[Advaita-l] chid-aabhaasa

[Bhadraiah Mallampalli]

Shri Sadanandaji, 

 

Thanks to you, Jaldharji, Pranipataji and others who provided the defnition for Chidabhasa. It took me some time to get it. 

 

After summarizing and comparing notes this is what I found. 

 

1. Quote Chidanandaji: The general reflection of the light of consciousness by the intellect is chidaabhaasa. 

 

2. Similarly when a thought wave rises in the intellect, that also get reflected in the light of consciousness and by that we become conscious of the thought, called idam vRtti. 

 

3. Meditation is shifting attention from idam vRtti to aham vRtti. I realize that I am indeed that light of pure consciousness that is getting reflected in the pool of intellect. I need a mirror to see myself - similarly I need intellect and the reflection to realize who I am. When I abide myself fully in the knowledge that I am not this but pure consciousness that is reflection in the pool of intellect – that becomes abiding knowledge – or state of jiivan mukta. Unquote

 

4. Now this can be applied to any level as per Ch.U 7. Let us take the lowest entity: Name. Many sadhakas work all their life to acquire the textual knowledge of Brahmajnana and they believe that during the Vanaprastha Ashram they will practice it. Now this is indeed this faculty (Vrtti) of mind called Name which becomes the first reflection of the supreme consciousness. Within the name, there are many subjects. When the sadhaka moves from I am such and such to see one's own Name as Brahman that will be the final shift from idam Vrtti to aham VRtti. There is textual evidence to this. Rudra when born wanted to have a name. Then he was given 11 names one after another when he kept asking, saying 'Without a name I can not eat and flourish'. Such instances abound in texts. The vRtti called Name has its span of authority. Under its own authority it is de-facto Brahman, and beyond its own authority it may stay inert (jaDam?) but certainly be of help in navigation.

 

5. Likewise we can move to higher and higher vRttis until Chit, and even beyond, to vRttis such as dhyana right up to Prana. Sadhaka gets the first instruction from guru and realizes Aham (this name) brahmasmi and finally ends up understanding Aham (this prana) brahmasmi, where prana is the vRtti. 

 

As one goes up, each stage falls off like a launch vehicle falls off and other rockets fall off at different stages. The satellite analogy is somewhat incorrect because the fallen faculties are still active in their own area of activity as the person becomes Jivanmukta. 

 

6. Now we can even go into inner levels under name also. Name is made of varNas. TP ii.4 to 6 define how varNa is created. 

 

saMvRte kanthe nAdaH kriyate (when throat is closed it creates nadam)

 

vivRte svAsaH (when open it creates breath)

 

madhye hakAraH (in the middle hakAra)

 

ta varNaprakRtayaH (Those are the materials of varNas). 

 

In other words there are only three vRttis. In the final analysis, any thought entering the mind can only open the throat, close the throat or produce hakAra. There is no other thought that can do anything else other than these three vRttis. Considering this all thoughts vanish and varNa alone remains (any varna for that matter, even sa, or pa, or ka). Therefore we can deduce, varNa is Brahman. (When you realize this you can go ahead and declare varNo brahma. varNam brahmeti vyajAna3t...) That is the reason why pronounciation and grammar are important for us. 

 

Please correct me if there any errors.   

 

Regards

Bhadraiah

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