No diversity in reality (verses 398-406) :
398. When the apparent realities superimposed on the Self are removed, then what remains is the Supreme Brahman, the Infinite, Non-dual, actionless, alone, all by itself.
399. When the functions of the mind, the thoughts, have merged in the Paramatman, the Brahman, the Absolute, then this phenomenal world is perceived no longer. What remains thereafter is all mere talk.
400. In the One Reality, the conception of the universe is a mere imagination. How can there be any distinctions in the reality which is Changeless, Formless, and qualitiless?
401. In the One Reality devoid of the distinctions of seer, seeing, and seen etc., how can there be any distinctions in that which is Changeless, Formless, and Absolute?
402. In that One Reality which is all full to overflowing, like the ocean after the dissolution of the universe, which is the changeless, formless, and Absolute, how can there be any distinctions?
403. How can there be any indication of distinctions in the Supreme Reality which is non-dual and Absolute, in which ignorance, the very root of delusion, dissolves, like darkness into light?
404. In One Supreme Reality, how can there be any talk of distinctions? Who can ever percieve any distinctions in the pure bliss of deep-sleep?
405. Even before realisation of the Supreme Truth, the universe does not exist in the Absolute Brahman, the quintessence of Existence. No snake is ever truly seen in a rope* in past, present or future, , nor a drop of water ever really seen in the mirage.
*Snake-rope analogy: This is a standard Vedantic illustration to explain the existence of the perceptible world. Vedanta postulates three levels of reality: real, unreal, and not-real. The real is that which exists in all three periods of time: past, present, and future. It is called ‗sat’ or, simply, the extistent. It cannot be sublated during any of these three periods of time. A prime example of the real is the Self, our essential Natural state. In contrast, the unreal is that which cannot be observed to exist in any of these three periods. It is called ‗asat‘ or, simply, non-existent. Some examples of unreal are: a square circle, hare‘s horn, a sky-flower. Then there is an intermediate state between real and unreal called not-real, something that is observed or seen sometimes but not at all times.
Not-real has a special status in being that it is not absolutely real like the Self nor it is absolutely unreal like hare‘s horn. This is where snake rope analogy is employed. In the dark, a rope appears to be a snake and evokes fear in the mind of the onlooker. However, when in proper light, it is seen as a rope, the fear disappears. So, the snake seen in the rope both exists (during the period of improper lighting) and ceases to exist (during proper lighting). Here we see the operation of both the avarna-sakti (concealing power—due to darkness) and vikshepa sakti (projecting power—mind‘s projection of snake in the rope). However, the snake cannot appear to exist without the rope being there as its substratum or basis, as its adishthana. Hence the snake is neither real nor unreal. It is called mithya in Advaita. One should be careful, however, not to translate it as illusion or illusory. It is real for a person in fright and unreal for a person who has seen its reality as a rope in the proper lighting.
Thus, the snake is aropita, superimposed, on the rope which is the adishthana, the substratum. In the same manner, says Vedanta, this perceptible world which appears to be real is superimposed on the Brahman, the ultimate Reality. It subsists until the light of Self-knowledge dawns. See below, verse 407.
406. The scripture itself declare that all duality is a mere illusion (maya), Non-duality alone is the Absolute Truth. Such is also our direct experience in deep-sleep.
399. When the functions of the mind, the thoughts, have merged in the Paramatman, the Brahman, the Absolute, then this phenomenal world is perceived no longer. What remains thereafter is all mere talk.
400. In the One Reality, the conception of the universe is a mere imagination. How can there be any distinctions in the reality which is Changeless, Formless, and qualitiless?
401. In the One Reality devoid of the distinctions of seer, seeing, and seen etc., how can there be any distinctions in that which is Changeless, Formless, and Absolute?
402. In that One Reality which is all full to overflowing, like the ocean after the dissolution of the universe, which is the changeless, formless, and Absolute, how can there be any distinctions?
403. How can there be any indication of distinctions in the Supreme Reality which is non-dual and Absolute, in which ignorance, the very root of delusion, dissolves, like darkness into light?
404. In One Supreme Reality, how can there be any talk of distinctions? Who can ever percieve any distinctions in the pure bliss of deep-sleep?
405. Even before realisation of the Supreme Truth, the universe does not exist in the Absolute Brahman, the quintessence of Existence. No snake is ever truly seen in a rope* in past, present or future, , nor a drop of water ever really seen in the mirage.
*Snake-rope analogy: This is a standard Vedantic illustration to explain the existence of the perceptible world. Vedanta postulates three levels of reality: real, unreal, and not-real. The real is that which exists in all three periods of time: past, present, and future. It is called ‗sat’ or, simply, the extistent. It cannot be sublated during any of these three periods of time. A prime example of the real is the Self, our essential Natural state. In contrast, the unreal is that which cannot be observed to exist in any of these three periods. It is called ‗asat‘ or, simply, non-existent. Some examples of unreal are: a square circle, hare‘s horn, a sky-flower. Then there is an intermediate state between real and unreal called not-real, something that is observed or seen sometimes but not at all times.
Not-real has a special status in being that it is not absolutely real like the Self nor it is absolutely unreal like hare‘s horn. This is where snake rope analogy is employed. In the dark, a rope appears to be a snake and evokes fear in the mind of the onlooker. However, when in proper light, it is seen as a rope, the fear disappears. So, the snake seen in the rope both exists (during the period of improper lighting) and ceases to exist (during proper lighting). Here we see the operation of both the avarna-sakti (concealing power—due to darkness) and vikshepa sakti (projecting power—mind‘s projection of snake in the rope). However, the snake cannot appear to exist without the rope being there as its substratum or basis, as its adishthana. Hence the snake is neither real nor unreal. It is called mithya in Advaita. One should be careful, however, not to translate it as illusion or illusory. It is real for a person in fright and unreal for a person who has seen its reality as a rope in the proper lighting.
Thus, the snake is aropita, superimposed, on the rope which is the adishthana, the substratum. In the same manner, says Vedanta, this perceptible world which appears to be real is superimposed on the Brahman, the ultimate Reality. It subsists until the light of Self-knowledge dawns. See below, verse 407.
406. The scripture itself declare that all duality is a mere illusion (maya), Non-duality alone is the Absolute Truth. Such is also our direct experience in deep-sleep.
Comments
Post a Comment