Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Story 27 - Story of Daksha Prajaapathi - 4
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 27 - Story of Daksha Prajaapathi - 4
Lord Vishnu thus spoke after listening to the praise of the ultimate reality of Brahman in the form of Lord Siva by others:
I am Brahma and Siva – and am the cause of the world – I am the Self who is the witness to all activities & without any qualifications.
He who sees difference in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Paramatman which is non-dual and absolute – similarly he who sees difference between Brahma, Siva and me – he is an ignorant person.
The ignorant person sees difference between me and the various beings even as a person sees difference in the body (which is one alone) as hands, legs etc. This is due to lack of knowledge or lack of development of the intellect.
In all the three Gods who doesn’t see difference but sees oneness in all of them, he realizes the ultimate reality of Brahman which is the Self of all beings and thereby attains eternal peace or bliss.
Explanation
Srimad Bhagavatham ends the story of Daksha with words of wisdom from Lord Vishnu. The ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord is beyond all limitations as limitations cause an object to get born and die. Since Lord is eternal, he is beyond all limitations. Since Lord is beyond all limitations, he doesn’t have any quality or attributes. Since he has no qualities or attributes, there can be no other object similar like the Lord. Also there cannot be any object different from Lord also as that would mean a relation between both & any relation limits the entities which are related. Thus the Lord is non-dual in nature. If this is the case, the dual objects seen in the world are in reality the Lord alone as there is nothing but the Lord alone. Thus the various objects seen in the world are only illusions of names and forms of the Lord even as gold ornaments are only names and forms of gold.
This world that we see is only an illusion like the dream world. The duality that is perceived is wrong perception – what is present is only the non-dual reality of Lord. Whatever is present here is only the Lord. If there is only the Lord, there cannot be any differences towards any object as there is no other object than the Lord to differentiate. Thus there can be no differentiation between Siva and Vishu or Siva and Brahma etc. All these differences are due to ignorance alone – ignorance of the ultimate reality that there is only the Lord here, one without a second.
The Lord alone exists here as innermost Self of all beings. The various conscious beings and insentient objects that we see are all in fact a single Consciousness alone which is termed as Brahman or Lord in the scriptures. This is so because the Lord alone is permanent and all others things are impermanent. We all very well know that the world which we currently perceive requires an efficient cause which should be sentient being as we don’t experience insentient beings creating other things. This sentient being is beyond his own creation even as a creator of a pot remains beyond the pot. The pot which is created is temporary as it stays only for a short period. Thus we see the pot today and tomorrow we don’t see the pot. Therefore the pot has limited duration alone. Such things are temporary. For any temporary entity, there should be a permanent entity behind it. This permanent entity is the cause of the temporary entity. Thus the permanent Lord is the creator of the temporary world that we see.
Since any temporary entity is short-lived, it cannot give long-lasting bliss. Therefore the objects of the world cannot confer eternal bliss to the seeker – the bliss which is being sought by each and every person each moment. This bliss can be achieved only when the ultimate reality of Lord is sought by the seeker. This Lord is non-dual in nature & thereby there is no difference whatsoever in the world. But those who see difference are really ignorant about this ultimate reality that there is only the Lord present here. Such people are thereby called by Bhagavatham as “AJNAH” or ignorant people. Gita uses the word “Moodaah” for such people. These are people who are unaware of their own very nature of Lord & thereby perceive duality fighting in the name of god, religion and philosophy. Such people never have any peace in life. They are really foolish people even as a person doesn’t distinguish between the various parts of the body – similarly the world is nothing but the Lord alone. Not knowing this, a person creates differences. When a seeker perceives duality, it creates likes and dislikes in him. These likes and dislikes lead to attachment and aversion. These lead to sorrow and suffering. These sorrows and sufferings are never ending as always the person has dual perception & thereby he cannot realize the non-dual reality that “I am not born but one with the ultimate reality of Lord”. Thereby he is born again and again in the world (because of ignorance) until he realizes the ultimate reality that “there is nothing born or created but there is only the ultimate reality of Lord”.
