I have made another attempt to explain the truth in simple English in Plain Truths blog. Some of the readers suggested me to provide some scriptural statements supporting these posts. So, I have written Yoga Vedanta blog that gives references to the words of Lord.

I am eternally studying Yoga VaasishTa and make random posts to the blog on wordpress.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Updates on 201st sidereal cycle of my realisation!

The 201 conjunctions of Moon with Rohini nakshatra bring to the closure of  almost another cycle from https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2023/01/sri-subhakrt-year-jaya-ekadasi.html making a total of 15 lunisolar years since https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2009/02/final-post-who-am-i.html 

A firm reinforcement like this revelation in the presence of Gurudeva fifteen years ago set my ego in a perfect nyAsa with the supreme self. Ego is Nothing and the true identity of Self is Everything!



My Own story is recorded here; some additional details have been documented during the year that passed by, by the infinite grace of the Gurudeva. 

1. My Story So Far... (3 minutes) 

2. The Wealth of Wisdom (16 minutes)

3. Harmonizing the Wisdom (27 minutes) 

(With 2-minute context switching, it is a 48 minutes/ one muhurtha engagement for those who seek it) 

Also, organized all the posts of this blog into a document for someone interested in reading it as a whole - The self-referencing link to the large document excludes this post itself!

--Bhishma EkAdaSi of Sri SObhakRt year on 20th February 2024

P.S: https://medium.com/darsana-sastra-vijnana/pratyahara-the-art-of-sensory-withdrawal-in-yoga-and-tantra-1e7d465a64ca is an additional resource that could help practitioners of yOga in the pursuit of samAdhi or samyama. 

--☺️--



Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Sri SubhakRt year jaya EkAdaSi

By the infinite glory of Guru parampara, another cycle has been witnessed blissfully. The tithis of year Sarvadhari (2009) and SubhakRt (2023) are aligned with the common calendar with a 5-day gap. That means, the tithi of February 5th of 2009 happens to be on January 31 of 2023. Due to this, the social media based reminder systems have a lag of 5 days this year with 2009. Miraculously each of the experiences has been reminded and relived on the tithi of SrI SubhakRt year making the realization refreshed for this little identity. 



Continuous renewal is the nature of reality even in its gross and subtle divisions of it. Conservation is the very dharma. Even though all appear to rise and set in cycles, nothing actually rises and sets beyond the ego. Only within the scope of egoistic division, one side is known as the field and the other side becomes known as the energy that operating in the field. 

May the grace of Guru parampara continuously shine forth through the most ancient and traditional paths of yOga-vEdAnta on one and all! 


Om tat sat

Friday, February 11, 2022

Jaya EkadaSi of Sri Plava year

As the prarabdha karma unfolds at its own pace, the moon has completed 161 pradakshinas around the Earth since The Final Post 


By the infinite grace of Guru, the study into the mahA rAmAyaNa came all the way up to the Uttara-artha of nirvaNa prakaranam.

Bhagavan Vasishtha says to Lord rAma (NirvaNa uttarartha Sarga 32 Slokam 18) :
kOham kathamidam dRSyam kO jIvaH kim ca jIvanam
iti tattvjna samyOgAt yAvajjIvam vichArayEt

Who am I? How does this appearance emerge? Who is the jIva (individual-consciousness)? What is this process called life? By associating with a realized person (tattvajna) continue the vicharaNa (inquiry) all along! 
This is the advice for the one who has reached the conclusion. 

Studying yoga vasishtha serves the purpose of satsanga and vichara.

."..As it is difficult to identify a real tattvajna, first discuss with all sorts of teachers... they will give their own opinions... and also contradict other teachings... when you take a non-partial view about such teachings and discussions, you will arrive at the conclusion for yourself. You will also identify the truly realized teacher.... then go to such realized teacher in private to get your own inquiry sharpened. Once you have learned self-inquiry, that is the best method...."

May the grace of Lord rAma be on one and all in all layers of existence on the "jaya" EkAdaSi eternally! 

om tat sat


Monday, February 22, 2021

AdhyAtma rAmAyaNam - 12th lunisolar year closes first Jupiter cycle

On the eve of bhIshma EkAdaSi today, my merger into spiritual bliss completes a full Jupiter cycle (1) by the boundless grace of Swami virAjEshwara saraswati Maharaj (my Guru). 


For the embodied observer attached to the earthly layer, time moves through days (4400), months (149), and years (12). It is a great opportunity to recollect, refresh and renew through these cycles. 

The trayOdaSaksharI tAraka jaya mantra consists of three components. As the practice of it revealed my true identity, I also realized the nature of this mantra as well from the yOga vEdAnta perspective. 
  • The first part of the tAraka is all about purushOttama SrI rAmA's outward journey, the essence of vAlmIki rAmAyaNam.
  • The second part is all about the inward journey of rAma described in vaSishTha mahA rAmAyaNam.
  • The third part is the applied individual journey as revealed by the supreme lord mahAdEva to pArvati; revealed to us by sage veda vyasa as Srimad AdhyAtma rAmAyaNam. 
During the 12th year cycle of the celebration of spiritual bliss, the grace of Guru and God directed 'me' to study Srimad Adhyatma rAmAyaNam. 

1. SrI rAma hRdayam - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163800621690151/
2. SrI paraSurama kRta stotram - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163852577935151/
3. ahalyA kRta stotram - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163843758000151/
4. ayOdhyA kAndam - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163884600850151/
5. agasthya rAma samAgamam - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163942197805151/
6a - Sarga 4 - 7 araNya kAnda - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163949144000151/
6b - Sarga 4 - 7 araNya kAnda - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10163949292550151/

Above 18 parts of Srimad AdhyAtma rAmAyaNam read between 12th April 2020 and 16 July 2020 i.e.,. between SrI rAma navami and kAmika EkAdaSi on karkataka sankramanam. 

May the grace of Lord rAma be on one and all in all layers of existence on the "jaya" EkAdaSi eternally! 

om tat sat

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Updates from 11th year

It has been 11 years since https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2009/02/final-post-who-am-i.html

It has been a tradition to mark each year with one post on this blog to keep it alive. Last year's update: https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2019/02/a-decade-merges-in-time.html

During this year, that brings us again to bhIshma EkAdaSI, notable "spiritual" activity is on ashTAvakra gIta. 18 links below give a quick access to those live audio recordings on Facebook.

