Sri Sankara’s
Vivekachudamani
By
Acharya Pranipata Chaitanya
(Tiruchengode Chinmaya Mission,
Tamil Nadu, India)
Sri
Sankara’s
Vivekachudamani
Translated
by Achyarya Pranipata Chaitanya
Revised & Edited, with
an Introduction
by Satinder Dhiman
Vivekachudamani
: The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination
The Vivekachudamani,
literally "The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination," is perhaps the most
famous non-commentarial work of Sankara that expounds Vedanta philosophy.
Having written pioneering and monumental commentaries on triple cannon (prasthanatraya)
comprising the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras,
Sankara also composed several sub-texts in simple Sanskrit, called prakaranagranthas
(philosophical treatises), with a view to reaching the message of Vedanta
to common people. The Vivekachudamani, as its name signifies, is the
crown jewel of such prarkarana texts.
The Question of Authorship of
Vivekachudamani
On grounds of style and
terminology, some modern scholars have disputed the authorship of Vivekachudamani
as ascribed to Sankara. Comans (1996, p. xvi), for example, finds the style
of the verses of Vivekachudamani to be ―highly poetic‖ in contrast to the vigorous style of the verses in UpadeshaSahasri,
a work that is universally acknowledged as Sankara‘s composition. He also
finds the verses commending the nirvikalpasamadhi ―at variance with the
minimal importance Sankara gives to samadhi practices in his other works.‖ He concludes that Vivekachudamani ―is more than likely to
be a composition of some later Sankaracharya, perhaps connected to the Sringeripitham.‖ (p. xvi)
Alston (1997, p. 297) remarks
that the reference to ‗powers of concealment and projection‘ attributable to
ignorance (verses 110-117) is not found elsewhere in Sankara‘s commentarial
works. Alston believes that the references to the ‗bliss of the Brahman‘—which
occur in nearly a fifth of the verses of Vivekachudamani—are quite sparse
in UpadeshaSahasri. Alston feels that the style and flavor of Vivekachudamani
is reminiscent of a vedantic work called Yoga Vasishtha.
Ingalls (cited in Potter,
1998, p. 335) states that ‗the author of Vivekachudamani makes an
absolute equation of the waking and dream states after the fashion of
Gaudapada. Sankara may liken the two to each other, but he is careful to
distinguish
them.‘ Furthermore, Ignalls, like Mayeda, believes that Sankara
does not use indescribability (anirvacaniya) as a qualification of
ignorance (avidya).
Most interestingly, Hacker (cited
in Potter, 1998, p. 335), whose criteria these scholars use to dismiss Vivekachudamani
as spurious, accepts the work as genuine based on the colophon.
Professor John Grimes provides a
balanced assessment of Vivekachudamani according to the Hacker criteria
step by step and states that ―a strong case can be made that Vivekachudamani is
a genuine work of Sankara‘s and that it differs from in certain respects from
his other works in that it addresses itself to a different audience and has a
different emphasis and purpose.‖ He avers that ―there is no rule that
insists that a prakarana treatise should be consistent with a
commentary.‖ (2004, p. 13)
We are inclined to agree with
Professor Grimes‘ balanced assessment. Vivekachudamani is an ancillary treatise
of Sankara addressed to different audience with a specific emphasis and
purpose. Nevertheless, we submit that, overall, the work is consistent with and
does not deviate from Sankara‘s fundamental Vedantic stance: That the Brahman
(Absolute) is One only, without a second; that it is absolutely one with the Atman
(Self); that the many-fold world of appearance is non-real (mithya);
that the Brahman (Ultimate Reality) is of the nature of satyam-jyanam-anantam—Existence,
Knowledge, Infinite; that self-less actions play preparatory role in purifying
the mind to receive the wisdom of Self-Knowledge; that ignorance (avidya)
alone is the cause of human bondage; Self-Knowledge (atam-jnana) alone
is the means to liberation; and that liberation (mukti or moksha) is not
possible until one realizes or attains the knowledge of oneness of the Atman
and the Brahman (brahmatamekattvabodham).
