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APAROKSHANUBHUTI

aparokShAnubhuti: Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb0I375z9oQ

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् । -- 4, IshAvAsyopaniShad.

[The Self is unmoving, One, yet swifter than the mind…..]

तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके । -- 5, IshAvAsyopaniShad.

[It moves and It moves not; It is far and It is near; …]

अपाणिपादोजवनोग्रहीता पश्यत्यचक्षुः स शृणोत्यकर्णः । -- III – 19, shvetashvara upaniShad.

[Without hands and feet He goes fast and grasps; without eyes He sees; without ears He hears.]

अपाणिपादोऽहमचिन्त्यशक्तिः पश्याम्यचक्षुः स शृणोम्यकर्णः । -- 21, kaivalya upaniShad.

[Without arms and legs am I, of unthinkable power; I see without eyes, and I hear without ears.]

The Self does not have eyes, but has vision. It has no hands but can grasp things. It has no legs, but walks. It has no ears but hears the sounds even from long distances.

These words, an amalgamation of contradictions, from the shruti (scripture) have something important to connote.

The Invocative verse by Shankara too does the same.

If the Self is not contracted by any conditioning (upAdhi), it would mean that the Self (Reality) is in Its natural position. No activity can happen in that situation. The power to create an illusion remains latent within the Self. It stays hidden as a mere “potential.”

Suppose a thought arises in the Self to accomplish some activity. The Self is then said to be conditioned (sa + upAdhi = sopAdhika i.e. with conditioning). The conditioned Self utilizes Its own illusory power (mAyA) to “do” things. Instead of being attributeless, the Self would then acquire some qualities. They are the satva, rajas, and tamas qualities. They are the shortcomings of the illusory power.

When the three qualities lay hidden in the illusory power, it is called sAmyAvastha (State of equality). As long as this state lasts, there is no multiplicity. The moment the equilibrium is imbalanced, the One Self will appear as many. Using its own illusory power, the Supreme Self changes Itself into many.

In fact, such a change does not really count as a change because the change is done knowingly. A change done knowingly implies that the Supreme Self does not lose or forget Its own true nature, and also that It is a witness to all its manifestations. It remains as One; yet sees all Its multiple forms. That is non-duality (a-dvaita) only.

In summary, there is no ‘thing’ when the Self is attributeless (nirguNa). When the Self manifests attributes, ‘things’ appear to be existent. Attributelessness is the intrinsic nature of the Self. Manifestation of attributes is Its appearance (names and forms). The Absolute Reality is a descriptor for the attributelessness. Transactional reality is a descriptor of its state with attributes.

Coming back to the Invocation verse of Shankara, it is an expression from the perspective of the transactional reality. The one who is bowing, the one who is receiving the bow, and the bowing are all empirical appearances. Hence, it is not Absolute Reality.

There can be only One in the Absolute Reality. The one who bows, the one who receives the bowing, and the act of bowing all are Itself, the One Absolute Reality. The triad will merge into One.

The dream analogy will explain it better. Say, you were sleeping and you got a dream. In the dream, you visited a temple and had the ‘darshan’ (view) of the Lord. You bowed before Him. You received the holy water etc. from the priest. All this was in your dream. Who was it that bowed in the dream? Yourself. To whom were you bowing? An idol. What was the action being done? Bowing. So there was the triad – yourself (subject), the idol (object), and the relation between the two of you.

What happens after you wake up? You find neither the temple nor the idol, not even the person in the dream who bowed to the idol, nor the act of bowing. What happened to all these diverse things? They all merged together into One. That togetherness, oneness, is your knowledge, which is you, yourself. So they all merged and dissolved into you on waking up.

When the triad dissolves, where is the question of a bow or anyone bowing? The one undivided “you” divided yourself up into many things and looked at them in your dream world. You are “one” again on waking up. That is your true nature. This is what you are (relatively speaking).

Are there two – your true form (swarUpa) and your dream manifestations (vibhUti)? No, there is only One. How can we say so? What arises at an intermediate time, without being present in the beginning and at the end, is transitory; it cannot be real. Secondly, only the unreal can have a multitude of forms; Reality can only be One. The multitude of unreal (forms) will dissolve in the one Reality, just the way the multiple things in your dream dissolve into you on waking up. The awake world remains as it is, it does not dissolve in the dream.

Likewise, this entire creation, which arises because of a thought in the Self, is unreal. The multiplicity arises in creation and disappears on dissolution. Therefore, the multiple manifestations (objects) are unreal. But the Self Itself is Real. The eternal Reality is One only. That is a-dvaita. Creation is duality. It is an illusion – you may take it either as existing or as non-existing.

The Sun’s light is white in color and is ever present. But a rainbow of seven colors appears when it rains. Where did the colors come from? They came out of the beam of white sunlight, and merged back into it when it stops raining. So the colors are an abhAsa (fallacious appearance). Rainbow is real only from an empirical point of view.

In the same way, creation-sustenance-dissolution are AbhAsa, mere appearances. Expressed in one sentence, all diversity is false; Only Unicity is Real.

Dreams are created and dissolved by us without our knowledge. When creation and dissolution are both done knowingly, it would be Manifestation (vibhUti). If they are done without our knowledge, it is samsAra, the cycle of births and deaths. The individual does not enter the body knowingly when she or he is born, nor does he leave it knowingly at the time of death. Therefore, for the individual (jIva), the world is samsAra (cycle of births and deaths) and not a vibhUti, a Manifestation.

The one who is born knowingly and dies knowingly is an Avatar. For example, Krishna entered the womb of Devaki knowingly and died knowingly when a hunter shot an arrow. He created his own limiting conditions (body etc.) and he left them on his own accord. That is why he is referred to as the Lord, Ishwara, or the controller. In contrast, we are said to be individuals (jIva-s) because we take birth and die unknowingly.

The magician creates a phantom city, much like the one you see in your dream. The magician does it knowingly. He knows that the city is his creation, so it is his own manifestation (vibhUti). Since he created the city knowingly, he can dissolve it again knowingly whenever he wants. On dissolution, the city disappears, but he remains as himself. The phantom city does not bind him. It is not a samsAra for him.

We can say that the Supreme Self is like the magician and the individual is like the character in the dream. It is a magic city for the magician. Similarly, creation is a ‘play’ for the Supreme Self, but a problematic world for the individual.

Just as the magician is not bothered by the magic tricks he performs, the Supreme Self is not bothered about the tsunamis, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. We, on the other hand, suffer all the problems and miseries of the apparent world. We suffer through the three well-known tApatraya – bodily problems like disease, decay; problems from the external environs; and problems beyond human control, such as the natural calamities.

When Shankara does the salutation in the opening verse, he does so purely from a transactional perspective. As a Self-realized individual, he was aware that he was saluting himself. It is like the action we perform while we chant the following mantra during rituals:

“I circumambulate around saluting my Self.”

