VIII-2: does jnaani posses praarabda?...by Acharya Sadanandaji (Part 2/2)

[Sunil]

tat tvam asi – VIII..by Acharya Sadanandaji (Part 2/2)

Self-realization is therefore recognition that I am pure existence-consciousness-limitless, satyam, jnaanam, anantam Brahma. In that realization, I recognize I am ever free or I am nitya mukta swaruupam. It is a clean recognition of the truth, and not becoming something, which means I am all the time nitya mukta or eternally liberated even when I was thinking I am bound. Once I recognize that I am nitya mukta swaruupa – eternally liberated soul then any differences in the mukti becomes superfluous. There cannot be jiivan mukta liberation while living with BMI and videha mukta liberation after dropping the BMI or krama mukta or progressive liberation, once I recognize that I am nitya mukta swaruupaH, eternally liberated.  There cannot be any gradations in jiivan mukta once I have realized that I am pure sat chit ananda swaruupa. That means I am ever liberated, not just after gaining jnaanam but even when I have ajnaanam about myself.  Any gradations in
 liberation are like making dvaita in advaita. Then what are the gradations mean? The gradations are not in mukti itself, but in the degree to which I am fully abiding in that knowledge – that is in jnaana niShTaa. Again, it is not gradations in the knowledge itself. I cannot have half rope and half snake situation.  Understanding that I am Brahman is full and complete, if I am able to use the proper means of knowledge or pramaaNa.  Where the gradations can occur is only in the internalization of that knowledge or where due to habitual notions arising from the pressure of the ignorance-generated lingering vaasanaas, which make me forget my true identity. Hence the scriptures say that Nidhidhyaasana is required. Nidhidhyaasana is not a means of knowledge or pramaaNa.  That is, no new knowledge will take place by that process. It eliminates the habitual notions due to the past karmas so that knowledge can become firm and abiding. We are reminded of Mr.
 Jones story wherein Mr. Jones got the feeling that he is a rat than a man. After several sittings with his psychologist he understood that he is a man and not a rat. After that knowledge he went back home and to his horror he saw his cat waiting for him. He ran back to the doctor saying that he understood he is a man and not a rat, but he is not sure if the cat knows that he is a man and not a rat. That I am nitya mukta swaruupaH does not depend on others certifying it. It is a fact and not a belief. Like any other fact as in the statement – light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per hour. One, who knows, knows it. In contract self-knowledge is a subjective understanding, no one else can know whether other person is jiivan mukta or not. We have posts claiming that this saint is realized therefore what he says is true, etc.  This is not a disrespect of any body but the fact of the matter is no one else can declare that other has realized or not
 realized. A realized soul normally does not declare he has realized, only because it is useless to declare or no one will believe it anyway – because everybody has some concept what realization means and others do not appear to meet those notions. We listen to all saints as long as what they say agrees with sRiti, yukti and anubhava, scriptures, logic and ones own experience – in that order.  Hence Shankara says discriminative intellect is essential in the field of Vedanta, since we have several darShaNaas or philosophies, all given by saints and sages of the yore.  Many of them are based on Vedas. Every daarShanika or philosopher is convinced that he is right and others are wrong. Everyone of them is considered as avataara purusha or Lord incarnate, by those who believe in that. We can not have truths that contradict each other (interestingly this question is addressed by Sureswara in his Naiskarmya siddhi). Hence aham brahmaasmi has to be
 understood as a fact not as a philosophical position, subject to various interpretations. That I am Brahman has to be understood as a fact, notwithstanding any objections or counter objections or beliefs.  Hence JK says it is an understanding as an understanding as a fact and not as understanding as understanding as a thought. I cannot tell if others are realized or not, but how about myself?

