Advait vedanta

Understanding Purusha and Prakriti in Consciousness

spiritualseeker031 Comment

The consciousness has a Purush tatva and Prakriti. Be it a man or woman every one has Purusha and Prakriti in it .

Consciousness or Brahman was unmanifested matter, Prakriti helped it to manifest in it’s evolutes.

  1. Tri Gunas i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the evolutes of Prakriti
  2. The ego ( self identity) is the evolute of Prakriti
  3. The Cognitive Sense i.e. Jnanendriyas like hearing,touching,seeing tasting smelling is all evolutes of Prakriti.
  4. The Active instruments i.e. karmendriyas i.e speaking, holding, moving, procreation,eliminating are evolutes of Prakriti.

Prakriti or Shakti allows us to exhale and inhale …. We usually think it’s the breath which is the prana. But, it’s the prakriti or Shakti that allows the air to fill the lungs. This is why we breathe.

Anything in motion, behind it is the Shakti. The voice from the throat is Shakti in various forms: Para, Prashanti, Madhyama, and Vaikhari. Behind sleep is Shakti which allows us to feel sleepy.

Behind thinking is Shakti which allows us to think.

Without Shakti the cosmos cannot operate … Anything in motion in this Universe is Shakti … If we follow the Shakti/Prakriti we will reach the Purusha or consciousness.

The Samurai and the Mindful Monk: A Zen Tale

FeaturedLeave a comment

In the earlier days in feudal Japan there were trained persons in martial arts those were called as “Samurai”. Once there was a Japanese Samurai well trained in martial arts , he was extremely overconfident on his skill .

Once he went to a village and started shouting loudly …

“Is there anyone in the village who can fight with me …”

All the villagers were scared of him as he was martial arts trained . So, no one has the courage to even respond to this guy . But , there was a young Monk in that village,  he was trained by a Zen master .

He stood in front of the Samurai. He said “listen, we don’t want you to fight with anyone. Violence is not good. Please go back.” But the Samurai was adamant. He started threatening the villagers.

So, this Young Monk finally came to fight with the Samurai. The Entire village was cheering for this Young Monk. But, deep down, they all knew that this young Monk will not last a minute against this Samurai.

Anyways, the fight started….

The young Monk had no training in martial arts. Still, he learned his lessons well from his Zen Master.

ZEN master explained to the young Monk, “Listen, my child. When you keep your mind empty, the thoughts of other people will start reflecting in your mind.” Then, you would know what the other person is thinking. 🤔 “

” Mindful means the mind is completely empty. Awareness comes to the forefront in that emptiness. In that awareness, the thoughts of others would reflect. Then you would know what the other is thinking.”

So, when the fight started this Monk knew what action Samurai is going to do and he would respond suitably. Samurai got shocked whatever action he is doing, how does the monk  knew beforehand…nevertheless Monk won !!

Moral of the story is …

If someone’s mind is full of ego …he can never be mindful, mindfulness means mind full of awareness and empty of thoughts. !!




How the Mind Functions: Manas, Buddhi, Chitta, Ahankar

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment

The mind has 4 components :

  1. “MANAS” is the Cogitative aspect of the human mind . It keeps modifying and thinking considering pros and cons of everything. Normal thinking . 
 Sanskrit definition : "sankalp vikalpatmika antahkarna vritti"

2. “Buddhi” is specialized way of thinking and is the determinative aspect of the human mind i.e. It is the mind which has come to decision , the determinative aspect . 

Sanskrit definition : "nishchayatmika antah karna vritti" .

3. “Chitta” is a memory bank. Mind is loaded with lot memories which is called the chitta aspect of the human mind . i.e. It means it is a memory bank loaded with all experience of past , some of it has come out and some are yet there as memory . MOST of the HUMAN thoughts are memory ( Chitta)

Sanskrit definition : "Anusandhanatmika antah karna vritti"

4. “Ahankar” It is the self referential aspect of the human Mind . We could call it ego or I i.e. MIND Functions through these 4 Functional Aspects of mind 

Sanskrit definition : "Ahamatmika antah karna vritti "

Posts


Pages


Categories


Tags



Verse 1.18: Eliminating Distinctions-A Journey to Self-Realization

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.18

विकल्पो विनिवर्तेत कल्पितो यदि केनचित् ।
उपदेशादयं वादो ज्ञाते द्वैतं न विद्यते ॥ १८ ॥

vikalpo vinivarteta kalpito yadi kenacit |
upadeśādayaṃ vādo jñāte dvaitaṃ na vidyate || 18 ||

Gaudapadacharya says – all this differences would disappear guru-shishya (Student-Teacher), Knower and known ” I am the illiterate who has now realised turiya” , these differences would disappear

उपदेशादयं वादो ज्ञाते द्वैतं न विद्यते (upadeśādayaṃ vādo jñāte dvaitaṃ na vidyate) – all these distinctions have been set-forth by the Upanishads for purposes of instructions. The reason is because we feel it this way , but once we realise turiya , the feeling of Oneness arises ….satchitdanand roop arises ! sat chit and anand !!

