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. 

--☺️--

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.

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.

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)

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.

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

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

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.

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

Pramana - Valid Source of Knowledge

OM Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
Sri Sarvadhari Nama samvatsara Vaisakha Sukla Panchami - Sri Sankara Jayanti.
This is an attempt to summarize the View of Jagadguru on the "Pramana" - Valid Source of Knowledge.

Introduction:
The three "Pramanas" termed in Sanskrit are Pratyaksha (sense perception), Anumana (Inference or Reasoning) and Sabda (Scriptural Statement)

First two are based on daily experience, widely accepted sources of knowledge and the basis of all sciences, also the science is limited by the consciousness.
The third "Sabda" pramana relates to the internal experience of man beyond the mind and ordinary consciousness.

anubhava avasanatvat, bhuta vastu vishayatvat ca jnanasya (In Brahma Sutra Bhashya I.1.2) - Jnana ends in direct experience and relates to an already existing reality.

Mimamsa is the science of interpreting the Scriptures (Veda) the purva mimamsa deals with the Karma Kanda (ritual portion) whereas the uttara mimamsa (or vedanta) deals with the Jnana Kanda (the Upanishad Portion) of the Veda.

Pramana's In general:
In Brihadaranyakopanishad Bhashya (II.1.20)
a. na ca anumAnaM pratksha virodhe pramanyam labhate
An inference has no authority as againest perception
b. sva vishaya suraNi hi pramaNani srotra-adi-vat
The means of knowledge are powerful in their own respective spheres like the ear etc.,
c. na ca pramaNaM pramaNAntareNa virudhyate
and one means of knowledge does not contradict another
d. pramaNantara vishayameva pramaNataraM jnapayati
The scope of one source of knowledge is not within the scope of other sources of knowledge.
(1V.3.22) sruti virodhe nyayabhasatvopagamAt - any reasoning that contradicts the sruti is a fallacy.
In Taittariyopanishad Bhashya (II.6) Srutis (vedas) are the means to furnish us with the knowledge of spheres of existence beyond our senses.

So, each source of knowledge has its own sphere of knowledge and they can't contradict each other.

Jnana Kanda:
How to identify a "Pramana Vakya" in the Sruti - The test for the pramana vakya
Brihadaranyakopanishad Bhashya (I.4.7):
The test of the authority or otherwise of a passage is not whether it states an fact or an action, but its capacity to generate indubitable and fruitful knowledge. A passage that has this is authoritative and one that lacks it is not.
AND in (I.4.10):
jnapakaM hi sastram na tu karakam iti sthiti
Scripture is revelatory (provide information) and not mandatory (issuing commands)
AND in Taittariyopanishad Bhashya (I.11):
purushardhopadesatvat srutInam
Srutis reveal means to attain the various ends of man.

Limitations of Sabda Pramana:
Brihadaranyakopanishad Bhashya (II.1.20)
na tu sastram bhrutyAniva balAt nivartayati niyojayati vA
but the scripture neither hinder nor direct a person by force.

na ca vacanaM vasunaha samardhya janakam. (I.4.10)
nor scriptural statement impart any power to a thing.

(II.1.20) also states:- Sruti is marely informative, the scriptures seek not to alter the nature of things, but to supply information about things unknown, as they are

So, Vedas are not commands of GOD but they provide means to achieve all the purushardhas namely, Dharma, Ardha, Kama and MOKSHA. - Moksha is the highest purushardha.

Impersonal and Eternal:
In Brahma Sutra Bhashya (I.1.2):
Perception of true nature of reality is not a product of man's intellect. It depends on the nature of the object (in search)
also (I.3.28):
words indicate not units or individuals but the genius. The genius is eternal. i.e., the Vedas state general propositions and not particular events or things.

Importance of Understanding Meaning of Vedas:
In Brihadaranyakopanishad Bhashya (I.3.1)
As in common life (in Scriptural matters also) it is but proper that not an incorrect understanding leads to welfare.
AND in (I.3.8)
Correct comprehension (of the Vedas) leads to well-being, and erroneous notions, as we find, lead to evil.

and finally

THERE CANNOT BE ALTERNATIVES IN TRUTH AS IN RITUALS OR ACTIONS

My conclusion:
gaining the "right knowledge" using the "Sabda Pramana" is the only way to attain the ultimate goal of human form of life and there is no other way out!!!

OM TAT SAT

Note: All the above references picked from the Book "Sri Sankara's Teachings in his own words" by Swami Atamananda.

"Evolve or Perish" - is the divine law

The purpose of human form of life is to evolve the mind to the higher level.

