Monday, June 04, 2007
Story 45 - Story of Krishna Avataara - 05
Vasudeva continued:
If a person sets aside Consciousness from the various names-forms and considers the names-forms to be real, then he is a person without discrimination. This is because he rejects Consciousness which makes things to be existent and without Consciousness those names-forms are never existent. If he doesn't accept Consciousness, then he is accepting that which has been rejected previously (accepting names-forms which was
rejected by not knowing Consciousness - not knowing is rejecting - if Consciousness is rejected, then names-forms also are automatically rejected as they are illusions in Consciousness).
Explanation
We find here Bhagavatham through Vasudeva proclaiming one of the profound truth in Vedanta. It might seem a bit tough to apprehend but once we understand it, it will be very simple. If we are aware of this truth that Vasudeva is proclaiming, then there will be nothing else to be known.
Vedanta starts with the disciple asking the Guru to tell him that by knowing which everything is known - that by knowing which, knowledge will culminate and bliss alone will remain. The Guru then propounds Vedanta from the external world to the ultimate reality of Lord. The Guru finally says that it is by knowing the ultimate reality of Lord that knowledge culminates. This knowledge of the Lord is not mere knowledge about the Lord but the knowledge that there is only Lord present here and that everything else is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord.
The objects that we perceive are illusions of names and forms in the reality of Lord of the nature of Consciousness. If Consciousness is not there, then the world itself becomes non-existent. If Consciousness is there, the world exists. Therefore Consciousness is independent and eternal whereas the objects of the world are dependent on Consciousness and are temporary.
If we accept the names and forms of the world as existing, then we would have to accept Consciousness as also existing. If we don't accept Consciousness, we cannot accept the names and forms as existing. This is as good as telling that if we have to accept water seen in desert, we will have to accept desert first. If we just accept water seen in desert without accepting desert as existing, it would be like first rejecting (not accepting) desert but still accepting water. Thus a person who
sees names and forms will have to accept the underlying substratum of Lord. Without the Lord, the names and forms don't exist. If we forget to accept the underlying reality of Lord, then it is foolish to accept the names and forms as existing though they are always changing and temporary. Since the names and forms are always changing, therefore they are only mere illusions in the underlying changeless substratum of Lord. Vasudeva here after proclaiming that the Lord is really without forms but only appears to be with forms even as water appears to be in desert though not really present in desert proclaims that a person who accepts names-forms without the ultimate reality of Lord is a person without discrimination, intelligence and thereby a fool.
Thus whenever we see the names and forms in the world, we have to constantly remember that those are mere illusions in the reality of Lord who alone exists. If we don't accept the Lord or don't see the Lord beyond the names-forms, then we are fools. It is thereby upto an individual as to whether he wants to be a fool or an intelligent person. If we choose to be fools, we will end up in sorrow as the illusory names and forms can give us nothing but sorrow alone. But if we become intelligent people, always remembering the reality of Lord beyond the illusory names and forms then we will get eternal bliss that which we have been seeking each and every moment in this and every other birth. This is the one and only way to get eternal bliss in life.
Vasudeva continued:
O Lord who are of the nature of Consciousness; you are Nirguna and thereby nishkriya (without any activity) as well. Hence in reality there cannot be any creation-protection-destruction in you. But still people go on telling that creation etc. happens in you through Maya.
Explanation
The Lord is of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. The Lord alone exists as there cannot be anything apart from Consciousness to really exist. Since the Lord alone exists, he cannot have any qualities or gunas. Gunas are possible only when something is either limited or something is related in some way to another generic entity or quality. Thus the Lord is mentioned in the scriptures as nirguna or without any qualities. Since the Lord is without any qualities and
he alone exists, there cannot be any action possible in the Lord. Action is possible only when there is duality and there is some quality in the entity which in turn leads to action. But since the Lord alone exists and he is without any qualities, therefore no action is possible in Consciousness.
Action is possible only with entities that have parts. We cannot have any action in space as space is part-less. This is because action requires association between entities and association is possible only when the entities have parts. Any entity that has qualities alone can have parts. Here qualities are similar to height or weight of a body. Since the Lord is without any qualities (as Consciousness is without any qualities he doesn't have any parts. Since the Lord is part-less, he is
without any action.