However that may be, Vivekachudamani
remains a vade mecum of quintessential Vedanta theory and practice.
As Swami DayanandaSaraswati, a pre-eminent modern teacher of Vedanta, has
observed: ―I do not think we lose anything even if the authorship is attributed
to any other Sankaracharya of one of the various Sankara-mathas.‖ (1997, p. 1)
A Note on Translation
No translation, howsoever
accurate, can truly capture the pristine beauty of the original. Sanskrit is
the oldest and the most systematic language of the world. Its vast structure,
refined construction, and rythymic compactness is hard to duplicate in any
translation. In preparing this translation, we have consulted translations by
Chatterji (1932), Johnston (1946), Prabhavananda and Isherwood (1947), Swami
Madhavananda (1966), Swami Chinmyananda (1970), Swami Turiyananda (1987),
Alston (1997), P. Sankaranarayanan (English translation of the Sanskrit
commentary of Sri CandrasekharaBharati of Sringeri, 1999), and Grimes (2004).
We have also consulted the Hindi translation by Munilal (1945) and Talks on
Vivekachudamani by Swami Akhandananda (1976), Swami Ranganathananda (2008), and
Swami DayanandaSaraswati (1997) to clarify and render certain words of deepest
philosophical import. We have greatly benefitted from their work and recount
our sincere debt to them all.
There are at least 9 English
translations of this work in English already in print. Why add another one? We
believe that this translation fulfills a very special need in Sri
Sankaracharya‘s literature. As far as we know, this is the only version that
contains the Sanskrit original in Devanagari, Romanized verses, word for word
meaning, and a lucid English rendering. We have tried our level best to stay
true to the original, both in intent and purpose, while at the same time
presenting a translation that is at once idiomatic, expressive, and
free-flowing. We have also tried our best to be present our renderings in a
gender-neutral way.
It is not intended so much for
scholars as it is for spiritual aspirants desirous of a faithful yet readable
translation of this important treatise of Advaita Vedanta.
Advaita Vedanta: An Introduction
―On the tree of Indian wisdom,
there is no fairer flower than the Upanishads and no finer fruit than the
Vedanta philosophy.‖ ~Paul Deussen, Outline of the
Vedanta System, p. vii.
"In his short life of
thirty-two years Sankara achieved that union of sage and saint, of wisdom and
kindliness, which characterizes the loftiest type of man produced in India.
Sankara establishes the source of his philosophy at a remote and subtle point
never quite clearly visioned again until, a thousand years later, Immanuel Kant
wrote his Critique of Pure Reason."
~Will Durant, Story of
Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage, pp. 546 - 547.
Introduction
Vedanta is the most widely known
system of Indian philosophy, both in the East and the West. Advaita Vedanta is
the non-dualistic system of Vedanta expounded primarily by an 8th century
Indian philosopher called Sankara. Advaita means not two or non-dual—the
One only, without a second. It postulates one single reality, Brahman,
as the absolute or ultimate truth of the world. It then equates this reality
with the sole reality of our own self, called Atman. The goal of Vedanta
is to establish the reality and identity of Atman-Brahman. Though
strictly not its founder, Sankara was undoubtedly the greatest expounder and
systematizer of Advaita. Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) the famous Austrian
existentialist philosopher, once told Professor K. Satchidananda Murthy that,
'there is no metaphysics superior to that of Sankara.'
The entire philosophy of Sankara
can be summed up in the following statement:
Brahma
satyam, jaganmithya, jivobrahmaivanaparah: Brahman alone is real; the world is
non-real; and the individual Self is essentially not-different from Brahman.
This is the
quintessence of Sankara’s metaphysics.
Strictly speaking, Sankara's
philosophy is called Kevaladvaita or absolute monism or non-dualism
which can be summed up as follows:
The Absolute or the Brahman alone is real and the individual self
is the Absolute. Brahman is undifferentiated Pure Consciousness, devoid of
parts, attributes, form, changes or limitations whatsoever. It is self-luminous
and all-pervading and one only, without a second. The Atmam (Self) is
ever-free, pure consciousness. The empirical world is non-real, an appearance
born out of Maya (illusion) or avidya (ignorance). The be-all and
end-all of Advaita is the absolute non-difference of Atman and Brahman.
