[Advaita-l] Musings on the Fundamentals of Hinduism - 10

[Anbu sivam2]

Aum

Tenth Musing

Brigu as a young lad returns home after years of schooling under a preceptor
and his father Varuna affectionately calls him to his side and asks him.  "Son,
have you learnt all that are to be learnt?"  The son replied, "Yes father,

I know agriculture, animal husbandry, fish breeding, dam construction,
archery, chanting of Vedas, cinematography, nuclear science..." He went on
listing his accomplishments in learning but his father stopped him midway
and asked, "Son, did you get instructions in the knowledge of the Self".  Brigu
was a little disappointed that his father would not appreciate his many
learnings but would like to know only the obvious.  After all everybody
knows who he is.  What is there to learn about the self?  However, he
replied his father respectfully, "No, Sir".  Varuna said to his son, "O good
looking one, rest for now for you have traveled a long way.  Come back later
and tell me what you know of the self."



That night Brigu meditated and next morning he approached his father Varuna
and said, "Father, I know what is Self."  The father said, "Please tell me
son".  Brigu said,  "This body which everyone calls as I is made of food and
without food, it will perish. Everyone is born of food and upon death
everyone enters into food.  "Purushonna rasamayaha."  Food is the essence of
the purusha. Therefore the self is the food sheath (Annamaya Kosa)."  To
this the father said, "Son, I want you to go back and meditate some more and
come back and let me know what you found out".  Disappointed that his father
was not satisfied with his explanation, Brigu went back.



A week later, he approached his father Varuna and said, "Father, I know what
is Self."  The father said, "Please tell me son".  Brigu said, "For as long
as one breathes, he is alive.  When the Prana is gone, a person becomes no
more. Everyone is born of prana and upon death everyone enters into
prana.  Therefore
this self is the sheath of breath (Pranamaya Kosa)."  To this the father
said, "Son, I want you to go back and meditate some more and come back and
let me know what you found out".  Disappointed that his father was not
satisfied with his explanation, Brigu went back.



(When we say prana, we mean the power that enables one to breathe, even
though breath itself is called prana).



A month later, Brigu approached his father again and said, "Father, I know
what is Self."  The father said, "Please tell me son".  Brigu said, "Manas
is the self, this Manas envelopes the entire body and without it the birds
and dogs will eat the body.  This Manas is the knower for it throws light on
all we see.  In the state of dream, while the body and its breath are lying
unconscious the mind would throw light on a whole different world. Everyone
is born of mind and upon death they enter into mind. Therefore this self is
verily the sheath of mind (Manomaya Kosa).” To this the father said, "Son, I
want you to go back and meditate some more and come back and let me know
what you found out".  Disappointed that his father was not satisfied with
his explanation, Brigu went back.



A year later Brigu approached his father again and said, "Father, I know
what is Self."  The father said, "Please tell me son".  Brigu said,
"Vignanam (intellect) is the self. This intellect controls the mind.  This
intellect decides what is right and what is wrong.  It decides what should
be done and what ought not to be done.  This intellect is verily the kartha
the doer.


Everyone is born of intellect and upon death they enter into
intellect.  Therefore
this self is verily the sheath of intellect (Vignanamaya Kosa). To this the
father said, "Son, I want you to go back and meditate some more and come
back and let me know what you found out".  Disappointed that his father was
not satisfied with his explanation, Brigu went back.



A few years passed by.  One day Brigu approached his father again and said,
"Father, I know what is Self."  The father said, "Please tell me son".  Brigu
said, "the body is perishable, the breath is unconscious, the mind is
vacillating and the intellect the karmic agent is exposed to the pains and

dhukkam of karma.  If it is not for the enjoyment of pleasure that is
brought about by the karmaphala, i.e. if it is not for the reward of work,
there will be no work, or even in the mere absence of everything as in deep
sleep there will be no need for intellect, mind, breath or body.  So I say
Ananda, it is the joy that makes a person.  He is the boktha or the enjoyer.
Therefore this self is verily the sheath of joy (Anandamaya kosa)."   To
this the father said, "Son, I want you to go back and meditate some more and
come back and let me know what you found out".  Disappointed that his father
was not satisfied with his explanation, Brigu went back.



Many many years passed by as Brigu continued his Thapas.  By the grace of
his father who is his Guru one day he suddenly transcended the world of
duality and reached a state where neither body nor soul, nor mind nor
intellect, neither kartha nor boktha, neither father nor son, nor teacher
nor student, none is bound nor released, no space and nor time, a state
where there was none but Him and so Brigu never returned to his father.  Of
course the father knew that his son attained the Supreme and his joy was
boundless.



Before I conclude this musing, I  want to mention that this body is the
microcosm and the Bhu lokam is the macrocosm;  the prana is the micorcosm
and the Bhuvar lokam is the macrocosm; the mind is the microcosm and the
Heaven is the macrocosm; the kartha is the microcosm and the prakrthi is the
macrocosm and finally the boktha is the microcosm and Easwara the macrocosm
(This is because Easwara is alone the enjoyer of all karmaphalas.)  Beyond
this duality is the state of Brahman that Brigu attained, this state is the
Sathyam, Gnanam Anantham Brahma.


Sri GurubyO namaha