Monday, March 19, 2007
Story 42 – Story of Khatvaanga - 04
Khatvaanga continued:
“Whatever be, I will always be immersed in the experience of the ultimate reality of Lord. How? In the ultimate reality of Lord, Maya seems to make as if appear the various worlds and the thoughts of “I”-“mine” which is caused out of attachment towards the objects of the world; I will renounce this limited I-mine and be ever immersed in contemplation of the Lord and consider everything as but an illusion of names-forms in the Lord.”
Explanation
Here Khatvaanga clearly gives the way out of the illusion of maya and the way to realize the ultimate reality of Lord. This way out is nothing but knowing the reality of the temporary and illusory world. The world that we see is ever changing. Such a changing and temporary world cannot be real. Real entity is that which is without any change – anything that undergoes change undergoes the six modifications of birth, existence, growth, change, decay, disease and death. That which is born and dies is not real because of being temporary and present only during its life-time. Thus the world that we see now is not real but only an illusion. The world is an illusion of names and forms. Any illusion is nothing but its substratum. The water seen in desert is nothing but the substratum of desert. Similarly the world is nothing but an illusion in the substratum of the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Remove the Lord or Consciousness, the world will cease to exist. This is what happens when a person becomes unconscious – the world ceases to exist for him. Thus if the Lord is removed, the world will cease to exist. As long as the ultimate reality of Lord exists, the world also exists.
Even as various gold ornaments are illusions of names and forms in the reality of gold, similarly the world is an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. If we are deluded into the names and forms, we will end up with temporary objects of the world. Those temporary things will lead us only into sorrows and sufferings as they are temporary. But if we remember the underlying reality of Lord, then we will be constantly contemplating on the reality of Lord. This means that instead of seeing the illusion, we will be piercing through the illusion and seeing the underlying substratum.
This is the way out of sorrows and sufferings in the world: we have to remember that the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord & thereby we have to constantly contemplate on the non-dual reality of Lord. We thus have to remember always that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second. The duality that is seen is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord. This illusion is caused by the illusory power of Lord termed as Maya. Maya makes things appear as real – thus we find the world to be real when it is not real. When we consider the world as real, we consider things to be “mine”. We get attached and associated with things and people. Association with the body causes the ego feeling of “I” and association with people/things causes the feeling of “mine”. When there are the feelings of “I” and “mine’, we will be affected by the state of the things or people to whom we are attached to. Thus when “my friend” becomes sad, I also become sad. But when “my friend” becomes happy, I also become happy. This happiness and sorrow is from an illusory friend who is only a name and form in the reality of Lord. We have to constantly remember that everything is but the Lord alone – when everything is seen as the Lord, there is nothing that we get attached or averted to. We will be seeing everything even as we view the characters in a film. We will be a mere witness to all activities remembering that everything is an illusion in the Lord. This attitude of witness-hood will lead us to ever rejoice in bliss which is our very nature of Lord. It is this witness-hood in the state of deep sleep wherein there are no objects to experience that gives us bliss throughout the state. But as soon as we wake up, we again get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine”. If we are able to constantly not get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine” – always remembering that everything is but the Lord alone, we will be ever blissful. This is the direct way out of the sorrows and sufferings which we experience because of considering the world as real and getting attached to it.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Khatvaang’s minda thereby always contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord became merged into the Lord. When the notion that “there is duality” is removed completely through contemplation of the non-dual reality of Lord, the mind knows the reality that there is only the non-dual reality of Lord.
This alone is Brahman (or Lord) – that which is indivisible and Consciousness in nature and thought to be non-existent (by ignorant people). That Lord who is worshipped as Krishna by bhakthas is the same ultimate reality of Brahman.
Explanation
As we discussed in the previous day, the sorrows and sufferings are caused due to the illusion of considering the dual world as real. This duality that we perceive is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord. When the mind contemplates on this non-dual reality of Lord, then the notion that duality is real vanishes. The mind totally merges into the ultimate reality of lord. The world and the duality that we perceive is but an illusion caused by the mind – when the mind merges completely into the ultimate reality of Lord, then the illusion caused by the mind also vanishes. Thus the world will then be seen as nothing but an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. Even as a person sees the water in desert as desert after realizing that it is only desert there, similarly once a seeker’s mind has totally merged unto the ultimate reality of Lord then the seeker sees everything as filled in and out by the Lord.
Since such a seeker sees everything as the Lord alone, therefore there is neither like nor dislike for such a seeker. Such a seeker is ever blissful – whatever happens in the illusory world, the seeker is ever immersed in the bliss in the Lord. If something bad happens to the seeker, still he knows that there is nothing here but the Lord – thereby he is blissful. If something good happens, still the seeker is blissful and unaffected. Thus the seeker will be unaffected by the activities of the world though he might still be doing activities in the world. Even as an actor plays his role to perfection all the while remembering who he really is, similarly the seeker who has realized that everything is but the Lord alone will do activities in the world remembering that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second.