Due to Ego, each life form is naturally instigated to preserve and propagate itself. This is common in human form of life also.

But, human form has unique ability of "discriminating and analytical" mind. Putting this unique ability to work, dissolving the Ego and raising the consciousness above the level of animal consciousness of natural instincts is what is meant by the Evolution of mind.

If not done, the human form life is a an opportunity wasted or missed. That is meant by perishing. It may take quite a long time to get the opportunity again!

So, "Evolve or Perish" is the divine law. - As it was told by my Guru's Guru - Swami Suryananda.

[The term Evolution here means mental purification and spiritual unfoldment. It should not be confused with Darwin's organic evolution or Mendel's Genetic evolution, both of which have nothing to do with spiritual evolution]

Om Tat Sat.

space-time & sat-cit

Space time curvature explains the Gravity where as the sat-cit curvature explains everything. Lets look at the relation between the space & sat and time & cit:

The pure existence is Space - not touched by any form but required to manifest any form. Sat is Space.

The pure cit is time - not touched by any symbol but required to represent any symbol. The symbolic world is created by reference to a past or future time never the "present" time.

Time is the fundamental quantity.

It gets slightly tricky. Time is cyclic, it is like a circle, imagining a start and a end point on this circle of time makes the time finite. That is typically called EGO or modified cit (opposite of pure cit)

The modified cit is the mind, is the action, is the event, and time is measured as the quantity between two different events. The homogeneous "one time" gets divided into three times as the past, present and future.

Thought is always with reference to past or future. Thought can never be present. Present can never be Thought.

Imaginary boundary on the cit causes the thought and thought is the cause of this imaginary boundary. - This is the start of manifestation in the space (pure sat)

Further this differentiation has no fixed boundary it keeps changing according to the thought. sometimes the past is the past second, sometimes the past is the last year. sometimes the past is the previous life.

Transcending the time is getting thoughtless state or "just being"

At the stage of this just being the cit merges perfectly with sat which is the natural state (soul = sat cit ananda).

TAT TWAM ASI & sat cit ananda

After a long samadhi, I finally found some quick definition for maya (Still within maya) But to express "silence" we use the word "silence" instead of "real" silence.

The sat (pure existence) and cit (pure consciousness) are same. That is what the statement TAT TWAM ASI is pointing us to. The word TAT literally means THAT is PURE EXISTENCE (also combined with the pure consciousness and ANANDA) where as the word TWAM signifies the PURE CONSCIOUSNESS (along with the sat and ananda) the equality of TAT and TWAM is what TAT TWAM ASI.

In duality we see the existence (sat) different from its cognition (cit) this differentiation is MAYA. Due to this maya our original sat is covered by the maya cit which is MIND. we see everything with a conception of MIND.

Adding consciousness to existence making it TAT and removing the maya from mind and making it TWAM and equating both is the ADVAITA SAADHANA.

The mahavakya TAT TWAM ASI is the realization of sat cit ananda.

OM TAT SAT.

The journey and the Goal

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha.

The Jeeva's journey is set forth due to desire to manifest (as discussed in the earlier post). The same thing can be explained in a slightly scientific manner as follows:-

Macrocosm:
There is Brahma represented by pure undivided consciousness in the beginning.
Due to the desire to manifest the infinite ocean of pure undivided consciousness a small precipitation of that consciousness appears. This is named as the golden germ or the Hiranya Garbha or Prajapati, or Iswara or Saguna Brahma - sat-chit-ananda.
This is also the first movement, the start of time, primeval nada of AUM.
This is represented as three types of symbols 1.Idols, 2.Yantra or chakras 3.Mantras

This is the first limitation on the unlimited pure consciousness. This is called as iccha sakti - the energy of desire. Even though slightly limited this is also infinite and subtlest of all energies.

With this iccha sakti as consort, Iswara contemplated on the "know how" and from the contemplation the jnana sakti or the Energy of Knowledge is created. This is called as Veda or Sruti in Sanatana Dharma. This includes all the knowledge ever known to any being. This is second subtle energy.

With this jnana sakti as consort, Brahma contemplated on the Action and from the contemplation the kriya sakti or the Energy of Action is created. The sum-total of this Kriya sakti is represented by Akasa - the space.

With this kriya sakti as consort, Vishnu arranges all the gross energies like Gravity and electromagnetic forces with in the space and all the gross universe is nothing but the condensed and arranged energy within the space.

Microcosm:
The iccha and jnana sakti together form the MIND of an individual and a small part of the kriya sakti formed as the BODY.

