[Advaita-l] My notes on the vicAra sAgara II

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

Similarly, by theprocess of giving reality to day-to-day problems or samsaara, we hurt ourselvesmore since the problems that haunt us have become more real. Hence thestatement is asked to uplift himself by himself.  uddharet aatmanaaaatmaanam, aatmaanamavasaadhayet, aatmaiva hyaatmano bandhuH atmaiva ripuraatmanaH|| I become my own enemy by giving reality to that which is not reallyreal. The very effort to eliminate gives power to the world of plurality toempower us. That which appears has to disappear also. That which comes will go.Hence Krishna advises the ups and downs that come due to praarabda one has toforbear by ignoring them as apparent and not real. Going to the temples, doingprayers to relieve the suffering, etc., all imply that I am giving more realityto the problems than what they deserve. Hence Krishna says aartho arthaatii aredevotees alright but are of lower category. The highest bhakta is the jnaani,who understands that he does not have any problems or samsaara. The problembecomes more intense since I cannot solve the problem in any process, and Ialso cannot give up solving the problem. The real solution is to recognize thatI have no problem to solve, to begin with. This is not recognized easily whileimmersed in the problem. Surrender the ego that has the problem at the feet ofthe Lord is a suggested solution as sharaNaagati, suggests some daarshanikas.The real surrender occurs only when I recognize that I am free from allproblems since I am the adhiShTaanam or the substratum for the whole universe,says scriptures. 


-------------

Objection by a shiShya: 

Sir, with due respect, I cannot agree with this. When theproblem appears, I find myself in trouble. I have to solve the problem at hand– starting from food to eat, shelter to lie down, diseases that need to betreated, medicines that need to be taken, etc. Statements that these aremithyaa will not solve the problems at hand when my children and I arestarving. No doubt that mithyaa need not be eliminated. Mithyaa problemsrequire mithyaa solutions just as in the dream. If one is sick in a dream, onehas to go to dream hospital, see the dream doctor, and take the dreammedicines. Hospitals in the waking state would not help dream diseases. Thedream is not a dream for a dreamer who is in the dream. When the body painsbecome unbearable, the statements like that there is really nobody- does nothelp in relieving the body pains. 

The Teacher responds: 

Any mithyaa is adhyaasa. That is it is only asuperimposition on the truth. That includes both the problems and the solutionsto those problems. Problems will remain as long as there is BMI and life. Theproblems will continue life afterlife – there is no permanent solution to theproblems within the framework of problems or within the transactional reality.It is in this framework that solving a problem will only reinforce the problem.That is, one gets caught up with one problem or the other, life afterlife. 

The dream world is perceived as long as the dream BMI isthere. Similarly, the waking world is perceived as long as BMI in the wakingstate is there. The problems will remain as long as the BMI is there. This istrue in the waking world and is true in the dream world. The BMI will be therefor both jnaani and ajnaani. The difference between the two is jnaani knowsthat the BMI, its problems, and the solution to the problems are all real onlywithin the framework, but from the absolute point, they are not real. Hencethey are all mithyaa. The real is only the adhiShTaanam, which is changeless.Every mithyaa must have a substratum or adhiShTaanam that is more real than theappearances or adhyaasa. The problems of the waking or dream state remain asreal as long as one has not gained the knowledge of the adhiShTaanam of the BMIand the world. adhishTaanam has no problem. Knowledge does not involveunderstanding that - this is adhiShTaanam- but that I am the adhiShTaanam orsubstratum for the whole universe. As adhiShTaanam I have no problems, and infact, being infinite, I cannot have any problem. Hence the knowledge involves therecognition that I have no problem, and all the problems belong to only to therelative framework of adhyaasa or mithyaa. Dreamworld is mithyaa, but thatknowledge cannot be gained by the dreamer BMI, since he does not have therequisite viveka to know what is real and what is not real. If he has thatviveka, he will not be dreaming. Hence for him to know that it is mithyaa hehas to awake to the higher state of consciousness, i.e. waking state. Wakingstate is also mithyaa since it is negated by the dream state and deep sleepstate. In contrast to the dream state, a seeker can acquire the requisitesaadhana sampaatti using the very BMI to recognize the adhiShTaanam orsubstratum of the experiencer and experienced. He can abide by himself in theknowledge that I am that adhiShTaanam or substratum Brahman, while still beingassociated with the BMI and witnessing its problems and solutions to thoseproblems. BMI is required to gain this understanding that in spite of thedifferences between the changing BMI and the changing world, I am thechangeless substratum for both. As long as BMI is the world is there, and theproblems of the BMI with the world will continue. By gaining the knowledge thatI am the adhiShTaanam or substratum for both, the problems will not go away,but reality assumed to the problems is now reduced to mithyaatva darshanam orunderstood that they are only relatively real or experientially real but notabsolutely real. Therefore they do not affect me, the self that I am, who isthe very substratum for the world and BMI, and for the problems too. 

Reality assumed for the BMI and the world, or for theadhyaasa error in my understanding, is only due to the lack of knowledge that Iam the adhiShTaanam for the BMI and the world. Hence ignorance of my own selfis the cause for giving reality to the BMI, the world, and the problems thatBMI faces with the world. Taking the anaatma as aatma is the basic problem thatcannot be solved unless one recognizes that I am the very substratum foreverything, and I am free from any problems. When we do not accept the realityto the very existence of the objects and the world, then the problems alsoreduce to mithyaa only. It is like the moment sun rises in the sky, theappearance of the stars which are still there in the sky but there are notrecognized. However, when the sun sets, the millions of the stars in the skybecome very much evident. Similarly, when the knowledge is not there, all theproblems in life become intense. However, when knowledge arises in mind, thenthe problems will still be there but become insignificant. In fact world andthe BMI are seen as vibhuuti of the self that I am. 

Thus by forgetting my real nature, life becomes a problem,but by remembering or recognizing my real nature as the very adhiShTaanam forthe world and its problems, then life becomes blessings – an opportunity toclaim my glory without complaining or contesting. 
To be continued.
Hari Om!Sadananda-----------------------