We may here have a doubt as to whether this Lord is the same as Krishna or Vishnu propounded in the puranas and Brahman as propounded in the Upanishads. This is being answered by Bhagavatham here by stating that the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord is the same Krishna or Vishnu worshipped by bhakthas and Brahman of the Upanishads. Brahman is propounded in the scriptures as of the nature of Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (bliss). Brahman is indivisible as it is Consciousness which doesn’t have any parts therefore cannot be divided. Anything that has parts alone can be divided. The tree is divided into branches, leaves etc. because it has parts. The body is divided into hands, feet, face etc. because it has parts. Space or ether cannot be divided as it has no parts. The scriptures speak about the space as having come from the Atman (Brahman). Since space is indivisible so its cause of Atman also has to be indivisible. Also Consciousness doesn’t have any parts and therefore is indivisible. Such an indivisible entity is without any change and death (any entity with parts like the tree or body is subject to change and death – therefore temporary and illusory). Therefore indivisible Brahman is eternal and non-dual as well. Brahman is also proclaimed in the scriptures as the cause and substratum of the illusory world – from whom the world has come, in whom the world resides and unto whom the world merges after destruction. The Lord proclaims in Gita that the world has come from him and that all beings are situated in “me” (the Lord). This is not possible unless the Lord is none other than the Brahman of scriptures. There are many other places where the Lord proclaims himself as not different from the ultimate non-dual reality of Brahman.
Thus the Brahman of Upanishads is the same as the Lord or Krishna of bhakthas. It is only foolish and ignorant people who fight over as to whether Krishna is great or Siva is great etc. A real bhaktha and a real jnaani know that there is nothing here but one entity alone exists – whether we call it Brahman or Krishna, it is the same – it is the substratum of all illusory names and forms. The Krishna who propounds Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna is not limited to a form – Krishna himself calls such people fools who consider him to be embodied. The underlying “I” or Consciousness in all beings whether it is an avatar of Krishna or an ignorant being is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord. A wise person instead of fighting over such futile things will contemplate on the all-pervasive non-dual reality of Lord like Khatvaanga does in this story. Bhagavatham here is indirectly thus telling us that we shouldn’t be foolish enough to fight over the illusory names and forms – instead we should contemplate on the all-pervasive Lord who alone exists.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
“Whatever be, I will always be immersed in the experience of the ultimate reality of Lord. How? In the ultimate reality of Lord, Maya seems to make as if appear the various worlds and the thoughts of “I”-“mine” which is caused out of attachment towards the objects of the world; I will renounce this limited I-mine and be ever immersed in contemplation of the Lord and consider everything as but an illusion of names-forms in the Lord.”
Explanation
Here Khatvaanga clearly gives the way out of the illusion of maya and the way to realize the ultimate reality of Lord. This way out is nothing but knowing the reality of the temporary and illusory world. The world that we see is ever changing. Such a changing and temporary world cannot be real. Real entity is that which is without any change – anything that undergoes change undergoes the six modifications of birth, existence, growth, change, decay, disease and death. That which is born and dies is not real because of being temporary and present only during its life-time. Thus the world that we see now is not real but only an illusion. The world is an illusion of names and forms. Any illusion is nothing but its substratum. The water seen in desert is nothing but the substratum of desert. Similarly the world is nothing but an illusion in the substratum of the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Remove the Lord or Consciousness, the world will cease to exist. This is what happens when a person becomes unconscious – the world ceases to exist for him. Thus if the Lord is removed, the world will cease to exist. As long as the ultimate reality of Lord exists, the world also exists.
Even as various gold ornaments are illusions of names and forms in the reality of gold, similarly the world is an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. If we are deluded into the names and forms, we will end up with temporary objects of the world. Those temporary things will lead us only into sorrows and sufferings as they are temporary. But if we remember the underlying reality of Lord, then we will be constantly contemplating on the reality of Lord. This means that instead of seeing the illusion, we will be piercing through the illusion and seeing the underlying substratum.
