[Advaita-l] samAdhi -Universe merging into brAhmaN of shruti- is not an Experience

[Viswanathan N]

Dear Shri Raghava
   
  Thanks a lot  for the beautiful posting.You are very much correct and  
  I suggest 'Ashtavakra Samhita/ Geeta' for more understanding 
   
  regards
  Viswanath

Raghavarao Kaluri <raghavakaluri at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Dear All,

Greetings to all.

The purpose of this post is to convey references from
Vivekachudamani and Atma-bodha so as to convey the
possibility that samAdhi is not just a limiting
experience like 'feeling cold' or 'feeling blissful'
and that it is possible to realize brAhmaN as shown in
shruti thru samAdhi.

Acronyms used:- VC = Vivekachudamani
---------

References:-
http://www.sankaracharya.org/atmabodha.php
http://www.sankaracharya.org/vivekachudamani1.php#1
http://www.sankaracharya.org/nirvana_shatkam.php
---------

The seat of experience in egoism is described thus:-

VC 104. Know that it is egoism which, identifying
itself with the body, becomes the doer or experiencer,
and in conjunction with the Gunas such as the Sattva,
assumes the three different states.
---------

Buddhi also being incapable of knowing Brahman is thus
described:-

VC 256. That which is untouched by the sixfold wave;
meditated upon by the Yogi’s heart,
but not grasped by the sense-organs;
which the Buddhi cannot know;
and which is unimpeachable – 
- that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

Atma-bodha 26.
Atman never does anything and the intellect of its own
accord has no capacity to experience ‘I know’.But the
individuality in us delusorily thinks he is himself
the seer and the knower.

Atma-bodha 41. There are no distinctions such as
“Knower”, the “Knowledge” and the “Object of
Knowledge” in the Supreme Self. On account of Its
being of the nature of endless Bliss, It does not
admit of such distinctions within Itself. It alone
shines by Itself.
---------

Brahman, who is not reachable thru any experience or
any knowledge arising out of the sense-organs, ego,
buddhi, manas- When a yogi realizes Brahman, the locus
of the universe is thus stated :-

Atma-bodha 47. The Yogi of perfect realisation and
enlightenment sees through his “eye of wisdom” (Gyana
Chakshush) the entire universe in his own Self and
regards everything else as his own Self and nothing
else.

VC 265. Realising in this body the Knowledge Absolute
free from Nescience and its effects – like the king in
an army – and being ever established in thy own Self
by resting on that Knowledge, merge the universe in
Brahman.

VC 341. To the Sannyasin who has gone through the act
of hearing, the Shruti passage, "Calm,
self-controlled." Etc., prescribes Samadhi for
realising the identity of the universe with the Self.
---------

If samadhi were to be an experience alone, then, 
merging the universe as above into oneself is not 
possible thru experience alone. Hence samadhi
is not just an experience. Nor is it possible to 
realize thru buddhi or manas alone as shown in the 
following:-

Nirvana Shatkam:-
"Mano budhyahankara chithaa ninaham,
Na cha srothra jihwe na cha graana nethrer,
Na cha vyoma bhoomir na thejo na vayu,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Neither am I mind, nor intelligence ,
Nor ego, nor thought,
Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,
Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, of nature knowledge and bliss"
---------

Rising from samadhi, a disciple exclaims ! -

VC 481. My mind has vanished, and all its activities
have melted, by realising the identity of the Self and
Brahman; I do not know either this or not-this;
nor what or how much the boundless Bliss (of Samadhi)
is !

VC 483. Where is the universe gone, by whom is it
removed, and where is it merged ? It was just now seen
by me, and has it ceased to exist ? It is passing
strange !
---------

Rising from samadhi, the disciple further exclaims
the following words which are beyond experience:-

VC 490. I am not the doer, I am not the experiencer,
I am changeless and beyond activity;
I am the essence of Pure Knowledge;
I am Absolute and identified with Eternal Good.

VC 491. I am indeed different from the seer, listener,
speaker, doer and experiencer; I am the essence of
Knowledge, eternal, without any break, beyond
activity, limitless, unattached and infinite.
------------

Conclusion:-
------------
Hence, these stanzas clearly convey that samAdhi is
not just an experience and that it is possible to
realize brAhmaN as shown in shruti thru samAdhi.

Any clarifications, corrections or comments are
welcome.

Kind regards,
Raghava




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