Friday, September 20, 2024

Chandogya 7 (and Shankara) on Prana (vital force) and Realisation

 7.15.1. Vital force is surely greater than hope. As spokes are inserted in a hub, similarly are all things inserted in this vital force. The vital force moves with the help of the vital force. The vital force imparts vital force to the vital force. The vital force indeed is the father, the vital force is the mother, the vital foce is the brother. The vital force is the sister, the vital force is the teacher and the vital force is the Brahmin.

Beginning with name and ending with hope, all things that are arranged successively as greater and greater from the point of view of cause and effect, and source and product, (and) which have their existence due to memory, and are held together by the rope of hope just as a stem of a lotus is by the fibres-, they are in every way inserted in the vital force. And by that vital force which pervades everything internally and externally, and which is like a string, all things are strung and held together like gems in a string.

and into which the supreme Deity has entered in the form of an individual soul, like the reflection in a mirror, for manifesting names and forms. And it is the same vital force which is' the manager of God, like the minister of a king, as is stated in the text, ' "On whose depa.rture (from the body) shall I too depart, and on whose continuance in the body shall I too continue?"- thinking thus, He created the vital force' (Ke.VI.3). And that same vital force follows God like a shadow. In the we have, 'As the spokes of a wheel are fixed to the hub, as the spokes are fixed on the nave, in the same way, particular objects' are fixed on particular perceptions!, and the particular perceptions are fixed on the vital force. That vital force itself is the conscious Self 


7.16.1. 'But this one indeed transcends in speech, who transcends by virtue of-realisation of Truth.' '0 venerable sir, such as I am, I want to transcend in speech by virtue of realisation of Truth.' 'Truth indeed has to be sought for realisation.' 'Venerable sir, I seek for the realisation of Truth. 

He, Narada who was such, having heard of that vital force, which transcends everything and which is the Self of all, to be identified with his own Self, stopped by thinking that there. is nothing beyond this, so that he did not ask as he had done before, '0 venerable sir, does anything exist which is greater than the vital force?' Having found him (Narada) satisfied by knowing, in this way, this Brahman which is an unreal transformation, and thus fallen short of the highest success but yet thinking of himself as capable of transcending in speech by virtue of realisation of the highest Truth, the venerable Sanatkumara said to his competent disciple by drawing him away from that particular notion: 'But this one indeed, of whom I shall speak, transcends in speech; in reality, the knower of the vital force does not in speech.' His transcendence in speech is in relation to nameses etc. only. But he is the (real) transcender in speech, who knows the highest Truth beyond all things and called the Infinite.


(tr-Gambhirananda)





Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Vivarta-vada and the Life Force

1. vivarta-vada and the life force

Speaking of vivarta-vada, the apparent modification is called vivarta. The transformative modification is called parinama.

Per the clay pot analogy, a pot is the parinama of clay. The clay is vivarta of brahman. Both are modes of maya.

In reality, there’s the principle of existence in satcitananda. In the cosmic egg, there’s the principle of life called prana, life force of I am. 

2. the universe is not a product of brahman

The universe is not a product of Brahman. 

The causal relationship between Brahman and the cosmic order is merely apparent, like a mirage, a dream, a superimposition, an hallucination like the classic snake in a rope.

Causation is a big thing between the modes of Maya: apparent and transformative. Brahman supports this phenomenal world, but transcends its cause-and-effect duality.





Ashtavakra Gita 8

Therefore bondage is when the mind desires or grieves for anything, rejects or accepts anything, feels happy or angry about anything.

Then freedom is when the mind does not desire nor grieve, does not reject nor accept, does not feel happy nor feel angry.

Therefore, bondage is when the mind is attached to any sense perception, and freedom is when the mind is unattached to all sense perceptions.

Where there is no egoic I, there is freedom. Where there is an egoic I, there is bondage. Knowing this, it is easy to neither accept nor reject anything.


~my unbound transcreation of Ashtavakra Gita 8.1-4 using the translations of Chinmayananda, Nityaswarupananda, Richards, Byrom, et al.