At that time, the seeker realizes that there never was any duality at all. Whatever was perceived as differences were in fact the Lord only. These differences were like various dream objects being seen in the dreamer. This is what we normally call as “realization” or “liberation”. Realization or liberation is not something to be attained in Vaikunta or Kailas – it is the very nature of all beings. Realization is knowing that there is no duality whatsoever and that whatever exists is only the ultimate reality of Lord. Such a person alone attains peace. Peace is attained or enjoyed only when the mind is calm. The mind is calm only when it concentrates on a particular entity. When the mind perceives differences, it goes after different things. Thereby the mind becomes vibrated. Such a mind which is full of thoughts cannot be calm. If the mind is not calm, the seeker cannot enjoy the bliss inherent in the Self. Thus the very cause of restlessness is dual perception. When differences vanish, the mind doesn’t perceive anything at all except the Lord. Whatever it sees, it sees the Lord. Whatever it hears are the Lord’s words alone. Whatever it does is offering to the Lord. Thus always it is focused on the single thought of the ultimate reality of Lord. Thereby the mind becomes calm. Such a calm mind merges into its source of Self or Atman. When this happens, there is no vibration or turbulence – a person is in his natural state. As we are well aware, there are no tensions when a thing is in its natural state. Similarly when the seeker is in his natural state of Self or Consciousness or Lord, there are no tensions but only peace – eternal peace. Only when there is peace, can an individual get eternal bliss. Bliss or happiness is always related with peace. Where one is there, the other thing also will be there. Thus the seeker will always rejoice in eternal bliss – that which is the primary and ultimate goal of all beings in the world.
Thus the very basic thing to be done to achieve this bliss is to renounce perception of difference. It is not exactly removal of dual perception what is meant by Vedanta but it is renouncing of the mental thought that two objects are different. A realized saint sees dual objects but internally he clearly knows that there is no difference – difference perceived is an illusion like water seen in desert. Thus he asserts internally that there is only the Lord here – nothing but the Lord alone. Thus a seeker should always try to see the ultimate reality of Lord everywhere. This alone can confer eternal bliss to the individual.
Thus ends the story of Daksha.
Lord Vishnu thus spoke after listening to the praise of the ultimate reality of Brahman in the form of Lord Siva by others:
I am Brahma and Siva – and am the cause of the world – I am the Self who is the witness to all activities & without any qualifications.
He who sees difference in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Paramatman which is non-dual and absolute – similarly he who sees difference between Brahma, Siva and me – he is an ignorant person.
The ignorant person sees difference between me and the various beings even as a person sees difference in the body (which is one alone) as hands, legs etc. This is due to lack of knowledge or lack of development of the intellect.
In all the three Gods who doesn’t see difference but sees oneness in all of them, he realizes the ultimate reality of Brahman which is the Self of all beings and thereby attains eternal peace or bliss.
Explanation
Srimad Bhagavatham ends the story of Daksha with words of wisdom from Lord Vishnu. The ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord is beyond all limitations as limitations cause an object to get born and die. Since Lord is eternal, he is beyond all limitations. Since Lord is beyond all limitations, he doesn’t have any quality or attributes. Since he has no qualities or attributes, there can be no other object similar like the Lord. Also there cannot be any object different from Lord also as that would mean a relation between both & any relation limits the entities which are related. Thus the Lord is non-dual in nature. If this is the case, the dual objects seen in the world are in reality the Lord alone as there is nothing but the Lord alone. Thus the various objects seen in the world are only illusions of names and forms of the Lord even as gold ornaments are only names and forms of gold.
This world that we see is only an illusion like the dream world. The duality that is perceived is wrong perception – what is present is only the non-dual reality of Lord. Whatever is present here is only the Lord. If there is only the Lord, there cannot be any differences towards any object as there is no other object than the Lord to differentiate. Thus there can be no differentiation between Siva and Vishu or Siva and Brahma etc. All these differences are due to ignorance alone – ignorance of the ultimate reality that there is only the Lord here, one without a second.