“न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः चिदानंदरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥“

At last Ashtavakra Muni said to King Janaka! I will give you advait Gyan but you give me guru daskhina first , because after the gyan there wont be any guru or shishya … as oneness arises!!

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham !!

Verse 1.16: The Awakening from Maya

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.16

अनादिमायया सुप्तो यदा जीवः प्रबुध्यते ।
अजमनिद्रमस्वप्नमद्वैतं बुध्यते तदा ॥ १६ ॥

anādimāyayā supto yadā jīvaḥ prabudhyate |
ajamanidramasvapnamadvaitaṃ budhyate tadā || 16 ||

I ( the viswa “waking state”) am asleep in Ignorance due to Maya since Beginningless!!

When did the Ignorance started??? Gaudapadacharya says ! it is from beginningless ….

Infact , all the ignorance is Beginningless !! How??

If I ask you - "Do You know German?", suppose you don't know German then you will say , "No , I don't Know German". 
So, You are ignorant about German!

Now again , If I ask you "Since when you are ignorant about German" ??

You say " since my birth I do not know German ! oh so, before your birth you knew German...? NO!! Hence You are ignorant about German from (अनादि) Beginningless..!!

But , Ignorance has an end … When does it end ??When we take up a book and start learning German!.

Similarly, Ignorance is actually Beginningless (अनादि ), but It can end . When knowledge comes it Ends !

अनादिमायया सुप्तो (anādimāyayā supto) – You cannot say since when you are in Ignorance!

यदा जीवः प्रबुध्यते (jīvaḥ prabudhyate) – when the jīvaḥ (जीवः ) awakens (प्रबुध्यते ) {Buddha came from here }

अजमनिद्रमस्वप्नमद्वैतं बुध्यते तदा ( ajamanidramasvapnamadvaitaṃ budhyate tadā ) – Then I realise

  • I am अजम (Ajam) i.e Unborn
  • I am anidram (अनिद्रम ) i.e Sleepless (without sleep) —-> referring that I am not prājñaḥ
  • I am asvapnam ( अस्वप्नम ) i.e. without dream —-> referring that I am not the Taijasa
  • I am advaitaṃ (अद्वैत) i.e. there is no second reality apart from me , I am the Viswa in waking state , I am the taijasa in the dream state and I am the prājñaḥ in the deep sleep state. Where “Viswa” , “Taijasa” and “prājñaḥ” are all appearances but the reality in all is “Turiya”

Another big questions comes in Mind is after realisation ,will this world disappear ??? will there be body after realisation?? will the body live after realisation ??

Refer next blog for the answer…..

Verse 1.15: Understanding Dreams in Spiritual Contexts

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.15

अन्यथा गृह्णतः स्वप्नो निद्रा तत्त्वमजानतः ।
विपर्यासे तयोः क्षीणे तुरीयं पदमश्नुते ॥ १५ ॥

anyathā gṛhṇataḥ svapno nidrā tattvamajānataḥ |
viparyāse tayoḥ kṣīṇe turīyaṃ padamaśnute || 15 ||

What is a dream (Svapna) ? Its a wrong understanding or mistake (अन्यथाग्रहण )! { a rope is mistakenly seen as a snake }

“I donot know the reality (Turiya) and I see an Error or the ‘Dream world’“

निद्रा तत्त्वमजानतः / nidrā tattvamajānataḥ – Here , Nidra means doesnot know the reality (तत्त्वमजानतः )

विपर्यासे तयोः क्षीणे (viparyāse tayoḥ kṣīṇe) – It means when Ignorance goes away … how?? By knowledge then ….

‘turīyaṃ padamaśnute‘ (तुरीयं पदमश्नुते ) : i.e. you realise yourself as the pure consciousness “Turiya”.

Verse 1.14: The Concept of Turiya in Spiritual Awakening

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.14

स्वप्ननिद्रायुतावाद्यौ प्राज्ञस्त्वस्वप्ननिद्रया ।
न निद्रां नैव च स्वप्नं तुर्ये पश्यन्ति निश्चिताः ॥ १४ ॥

svapnanidrāyutāvādyau prājñastvasvapnanidrayā |
na nidrāṃ naiva ca svapnaṃ turye paśyanti niścitāḥ || 14 ||

It means “Viswa” the waker & “Taijasa” the dreamer they have swapna (dream) & nidra (sleep) i.e. they have ignorance and error!

