Self Knowledge 24Nov09 Cur

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Self-Knowledge

(tmabodh)

A modern translation of and commentary ontmabodh (Self-Knowledge) of Adi

Shankara 788-820 AD)

By

Patrick J. Brennan

Self-Knowledge

Copyright 2002 by Patrick J. BrennanAll rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Convention.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever withoutwritten permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articlesand reviews.


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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................1

DEDICATION..........................................................................................................2

GENESIS OF THIS TRANSLATION......................................................................3

SOME FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES......................................................................5

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF TMABODH........................7

ABSORBING THE ESSENTIAL MESSAGE OF TMABODH...........................11

INVOCATION........................................................................................................13Welcome to a treatise on Self-Knowledge..................................................................................................14

Self-Knowledge leads directly to liberation...............................................................................................14

Can action destroy Primal Ignorance?.......................................................................................................15

Due to Primal Ignorance, the Self appears finite......................................................................................15

Purify the lower self and Self-Knowledge arises.......................................................................................15

The world seems Real, but relative to the Self, it is unReal.....................................................................16

When does the world cease appearing Real?............................................................................................17

The universe is as transient as a bubble.....................................................................................................17

The phenomenal world is a projection on the Self....................................................................................18

The Self is non-dual but appears divided because of unReal factors......................................................18

Delusion imposes illusory differences on the Self......................................................................................19

Three conditionings are imposed on the Self: the gross, subtle and causal bodies. The firstconditioning is the gross body.....................................................................................................................19

The subtle body: the second conditioning..................................................................................................20

The causal body; the third conditioning....................................................................................................20

Identification with the not-Self clouds awareness of the Self...................................................................21

By distinguishing between the Self and the not-Self, find the Self at the core of the five sheaths.......22

A clear intellect reflects the Self.................................................................................................................22


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The Self is other than the body, senses, mind and intellect.....................................................................23

The mind and senses are active, but the Self is the immutable ground of all action.............................23

Because of the Self, the body, senses, mind and intellect are alive.........................................................24

Although the mind erroneously assigns qualities, the Self is without any qualities whatsoever......... .24

The Self, being the mirror in which I-ness is reflected, has no sense of agency....................................25

Attachment, desire, pleasure and suffering are not found in the Self....................................................26

What is the nature of the Self?....................................................................................................................26

The mental concept I know is a product of the lower self....................................................................27

The delusion of the lower self......................................................................................................................27

Fear and fearlessness...................................................................................................................................28

The mind draws its sentience from the Self...............................................................................................28

The Self illuminates Itself............................................................................................................................29

The Self in you is identical with the Self in all..........................................................................................29

Realize Brahman by dropping all ephemeral conditionings....................................................................30

The whole world perceived by the senses is a mere projection on Reality. The following six versespresent a mental process that can establish this conceptual understanding as existential knowledge,leading to an awakening to the Reality of Brahman................................................................................30

The Self is not subject to mental or physical constraints.........................................................................31

The Self is free of all qualities.....................................................................................................................31

The Self is all pervading yet transcends all...............................................................................................32

What is the nature of Brahman, the Self in all?........................................................................................32

The experience of I am Brahman destroys Primal Ignorance.............................................................33

Meditation on the Self..................................................................................................................................33

Merging the phenomenal world into the Self............................................................................................34

What is the effect of awakening to the Supreme?.....................................................................................34

The Self is of the nature of undifferentiated unity....................................................................................35

A discerning meditation prepares the way for Self-Knowledge..............................................................36

The destruction of Primal Ignorance reveals the Self..............................................................................36

Primal Ignorance alone obscures the Self..................................................................................................37


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Through delusion, Brahman is perceived as an individual......................................................................37

Self-Knowledge destroys the illusory ideas of I and Mine...............................................................38

How does a Knower of the Self view the universe?...................................................................................38

Self and the universe are identical..............................................................................................................39

Characteristics of a Sage.............................................................................................................................39

The liberated Yogi shines from within.......................................................................................................40

The Sage in the world..................................................................................................................................41

How a Sage relates to the world..................................................................................................................41

The death of a Sage......................................................................................................................................42

Brahman is fullness, blessedness and omniscience...................................................................................42

Brahman is beyond seeing, becoming and knowing.................................................................................43

Brahman is Reality, of the nature of Being-Consciousness-Bliss............................................................43

The Vedantic path to Brahman..................................................................................................................44

Brahman is the embodiment of Infinite Bliss............................................................................................44

Brahman is present in everything...............................................................................................................45

