The Fourth State (turIam)

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams.

For a seeker of knowledge who wants to know what is turiam, Mandukya Upanishad reveals in its 1st chapter, 7th mantra, its central theme, a pramANa vAkyam-turIam
turIam is not that which is conscious of the inner world (subjective), nor that which is conscious of the outer world (objective), nor that which is conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of consciousness. It is not simple consciousness nor is it unconsciousness. It is unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, not inferable, unthinkable and indescribable. The essence of consciousness manifesting as the self [in the three states], it is the cessation of all phenomena; It is all peace, all bliss, and non dual. It is what is known as the fourth (turIam). This is Atman. and this has to be realized.

Unlike the first three states turIam is not associated with any state but always available in all the states. It is neither identical nor different from the three states. It is like talking about gold as different from the ornaments bangle, chain, ring etc made of gold. Remove the changing properties of visva, taijasa and prAGYA, what remains is turIam. "I am" is turIam. It is the negation of every attribute of oneself to realize it as "tat tvam asi". turIam, the pure consciousness is like crystal colourless and the attributes are purely errors in the mind that lends colour like the flowers to the crystal. The confusion is always in the mind/intellect and the solution is also intellectual where one realizes that the crystal is colourless and there is no need to remove the flowers.

Removal of thoughts that the crystal is seen as coloured one is sAdhana. One doesn't have to do anything or remove all avastAs (all thoughts) that becomes a struggle but understand the appearance as viswa-a mistake, that the gunA-s belong to upaAdhi-s/sarIram-s and realize that all the time you are turIyam. seen in different states like the crystal-flower combination. In Yoga removal of thoughts is prescribed and in Vedanta removal of errors is prescribed, since as long as you are in samAdi you are in turIam but you have to comeback to the other avastha-s as long as you live –to saMnsAra again. The knowership is an attribute of visva and taijasa and in turIam you are not the knower. Hence visva alone has to recognize by vichara that turIam is your own self "aham visva-aham brahma asmi." The realization is only in the waking/jAgrat state since intellect, knowledge, guru, antahkaraNam are available in jagrat avasta. samAdhi may give concentration/rest but jAgrat avasta is the only state available for knowledge. It is the mind which is extrovert during jAgrat avasta and introvert in swapna that mistakes the states as attributes of turIam.
turIam is neither the knower nor jadam. It is neither perceptible to panchendriyam nor grasped by karmendriyams. It has no clues/lingams and cannot be inferred. It is beyond conception-beyond thoughts-achintyam. It is beyond description and not even available for sabda- pramANam. It is beyond all vyavahara, GYanam, karma, language etc, for it is the adishhtAnam/substratum.for all transactions. The nearest indication of turIam is the "I" thought –"aham turIam asmi." since aham is the constant factor in all the experiences. What I experience varies but that I experience doesn't vary- that `I' is there all the time right from childhood to old age. It is ever sAntam/tranquil. Since all vyavahara are gone, it is-sivam, mangalam/Ananda. It is advaitam for all the three stages are negated as mithya and what remains is Turiam that is satyam. As long as the struggle to know turIam, retention of the knower hood remains and on realization removed like a scaffolding used for buildings. There is no need to remove vyavahAra, thoughts and mind can continue but understand them as mithyA. It is like experiencing the colours of sky and sea and the sun rise but know that the sun stays at a place and the sky and sea are colourles. –the satyam. During vyavahAra understand that "I am turIam" and that you are playing the false role visvAa taijasa and praGYA-not giving them reality conforming the ignorance.

If turIam is Chaturtam how does it become advaitam? It is only we who consider it as Chaturtam counting it out of ignorance along with the three states that are to be known as mithyA, where as it is only one and as such there is no Chaturtam. It is not the 4th quarter of Atma; It is the Atma, the Chaitanyam/ brahman. The three upAdi-s are to be understood as mithyA as in the crystal-flower example. The conclusion is I am advaitam/satyam, and I have three upAdi-s which are mithyA. Because of the upAdi-s I have three false appearances visva, taijasa and pragna which are also mithyA. Experience of dvaitA is not denied but only the reality of dvaitam. The whole saMnsara, the world etc. is a drama in which every one plays a role. The sukham, dukhkham, profit and loss does not affect the person who has the knowledge that he is turIam all the time. Dismissing the attributes is only in understanding and the question of removal are meaningless since "I" the turIam like crystal does not take the attributes. It is the correction of erroneous thinking that I am visva, taijasa, and pragna and the correction is done by the Guru in jAgrat avastA.

P.S. the above is the edited version from my notes on MandukyaUpanishad lecture by Swami Paramarthananda. Any mistakes in the edited version are due to my limitations otherwise credit goes to swamiji's \presentation in the class.

Is Sanyasa Asrama A Pre Requisite For Knowledge.

Hare Krishna,Namaskarams.

As Swami Paramarthananda said many a times on the subject of sanyasa ashrama, I am convinced that it is not a pre requisite to gain the supreme knowledge-moksha. There is no final word on this since interpretations of the Sruti can change is still a possibility. In another lifetime another Sankara or Krishna or Buddha can come and give another version of the same. I am convinced again that what you need is the god's grace for that final liberation/moksha since it is beyond a guru, ashrama and scriptures. Anthara sanyasa is the best other option available for many grahasthas.