The term ―Vedanta‖ literally means ―end of Vedas‖ (the sacred books of knowledge of Hinduism). It refers, within
Indian philosophical tradition, to the teachings of the Upanisads, the Brahma-sutras,
and the Bhagavad Gita. Advaita Vedanta is the non-dualistic system of
Vedanta expounded primarily by an 8th century Indian philosopher called Sankara
(Deutsch, 1973, p. 3). Advaita means not two, One only without a second
(Ekamevaadvitiyam). The basic truth of Advaita is the Self which
is of the nature of pure consciousness. This truth is self-existent and cannot
be denied, for to deny consciousness is to actually prove its existence! The experiential
realization of this truth is the goal of Advaita.
Advaita Vedanta postulates one
single reality, Brahman, as the ultimate truth of the world. It then
equates this reality with the sole reality of our individual self, called Atman.
Advaita says that One alone exists, and the rest is all superimposition on that
One, due to ignorance. Through a systematic inquiry into the nature of our self
and the world around us, Advaita arrives at the position that the self which is
of the nature of pure consciousness is constant and therefore real, while the
phenomena constituting the world is constantly changing and therefore unreal.
It finally concludes that, in essence, our essential nature (and the nature of
the universe) is ‗Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute‘—satchitananda.
The most unique feature of
advaita analysis, however, is that it takes into account all three states of
our existence, avastatraya—waking, dream, and deep sleep—since we have
experiences during all three states. Advaita believes that in order to obtain a
complete picture of our existential reality, we need to include evidence from
all three states. This is the phenomenology of consciousness according to
advaita. This subject will be broached in greater detail later in this essay.
Dream World of Brahman's Dream and Awakening!
One of the key questions in
Vedanta is: If Brahman is One only, without a second, how do we experience the
manifold world? Vedanta‘s short answer is that avidya-led Maya "covers"
the One and "projects" the Many. These are spoken of as the veiling
power (avarnasakti) and the projecting power (vikshepasakti) of
the Cosmic Grand illusion called Maya. Actually, Maya is
Brahman's dream. In truth, only One, non-dual Reality is All there is. It is
called Brahman because it is all-pervasive. It is intrinsically Real,
self-effulgent, infinite, undifferentiated Pure Consciousness. When we awake to
the identity of the Self with the Brahman (Brahmatamekattavabodhana),
the dream is over. The show, however, continues, as before. Only our
identification with a particular actor's role is gone forever. This is called ParamPada,
the Supreme State of unalloyed Bliss! This state is already ours always in a
"general" way. When due to the utmost Grace of God/Guru/Self, the
Self-Knowledge dawns, we awake to it in a "special" way.
The phrase Atman=Brahman or
I=That, capture the essence of the immanent (Self) and the transcendent
(Brahman) Reality. Humanity has not yet conceived a more lofty conception of
its position in the universe.
Ultimate Goal of Advaita Vedanta:
Liberation through Self-Knowledge
You are
indeed the supreme Self but due to your association with ignorance you find
yourself under the bondage of the not-self, which is the sole cause of the
cycle of births and deaths. All the effects of ignorance, root and branch, are
burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between
these two—the Self and the not-Self. ~Vivekachudamani, verse 47.
There is no
liberation for a peson of mere book-knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy
of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up false identification with the body,
sense-organs, etc., which are unreal. ~Vivekachudamani, verse 162.
These verses admirably sums up
the Advaita teachings of Sankara. In Advaita, the false identification of the
Self with the non-Self is considered to be the root cause of Samsara.
When through self-inquiry this false identification removed, it is called
liberation.
The basic truth of Advaita is the Self which is of the nature of
pure consciousness. This truth is self-existent and cannot be denied, for to
deny one‘s self is to actually prove its existence! The experiential
realization of this truth is the goal of Advaita. In the Vedantic scheme of
things, there is no difference between self-knowledge and self-realization, for
to know oneself is to realize oneself.