Brahman has no outer characteristics........................................................................................................46

Brahman is That by which all things are made manifest.........................................................................46

Brahman animates the whole universe.......................................................................................................47

All is Brahman; all else is illusion...............................................................................................................47

Whatever is perceived is none other than Brahman................................................................................48

The eye-ofwisdom alone sees the Self.......................................................................................................48

Purify the conditioned mind and Self-Knowledge arises.........................................................................49

The Self rises in a purified heart................................................................................................................49

Self-Knowledge brings the infinite into the finite.....................................................................................50

GLOSSARY..........................................................................................................51

REFERENCES......................................................................................................55


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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people who helped me fashion thetranslation of the text oftmabodh (Self-Knowledge). At an early stage, Pavani Mardenand Maurelle Wyeth, who studied with Swami Chinmayananda, provided much neededcorrections to some verses. My friend Peter Kirwin gave me good insight and suggestions.Thomas Burke read the Sanskrit text with me and checked it against the translation. Healso helped to elucidate some subtle points in the Sanskrit script. Later, Aviva Keller, whohad undertaken the Vedanta Course at the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Ashram, gave thetranslation a very careful and exact reading that wrought some subtle changes and helpedmy understanding. Lastly, Carol Broderson looked at the translation with the eye of amodern poet and convinced me to make some final changes.

Niamh Fleming edited the translation and commentary. Alaric Naiman and John Rodriguezproofread the complete text with me and their suggestions and comments were invaluable.

Aviva Keller gave the complete text a reading and suggested some crucial updates. CarolJohnson proofread the complete text with a very discerning eye. Gabrielle Isenbrandproofread the complete text from a Zen Buddhist perspective, which for me was veryuseful. Irene Fairley read the complete text and helped me to clarify a few sections. RuthLepson brought the eye of a poet and the freshness of a child, which led to some deepinterchanges.

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Dedication

I dedicate this text to my teacher, Swami Chinmayananda (1916 1993 AD), who camefrom India with the gift of the Knowledge of Reality. In all the twenty years that I knewhim, he never ceased to teach by example and daily lectures, never veering from the visionof the inner Truth to which he had awakened. He was a Sage who had crossed over aninner barrier from which one never returns. The present text oftmabodh (Self-Knowledge) is one of the texts that he used as teaching material. Some verses intmabodh give a description of how he appeared to those who were fortunate enough tomeet and study with him.

Through his grace, I was led close to the edge of the bottomless depths of the Self, theReality that is the core of each person. I cannot thank him enough for the blessings heshowered on me, and yet he sought no thanks. He was like the sun shining on all whowere willing to allow a beam of light to illumine the dark interiors of the mind. I continue

to live with the memory of his piercing example. Before he died in August 1993, he sawan earlier version of this translation and gave it his wholehearted blessings.

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Genesis of This Translation

Two English translations of Shankara's profound and beautiful work, tmabodh (Self-Knowledge) 1, 2 already exist. These translations are an excellent resource for seekers ofSelf-Knowledge who desire access to one of the most compact and precise expressions ofthe Vedantic philosophy3 of liberation. Why, then, is a third translation necessary?The current translation oftmabodh and the commentary represent a conscious effort topresent this material in a succinct and direct manner. I hope that this will help to pierce themental confusions, which are dualistic in nature and centered in the lower self 4 thatdominates the prevailing sensibility. The lower self apparently becomes an independentsubject and defines the observed world of the senses as the objective world. This objectiveworld appears to be the only reality that exists outside the individual. Thus, the lower selfand the objective world define the only reality that the lower self can acknowledge. Thetext oftmabodh points to the Reality that is the foundation of the objective world and

the lower self.

In tmabodh, Shankara created a work of precision and conciseness. The presenttranslation attempts to capture its essence in a clear and lucid manner. However, therecannot be a final translation for all time. Every language is embedded in the prevailingculture. Therefore, a translator must attempt to interpret the text clothed in the words andconcepts of the present era.

To do so, I have sought to lead seekers beyond the caverns of their own minds to find theReality that all seek, knowingly or unknowingly. Where English is not rich enough incultural associations, I have elaborated on terms (such as Self) necessary to the

understanding and practice of Vedanta.The current translation maintains the verse form of the original Sanskrit text in an attemptto speak directly to a modern audience while remaining true to the original. Both thetranslation and the commentary present the ideas oftmabodh in the language of modernconsciousness to make it more accessible to an audience that is new to Vedanta.

1Self-Knowledge (AtmaBodha) by Swami Nikhilananda, published by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, New York. 1989. This text contains a long and valuable introductionand a translation ofAtmaBodha with notes, but no commentary, on each verse.