Also none of us would have had the chance even to study the vedas in the present times if that was strictly followed as some centuries back. Thanks to Swami, Chinmayananda who boldly ventured to do that which resulted in so many eminent teachers/gurus like Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, Swami Paramarthananda and others who made it available to one and all without discrimination of Ashrama, caste, creed, and gender.

may lord Krishna bless us with that knowledge the way we should get that is liberation.

Anthara Sanyasa

In his address for Guru Poornima day(2007) Swami Paramarthananda took up the subject of Anthara Sanyasa as an alternative to formal/Ashrama sanyasa for those who are interested, particularly for people in Grahasthasrama which involves the renunciation/sacrifice of the following three important ones.

1.Sarva Abhimana Parithyagah:

2.Sarva Chinthaa Parithyagah:

3.Sarva Vishesa Prarthanaa Parithyagah:

God is the only owner of every thing and in Isa Upanishad the first verse states as follows.

"ALL THIS –whatever exists in this changing universe- should be covered by the lord. Protect the Self by renunciation. Lust not after any man's wealth".

Hence we do not own anything in this world. Rejecting all  claims and ownership of everything and surrendering to the lord in Atma Nivedhana Bhakthi is Sarva Abhimana parithyagah;

Next is rejecting all anxieties and worries caused by our relationship with the external world of objects and persons. All thoughts about the welfare of oneself and his family, relations and friends, seeking name and fame, wealth ,health etc leads to all kinds of anxieties and worries in life. Rejecting all the anxieties and worries are Sarva Chinthaa Parithyagah:

All forms of special prayers to gain certain things in life like children, wealth health etc, taking vows and pilgrimages to get some punyam/palam in life is to be rejected- that is Sarva Vishesa Prarthanaa Parithyagah:

How does one take to this sanyasa? Not by just renouncing but taking a Sankalpa that from today on wards I reject all things as said above and continue doing my duties including the nithya naimithika karmaas reinforcing the surrender to the Lord. Surrendering the ego at lord's feet gives mental strength that leads to Gnanam. Disclaiming control and ownership includes the body mind complex-that is deha/chinthaa abhimana parithyagah:. If moksha is the goal Anthara Sanyasa is compulsory. An example of that is the King Janaka's life

Atma Described in Brahadharanyaka Upanishad.

Hare Krishna,Namaskarams.

Swami Paramarthananda teaches in his inimitable style this Upanishad which contains all the Upanishads in it. The chapter deals with brahmavidyA in I, 2, 3, 4 and 5^th sections. In fact Atma is best described in Brahadharanyaka Upanishad. The third section is called Jyotir brAhmaNam and the whole chapter is in the form of a dialogue between King JanakA and Rishi Yagnyalkya. I just try to give a glimpse of the teaching from my notes. I have also added some of the commentary portions in it. Any mistake in the following is due to my own limitation and should not be ascribed to Swamiji's teachings.
6^th Mantra: when Janaka asks the Rishi what exactly serves as light for man when the sun and moon has set, the fire has gone out and speech has stopped. Yagnavalkya answers, The self serves as his light. It is through the light of the self that he sits, goes out, works and returns in svapnA. This refers to the dream state where the the Atma the witness consciousness is available as the antara jyothi. In fact the svapna state is the ideal state to know the svayam jyothi Atma. Both this and the external light are used in the waking state.
7^th Mantra: Which is the self ? asks JanankA and the says: This infinite entity purushha that is identified with the intellect and in the midst of organs is the self effulgent light within the heart. Assuming the likeness of the intellect, it moves between the two worlds, it thinks, as it ware, and shakes, as it ware, .being identified with dream, it transcends this world- the forms of death (ignorance etc,).
Essence of this mantra is that I am not the body mind complex and just use it for transaction in the world. I am neither the karta nor pramAta. This jyotishhAm jyoth is the light of all lights in whose presence everything is known. This luminous self being finer than even the heart or intellect, unify, and impart its luster to the body and organs, including the intellect; etc; although within the intellect; for these have varying degrees of fineness or grossness in certain order, it being the innermost of them all.
9^th mantra: The essence of this mantra is that Atma is self effulgent at all times but clearly recognizable in dream. when one dreams he takes away a little of the impressions of the waking state and leaving the body aside creates for himself a dream body revealing his own light and dreams in this state. He himself becomes the light.
10^th mantra: The essence of this mantra is that mind is not self effulgent as it is matter and a changing vastu. Hence it becomes the object for the Atma the witness “I”. In this the jada part is mind, the effulgent part is Atma. Since the jIva leaves the body to go to dream state Atma is different from the BMI. By the illustration of dream it is proved that there is the self luminous Atman and that it transcends the forms of death, since it alternately moves between this world and the next. It is distinct from the nests of waking and dream states, therefore it is eternal. In sushhupti one gets the highest serenity and that state is called samprasadA.
23^rd Mantra: Essence if this mantra is that sushhupta svarUpam is Atma svarUpam. the nearest example of moksha. Atma has two visions 1) as citrupena has nirvikAra drishhti that is pure awareness. 2) As citAbhAsa rupena savikAra drishhti. While the first illumines the mind the other illumines the world, both functioning in jAgrat avasta. In short paramAtmarUpena pasyannapi jIvAtma rUpena pasyati.