Is there a litmus test to test myself, whether I have realized or not?  Cha.. Up 6th chapter provides a test, if someone wants to take it.  A suspected thief was brought in before a king with an accusation that he stole the money, but the person denied it. Since there are no other witness to prove the innocence of the accused, King orders a red hot iron plate and asks the accused to touch it. If he gets burned, then he is not telling the truth. That means he is a real thief. In addition to getting burned, he will be punished by the King.  If he does not get burned it implies that the truth is protecting him (like an insulating gloves).  He will be immediately released and will be sent back with honors. If any body wants he can take this test to see if he is realized or not. Shankara provides an interpretation of this.  If one has realized that means he understood that He is nitya mukta swaruupaH. With that understanding when he makes a contact with the
 burning hot-world, he will never get burned.  Not only he will enjoy the world as a sport as long as he lives but he will not be reborn. If I have not realized, then I will get not only burned by the contact with the burning world, but also I will be born again and again to get burned.  Essentially, once I have understood my real nature, I understand the world is mithyaa only and understood that it has no validity of its own. Hence the ups and down in the world are only play of maayaa and a realized master  never gets affected by world or by the praarabda that comes as ups and down affecting his BMI. If I have not realized and when I make a contact with the hot world, I will be constantly burning and karma will propel me to be born again and again.  Essentially the attitude with which a realized master operates in the world is different since he does not depend on anything for his happiness. He is full and complete all by himself, yet enjoys the world
 as a play. Whatever he does will not be for his benefit, but will be for the benefit of the totality – essentially called loka kalyaanam.  Those who follow him will get the benefit of his good company (sat sangh).  After glorifying jnaanam, Krishna describes the state of the jannani and his attitude towards all. 1. moha nivRittiH – he has no more delusion. Illusion is the appearance of plurality during vyavahaara or during transactions. Delusion is taking the illusory plurality as reality and interacting with the world with that notional reality. Nature of the world is to change continuously. Samsaara or human suffering arises by attachments to the changing plurality. I suffer consequence of the changes since I take them as real due to delusion. Jnaani has understood that change is the inherent nature of the world and he is the changeless substantive of the changing world; and therefore he is not affected by the superficial changes. 2. bheda
 nivrittH – negation of all differences – here we are referring to fundamental differences that philosophers ascribe – a) difference between one jiiva and the other jiiva, b) difference between jiiva and Iswara c) difference between jiiva and jagat d) difference between jagat and Iswara. All differences are understood as mithyaa or only apparent and not real. Apparent difference can appear but jnaani will not get affected by those appearances. They become his vibhuuti only. Shankara interprets the sloka (B.G 4-35) as jnaani sees himself in all and all in himself. Furthermore, he sees the Lord in all and all in the Lord – essentially indicating the jiiva Iswara aikyamm or recognition of the unity between himself and the Lord.
yat jnaatvaa na punar moham yevam yaasyasi paaDava|
yena bhuutanyasheSheNa drakshyasyaatmanyatho mayi|| 4-35
Thus all differences are resolved into one or reduced to only apparent and not real differences, therefore no more delusion. Krishna continues that jnaani will not have any more sins (and Shankara says merits as well) since he has realized he is akarathaa or not a doer – that is there is no more notion of doer-ship as he realized that all actions are done by the prakRiti itself supported by him. He may be worst sinner before, but all is wiped out as if one wakes from a dream where as a dreamer he might have committed the worst sins. They do not affect the waker. Similarly jnaani realizes he was never a doer to have any sin of any kind. Finally all karmas (sancita and aagaami) are reduced to ashes with the awakening of knowledge that I am pure existent-conscious entity without any spec of division of any kind. Thus Krishna provides the ultimate litmus test to evaluate oneself if he is realized or not. This involves intense recognition that all are in me
 and I am in all – sarva bhuutastam aatmaanam sarva bhuutanica aatmani or from the point of Iswara – yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvanca mayi pasyati – who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me. – (B.G. 6: 29 & 30).  Both statements can be true only when jnaani recognizes that there is no distinction between him and Iswara. Bhagavan Ramana says the same thing as –IshajiivayoH viShadhiibidaa satva bhaavato vastu kevalam, the difference between Iswara and jiiva is only in veSha or external costume but the essence is the same – existence-consciousness, one without a second. Scriptures glorify such a sage:
kulam pavitram jananii kRitaarthaa vishvambharaa puNyavatii ca tena|
apaara sat chit sukha saare2smin liinam pare brahmaNi yasya cetaH| (quated by H.H. Shree Chandrasekhara Bhaarati Swamiji in his commentary on VivekachuuDaamaNi).
His lineage and his mother who gave birth to him, nay the whole universe is blessed by the presence of such a sage whose mind is reveling in that sat chit ananda swaruupa of Brahman as his own self. Hence we revere our teacher as personified god incarnate.
gururbrahmaa gururvishNuH gururdevo maheswaraH|
gurusaakshaat parabrahmaa tasmai shree gurave namaH|

With this,  I prostrate to all my teachers, starting from My Gurudev, H.H. Swami Chinmayanadaji, whose knowledge only I have reflected in these posts. As we understood, the lack of clarity in the reflection belongs to the medium of reflection and not to the illuminating light.
----------------

In the next, perhaps the last post, I will provide my perspective about some questions that were raised either privately or in the list. If there are any other points that need clarification from my perspective, now is the time to ask.

Hari Om!
Sadananda