2AtmaBodh by Swami Chinmayananda 1977, published by the Chinmaya Publications

Trust and distributed by Chinmaya Mission West, P.O. Box 129, Piercy, CA, 95587. Thistext has a short introduction, and the translation has an extensive commentary on eachverse.

3 Literally, the conclusion of the Vedas. a system of philosophy and practice grounded inthe Upanishads. Also called the Science of Life, which leads to Self-Knowledge.

4 The lower self: the inner subject that I identify with and feel that I am.

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Accordingly, the use of Sanskrit terms is kept to a minimum. I hope that the current textwill appeal to a Westerm audience who will find, in Vedanta, an inner teaching of theutmost subtlety that is firmly grounded in human experience.

The translation was prepared with rigor and reference to prior translations and otherrelevant works, based on a multi-year exposure to one of the greatest modern exponentsof Vedanta, Swami Chinmayananda, and a three-year traditional Vedantic training in India.The English translation was refined over a period of years with input from skilled readers,writers and practitioners of various spiritual practices. Intended more as an aid for sincereseekers of liberation rather than an academic treatise, this volume may prove valuable tothose outside the Vedantic tradition who wish to gain greater insight into these teachings.In particular, it may appeal to those who have sensed the limitations of a purelyintellectual approach to the inner search, yet who recognize that the intellect has a role toplay.

This text is offered as a call from beyond the reach of rational knowledge. Yet, it draws onthe clarity of a long and sober tradition of investigation into the source of the mind. One

can return to it as one returns to a great work of art. Each visitation can open up newinsights that enable one to better navigate the outer reaches of the mind. In this way, thetext can help lay the groundwork for a remaking of the hidden environment of the mind.When the unsensing sensation and unthinking thought are swept away, the inner landscapecomes alive again.

May you find the deep well of inspiration and joy that awaits those who open their heartsto the cleansing fire of Self-Knowledge.

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Some Foundation Principles

Vedanta has its own technical terms with specialized meanings in Sanskrit. To clarify thissubtle teaching I have used certain English words with specialized meanings rather thanusing the original Sanskrit terms. It would be useful to become familiar with these usagesbefore beginning a perusal of the text.

Brahman: The Supreme Reality that is identical with ones own Self and is the unseenfoundation of the world of the senses.

Causal body: The seed form of Primal Ignorance, which is the cause of the gross andsubtle bodies. In deep sleep, the lower self is identified with the causal body.

Gross body: The physical body that originated from the food eaten by the parents and issustained by food.

I: Refers to the Self, the Reality underlying the lower self.

I: Refers to the lower self that appears to be Real but is unReal.

Intellect: The entity that processes rational, logical decision-making for the lower self andperforms the functions of willing and wishing. The dictates of the conditioned mind oftenoverpower the intellect.

Liberation or enlightenment: The state of complete peace and freedom leading toendless bliss, and the culmination of the path of Self-Knowledge.

Lord of the universe or God: The presumed unseen presence in the universe,conceptualized as omnipotent and omniscient, that seems to play the role of the creatorand overseer of the universe of the senses. The Lord of the universe is one logicalexplanation of the experience of existence and satisfies the minds need for a cause of theuniverse. The Lord of the universe is conceived as wielding the power of My or PrimalIgnorance, which is the cause for the mans bondage. When Self-Knowledge arises, theLord of the universe, like all other conceptualized entities, is recognized as a product ofthe mind and as such is part of the not-Self.

My: When Primal Ignorance obscures the Reality of Brahman, My projects the worldof multiplicity. Due to My, the undifferentiated world of Brahman is seen as the world

of multiplicity perceived by the senses.

Mind or conditioned mind: The entity that processes feelings and emotions for thelower self, and in turn, influences the self in its choice of actions. Subconsciousimpressions (vasanas) installed by prior mental and physical actions condition the mind,and current mental and physical actions strengthen these impressions.

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Not-Self: Whatever can be experienced or known through the mind, intellect orimagination.

Primal Ignorance or Ignorance: The existential, indescribable ignorance that gives riseto My (Primal Delusion), which conceals the Self and gives rise to the wholephenomenal world and the lower self. Primal Ignorance is beginningless and is destroyedby Self-Knowledge.

Real: That which remains unchanged during the past, present and future.