Sunday, September 15, 2024

It's the Brahman in Saguna Brahman

1. saguna brahman

In the name of effortless nondoing, intuitive nonknowing, and unconditional nonloving, aum.

In primordial maya, the quantum power of god, there is nondoing, nonknowing, and nonloving, sattva.

In wisdom and that will of God, intelligence and that omniscience of God, universality and that oneness of God, Saguna Brahman.


2. brahman

In the world of samsara, there is doing and not doing, knowing and not knowing, loving and not loving, rajas and tamas.

And there is busyness and inertia, interestedness and apathy, lustfulness and carelessness, rajas and tamas.

In Saguna Brahman, I am, I know, I love. In reality, there is the principle of existence, the ground of consciousness, the essence of bliss, satcitananda.


3. i

After me is gone, I will always be there.

You know it when you are it.

I am before I am.


4. reality

Astrology is a science too.

Nonduality is not a science.

Reality is beyond science.


5. best of 240915sn

In the name of effortless nondoing, intuitive nonknowing, and unconditional nonloving.

Busyness and inertia, interestedness and apathy, lustfulness and carelessness, rajas and tamas.

After me is gone, I will always be there. Nonduality is not a science.


6. x

I am not the movie. I am the silver screen.











Friday, September 13, 2024

Dreamworld, Multiverse, Satcitananda

1. Existence in Reality

A river of existence doesn’t flow through me as much as I flow through this body.

In reality, I am existence itself. And not itself as much as the Self.

Grammatical attention isn’t wrong when talking to yourself. It doesn’t play with others well.

2. De-visualizing the Multiverse

That principle of existence is the ground of consciousness and I am that.

As dreamworlds appear in a single mind, universes are being visualized in that one without a second.

I minus dreamworlds equals that minus the multiverse. Tattvamasi. Aham Brahmasmi.

3. Satcitananda

It’s satcitananda and not sat, cit, and ananda because nonduality.

Existence equals consciousness equals bliss equals satcitananda.

Satcitananda is beyond creation. Islands appear in the sea.

4. Deep Sea Diving

What the sea visualizes, the sea de-visualizes.

All islands depend upon a certain sea level.

What if the highest state of consciousness is deep sleep?

5. Formula Five

There are three states of consciousness. The fourth is not a state; turiya is consciousness.

Pure consciousness may be redundant but reflected consciousness is

the only consciousness the material world admits to know.

Pure consciousness divided by mind equals reflected consciousness.

Awareness plus thought equals attention. Pure consciousness equals awareness.

6. Pleasant Valley

My cosmic address is this dreamworld, that multiverse, satcitananda.











Chandogya 6 Selected (tr-Gambhirananda)

Chandogya 6.1 (Sankara's comments in italics)

2. He, of twelve years age, after going to the teacher (and) having studied all the Vedas till the age of twenty-four years, returned conceited, proud of being a learned man, and immodest. To him the father said, '0 Svetaketu, 0 good looking one, now that you are conceited, proud of being a learned man, and immodest like this, did you ask about that instruction-

3. ‘Through which the unheard of becomes heard, the unthought of becomes thought of, the unknown becomes known?’ (Svetaketu asked,) ‘0 venerable sir, in what way is that instruction imparted?’

Even after studying all the Vedas, and even after knowing all other things that are to be known, a man indeed remains unfulfilled of his purpose till he does not know the reality of the Self. This is understood from the story.

4. ‘0 good looking one, as by knowing a lump of earth, all things made of earth become known: All transformation has speech as its basis, and it is name only. Earth as such is the reality.'

Which is that? It is vikarab, the transformation; which is niimadheyam, name only. The suffix dheyat is added after a word to mean the word (nama) itself. It is only a name dependent merely on speech. (Apart from that) there is no substance called transformation. In reality mrttikii iti, earth as such; eva satyam (is the thing that) truly exists.

7. These venerable teachers did not certainly know this. For, if they had known this, why should they not have told me? May yourself, venerable sir, tell me’ that.’ ‘0 good looking one, so be it’, said he.

Although any deficiency of a teacher should not be spoken of still, he did so for fear of being sent again to the teacher's house! 