With Krishna's blessings.

The Three States

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Written below are some excerpts on the subject of avastAttraya vichAram.

From the book The Upanishads by Swami Nhikilananda on Mandukya Upanishad.

Chapter 1. Verse 5.:"In deep sleep all the diversified experiences of waking and dreaming, which are nothing but the activities of the mind reach the state of non discrimination, without however, loosing their peculiar characteristics-just as the various objects perceived during the day lose their diverse appearances when enveloped by the darkness of the night. Known as the causal state, one finds the experiences of waking and dream states merge in this deep sleep state. This unified experience of deep sleep is different from the unity experienced from the knowledge of Brahman; for in the waking and dream state that follows it, one again takes multiplicity to be real. In deep sleep no specific knowledge is present. It is a state of ease and repose and the friction caused by subject-object relationship is absent. All efforts disappear and one in deep sleep experiences bliss, said to be happy. This bliss is quite different from that of Brahman."

From my notes on the same Upanishad - class by Swami Paramarthananda:

"In sushhupti, a nirvikalpa rUpa everything gets resolved into one, an experience through kAraNa sharIram. In this state the jAgrat and svapna states are negated and jIva is ignorant of himself in that state. The basic difference is that in nidityAsanam he is aware of himself as "aham brahma asmi". In fact in jAgrath avastha also he is asleep to his nature. The kshetraGYa is same in all the three states. Even though the pramAta, prameyam and pramANam are not experienced they get resolved as unmanifest condition –a mAyA aspect. There is no absence since they come back again on waking up. It is saturated with AnandA associated with the experiencer –kAraNa sarIram, where duality, rAgadveshha-s are all resolved. The very experience of absence of experience in which there is sukham the triputi-s are not clearly defined/felt. It is also to be understood that in all the three stages there involves withdrawal and entry in to the stages."

The deep sleep state is just a nitya praLaya taking place in a person's life where everything gets resolved and manifests again on waking up. Even though the substratum turIam is available all through the three states the jIva is not aware of it covered by ignorance at various levels in the states. While discriminating faculty is available in waking state, in dream state it is a world projected by your own mind where you have no control over what you dream. In fact I have seen myself flying over the cities, perching on rooftops and trees probably because of reading the book "The Third Eye" by a lama whose name I do not remember now. It is the knowledge of Brahman attained through studying scriptures under a Guru and then contemplating on him through sravana manana nidityasanam that one becomes like a clean mirror to reflect the self in its full glory. Even then what could one write about that unity with Brahman who is beyond words and unknowable.

Time

Hare Krishna Namaskarams.
 
Gita ch.11 sl.32;  kAlo-asmi lokakshayakrithpravruthto lokAn samAharthumiha pravruttah
                            R^itho-api thvAm na bavishhyanti sarve ye-avasthitAh prathyanIkeshu yodhAh.
 
Swami Chithbhavananda's translation; I am TIME capable of destroying all the worlds And engaged in subduing the world. Even without you all the warriors standing arrayed in the opposing armies shall cease to be. Bhagavan is said to be the mahAkAlam

From the notes on Swami Paramarthananda's Gita class on the above slokA :

Krishna is the eternal time principle for both creation and destruction. The kAla tatvam as IshvarA swallows everything as destroyer. Dr Radhkrishnan: kala or time is the prime mover of the universe. God as kAla tatvam is perpetually creating and destroying. Time is the streaming flux which moves unceasingly All that is moving in this universe, the galaxies and solar systems, move in time. The unfailing seasons come in time.

On GYAni

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Gita Ch.14-slokA 25: This slokA along with the two previous slokA-s are the answer given by the Lord to Arjuna's question on how does a GYAni conduct himself and transcend the three gunAs.

Swami Chitbhavanada translates "sarvAramba parityAgi" as renunciation of kAmya karmA-s in his book on Gita. Following is the edited version of Swami Paramarthananda's explanation of these three slokA-s from his Gita class.

Even the GYAni's mind fluctuates though predominantly sAttvik, there are times when rajas and tamas influences the fluctuation. But a person who has gone above all the gunAs is not affected by the fluctuation. The desires and ambition of such a person is for lokakshemArthA and does not get affected by the success and failures. He is able to accept all the effects of gunA-s of all others in the world knowing that all such differences are due to gunA-s only. He does not react and remains as though indifferent and does what is to be done.

A GYAni cannot escape the experiences due to prArabdha which is a mystery and unpredictable but he reacts remaining in equanimity all the time. He looks at gold and mud alike. He is impartial to both an enemy and a friend , remains unperturbed when praised or insulted. Wisdom cannot change our experiences, people,family, world etc. But wisdom controls the reactions both in pain and pleasure. A GYAni is compared to a candle that burns itself out while giving light all the time.

Place of Women In Our Religion.