01 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162472492525151/
02 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162477083145151/
03 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162481608165151/
04 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162486179550151/
05 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162490542970151/
06 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162494679745151/
07 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162498296835151/
08 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162504231770151/
09 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162510937310151/
10 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162516435005151/
11 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162524669505151/
12 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162530257500151/
13 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162534674400151/
14 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162538758905151/
15 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162543158185151/
16 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162547300270151/
17 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162551721140151/
18 - https://www.facebook.com/prasad.chitta/videos/10162555906725151/


"A sincere seeker of TRUTH may not have to search too much; he will automatically led by Supreme power to a great sage when he is really qualified" - Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati

So, the TRUTH is as clear as the amalaka in the palm. 


Om tat sat

Friday, February 15, 2019

A decade merges in time....

By the grace of Guru, His Holiness Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati Maharaj, A full decade of luni-solar years, 124 moon cycles, 248 EkAdasI tithis, 523 weeks, 3663 days - merged in time since removal of ignorance of true identity of the Self. That is 79120800 micro cycles of life span. This day is dedicated to the unfailing resolve "bhIshma" every year.

End of year 9: https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2018/01/jaya-ekadasi-of-sri-hemalamba-year-9th.html

End of year 8: https://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2017/02/nyasa-in-sat-for-eight-years-by-this.html

(Earlier year links can be found successively in the past posts!)

As a continuing spiritual endeavor, all that is needed for spirituality is contained in several prakaraNa granthas. The supreme consciousness made me read out the complete vivekachudamani in 43 topics  during the year that passed: The live recordings of facebook live audio compiled below for easy access:




om tat sat

Friday, January 26, 2018

Jaya EkAdaSi of SrI hEmalamba year - 9th year, 111th month of tattvAvabOdha

tattvAvabOdhO bhagavAn sarvASA tRNa pAvakaH
prOktH samAdhi SabdEna na tu tUshNImavastithiH 

--- 8th verse of 62nd sarga of upaSama prakaraNa of yOga vASishTha mahArAmAyaNa

This was said by suraghu (a tribal king, who continue to engage in actions) to his close friend parigha (who is a realized rAjarshi, taken up the sannyasa) visiting him.

Meaning: O bhagavAn! (any realized person is addressed as bhagavan) realization is verily the fire that burns all the desire blades of grass; having burned all of them the state is called samAdhi. samAdhi is not a temporary state that comes and goes!!


This post marks 111th lunar cycle after firmly establishing in such permanent samAdhi for me. It is impossible to get into the ignorant belief of thinking any temporary thing as permanent after realizing the true nature of self.

By the guru's unconditional grace, the wisdom shines forth beyond the daily experience of space and time. The body and mind ever engaged in the actions on their own nature never come to obstruct the supreme reality of self in which all is ever established.

Om tat sat

Monday, February 6, 2017

nyAsa in the sat for eight years by this mAgha Sukla EkAdaSi

bhIshma EkAdaSi marks another revolution of Earth around the Sun after:  https://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2016/02/jaya-ekadasi-of-sri-manmatha-year.html

Guru's way of life, every action as well as inaction and silence will reflect wisdom. --- Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati

nyAsa is to keep in the custody. For example if I have a car and then I am going abroad, keeping the car with one of my trusted friend is called nyAsa. I am not giving it away completely, but keeping it in the safe custody. My friend will take care of the car, use it as needed. When and if I come back and take it or I can let him do what he wants with it. That is nyAsa.

So, keeping the ego under the custody of pure conscious self known as sat is called sat+nyAsa = sannyasa.

This day signifies the eight anniversary of my sannyasa. The ego is thoroughly under safe custody of the infinite, pure, blissful conscious self by the grace of my Guru. Once in a while the trusted friend individual jeeva, borrows it and uses it to act in this world through the body, speech and mind layers animated by the life force.

Considerable spiritual work during the last revolution:
1. 18 minute read on medium: https://medium.com/darsana-sastra-vijnana/bhagavad-gita-as-i-see-it-d85bbb6c6edf (Bhagavad Gita — As I see it)

2. The heart of God: https://medium.com/darsana-sastra-vijnana/aditya-hrdayam-the-heart-of-god-30a9257a89b7 (Aditya hRdayam)

om tat sat

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

jaya EkAdaSi of SrI manmatha year

As we reach the eve of jaya EkAdaSi of SrI manmatha nAma samvatsara, it marks 173rd EkAdaSi upavasa with complete understanding of the subject called SELF beyond all objects and their symbolic expressions.

By ever flowing grace of guru, continuing spiritual saadhana. The year passed and calendar changed since the last post http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2015/01/first-ekadasi-of-sisira-rtu-again.html 


Spiritual work by unlimited grace of swami: 

  1. ulladu nArpadu i.e., 40 verses on reality of bhagavan ramaNa maharshi on Medium - https://medium.com/upadesa-saram/saddarsanam-prarthana-5da651b8c26a
  2. A short talk on Srimad bhagavad gIta on Gita jayanti 2015 at Hamsa Ashramam

om tat sat

Thursday, January 29, 2015

First EkAdaSi of SiSira Rtu again

This post marks completion of 74 lunar cycles (72 sankramaNas of Sun through the zodiac) after I came to my final spiritual conclusion six years back on this mAgha Sukla EkAdaSi dedicated to bhIshmAcArya also known as jaya EkAdasi that grants victory in the year named jaya as well.

The post at end of fifth year : http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2014/02/five-cycles-of-saadhana.html
The post at the end of fourth: http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2013/02/progression-as-it-were.html
and end of third : http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2012/02/third-pradakshina-around-truth-of-self.html
The post at the end of second: http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2011/02/another-year-revolves.html
and the first year end post: http://prasadchitta.blogspot.in/2010/01/lunar-year-after-samanvaya.html

Having taken a deep dive within with the help of SAstra and satsanga with wise men is like drinking nectar, Bliss overflows and makes a stream of knowledge run in a gentle flow.Started a medium publication https://medium.com/darsana-sastra-vijnana to share some fundamental ideas of spiritual life.



guru pAduka
After innumerable number of life spans animating various forms of low and high degrees in various worlds, I have entered the present manifestation due to the precipitation of virtue that was accrued all along.

Then came an intense desire to know the source and realize the truth.

Finally the Guru appeared. Guru helped to establish unfailing faith on scriptures. Then came the tAraka mantra and assurance of Guru who has attained the final goal using it.

Gradually, confusion lifted itself away giving rise to vivEka and vairagya; firmly established in sAdhana in three layered auspiciousness! Guru's grace is just beyond all the words, it has to be experienced by everyone!!