Shankara invokes Shri Hari in the opening verse, being aware of both the Absolute and the empirical viewpoints. He cleverly integrates the One without attributes and the One with attributes in his composition. “Shri” stands for the “illusory power” (mAyA shakti). “Hari” means the one who pulls it towards himself. If a thing is pulled towards oneself, it is done either to acquire it or to devour it.

“hari” means to dissolve. The Supreme Self alone can dissolve the illusory power within himself. That is the state of eternal bliss. If he takes mAyA shakti under control and uses it for creation, then he is Ishwara, the Lord and the controller. If the mAyA shakti is dissolved, it is the attributeless brahman. If it is used for creation etc., it is brahman with attributes. Thus the word hari can convey both the meanings.

Shankara did not choose to remain as the attributeless One, but assumed the dualistic state, in his invocation. It is done so because, as the attributeless One, he would not have been able to speak and teach Self-knowledge; also if it is all just One, there would be no ‘other’ to receive the instruction. A mind for thinking, a mouth for speaking, and a body for interaction are required for imparting a teaching. In order to teach Bhagavad-Gita for posterity, the Self too took the human form as Krishna.

Self in the Avatar of Krishna taught Bhagavad-Gita.

Self in the Avatar of Rama taught Rama-Gita (a teaching by Rama to his brother Laxmana).

The purpose of an Avatar is to uplift mankind.

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ -- verse 8, Ch 4, Bhagavad-Gita

The Supreme Self periodically takes a form for establishing “dharma” (righteousness). Dharma is of two kinds. The dharma of Liberation or the nivRitti dharma. It refers to the cessation of worldly activities and striving for Self-Knowledge. In contrast is the pravRitti dharma which refers to the continuous undertaking of activities for advancement in the world. The nivRitti Path of liberation is taught only to eligible seekers.

Since an Avatar refers to the Self in human form, it is customary to address the teacher as brahman in the prayer, as a mark of respect. It is said,

गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ||

[Guru is same as the Supreme brahman. Our Salutations to him.]

But as a matter of fact, it is not just the Guru’s form only, the Self descends to take. It is the Lord himself who enters into every ‘body.’ Everything and everyone is an Avatar, including me and you. Gita says:

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति । -- Ch 18, verse 61, Bhagavad-Gita.

[The Lord dwells in the hearts of all the beings, Arjuna.]

Whether you recognize it or not, it is only a rope. Even if you are unable to recognize it and mistakenly view it as a snake, it continues to be a rope and does not become a snake. Similarly, for one like Shankara, who recognized the Lord in the human body, the human being is the Supreme Self only. For those of us who are unable to recognize the Lord in the human form, the human form appears as an individual (jIva Atma). But in truth, even if we view it as an individual, it is the Supreme Self only.

The moment you are able to recognize the Self in the individual, you will experience the Self and that itself is the direct, immediated experience (aparokShAnubhUti). Therefore,

व्यापकं सर्व लोकानां कारणं तं नमाम्यहम् || -- line 2 of the verse 1, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Spread in all the worlds, (he is) the cause, to him, I salute.]

The word “spread” (vyApakaM) signifies the unconditioned, which has no form nor attributes. The word “cause” signifies the presence of ‘attributes’ or a form.

Note the two words.

When a “substance” is able to pervade all, there can be nothing different from that “substance.” Such a substance will have to be formless (nirguNa). Secondly, the all-pervading substance has to be the material cause.

For example, the clay is “spread” all through the pot. But the potter is not spread throughout the pot. He stays aloof from the pot. The potter is merely the efficient cause. The potter and the pot can be seen to be separate. However, the clay and the pot cannot be separated. The inseparability of the pervading substance from the object it pervades shows the unconditioned nature (nirguNatva) of the substance. If a substance is distinguishable from another it indicates its conditioned nature (saguNatva).

The moment anything or anyone becomes an efficient cause, the cause-effect relationship will come into effect. Self as the efficient cause gives the opportunity for the creation-sustenance-dissolution cycle to arise. Consequently, the world appears as the effect.

See the genius of Shankara, how he packed the two aspects of being the unconditioned and the conditioned within that short invocatory verse!

श्रीहरिं परमानन्दमुपदेष्टारमीश्वरम् ।

व्यापकं सर्वलोकानां कारणं तं नमाम्यहम् ||

When I say I salute such a Self, it means I salute myself. There is no other to salute in the Absolute state. When all ‘That-IS’ is myself, the salutation is a mere playact. It is done for the sake of teaching.

अयमात्मा ब्रह्म … | -- mantra 2, mANDUkya

[This Atma is brahman…]

When everything ‘That-IS’ is already brahman, why announce separately that Atma is brahman? Where is the need? Are we not already brahman even without such declarations?

When the shruti makes a significant statement (mahA vAkya), the Upanishad is only playacting.

Two other significant statements, similar to the one above are:

तत्त्वमसि -- VI-viii-7, chAndogya.

[You are That.]

अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति । -- I-iv-10, brihadAraNyaka.

[I am brahman.]

All these Great Statements from the Upanishads are just a game. Their purpose is to remind us of our true nature. If we can remember our true nature, there would be no need for an external voice to keep telling us about it.

When a teaching happens, the teacher assumes duality. But as an experience, it is unconditioned Oneness. There is no teacher who experiences the teaching.

All explanations are an analysis in duality. Experiential realization is a synthesis, a Oneness.

There is no teaching higher than this.

It looks like Shankara composed the charming invocatory verse, subsuming both the conditioned and the unconditioned, as though to hammer down this message to us.

अपरोक्षानुभूतिर्वै प्रोच्यते मोक्षसिद्धये ।

सद्भिरेषा प्रयत्नेन वीक्षणीया मुहुर्मुहुः ॥   --   2, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Now “aparokShAnubhUti” (immediated and direct Self-realization) is being expounded for obtaining Liberation. The pure in heart should repeatedly and with effort meditate on the Truth herein taught.]

Now that the invocation prayer is over, we will start the teaching.

The teaching is by the Supreme Self through Its authentic representative (Shankara). The representative himself directly experienced the Ultimate Truth. He wishes to convey the same to others. Like the worldly riches, even the wealth of Self-Knowledge can be expended in two different ways. One may use It for the good of the deserving or use It on himself. Having gained the experience of the Reality, the self-realized teacher likes to spend the remaining part of his life in imparting the direct experience of the Self to all those who are qualified to receive It.

There are so many varieties of experiences already available in one’s daily life. What’s so special about the experience of the Truth that is being discussed here? One may like to know the benefit of having such an experience.

“aparokShAnubhUti” means direct experience. When we experience happiness or sorrow, it is a direct experience. When we are ill, it is a direct experience of the illness – so it is “aparokShAnubhUti.” Once you get back your health,  that is also “aparokShAnubhUti” of  good health. Thus, eating, drinking, sightseeing etc. are all direct experiences.