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

In Thennangur Pandurangan temple complex you can find the Sanctum sanctorum of ShodasAkshari Swaroopa LalithA Parameshwari Devi that lies on the left side of the BrindAvanam facing North. A Goddess with twelve hands, like Thirupura Sundari holding Angusam, Pasam, Karumbuvil, and Panjapushpa Panangal, like Saraswathi holding Veena, Manikka malai and Book, Like Mahalakshmi having a Lotus, Abayamuththirai in one hand and Varadhamuththirai in one hand, she sits majestically in this temple. Here the Devi Parameswari is sitting on lord Sadasivan as her pancha predasana manjam in the simhasana with Rudra, Vishnu, Easwaran and Brahma as it's four legs ruling the entire universe.

As AdiparAsakthi ,Bhuvaneswari, RajaRajeswari in the form of Women goddesses, women are worshiped in our hindu culture and tradition, for centuries together. Vedanta is beyond gender caste divisions etc. and one should realize the Atma/self in all is the same and that there is no male or female Atma. Hence any seeker man or woman or of any caste from any region/country with the desire to know that Atma can certainly realize that Brahman. The proof of that today is that there are now many Swaminis with full advaitic knowledge from Sandeepani school in Swami Chinmyananda's footsteps.

Surrender

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Edited from my notes on Bagavat Gita lecture by Swami Paramarthananda:

When one does all duties as per varnAsrama dharmA prescribed in sastrAs and cultural background, in total surrender to the lord with IshvarArpana buddhi the lord promises to release him from the effects of all pApa and puNya karmas. The essence of veda is that every one has to go through the stages of karmayogA and jnana yoga with the attitude of bhakti all the times to be ever in surrender at the lords feet.

Dr Radhakrishnan writes in his book on Bagavat Gita: God asks of us total self giving and gives us in return the power of the spirit which changes every situation. When we turn to him and let him fill our whole being our responsibility ceases.

On Advaitam

 This is an excerpt from Swami Dayananda's lecture on Kaivalya Upanishad.
 
Advaitam is a vision in spite of the presence of Dwaitam. Neither it is opposite of Dwaitam, nor one is absent when the other is present. it is simply a vision and everything is in one awareness. All known things and unknown things in the whole of cosmos that includes you also is in that awareness that is ekam. 

May lord Krishna bless us all 

Knowledge Is For All Who Seek

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams.

There is only God and knowledge of that god as self is also one. it can never be that only Hindus and that too only a few castes can read Upanishads and are entitled to get that knowledge. Every religion in this universe should and must have paths leading to this knowledge which we may not be aware off. In this millions and millions of people of the world there could many such persons who have the knowledge and unknown to us.

Couple of centuries back veda-s could be read or known only to a selected few but thanks to people like Swami Chimayananda and his disciples like Swami Dayanada Saraswathi and Swami Paramarthananda it  is known to people like us who otherwise would never have read all that we talk of now. Who knows, it is possible that such traditions are still nurtured in secrecy and not available to people like us.

IN VENU GITA

The Gopis ask the Flute: what sAdhanA did this flute do better than all of us to be blessed to be in touch with the lips of damodarA?

The flute answered thus (according to a Hindi poet):

"My sAdhanA was in no way different from that of a full-fledged, sincere and persevering spiritual aspirant. It started with my sacrifice and renunciation of my beautiful abode of bamboo bushes
where I had been enjoying with my near and dear ones. My body was subjected to severe austerity (it was cut to size). My mano-nAsa took place as my 'Man' - meaning also the maundage
(a unit of weight called 'MAN' in Hindi) was all removed from inside and I was made hollow.
I had also granti - Cheda i.e., my knots were cut (to make me, smooth). Last but not the least,
I always bowed to and accepted my Lord's desire as paramount. Whatever tune or Raaga my master wanted me to play, I played it and never exercised my own will in choosing the tune. It was only then that my master Krishna accepted me and took me to his lips".

How i wish that i could become such a flute that lord could play and
relieve me from this cycle of birth and death. hare Krishna

How Long You Need A Guru

Hare Krishna, Namaskarms,

How long you need a teacher/guru? It depends on the individual what he is seeking and whether he got what he wanted. For all kinds of knowledge you definitely need a teacher /guru and you need him until you have learnt what you wanted. There is no end to learning in life since what we have learnt is very small to what we can learn, for knowledge is limitless . You need different teachers for different subjects and at different levels. Hence as long as there is learning there is a teacher and it could be in any form from, a human being, the nature, animals, birds and the latest internet sources etc. As for time it depends on your capacity to assimilate the teaching and also how much you want to learn.

But when it comes to spirituality and self knowledge the guru is a must who is not only qualified but an enlightened one Such a guru can teach you in person, even if you are away from him and not only that he can even teach you in silence. In a truly enlightened person his Aura can reach the disciples where ever they are. Here the guru takes the disciple who is qualified to take the teaching through prescribed austerities. In short you are always a student of life until you die and the whole universe a teacher.

'Gita'-Profoundest Of All-So Simple And Easy

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Sri Balagopal Ramakrishnan Writes in Advaitin list: With 'his 'Gita' one doesn't have to look elsewhere, seek elsewhere, go elsewhere, wreck and rap one's brain, look bewildered and confused, spend eons chanting names and indulge in rituals, run from pillar to post to places and tanks, howl or cry, jump into fire or wrap in ice, stay awake for eternity, do tricks, by heart or do penance till one becomes a 'vAlmIki'... all that one got to do is just pick up the book and begin the conversation with 'him', his words are so simple and lucid, no complications ever, without any formal training in grammar and logic and no special pedigree to brag about and not even had a chance to get any blessing from a Guru or a saint, one could enter with 'him' into that most profoundest of all that one has to know, to know 'oneself'. 'He' does it with all kindness, patience and grace.