कामादिसर्पव्रजगारुडाभ्यां विवेकव्ऐराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्यां ।
बोधप्रदाभ्यां द्रुतमोक्षदाभां नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्यां ॥

కామాదిసర్ప వ్రజ గారుడాభ్యాం వివేకవైరాగ్యనిధిప్రదాభ్యాం
బోధప్రదాబ్యాం ద్రుతమోక్షదాభ్యాం నమో నమః శ్రీ గురుపాదుకాభ్యాం

om tat sat

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Five cycles of saadhana

On this bhIshmm EkAdaSi of srI vijaya year, it is the start of sixth revolution of this tiny Earth around its basis after the little ego identified its dependent appearance.

BhagavAn ramaNa says:

अहम् अपेतकं निज विभानकम्
महत् इदं तपो रमण वागियम्


As a review of past revolution, a good two months has been spent on "writing" on upadeSa sAram on Medium - https://medium.com/upadesa-saram/

Saadhana is for removal of the ego. Saadhana should sink deep into the core of very being of the saadhaka. That is the greatest tapas. The tapas should be done in most gentle, most gracious method as provided by the successive teachers starting from Lord NarayaNa, Lord Brahma, BhagavAn vaSishTha, all the way down to my Guru through the great philosopher of all time Adi Sankara bhagavadpAda AcAraya.

It is bliss all the way through the saadhana, it is bliss that is attained by the saadhana and most importantly it is the same bliss everything ever originated from!!

om tat sat.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

“Progression” as it were!

SrI nandana nAma samvatsara mAgha Sukla EkAdaSi – bhIshma EkAdaSi marks another circumambulation of the tiny self on this Earth around the universal self – Sun.   

The seed of life on earth is Sun, the food that sustains life here is Sun, one who devours life on Earth is Sun as well. There is no way that the universality/unity of Sun’s nature is no way distinct from the diversified picture seen here on the Earth with huge variety of ecosystems in the water, on the land and in the air. Forests, rivers, societies, countries, cultures, wants, needs, fights, wars, construction and destruction everything appear to happen only due to the light of Sun and only to the subtle life force that acts in the Eye of the being witnessing all these things.

In this modern world, all the confusion seems to be caused by two misconceptions.

1.       You only live once

2.       It’s my life

Life is eternal and it animates multiple bodies across multiple worlds depending on each one’s desires and actions. Only due to unconditional compassion of Lord a being appears at a suitable place for a suitable period of time to enjoy/suffer the results of its own thoughts/words/deeds. Lord gives innumerable chances to any being to realize the ultimate and “human form” is the best suited to do so. To born as a man is a great privilege earned through the compassion of God.  So, the misconception of “You only live once” causes unnecessary hurry to enjoy things and results in over consumption and over production causing a lot of damage to the “nature” of God.

All life is connected wherever it is. The air that we breathe is not bounded by any boundaries. The light we take for Sun is neither bounded, the water which flows as rivers is all due to the Sun’s heat that evaporates the water in the oceans and makes them as clouds. But everything is bound by the law of karma – one should be responsible for all the thoughts, words and deeds performed by him/her. All the results of such things resulting harm for another being beyond the allowance granted by God will have to be paid for. The legislation established by the Lord is unfailing and applies to each being equally here. So, the misconception of “It’s my life” causes harm to other beings and ultimately to the individual.

Life is eternal and connected. Living a simple, pious life leads to ultimate good for the individual leading him directly towards the highest knowledge of one-ness of everything.

“vAsudEvaH sarvam iti” is the right knowledge leading one to highest eternal bliss.

Om tat sat

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Third pradakshina around The TRUTH of SELF

anantasamsArasamudratAra
naukAyitAbhyAm gurubhaktidAbhyAm |
vairAgyasAmrAjyadapUjanAbhyAm
namO nama: SrI gurupAdukAbhyAm ||

guru pAduka

SrI khara naama samvatsara, uttaraayana, sisira Rtu, mAgha maasa, shukla paksha, dasami (eve of Bhishma Ekadasi, or Jaya Ekadasi... ) that marks three pradakshiNas of Earth around its bearing principle SUN after "flower of my mind" established firmly at the gurupAdukas and let me realize the unlimited TRUE SELF (turiya) beyond mind and its five vrittis that encompass three states of being - jagrat, swapna and shushupti. 

"IT IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO BE BORN AS MAN, DO NOT FRITTER IT AWAY"
om tat sat

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Another "Year" Revolves!

Sri Vikruti naama samvatsara Maagha Suddha Dasami, Ravivaaram 13th Feb 2011. It marks another revolution from the auspicious day of "Bhishma Ekadasi" last year.

Let me write a brief summary of Life and its Purpose:
1. Human form of life is very unique with its discriminative intelligence (viveka)
2. Its purpose is to evolve the "individual consciousness" to divine realm. (called Moksha)
3. The divine realm is beyond the three usual states of consciousness i.e, waking, dreaming and deep-sleep and three divisions of time i.e., past, present and future.
4. The individual time-quantum (called ayush) is limited during which one should attain THE GOAL! (of evolving to divine realm)
5. "Yoga Vedanta" path is one of the surest & simplest path for attaining this highest goal of moksha.
6. The individual surrender happens in following parts:
Part1: put together all the intellectual energy and surrender it at the lotus feet of GURU
Part2: put together all the emotional energy and surrender it at the feet of LORD (iswara)
Part3: put together all the physical energy and surrender it at the feet of VIRAT (God's universal form)
7. "saadhana" is the process of achieving the complete surrender as described above. Saadhana requires a conscious effort.
8. As soon as this surrender is complete, the individual finds his individuality dissolve completely in the universal existence, consciousness in universal consciousness and merges in the eternal BLISS.
9. GURU is the trusted GUIDE during the process of saadhana as he has gone through the process and knows the starting point, process and the end point of the saadhana.
10. Swetasatara upanishad (6:23) says:
यस्य देवे पराभक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ ।
तस्यैते कथिताह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ॥
11. The Ananda is the TRUE NATURE of the self. It is the non-duality of existence-consciousness-bliss can only be experienced and never be explained!

My Guru's words:
"An ounce of practice (saadhana) is better than tons of theory. Don't give up saadhana. Give up EGO. Sacrifice the ego in the sacrificial fire and burn it down and be a child. Be a Satyakama Jabala, a Nachiketa. Be a Dhruva. You will Realize the Self very next moment."

om tat sat

Note: As "years" revolve, it is only an indication that the SELF (=GURU = GOD) that is observing the "prarabdha karma" take its own course as a continuous saadhana of sacrificing the ahamkaara!