Sat-chit-ananda: Being-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute, which is how the Self isexperienced in the deepest meditation.

self orlower self: The inner subject that I identify with and feel that I am. When a personsuffers, it is the lower self that suffers, and rises and falls with the emotions. The lower selfthinks that it makes decisions and reaps their results. Ultimately the self recognizes that itis in bondage to the sense-objects in the finite world of attractions and repulsions. Then,

the lower self awakens to Self-Knowledge on realizing that, beyond the disorientating fluxof mental experiences, it is identical with the Self.

Self orSupreme Self: The Essence or Reality immanent in each person that is identicalwith Brahman, the Reality behind the whole universe.

Self-Knowledge: The Knowledge of the Self that destroys Primal Ignorance and leads toliberation from all suffering, opening the doors to unending Bliss.

Subtle body: The entity that animates the gross body and underlies the individualsunique experience and personality. The subtle body directs diverse faculties: the five

organs-of-action speech, hands, legs, anus and genitals; the five organs-of-perception ears,skin, eyes, tongue, nose; the physiological systems; the intellect and mind; PrimalIgnorance, desire and action. Thus, the personality shines and the individual interacts withthe world outside and gains experience, as the subtle body acts through the gross body.

UnReal or real: That which changes with the passage of timethe whole world of thesenses.

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Historical Context and Significance oftmabodh

tmabodh (Self-Knowledge) is a short Sanskrit text traditionally attributed to Shankara(788-820 AD), summarizing in 68 verses the teachings of non-dualistic 5Vedanta. Vedanta

is that unique outpouring of inner knowledge embodied in the Upanishads. TheUpanishads comprise the latter parts of the four Vedas, which are the foundation of thesacred texts of the Hindu people.

tmabodh presents the teachings of Vedanta in the compact form of a poem. Vedanta is aScience of Life that addresses the most basic questions for instance: Who am I?.Vedanta suggests that the answer to this question will make all other questions redundant.Its methods are scientific in their logic and rigor, and in their ultimate reliance onexperiment. The experiment is a subjective one, carried out in the intellect and heart ofeach individual. Thus, Vedanta is democratic in its essence.

Born of the living practice of great Sages, Vedanta encompasses the philosophy of theUpanishads and presents the clearest vision of the essence of spirituality. Vedanta is basedon personal experience rather than on a creed. This ever-fresh teaching in pursuit of theTruth emphasizes personal effort, transformation and realization as the most efficaciouspath leading to an awakening to the Self.

Vedanta also provides a mythic foundation that enlivens and sublimates other myths. Itundergirds human values and engenders a purpose in the mind that will sustain onesdeepest aspirations. With a continuum of teachings from the basic to the most sublime,Vedanta is unflinching in its teaching that each person is, in essence, identical with theReality behind all appearances. The aim of life is to awaken to this great realization. Thewords of a text such astmabodh can be the vehicle that enables the mind to leap beyonditself to this great realization. Vedanta also teaches that all spiritual paths lead to the samegoal because all the major religions have pointers to the ultimate Reality .

People of various faiths find that a study of Vedanta enhances their understanding of theirown faith. They experience a heightened awareness and a deeper insight into their ownbeliefs. At the same time, Vedanta stands as a complete system by itself, including withinits compass an all-consuming vision and the disciplines, maps, and methods required torealize that vision. Vedanta has the potential to provide an overarching teaching to bindtogether the disparate members of the human family, as we face a seemingly ever morecomplex future.

Today, we live in a vastly different social, political, economic, and cultural epoch fromthat in whichtmabodh was composed. However, an individual living at that time, or oneliving today, might experience a certain underlying feeling of uneasiness. Both epochswitnessed fundamental changes in the bedrock faith that holds a people together. At suchtimes, various factions seek to impose their viewpoints on the populace. In India in 788AD, Shankara wrote commentaries on the major Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita,

5 Non-dualism: the teaching that Reality is undifferentiated and not describable in termsof difference, or subject and object, thus difference has no ultimate reality.

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systematized the teaching of Vedanta and set up four centers entrusted with preservingand teaching Vedanta. He appeared like a fast burning meteorite streaking across thefirmament. In a short life of 32 years, he reinvigorated and restored the faith of the peoplein the perennial teachings of Vedanta.

These teachings are universal in their appeal and in their application. They have providedthe anchor that enabled India to maintain an unbroken inner tradition stretching fromprehistoric times to the present. The teachings are as relevant today as when they firstemerged in human consciousness, appealing to the individual to awaken to a higher lifethat lies dormant within each person. Each person glimpses this higher life fleetingly atrandom times, but forgets these awakenings and settles for a life of quiet desperation asmentioned by Thoreau. Vedanta reminds us of the source of our awakenings and shows usthat the higher life is our birthright. By means of a subtle, inner, subjective journey, wetrade the life of quiet desperation for inner peace and poise. The journey, spoken of bythe Sages, has no outer signposts, but Vedanta offers pointers at various stages along thisinner path that fuses the outer and the inner in an ever-unfolding present.