As there cannot be any action possible in the Lord, therefore there cannot be any creation or protection or destruction in the Lord. This means that there is no real world created from the Lord. But the scriptures do speak about creation - this creation is attributed to Maya or the illusory power of the Lord. It is Maya that makes us feel that the world is really created. But in reality, there is no world created as such a creation is not at all possible. This is also proved as the world is only an illusion (as it keeps on changing). Any changing entity is only
an illusion in its changeless substratum. Any illusion is not really created but only seems to be created when we perceive it. The water seen in desert is never really created but only seems to be created when we see it (if we see it, it should be created). Thus as long as we perceive the world, the world seems to be created; but in reality the world is not at all created. This theory that the world is not at all created and such a creation is not at all possible is called Ajaathi vaada
propounded clearly in Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika. This is the ultimate reality
behind the world that there is no real world created at all.
But for most of us, it is impossible to understand or apprehend this theory of no-creation. It is as good as a dream person saying to the dreamer in dream that there is no dream world - he will not be able to apprehend or understand it. But once the dreamer wakes up, he will understand that there was no real dream world created. Thus as long as we are in the world and not out of the world, we will not be really able to understand the theory that the world is not at all created. But once we get a glimpse of the Lord or are realized, we will be able to experience that the world is not at all created as such creation is not at all possible.
Since creation is not at all possible at the ultimate level, therefore there is no sorrow for each one of us as sorrow is from the worldly objects alone. Since there is no sorrow, therefore we are ever blissful and one with the Lord as there is nothing apart from the Lord. This means that we are never suffering and are never different from the Lord. This knowledge at the intellectual level itself will give us immense bliss that we are blissful Lord alone (who is non-dual). But once our
intellect gains conviction and we always contemplate on this truth of no-creation, we will slowly get out of the illusory world thereby realizing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists. That state is when we will be rejoicing in bliss and bliss alone. This state is what we all are knowingly or unknowingly seeking.
The Lord in the coming part emphasizes that we should seek only eternal bliss or the Nirguna Lord and nothing else as seeking anything else will only lead us to sorrow. We will see this in the next day.
If a person sets aside Consciousness from the various names-forms and considers the names-forms to be real, then he is a person without discrimination. This is because he rejects Consciousness which makes things to be existent and without Consciousness those names-forms are never existent. If he doesn't accept Consciousness, then he is accepting that which has been rejected previously (accepting names-forms which was
rejected by not knowing Consciousness - not knowing is rejecting - if Consciousness is rejected, then names-forms also are automatically rejected as they are illusions in Consciousness).
Explanation
We find here Bhagavatham through Vasudeva proclaiming one of the profound truth in Vedanta. It might seem a bit tough to apprehend but once we understand it, it will be very simple. If we are aware of this truth that Vasudeva is proclaiming, then there will be nothing else to be known.
Vedanta starts with the disciple asking the Guru to tell him that by knowing which everything is known - that by knowing which, knowledge will culminate and bliss alone will remain. The Guru then propounds Vedanta from the external world to the ultimate reality of Lord. The Guru finally says that it is by knowing the ultimate reality of Lord that knowledge culminates. This knowledge of the Lord is not mere knowledge about the Lord but the knowledge that there is only Lord present here and that everything else is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord.
The objects that we perceive are illusions of names and forms in the reality of Lord of the nature of Consciousness. If Consciousness is not there, then the world itself becomes non-existent. If Consciousness is there, the world exists. Therefore Consciousness is independent and eternal whereas the objects of the world are dependent on Consciousness and are temporary.
If we accept the names and forms of the world as existing, then we would have to accept Consciousness as also existing. If we don't accept Consciousness, we cannot accept the names and forms as existing. This is as good as telling that if we have to accept water seen in desert, we will have to accept desert first. If we just accept water seen in desert without accepting desert as existing, it would be like first rejecting (not accepting) desert but still accepting water. Thus a person who
sees names and forms will have to accept the underlying substratum of Lord. Without the Lord, the names and forms don't exist. If we forget to accept the underlying reality of Lord, then it is foolish to accept the names and forms as existing though they are always changing and temporary. Since the names and forms are always changing, therefore they are only mere illusions in the underlying changeless substratum of Lord. Vasudeva here after proclaiming that the Lord is really without forms but only appears to be with forms even as water appears to be in desert though not really present in desert proclaims that a person who accepts names-forms without the ultimate reality of Lord is a person without discrimination, intelligence and thereby a fool.