The root cause of the BODY is desire or unfinished work. That is iccha sakti. This is also called as karana sarira. The subtlest body.

From the desire one generated Knowledge or know how - that is Jnana sakti. This jnana sakti is further divided as vignana the know how part and the vasana the latent behavioral traits of the individual. These two put together it is called sukshma sarira.

The sense organs, action organs and the prana the link between the subtle bodies and the gross body is called the BODY. This is also called as stula sarira.

The Pravritti Marga - The onward journey:
Guided by the desire and free will to fulfill the desire one generates knowledge or know how and implement the plan using the body. iccha(own - misidentified) -> jnana -> kriya (association with name & form) with the identification to the body as the self.
Continue in the loop of death and birth bound by the fruit of action. Theory of karma.

The transformation point:
By association with the wise, unsatisfied by the material achievements, pessimistic of scientific limitation and the gross limitation of senses and body the iccha the free will turns towards the TRUTH or REALITY.

The mind turns inward.


The Nivritti Marga - The journey to the TRUTH
1. Development of dispassion to the world of names and forms.
This is also called removal of deha vasana. One realizes the gross BODY is not the self. and self is beyond the gross BODY. Removing the limitation of Kriya Sakti. Transcending Space.

2. Freedom from the Known
This is also called removal of Sastra vasana. Giving up all the knowledge gained using the senses during the mind turned externally. To start with leaving all the bad habits. slowly using the discrimination to leave all the vices and finally even the virtues and good vasanas. Removing the limitation of Jnana Sakti - Transcending Unknown and the Known.

3. Removal of Desire
Until the above step, one has to keep the desire for Moksha (liberation) and finally leave the Desire itself. Removing the limitation of iccha sakti. Transcending the Time or the slightest movement of the mind. This is where the grace comes in.. one individual needs the grace of supreme to finally remove the desire for liberation.

At the final stage the source of everything is "realized" as the pure consciousness.
So, the one who completes the whole cycle of pravritti marga - going away from the original state of pure consciousness and returning back to the original state on the nivritti marga to the original state of pure consciousness realizes that this whole path itself is the GOAL. This is the ultimate truth.

Conclusion:
In the beginning and at the end and all through the middle the only thing constant is the pure consciousness which is called as Atma or Paramatma only with reference to the microcosm or macrocosm respectively. It is the same ONE unlimited ocean of pure consciousness. That is Brahman. That is Atma. That is Advaita.

Om Tat Sat.

Answers to some basic philosophical problems

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah

Creation:
Before the Creation there was neither existence, nor non-existence, no space, no time, no action, no cause and no effect, no birth neither death.
There was only ONE nothing else winked.

Brahman desired to manifest. That was the start of creation. Brahma with the desire to manifest is called Iswara. This is the first limitation imposed by Brahma on himself. The desire to manifest - is the purpose of the Universe - Jagat.

Iswara indicated by pure existence, pure consciousness and pure bliss.

Iswara as pure consciousness contemplated to manifest in a divine and advitiya (the supreme one - without a second) manner. The Pranava (OM) was the outcome of the contemplation. The OMkara - the creator of OM is Iswara. "OM" - which is akshara the sabda encompassing A U M all the three aspects of Creation, Maintenance and Transformation. Which includes all the symbolic world called "Nama" which is name. The first name of Iswara was AHAM or I.

Iswara as the pure existence (sat) manifested as prakriti or the nature including space (Akasa), Air (Vayu), Energy (Teja), water (Ap), Gross Matter (Prudhvi) in a subtlest to grossest manner which is used as a multi dimensional screen to project the consciousness. It can be referred as the body of Iswara. This is also the "Rupa" of Iswara. (The Viswa-rupa)

Iswara as the pure bliss is the Purusha or the Enjoyer. For the Purusha as the enjoyer the Nama gets manifested as Rupa on the Universal screen due to the movement of Mind. This is sometimes referred as Mahat. The movement is referred to as Time.

Attachment of Jeeva:
During this universal show of Nama-Rupa, the Purusha who is the director, storywriter, scriptwriter and actor(s) gets deluded as one of the characters of the show and gets attached to a nama-rupa and forgetting his original director, scriptwriter role, starts living in the role of an individual character. This deluded character is often called as jeeva-atma or jeeva.