This is the way out of sorrows and sufferings in the world: we have to remember that the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord & thereby we have to constantly contemplate on the non-dual reality of Lord. We thus have to remember always that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second. The duality that is seen is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord. This illusion is caused by the illusory power of Lord termed as Maya. Maya makes things appear as real – thus we find the world to be real when it is not real. When we consider the world as real, we consider things to be “mine”. We get attached and associated with things and people. Association with the body causes the ego feeling of “I” and association with people/things causes the feeling of “mine”. When there are the feelings of “I” and “mine’, we will be affected by the state of the things or people to whom we are attached to. Thus when “my friend” becomes sad, I also become sad. But when “my friend” becomes happy, I also become happy. This happiness and sorrow is from an illusory friend who is only a name and form in the reality of Lord. We have to constantly remember that everything is but the Lord alone – when everything is seen as the Lord, there is nothing that we get attached or averted to. We will be seeing everything even as we view the characters in a film. We will be a mere witness to all activities remembering that everything is an illusion in the Lord. This attitude of witness-hood will lead us to ever rejoice in bliss which is our very nature of Lord. It is this witness-hood in the state of deep sleep wherein there are no objects to experience that gives us bliss throughout the state. But as soon as we wake up, we again get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine”. If we are able to constantly not get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine” – always remembering that everything is but the Lord alone, we will be ever blissful. This is the direct way out of the sorrows and sufferings which we experience because of considering the world as real and getting attached to it.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Khatvaang’s minda thereby always contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord became merged into the Lord. When the notion that “there is duality” is removed completely through contemplation of the non-dual reality of Lord, the mind knows the reality that there is only the non-dual reality of Lord.
This alone is Brahman (or Lord) – that which is indivisible and Consciousness in nature and thought to be non-existent (by ignorant people). That Lord who is worshipped as Krishna by bhakthas is the same ultimate reality of Brahman.
Explanation
As we discussed in the previous day, the sorrows and sufferings are caused due to the illusion of considering the dual world as real. This duality that we perceive is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord. When the mind contemplates on this non-dual reality of Lord, then the notion that duality is real vanishes. The mind totally merges into the ultimate reality of lord. The world and the duality that we perceive is but an illusion caused by the mind – when the mind merges completely into the ultimate reality of Lord, then the illusion caused by the mind also vanishes. Thus the world will then be seen as nothing but an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. Even as a person sees the water in desert as desert after realizing that it is only desert there, similarly once a seeker’s mind has totally merged unto the ultimate reality of Lord then the seeker sees everything as filled in and out by the Lord.
Since such a seeker sees everything as the Lord alone, therefore there is neither like nor dislike for such a seeker. Such a seeker is ever blissful – whatever happens in the illusory world, the seeker is ever immersed in the bliss in the Lord. If something bad happens to the seeker, still he knows that there is nothing here but the Lord – thereby he is blissful. If something good happens, still the seeker is blissful and unaffected. Thus the seeker will be unaffected by the activities of the world though he might still be doing activities in the world. Even as an actor plays his role to perfection all the while remembering who he really is, similarly the seeker who has realized that everything is but the Lord alone will do activities in the world remembering that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second.
We may here have a doubt as to whether this Lord is the same as Krishna or Vishnu propounded in the puranas and Brahman as propounded in the Upanishads. This is being answered by Bhagavatham here by stating that the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord is the same Krishna or Vishnu worshipped by bhakthas and Brahman of the Upanishads. Brahman is propounded in the scriptures as of the nature of Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (bliss). Brahman is indivisible as it is Consciousness which doesn’t have any parts therefore cannot be divided. Anything that has parts alone can be divided. The tree is divided into branches, leaves etc. because it has parts. The body is divided into hands, feet, face etc. because it has parts. Space or ether cannot be divided as it has no parts. The scriptures speak about the space as having come from the Atman (Brahman). Since space is indivisible so its cause of Atman also has to be indivisible. Also Consciousness doesn’t have any parts and therefore is indivisible. Such an indivisible entity is without any change and death (any entity with parts like the tree or body is subject to change and death – therefore temporary and illusory). Therefore indivisible Brahman is eternal and non-dual as well. Brahman is also proclaimed in the scriptures as the cause and substratum of the illusory world – from whom the world has come, in whom the world resides and unto whom the world merges after destruction. The Lord proclaims in Gita that the world has come from him and that all beings are situated in “me” (the Lord). This is not possible unless the Lord is none other than the Brahman of scriptures. There are many other places where the Lord proclaims himself as not different from the ultimate non-dual reality of Brahman.
Thus the Brahman of Upanishads is the same as the Lord or Krishna of bhakthas. It is only foolish and ignorant people who fight over as to whether Krishna is great or Siva is great etc. A real bhaktha and a real jnaani know that there is nothing here but one entity alone exists – whether we call it Brahman or Krishna, it is the same – it is the substratum of all illusory names and forms. The Krishna who propounds Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna is not limited to a form – Krishna himself calls such people fools who consider him to be embodied. The underlying “I” or Consciousness in all beings whether it is an avatar of Krishna or an ignorant being is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord. A wise person instead of fighting over such futile things will contemplate on the all-pervasive non-dual reality of Lord like Khatvaanga does in this story. Bhagavatham here is indirectly thus telling us that we shouldn’t be foolish enough to fight over the illusory names and forms – instead we should contemplate on the all-pervasive Lord who alone exists.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
# posted by vedanta : 7:55 PM
