Monday, October 30, 2006
Story 37 – Story of Gajendra - 05
Gajendra continued:
Those who are entangled in worldly bondages cannot attain you (the Lord) who are beyond their reach. You are devoid of any sanga or attachments. Liberated beings after having got rid of all sanga realize you in their heart. You nature is pure Consciousness. Those who don’t want dharma, artha and kaama seek you constantly in their hearts through devotion. But you give them even dharma, artha and kaama that are required by them. Ekaantha bhakthas are those who contemplate on you alone not seeking anything else. They are always immersed in the ocean of bliss singing your glories all the while. I prostrate the poorna purusha who is called Jagadeeshwara and Para Brahman, who is realized through a subtle mind.
Explanation
The ultimate reality of Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute (kevala sat chit ananda). There is nothing apart from the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord. That which is seen as different from the Lord is nothing but mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Those who are entangled in the bondages with the world cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord who is the substratum of the things in the world. A person who is immersed in the name and form of gold chain cannot see through the names-forms and realize the reality of gold. Similarly a person who is immersed in the worldly objects cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord as the substratum of the worldly objects. Thus for such people who seek the worldly objects and are entangled in the bondages, the Lord is beyond their reach.
Bhagavatham here is therefore telling that so long as a person is immersed in sensual pleasure enjoyment, he cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord beyond those sense objects. Therefore seekers of the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of eternal bliss should stop seeking worldly objects and turn inwards seeking the ultimate reality of Lord at all times. It is only when a person renounces all attachment to sense objects that he will be able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord who is one’s own very nature. So long as the mind is immersed in the external sense pleasures, it will not be able to contemplate inward on the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus those who seek control of the mind and realization of one’s own nature of Lord should renounce all attachment to objects in the world and contemplate on the Lord in their hearts.
Vedas speak about four purusharthas of dharma, artha, kama and moksha. These four are those that are to be sought or are sought by people in life. Dharma is following righteousness through words, thoughts and actions. Artha is seeking objects and sensual pleasures through the objects. Kama is desires in the mind to attain things in life. All these three of dharma, artha and kama give only temporary happiness because they are related to temporary, illusory objects of the world. Moksha in turn alone gives permanent bliss because it is attainment of the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature of non-dual Consciousness. Bhagavatham therefore here mentions that real devotees don’t seek dharma, artha and kaama – instead they seek the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of moksha or cessation of sorrow or rejoicing of eternal bliss.
Those devotees whose mind is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Lord are always immersed in the ocean of bliss which is the very nature of Lord. They always sing the glories of the Lord who is present everywhere as the substratum of Consciousness. The Lord alone is present in the entire world. The world of names and forms is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Those who seek the Lord ever rejoice in the bliss of the Lord. Thus whatever they see and know is but the Lord alone – therefore they always sing the glories of the Lord. They don’t know anything apart from the Lord to even speak or think about. Their each and every thought/words is about the ultimate reality of Lord alone. They are ever steadfast in the Lord contemplating all the while. Thus they are called as ekaantha bhakthas or devotees who are ever contemplating on the reality of Lord.
It is those devotees thinking about the Lord always who get eternal bliss which is moksha and that which we all are seeking each and every moment. There is but one and only one way to eternal bliss – which is getting detached from the illusory world and sensual pleasures thereby seeking the ultimate reality of Lord at all times. The Lord alone is permanent and full. Since the Lord is full, he is not limited by anything. Since the Lord is not limited by anything, therefore he is eternal bliss in nature. Those who contemplate on the Lord at all times thereby get eternal bliss which is the very nature of the Lord.
We will continue with story the next day.
Gajendra continued:
Devas and the Vedas are but a very small part (amsa) of the perfect and poorna Ishwara. Everything that we perceive is only names and forms in Ishwara. Fire sparks start from fire – in a similar way everything in the world comes from the ultimate reality of Lord. After coming from the Lord, they all again merge unto the Lord. But still these entities do not touch or affect the Lord. The Lord is not man or woman or man-woman. The Lord is neither existent nor non-existent. When everything is negated, there will remain only the Lord who is the negator and cannot be negated. I offer my prostrations to that Lord who illumines the entire world but still remains unaffected by the world and its activities.