Since the ultimate goal of
Advaita is to attain liberation through Self-Knowledge, the following section
presents the basic tenants of Advaita as steps leading to the liberating
knowledge of one‘s own essential Self.
Why search for Self-Knowledge?
That the question of
Self-Knowledge has been explored since time immemorial attests to its perennial
interest and universal value. Long before Socrates‘ injunction, Know Thyself,
Indian seers of yore have been exploring for long the question of the truth in
man and the universe. Self-knowledge is fundamental since all other knowledge
is dependent upon this knowledge. It is important for us to know who we are so
as to formulate a correct perspective in relation to other things. Without
first knowing who we are, we can never understand truly where we stand in the
cosmic scheme of things. In Indian philosophy, ignorance of self (or lack of
self-knowledge) is seen as the root cause of all problems in life. Due to
ignorance of our true self and consequent lack of correct valuation of things,
we develop undue attachment to the objects of our desire, which becomes the
cause of much of our anxiety and stress. Thus, without knowing our real
nature—the truth of our existence—we can never overcome grief or find real
peace.
In the following pages, we will
explore three questions:
1. Who am I?
or What is Self-knowledge?
2. How to
attain Self-knowledge?
3. How does a Self-realized
person act?
The second question—how to attain
Self-Knowledge—will be explored first and during this process the question of
Self-Knowledge or Self-Realization will be addressed. As stated earlier, in the
Vedantic scheme of things, there is no difference
between self-knowledge and self-realization, for to know oneself
is to realize oneself. The essay will conclude with some illustrations
regarding how a person established in self-knowledge acts.
How to attain Self-Knowledge?
Four
Qualities of a Seeker of Self-knowledge or Truth
In an opening verse of the AstavakraSamhita,
the sage Astavakra sums up all the prerequisites to spiritual liberation as
follows: ―If you aspire after liberation, shun the objects of the senses as
poison and seek forbearance, sincerity, kindness, contentment, and truthfulness
as nectar.‖ Like all proper systems of
self-inquiry, Advaita Vedanta lays down four prerequisites or qualities for a
seeker after Self-knowledge, as follows:
1. Discrimination—viveka—between
the real and the unreal
2. Renunciation—vairagya—of
the unreal
3. Six Virtues/Treasures—shatsampatti—of
self-control
4. Longing for liberation—mumukshuta
Discrimination. The first quality of a seeker of
self-knowledge is the ability to discriminate the real (eternal) from the
unreal (non-eternal)—nitya’nitavastuviveka. The truth regarding all
Vedantic propositions is established on the triple basis of scripture,
reasoning, and direct experience (sruti-yukti-anubhuti). The scriptures
declare that all that is subject to change cannot be ultimately real and bring
abiding happiness. A careful analysis of our experience regarding the objects
of our desire shows that nothing that is created is permanent or stable.
Everything we desire—name, fame, wealth, and success--are subject to change and
consequently, sooner or later, brings misery and grief in its wake. Thus our
experience tells us that hankering after what is transitory and unstable cannot
bring us lasting happiness. The more we discriminate thusly the more we realize
that the true abiding joy cannot be found in transient sense objects. So, we
should stop running after false goods. The practice of discrimination between
the real and the unreal frees us from the bondage of ignorance and delusion and
thereby spares us from much existential agony.
Further analysis of our experience with getting the objects of our
desires reveals that even when we seem to obtain happiness externally through
the fulfillment of our desires, the real happiness actually comes from within
us. Sri Krishna Menon (aka Sri Atmanada, 1973, pp. 1-2) explains this fact as
follows:
Why you seek happiness? Because
the urge comes from the deepest level, your real Nature. But because your
sense-organs are having outward-going tendencies, you seek that happiness in
the outside world. You desire an object, you obtain it, and you get the
happiness that you seek. But you have never examined where that happiness comes
from. If you will allow your mind to examine it in the right manner, I am sure
you will find that that happiness which you suppose you derive from
sense-objects is not derived from sense objects but is your real nature.