Monday, January 25, 2010

A "lunar year" after the "Samanvaya"

Sri Virodhi Naama Samvatsara Maagha Suddha Dasami - Monday 25 Jan 2010.

This post is just to mark an year (one pradakshiNa of this tiny earth) of arriving at the "Thisis" and completing my "Samanvaya" phase of Advaita Saadhana.

I (the ego) have not found any contradiction (virodha) to the Thisis arrived at a year back!

Still (i = ego) thoroughly surrendered to the GURU ( = true self = GOD!)

om tat sat

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Final Post - Who am I?

|| AUM || Shri Gurubhyonamaha!

Sadasiva Samarambhaam Sankaracharya Madhayamam
asmad acharya paryantaam vande guru paramparam.

shruth smruti puranaanam Alayam karunAlayam
Namami Bhagavadpaada Samkaram Loka Samkaram

Sri Vishnu rupayaa Sadaasivaya

Sri Sarvadhaari Naama Samvatsara, Maagha Suddha Ekadasi - Bhishma Ekadasi.

This is the last Post on to this blog - There is nothing left to SAY!!

"Ekam Sat"; "Vipra Bahudaa Vadanti" |

Truth is ONE; The Wise men say it differently.

I am THAT TRUTH. I am THAT TRUTH. I am THAT TRUTH.
That TRUTH comes into DIRECT EXPERIENCE for a sincere SEEKER of TRUTH.

There is very little (or nothing worthy) one achieves until he/she reaches the lotus feet of GURU (=SELF =GOD)

There is nothing left to achieve ONCE the SEEKER completes the SURRENDER at the lotus feet of the GURU. (The realized sage). This surrender happens ONCE & only ONCE. All the mis-identification merges into its source and vanishes completely without a TRACE.

THE TRUTH is immutable, eternal, infinite, existence, consciousness, bliss.
There is NOTHING beyond, behind, in front of, prior to, posterior to, above, below, greater than, smaller than, similar to, different from, before, after THAT TRUTH.

GOD is THAT TRUTH;
GURU is THAT TRUTH;
I AM THAT TRUTH;

OM TAT SAT.
OM TAT SAT.
OM TAT SAT.
|| AUM ||

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What is Vedanta?

Shruti is neither Dwaita nor Adwaita.
Its interpretation is either dwaita or advaita... or whatever one likes it to be.


First step of vedanta is called Samanvaya : During this step one need to study the entire shruti and smriti with the help of a realized Guru and get to the correct understanding of sabda pramana - which is the highest single source of absolute knowledge.

Second step of vedanta is called Avirodha - non-contradiction. During this stage the seeker should iron out all the apparent conflict with the other valid sources of the knowledge. Vedanta accepts direct perception and reasoning (pratyaksha and anumana) as the other two valid sources of knowledge

Third Step is Saadhana the practice: During this stage, one should carry on the practice of vedanta with nidhidhyasana (also called Mouna) - severe contemplation with one-pointed mind from the above two steps - they can also be named as "Shravana" and "Manana". (hearing and understanding)

The fourth stage is called Phala: The attainment of ever existing Fruit as it were. This stage a vedanti is called jeevan mukta.

So, don't worry about a single verses of Upanishads and their respective interpretations. Just follow the path shown by your GURU with utmost FAITH (Sraddha) and everyone is equally capable of treading the path and reach the GOAL

(the goal is most near to you.... nearer than what ego can think about nearness)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Namaami Bhagavatpaada Samkaram loka samkaram!"
Om Tat Sat.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Hardware and Software

The Existence (sat) is hardware and the consciousness (cit) is software.
Software is nothing but a specific arrangement. It exists everywhere.

This is an attempt to draw some parallels between the Universe and the digital electronics, computers and the Internetworked world.

Due to the arrangement of their own structure, all the materials can be classified as "conductors" or "insulators" or "semi-conductors" a specific material's capability to conduct or insulate the electricity itself is called the software with respective to the electricity (Purusha of Samkhya Darasana)

In PN junction diode we can see the manifestation of the most basic logic - consciousness of direction of electron flow. - This can be treated as the basis for all the manifestation. (Prakruti of Samkhya Darsana)

With this basic diode, a transistor can be made. Following on we can construct the "OR", "AND" and "NOT" logic gates. (the GUNAS of Samkhya Darsana)

Based on the three basic logic gates, an Universal Gate like a NAND or NOR gate is built. Using the universal logic gate (SPACE) and a synchronizing clock signal (TIME) a microprocessor is built. This consists of registers (memory), a control unit, an arithmetic and logic unit(ALU) and the bus which allows the movement of the data and address bits. The subtle essence of each of these components can be called as tanmatras of Samkhya and their physical implementation could be termed as the mahabhutas (pancha bhutas).

The same microprocessor could be used as a controller of Input and Output devices such as serial and parallel ports, disk drives, printers, scanners etc., of various types - these are called indriyas (5 jnana indriyas and 5 karma indriyas)

A specific installation of I/O devices, a central processing unit with a version of BIOS (Ego) is a personal computer. This is a human body. This is an aggregate of hardware, software and powered by the electricity from a suitable power supply.....

This could be powered up in the full mode where all the devices are connected to the internet (the waking state), or all the internet is disabled and runs as standalone mode running an already downloaded game software (the dreaming state) or hibernate state (the deep sleep state)

Depending on the OS loaded, it will be either a Windows or Mac or Linux or any other flavor of computer, depending on the memory installed, clock speed, hard disk space etc., it is small or great. Essentially all that it is doing is processing the data.... taking it from the input device, doing something according to the loaded software (like DNA of human body) and putting it on to the output device. In the memory it holds several objects in different states - they are all REAL (as they were presented to the input devices - indriyas) takes decisions, gets into evolving the software to the next better version. In this process the software evolves to all GOOD and BAD software.

All this is nothing but the electricity or the electric signals in their specific arrangement. It is the same existence of the consciousness everywhere.

It is impossible to separate hardware and software.

The atom is an atom due to the arrangement of its constituent parts - protons, neutrons and electrons. There is software within the atom.

A cell in the human body also functions due to the software of DNA within itself

The whole Universe along with its own natural arrangement as a "single WHOLE" is the ultimate reality.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Knowledge of Ignorance (AVIDYA)

Ignorance (avidya) is not a mere word pointing out the absence of knowledge.

a-vidya has to be understood as the word a-mitra (non-friend).

The word amitra is not a mare word representing absence of a friend. It is pointing out that existence of a foe, enemy.

Ignorance is a (no*)thing (pl. refer to "Thing, Word and Idea" post below to get an idea of what is a thing) as real as the world appearance, which causes the world appearance.