Due to the delusion and mis-identification, the jeeva starts to change the script of the show in the favor of the nama-rupa. Trying to re-write his own script (this jeeva is none other than the Iswara) going against the Iswara's will. Being grossly and subtly limited by the identification to the body, mind and intellect the jeeva starts suffering. Gets bound by the karma (action) and generates three kinds of karmas - fruits(sanchita, prarabdha and agami)

Birth and Death Cycle:
The jeeva assumes different name and forms due to the prarabdha governed by the universal law of karma and continue to suffer. After the end of pravrutti marga, the jeeva gets dis-inclined by the nama-rupa and starts looking for the source of all the misery by getting dispassionate.

Dispassion, Devotion and Liberation:
By the virtue of association with wise, and the grace of Iswara through the devotion, jeeva starts purifying the consciousness and starts inquiry into the reality of the shadow (the nama rupa which was believed as AHAM or I)

By the sraddha (faith) and other divine qualities, jeeva overcomes inertia (tamas), passion (rajas) and elevates to the composed (sattwa) state. From the pure sattwa state jeeve recognizes that the shadow limited by the nama-rupa is not the AHAM and it is only the Ego, and by giving up the limitations of nama-rupa realizes him to be the screen, the light and also the reel used to project the world. As soon as the mis-identifications goes, realization dawns. Purusha will only enjoy the show.

Differences of different schools:
Identifying one self with some nama-rupa is delusion, which is called the fundamental misidentification. This is the cause of bondage. The real meaning of Moksha is absolute fearlessness, absolute desirelessness, absolute stillness of the mind (or mano nasha or mearger with its source), absolute doubtlessness and absolute oneness with Brahma.

Duality in any way is the reason for fear, jealousy, insecurity, as one sees the other as different and a possibility of like and dislike causing all the duality. Trust, mistrust, like, dislike, love, hate or any other dual can only exists when a difference exists. The highest one can reach in believing duality is the state of Iswara. Even in that state the samsara exists. [Note that no jeeva-atma limited by identification can merge with Iswara. This is the theory of Duality which is correct from a dualistic perspective. By serving Iswara alone a dualist will reach the abode Iswara]

Summary:
Purpose of World / Life: To manifest divinity.
Why suffering? : Due to misidentification of Self to be body mind and Intellect and trying to have complete free will to change everything in the world [ This leads to conflict and suffering]
How Real is World : World is as real as picture on the screen. It can't exist without screen (matter), light (atma) and reel (mind)
Why ethics? : To serve the purpose of life/world. They are derived from basic rules of iswara [Enjoy pleasure by playing the prescribed role without selfishness and without conflicting Iswara's Will; or suffer bound by the law of karma]
Karma & Free Will: Jeeva is fully free to achieve right knowledge by removing mis-identification and carry on his defined duty and submit all the fruit of action to god. Karma is the divine rule of ordaining fruits for the actions. Only Iswara is not bound by it.
Quality of Life: Ref. to purpose, the manifestation of Iswara is utmost high quality, hence it is required for every bound jeeva to attain perfection in what they do. [perfection means serving the Iswara's will and not to conflict with it]
Knowledge : All that knowledge attained from sense organs and mind turned externally is only relative truth. It continuously changes. Only the knowledge about the absolute reality is the ultimate truth. This is the only way for realization.
Bhakti: is an absolute prerequisite for realization. required to attain knowledge. indeed the bhakti and jnana are one and the same, thinking that they are different is ignorance.

Om Tat Sat.

Compressed Vedanta in four words

This is from Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's teachings.

deham - Body
naham - na + aham - not I
koham - then what is "I" (ko + aham)
soham - sah + aham = I am that. That I am

So, deham naham koham soham is the four word compressed vedanta.

The right concepts of "I"

I. Shadow
I was a shadow of a cloud trying to find the cause of me.
I realized the reason for the cloud is the power of Sun. If I want to see the reason for me (the shadow) I need to remove the cloud and eventually after removing the cloud "I" did not exist. There is no question of seeing the source and the seen. All became one.

II. Lump of Salt
I was a salt doll searching the roots of me and finally got into the ocean to see the depth of it. And eventually became one with the ocean there is no doll, no finding the source and no individual existence.

