Truth

[sadananda]

Chandran, Nanda wrote:

>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?

First, let us analyze this so called perennial problem in steps.  If we say
we are searching - who is searching?  To do the search the searcher has to
be an existent entity -is it not? If I am searching then I am sat.

Second to do that search, the searcher also has to be a conscious entity -
is it not,  since unconscious entity cannot search. That means I am chit
too. That chit that I am, must be existent entity, since there cannot be
non-existent conscious entity. Hence cit is sat and sat I am. These are not
qualities of mine as gunaas.  It is like saying H2O and water as one and
the same.  H2O is not a guna of water.

Now we know who is searching - it is sat chit entity.

What are we searching for?  Are we searching for Brahman?.  Why  do I want
Brahman for - is He going to do something or give something.  Hopefully He
will give me happiness. If he is going to give me sorrow who wants that
Brahman?   Hence what I am searching for is only happiness, not Brahman,
not Iswara, not this not that.

Scriptures point out that I am that happiness that I am searching for -.
tat twam asi. Hence the declarations by the scriptures that not only I am
sat, I am chit, but I am ananda too.

Logic confirms that. Whatever happiness that I get by fulfilling desires is
not from the objects but from myself, when my mind is free from agitations.

If I am that happiness that I am searching for then why should I search?
It like having glasses on my head and still searching for glasses.  Seeker
of the glasses is already the possessor of the glasses.  The problem is I
donot know that I am already a possesser of the glasses.  Ignorance is the
problem.

It is interesting - whenever the seeker and sought are one and the same,
any seeking on the part of the seeker is likely to fail since he has
resolved that sought is not there where it has to be found.

That is why we need a proper teacher (sampradaaya) who knows how to teach -
why I should stop the search but to realize that I am already the possesser
of what I am searching - This is what self realization in a nut shell!

The so called perennial problem is due to lack of understanding of who I
am.  I identify  myself as the body, mind and intellect that is jeeva or
small self or ego.  Since the body mind and intellect are limited, I super
impose those limitation of  my equipments as my limitations. I continuously
search to solve this problem that arose because of my misunderstanding as I
am this and therefore I want that to complete myself.  There can never be a
solution to the problem, since problem is not real.  Only solution to the
problem is to recognize that the problem is an invalid problem.  All
seeking stops once I recognize that there is no need to seek since I am
what I am seeking. I am sat chit and ananda and I am searching for sat chit
ananda - tat twam asi. Hence the statement - what we are searching for we
are searching with. A conscious entity is searching for consciousness.  A
existent entity is searching for existence an happiness is searching for
happiness.  The search itself is a problem and arose because of ignorance.
The search ceases when I realize that I am the solution that I am seeking.

It is so simple yet appears to be so difficult, since we do not stop
searching.  We donot stop searching since we have resolved in our minds
that we are mortal, we are ignorant and we are unhappy. Everyone is seeking
to solve these three fundamental problems one way or the other.  No one
will find the solution to these problems until the root cause for the
problem, that is the notions that the problem is real, is removed.  This is
where scriptures come to our rescue. to point that our notions about
ourselves is wrong.  Scriptures need to be understood correctly since it
has to describe that which cannot be described with words.  Hence proper
teacher is also necessary to lovingly guide the student out of his
confusion arising form wrong notions about himself.

>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?

Mind and intellect which are thoughts  are like thought waves in the sea of
consciousness. Since every thought is known that means every thought is in
my consciousness.  Otherwise I will not be conscious of the thought.  Since
the world is nothing but objects which are thoughts in the mind, the
consciousness engulfs all the thoughts, and hence the whole world -
otherwise I can not say this is the world - That is I am conscious of the
world - implies that the world is in my consciousness.  Hence the body,
mind and intellect are all in my consciousness.

 Neti and neti has to be understood correctly- It is negation of my notions
that I am the mind or I am the intellect or I am the body.  I am the
consciousness that illumines this body, mind and intellect.  They are in me
and I am not in them, in the sense their modifications etc. do not belong
to me.  Just as Gold declaring I am not the ring not the necklace not the
bangle, they are forms - naama, ruupa and Guna projected on me.  I support
all of them since they are in me but I am not in them in the sense the
limitations of the ring, bangle etc. do not belong to me.

Hence it is not total negation of the mind, intellect or body or even the
world.  What is negated is the names and forms projected as not real - The
substratum that supports all that is the sat chit ananda that I am. Hence
the Goudapaada's statement.

It like sea declaring I am not this small wave or that big wave. I am that
water that pervades all the waves, yet different from the waves.  Water
does not become a wave. Creation is not a parinaama or transformation. It
is adhyaasa or superimposition.  Just as Gold it was, gold it is even when
we call it as a ring or necklace or bangle and gold it shall be even the
ring etc. are melted.  Gold does not become ring.  The names and forms are
superimposition on the gold.

Same way the creation is superimposition on Brahman which is sat and chit
and ananda. Neti and neti is only negation of the notions in the mind that
names and forms are real.  It is to realize that I am the total
consciousness that supports all these names and forms including these
notions.  Yet I am beyond the names, forms and the notions.  I am in them
but they are not in me.

Please refer to BG 9th ch. slokas 4 and 5 - I think.  Krishna explains this
beautifully.  I pervade this entire universe, all beings are in me but I am
not in them.

There is no total negation of the mind.  Mind with notions is negated.
What remains is the pure consciousness.  Just as if I look at a wave, and
forgetting it is nothing but water, I can get carried away with the names
and forms.  If I shift my attention from the wave to the contents of the
wave, I realize it is nothing but water.  From water the waves raise, by
water they are sustained and into water they merge.

Yatova imaani bhuttaani jaayante, yena jaataani jeevanti, yat
prayamtyabhisham vishanti -e iti brahma -  is the Sruti - That from which
the whole universe raises, by which it is sustained and into which it goes
back is the Brahman.

I am that consciousness from which the threes states - waking, dream and
deep sleep states raise.  I am in all of them yet I am different from all
of them - turiiya state.  I am plus a waker, I am plus dreamer, I am plus a
deep sleeper.  If I negate waker, dreamer and deep sleeper as I am not
that, I am the consciousness that pervades all the three states yet
different from the three states.

All problems are resolved if one understand correctly the misunderstanding
of the jeeva versus the true state that scriptures indicate. Most of the
confusion gets resolved if one examines the problem correctly from the
correct perspective with proper reference.

My last mail for this year.
Greetings again.


Hari Om!
Sadananda



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