[Advaita-l] How to control the mind (without meditation)?

[Bhadraiah Mallampalli]

Adi Sankara was very cryptic while commenting on Br.U.I.4.15 to the extent it requires 

reintepretations. When it comes to I.4.10 the commentary  became very verbose and slow, 

apparently due to the need for justifying multiple mentions of the term Brahman and to refute 

it is not the case of conditional Brahman that is at subordinate a level. I would blame it on the 

previous commentators for this preoccupation of Sankara. (We saw the conditional 

Brahmans - one subordinated to another - in Ch.U.7 Name to Prana). Sankara sides with 

upanishat - every bit of it, and here is the summary with some spice added. 

 

1. Brahman is all-knower. 

 

2. The all knowing Brahman wanted to know its own various aspects 

(After all it has the right to do so, what else should a knower do? 

Who else has better right to know other than the knower?)

 

3. As the Brahman started knowing/experiencing various aspects of its knowledge, the devas are born. 

 

4. What appears as the life cycle of a deva (birth to dissolution) is no other than Brahman itself knowing its own aspects.

 

5. The devas would never fail in realizing Brahman owing to the very reason they are born. 

 

6. Rishis and men share the same status as noted by Sri Gaudapada. 

(Every jiva is potentially capable of knowing the higerst)

 

7. When one deva thinks he/she is subordinate of another deva 

(e.g. speech subordinated to manas etc) you get conditional Brahmans. 

This subordination is entirely unnecessary for speech in absolute terms, but happens due to ignorance. 

 

8. Rishis some times lose the ability to see Brahman because Devas create road blocks 

(references in S.br, Ai.br, K.br)

 

9. Men also lose this ability as stated by Br.U.I.4.10.

 

10. It is possible for rishis and men to regain their original ability either directly or indirectly 

through devas. Direct methods are widely discussed, so I would omit them here. 

They are discussed all over advaita literature. 

 

11. The indiret method (thorugh devas) is again possible in two different ways: 

One is through dvaita, but exploring this method is not the purpose of this forum. 

 

12. The indiret method (through devas) which does not follow the two stage dvaita path is 

the re-enactment method as described by Br.U.I.4.10. School children re-enact the great 

deeds of Mahatma Gandhi, George Washington etc. In the same way one can re-enact the 

great deeds of devas (from birth to dissolution) in which they were born to know a specific 

aspect of Brahman and finally dissolve in Brahman after the job is done.

 

Please point out any gaps in logic. 

 

Regards

Bhadraiah

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