Absolutely i agree with this. i am blessed to come under the teaching of Swami Paramarthananda's upanishads and Gita. Gita is the essence of all scriptures and Krishna is the direct Guru available when you place yourself in place of Arjuna and seek the truth. if the knowledge of the supreme gives you freedom from samsara that knowledge is available in Gita from Krishna himself, being the guru of all gurus.

  May lord Krishna bless us all.

Gems From Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Under the topic "Surrender" the following passage impressed me very much

{Divine Grace is a manifestation of the cosmic free will in operation. It can alter the course of events in a mysterious manner through its own unknown laws, which are superior to all natural laws, and can modify the latter by interaction. It is the most powerful force in the universe. It descends and acts only when it is invoked by total self surrender. It acts from within, because God resides in the Heart of all beings. Its whisper can be heard only in a mind purified by self-surrender and prayer.

Rationalists laugh at it, and atheists scorn it, but it exists. It is a descent of God into the soul's zone of awareness. It is a visitation of force unexpected and unpredictable. It is a voice spoken out of cosmic silence - It is `Cosmic Will which can perform authentic miracles under its own laws'. In truth, God and the Guru are not different. Those who have come within the ambit of the Guru's gracious look will be saved by the Guru and will not get lost; yet, each one should by his own effort pursue the path shown by God or Guru and gain release. Each seeker after God should be allowed to go his own way, the way for which he alone may be built (meant). It will not do to convert him to another path by violence. The Guru will go with the disciple in his own path and then gradually turn him onto the Supreme path at the ripe moment."}

With out god's grace nothing is possible. The very desire to know the self itself is a blessing of the lord. May lord Krishna bless us all.

From The Collected Works Of Sri Rramana Maharishi

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Recently I had been to Thiruvannamalai and purchased couple books at Sri Ramanna Maharishi ashram. I wish to share the following verse from AnnAmalai Venba from the book "The collected works of Sri RamaNa Maharishi.

"The waters rise up from the sea as clouds, then falls as rains and run back to the sea in streams, nothing can keep them from returning to there source Likewise the soul rising up from Thee cannot be kept from returning to the source. A bird which rises from the earth and soars in to the sky can find no place of rest in midair but must return again to earth. So indeed must
all retrace their path, and when soul finds the way back to its source, it will sink and be merged in Thee, Oh Arunachala, Thou ocean of bliss.'

I felt blessed particularly because my earlier post "the rain drops" had some thing close to this.

Dismiss The Mind

Hare Krishna,NamaskArams

This is what Sri Sankara says (as explained by Swami Paramarthananda) in
mativilApa prakaraNam of upadesha shAhasrI. This is just a short summary and one needs to read the work in full which is the essence of all the upanishad-s.

" I the sAkshi reject the services of the mind and resolve it unto myself. SAkshi swarUpam being pUrNam, does not need/cannot take any help from from mind, from its standpoint.
I also reject from mind point since it works only in the field of anAtmA. Mind is mityA and cannot add any to sAkshi that is sathyam. lokaksemArtham allow it to work in its field always aware of the knowledge that it is mityA."

Discriminating the caste and gender

Hare Krishna,Namaskarams.

After reading and understanding Maneesha Panchakam by Sankaracharya wherein he extolls the chandAlA as his another guru where is the question of discriminating the castes and creeds for either the knowledge or for any kind of Asrama. Also on taking saMnyAsa when one renounces the family and throws the sacred thread where is the brAhmaNatvam therein Every human being the Atma inside is the same paramAtmA and has as much right for self knowledge and to choose the Asrama he wants. The same applies to even the gender discrimination.
With due respect, all the interpretations by various Acharyas of their times were according to the culture and traditions prevalent at that time and certainly that may not be the final word on a subject like this one. May lord KrishnA bless and release us all  from the cycle of birth and death.

Creation-A Rainbow

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams


The following is a passage from an e-mail by Mr. Alan Jacobs sent to Harsha Satsangh which Impressed  me and I thought of sharing it with you all.

{Creation, says one, lies before us, like a glorious Rainbow; but the Sun that made it lies behind us, hidden from us. Then, in that strange Dream, how we clutch at shadows as if they were substances; and sleep deepest while fancying ourselves most awake!}


We see the world rainbow and its colors. Not only the seven colors but also You can see as many in between and by mixing of those basic ones. we search as much without realizing the source the sun that is available all that time behind and that it is a single source of white light. you have to look back “back to where you came from” return inward from the search outward to see that light, the knowledge that is always there.


May lord Krishna bless us all

Being An Advaitin

TO KNOW ONESELF ONE HAS TO CONFINE HIMSELF TO ONESELF ONLY AND NOT TO THINGS WHICH ARE SEPARATE FROM HIM Viz. objects whether known or unknown ".This is very true and as Advaitins we don't have to dissect each word to understand advaitam since it is beyond words. Study is required only to that extent necessary for being an advaitin.