I will prove to you how it is so:
If happiness were intrinsic in sense object, it must always be giving you
happiness, from babyhood up till death. But that is not your experience….The
object which gave you happiness in the childhood and when you were a young man,
ceases to give you happiness when you grow old. Something else takes its place.
Thus you find that happiness is not intrinsic in the sense-objects….Likewise,
if happiness were in the mind, it must be possible for you to enjoy that
happiness without the help of sense-objects, but you do not get it that way.
And therefore it is not residing in the mind either.
Even when we are able to satisfy
our desires, the repose we get is due to the fact that it puts us in touch with
our inner calm. Real Happiness is our natural state--that is why whenever we
are in pain or distress, we want to get out of the pain or stress as quickly as
possible and get back to our natural state of peace and comfort. Whereas when
we are happy and peaceful, we do not want that state to ever end. Another proof
that happiness is innate to us or lies within us is the fact that during deep
sleep—devoid of the awareness of our body, mind, senses, and external
possessions—we feel deeply peaceful and happy.
Thus, happiness that we seek from
outside is our real nature, something intrinsic to our very being. Sri
Atmanada (1973) goes on to explain it, thusly:
When you desire an object your
mind is restless and continues to be restless until you get the desired object.
When the desired object is got, mind comes to rest for the time being and you
get happiness. Well, that happiness, as I have already told you, is your real
Nature. It shines—or, at any rate, it is shinning always, but it is taken note
of—only when the mind comes to rest. Therefore it is your real nature that
shines when you get a desired object. (p. 3)
Renunciation. Once we
are able to determine what is real and what is unreal, it naturally leads to
dispassion about the unreal. Discrimination, therefore, is the first step and,
done right, it inevitably leads to renunciation, i.e., giving up the unreal in
favour of the real. As our understanding deepens through discrimination, we realize
that we should not get attached to what is transient and inconstant and devote
our waking hours to the cultivation of the real. As Rabbi Stephen Wise (cited
in Sunirmalananda, 2005, p. 54) has put it: ―Let something so high and noble
come in your life that it shall be expulsive of everything low and mean.‖ According to Advaita Vedanta, Brahman or Atman alone
is real, and all else is impermanent and hence unreal: The Eternal is only One,
which is Brahman; everything else is impermanent (Tattvabodha,
4).
Sri Ramakrishna used to emphasize
that renunciation of unreal represents the true significance of the Bhagavad
Gita: ―If the word ‗Gita‘ is rapidly repeated it would sound ‗Tagi, Tagi…‘
And Tagi is a modification of Tyagi—the man of renunciation. renunciation of
the phenomenal existence is the gist of the Gita (op. cit.,
Chidbhavananda, 2000, p. 170). It must be pointed out that dispassion does not
mean relinquishing one‘s duties. As Iyer (1980a, p. xix) points out: ―Neglect
of one‘s duties, on the pretext of detachment means nothing but selfishness and
love of inactivity.‖ In the ultimate analysis, renunciation
is an inner, mental act and should not be confused with outward tokens of
abandonment. True renunciation is the renunciation of kartapann—the
deeply ingrained sense of doership. Only then, the actions do not bind a man: na
karma lipyatenare (Isa Upanisad, 2). This is the high art of ―inaction in
action and action in inaction‖ that the Gita (4.18) declares to be
the way of the wise ones (brahm-jnanis). Sri RamanaMaharshi once said:
―An atmajnani alone can be a good karma yogi. (Maharshi’s
Gospel, p. 16)
Six
Virtues/Treasures of Self-Control. These virtues form the ethical foundation of spiritual life. Their
practice prepares the inner faculties for the cultivation of higher knowledge
(Nikhilananda, 1987, p. 34). These virtues are: (a) Sama: control of the
mind; (b) Dama: control of the senses; (c) Uparati: equanimity of
mind; (d) Titiksha: forbearance; (e) Samadhana, concentrating the
mind on Truth; and (f) Sraddha: active faith in the teacher and
scriptures. (Sunirmalananda, 2005)
Longing for Liberation. This is the final requirement of a seeker: intense longing to be
free from the bondage of ignorance and delusion by seeking self- knowledge. If
this quality is missing, there is no hope for self-realization. Along with
renunciation, the longing for liberation constitute the very crux of the entire
spiritual aspiration. As Nikhilananda (1987, p. 36) explains: ―Renunciation and
the longing for freedom are the cardinal virtues through which the others bear
their fruit. Without these, the mere ethical disciplines give only a veneer of
spirituality.‖
The student must have intense
longing for the liberating truth. The following story illustrates this point
well:
A student
approaches a teacher and declares, “I desire to learn from you.” The teacher
responds, “Very well, follow me.” The teacher leads the student to the ocean
and motions for him to follow into the water.