The Lord alone exists here as innermost Self of all beings. The various conscious beings and insentient objects that we see are all in fact a single Consciousness alone which is termed as Brahman or Lord in the scriptures. This is so because the Lord alone is permanent and all others things are impermanent. We all very well know that the world which we currently perceive requires an efficient cause which should be sentient being as we don’t experience insentient beings creating other things. This sentient being is beyond his own creation even as a creator of a pot remains beyond the pot. The pot which is created is temporary as it stays only for a short period. Thus we see the pot today and tomorrow we don’t see the pot. Therefore the pot has limited duration alone. Such things are temporary. For any temporary entity, there should be a permanent entity behind it. This permanent entity is the cause of the temporary entity. Thus the permanent Lord is the creator of the temporary world that we see.
Since any temporary entity is short-lived, it cannot give long-lasting bliss. Therefore the objects of the world cannot confer eternal bliss to the seeker – the bliss which is being sought by each and every person each moment. This bliss can be achieved only when the ultimate reality of Lord is sought by the seeker. This Lord is non-dual in nature & thereby there is no difference whatsoever in the world. But those who see difference are really ignorant about this ultimate reality that there is only the Lord present here. Such people are thereby called by Bhagavatham as “AJNAH” or ignorant people. Gita uses the word “Moodaah” for such people. These are people who are unaware of their own very nature of Lord & thereby perceive duality fighting in the name of god, religion and philosophy. Such people never have any peace in life. They are really foolish people even as a person doesn’t distinguish between the various parts of the body – similarly the world is nothing but the Lord alone. Not knowing this, a person creates differences. When a seeker perceives duality, it creates likes and dislikes in him. These likes and dislikes lead to attachment and aversion. These lead to sorrow and suffering. These sorrows and sufferings are never ending as always the person has dual perception & thereby he cannot realize the non-dual reality that “I am not born but one with the ultimate reality of Lord”. Thereby he is born again and again in the world (because of ignorance) until he realizes the ultimate reality that “there is nothing born or created but there is only the ultimate reality of Lord”.
At that time, the seeker realizes that there never was any duality at all. Whatever was perceived as differences were in fact the Lord only. These differences were like various dream objects being seen in the dreamer. This is what we normally call as “realization” or “liberation”. Realization or liberation is not something to be attained in Vaikunta or Kailas – it is the very nature of all beings. Realization is knowing that there is no duality whatsoever and that whatever exists is only the ultimate reality of Lord. Such a person alone attains peace. Peace is attained or enjoyed only when the mind is calm. The mind is calm only when it concentrates on a particular entity. When the mind perceives differences, it goes after different things. Thereby the mind becomes vibrated. Such a mind which is full of thoughts cannot be calm. If the mind is not calm, the seeker cannot enjoy the bliss inherent in the Self. Thus the very cause of restlessness is dual perception. When differences vanish, the mind doesn’t perceive anything at all except the Lord. Whatever it sees, it sees the Lord. Whatever it hears are the Lord’s words alone. Whatever it does is offering to the Lord. Thus always it is focused on the single thought of the ultimate reality of Lord. Thereby the mind becomes calm. Such a calm mind merges into its source of Self or Atman. When this happens, there is no vibration or turbulence – a person is in his natural state. As we are well aware, there are no tensions when a thing is in its natural state. Similarly when the seeker is in his natural state of Self or Consciousness or Lord, there are no tensions but only peace – eternal peace. Only when there is peace, can an individual get eternal bliss. Bliss or happiness is always related with peace. Where one is there, the other thing also will be there. Thus the seeker will always rejoice in eternal bliss – that which is the primary and ultimate goal of all beings in the world.
Thus the very basic thing to be done to achieve this bliss is to renounce perception of difference. It is not exactly removal of dual perception what is meant by Vedanta but it is renouncing of the mental thought that two objects are different. A realized saint sees dual objects but internally he clearly knows that there is no difference – difference perceived is an illusion like water seen in desert. Thus he asserts internally that there is only the Lord here – nothing but the Lord alone. Thus a seeker should always try to see the ultimate reality of Lord everywhere. This alone can confer eternal bliss to the individual.
Thus ends the story of Daksha.
# posted by vedanta : 9:21 AM