The following text oftmabodh (Self-Knowledge) was inspired by a previous translationby my teacher Swami Chinmayananda. He believed that the soil of the modern rationalmind, with its rigidly structured foundation, was prepared for a universal teaching. Scienceitself has found a need to transcend its own self-defined, logical categories and to acceptdemonstrable truths which are not logically consistent. Thus, based on experimentalmeasurements, light is accepted as both a waveform and as composed of particles, which,according to our present scientific understanding, is not possible. Mathematics has provento itself that knowledge will always extend beyond the realm of the logically provable. Inaddition, organized religions have found their dogmatic teachings questioned, with aresultant loss of teaching authority. In response to these seismic cracks in the publicworldview, many people seek refuge in fundamentalist beliefs.

tmabodh presents a worldview that complements the scientific findings and the religiousfaith of mankind by pointing the mind to the source of its own Reality. It speaks to theindividual where all issues finally meet. All human actions originate in the heart and mindof each person. tmabodh points ones awareness to that hidden source. The West hasnot consistently investigated or prized this exercise in self-awareness. tmabodh isunflinching in its teaching that one lives in a world of shadows cast by ones identificationswith the world of appearances. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify with the innerWitness of my thoughts and actions, and to disentangle myself from my identification withthese thoughts and actions. This self-awareness can lead to a profound realization that myfears and mental sufferings spring from my identification with my thoughts and emotions.In reality,Iam not these thoughts and emotions, Iam their Witness. This realization hasprofound consequences in ones life.tmabodh leads us to an awakening, a baptism into anew world of living, where ones old life, of slavery to the whims and fancies of the mind,withers away.

tmabodh draws its inspiration from a long tradition of enquiry into the Reality hidden bythe projected world of the senses, and with the use of aphorisms, evokes this Reality that

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is the essence of the Self6 within each person. It affirms the identity of the Self within eachperson and the Reality that lies hidden by the projected world of the senses. Whenaccepted as a potential, experiential fact, this central affirmation opens the heart to a newrelationship with the experiential world and a clear distinction between the inner Witnessand the experienced world.

This experienced world encompasses the phenomenal world of the senses, the sensateworld of the body, the world of the mind with its emotions, passions, attractions andrepulsions, and the world of the intellect with its memory, imagination, logic and searchfor meaning. In the tumult of everyday life, we forget our source in the Self so that theinner Witness becomes identified with the experienced world. Thus, the lower self7 is bornto enjoy and suffer in its self-concocted world.

The presentation oftmabodh in a poetic setting is typical of some Vedantic works, suchas the much longer text of theBhagavad Gita, whichhas more than seven hundred verses.The flexibility of the Sanskrit language enables each line in tmabodh to have the samenumber of beats. Traditionally, the text was chanted and committed to memory. Thus, it

became implanted in the subconscious mind, giving the conscious mind a wonderful poeticplayground within which to renew itself, again and again. The poetic rendering allows acertain non-conceptual knowledge to take root among the words of the conceptual ideas.The mind, drawn more and more to its inner playground, learns to become a witness to,but not a participant in, the swirling outer turmoil. This is the start of an inner pilgrimageto the shrine of the Self, and, paradoxically, an outer pilgrimage to a saner personal worldthan one ever thought possible.

tmabodh, being a Vedantic text, uses ideas and concepts taken from the Samkhyaphilosophical system. This philosophical system is one of the six orthodox systems ofIndian philosophy. Vedanta uses the Samkhya philosophy when describing the relative

world where knowledge is gained through the medium of the senses and the mind. Thisknowledge is referred to as relative knowledge (apara vidya), as opposed to absoluteknowledge (para vidya), which is Self-Knowledge8. The mind works with relativeknowledge, which is dualistic (dvaita), while Self-Knowledge is non-dualistic (advaita).With dualistic thinking, there are three entities involved, the subject (the knower), theobject (to be known), and the knowledge (of the object). However, these three entities arenever apart. Where there is an object, there is a subject who knows the object. Wherethere is knowledge, there is the object of knowledge and a subject or knower. One cannotseparate the knower, the known, and the knowledge (of the known). By following thisclue to its source, the Vedantic Sages found that the ground of these three entities is theSelf. When I awaken to the realization that I am the Self, the dualistic distinctionbetween the knower, the known, and the knowledge (of the known) vanishes like anillusion. The three entities remain but they are not recognized as separate entities. The

6 Self: The Essence or Reality immanent in each person that is identical with Brahman, the Reality behind thewhole universe.