However, Shankara is not instructing about such experiences of the transactional world. He is instructing us about the attainment of liberation. The ordinary experiences in the empirical world come in pairs of opposites. They do not bestow liberation. When you get rid of illness, you experience health. But you may once again experience ill-health. Thus the cycle of the good and bad goes on. The teaching of Self-knowledge transcends the pairs of opposites. It is neither happiness nor unhappiness. It is neither knowledge nor ignorance. It is neither success nor defeat. It is a state beyond all dualities. It is to help you reach that state of liberation from worldly bondage that the text, aparokShAnubhUti, is being taught to you.

Your responsibility is to deeply reflect on the teaching and visualize it over and over again. Mere auditioning serves no purpose. Just ‘hearing’ is good enough for indirect knowledge. But for the direct knowledge of the Self, you have to repeatedly examine the instruction closely. A mere glance is not adequate. The word “vIkShaNa” used in the second verse above is to examine in detail the instruction and to develop a vision for it. This must be practiced again and again until you experience it. This is what the Advaitins call “nididhyAsana”– experientially “feeling” the Self.

However, there is no point in teaching this to everybody. One needs to be pre-qualified or eligible for receiving such an instruction. You have to be a “satpuruSha.” A satpuruSha does not mean simply being a good person. You must have the commitment and firm resolve to know the truth, “sat.” You must have the ability to discriminate between the ‘real’ from the ‘unreal.’ Most importantly, you must be ready to put in the necessary effort.

It is of no use to simply know things intellectually. You have to practice what you study. That is the “effort.” The ‘effort’ in Advaita is to stay focused with complete attention on the Self all the time. If one does so, one will definitely be able to realize the Self. However, these three conditions must be fulfilled. You must:

i)   Have the ability to distinguish between the ‘real’ and the ‘unreal.’

ii)  Make the necessary effort to notice the Reality.  

iii) Keep continuously repeating the practice till you totally internalize what you learnt.

Most of us have been listening to the teaching for the last several years. But how frequently have we made the effort to practice what we leaned, to intently “observe” It? One may ask if it is possible to stay focused single-mindedly on It without any concern whatsoever about family, food and other worries of daily life. The answer is that you can do so, if you follow the advice of Gita:

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः । -- Ch IV, verse 18, Bhagavad-Gita.

[He who can see inaction in action, who can also see action in inaction, …]

Can you follow that advice? Do you have the ability to carry on your routine work, simultaneously keeping your attention on the Self? Some people pay attention to 8 or even a 100 things at one time. Can’t you focus on two things at the same time – taking care of your daily needs and paying attention to the Self?

A person has two types of characteristics – those that are inherited by birth, so are naturally there, and those that are cultivated or acquired after birth.

No matter how much air we keep blowing on the coal, it will not catch fire unless there is a little ember already present in the oven. So a spark of fire must already be present for the coal to catch fire. That little burning ember can convert the entire lot of coal into fire. [This matter was discussed in Sadhaka Gita.] Likewise, it is necessary that you have the spark, an inherent “tendency” already within you, for spiritual knowledge. In the absence of such an innate quality (thirst for knowledge), people will not be interested or be able to withstand the levels of attention required in the pursuit of liberation.

A seeker has to fulfill two conditions – varNa and Ashram. The terms varNa and Ashrama do not refer to the caste and the four stages in the life of the individual as are normally understood. After expounding so profoundly on the non-dual Self, Shankara would not stoop to such base definitions of these terms.

According to Shankara, the first condition varNa indicates the way in which one gets one’s birth. There are four ways in which a living being is born. Some are born out of soil like plants. Some others like insects are born from sweaty temperatures. Then there are those that are born from eggs like the birds. And finally, there are those that are born from their mother’s womb, such as animals and humans. The first three types of births and the quadrupeds (animals born from mother’s womb) are not eligible to get liberation. Only the biped humans have the unique opportunity to aspire for and achieve liberation. The scripture can be of no help to the other types of beings. Nature has endowed man with ‘intellect’, an ability to discriminate. Thus the varNa here means birth as a human. It is your birth right and your inheritance. Therefore, you are lucky to be born as a human being and be able to seek liberation.

The second condition is Ashram, the qualities one should cultivate conscientiously to attain liberation. Gaudapada described three categories of Ashram from a spiritual pint of view as following:

आश्रमास्त्रिविधा हीनमध्यमोत्कृष्टदृष्टयः । --  Ch 3, verse 16, Gaudapada kArikA.

[There are three stages of life corresponding to the three abilities of comprehension – the Lower, the Middle and the High.]

Since you are born as a human, aspire high and become eligible to seek liberation. Both the varNa and Ashram will then work to your advantage. The varNa is inherited as a gift of nature, and Ashram is cultivated by one’s own effort. Therefore, says Shankara,

दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतद्देवानुग्रहहेतुकम् ।

मनुष्यत्वं मुमुक्षुत्वं महापुरुषसंश्रयः ॥      --    3, vivekacUDAmaNi.

[There are three things which are rare indeed and are due to the grace of God –namely, a human birth, the longing for Liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage.]

स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मेण तपसा हरितोषणात् ।

साधनं प्रभवेत्पुंसां वैराग्यादि चतुष्टयम् ॥    -- 3, aparokShAnubhUti.

[The four preliminary qualifications, such as dispassion and the like, are acquired by men by propitiating to the Lord, through askesis and performance of their duties as per the stage of their life.]

You should deeply reflect, inquire, and understand the nature of the world, and strive to get out of bondage. Pleased by your efforts to merge back into Itself, the Supreme Self will bless you. Your efforts to realize the Self will certainly be successful.   

The Supreme Self entered the body as an individual (jIva). With focused effort, the individual is now on a return journey back to the Supreme Self. However, he has to equip himself properly for the travel. He has to acquire the necessary tools, the Fourfold Aids, to successfully undertake the return journey. Shankara spells out the four requirements thus:

नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः, इहामुत्रार्थभोगविरागः, शमदमादिसाधनसम्पत् , मुमुक्षुत्वं च ।   --  I.i.1, brahma sUtra bhAShya.

First, you should have the ability to discriminate the ‘real’ from the ‘unreal.’

Second, you should develop dispassion, not have any temptation for enjoyments, either here or in the next world. You should lead a simple, detached life.

Third, you should acquire the six-fold characteristics, such as the control of senses, etc.

Fourth, you should constantly reflect on the ways and means of freeing yourself from bondage.

When you develop these four qualities, you will surely be able to grasp this teaching and achieve liberation. These four, once acquired, will definitely work for you.

Shankara mentions dispassion first, not discrimination. Unless you develop a distaste for the life here, you will not be able to focus on liberation. Unless you negate the negatives in your life, you will not be able to focus on the positives. This is because negative factors appear deceitfully like positives.

The problem we face is that AbhAsa (fallacious appearance) is masquerading as real. That’s why we see a world, the fellow human beings, and Ishwara. We believe they really exist. The triad, jIva-jagat-Ishwara, continues to haunt us. They haul our minds towards themselves and away from the Self. Therefore, we should look at them with contempt as untrue and get rid of them. The mind will then be able to pay attention to the Self.  It is necessary towards that end that we first develop detachment to the world and the objects in it and later cultivate discretion.