‘prājñaḥ’ has only nidra ( the deep sleep or sleep blankness) without dream i.e. A sleep without a dream or “Ignorance without Error“! However,

“Turiya” the pure consciousness has niether sleep nor dream i.e. niether Ignorance nor Error!

Verse 1.13: Understanding Dvaita and Turiya

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.13

द्वैतस्याग्रहणं तुल्यमुभयोः प्राज्ञतुर्ययोः ।
बीजनिद्रायुतः प्राज्ञः सा च तुर्ये न विद्यते ॥ १३ ॥

dvaitasyāgrahaṇaṃ tulyamubhayoḥ prājñaturyayoḥ |
bījanidrāyutaḥ prājñaḥ sā ca turye na vidyate || 13 ||

It means , “Dvaitam” a separate reality or Error is not seen by the ” prājñaḥ ” the deep sleeper and “Turiya” the pure consciousness. But, the ” prājñaḥ ” or the one who is in deep sleep is associated to Nidra (i.e Ignorance / blankness), where as, “Turiya” doesnot have ignorance (or deep sleep blankness) .

” prājñaḥ ” donot see dvaita (seperate reality) niether turiya see any seperate reality apart from it . But , ” prājñaḥ ” is covered in darnkness or blankness of deep sleep whereas , Turiya illumines everything!

Verse 1.13 mantra 7th, mandukya upanishad

Verse 1.10: We are Pure Consciousness – Turiya

spiritualseeker03Leave a comment 
Verse 1.10

निवृत्तेः सर्वदुःखानामीशानः प्रभुरव्ययः ।
अद्वैतः सर्वभावानां देवस्तुर्यो विभुः स्मृतः ॥ १० ॥

nivṛtteḥ sarvaduḥkhānāmīśānaḥ prabhuravyayaḥ |
advaitaḥ sarvabhāvānāṃ devasturyo vibhuḥ smṛtaḥ || 10 ||

“nivṛtteḥ sarvaduḥkhānām / निवृत्तेः सर्वदुःखानामी” – ‘You’ the Turiya are beyond all the dukkha’s (sadness). Right now we feel that ” I am in Pain” but one who has realized Turiya will say -” I am the witness of the pain in the body or mind”.

e.g. Same sunlight falls on the ditch , it falls on the ganga river and it falls on the Himalayas . But it is not polluted by the ditch or purified by the Ganga river, it illumines . Same way ‘Turiya’ the pure consciousness which we are illumines the sufferings of the waking world , nightmare or good dreams of dream world and nothingness of deep sleep.

īśānaḥ prabhuravyayaḥ / इशानः प्रभुरव्ययः – ‘You’ the ‘Turiya’ is God and it is Unchanging . Turiya is witness to all states

अद्वैतः सर्वभावानां देवस्तुर्यो विभुः स्मृतः– ‘You’ the Consciousness , you are the non dual (Advaita) with all the existing things . There is no second independent reality apart from Turiya (pure consciousness)

Understanding Turiya: The Fourth State of Consciousness

spiritualseeker031 Comment

I or Ego  or Knower ——————–> experiencing the “World” or “Prapanch”
Prapanch came from Sanskrit term ” prapancha prakrishtrain panch ” . The idea is out of the five elements (panch) this world is constructed ,so we use this term ‘prapanch’ for the world

  1. ‘I’ is the ‘Waker’ (who is awake ) ——> experiencing the  “Waking World” or “Jagrit Prapanch” in Sanskrit
  2. ‘I’ is the Dreamer ( who is dreaming ) —> experiencing the “Dream World”
  3. ‘I” is the Sleeper ( who is in deep sleep) —> experiencing sleep blankness or no dream & thought just a sound sleep.
  4. Turiya

Mandukya Upanishad mentions that there is a Fourth state which is called ” Turiya”. 
From the above story Ashtavakra Muni was trying to explain King Janaka there is a “Fourth State” i.e. “Turiya” which is witnessing 

  • King Janak as a ‘Waker’ experiencing the court room, courtiers , luxury, wealth etc.
  • King Janak as the ‘Dreamer’ Experiencing the battle field, sadness , hunger, misery
  • There is also a third state where there is no dreams and complete sound sleep , we usually experience nothing but Turiya is witness to sleep blankness .