunatvam, savikartvam, agamapayitvam)
God is essence of the world. ESNS – Eka (one), Sara (substram), Nitya (timeless), Satyam (truth)
Karma Yoga path for life – Proper Actions + Proper Attitude (RIDE). R- Reducing Adharmic Activities, I – Increasing Dharmic Activities, D – Dedicating all actions to Ishwara. E –Experiencing everything as Prasada
Benefits of Karma Yoga are the 4Ss – increasing Self Esteem, Serenity (Samatvam), Setup Harmony (Pancha Maha Yagyas – Environmental care) and Spiritual Growth.
With Sadhana chatushtaya Sampatti, one reduces FIR and increase CCC. FIR – Frequency of emotional disturbance, Intensity of disturbance, Recovery Period. CCC – Calmness, Cheerfulness and self Confidence
Sadhana Chatushtaya or the fourfold means for salvation (four kinds of spiritual practices), is a prerequisite
to the aspirant in the path of Jnana Yoga (Vedanta). The four means are:
1) Viveka -discrimination between Sat (real) and Asat (unreal).
2) Vairagya -dispassion or indifference to sensual enjoyments herein and hereafter.
3) Shad Sampat (6 virtues):
a. Sama -peace of mind through eradication of desires, cravings and subtle Vasanas.
b. Dama -control of sense organs.
c. Uparati -satiety, renunciation of all activities not enjoined by scriptures (Sannyasa). Mind engaged in Sravana, Manana and Nidhidyasana
d. Titiksha – endurance, forbearance, without complaints or giving up.
e. Sraddha -faith in scriptures and the Guru’s words.
f. Samadhana -concentration of mind, balance of mind, equanimity to opposites.
4) Mumukshutva -Intense longing for liberation.
To be free of bondage of samsara, it is necessary to have internal sannyasa (vairagya – dispassion) and move towards PORT reduction, and CLASP rejection. PORT – Possessions, Obligations, Responsibilities, Transactions. CLASP – CL -ControLlership/ownership (aham-mama abhimana), A – Anxiety, SP – Special Prayers (sakama prarthana)
6 recognized pramanas are the means of gaining knowledge for humans:
1) Pratyaksha (DirectPerception),
2) Anumana (Inference after),
3) Upamana (Comparison),
4) Arthapatti (Postulation, presumption),
5) Anupalabdhi (knowledge of non-existence), and
6) Sabda (Verbal Testimony).
Due to Ignorance, Delusion, Projection, Reaction is the normal behavior of a Jiva atma in samsara (a person who believes himself to be a limited person), separate from others and Jagat.
Upon vedanta based enquiry: Body Mind (BM) is also experienced like other objects of jagat and is OMACT. -i.e. achetana. It borrows sentiency from Consciousness – C which is chetana. It is the divine principle behind all organs. Eye of eye etc. It is the subject / witness / sakshi of the objects.
1) C is Not Part, Product, property of body
2) C is independent principle, which pervades and enlivens the body
3) C is not limited by Body Mind (BM)
4) C continues to exist beyond BM
5) C continues to exist in seed /potential state but not available for transactions without
manifestation in a being.
Message of Vedanta is in 5 capsules
1) I am of the nature of the eternal and all-pervading C
2) I am the only source of permanent peace security and happiness
3) By my mere presence, I lend existence to the material BM complex; and through the material BM, I experience the world.
4) I am never affected by any event that happens either in the material world; or, in the material BM complex.
5) By forgetting my real nature, I convert life into a burden (HAFD). Once I know this, then Life is a blessing; because, it is an opportunity to claim my higher glory. Life is celebration ha vu ha vu ha vu.
Brahman manifests as Sat Chit Anantam in living beings, and as Sat in non-living beings. Thus Brahman pervades all of creation. Saguna Ishwara ritual devotion (God as separate) should be converted to Nirguna Brahma understanding.
Consciousness / Self is only understandable thru Vedanta based Sabda pramana as taught thru guru parampara. It teaches about claiming the Sat Chit Ananda – Atma as ones swarupa. Conversely, applying the neti neti principle, and using conventional pramana methods one needs to discard everything (anatma) that is experienceable. That is the Push/push method in Upanishads.
With dedicated Sravanam, (study) , Mananam (to remove all doubts), and Nidhidyasanum ( to internalize the knowledge) the inquiry leads to freedom, jivan muktaha.
– Karma Yoga + Gnyana Yoga = Bhakti Yoga (appreciation of the god’s grace)
– Karma Yoga mindset transformation into Gnyana Yoga mindset is necessary. For a Gnyana Yogi,
Moksha is freedom by claiming that I am Nitya Muktaha (Brahman) -Soham, Bramhasmi.
The Spiritual Journey – Acronyms
Swami Paramarthananda’s algorithm for contemplation
Compiled by N. Avinashilingam
Link to Spiritual Journey PDF (by Swami Paramarthananda)
NATURE OF WORLD – BAD
B- Bandakatvam
A- Atrupthikaratvam
D- Duka Mistutatvam
Karma Yoga = Proper action + Proper attitude
KARMA YOGA = RIDE
R- Reduce adharmic activities
I- Increase dharmic activities
D- Dedicate all actions to the Lord
E- Experience everything as Prasada
DHARMIC ACTIVITIES = PANCHA MAHA YAGNA
Deva Yagna
Bhuta Yagna
Manushya Yagna
Brahma Yagna
Pitru Yagna
BENEFITS OF KARMA YOGA = 4S
Self esteem
Serenity
Setup harmony
Spiritual growth
BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH I = FIR DECREASE
Frequency of emotional disturbances
Intensity of emotional disturbances
Recovery period
BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH II = CCC INCREASE
Calmness
Cheerfulness
Confidence
OLD AGE PROBLEMS = FEDEREL PROBLEMS
Fear of disease
Depression due to inability to do things
Regret over the past
Loneliness
JNANA YOGA PREPARATION I = PORT REDUCTION
Possessions
Obligations or responsibilities
Relationships
Transactions
JNANA YOGA PREPARATION II = CLASP REJECTION OR RENUNCIATION
Claim of ownership and controllership
Anxiety
Special prayers seeking special favours for special people
JNANA YOGA = SPIRITUAL EDUCATION
Consistent and systematic study of vedantic scriptures for a length of time from a
competent live Guru.
Receive and assimilate through Shravanam, Mananam and Nididhyasanam
JNANA YOGA
FIVE CAPSULES OF VEDANTA
1. I am of the nature of eternal and all pervasive consciousness
2. I am the only source of permanent peace, security and happiness
3. By my mere presence, I give life to the material body and through the body, I
experience the material universe
4. I am not affected by anything that takes place in the material world and in the
material body
5. By forgetting my nature, I convert life into struggle and by remembering my
nature, I convert life into a sport or entertainment
FIVE FEATURES OF CONSCIOUSNESS OR ATMA OR I
1. Consciousness is not part, product or property of the body
2. Consciousness is an independent entity or principle which pervades and enlivens
the body
3. Consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body
4. Consciousness continues to exist or survive even after the death of the body
5. The surviving consciousness is not accessible because of the absence of the body
medium
FORMAT CONVERSION
A karma yogi has a world view which can be presented in a triangular format of Jiva,
Jagat and Isvara
A jnana yogi has a world view which can be presented in a binary format of atma and
anatma
A karma yogi becomes a jnana yogi by format conversion to binary format
CONTEMPLATION
All the pains and pleasures belong to the material body and world, the anatma. I am the
atma or consciousness. I am nitya muktaha.
Brahma Satyam. Jagat Mithya. Aham Brahma Eva Naparaha.