Shankara opens the discourse with the four tools that one should be equipped with in the pursuit of liberation. He begins with “Detachment”.

ब्रह्मादिस्थावरान्तेषु वैराग्यं विषयेष्वनु ।

यथैव काकविष्ठायां वैराग्यं तद्धि निर्मलम् ॥  --     4, aparokShAnubhUti.

[The indifference with which one treats the droppings of a crow – such an indifference towards all objects of enjoyment from the realm of brahma to this world is called detachment.]

One should give up the desire to hoard things. One should develop dispassion for the entire range of beings, right from the Creator Brahma who lives in the Satyaloka to the immobile entities like the plants and trees on the earth. This means that one should not desire anything of this world or in the higher worlds. It refers to what Shankara said earlier – disinterest in the enjoyment in this or other worlds (इहामुत्रार्थभोगविरागः).

People pray to different Gods with a hope that some godhead in some way will save them and secure them with happiness in this or the next world. But is there such a God who can show such compassion on you? Is he in that idol you are worshipping? The gods as well as their abodes and the higher worlds are all an imagination. They cannot help you. You must help yourself.

Unless you rid yourself of the wavering mind, the search for happiness in worldly things and dependence on a God to help you, no one can help you on the path of liberation.  

If a crow dropped its poop on you unexpectedly while you are on a walk, you feel disgusted and restless until you reach home and wash away the sickening stuff. You must have similar derision for all worldly things. Just as you cleanse yourself of the droppings on your body, you must cleanse your mind of thoughts to covet things.    

As an offering, some people shave their heads off at some holy places. However, their heads are full of evil thoughts. They can’t shake them away. The symbolical shaving of the head is of no use. It does not cleanse them of their evil thoughts. It is more important to purify one’s thoughts and develop detachment.

Shankara next discusses Discrimination.

नित्यमात्मस्वरूपं हि दृश्यं तद्विपरीतगम् ।

एवं यो निश्चयः सम्यग्विवेको वस्तुनः स वै ॥  --  5, aparokShAnubhUti.

[The Seer alone is eternal. The seen is transient. A firm conviction of this is discrimination.]

Shankara goes pretty fast here with his narration of the preliminary requisites. Unless we keep up with his speed, we will not be able to comprehend the spirit of his teaching.    

Discrimination is the ability to distinguish the eternal from the transient. You will be unfit to pursue the path, if you cannot separate the permanent from the transitory. Otherwise there is the danger that you will lose that which is eternal, and hold on to that which decays and dies close to heart.

What truly “IS” is the Self. But you fail to recognize It. You miss It. Instead, you see what has no reality, the not-Self. You run after the not-Self like wealth, property, possessions, etc. You make effort to acquire and hoard them. But will they remain with you forever? Will they accompany you when you die? Further, where is the guarantee that they will be with you even during this lifetime?

What stays with you forever is the Self. But It can’t be perceived. Whatever you perceive is impermanent. The Perceiver is eternal; the percept is temporary. From your birth onwards, you have acquired and lost many things. But the only thing that has always been with you without coming or going is your perception. You never lost it. Your perception means your intelligence, your knowledge, your knowingness, the sense of “I,” the feeling of “I Am.”

What is “mine” is changing, but the “I” or the “I Am” does not change. Hence “I Am” is eternal; “mine” is fleeting. The firm and unwavering understanding of what is real and unreal is discrimination. Without such discrimination, we will be running after worldly possessions.

We don’t really need all the riches we struggle for in order to live our lives. But we accumulate wealth and worry about how to secure what we earn. We develop tension and worry, which affects our minds. If we, eventually anyway, have to give away all our possessions to someone or the other when we die, why should we struggle for them? We should develop such a thinking. Only then will the spirit of detachment take shape in us.

Unless one has such discrimination, detachment will not develop. Until detachment firms up, discrimination will not gain strength. These two are mutually dependent on one another.

सदैव वासनात्यागः शमोऽयमिति शब्दितः ।

निग्रहो बाह्यवृत्तीनां दम इत्यभिधीयते ॥  --  6,  aparokShAnubhUti.

 [Abandonment of desires at all times is called shama and restraint on the external functions of the organs is called dama.]

In his third instruction, Shankara talks about the six virtues , such as shama and dama, that a seeker must acquire.

In the previous verses, he discussed dispassion and discrimination, two of the four tools that aid the seeker. The first two are negative in their approach (negation). The next two are positive qualities that need to be cultivated.

The six virtues to cultivate are: shama, dama, uparati, titIkSha, Shraddha, samAdhAna (desirelessness, control of external organs, disinterest in worldly objects, forbearance in suffering, faith in the teaching and the teacher, and single-minded determination, respectively).

‘shama’ is getting rid of the strong tendencies and deep impressions (vAsanA-s) that are ingrained in us. They are not visible extraneously. What are visible are the thought-modifications (vRitti-s). These two, vAsanA-s and vRitti-s, together constitute the mind. The vRitti-s are active during the awake and dream states. The vAsanA-s are active during deep sleep and death. They form the causal body and become the reason for rebirth. We have to completely root out all impressions, so there is no further birth.

‘dama’ is the control of the external vRitti-s in the mind. (This involves restraining the sense and the motor organs.)

shama and dama will lead to a non-turbulent and peaceful mind that is conducive to happiness. Hence control of the mental modifications is very necessary for the attainment of happiness.

The famous singer Tyagaraja sings that there is no scope for Happiness without peace.

Bhagavad-Gita asks:
अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्? --  verse 66, Ch 2, Bhagavad-Gita.

[Where is happiness without having no peace?]

Great men like Kabir and Tyagaraja draw the highest lessons from the world itself, even if they have not read any books.

विषयेभ्यः परावृत्तिः परमोपरतिर्हिसा ।

सहनं सर्वदुःखानां तितिक्षा सा शुभा मता ॥     --  7, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Turning away from all the sense objects is the best of uparati. Patient endurance of all sorrow is called titIkSha. These are conducive to happiness.]

‘uparati and titIkSha’ are spoken about together in this verse.

‘uparati’ is resistance to all extraneous temptations. It is withdrawal of sensual pleasures.

‘titIkSha’ is forbearance of pain and misery.

Not falling into evil temptations is uparati, and being able to withstand the calamities that befall you is titIkSha.

निगमाचार्यवाक्येषु भक्तिः श्रद्धेति विश्रुता ।

चित्तैकाग्र्यं तु सल्लक्ष्ये समाधानमिति स्मृतम् ॥          --   8, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Implicit faith in the word of the scripture and the teacher is shraddha, and single-minded focus on the objective (brahman) is samAdhAna

Vedas (scriptures) are also referred to as “nigama,” “Agama,” “shAstra.”