Saadhana (conscious effort) is required to identify this "Ignorance (avidya)" and dissolve it completely thereby purifying and fine tuning the internal instrument (anthakarana) to receive the ever present infinite light & bliss of Atma (vidya) and realize it.

Om Tat Sat.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Time, Change and Process

Having discussed the "Thing, Word and Idea" triad of static aspect of Iswara and the relativity between them in an earlier post, this is my attempt to bring another triad of Time, Change and Process related to the Dynamic aspect of the God.

Change:
Change is relative to a thing. It could be two ways, A thing is said to have a change with respective to a property provided at time T1 it has one value and at time T2 a different value. E.g. A red thing becoming a blue thing.
A thing is said to have change with respective to its make-up provided at the time T1 it has parts P1 and P2 and at time T2 it has either lost P1 or P2 or acquired another Part P3. So, the consisting parts have changed the make-up of the thing.

Process:
Process is the "act of becoming" for a conscious thing. It has a start and end. The process will start with the will to change (in state of a property or the make-up) and complete when it accomplishes that desired change in the thing.

Time:
The change in the apparently unconscious things (insentient beings) is caused by the will of God. They are the processes like day and night, bright half and dark half of the month, seasons, YEAR - they are used as TIME to mark the other changes. As a shorter scale a blink of the eye, a respiration, a beat of the heart etc., are also belong to the universal processes.

The time is the synchronizing element for events. This is a cyclic process of unitary change - called vibration, spandana or Asvasa. This is the background screen on which all the events (changes) are projected on to.

How to understand this Dynamism:
Any "thing" which is subjected to "change" due to a "process" over "time" can't be permanent.

a. An aggregate thing which has parts is subjected to change due to further aggregation or dis-aggregation of parts.
b. If a property (GUNA or QUALITY) which is auspicious (good etc.,) which is subjected to change can turn out to be the completely opposite quality over time.

The Result:
This knowledge is called VIVEKA - discrimination. This VIVEKA causes VAIRAAGYA - detachment from the changing things. The detachment leads to removal of delusion (nir-moha). This will further lead to one pointed concentration. With this one pointed concentration(nischala-chitta) one attains the final release from Actions (jeevan-mukti) due to the right identification with the unchanging eternal thing (Brahma).

I am THAT unchanging absolute reality which is the source of TIME & SPACE.

saakshi cheta kevalo nirguNasca. - Svetasvatara Upanishad (VI-11)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Owner and Knower of the Field

There is really an important difference between the "Knower" and the "Owner" of the Field (kshetra).

What is the Field?
It is the World/Universe [what appears in a larger sense] and Body/Mind/Intellect [what sees]; both the Seen and Seer are part of the Field.

Owner?
The Seer "thinks" that it is the OWNER of "some of the Seen" and it wants to expand the OWNERSHIP to the rest of the Seen. This is the nature of the OWNER.

Let us see the two important properties of this OWNER:
1. This OWNER thinks that he is conscious. Thinks that he has his OWN awareness.
It is like one of the cells of the body thinking that it is independent, it gets oxygen and food on its own effort, it has to work to sustain and build itself and it is distinct from its environment. Each cell of the body is part of a subsystem, all the systems put together it is the BODY. The consciousness is ONE across the body which supplies awareness to all the cells. Similarly, all the consciousness/awareness seen all over the universe is ONE. So, thinking that each individual body has its own awareness/consciousness is a fallacy.

2. This owner draws an imaginary boundary, assumes OWNERSHIP within the boundary and Identify itself with this boundary.

But this OWNER is just the THINKER (mind); Who thinks that he owns some of the Field. It is clear that "this OWNER" is not different from the Field itself. The Field includes this Body/Mind/Intellect. Hence this idea of OWNERSHIP is a fantasy.
{This OWNER is EGO - the Illusory Thing}

Knower - kshetrajna
Knower is the one who knows the true nature of the Whole Field. The Field as a "thing-in-itself" as a whole devoid of words and ideas. {Please refer to the Thing, Word and Idea post} The object of the Knower is the Intellect, through which the rest of the Field is seen. To Know a thing in itself one has to completely pervade that thing. So this Knower pervades the whole of the Field and completely distinct from it at the same time ONE with it.
{This Knower is SELF - REAL THING}

Conclusion:
A OWNER can never be a Knower and vice-versa. A OWNER is assumed in the KNOWER. OWNER is missing the first "K" and confused over the letters "O" & "W".
The goal is to be the Knower, by filling up the correct understanding and removing the confusion.

I am the Knower of this Field, I OWN nothing - absolutely nothing.

Note: The above is an attempt to put the Words of Lord in my own Language...
Any reader interested can get hold of the original holy book Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Chapter -XIII explains the nature of Kshetra and the Kshetrajna.

Om Tat Sat.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Thing, Word and Idea

They are distinct and not same.

A "thing" is a real entity which exists.
A "word" is a name represents an entity.
An "idea" is generated in the mind (memory) about a thing and its association to a word.

An example:
A COW as a thing is a cow. It is a specific entity which exists.

The word "cow" is a general name representing the thing cow for the people who speak English. The same thing is represented by multiple words, some call it a "gau", some others "aavu" etc., even in the same language there are multiple words representing the same thing....

The idea "cow" is the impression of the thing cow and its association with the word cow in the mind. One remembers a cow when the word "cow" is heard or read.

The Confusion:
Generally people disagree due to the difference in ideas. There is absolutely no possibility of difference or confusion within the essential nature of the "thing" itself.

People can't discriminate between these three and get into arguments. The agreement or disagreement is between two ideas and only between the ideas. The "thing-in-itself" is never impacted by ideas.

The Application:
Now apply this to the magic word "AHAM" or "I"

AHAM - "I" as a thing need to be understood completely. It is not the "I" as an idea in the Mind. The thing "AHAM" is absolute reality whereas the word "I" and the idea of "ego" are relative to the actual thing "AHAM" - "the self".

This confusion between the THING and IDEA is called "AVIDYA" - Ignorance; The root cause of {all misery in} the world.

Realizing the AHAM - "self" as a thing devoid of words and ideas is knowing one's own self; It is the highest goal of human form of life with its capability of discrimination.

Things can't be completely explained by the words or ideas. One should perceive the thing to realize it.

AHAM BRAHMASMI - I am THAT absolute reality.

ॐ तत् सत्

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Why? What? Who?

I have seen this question "Why?" many times in many contexts. But when we discuss about the subject of "Know yourself" the very first question generally asked is "Why?"

