DEIVATHIN KURAL #142 (Vol #4) Dated 05 Feb 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL #142 (Vol #4) Dated 05 Feb 2011

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the last para on page number 787 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
379. Some More Discussion on Jeevaatma and Paramaatma. People who follow Dwaitam (including those of Visishtadwaitam) do not contribute to the idea that the Aatma of the Jeeva is ‘nishkriya, nirguna’; that is, free of the need to do Karma and devoid of attributes of GuNa. They do say that the human tendency of deep involvement in the world affairs and pull of the senses as being abnormal and recommend that to extricate oneself from the clutches of this tendency to indulge in self gratification, we should be devoted to the God with Love! They also say that to be so devoted is our real nature. It is our errant behaviour that has to be corrected by getting back from the tendencies of the Jeeva to the reality of Aatma. Adwaitins on the other hand, though find no difference in the end stages of self realization, hold the view that till that happens, till the individual remains mired in the relative transactional world, accept a lesser status for the Jeevaatma of limited abilities and power.
380. If Jeeva and Aatma are one and the same, why do we need two different names? If the two stages of being a Jeeva and being the Aatma are similar, evidently we can take one of those names and do not have to make a combined name as Jeevaatma! It sounds funny. There is milk. We add sugar and boil some cereal in it, adding some cashew nuts fried in ghee; call it Payasam or Paalpaayasam. We have changed its form, taste to something different and so, the name ’Paalpaayasam’ is correct. Milk is Paal in Tamil and Ksheeram in Sanskrit. We do not name it Milkpaal or Ksheerampaal. When the two things are mixed retaining their original form to a large extent, to correctly identify its origin, we may add the names. But when something totally changes, we do not retain the old name like when milk becomes curd, you do not call it milk-curd! When the two items are not totally different and also not exactly the same, one word is made out by adding the two. Since the Jeevaatma has two states of one unaware of being the Aatma but being only the Jeeva; and the other state of being aware of its oneness with Aatma; we have given it a name by combining the two states.
381. OK, that is understood. Now, carrying the same analogy forward, we should be referring to God as Easwaraatma and not Paramaatma; is it not so? We do not use this word for the reason that, He is never unaware of his Self! It is not like Easwara + Aatma = Easwaraatma. There is no occasion that God can be unaware of His being. The ‘Nishkriya, NirguNa’ Paramaatma is seen or understood by us as being with GuNa and Work load with Maya as Easwara. To show it to be far superior, the word ‘Param’ has been prefixed.
382. Few of the Concepts of Adwaitam. The way basic truth of reality appear to be Jeeva on occasions and as Easwara at others, is explained by three different concepts. They are known as ‘Bimba – Pratibimba Vaadam, Avachcheda Vaadam and Aabhaasa Vaadam’. If I go deep in to these differences, you will feel as though you have been left deep in the forest with a blind fold on your face with the hands tied at the back. Having started explaining these things with the idea of loosening the tight blind fold due to Maya, I must guard against ending up confusing you further! So, instead of going deep into these very complex ideas and concepts, let me just give you a glimpse.
383. Once we get into theories there can be many interpretations. One party will say that there are not two different minds as the Jeeva – mind and the cosmic – mind. Someone will say, “So, does it mean that the cosmos was created by the Jeeva – mind?” Yet another may claim, “Yes. That is how it is. The world exists purely from your that is, the Jeeva’s point of view. There is no basis of its existence on its own!” This is known as ‘Drushti – Srushti Vaadam and also as Eka Jeeva Vaadam’! That is, to say that the whole world of all the galaxies and milky-way are existing only in one man’s point of view. They prove this point from another word for the world as ‘Loka’. This is derived from the root word for ‘Lokanam’ to see. The words, ‘look, locality and locus standi’ are all from the same root. In Tamil the world is known as ‘Paar’ which also has a meaning ‘to see’. Tirumoolar’s poem says, “parattil maraindadu paar mudal bootam, parattai maraittadu paar mudal bootam”, in which he is defining the pure Adwaita of existence as, ‘the first vision hid the reality and the appearance of the world was seen’! So, paar = look = loka = world, the world as seen!
384. “Because you are seeing, the world is seen. If you do not see it, that is, if you turn your mind inwards, the world disappears. From this the words lokam, location and paar might have evolved. But this does not mean to say that the world’s being is dependent upon the individual’s seeing it. It also does not mean that if you do not see it, it disappears for all others! That is why, there is a proverb which says, “If the cat closes its eyes, will the world come to an end?” So also there is an oft repeated phrase in English as per which, ‘seeing is believing’! That the seen becomes the scenery as in ‘Drushti – Srushti Vaadam’ has been evolved by some great thinkers of the past. Instead of just criticizing or putting down the idea, we should see as to how far the concept is correct. When we merge this Jeeva – mind in the Easwara’s cosmic – mind beyond the Maya’s influence, before this mind completely dissolves in it, one may feel one with Easwara and at that moment, the whole creation may seem to be our mind’s creation or our own imagination! But in reality, Jeeva can never become Easwara!
385. Our AacharyaaL who postulated, established and maintained the concept of Adwaita, though he said that at the NirguNa state, Jeeva and Brhmam are one; did not say that at the SaguNa state Jeeva and Easwara are one! When this individual completely merges his separateness in the Cosmic – Mind, many of the super human powers will be natural for him; but he will never be entitled to the executive powers of Easwara, known as Aishwaryam! AachaaryaaL has said so in those many words. In the end portion of the last chapter of Brhma Sutra while talking about the independent soul who has completely overcome all his binding ties and realised his self, this matter is discussed. This mind just before dissolving itself in the NirguNa Brhmam, when totally merged in the SaguNa Easwara, the question arises as to, if he will get all the powers of Easwara. In answer, Badarayana Vyaasa the author of Brhma Sutra says, “He the Jeeva will get all the powers short of the powers of Jagat srushti – sthithi – samhaara (creation, continuance and dissolution of world) powers will never accrue to him”. In his Bhashyam for this (Brhma Sutra 4.4.17) our AachaaryaaL explains the answer to the question as to why should the Jeeva be given ‘Ashta Maa Siddhis and denied the power to create, sustain and dissolve?’
386. In the actionless state only can two merge in to one! When there is work to do, two cannot do the same thing exactly the same way. Action means duality and multiplicity. When there are two there can be inter action, going and coming, give and take. In oneness there is no action. Everything of the Jagat, world and universe means duality where oneness just cannot be! The action-free Brhmam when in lordship of the universe is known as Easwara with Maya. So the Aatma in the Jeeva, drops his Jeevatvam or separateness and be as it is. If now the Jeeva while still retaining his separateness wants to become one with the Easwara, the whole shemozzle of comparison, competition, ego , jealousy, hate and greed starts once again! With the dropping of the Maya, Jeeva is no more! So the non – being Jeeva just cannot have the powers of Easwara that is Aishwarya! I hope that much is clear.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.