III. From Atma Bodha
Nirguno Nishkriyo Nityo Nivikalpo Niranjanaha
Nirvikaro Nirakaro Nityamuktosmi Nirmalaha

Asmi - "am" or "Being"

Nirguno - Not having Qualities/Attributes - Satwa, Rajas & Tamas
Nishkriyo - Not assuming ownership for the result of actions - Action less
Nityo - Not bound by the time past, present and future - Eternal
Nirvikalpo - Not having desire and thought - non-discursive
Niranjanaha - Free from falsehood - Truth
Nirvikaro - Not having Vikaras or change like birth, growth, decay and death - Unchanging
Nirakaro - Not having any form - Formless
Nitya Mukto - Ever liberated - Unbound
Nirmala - Not having any dirt - Ever Pure

IV. Mahavakya
Aham Brahma Asmi
I am Brahma

Aham = A is the first letter and HA is the last AHAm = From the beginning to the end - Which is ever existed.
Brahma = the source, platform and the end of all

Self Realization

There are an abundant number of expressions for Self Realization.
Some call it as "Thoughtless State"
Some express with Silence - Which can't be described.
Scriptures say "Knowing that everything is known"
Some say it is absolute freedom.

It is not possible to see the seer. Experience the Experiencer. Know the Knower.
Light in the space can't be seen until some object reflects it.
Similarly no experience is possible without the subject getting in contact with the object.

So, Ultimate reality being the ONE without a second, it is not an experience. It is the very being. It is the true state and the original state. Due to the "will" of "Let me be many. Let me born" the illusion sets forth.

Being in the current moment and ceasing of Becoming is Realization.
Realizing that there is nothing new to realize is the realization.
Accepting I am as I am without any longing or desire for a favorable result is realization.

Om Shanthi. Shanthi. Shanthi.

Meditations - Mind

Vital force gives the sensory and motor organs the capacity to function. All these functions are governed by the mind.

Mind is the most difficult thing to understand. What is Mind? A bundle of thoughts hooked to each other in several ways. All sense perceptions make a memory. Some impressions are strong and stay there for a long time while others are weak and mind forgets them quickly.

The perception or cognition is it an act or a fact? See, touch, smell, hear and taste bring the raw sense data to the mind and the mind eventually hooks the data to an already existing thought. See an object its shape is linked to one of the known shapes - i.e., its symbol. So, the external world is symbolized in the mind. The symbol has a name and an associated form. All these symbols are infinitely interlinked creating a web of impressions making up the mind and it course of thought process.

During the awaken state, mind is limited by the sense data and the capacity of its past impressions. When dreaming it is only limited by the impressions and in deep sleep it is almost not present. But still the important functions of the body are regulated without the presence of a conscious mind.

Is that the subtler part of mind called intellect? Is this what which divides the experiences as pleasure and pain, good and bad etc? Inference is generated just from past experiences. New links are created between the past links. We call it as knowledge - The processed and synthesized data.

This intellectual process primarily two modes. The analytical and synthetic. In one mode it keeps dividing the whole into its constituent parts and in the other mode it keeps combining distinct ideas (symbols) into a whole.

The intellect is surely guided by the desire. Whatever perceived to be pleasure is sought and whatever perceived to be painful is averted. This is the common experience.

Meditations - Body

The meditation on the body

This body goes on carrying out electro chemical reactions as long as powered by the vital force. (Prana).

The input is some carbohydrate, fat and protein + Some oxygen from the air. The whole process of living is fully dependent on the resources created by the GOD. It is very beautiful to observe different functions of different systems. Today's scientists put the figure anywhere near 50 trillion cells in human body. All these cells are consuming energy and living in one body performing their duty of nourishing, growing re-producing and dying in a predefined fashion. It was found that approximately every 7 years all the body cells would be completely new - One will have a new body every 7 years.

Each group of cells forming their subsystem and all the subsystems working in complete coordination is very beautiful.

Each cell in the body has its own structure nuclei which consists the DNA as the guiding principle, this DNA is a wonder, there are multiple copies of a software program (backups) are stored in each cell with an excellent mechanism not to lose the information in the DNA.

All the pathology of Human being yields same results in a clinical lab. Even though the DNA is UNIQUE to an individual.

Each cell is made up of multiple organic chemical compounds and the basis of all these compounds are the atoms.

Atoms have the protons and neutrons in the center and around that electrons. Further sub divided as sub atomic particles - Quarks

All these sub atomic particles behave as matter as well as energy. Uncertainty between particle and wave.

All this body is a manifestation of matter/energy powered by the vital force - another type of energy beyond the knowledge of Physics.

Before the death and after the death of the body the oxygen in the environment is same, all other chemical structures are same. As the vital force leaves this body - the organization and control of the body is lost and it starts to dis-integrate and mix with the gross elements.

The building of this body starts with two half-cells one from mother and the other from the father which is nourished by the food(from the plant kingdom) grows by the Divine plan and amasses 50 trillion cells in perfect organization finally ends back as decomposed organic matter to be absorbed by the plant kingdom.

Surely the body is changing every second. From the perspective of the Body - Vital force is unchanging.