People say "I know myself, I am so and so, I am happy with this knowledge, I am what I am, I know everything about myself, WHY should I try to KNOW which is obvious? WHY?"

When I ask my seven year old daughter, "who are you?"
she will reply "I am your daughter"
then I ask her "From when?"
she would reply "From dd-mm-yyyy (her birthday)"
then I ask her "what were you before that?"
she thinks for a while and asks me
"who were you before you were born?" and asserts me that she was same as I was before we both were born.

See the implication here.
I was not who I am now, my daughter was not who she is now but we are same before we were born.....

then

WHO AM "I"? (that I before we were born)

If someone thinks birth is the beginning and death is the ending and there is nothing before the birth and nothing after the death then:
what are you for your great grandfather?
Is there a relation or not?

That is why one should know the real "I" (the self)

In Brihadaranyaka Upanisad sage Yajnavalkya says to his wife Maitrayi:

Ātmᾱ vᾱ are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyᾱsitavyaḥ: "O, Maitreyī, it is the Ātman that is to be beheld; it is the Ātman that is to be known; it is the Ātman that is to be searched for; it is the Ātman which is to be heard about; it is the Ātman which is to be thought in the mind; it is the Ātman which is to be meditated upon. There is nothing else worthwhile thinking, nothing else worthwhile possessing, because nothing worthwhile exists, other than This."

Om Tat Sat.

Yajnavalkya Jayanti - 05-November-2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Practice - Saadhana

"Simple Natural Living and Profound High Thinking" is what the Saadhana all about. Have Faith in this simple truth. That is saadhana. Saadhana is like the prescription to the disease. The result is restoration of Health - The original state.

Body:
What you eat is what you will become. Conquer the three inch long tongue. This is the first step of Saadhana. For the sake of this one small tongue the whole body is put to trouble by the ordinary human being. Without a healthy body, no further practice can be done.

Eat natural, simple, balanced food sufficient to maintain the body. Avoid excess of sweets, spicy food, oil, salt, and other strong tastes.
Sprouts, unpolished rice, pulses etc give wonderful nutrients to the body.

The age of cells on the tongue is about 14 days. If you strictly follow a satvic food continuously for 15 days, the new cells formed on the tongue will start liking and relishing the sattvik food.

Asana - The good posture of sitting, standing and in overall living to be inculcated.

Clean the body externally, give sufficient rest and sufficient entertainment to the body. (yukta ahara viharasya yukta cestasya karmasu, yukta svapnavabodhasya YOGO bhaviti duhkahaa - BG 6-17)

Vital Force (Prana):
The air outside when enters the body becomes vital force. Regulate the breathing process. Get to the rhythm of regular full capacity breath to fill and EMPTY the lungs. This will help cleaning the 80% of the toxins produced in the body.

Drink sufficient water, as the water only becomes Prana as per the Upanisads.
Drink water early in the morning, 1 hour before solid food and two hours after the food. It will help cleaning body from inside. (remaining 20% cleaning)

Mind:
Mind is nothing but the stream of thoughts, continuously changing and never sticking to one point. Try bringing the Mind to one place and one thought stream. Dharana and Pratyahara are the technical terms for this process. It is loosely translated into English as Meditation. Do meditation.

Naama Japa is an excellent tool for bringing the Idle mind to one pointed concentration. Take a favorite god and just repeat the name of the god. No praying for some worldly gain, no complaints to god, no requests, no desires.... Just chant the name. God knows what is best for you. He will surely give what you DESERVE. Have Faith.

Over a period of time the good qualities will automatically come into the mind.
Dama - control of senses in all situations
Daattam - charity to the needy ones in what you have
Daya - compassion to all beings

Use the mind as the tool to control the senses, developing the righteous path. To the continuous stream of right thoughts, unbroken and uninterrupted.

Knowledge (Vijnana):
Satsanga - Associate with the wise people. Associate with the SAT - the being. Association with wise alone can give the correct Knowledge.

Swadhyaya - Study the literature from divine scriptures.

Descriminative knowledge of eternal and non-eternal to be inculcated.
Whatever is produced, purified, transformed, obtained is NOT eternal. It could be destroyed, tainted, further transformed, lost over time.
Whatever has parts is NOT infinite.

The absolute whole without parts is the only eternal - That is supreme, That is self.

Vichara - Inquire into that self, The real I, the Subject without any objects.

Bliss (Ananda):
This is automatic for a Saadhaka who is regulating the food and posture, vital air, mind and developing virtues of dama, dattam, daya along with the association with the wise.

This bliss is infinite, everlasting and unending. - This is directly experienced. Yes - It is experienced directly - the original and natural state of the self.

Saadhana is not mere studying scriptures, discussing about the TRUTH. It is about practicing and directly realizing the TRUTH.

OM TAT SAT

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Yoga of Attaining Purushottama

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha.

This is an attempt to summarize the 15th Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita which is the shortest and most profound. (this associates to the essential equality of in the mahavakya tat tvam asi)

15-1. He who knows the pipal tree, with its roots above and branches below whose leaves are Vedas and which is said to be imperishable (avyayam) is the knower of Veda.
15-2. Its branches spread up and down, nourished by the qualities (Guna), its buds are objects of senses (vishaya), its roots grow downward generating bonds of action in the world of men.
15-3. The form (rupam), its end or beginning (adi & anta) are not available here (in this world). Having cut down this pipal tree with strong roots (suvirudha mulam) with the weapon of dispassion (asanga sastrena dhruDhena chitva)...
15-4. that supreme state, reaching where one never returns, should be carefully searched. I take refuge) in that primal person, from whom, the creation (Pravritti) stemmed forth.
15-5. Without pride and delusion, free from attachment, dwelling constantly in the SELF, devoid of pairs of opposites, attain that imperishable state.
15-6. Neither Sun, nor Moon, nor fire shines there. Having gone there they return not. That is my supreme abode.

15-7. An eternal part of myself, having become a jiva, draws itself to senses and mind placed in matter.
15-8. When the jeeva acquires and leaves the body, it takes these(mind and senses) like fragrance (of flowers) carried by the wind.
15-9. He (jeeva) enjoys the objects of senses by presiding over (adhisThAya) the mind and senses.
15-10. The Ignorant (vimUDhA) dont see the one who is residing, departing and enjoying in the body, being enveloped by the qualities (gunas); but the wise see through the eye of Jnana.
15-11. Yogis by striving see him; People with impure heart (akruta-Atmanaha) though struggling can't see him being mindless (acetasah).