Chandogya 6.2

1.‘0 good looking one, in the beginning this was Existence alone, One only, without a second. With regard to that some say, “In the beginning this was non-existence alone, one only, without a second. From that non-existence issued existence.”

Sat, Existence; eva, alone: The word sat means mere Existence, a thing that is subtle, without distinction, all pervasive, one, taintless, partless, consciousness, which is known from all the The word eva is used for emphasis. What is that which is being detennined? This is being said: That which is idam, this, the universe which is perceived as a modification possessed of name, form, and movement; that lisft, was Existence alone. The word sat-eva is connected with lisit. When was all this Existence alone? This is being answered: Agre, in the beginning, before the creation of the universe.

2. He said, ‘0 good looking one, by what logic can existence verily come out of non-existence? But surely, o good looking one, in the beginning all this was Existence, One only, without a second.’

3. That Existence) saw, ‘I shall become many. I shall be born.’ That created fire. That fire saw, ‘I shall become many. I shall be born.’ That created water...

Tat, that Existence; aik$ata, saw, undertook the act of visualization. From this it follows that the cause of the world is not the Pradhana imagined by the Sarhkhyas, for they accept Pradhana to be insentient. But this Existence is conscious because of being the agent of visualization.

How did That visualize? This is being answered: 'Syam. I shall become; bahu. many. Prajayeya, I shall be born excellently'. like earth taking the shapes of pots etc. or ropes etc. taking the shapes of snake etc. imagined by the intellect.


Chandogya 6.3

2. That Deity which is such saw: ‘Let it be that now, by entering into these three gods, in the form of the soul of each individual being, I shall clearly manifest name and form.’


Chandogya 6.8

1.Uddalaka, son of Aruna, said to Svetaketu, his son, ‘0 good-looking one, learn from me about deep sleep. 0 good-looking one, when a man is spoken of as, “He sleeps”, then he becomes merged in Existence. He attains his own Self. Therefore they speak of him as, "he sleeps,” for he attains his own Self.’

The mind into which the supreme Deity has entered as the individual soul, like a man entering into a mirror in the form of a reflection, or like the sun etc. entering into water etc. that has been known as made up of food, and associated with speech and vital force made up of fire and water (respectively). The individual soul, in identification with that mind and staying in °it, becomes able to have such behaviours as thinking, seeing, hearing etc. and on the cessation of that attains its own nature as the Deity. This has been mentioned in another 'It thinks as it were, and shakes as it were. Being identified with dreams It transcends this world' (Br. IV.3.7)

Or svapniintam means the essential nature of dream. In that sense also the meaning is deep-sleep, which follows from the text, 'He attains his own Self. For the knowers of Brahman do not admit attainment of its own nature by the individual soul, in any state other than deep-sleep. Just as the reflection of a person in a mirror attains the person himself when the mirror is removed, in a similar way indeed, there (in the deep-sleep) when mind etc. cease functioning, that supreme Deity which, in the form of a conscious individual soul as Its reflection, had" entered into the mind for the manifestation of name and form, attains Its true nature by giving up Its appearance as the individual soul called the mind. So it is understood that deep-sleep itself is meant by the word svapniintam. 

That this name is a secondary one is being shown by stating: When a person is spoken of as 'He sleeps', then, he bhavati, becomes; sampannaJ;z, identified; satii, with Existence; i.e. he becomes united with, identified with the Deity under discussion, refelTed to by the word Existence. Having discarded the nature of the individual soul which has entered into the mind and which is produced from the contact with the mind etc., apftaJ;z bhavati, he attains; svam, his own self, his nature as Existence which is the ultimate Reality. Tasmat, therefore; the common people iicak$ate, speak of; enam, this one; as svapiti, 'He sleeps' (lit. 'he is in his own self); hi, because; apftaJ;z bhavati, he attains; svam, his own Self. The idea is that, even from the fact of the secondary name (svapiti) being well-known, it understood that he attains his own Self.