Respect and devotion to the word of the scripture and the teacher is called “shraddha.” In the absence of genuine “shraddha” in the teaching, a student is likely to disrespect the teacher. He will not care to listen to what is being taught. Consequently, the student would lose the opportunity to learn and improve himself. It is not ‘shraddha,’ if one sticks to one’s own ideas and is not prepared to listen and learn from a knowledgeable teacher. Such an attitude will not help him. Moreover, it shows his arrogance. That is why, it is said:

श्रद्धावांल्लभते ज्ञानं ….. | -- verse 39, Ch 4, Bhagavad-Gita

[Self-Knowledge is obtained by one who has shraddha….]

However knowledgeable a scholar may be, he/she must have humility, says Gita:

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥ -- verse 18, Ch 5, Bhagavad-Gita.

[In a Brahmana endued with wisdom and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, as also in a dog and in a dog-eater, the wise see the same.]

Additionally, in the last part of the Gita, Krishna says:

इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन ।
न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति ॥ -- verse 67, Ch 18, Bhagavad-Gita.

[This (teaching) is never to be imparted to one who is devoid of austerities, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me.]

Thus it is clearly indicated that this teaching should not be imparted to anyone who lacks the necessary devotion and respect. Shankara also avers here that devotion itself is shraddha. Unless fear (of doing something wrong unintentionally) and devotion (in a positive sense) are present, we cannot obtain Self-Knowledge.

‘samAdhi’ or ‘samAdhAna’ is to have a single-minded unwavering goal and determination to attain brahman.

The samAdhi in Advaita is sallakShya, complete focus on sat-cit (Beingness-Knowingness) to the exclusion of anything else. Such an unwavering focus on sat-cit, the all-pervading and Universal reality, is called samAdhi.

‘samAdhi’ is not something you do sitting somewhere in seclusion. You can do it wherever you are and even with your eyes open. You can be in samAdhi while performing another activity like talking. The main purpose is to be fixated on ‘sat.’ All That-IS, as IS, is sat. Nothing is excluded from it.

Suppose there is a showcase containing a variety of ornaments made out of gold. If I intend to focus my attention only on “gold,” even though I am looking at the diverse ornaments, I can continue to stay focused on gold only and nothing else. Looking at the individual items, and thinking that they are “distinct ornaments” would not be samAdhi. But it would be samAdhi if I only saw gold when I looked at the distinct ornaments.

In the latter case, I will be looking at the “commonality” of gold in all of the ornaments. Hence, my vision is on the ‘sat’ aspect only. The ornaments are “particulars.” If the seeing is focused on the particulars, it is not seeing the ‘sat.’ Each separate piece of ornament appears limited with clear edges as per its shape. In contrast, there are no edges and breaks in the substratum gold. The gold pervades all the ornaments.

Similarly, even if I am looking at you, I could be actually looking at ‘brahman.’ While I read the book or speak to you, I can continue to be aware of myself as brahman. You all will appear like ornaments, but my focus will be on the gold.

See all the things of the world to be the modulations of brahman. It’s like the one gold appearing in the form of a variety of ornaments. Like the gold that pervades all ornaments, sat-cit (Beingness-Knowingness) pervades all forms. Apply this principle when you perceive the world. Adopt this technique in your day to day life.

Can the world exist without the Supreme Self? Can the Supreme Self be anything other than all that ‘IS’? It is quite thrilling just to think on those lines. There is no higher samAdhi than this outlook. Remember what Prahlada (a character in Puranas) said. Whatever action you may be doing, whether drinking, eating, sleeping, talking etc., keep in mind that It is only the Supreme Self everywhere. You must practice such thinking incessantly. Without such practice, our lives will have no value or meaning.

There is nothing to be afraid of when all there IS is only the Supreme Self, whenever and wherever we look. Bhagavad-Gita, while discussing the godly sattvic qualities, begins with an assurance of fearlessness. There is no fear when we grasp that (Supreme Self) which assures us that there is nothing to fear.

अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः । -- verse 1, Ch 16, Bhagavad-Gita.

[Fearless observance of the teaching of the scripture, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga ….(are godly qualities).]

There would be a reason for fear, if God were to exist only at a specific location, and that place is not easily accessible or undertaking a journey to that place is hazardous.

Advaita shows a subtle and easy way to God. Advaita says that the Supreme Self is everywhere. He is right where you are. You can see God without going anywhere. Hence, there is no scope for fear of having to make a hazardous journey to reach him.

In short, Advaitic samAdhi is to keep the mind focused on the Universal “sat” while still witnessing the particulars (worldly objects).

We have discussed thus far three of the tools of practice, viz. detachment, discretion, and the six virtues starting with shama and ending with samAdhi. The fourth tool is the intense yearning for liberation. It is defined in Sanskrit as मोक्षुमिच्छत्वं इति मुमुक्षत्वम् | (… a desire to be liberated is ‘mumukShatva’).

A seeker ought to have two strong drivers. The first is the spirit of inquiry or a strong desire to know (jignyAsa). The second is the desire for liberation (mumukShatva). One begins a study with a curiosity to know. As the very first aphorism in brahma sUtra-s says:

अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा ॥ -- I – i - 1, brahma sUtra bhAShya.

Acquiring knowledge is the primary requirement. In this stage, we develop a solid understanding of the “Doctrine.” The next requirement is the actual experiencing (of the doctrine). This refers to the strong desire and effort we make to achieve liberation. Everyone who understands the theory may or may not make the effort to realize it experientially. Liberation comes as a crowning achievement. Therefore, desire for freedom and effort to attain it are critical for everyone (on the path to Self-realization).

संसारबन्धनिर्मुक्तिः कथं स्यान्मे दयानिधे ।
इति या सुदृढा बुद्धिर्वक्तव्या सा मुमुक्षुता ॥ -- 9, aparokShAnubhUti.

[“mumukShatA” is the burning desire to be free from the bondage of this world (the cycles of births and deaths) constantly occupied with the questions of how and when and appealing to the Lord/Guru.]

Unless the student has a strong resolve to attain liberation, even the teacher cannot help him. If the teacher has had the immediated direct experience of liberation, he can certainly help the student also attain such a direct experience.

उक्तसाधनयुक्तेन विचारः पुरुषेण हि ।
कर्तव्यो ज्ञानसिद्ध्यर्थमात्मनः शुभमिच्छता ॥ -- 10, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Self-Knowledge is not brought about by any other means than Inquiry, much like an object is not perceived without illumination.]

Shankara does not spend any more time on the pre-requisites. He moves forward assuming the student is possessed of the four qualities (dispassion, discrimination, forbearance etc., and a burning desire for liberation) and is ready for the higher knowledge.

Some of us may be a bit apprehensive about our own readiness and eligibility for such knowledge. We can proceed on the path without hesitation because, in non-duality, if one thinks one is eligible, one is. If one thinks he is not, then he is not. Things exist if one thinks they do, and don’t exist if one thinks they don’t. That is the final word.

The teacher is instructing from within the realm of the multiplicity. Does multiplicity really exist? One might say that it exists or one might say that it does not exist. What exists truly is my intrinsic nature (“I”). Even if you say It doesn’t exist, It exists. Even if you say the world exists, it actually doesn’t. Therefore, whether you have or do not have the necessary qualifications, detachment, dispassion, and so on, it does not matter.