After the study of Gita and Upanishads one comes to know basically one thing, that Brahman is incomprehensible and that the self in you is the same as Brahman. The subtle truth is that Brahman only lends the light to shine on the self and remains only as a witness while it is the reflected self that deals with the world. As Swami Dayanada Saraswati says in one of his lectures that advaitam is the vision in the presence of dvaithic world since the world cannot be dismissed from experiencing. It is the attitude with which one looks at the worldly life and his seeking of freedom from saMnsAra//cycle of birth and death that matters, that is the knowledge gained from the study of scriptures.


After having attended Swami Paramarthananda's classes on Gita and major Upanishads and now having the opportunity to listen to all of them again by Swami Dayananda, Swamy Omkarananda and others as nidhityAsanam, I have realized the purpose for which these are done and there is a profound change in my outlook at the world. All my reactions which used to burst out earlier are under check and control. I am able to smile at the meaningless way one lives with the full knowledge of the mithyAtvam involved in life's transactions. Probably this is a blessing from Swamiji whom I met last year in Saylorsburg and just asked him for his blessings. I don't want to use the words like I am a realized soul or enlightened etc, even I don't know it. but I am different for the good. There is a certain sereneness, calmness, and peace in me which is unexplainable. I am not even worried about whether I am liberated or not. It is a different world I am living and I am happy with that.


With Lord Krishna's Blessings

An Excerpt from Shri Parthasarathi's Book: Vedanta Treatise

The philosophy of Vedanta is also said to be like a dream lion. Imagine a lion appears in a dream. The lion-in-the-dream is part of the dream world experienced by the dreamer. But the lion-in-the-dream has one peculiarity. One distinctive character which none of the other objects of the dream possess. And that is its capacity to catapult the dreamer from the dreaming state of consciousness to the waking state of consciousness. When the lion appears in the dream, the dreamer experiences a kind of nightmare. He is startled. He is horrified. The lion wakes him up as it were. The dream lion is no doubt a part of the dream but it swallows up the entire dream. In doing so dream lion also vanishes! That is the characteristics of the dream lion. Similarly Vedanta plays the role of the dream lion in this world. vedAntic knowledge is admittedly a part of this illusory world. But then it dissolves the entire illusion of the world. Reveals Reality. It unveils your real SELF. It transports you from the plane of world-consciousness to the plane of God-consciousness."

As long as we are in the plane of world-consciousness, duality appears real and duality dissolves itself (like the lion-in-the-dream) when we wake up and attain the plane of God-Consciousness. Non-duality applies only at the pAramArtika (Absolute Truth). Truth according to advaita metaphysics is of three types: prAtibhAsika (apparent), vyAvahArika (practical) and pAramArtika (the highest level). When we wrongly perceive the upright ears of a hare as its horns, it is 'prAtibhAsika' sattA. This world of senses is vyavahArika sattA since it is real for all practical purposes. Brahman or God which is the highest and unchanging truth is 'pAramArtika' sattA. Let me stop here. Let us all contemplate instead of conducting academic exercises! he ends.

Practical Vedanta.

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams

Following are excerpts from the book prabodha SudhA (Nector of Enlightenment) "The essence of practical Vedanta"–transcriptions of lectures by Swami Poornananda Thirtha in 1966 at Bombay. .These are from the second section of the book on Sat Darshan by Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi.

Part 1:-Sat Darshan: Verse 7.

"Without the personality consisting of the five sheaths does the world reveal by itself?
If anybody has seen or experienced the world without the Deha or by the five sheathed personality, let him report to me."

……………..the ego has two aspects: Avarana-veiling of or covering up of the Atman, and vikshepa- projecting as the intellect, mind, body, and the world, thereby creating moha, Delusion, the notion that the world and body are real and that happiness is to be from the world.

In sleep, the vikshepa ceases temporarily and AvaraNa alone is there. The ego remains quiet, withdrawing its hood as a snake does while curling up in its basket. Happiness and Unhappiness are two different vibrations in the antakkaraNam. In deep sleep, since the mind itself is absent, we experience neither dukkha or sukha. This state is of the Anandamaya kosa. The happiness therein is at best a negative one, which is best illustrated by the following example. A man struggling from irritation caused by a particle of dust in one of the eyes feels immensely happy as soon as the particle is removed. It is not positive happiness, as it was caused not by his getting something new, but by the removal of the dust particle that gave him dukkha. Similarly, in sleep too we are happy as we don't feel any dukkha.
BhagwAn RamaNa Maharishi asks: Has anybody ever experienced or cognized the world independent of or except through one's personality consisting of the five sheaths? Does the world reveal by itself? No………….
"Your arguments as to whether the world is real or unreal, whether it is sentient or insentient, whether it is full of happiness or unhappiness, are useless, serving no purpose whatsoever. The state where the world is not seen, where the ego disintegrates completely and where there are no thoughts or vibrations, is most pleasing, fully satisfying and supremely blissful."

The ego, the primary offshoot of the Atman, is nothing but a wave or vibration of pure consciousness. From the ego, emanates the mind and the world. The mind expecting to get unalloyed happiness from the world, is sadly disappointed. It finds that any joy it derives from the world is quickly followed by misery. The ordinary man not recognizing this is in pursuit all his life of the ever –eluding joy from the external world.