When they
are about chest deep in the water, the teacher grabs the student and forces his
head underwater. At first, the student is calm, thinking, “This is just part of
some test. He will let me up in moment and I will impress him.” After a minute
passes, the student begins to worry and struggle. Soon, he is desperately
trying to surface and becomes frantic. The teacher holds the student under the
water to the point where the struggling ceases and the student almost passes
out. Upon releasing him, the student angrily gasping for air shouts, “Are you
crazy? You almost drowned me!”
The teacher
looks calmly into his eyes and says, “When you desire to learn from me as much
as you desired to get a breath, then return, and I will teach you.”
When the desire for liberation is
as intense as the desire of the drowning person gasping for breath, then the
student is ripe to go to a teacher for initiation into the mysteries of the Self!
Thus, these four qualities
prepare the seeker adequately to embark upon the august journey of
self-knowledge or self-realization. It is important to note that each earlier
quality becomes the cause of the subsequent one: When there is proper discrimination
between things real and unreal, there develops a dispassion for the unreal;
dispassion helps in developing the six virtues; and dispassion, supported by
these six virtues, finally leads to longing for liberation. One who has
developed these four-fold prerequisites to study Vedanta is fit for learning
under a qualified spiritual
teacher—a guru—who is not only learned in sacred texts but also is
well-established in Self-Knowledge (atma-nistha).
While studying under a spiritual
mentor, the qualified student practices a three-fold learning discipline,
starting with proper listening (sravana), supported by reflection (manana)
and contemplation (nididhyasana). This process leads the student to the
experience (anubhuti) of Self-Knowledge in due course of time.
Sri Shakaracharya captures the
alchemy of the entire Vedantic path in the following hymn (9) of BhajaGovindamStotra:
Through the company of the good,
there arises non-attachment;
Through non-attachment, there
arises freedom from delusion;
Through freedom from delusion,
one realizes the Immutable Reality;
Experiencing the Immutable
Reality, one attains liberation-in-life.
The Role and
Qualities of a Guru or Spiritual Mentor
The guru is essentially a
spiritual mentor guiding the disciple on the road to self-realization. The guru
is a saintly person who enlightens the mind of the student by his/her very
presence and by explaining the inner import of the scriptures. The Hindu
tradition, perhaps more than any other, lays special emphasis on the necessity
of such person. It believes that the spiritual realization, to be effective,
must be communicated by a living person who is the embodiment of Truth, is
well-versed in scriptures, established in the Absolute, is calm, compassionate,
self-restrained, and is free from any worldly motive (Vivekachudamani,
33). It is important to note that, in Bhagavad Gita1, Sri Krishna
enjoins Arjuna to seek out the wise ones (tattva-darshinah) and
reverently learn the Truth from them: "Learn the Truth by humble
submission, by inquiry, and by service to the knowers of Truth. Those wise men,
the Seers of Truth, will teach you that Knowledge." (4:34)
1Translations of Bhagavad
Gita’s verses are based on Swami Swarupananda and AlladiMahadevaSastry.
Occasionally, the authors felt the need to slightly revise a phrase here and
there to make the meaning clearer. Mostly, Swami Swarupananda succeeds in
conveying the sense as closely and clearly as possible in a translation.