Your responsibility is to resolutely establish yourself in your own beingness, which is your intrinsic nature.

Think firmly on the following lines: “I am the substratum like gold, I Am that I am, and all that appears is like the ornaments. I pervade all that-IS, like the gold pervades all of the ornaments. Even if the multiplicity of the ornaments appears, I remain as the gold, unchanging. I am in my intrinsic form (swarUpa) as gold and I am as my manifestation (vibhUti) of the diverse ornaments. I only see gold everywhere. I see myself as ‘Me’ and I see the world also as myself in the form of my manifestation.”

This manner of thinking is called “The Doctrine of One Universal Self” or “I Am All That IS.” It is the essence of Advaitic teaching.

Shankara is preparing us and leading us to that direct experience of the Universal Self. He assumes that we are equipped with all the necessary tools and opens his discourse with an instruction on the method of inquiry. The inquiry is of three types – shravana (Listening to/Studying); manana (Reflection); and nididhyAsana (Deep Contemplative Meditation).

नान्यत्किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ -- verse 9, shri dakShiNAmUrti stotra.

[…beyond whom, Supreme and All-pervading, nothing else exists for the discerning, … to that dakShiNAmurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.]

An inquiry is a critical examination of the worldly objects. How does one conduct such an inquiry?

श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च सङ्कीर्तनात् …. | -- verse 10, shri dakShiNAmUrti stotra.

[… … by listening to, reflecting on and meditating about, and devoutly reciting it, …]

We conduct such an inquiry by listening to, reflecting on, and deeply contemplating about (shravaNa, manana and dhyAna) the substance of interest. The goal of human life (inquiry) is to find out about Reality with the capital letter ‘R.’ We cannot live like animals and waste our human birth. We have to ask ourselves what is the purpose of our life. With shravaNa, manana, and dhyAna, we attain Self-Knowledge as a direct experience. This will greatly benefit us. This is the goal of our life.

यस्मिन् जीवति जीवन्ति बहवः स तु जीवति |
काकोSपि किं न कुरुते चञ्च्वा स्वोदरपूरणम् || -- from pancatantra.

[A person whose way of living results in helping a large number of poor and needy persons to lead a proper life, really lives a meaningful life. Otherwise, what not an ordinary crow does with his beak just to feed and support himself?]

A crow may live for a thousand years. But what would it have achieved other than pecking at food with its beak and filling its stomach? Should a human being also waste his life like the crow?

It’s immaterial how long one lives, if all one does is to eat and sleep, and repeat this process day in and day out.

Therefore, the purpose of human life is the attainment of Self-Knowledge.

आहार निद्रा भय मैथुनं च सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम् ।
धर्मो हि तेषां अधिको विशेष: धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥   --   Mahabharata

[Food, sleep, fear, and mating are common to both humans and animals. ‘dharma’ (jnAna) is special only to humans.  Without dharma (jnAna) humans are no different from animals.]

Man and animal have many common characteristics. Knowledge is the only characteristic that distinguishes man from animal. If man does not use that knowledge, he will degenerate to the state of an animal. Advancement means the man evolves into a Maharishi (Great Sage). Man is in the middle, between the sage and the animal. Should he slide down to become an animal or evolve upward to become a Maharishi?

As it is said in the 10^th verse of aparokShAnubhUti, this entire exercise is to obtain Knowledge. We have assembled here for the purpose of gaining the brahma jnAna (Self-Knowledge).

What do we gain by this knowledge? We gain, shubhaM, liberation.

kShema, maNgala, bhadram, shobhanam, shreyas, nisshreyas, kalyANam, etc. are alternate words for mokSha – liberation. The Goddess is also known as the one who grants mokSha. The Goddess Kanakadurga (name of the local deity in the town where the discourse was given) symbolizes the brahmAkAra vRitti. She sits on the 1000-petal lotus of the highest chakra at the top of the head and bestows brahmAkAra vRitti (thought-modification as the Supreme Self).

So the only way to attain liberation is through Knowledge, the subject that is being taught here.

नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥   --   VI - 15, shwetashwara upaniShad.

[No other way is known for this (liberation).]

puruSha sUkta also says that Knowledge is the only route.

नोत्पद्यते विना ज्ञानं विचारेणान्यसाधनैः ।
यथा पदार्थभानं हि प्रकाशेन विना क्वचित् ॥     --  11, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Knowledge is not brought about by any other means than inquiry, just as an object is nowhere perceived without the help of illumination.]

Verse 11 tells us that Self-Knowledge cannot be obtained without inquiry. Merely having an intention to obtain liberation is not adequate. You have to listen to the teaching intently (shravana), reflect on what you heard so you understand it fully (manana), and then meditate on it deeply to internalize it (nididhyAsana). Such an exercise, as it is currently being done in this gathering, has its rewards. Even if one dies half way through the inquiry, one will not lose anything. S/he would have created a samskAra, an impression that will not decay or be lost (after death). One can continue on to improve on what was gained in a later birth, assures Gita.

तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् ।
यतते च ततो भूयः संसिद्धौ कुरुनन्दन ॥ -- VI – 43, Bhagavad-Gita.

[There he gains touch with the knowledge that was acquired in the former body and strives more than before for perfection, Arjuna.]

You can keep acquiring and accumulating knowledge in every birth, until you reach a point when you realize that you have gained enough and there is nothing more for you to acquire. At that point, you will achieve liberation.

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥    --  VII – 19, Bhagavad-Gita.

[At the end of several lives, the man of wisdom comes to Me, (realizing) that Vasudeva is the all. Such noble men (Mahatman) are very hard to find.]

However many times one may recite or recall this verse from Gita, one continues to be thrilled by it. The Sanskrit word ‘aparokShAnubhUti’ refers to the direct experience of the Self which is not unknown or remote from us. We experience It afresh every time we think about It.

One may ask if one can do Yoga or such other practices instead of inquiry to attain Self-Knowledge. Shankara is unequivocal in declaring all such practices to be of no consequence for obtaining liberation. Devotion, worship, breathing exercise (Bhakti, upAsana, praNAyAma etc. etc.) are of little use. The only way to obtain Self-Knowledge is through inquiry. He teaches us through this short text called “aparokShAnubhUti” the most assured path for liberation.

Suppose a little boy is visiting an exhibition with his parents. The parents stay focused on their objective and strive to achieve what they planned. In contrast, the little boy is allured by the dazzling gizmos all around. Their breath-taking variety constantly distracts his attention. He keeps hopping from one object to the other and runs everywhere. Our mind in this phantasmagoria of the world is very much like the little lad on a visit to an exhibition. That is why Swami Vidyaranya said:

लालयेत् चित्त बालकम् ….    |   --  pancadashi by Vidyaranya   

[Cajole the child-like mind.]

