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Re:Aham Brahmasmi 9 of 10
These series of articles are in response to the so-called repeated
challenges posed by Sri Manish Tandan with his article on "Aham Brahmasmi"
that was published in the net couple of weeks ago. The division into parts
is only to fit into my mail-server. The text is organized mostly in the
sequence of his comments. I welcome your comments on the contents. Enjoy
the articles can. - Hari Om! Sadananda.
Manishji says:
>BG 12.5 confirms this.
> "For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal
> feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make
> progress in that discipline is always very difficult for those
who
> are embodied."
You are right Krishna indeed says that it is difficult to contemplate on
the unmanifested. Because mind cannot conceive unmanifested. Hence
advaita also insists on sadhana for chitta suddi and that indeed why The
great advaitic scholar Sankaracharya has written innumerable bhakti slokas.
You quote B.G 12-5 to say that advaitins are in wrong path? First I
already answered that there are no advaitin seekers any where since it is a
contradiction in terms. Seeking automatically implies dwaita. Let us
analyze what Krishna says in response to Arjuna question, particularly
after seeing the Viswarupa, that which is better - contemplation on the
form or the formless, Krishna answers:
Kleshodhikatarastesham avyakta chetasam|
ayakta hi gatihi dhuhkham dehavadbihi avapyate||
Klesha adhikataram - difficulties are more - for who? Thesham- those,
avykata chetasam- who contemplate on the unmanifested - and why - for those
who are embodied, the path on contemplation on avyakta is difficult.
First contemplation is a manovritti. Contemplation implies a contemplator
and a contemplated. Dwandwa - mind can only think that which can be
thinkable or contemplate on only that which can be contemplatable. How can
a finite mind think of infinite unmanifested reality. Mind it self is the
flow of thoughts. Every thought is a finite. No one can think of
unthinkable. That is why upasana or worship of the form is also emphasized
in advaitic schools to purify the mind. Mind cannot go to the other side.
Yet you need to use the mind to go beyond the mind. Like a pole waltz.
You cannot take the pole to the other side of the bar. Yet you use the
very pole for you go beyond. You cross the bar, leaving the pole on the
other side. That is why scripture also provides a means; by neti neti by
rejecting what you are not you ascertain what you are as the conscious
entity - Hence Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi statement - Find out who you are? -
analyze the analysts. Upasana is helpful to get out of dehavadbi. But to
ascertain reality scripture repeatedly says as in Kenopanishad:
Tadeva Brahma twam viddi nedam yadidamupasate|
That alone is Brahma not that you worship.
So advaitins are in the right track. But unlike you, I won't say you are
in the wrong track, you are in the right track too! Up to a point. That is
why I have respect for all sadhaks. How can that be? In the final
analysis, the truth has to be the same. Everyone is looking for absolute
happiness, so that there is no more seeking or searching. If the Bhakti is
right, that bhakti should culminate in the knowledge. Otherwise it will
only lead only to fanatism In commenting on my article Is Ganesha
demigod?, Manishji you said that I have the audacity to define Bhakti.
The problem is I have the audacity even to repeat it inspite of your
protests because that is a fact. When you accept Krishna is Brahman that
all pervading reality, then knowledge has to dawn on you that Krishna is
everywhere. I may worship Krishna in any form since as you quated that
Kleshodhikatarastesham avyakta chetasam
Whether Krishna takes me or I realize, the truth has to be one, that is
Brahman. The paths are many and difficulties depends on where you are.
No advaitin in a right mind thinks that he can walk into the sanctum
sanctorum of the Lord by repeating Tat twam Asi or Aham Brahmasmi. It is
realization not repetition. Purification of the mind with karma, bhakti,
gyana are necessary. Neither you can walk into the sanctum sanctorum by
just chanting Hari Krishna mantra. That Krishna consciousness has to dawn
on you. It can only come when you have, what Krishna calls it, sraddaya
parayo petah, ever stead fast with supreme faith to that Krishna - and who
is that Krishna - that who transcends the time and space - So whatever you
think is not that - neti neti - because whatever you think is within the
time and space since the very thinking is in time and space. So in
reality there no difference, when you say Krishna consciousness and when I
say Atman consciousness - both are words, words and words. What is being
indicated is that it is beyond the thoughts - so-called transcendental
state. That is exactly why I have no problem in your worshipping Krishna.
But do not say I am in the wrong path. That only means that you have not
understood what Krishna says.
Krishna himself says that
Lokesmin dwividha nishta puraprokta mayanagha|
Gyanayogena sankhyanam karmayogena yoginam||
There are two paths that have been prescribed by me from the time
immemorial.
Through Gyana yoga of the sankhyas and through karmayoga of the yogins.
Obviously both paths must lead to the same. Hence my statement the true
Bhakti has to culminate in the knowledge of the Brahman. How can you a
limited intellect know Brahman the unlimited? How can the bangle know the
infinite substratum - the gold! Only way is that it has to give up
completely the notion that I am a limited bangle: Or to put Krishna's
words:
Sarvadharman partityasch mamekam saranamvraja
Ahantwa sarva papebho moksha isyuami ma sujah|
This is the sloka the Vishitadvaitins adore as the charama sloka.
Someone translated in the internet as Sarvadharman as all religions (except
I suppose the Bhedha- Abheda philosophy). Dharma is the very first of the
purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama and moksha). Ones Dharma is at least to
do the nitya, nimittika karmas , avoiding kamya and nishidda karmas - the
daily and occasional obligatory duties which depend on his ashrama. On the
same token Krishna also says that
Nahikaschit kshanamapi jatu tishtasya karama krit|
Karyate hyaveshah karma sarva prakrijai gunaihi||
No one can remain even for a single moment from doing karma, since everyone
will be helplessly propelled to do karma because of Prakriti and their
gunas
So what dharmas I can leave. What dharmas Bheda-Abheda teachers have left!
Only that I can give up is the notion that I am the doer or ahankar and of
course give up the longing for the fruits of the actions. That is the
fruits and the agency of action. And what is that I can surrender? I can
only surrender that which I possess. The entire body, mind and intellect
belongs to Him. - That is what Krishna says in B.G. 15 ch. We sing during
arati: tana mana dhana subukucha terahai. Unfortunately we only repeat
like parrots but do not really mean that. When we really mean that , then
is the surrenderence. That is the prappatti, that is saranagati, and that
indeed is giving up all the Dharmas - there is no more ahankar or ego -
there is no more I am the jeeva attitude since jeeva is the crystallization
of ego, and hence logically whether I say I have reached Krishna conscious
state bu surrendering completely or I have realized Aham Brahmasmi state by
surrendering ignorence of identification with the upadhies-- these are
words of intellect - In that state there is nothing else other than the
absolute bliss or ananda. - surrenderece to the Lord who says mamekam
saranamvraja - All I can give up is the notion that they are mine and I
am the body, mind and intellect - this ahankara - If I give up that, what
is left of me - Only thing that is left of me that I am that chaitanya
swabhva. I am that Chit; and I have already proved that chit is sat and
sat is ananda. That is exactly what Advaita emphasizes.
As far I know this charama sloka is the basis for the saranagati in
Vishistadvaita. Only their interpretation of Moksha differs from that of
Advaita.
I know this is getting long! I promised to prove two statements and stop.
One is I am ananda. Second is anantameva ananda and from which it follows
that Aham Brahmasmi. These are done in the last part.
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