7 Lower self: The inner subject that I identify with and feel that I am.

8 Self-Knowledge: The Knowledge of the Self that destroys Primal Ignorance and leads to liberation from allsuffering, opening the doors to unending Bliss.

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knower, the known and the knowledge are recognized as none other than the Self. Theworld of duality is subsumed by the world of non-duality.

Psychological fear has its roots in duality. As long as something is separate from me, Imay interpret it as a threat, and, thus, I am afraid. From fear spring the myriadpsychological afflictions (samsra9) of everyday life in a world of change and becoming.Non-duality vanquishes psychological fear by annulling duality at the psychological level.Where there is no other, where is there room for psychological fear?

Vedanta uses the concept of the embodied Self or lower self (jva10). The lower self is alimitation (updhi11), or illusory conditioning, imposed on the Self. The lower self lives ina world of duality and, thus, in a world of fear and attendant psychological afflictions. Thelower self is composed of three bodies: the gross body12 (sthula sharra), the subtle body13

(suksma sharra), and the causal body14(karana sharra).

The gross body is the physical body formed from the food eaten. At a deeper level, it iscomposed of the gross qualities of the five great elements, space (akasha), air (vayu), fire

(agni), water (apah), and earth (prithvi). The gross body occupies space, the breathingand respiratory system depend on air, the warmth of the body is akin to fire, and thephysical body is composed of water and the plants of the earth. The gross body is thevehicle within which the lower self experiences pleasure and pain. It is acquired as a resultof past actions and is subject to the six modifications (existence, birth, growth, maturity,decay, and death).

Composed of the subtle form of the five great elements, the subtle body is a subtle formthat gives life to the gross body, to all the physiological systems, and to the organs ofaction and perception. The subtle body is the instrument of experiences, while the grossbody is the vehicle of experience. This is akin to electricity, which activates an electric

motor. The electric motor is the vehicle; the electricity is the instrument through which theelectric motor does useful work. The subtle body is the result of past deeds. When itdeparts, the gross body dies.

The causal body is the cause of the existence of the gross and subtle bodies and isassociated with a state of inexplicable Primal Ignorance15 (of the Self). In deep sleep, a

9 Samsra: The relative world experienced through the senses. The world of change and becoming, the phenomenalworld.

10 Jva: The individual self, which is none other than the Self, illusorily conditioned by the body, mind and intellect.

11 Updhi: A spurious limitation or superimposition imposed upon the Self, through Primal Ignorance.

12 Gross body: The physical body that originated from the food eaten by the parents and is sustained by food.13 Subtle body: The entity that animates the gross body and underlies the individuals unique experience and

personality.

14 Causal Body: The seed form of Primal Ignorance, which is the cause of the gross and subtle bodies. In deep sleep,the lower self is identified with the causal body.

15 Primal Ignorance: The existential, indescribable ignorance that gives rise to My (Primal Delusion), which hidesthe Self and gives rise to the whole phenomenal world

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person identifies with the causal body and, thus, is ignorant of both the subtle and grossbodies. Being ignorant of the gross and subtle bodies, which are the cause of the sense ofduality, the deep sleeper is free from duality or division. Thus, the deep sleeperexperiences a happiness or bliss due to being free from identification with the body and themind. Yet, the deep sleeper resides in a state of nothingness or unknowing and, beingIgnorant of the Self, cannot experience the full Bliss of the Self. On awakening from deepsleep a person identifies again with the constrictions of the subtle and gross bodies, andbecomes aware of a lingering happiness or bliss from the deep sleep state. Self-Knowledgedestroys the state of Primal Ignorance that gave rise to the causal, subtle, and grossbodies, and ends the cycle of rebirth.

A seeker of liberation16 (moksha) needs to sharpen the intellect (buddhi) by distinguishing(viveka) between the eternal (nitya), or Self, and the ephemeral (anitya), or lower self.Brahman17, alone, is eternal; all else is bound by time. Brahman is the foundation ofeverything and the Reality behind all manifestations. Brahman is identical with the Self(Atman).