One has to adopt a cajoling approach towards the child-like mind. A child may not listen to you and obey your instruction. You have to be tactful to make him follow your instruction. If you are too harsh, he will rebel. If you exercise too much control, he might turn obstinate. You also cannot let him run free without any control. Everything has to be optimum, as Bhagavad-Gita put it:

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु ।
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥                --   Ch 6, verse 17, Bhagavad-Gita.

[To him whose food and recreation are moderate, whose exertion in actions is moderate, whose sleep and waking are moderate, to him accrues Yoga which is destructive of pain.]

Moderation is the key in disciplining the mind.

Suppose you enter a very dark room. There is a cupboard in there, but it is not visible. What will you do if you have to open the cupboard? You will turn on the light and locate the cupboard in its illumination.

Knowledge is like the illumination from a light. Mantras or tantra-s cannot do miracles. Yoga, worship, ritualistic action cannot give the illumination of Knowledge.

Ignorance is the darkness. Unless there is the light of Knowledge, ignorance will not be dispelled. Knowledge alone can provide the illumination. The Supreme Self is the substance that shines in that illumination. It is a substance that permeates everything, everywhere. The all-pervading Knowledge is presently covered up by the equally all-pervading darkness.

Imagine a fresh water pond. The water is potable and clean. But it is covered by some leaves. As a result, you cannot see the water. What is visible to you is only the layer of leaves on top of the water. The water has not disappeared anywhere. It is right there, but covered up. So you have to remove the scum on the top to access the clean water beneath. In the same way, the Supreme Self is always present.  The scum called ‘name and form’ veils the Being-Knowing (sat-cit) called the Self. What-is, is the Self, but what appears to us is the ‘name and form,’ the covering, which is a modulation of the Self.

The ‘name and form, thoughts and the ‘particulars’ that appear to us, are obstructing our view of the Supreme Self. Arrest your thoughts and the forms will no longer be visible to you. Observe from this (thought-free) standpoint. The forms that appear will themselves be seen as the Supreme Self. Thoughts are a form of the Supreme Self. Your mind is also the Self; what is seen is also Self.

Both the seen and the seer are the Self. The Seer is “cit”; the seen is the “sat.” When there is no difference between the seer and the seen, in other words, when the “sat” and “cit” are One, that Itself is complete Happiness.

As we have seen from the above discussion, “Self-Realization” is both very easy and very difficult. Symbolically, both these terms (easily obtained and difficult to obtain) are used in the thousand names of the Goddess.

The second line of the verse 11 says that, just as the object which is in darkens cannot be seen by you without the illumination by a lamp, the Supreme Self cannot be seen unless illuminated by Knowledge. The darkness that covers the Self is the diversity of names and forms. Knowledge is the “Commonality.” Ignorance is the “particulars.” Once thoughts with respect to the particulars are gone, what remains is the common Knowledge. Everything will then appear as the “Commonality.” Your mind too will be “Commonality.” The world that appears before you is also “Commonality.”

Thus Shankara has shown us an easy way for liberation.

The next question one may ask is how should one conduct the “inquiry”.

कोऽहं कथमिदं जातं को वै कर्ताऽस्य विद्यते ।
उपादानं किमस्तीह विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥                 --  12, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Who am I? How is this world created? Who is the creator? With what material the world is made? Thus is the way the inquiry has to go on.]

The inquiry has to proceed by asking oneself constantly and reflecting on questions like: Who am I? From where did the apparent world come? Who created it?

The three questions above correspond to the jIva, jagat, and Ishwara - the individual, the world, and the controller - respectively. 

Shankara has introduced the three basic questions into our inquiry. We have to find out the origin of the triad, jIva-jagat-Ishawara

Answers to the questions we ask in our inquiry spark automatically in the mind.

 नाहं भूतगणो देहो नाहं चाक्षगणस्तथा ।
एतद्विलक्षणः कश्चिद्विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥         --    13, aparokShAnubhUti.

[I am neither the body, a combination of the five elements; nor am I an aggregate of senses; I am different from these. Thus is the way, the inquiry should go on.]

I am not a combination of either the five fundamental elements or the five sheaths of the body. The combination of the elements (comprising the earth, water, fire, air and space) is at the cosmic level. The combination of the five sheaths (comprising the gross sheath, life-force sheath, mental sheath, intellect sheath, and the bliss sheath) is at the individual level. The universe is the combination of these two – the macro and micro level entities. I am able to see both. Hence I have to be the seer. I am not the elements. I am also not the ten sense organs. I must be different from both of them. Otherwise, I would not have been able to see them.

Am I the seen or the seer? If I am also ‘the seen,’ who else is the seer?

The micro and the macro entities are the “seen” only. They cannot be the seer. I am ever the seer. I am not the seen. If I am the seer, I cannot be the seen also. What is then the relation between me and the seen?

For example, if I see a mike in front, do I become the mike? If I do become the mike, will I be able to see the mike? If I, the seer, become the seen, then the seen will no longer be visible anymore. If the seen becomes the seer, there is nothing which could be other than the seer.

The seen object, say the mike, has to be what it is; my vision too should be what it is; and, there has to be a difference between them and also a relation between them.

What a surprising thing it is, that there is a difference and also a relation at the same time!

As explained in the verse # 13, the seeker has to be constantly churning these things over in his mind. Think continuously about these questions and analyze.

अज्ञानप्रभवं सर्वं ज्ञानेन प्रविलीयते ।
सङ्कल्पो विविधः कर्ता विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥       --  14, aparokShAnubhUti.

[Everything is produced by ignorance, and dissolves in the wake of Self-Knowledge. the thoughts must be the creator (for all this perceived). Thus is the way, the inquiry should go on.]

How do we proceed further with the inquiry?

Ignorance is the material cause. I see so much of multiplicity because I lack the knowledge of who I am. Because of the lack of knowledge that all that I see is only gold, I see multiple ornaments. Because I lack the knowledge that it is sunlight only, I see the multiple colors of the rainbow. If I know clearly that it is all nothing but sunlight, the different colors would have had no reality.

Because I do not have the knowledge of ‘synthesis,’ I see analytically (as separate and different objects). I see thoughts because I do not have the knowledge of Silence.  A world appears to me because I lack the Knowledge of the Supreme Self.

The jagat-jIva-Ishwara combo arises because of my ignorance only. Once Self-Knowledge is obtained, they will all dissolve in It.

Why did they arise in the first instance?

Well, the answer is that thought differentiates the One into many.  If thought disappears, the many too will disappear.

This is the way the inquiry should proceed - Shankara repeats this statement like a mantra several times.

एतयोर्यदुपादानमेकं सूक्ष्मं सदव्ययम् ।
सदव्ययम् यथैव मृद्घटादीनां विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥    --   15, aparokShAnubhUti.

[The material cause of these two (ignorance and thought) is the One subtle and immutable ‘sat.’ Just like the clay is the material cause of the pot etc. Thus is the way, the inquiry should go on.]

When we say that ignorance is the material cause for multiplicity, what is the cause for ignorance? It is Knowledge only, since that is the only thing that Is. What is the cause for Knowledge? It is the Supreme Self in the form of Self-Knowledge.