But a person, who has had the transcendental bakti experience, knows that real bliss is not outside, but within oneself. It is experienced in that state where the world is not experienced, when mind is free of thoughts and the ego which hankers after outside happiness itself is dead, disintegrated. This is the supreme state dear to all persons alike. Here the mind remains "avikalpa" thoughtless. The term "avikalpa" also means "without doubts". Such a state is one and one alone. Duality can be only in the mental level where alone one can have doubts as to what is real and unreal When you transcend the mental level, there is nothing to see, no seer and no seeing. There is no subject- object relationship. This transcendental state is aptly called Sat-Chit-AnandA, Pure Being, Pure consciousness and Pure Bliss. But even this term is inadequate for describing what is indescribable. Without realizing this transcendental state, is it not utter folly to engage in seemingly learned discussions as to whether the world is real or unreal? Any system of philosophy which does not recognize this supreme spiritual path to truth is utterly useless. It can at best be a confusing intellectual drill.

Renounce Attachment Even To Moksha

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams.

"S.N. Sastri" wrote in advaitin list: Renounce attachment even to moksha.

GItA 5.10 says:--

brahmaNyAdhAya karmANi sangam tyaktvA karoti yaH |

lipyate na sa pApena padmapatramivAmbhasA

This means: "One who acts by dedicating actions to Brahman and by renouncing attachment, does not become tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not made wet by water". In practical terms what this means is that the spiritual aspirant should not be obsessed with the thought, "I have been practising spiritual disciplines so long; when will I get realization?". He should continue his practices, believing that they will bear fruit when God wills.

There is a similar statement in the BhAshya on GItA, 2.48. The slokA is:--
yogasthaH kuru karmANi sangam tyaktvA dhananjaya

siddhyasiddhyoH samo bhUtvA samatvam yoga ucyate

The meaning of this slokA is: "By being established in Yoga, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), perform actions, casting off attachment and remaining equipoised in success and failure. Equanimity is called Yoga".
Thus attachment of every kind has to be given up, including attachment to mokshA and attachment to the idea 'I am performing action to please God'. Thus ends Sri.Sastri.

A nice reminder for people like me and in time. Number of occasions I have thought like that particularly on seeing serials like Sri Krishnaleela and Swami Ayyappan and moved to tears in particular scenes. Some of the dialogues in them touched the chord somewhere and I lost myself in them .I have asked in same vain for such things. Yes, how true it is that I have to learn still to not ask even for that Moksha/liberation. Oh lord Krishna bless me and release me when you want to. until such time let me not loose sight of you and be lost in samsara.

What is Moksha?

Moksha is popularly believed as freedom from samsara. What is meant by freedom from samsara? It is the cycle of birth and death from beginning less time otherwise known as transmigration and a is putting an end to this. To make this body the last one (charama) so that there is no punarjanmam as highlighted in all devotional songs and known as lougika moksha. If this is popular is there something else?. Yes, there is a second one known as sAstrIya moksha which is trikAla janma nivriti that is freedom from all the three periods of time. It is also known as amrutatva prapti. Then what are the two types of moksha and what are their differences?
lougika moksha is known as ahankAra driShtyA (from the stand point of ego) moksha which rises due to the misconception/mistaking the bmi (body, mind,and intellect) to be the Atma otherwise known as ego. How is this achieved? It is achieved by managing all the karmAs and destroying all the saMnchita and agAmi karmAs while exhausting the prArabda karmAs after which the ahankArA merges with Brahman, a sAdhyam. sAstra prescribes several conditions to be followed like the sAdhana chatuShtaya sampatti and expanded to many religious conditions like the twent six virtues that  are both ethical and spiritual disciplines. Moksha thus accomplished thus is called sAbeksha moksha

SAstrIya mokshA is from the stand point of Atma (the real I ) and called Atma drishtyA moksha. AtmA by nature is free and is not something to be accomplished in future, it is sidhdham-already there as the witness consciousness, as satchidAnanda swarUpam. Whatever is natural is absolutely unconditional, called nirabeksha moksha

 Now which one should one pursue? It is said that even advanced students has this confusion and it is resolved by the sAstrAs that take us from ignorance to knowledge of the self by which all the misconceptions go away. ahankAra being born out of ignorance is negated and hence no question of moksha by ahankAra drishtyA. Actually it is a transition from ahankAra drishtyA to Atma drishtyA and realise yourself that you are not the manas, budhdhi, ahankArA and that you are ever the chidAnanda rUpa sivam.