One of the aims of the present translation oftmabodh has been to present it in a compactform that reflects some of the poetic beauty of the original. The original Sanskrit text is amarvel of brevity, in which compactness of form and beauty of expression are paramount,and in these respects, the original text has an austere beauty of its own. If one approachesit as a student approaches a beloved teacher, it will help to elevate the mind. However, tosense its more subtle suggestions, a study of the Vedanta Philosophy is recommended.This study should be pursued, if possible, under the guidance of a person who is a livingexample of the teachings and should be accompanied by an intense, inner, subjectiveanalysis. A sincere effort to live in harmony with the Self, the ground of ones being andthe psychic life, will reap a harvest of inner blessings. Then the full import oftmabodhwill reveal itself. If this translation succeeds in any way, it is due to the intuitions inspired

by my teacher and friend, Swami Chinmayananda.

To labor in search of the SelfIs to live alreadyIn the land of the free,While struggling courageously on.

Absorbing the Essential Message oftmabodh

This section presents a translation and a short commentary on each of the verses of the

Sanskrit texttmabodh (Self-Knowledge). It is a text that is studied at the beginning of aVedantic training. In a traditional setting, the teacher comments on each verse in turn.tmabodh was also chanted daily and in so doing, parts of it were slowly committed tomemory. The student also chanted portions to prepare for meditation.

16 Liberation: The state of complete peace and freedom leading to endless bliss, and the culmination of the path ofSelf-Knowledge.

17 Brahman: The ultimate reality that is identical with the Self.

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A traditional training in Vedanta follows a logical process:

1) Listening to and studying a series of Vedantic texts with a teacher.2) Ruminating on the themes of the texts and resolving any doubts by questioning the

teacher.3) Constantly meditating on the teachings, as doubts are resolved.

This process gradually leads to the removal of all existential doubts, and the seekersmind, like the sphinx in the desert, looks out, unruffled by the broiling sea of humanaffairs. With this inner equilibrium as a base, the mind is now free to open itself to thedeepest insights of Vedanta.

A modern seeker without a Teacher can attempt to follow the traditional process as far aspossible. Read tmabodh slowly at least once. Read each verse, including thecommentary, and quietly consider its meaning and its import for you. Let it speak to youat a profound level and savor its deep message. Ask yourself if, at some level, within you,

you can give your assent to it. If not, proceed to the next verse, but continue to ruminateupon the prior verse. Return to this verse later and read it again, pondering its deeperimplications and remembering that although words by their nature are limiting they canunlock the door to the infinite. In time, as your ability to distinguish between ever moresubtle shades of meaning grows, you will invoke a deeper wisdom within, which willencompass the subtle import of the verse.

Continue as long as it takes until you have embraced each verse oftmabodh. Let yourmind ponder the underlying themes oftmabodh in your quieter moments. Return to readthe verses when your mind needs a refreshing rest from the stresses of worldly living. Atthe time of meditation, let the mantle of Self-Knowledge descend upon you. Slowly read a

few verses oftmabodh, savoring each word as your mind settles down, calmed by thegreat themes of the Self. Slip into meditation, enfolded by the Self, to awaken to theReality of the Self.

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Invocation

At dawn, I rememberthe Reality of the Selfexperienced within the cave of the heart,of the nature of Being-Consciousness-Bliss.The supreme state of peerless clarity.The ultimate plane of Consciousnessthat eternally illuminesthe worlds of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.Iam that part-less Brahman,not this assemblage of becomings.

This invocation is a remembering, from deep within, of the immediate experience of theSelf in meditation. Any experience of the Reality of the Self differs from other experienceswhich are indirect, mediated and other than the Self. This brush with Reality pierces thecleavage of duality upon which the world of phenomena is projected. Never again canduality have complete power over the mind.

The waves of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep emerge from the ocean of that Reality.Inexplicably, I experience myself as that Reality, and this world of phenomena is but ashadow on the screen of Reality. When I meditate and the mind slows down, the Realityof the Self rises to replace the flickering world of phenomena.

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tmabodh Translation and Commentary

Welcome to a treatise on Self-Knowledge.

1

This treatise of Self-Knowledge isfor those seekers of liberationwho have purified the mind by disciplinesand are peaceful and free from cravings.

This treatise of Self-Knowledge is for those individuals who have committed themselvesto the search for inner freedom and those who are open to the idea of a discipline thatleads to complete inner freedom. We are bound by inner fetters that constrain us moresecurely than outer constraints ever can. These inner fetters are invisible to the outer eye,

but are visible to the eye-of-awareness. When the light of awareness brings these innerlimitations to the notice of the conscious mind, the search for inner freedom can begin.The disciplines of Vedanta purify the mind of extraneous disturbances and help to openthe eye-of-awareness. Such a mind is a haven of peace that removes cravings as lightabolishes darkness.