It means that there is no ignorance. How? When all there is, is Knowledge only, there is no scope for ignorance, a second thing, to exist. What you are calling ignorance is only ‘name and form.’ But if all names and forms are only the Supreme Self, then there is no ignorance. There is no darkness, only light.

That gives us confidence to go ahead in our quest.

If you view all the ornaments as gold, there are no separate ornaments at all – ‘all there is’ is gold only. Similarly, if the ‘name and form’ is seen in terms of the One that IS, there are no separate ‘things’ with different names and forms.

There is no question of gold being one thing and the ornaments being another thing. Both the intrinsic quality (gold) and the manifestations (ornaments) are one and the same. I am what I am by nature and what I see is my manifestation only. To stay with that understanding is samAdhi; that is liberation. You are ‘free’ as long as your mind is in that position.

Liberation is not something to be procured from an outside source.

वासनातानवं ब्रह्मन् मोक्ष इत्यभिधीयते॥   --   25, ch 2, mahAvAkya ratnAvalI.
न मोक्षोनभसः पृष्ठेन पातालेन भूतले॥     --   26, ch 2, mahAvAkya ratnAvalI.

Liberation is not out there in space. Nor is it in netherworlds. Nor on the earth.

You cannot find it anywhere in the world. It is in your mind only.

But then, why is it that I don’t have it? That is because the thought modifications and impressions from past lives are obscuring the fact, the reality. Toss away the impressions, and instantly you are liberated.

Because ‘differentiation’ is rooted in thought, we will see differences in the world. If I do not have thoughts, I do not find differences out there. Every ‘thing’ gets blended into one big smear. The smear is nothing but the Supreme Self.

The first part of the verse # 15 describes to us the nature of the smear which is the Supreme Self.

‘It is One; subtle; eternal; immutable; … It is like the clay in pots, pans, plates.’

Your family, spouse, property, relations and so on are all made up of that one eternal Self only. They are like the variety of ornaments – instead of viewing them in separation, each ornament to be different from another, look at the substance they are all made up of, viz., gold. View everything from the standpoint of the gold. There can then be no ‘other’ thing to obstruct our view. The base substance is gold; and the ornaments are also gold only. What can stop you from seeing the gold in all?

Therefore, you can appreciate that you do not have to relinquish or renounce anything (sannyasa) in order for you to see all as the One Self. (Relinquishment is not a prerequisite).

If you examine a problem critically and in all seriousness, it itself becomes the solution.

अहमेकोऽपि सूक्ष्मश्च ज्ञाता साक्षी सदव्ययः ।
तदहं नात्र सन्देहो विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥                   --   16, aparokShAnubhUti.

[I am the One, the Subtle, the Knower, the Witness, the Eternal, and the Immutable. There is no doubt that I am That. Thus is the way, the inquiry should go on.]

Shankara teaches discrimination by highlighting the one ‘gold’ in the ornaments.

I am the changeless; I am the knower; I am the one witnessing. I am That. But I am not these various body parts.

आत्मा विनिष्कलो ह्येको देहो बहुभिरावृतः ।
 तयोरैक्यं प्रपश्यन्ति किमज्ञानमतः परम् ॥                     --   17, aparokShAnubhUti.

[brahman is verily one and without parts. The body consists of many parts. Yet people see these as one! What else can be ignorance but this?]

We discussed the eight steps of Shankara’s aShTAnga yoga in the beginning. We noted that if we are to realize the gold within the ornaments, we have to separate out the gold (from the form of the ornaments) and be able to look at it. Once the gold is perceived thus, it should be merged back into the ornaments and noticed again. The initial analytic approach is only a step towards obtaining a final synthetic view. The analysis and the synthesis take place in the mind. The substance itself is not affected by these mental processes.

What is there is rope only; but it appears as a snake to me. How do I go about knowing what actually is there? I have to examine what I see under better illumination. Then I can see the rope. Where does all this process take place? It happens within my mind.

Who asked me to see a snake in the first instance? Who gave me the instruction to examine it under better illumination? Who has arrived at the decision that it was a rope only and not a snake? All of this is the process of the analysis (vikalpa) that was going on in my mind.

There was only the rope before I got the lamp of illumination. It was rope before I saw it as a snake. It was rope when I was seeing it as a snake. It is a rope during the illumination. It is a rope while I am coming to the determined conclusion under the illumination of the lamp that it is not a snake. It is rope even after the illumination is gone.

बीजस्यान्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्निर्विकल्पं पुनः
मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलनावैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।…          --  2, dakShinAmUrti stotra

[He in whom this universe, prior to its projection was present like a tree in a seed (unmanifested), and by whose magic this was transformed (manifested) in various forms, …]

All this was undifferentiated (nirvikalpa) originally. What you see is imagination, creation, differentiation (vikalpa).

‘nirvikalpa’ is without imagination. 'savikalpa’ is what is imagined.

आत्मा नियामकश्चान्तर्देहो बाह्यो नियम्यकः ।
तयोरैक्यं प्रपश्यन्ति किमज्ञानमतः परम् ॥                     --   18, aparokShAnubhUti.

[brahman is the ruler of the body and is within. The body is the ruled and is outside. Yet people see these as one! What else can be ignorance but this?]

What is one to do now?

Until what appeared to be a snake was seen under the illumination of the lamp, it was not known that it was actually a rope. It was mistakenly seen to be a snake. Similarly, you have to have the illumination of Knowledge in order to understand your real nature by separating it from the world. The first step towards that end is to differentiate your true nature and know that to be the Self. After that, you will be able to discover that this body, sensory and motor organs, life-force, mind etc. are modulations of the Self. It’s not that body, mind, organs etc., are unreal. It is just that ‘all that is’ IS brahman.

You may doubt how the ‘seen’ could be brahman. Once it is clearly deciphered that the ‘seen’ is also the ‘seer,’ it will be clear that the seen is non-different from the seer. The seer is the true intrinsic nature and the seen is its manifestation (swarUpa and vibhUti).

The understanding of the non-difference between the seer and seen is a very important point. One should grasp its significance fully. Until that is grokked, one has to study it again and again, read the scripture and listen to the teacher repeatedly.

A shop-keeper shows a variety of clothes to the customer under the hope that the customer might buy something or the other out of the choices provided. The teacher too discusses many scriptures and provides various explanations with the hope that the student will grasp the message through one or the other explanations. The teacher may not know when the seeker  will grasp the message. But he knows that he will get it sometime or the other. What is important is that the seeker is blessed with the qualities necessary to receive the Non-dual teaching. The fact that he has already read this text so far establishes his eligibility.

आत्मा विनिष्कलो ह्येको देहो बहुभिरावृतः ।   -- first line of verse 17, aparokSAnubhUti. 

The Knower is one but the known are many. Atma is one indivisible whole, but the body has many parts – legs, hands, trunk head etc. The vision is one; but what are visible to the eye are many. The ear is one but what are heard are many. Where do the many exist? The multiplicity does not exist in the eye or the ear.