15-12. The splendor in sun, moon and fire; Know it to be mine.
15-13. Having entered the Earth, I support all the beings. Having become the sap I nourish all the plants.
15-14. Becoming the digestive fire (visvAnara) seated in the bodies of living beings and unite the life-breaths (prana,apana) I digest four kinds of foods.
15-15. I am seated in the hearts (buddhi) of all beings; From me memory, wisdom and also negation. And that which is to be known in all the vedas am I; and I am the author of all the vedas and vedanta.

15-16. There are two kinds of purushas in this world; the perishable and imperishable (kshara and Akshara). All these beings are perishable and the "Kutastha" is imperishable.
15-17. There is another supreme purusha (the paramatma or supreme person) prevading all sustains the worlds - He is Iswara.
15-18. I am beyond the perishable and also beyond the imperishable, therefore I am known as supreme soul (purushottama)
15-19. He who knows me as purushottama, un-deluded and all knowing, worships me with his whole being (sarva-bhavena)

15-20. Thus the most secret knowledge has been imparted by me. O Bharata! having known this be illumininated and work finished (buddhiman and kritakrutya).

Om Tat Sat.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yogam

OM SRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA.

This is the name of chapter 9 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Which means the King of Knowledge and the King of secrets. This chapter falls under the second six chapters of Srimad Bhagavad Gita and stress up on the THAT part of "TAT TVAM ASI"

9-1,2: Lord Sri Krishna declares that this chapter as purifier, highest and direct knowledge (pratyakshavagamam) which is Dharma, giver of happiness (sasukham kurvam) and imperishable (avyayam)

9-3: People without faith on this Dharma (the righteous path) will revolve in death and samsara (birth and death cycle)

9-4: This world is spread by the Lord who is formless. Lord says: "All beings have root in me"

9-5: "All the beings are not rooted in me" says lord - Look at this wonderful YOGA of Lord.

9-6: Lord gives an example of mighty air is rooted in Akasa (the space) but the space is never touched by the Air. This is to explain the previous two verses.

9-7,8 : All beings enter my Nature (prakruti) at the end of a world age (kalpa-kshaya) which I eminate at the beginning of the kalpa. I keep emanate them again and again by to force of Prakruti.

9-9: Actions do not bind me as I am seated indifferent and unattached to these actions. >>> This is an important statement made by Lord.

9-10: Under my supervision, Nature (prakruti) sends forth all animate and inanimate beings; Because of this O Kaunteya, universe revolves.

9-11: Not knowing me (the self) foolish people disregard me - who is the lord of all beings who is dwelling in this human body.

9-12: They (the foolish ones) with vain hope, worthless action, useless knowledge become refuged in demonic nature.

9-13: But the Great men take refuge in my divine nature, and knowing me to be the imperishable cause of all creation worship me with unwavering mind.

9-14: Ever Balanced (nitya yuktah) they worship me (the self) with devotion.


9-15: Some worship me with Knowledge, some with Sacrifice, in oneness and in multitude.

9-16: I am the sacrifice, oblation, offering to manes, medicinal plant, the mantra, butter, fire and the burnt offering. --> Declaring that he is all components of Sacrifice.
9-17: I am the father, mother, grandsire, supporter, rk, yajur, sama vedas and the one who is worthy to be known.
9-18: I am the path, husband, lord, witness, abode, shelter, lover, origin, dissolution, foundation, treasure-house and the seed-imperishable (bijam-avyayam)
9-19: I radiate the heat as SUN, I hold back and send forth the rain, I am immortality as well as death, I am the being and also the non-being. (sat, asat, ca, aham, arjuna!)

9-20,21: Those who perform sacrifice as per the three vedas, worshipping me (selfishly) will get purified by sin and attain the world of Indra and enjoy the heavenly pleasures. After the merits gets exhausted, they return back to this mortal world.

9-22: Those who worship me (the self) alone, thinking of no other and always absorbed in my thought, I will take care of their needs and protection. (yoga, kshemam, vahami, Aham)

9-23,24: Even the Devotees who worship other Gods with faith, they worship me alone. But these devotees not knowing me in essence (tattvena) they fall.

9-25: Those who worship Gods reach the worlds of Gods, who worship manes reach the world of manes, worship sprits will reach the world of sprits, But my worshippers will reach me.

9-26: A flower, leaf, fruit, water when offered with devotion, I accept it.

9-27, 28: Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give or perform austerity, do that as an offering on to me.
Thus you will be liberated from the bonds of action, yielding good and evil fruit, and come to me by the YOGA of renunciation (sanyasa-yoga-yukta-atma)

9-29: I am equally present in all beings. None dear to me and none hateful. Who worship me with devotion they are in me and I am in them.

9-30 to 34: Hope for All
Even a great sinner, when taken up this Dharma, with devotion, he should be conidered as a saint as he has well begun. Without differentiation of caste, gender whoever takes refuge in me they will attain supreme goal.
So,
manmanaha bhava badbhaktha madhyaji mam namaskuru
mam eva eashyasi yuktva evam atmanam matparayanaha.

On me fix your mind, be my devotee, sacrifice to me, prostrate to me, Thus uniting yourself with me and completely depending on me, YOU shall come to ME.

Om tat sat.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Karma Yoga - Thrid Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha.

Lord Sri Krishna explains the importance of Jnana and describes a "Stitha Prajna" - the person who is "established in wholesome knowledge" in the second chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

Arjuna gets a genuine doubt:
3-1 If the Knowledge is Superior to the Action (Karma) Why the Lord is pushing him to carryout action resulting in lot of killing (the war)?
3-2 Give me a sure single answer through which means I can reach the BLISS.
Thus inquired, Lord Sri Krishna replies:
3-3 In the world they are two paths 1. Jnana Yoga (Samkhya) 2. Karma Yoga (Yoga)
3-4 Perfection is not attained by simply renouncing ACTION alone.
3-5 Everyone is helplessly driven into action by the qualities (gunas) born of nature (prakruti)
3-6 Defines a Hypocrite. Who externally stops action, but mind dwells in the sense objects.
3-7 Defines "karma yoga" and the stress is on the word "asaktaha" - without attachment
3-8 Do the prescribed duties otherwise even maintenance of body is not possible.
3-9 world is bound by action. but, again stress on mukta-sangaha unattachment
3-9 to 13 Importance of performing action as sacrifice
3-14 declares that the creatures of the whole world is arise out of action
3-15 states that the action arises from Brahma and Brahma from the "Akshara" - the imperishable
3-16 Who follows the indriyas (indriya-aramaha) is living uselessly.
3-17,18 Clearly declares There is NO ACTION for the one who rejoices the SELF in SELF.
3-19 Again stress on un-attachment in performing action
3-20 Gives example of Janaka who has achieved perfection through Karma.
3-21 Whatever a great man does the normal people follow the same. So it is important to set the trend of selfless action.
3-22 Lord gives there is nothing for him to do or achieve but engage in action..
3-25 says as the ignorant perform action with attachment in the same way wise perform action without attachment
3-26 warns that the wise people should not create shake-up of the mind in the ignorant (buddhi-bhedam)
3-27 Is a great disclosure - states that ALL ACTION is done by the PRAKRITI born GUNAS. The one who is deluded due to EGO thinks that HE is the DOER.
3-29 Again states that wise men should not unsettle the minds of ignorant who are attached to the work
3-30, 31 clearly states to surrender ALL action to LORD and the one who follows the teaching will be FREED from ACTION.
3-34 states that the love and hate (raga and dvesha) are due to senses and objects and they obstruct the path of a seeker
3-35 stress the importance of SWADHARMA - ones own duty