AlladiSastry provides the best English translation, in our opinion, of
Sankara‘s commentary on the Gita. It is amazing that both of these
translations were originally published more than hundred years ago (in 1903 and
1897 respectively!). Their wisdom seems to grow with the passage of time! See
also Chidbhavananda‘s commentary on the Gita in the light of Sri Ramakrishna‘s
teachings.
Sri RamanaMaharshi has pointed out that ―there is no difference
between God, Guru, and the Self.‖ According to him, ―The master is both
‗within‘ and ‗without.‘ He gives a push from ‗without‘ and exerts a pull from
‗within‘…‖ The real guru resides within us all:
―There is only one master, and that is the Self.‖ (Maharshi’s Gospel, 2003, pp., 26-29).
The following series of questions
and answers is particularly illuminating:
Questioner: What are the marks of
a real teacher (sadguru)?
Sri RamanaMaharshi: Steady
abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at
all times, in all places and circumstances. (Spiritual Instruction, p. 1)
Sri RamanaMaharshi: The sadguru
(the Guru who is one with Being) is within.
Questioner: Sadguru is necessary
to guide me to understand it.
Sri RamanaMaharshi: The sadguru
is within.
Questioner: I want a visible
Guru.
Sri RamanaMaharshi: That visible
Guru says that he is within. (Talks with Sri RamanaMaharshi, p. 404).
The Method of Vedanta
The basic method employed by
Vedanta to arrive at the Truth is by discriminative negation--via negativa, i.e.,
negating what is not real to arrive at the real. Vedanta believes that, through
ignorance, we superimpose the properties of one thing upon another on account
of which one thing appears as another. The classic analogy that is given is
that of rope-snake: In the darkness, rope appears to be a snake and seems to
possess the characteristics of a snake. So, we superimpose the attributes of
snake upon the rope and it appears like a snake in the dark. Elaborating along
the same lines, Nikhilananda (1987, p. 42) further clarifies:
In the same manner, Vedanta
contends, the attributes of the non-Self (anatma) are falsely
superimposed upon the Self (Atman). This is how the Self, which is
eternal, immortal, ever pure, beyond time and space, untouched by the law of
causation, and of the nature of Pure Consciousness, appears as a jiva,
or phenomenal being—a physical entity subject to hunger and thirst, disease and
death, and the other limitations
of the relative world. Through the same inscrutable ignorance the
attributes of the Self are superimposed upon the non-Self. Thus Consciousness,
Intelligence, Bliss, and such other characteristics, which really belong to the
Self, are falsely attributed to the non-Self, comprising the body, the senses,
and the mind, all of which are by nature unconscious and inert.
The method of negation thus
proceeds to eliminate, through discrimination, the falsely superimposed
attributes to arrive at the essential nature of a thing. For example, by
negating the attributes of an illusory snake, the true nature of the rope is
discovered. In the like manner, observes Nikhilananda (1987, p. 43), by
negating, through discrimination, the attributes of the non-Self, one discovers
the true nature of the Self, or Atman, and by negating the attributes of the
relative world, the true nature of Brahman. The following verse from Avadhuta
Gita sums up the method of Vedanta: By such statements as ―That thou Art,‖ your own Self is affirmed. Of that which is untrue and composed
of the five elements2, the Sruti3 says, ―Not this, not this.‖ (1.25)
2 Five elements—earth, water,
fire, air, fire, and space. According to Indian philosophy, these elements are
seen as the constituents of the entire material existence.
3Sruti—literally means ―hearing‖—refer to sacred texts of Hinduism, divinely revealed to ancient
seers when they were absorbed in a deep meditation.
In the next section, we present
three important taxonomies of Vedanta illustrating the application of the
method of Vedanta in which the true nature of the Self is arrived at by
negating the illusory superimpositions on it. In all these examples, the
question of who we are—i.e., our ultimate reality—will be explored from three
different angles.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of H H Sri
Chinmayananda ji and
H H Sri Acharya Pranipata Chaitanya ji
for the collection)
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