[Advaita-l] Difficulty with Akhandakara Vrtti

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

PraNAms


Interesting discussions.

A simple way of looking at this is using bimba-pratibimba analogy.

Pure light that is falling on the objects cannot be seen or perceived directly. Only when the light falls on the object and object reflects then we can  RECOGNIZE the presence of the original light looking the reflected light by the objects by which the object is perceived. One cannot differentiate the original light,bimba, and the reflected light pratibimba. One has to cognitively RECOGNIZE (using veveka) the original from the reflecting light because of the presence of the object are recognized. 

The perception of colors involves the reflection vs absorption - when while light falls on the object, a red object look red because other than red the rest of the colors in the VIBGYOR are absorbed. The object looks while when none of the components are absorbed. Similarly the mixture of colors, etc. 

Same way the all pervading sat chit ananda cannot be perceived. It is only the process of reflection and using required Viveka one has to RECOGNIZE the original. The reflection depends on the medium as the original by itself in this case is pure undifferentiated sat chit ananda. In inert objects only sat aspect gets reflected. In subtle body both sat and chit are refelected depending on the quality of the mind. and in the mind that is calm and serene sat chit and ananda are all reflected depending in the mental peace - hence in the ananda valli we have various levels of happiness and at each level scriptures says - shrotriyasya akaamaya tasya - Hence reflected happiness depends on the purity of the mind and degree of its quietness. 

Nidhidhyaasana involves shifting the mind from paying attention to the reflecting medium (in this case the contents of the thought) to that because of which one is conscious of the thought.   Thoughts differ. But the original light of consciousness does not differ. It first falls all on the mind( and gets reflected (chidaabhaasa) and gets that reflected light in turn falls on the thought or vRitti that arise in the mind in every object perception and gets further reflected back to the mind. This is pot knowledge and I know this is pot both object thought and subject thought arise in the mind due object reflection and the original reflection. These are idam vRitit and aham vRitti. Idam vRitti depends on idam and aham vRitti does not differ and is ever present as long as chidaabhaasa is there. Chidaabhaasa is there along as mind is there since original sat chit ananda is always. 

Kena says I am is there in every thought - pratibhoda viditam matam - since subject I though arises at every knowledge and is invariable vRitti while idam vRitti is variable depending on idam
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Akhandam or unbroken since chidaabhaasa is there as long as mind is there. In the deep sleep state the mind is in the potential form as anandamaya kosha and chidaabhaasa will be there reflecting that folded mind. In the case of nirvikalpaka samaadhi, the mind is there with no thought - hence chidaabhaasa is there without any objectifyable vRitti - Here the mind it self is the object of reflection. Self realization still involves knowledge that the original light which is unperceived is I am while looking at the changing or changeless reflections. That is akhandaakaara in the sense reflection is present due to the mind and while viveka requires because of vedanta vichaara that I am the original light in spite of presence or absence of the object-thoughts. 

Hari Om!
Sadananda