When you say asatoma sadgamaya it is a spiritual journey from false to reality. When you say tamasoma jyothirgamaya it is transition from ignorance to knowledge. When you say mrityoma amrithamgamaya it is from ahankAra drishti mokshA to Atma drishti mokshA. How and at what level this takes place? When you are young you look at life as an asset and you are attracted towards lougika mokshA where as when you are old you prefer the sAstrIya mokshA. So the guru takes from lougika mokshA to sAstrIya mokshA in five stages that are Karma yoga, upAsanA yogA, SravaNa yoga, Manana yoga, and nidiyAsana yoga. Karma yoga is a life style of religious practice of all virtues that gives you chitta sudhdhi.  Meditating on the iShta devata and later visualizing the viswarUpa is upAsana yoga that focuses and expands your mind. sravaNa yogA is studying under a guru systematically and consistently doing the Atma anAtma vichArA. manana yoga is removing all the doubts to realize yourself as the Atma, a conviction of the knowledge. nidityAsana yoga is changing the perspective and out look, based on the knowledge so gained and elimination of the habitual thinking. The switching from lougika to sAstrIyA takes place in the 5^th stage, getting convinced of the sAstric vision. Never think of freedom from punarjanma that is invalid. Even the jIvan mukti and videha mukti is equally invalid since once the knowledge gained at this stage one is an ever accomplished nitya muktA. A nitya MuktA continues with all the disciplines as before and does that not as moksha sAdhanam but for loka sangraha taking a sankalpa accordingly. End of spiritual sAdhana is nitya moksha. May Lord Dakshinamurthy bless us all to become nitya mukta-s.

P.S.: Written from the notes taken of Swami Paramarthananda's lecture on 25^th July, on the occasion of gurpUrnima day. Any mistakes in the above writing are mine and should not be attributed to swamiji.

Who am I

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams.

For the last couple of weeks after reading the book "Collected Works of Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi" my mind was revolving around the sentence "Who Am I" all these days and the result probably is the dream I had which is as fallows. May be it could be the visit to Thiruvannamalai temple and the Girivalam recently also.

Who Am I? In the dream I am asking myself sitting somewhere near a lower part of a hill or temple surroundings I am not sure and I saw a flute and a peacock's feather faintly in the background. Thoughts started to flow rapidly. Am I the flute having nine holes that the lord plays breathing in to it the life force energy and I dance to his tunes? His breath is my breath and his flute my body and what belongs to me as such when I am just a puppet in his hands? Is that advaitam? At cosmic level is the lord playing the biggest flute which contains all the flutes-the jIvarAsi-s and he is playing millions of ragas in them all the time? Each flute a gopi and played by as many Krishnas?

I woke up in a kind of half awake half asleep condition around 4.30 this morning that set me thinking about it. I had an unexplainable feeling of happiness and I wanted to put it down in words as soon as I got up and typed these in my computer. I still hear a faint flute sound in my ears. Is it because of nidityAsanam of the sentence "Who Am I" or is it my love for Lord Krishna my iShta devatA or I did get some message I do not know. Whatever it is and whatever the inference may be, I feel blessed and shall cherish it in my heart all the time till my reaching the lord. What am I typing and who is typing these? It is not mine but the grace of my beloved Lord Krishna. Krishna is in me and I am in Krishna, Krishna is Brahman. I think that is advaitam.

Sri.Annamalai Swamy on Gnani

Question: "Going back to the question of how to determine who is and who is not a Gnani, can we come to some valid conclusion by studying his life and teachings? Will not his state be somehow reflected in the life that he leads?"

Annamalai Swami: You cannot determine the answer to this question by studying the teachings or the behaviour of a person you think might be a GnaAni. These are not reliable indicators. Some Gnanis might stay silent;others may talk a lot. Some are active in the world, some withdraw from it. Some end up as teachers while others content to stay hidden. Some behave like saints, where as others act like madmen. The same peace can be found in the presence of all these beings, since this peace is not affected by modes of behavior, but there may be no other common factors."

Question: "Gnanis are supposed to have an equality of vision . Cannot we decide whether someone may be a Gnani on the basis of whether he treats people around him equally?

Annamalai Swami: Gnanis remain absorbed in the Self at all times and their apparent behavior is just a reflection of the circumstances they find themselves in. Some may appear to be egalitarian. Others may not. They play their allotted roles, and though they may seem to be involved in them as ordinary people would be , they are not really touched by any of the events that occur in their lives. Equal vision may be there , internal equanimity may be there, but don't expect all Gnanis to behave in a prescribed , egalitarian way.

Read Somewhere

Hare Krishna, Namaskarams,

A man should persevere till he has achieved one of two things either he should discover the truth about them for himself or learn it from some one else; or if this is impossible he should take the best and most irrefragable of human theories and make it the raft on which he sails through life. In spiritual life, faith comes first,then knowledge, and then experience.

Silent Teaching

RamaNa Maharshi taught mostly in Silence. When he spoke, what he said was specific to each person. Here he speaks to Paul Brunton.

{ Q: If 'I' am always here and now, why don't I feel it?

M: That's is the point! Who says that it is not felt? Does the real 'I' say it or the false 'I'? Examine it. You will find it is the wrong 'I'. The wrong 'I' is the obstruction. It has to be removed in order that the true 'I' might not be hidden.

The feeling, 'I have not realized,' is the obstruction to realization. In fact, you are already realized; there is nothing to realize. If there were, it would have to be something new, not existing so far, that would occur sometime in the future. What has birth will also die. If realization were not eternal it would not be worth having. Therefore, what we seek is not that which must happen afresh. It is only that which is eternal and which is not known, due to obstructions, that is what we seek. Ignorance is the obstruction. Remove it, and all will be well.}

What a profound statement by Maharishi RamaNa. "the feeling that I have not realised is the obstruction" struck me with such impact .this is where one should leave all the so called knowledge acquired and
drown in to the ocean of bliss, the self that is Brahman my lord Krishna.