Then Arjuna rises an important Question of WHY one COMMITS SIN? (3-36)

Lord answers that desire and hate are due to the quality called RAJAS and this rajas is the all-polluting foe - the main ENEMY within. Desire envelopes the wisdom. And asks Arjuna to sly this thing of sin which is the destructive of WISDOM.

Then progressively the mind is superior to the senses, reasoning (buddhi) is superior to mind and The supreme is superior to the buddhi (reason)

3-43 "Thus understanding HIM (the supreme) who is superior to the reason, restraining self by SELF sly thou, O mighty armed!, the enemy in the form of desire difficult to overcome"
with this lord finishes the THIRD Disclosure of Srimad Bhagavad Gita

In a nutshell ALL the action happens on its own due to the Gunas born out of Prakriti. Due to the desire one gets bound to the action. (both good and bad action bind - there is no exception) By performing action as sacrifice leaving everything to the LORD without any attachment one gets freed from ACTION.

Om Tat Sat.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Importance of Unlearning

Advaita Saadhana is nothing but a carefully drawn process of unlearning.

From a beginning less period, the individual jeeva learns the identification (or rather mis-identification) to the body, senses and mind and strongly believes that the mind and ego are the real self.

From this basis mis-identified thought of AHAM KARTA or "I am the doer" or with the "agentship or agency" one learns everything.

Learning leads to conviction in the concept. The concept of pain and pleasure are later gets strengthened by the concepts of BAD and GOOD in the society. Jeeva goes through the process of learning (or rather bondage) to the duality of pain and pleasure and bad and good from this perspective. (primarily due to the externalized nature of the senses)

Someone who is determined to go back to the natural state of infinite bliss, should consider this unlearning. It involves unlearning all that what has been learned from the beginning less time.

Once all that what is known is unlearned - one will achieve the freedom from the known. This is a part in removing the vasanas - the sastra vasana - the vasana of thinking that "I know a lot of sastra and I know it correctly" - one of the main impediments to the realization of ULTIMATE TRUTH. (the other two important vasanas are the deha vasana and the loka vasana)

OM TAT SAT.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Karma - Action and its limitations

Any action is finite. There is no infinite action.
Only when the action completes, then the result is produced.
Anything produced is finite.

Hence NO Action (Karma) can produce the result called "Moksha" or Unlimited being, consciousness and Bliss. Only Knowledge of Self leads one to Moksha.
The Karma (RIGHT ACTION) can generate finite results of obtaining the other three purushardhas i.e., Dharma, Artha, and Kaama.

In Bhagavad Gita bhashya XVIII-66 Sri Sankaracharya explains:
(From the Swami Gambhirananda's English Translation of Sankara Bhashya)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this scripture, the Gita, has knowledge been established as the supreme means to Liberation, or is it action, or both? Why does the doubt arise? (Because) the passages like, '...by realizing which one attains Immortality' (13.12), 'Then, having known Me in truth, he enters (into Me) immediately after that (Knowledge)' (18.55), etc. point to the attainment of Liberation through Knowledge alone. Texts like, 'Your right is for action alone' (2.47), '(you undertake) action itself (4.15), etc. show that actions have to be under-taken as a matter of compulsory duty. Since both Knowledge and action are thus enjoined as duties, therefore the doubt may arise that they, in combination as well, may become the cause of Liberation.

Objection: What, again, would be the result of this inquiry?
Vedantin: Well, the result will verily be this: The ascertainment of one of these as the cause of the highest good. Hence this has to be investigated more extensively. Knowledge of the Self, however, is exclusively the cause of the highest good; for, through the removal of the idea of differences, it culminates in the result that is Liberation. The idea of distinction among action, agent and result is ever active with regard to the Self because of ignorance. This ignorance in the form, 'My work; I am the agent; I shall do this work for that result', has been at work from time without beginning. The dispeller of this ignorance is this Knowledge regarding the Self-in the form, 'I am the absolute, non agent, free from action and result; there is none else other than myself because, when it (Knowledge) arises it dispels the idea of differences which is the cause of engagement in action. The word 'however' above is used for ruling out the other two alternatives. This refutes the two other alternative views by showing that the highest good cannot be attained through mere actions, nor by a combination of Knowledge and action. Besides, since Liberation is not a product, therefore it is illogical that it should have action as its means. Indeed, an eternal entity cannot be produced by either action of Knowledge.

Objection: In that case, ever exclusive Knowledge is purposeless.
Vedantin: No, since Knowledge, being the destroyer of ignorance, culminates in Liberation which is directly experienced result. The fact that Knowledge, which removes the darkness of ignorance, culminates in Liberation as its result is directly perceived in the same way as is the result of the light of a lamp which removes ignorance the form of sanke etc. and darkness from objects such as rope etc. Indeed, the result of light amounts to the mere (awareness of the) rope, free from the wrong notions of snake etc. So is the case with Knowledge. As in the case of the acts like 'cutting down', 'producing fire by friction' etc., in which accessories such as the agent and others operate, and which have perceivable results, there is no possibility of (the agent etc.) engaging in any other activity giving some other result apart from 'splitting into two', 'seeing (or lighting of) fire' etc, similarly, in the case of the agent and the other factors engaged in the 'act' of steadfastness in Knowledge which has a tangible result, there is no possibility of (their) engagement in any other action which has a result different from that in the form of the sole existence of the Self. Hence, steadfastness in Knowledge combined with action is not logical.

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Hence, the action and any combination of action with knowledge are ruled out and the PURE KNOWLEDGE OF SELF only culminates in the liberation.

OM TAT SAT