2. ‘As a bird bound to a string, flying in all directions and failing to get an abode anywhere else, repairs to the place of bondage alone, in this very way indeed, 0 good-looking one, that mind, flying in all directions and failing to get an abode anywhere else, resorts to the vital force itself, for, 0 good-looking one, the mind is bound to the vital force.’

6. Where can be the root of that apart from being in water? 0 good-looking one, through water which is the sprout, understand fire as the root. 0 good-looking one, through fire which is the sprout understand Existence as the root. 0 good-looking one, all these beings have Existence as their root. Existence is their abode. Existence is their place of merger. 0 good-looking one, as to how each one of these three gods becomes three-fold and three-fold after coming in contact with a person, has already been stated earlier. 0 good-looking one, of this person when he departs, (the organ of) speech is withdrawn into the mind, mind into the vital force, vital force into the fire, and fire into the supreme Deity.

7. ‘That which is this subtle essence, all this has got That as the Self. That is Truth. That is the Self. Thou art That, 0 Svetaketu.’ ‘May the venerable sir explain to me again.’ He said, ‘Let it be so, 0 good-looking one.’

Sa/:l. ya/:l., that which has been spoken of as Existence; is efa/:l., this; a1)imii, subtle essence, the Source of the universe. Sarvam, all, idam, this; aitadiitmyam, has got That as the Self. All that has got this Existence as its Self is etadiitmii. The state. of having That as the Self is aitadiitmyam. This whole universe has become possessed of a Self through this Self which is called Existence; it has no other Self which is subject to transmigration. This follows from other texts such as, 'There is no other hearer but This, no other thinker but This' (Sr. III.8.ll). And Self through which all this universe becomes possessed of its Self (Existence), tat, That itself is the source called Existence; satyam, the Truth, the supreme Reality. that indeed; is atma, the Self of the world, its inmost essence, its quintessence, its very reality, because the word Self, when not preceded by any other word, conventionally denotes the inmost Self, like the conventional words cow etc. Hence tvam, thou; asi, art; tat, that Existence; svetaketo, 0 Svetaketu.







Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Consciousness & The Radioactive Mind

Consciousness is pure like pure water is pure. There’s no mind stuff there to cloud things up.

Am I the consciousness or am I mind stuff? In consciousness, there is no question.

Nonduality is like subatomic mind stuff. Reality will know you by my radioactivity.









Ashtavakra Gita 7

In the boundless ocean of myself, the ship of the world is wandering here and there, moving by the wind of its own mind. Yet I remain calm.

In the boundless ocean of myself, the waves of the world spontaneously rise and naturally fall. Yet I neither increase nor decrease.

In the boundless ocean of myself this conception called the universe appears. Soundless and formless, I alone abide.

The Self is neither contained by objects nor does the Self contain objects, for I am limitless and immaculate. Thus unattached and without desire, alone in this tranquility, I abide.

O, I am in reality pure consciousness. The world is like a magic show. How could there be such notions as rejection or acceptance in myself?


~my unbound transcreation of Ashtavakra Gita 7.1-5 using the translations of Chinmayananda, Nityaswarupananda, Richards, Byrom, et al.






Saturday, September 7, 2024

Ekam Eva Advaita

Satcitananda is the Nondual Source of That Power of Three.

Existence (I Am), Consciousness (I Know), Holistic Bliss Infinity (I Love).

The mind can deconstruct itself but it cannot break the mirror.

The mind can't break itself. My god, that’s a job for reality.

Resting in existence as effortless nondoing.

Understanding consciousness as intuitive nonknowing.

Loving ananda as unconditional nonloving.

In the name of spontaneity, self-awareness, and one without a second.

Enlightenment Beyond Science

Deep sleep and the two dreamstates are states of avidya.

Self-realization is the waking dreamstate minus avidya.

I hear real enlightenment is beyond the turned-on mind though.

It’s like the difference between classical mechanics and quantum physics.

Not only is it beyond any myth of religion but all folk science too.



footnotes

fun with mandukya math:

deep sleep equals absolute existence plus latent avidya in a mass of consciousness.

it's an individual's halfway home.

avidya is unborn but not endless.

false messiahs need not apply

but true gurus are welcome.