Explanation
The scriptures speak about the entire world comprising of the smallest of the bacteria to the largest of Brahma to have been created from the Lord. Even as fire sparks come out of fire and merge into fire, the entire world has come from the ultimate reality of Lord and thereby merges unto him at the time of destruction. This explanation or analogy used to describe the relationship between the Lord and his creation is only an empirical explanation to show that the world resides in the substratum of the Lord. The world which is ever changing can never be created from the changeless Lord. But the world is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord even as various gold ornaments are mere names and forms of gold. As all illusions are not different from the substratum, the world is not different from the Lord. The analogy of fire-sparks is meant to show that the world is not different from the Lord even as fire sparks are not different from fire.
Bhagavatham here mentions that the world is but mere names and forms of the ultimate reality of Lord. Any name and form is not real but only an illusion in the reality. Similarly the world of names and forms is but an illusion in the reality of Lord. Names and forms are seen as different from the substratum only due to ignorance. When the ignorance about one’s own very nature of Lord vanishes, the names-forms are known to be mere illusions. Thus when a person realizes his own very nature of non-dual Lord, he realizes that the world of names and forms is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Yajnavalkya explains to Maitreyi in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that a person after realizing the non-dual reality of Lord doesn’t have anything to perceive apart from the Lord. But a person who perceives duality in the world sees things as different from one another not knowing the underlying non-dual reality of Consciousness.
The Lord as explained is the substratum of the illusory names and forms which are collective termed as jagat or world. Since the Lord is the substratum of the various names and forms, he is not at all affected by the names and forms. Therefore the Lord is unaffected by the activities in the world even as Sun is unaffected by the activities happening on Earth. The Lord is but a mere witness to all the illusory activities in the world even as the dreamer is but a mere witness to the dream world.
The Lord is not of any particular gender. Gender is either based on the body (physical) or on the mind (mental tendencies). The Lord is beyond the body and the mind because he is the Self or Consciousness distinct from the body and the mind. The Lord can neither be termed as existent nor termed as non-existent. This is because the Lord is beyond all dualities. When we speak about existence, non-existence automatically comes into picture. But the Lord is beyond all dualities whether it is of existence-non existence or happiness-sorrow.
The Lord is explained in the scriptures as realized through negating all that is objectified. This is the process of neti neti or “not-this, not-this” in the scriptures. The Lord is the Subject who cannot be objectified. Thus if we negate everything that can be objectified, what will remain behind is the ultimate reality of Lord alone. Therefore Bhagavatham mentions here that the Lord is the negator who will remain behind after everything has been negated. This is because the Lord is the Subject of all objects. The subject which experiences and illumines everything in the world is Consciousness. Lord or Brahman has been mentioned in the scriptures as of the nature of Consciousness. As the Lord of the nature of Consciousness is the subject-witness of all activities, therefore he remains behind after the process of negation of all that is objectified.
The Lord as the mere witness to all activities is thus unaffected by the illusory activities of the world. This Lord about whom we have been discussing in the past few days is not different from ourselves but is our own very nature of Consciousness. Hence once we realize our own very nature of Lord, we will not be affected by the activities in the world. All problems in life occur because of attachment to things, people and activities. Once we realize our own very nature of unattached and unaffected Lord, we will not be affected by the activities in the world. Thus we will always be immersed in the bliss which is the very nature of the Lord or our own very nature. It is this bliss that we are seeking each and every moment in the illusory world. We seek bliss and happiness in the world not knowing that our own very nature is bliss alone. Until we realize our own very nature of Lord who is unattached and unaffected by all illusions, we will still be seeking bliss and suffering in the illusory world. Thus the way out of all our sorrows and sufferings is realization of the ultimate reality of Lord through devotion and surrender. Real devotion is that in which the devotee knows about the Lord as the one and only real entity in the illusory dual world. This knowledge about the Lord as the only real changeless entity makes a seeker surrender completely unto the Lord thereby merging unto the Lord. Total and complete surrender alone can get rid of the ego or ahamkaara which causes the main problem in the world through creation of dual notions. The seeker who knows about the Lord and thereby is devoted to the Lord will not have ego at all as he has totally merged into the Lord even as rivers merge into the ocean getting rid of their particular names (which signifies ego here).
