vivekachUdAmani
Vaidya N. Sundaram
sundaram at ECN.PURDUE.EDU
Mon Dec 21 12:53:41 CST 1998
28)
mandamadhyamaruupaapi vairaagyeNa shamaadinaa .
prasaadena guroH seyaM pravR^iddhaa suuyate phalam.h ..
Even though it is inferior and middling, if this mumuksutA grows into the
well-developed state by the detachment and control of the mind etc., and
with the grace of the guru, it bears fruit.
Having defined mumukshutva in the previous verse, the BhagavatpAda now
classifies it into three: viz. the inferior (manda), the middling
(madhyama) and the well developed (pravrddha). Even though moksa is known
to be of the nature of eternal bliss, this yearning for it is difficult to
obtain for persons whose antahkarana is filled with the residual
impressions of samsara. The mere desire that arises when lisentening to
expositions of Vedanta is sterile of any effect. This is inferior. When by
reason of t he discrimination that he obtains while devoutly listening to
the texts of the scriptures, a man ses the futility of the sense objects
of samsara, obtains detachment from them, gives up all karmas in the
prescribed fashion and approaches a guru for earnes t inquiry, a
mumukshutA arises while listening to the spiritual texts.
But even this is only temporary, and is hence only middling. When
uncompromising detachment arises in the mind which comes to a state of
being at peace, and the guru too showers him with His grace that he should
cross the ocean of samsara, then the man desires nothing other than
moksha. he suffers no delay thereafter.
--
Vaidya.
Vaidya N. Sundaram
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The place, time, objects and their knower etc., projected in a dream
during sleep are all mithyA (an illusion/false). So too, here. in the
waking state, the world that is seen is a projection by one's own
ignorance. Likewise, this body, the senses, the breath, the ego etc.,
are all unreal. Therefore, That thou art, the peaceful, defectless,
supreme, non-dual Brahman. -- Adi Shankara in VivekacUdAmani.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam"
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>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Wed Dec 23 17:00:07 1998
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Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 17:00:07 -0500
Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
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To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
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From: "Vaidya N. Sundaram" <sundaram at ECN.PURDUE.EDU>
Subject: Re: Birth and death and rebirth from Advaitist viewpoint
Comments: To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
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Namaskarams:
In a previous post, Sri Ashish chandra conjectured that it was the prAna
(a sort of vibration) was responsible for the jiva's transmigration from
one gross body to another.
No matter how you define prAna and the process of this going from body to
body, it still is not the REAL entity that we should yearn to know. In
this regard kindly refer to the vivekachUdAmani verses 167 & 168:
167)
karmendriyaiH paJNchabhiraJNchito.ayaM
praaNo bhavetpraaNamayastu koshaH ..
yenaatmavaanannamayo.anupuurNaH
pravartate.asau sakalakriyaasu ..
This prAna in combination with the five organs of action constitutes the
prAnamaya kOsa. Permeated by it, the annamaya kOsa gets life by the prAna
entering into it and engages in all kinds of action.
The effect of the combination of the five elements in their rajas aspect
is prAna or breath. It is the wind (vAyu) which moves about inside the
body. Also, refer Taitt Up. tasya purusavidhatAm anvayam purusavidhah: so
enveloping the body, the prAna assumes the form of purusa and the aatmaa
too is said to be likewise.
168)
naivaatmaapi praaNamayo vaayuvikaaro
gantaa.a.agantaa vaayuvadantarbahireshhaH .
yasmaatkiJNchitkvaapi na vettiishhTamanishhTaM
svaM vaanyaM vaa kiJNchana nityaM paratantraH ..
This praanamaya kOsa can never be the aatman. It is the effect of the
wind. Like the wind it goes in and comes out. As it is not aware of good
or evil anywhere or at any time, either of itself or of others, and as it
dependent on something else also, it cannot be aatman.
Being characterised by activity, is delimited, in non-intelligent and is
extradependent, it cannot be the aatman, which is different from these
features. The aatman is supreme above all.
--
(from Adi Shankara's VivekachUdAmani)
Vaidya N. Sundaram
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The place, time, objects and their knower etc., projected in a dream
during sleep are all mithyA (an illusion/false). So too, here. in the
waking state, the world that is seen is a projection by one's own
ignorance. Likewise, this body, the senses, the breath, the ego etc.,
are all unreal. Therefore, That thou art, the peaceful, defectless,
supreme, non-dual Brahman. -- Adi Shankara in VivekacUdAmani.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================================================
"bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam"
List archives : http://listserv.tamu.edu/archives/advaita-l.html
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