Selections from the ShAkta upaniShads -1 (bahvR^icha)

[Chandran, Nanda (NBC)]

Anand writes :
 >The "you" I was referring to in my last message is not the
 >sat-chid-Ananda aspect of "you" because this is Brahman. Brahman
 >cannot engage itself in any activity, not even the subtlest one!

 >The "you" that must discover the real "you" by means of Atma-vichara
 >(deliberation on the Self under the guidance of a proper Guru) is
 >what is coventionally called the jIva, or the individual. So when I
 >say, "you should deliberate on the Self", I mean you as you are
 >conventionally accepted in the vyAvahArika world, as a person, with
 >a name, form, and other limitations (upAdhi's) imposed on the
 >real "you."

Anand please bear with me! I'm trying very hard to understand this.

You say the jiva is the name, form and the upadhi's imposed on the Self.


1. What does the "I" in it's most basic sense without the ego and the
mind represent? Does the Self also form part of it's composition?

2. Or is the concept something like - As the world is an illusion
projected by Brahman, so is this Jiva an illusion projected by the
Atman.

If case 1 is true, that would mean that the Self is being misled by the
mind, ego and the Upadhis. Then wouldn't it contradict the eternal
nature of the Self?

If case 2 is true, then how can the illusory Jiva, which has no
'reality' of it's own access it's source? OK, I understand that at the
Vyavaharika level this jiva is real. But is the Atman real at the
Vyavaharika level too? If so, why isn't it part of the composition of
the Jiva?

My final question would be, "How can the bridge be build between the
Illusory Vyavaharika Jiva and the Real Paramartika Atman?".

Probably by clearly defining the Vyavaharika and the Paramartika levels.
Probably Rama can give us a hand here! :-)

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