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Those who are entangled in worldly bondages cannot attain you (the Lord) who are beyond their reach. You are devoid of any sanga or attachments. Liberated beings after having got rid of all sanga realize you in their heart. You nature is pure Consciousness. Those who don’t want dharma, artha and kaama seek you constantly in their hearts through devotion. But you give them even dharma, artha and kaama that are required by them. Ekaantha bhakthas are those who contemplate on you alone not seeking anything else. They are always immersed in the ocean of bliss singing your glories all the while. I prostrate the poorna purusha who is called Jagadeeshwara and Para Brahman, who is realized through a subtle mind.
Explanation
The ultimate reality of Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute (kevala sat chit ananda). There is nothing apart from the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord. That which is seen as different from the Lord is nothing but mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Those who are entangled in the bondages with the world cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord who is the substratum of the things in the world. A person who is immersed in the name and form of gold chain cannot see through the names-forms and realize the reality of gold. Similarly a person who is immersed in the worldly objects cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord as the substratum of the worldly objects. Thus for such people who seek the worldly objects and are entangled in the bondages, the Lord is beyond their reach.
Bhagavatham here is therefore telling that so long as a person is immersed in sensual pleasure enjoyment, he cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord beyond those sense objects. Therefore seekers of the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of eternal bliss should stop seeking worldly objects and turn inwards seeking the ultimate reality of Lord at all times. It is only when a person renounces all attachment to sense objects that he will be able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord who is one’s own very nature. So long as the mind is immersed in the external sense pleasures, it will not be able to contemplate inward on the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus those who seek control of the mind and realization of one’s own nature of Lord should renounce all attachment to objects in the world and contemplate on the Lord in their hearts.
Vedas speak about four purusharthas of dharma, artha, kama and moksha. These four are those that are to be sought or are sought by people in life. Dharma is following righteousness through words, thoughts and actions. Artha is seeking objects and sensual pleasures through the objects. Kama is desires in the mind to attain things in life. All these three of dharma, artha and kama give only temporary happiness because they are related to temporary, illusory objects of the world. Moksha in turn alone gives permanent bliss because it is attainment of the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature of non-dual Consciousness. Bhagavatham therefore here mentions that real devotees don’t seek dharma, artha and kaama – instead they seek the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of moksha or cessation of sorrow or rejoicing of eternal bliss.
Those devotees whose mind is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Lord are always immersed in the ocean of bliss which is the very nature of Lord. They always sing the glories of the Lord who is present everywhere as the substratum of Consciousness. The Lord alone is present in the entire world. The world of names and forms is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Those who seek the Lord ever rejoice in the bliss of the Lord. Thus whatever they see and know is but the Lord alone – therefore they always sing the glories of the Lord. They don’t know anything apart from the Lord to even speak or think about. Their each and every thought/words is about the ultimate reality of Lord alone. They are ever steadfast in the Lord contemplating all the while. Thus they are called as ekaantha bhakthas or devotees who are ever contemplating on the reality of Lord.
It is those devotees thinking about the Lord always who get eternal bliss which is moksha and that which we all are seeking each and every moment. There is but one and only one way to eternal bliss – which is getting detached from the illusory world and sensual pleasures thereby seeking the ultimate reality of Lord at all times. The Lord alone is permanent and full. Since the Lord is full, he is not limited by anything. Since the Lord is not limited by anything, therefore he is eternal bliss in nature. Those who contemplate on the Lord at all times thereby get eternal bliss which is the very nature of the Lord.
We will continue with story the next day.
Gajendra continued:
Devas and the Vedas are but a very small part (amsa) of the perfect and poorna Ishwara. Everything that we perceive is only names and forms in Ishwara. Fire sparks start from fire – in a similar way everything in the world comes from the ultimate reality of Lord. After coming from the Lord, they all again merge unto the Lord. But still these entities do not touch or affect the Lord. The Lord is not man or woman or man-woman. The Lord is neither existent nor non-existent. When everything is negated, there will remain only the Lord who is the negator and cannot be negated. I offer my prostrations to that Lord who illumines the entire world but still remains unaffected by the world and its activities.