Thus whenever we see the names and forms in the world, we have to constantly remember that those are mere illusions in the reality of Lord who alone exists. If we don't accept the Lord or don't see the Lord beyond the names-forms, then we are fools. It is thereby upto an individual as to whether he wants to be a fool or an intelligent person. If we choose to be fools, we will end up in sorrow as the illusory names and forms can give us nothing but sorrow alone. But if we become intelligent people, always remembering the reality of Lord beyond the illusory names and forms then we will get eternal bliss that which we have been seeking each and every moment in this and every other birth. This is the one and only way to get eternal bliss in life.
Vasudeva continued:
O Lord who are of the nature of Consciousness; you are Nirguna and thereby nishkriya (without any activity) as well. Hence in reality there cannot be any creation-protection-destruction in you. But still people go on telling that creation etc. happens in you through Maya.
Explanation
The Lord is of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. The Lord alone exists as there cannot be anything apart from Consciousness to really exist. Since the Lord alone exists, he cannot have any qualities or gunas. Gunas are possible only when something is either limited or something is related in some way to another generic entity or quality. Thus the Lord is mentioned in the scriptures as nirguna or without any qualities. Since the Lord is without any qualities and
he alone exists, there cannot be any action possible in the Lord. Action is possible only when there is duality and there is some quality in the entity which in turn leads to action. But since the Lord alone exists and he is without any qualities, therefore no action is possible in Consciousness.
Action is possible only with entities that have parts. We cannot have any action in space as space is part-less. This is because action requires association between entities and association is possible only when the entities have parts. Any entity that has qualities alone can have parts. Here qualities are similar to height or weight of a body. Since the Lord is without any qualities (as Consciousness is without any qualities he doesn't have any parts. Since the Lord is part-less, he is
without any action.
As there cannot be any action possible in the Lord, therefore there cannot be any creation or protection or destruction in the Lord. This means that there is no real world created from the Lord. But the scriptures do speak about creation - this creation is attributed to Maya or the illusory power of the Lord. It is Maya that makes us feel that the world is really created. But in reality, there is no world created as such a creation is not at all possible. This is also proved as the world is only an illusion (as it keeps on changing). Any changing entity is only
an illusion in its changeless substratum. Any illusion is not really created but only seems to be created when we perceive it. The water seen in desert is never really created but only seems to be created when we see it (if we see it, it should be created). Thus as long as we perceive the world, the world seems to be created; but in reality the world is not at all created. This theory that the world is not at all created and such a creation is not at all possible is called Ajaathi vaada
propounded clearly in Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika. This is the ultimate reality
behind the world that there is no real world created at all.
But for most of us, it is impossible to understand or apprehend this theory of no-creation. It is as good as a dream person saying to the dreamer in dream that there is no dream world - he will not be able to apprehend or understand it. But once the dreamer wakes up, he will understand that there was no real dream world created. Thus as long as we are in the world and not out of the world, we will not be really able to understand the theory that the world is not at all created. But once we get a glimpse of the Lord or are realized, we will be able to experience that the world is not at all created as such creation is not at all possible.
Since creation is not at all possible at the ultimate level, therefore there is no sorrow for each one of us as sorrow is from the worldly objects alone. Since there is no sorrow, therefore we are ever blissful and one with the Lord as there is nothing apart from the Lord. This means that we are never suffering and are never different from the Lord. This knowledge at the intellectual level itself will give us immense bliss that we are blissful Lord alone (who is non-dual). But once our
intellect gains conviction and we always contemplate on this truth of no-creation, we will slowly get out of the illusory world thereby realizing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists. That state is when we will be rejoicing in bliss and bliss alone. This state is what we all are knowingly or unknowingly seeking.
The Lord in the coming part emphasizes that we should seek only eternal bliss or the Nirguna Lord and nothing else as seeking anything else will only lead us to sorrow. We will see this in the next day.
# posted by vedanta : 8:22 PM
