Truth

Chandran, Nanda (NBC) Nanda.Chandran at NBC.COM
Wed Dec 31 07:19:06 CST 1997


Sadananda wrote :
>What we are searching far we are searching with.

I think this is the perennial question! Are we searching for the Self with
the Self? Then is the intellect (buddhi) coupled with the mind (manas), when
purified, the Self?

In the Chandogya Upanishad the sage Uddhakala while explaining to his
disciple Svetaketu the concept of creation and creator winds up with the
statement, "Tat tvam asi" - "That thou art", meaning that he, Svetaketu is
the creator. So what does the "thou" refer to - the Soul or the mind? One
has to remember that at that point in time, Svetaketu is at the vyavahaarika
level. So why, when Svetaketu is obviously not realized, would the sage have
made such a statement? Or was he referring to the mind itself? I'm aware
that it can be explained that Uddhakala was referring to the Soul inside
etc.

I'm also confused when reading Mandukya karika where Gaudapada refers to the
mind as the Supreme Self. I'm also aware that the standard Vedantic teaching
goes from the lower to the higher truth etc.

But can the mind itself be totally negated with regards to the Self?
Sometimes I can't but wonder whether the seers had any psychological motive
(with regards to the sadhaka) in the creation of the elusive Self?

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