Explanation
The scriptures speak about the entire world comprising of the smallest of the bacteria to the largest of Brahma to have been created from the Lord. Even as fire sparks come out of fire and merge into fire, the entire world has come from the ultimate reality of Lord and thereby merges unto him at the time of destruction. This explanation or analogy used to describe the relationship between the Lord and his creation is only an empirical explanation to show that the world resides in the substratum of the Lord. The world which is ever changing can never be created from the changeless Lord. But the world is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord even as various gold ornaments are mere names and forms of gold. As all illusions are not different from the substratum, the world is not different from the Lord. The analogy of fire-sparks is meant to show that the world is not different from the Lord even as fire sparks are not different from fire.
Bhagavatham here mentions that the world is but mere names and forms of the ultimate reality of Lord. Any name and form is not real but only an illusion in the reality. Similarly the world of names and forms is but an illusion in the reality of Lord. Names and forms are seen as different from the substratum only due to ignorance. When the ignorance about one’s own very nature of Lord vanishes, the names-forms are known to be mere illusions. Thus when a person realizes his own very nature of non-dual Lord, he realizes that the world of names and forms is a mere illusion in the reality of Lord. Yajnavalkya explains to Maitreyi in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that a person after realizing the non-dual reality of Lord doesn’t have anything to perceive apart from the Lord. But a person who perceives duality in the world sees things as different from one another not knowing the underlying non-dual reality of Consciousness.
The Lord as explained is the substratum of the illusory names and forms which are collective termed as jagat or world. Since the Lord is the substratum of the various names and forms, he is not at all affected by the names and forms. Therefore the Lord is unaffected by the activities in the world even as Sun is unaffected by the activities happening on Earth. The Lord is but a mere witness to all the illusory activities in the world even as the dreamer is but a mere witness to the dream world.
The Lord is not of any particular gender. Gender is either based on the body (physical) or on the mind (mental tendencies). The Lord is beyond the body and the mind because he is the Self or Consciousness distinct from the body and the mind. The Lord can neither be termed as existent nor termed as non-existent. This is because the Lord is beyond all dualities. When we speak about existence, non-existence automatically comes into picture. But the Lord is beyond all dualities whether it is of existence-non existence or happiness-sorrow.
The Lord is explained in the scriptures as realized through negating all that is objectified. This is the process of neti neti or “not-this, not-this” in the scriptures. The Lord is the Subject who cannot be objectified. Thus if we negate everything that can be objectified, what will remain behind is the ultimate reality of Lord alone. Therefore Bhagavatham mentions here that the Lord is the negator who will remain behind after everything has been negated. This is because the Lord is the Subject of all objects. The subject which experiences and illumines everything in the world is Consciousness. Lord or Brahman has been mentioned in the scriptures as of the nature of Consciousness. As the Lord of the nature of Consciousness is the subject-witness of all activities, therefore he remains behind after the process of negation of all that is objectified.
The Lord as the mere witness to all activities is thus unaffected by the illusory activities of the world. This Lord about whom we have been discussing in the past few days is not different from ourselves but is our own very nature of Consciousness. Hence once we realize our own very nature of Lord, we will not be affected by the activities in the world. All problems in life occur because of attachment to things, people and activities. Once we realize our own very nature of unattached and unaffected Lord, we will not be affected by the activities in the world. Thus we will always be immersed in the bliss which is the very nature of the Lord or our own very nature. It is this bliss that we are seeking each and every moment in the illusory world. We seek bliss and happiness in the world not knowing that our own very nature is bliss alone. Until we realize our own very nature of Lord who is unattached and unaffected by all illusions, we will still be seeking bliss and suffering in the illusory world. Thus the way out of all our sorrows and sufferings is realization of the ultimate reality of Lord through devotion and surrender. Real devotion is that in which the devotee knows about the Lord as the one and only real entity in the illusory dual world. This knowledge about the Lord as the only real changeless entity makes a seeker surrender completely unto the Lord thereby merging unto the Lord. Total and complete surrender alone can get rid of the ego or ahamkaara which causes the main problem in the world through creation of dual notions. The seeker who knows about the Lord and thereby is devoted to the Lord will not have ego at all as he has totally merged into the Lord even as rivers merge into the ocean getting rid of their particular names (which signifies ego here).
We will continue with the story in the next day.
# posted by vedanta : 7:37 PM