Self-Knowledge leads directly to liberation.

2

Just as fire is essential for cooking,so Self-Knowledge is necessary for liberation.Indeed, compared with other spiritual practices,Self-Knowledge is the direct path to liberation.

The search for inner freedom reaches its resolution in the Self-Knowledge that is both thepath and the ultimate goal. Self-Knowledge is independent of the spiritual traditionfollowed and is the essence of all inner traditions. In cooking bread, fire is the immaterialbut essential ingredient that transforms inedible dough into the edible bread. Just so, asSelf-Knowledge arises, the mental gaze turns from the outer world of objects to the innerworld of Reality that Iam. All spiritual disciplines are finally efficacious to the extent that

they lead to Self-Knowledge. Inner disciplines lie fallow until seeded with Self-Knowledge, and the burgeoning sprouts overpower the remaining weeds of self-importance. Self-Knowledge is the essential discipline that destroys Primal Ignorance18 andleads to complete liberation.

18 Primal Ignorance: The indescribable, beginningless ignorance that gives rise to My(Primal Delusion) and the lower self. Primal Ignorance hides the Self and is destroyed bySelf-Knowledge.

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Can action destroy Primal Ignorance?

3

Self-Knowledge destroysPrimal Ignorance of our true nature,just as light vanquishes darkness.Yet action cannot destroy this Primal Ignorancebecause action is not opposed to it.

All actions, mental and physical, are finite acts that lead to finite results at the mental orphysical level. Can any finite act lead to Self-Knowledge and complete inner freedom?Vedanta answers the question in the negative. A finite act, no matter how intricate orcompelling, cannot destroy Primal Ignorance, which is beginningless. As knowledgedestroys ignorance, so Self-Knowledge destroys Self-Ignorance or Primal Ignorance.Vedanta is a compendium of teachings in the inner knowledge tradition, which whenpracticed and embraced leads to Self-Knowledge.

Due to Primal Ignorance, the Self appears finite.

4

Because of Primal IgnoranceThe Self appears finite.

When Primal ignorance is destroyed,the undivided, pure Selfreveals Itself,like the sun when clouds pass away.

Each individual has the common experience of feeling limited and finite. Indeed, at thelevel of the mind and body, each individual is limited and finite. However, Iam not mymind or my body;Iam The Self without which there could be no mind or body.

The clouds gather and hide the sun and clothe the sky in a dreary dullness; later the windscatters the clouds and the sun reveals itself. Primal Ignorance hides the Self and clothes

me in a mind and a body and I think that I am my mind and my body. Later, Self-Knowledge arises and disperses the darkness of Primal Ignorance and the Self revealsItself. Then I discover myself as none other than the Self, identical with the Supreme Self.

Purify the lower self and Self-Knowledge arises.

5

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Constant practice of inner, subjective discernmentpurifies the lower selfthat is stained by Primal Ignorance.When Self-Knowledge arises,inner discernment ceases by itself,just as Kataka nut powder,sinking down through muddy water,cleanses it.

The mind automatically distinguishes among the myriad sense perceptions. Intelligence isbased upon this ability to discern ever more subtle categories. Inner, subjectivediscernment, between the Self and the not-Self19, lies at the heart of the spiritual disciplineleading to Self-Knowledge. Perceptions, feelings and emotions perturb the conditionedmind and hold it in a dualistic trance. Inner discernment allows the mind to interrupt thisdeadening trance and to identify with the Witness of the perceptions, feelings and

emotions. When the mind becomes the non-attached Witness of the inner world, oneawakens to Self-Knowledge. Thus, conscious inner discernment, having accomplished itsmission and being no longer necessary, ceases by itself. This is like Kataka nut powderused in India to cleanse dirty water. Sprinkle the powder on the water surface in a jar andit sinks to the bottom, taking the dirt with it. Having completed the cleansing process, itrests on the bottom.

The world seems Real, but relative to the Self, it is unReal.

6

The world,full of attachments and aversions,is like a dreamthat appears to be Real while it lasts.On waking up to Self-Knowledge,this world appears unReal.

Sense objects act as poles of attraction and aversion, pulling the conditioned mind hitherand thither in its frenzied search for fulfillment in the sense world. The conditioned mind

responds to sense objects according to where they lie along the gradient from attraction toaversion. These sense objects seem to be Real20, exerting a mesmerizing and confusingpower over the conditioned mind. Yet sense objects in themselves are powerless. Theconditioned mind, dominated by Primal Ignorance, invests them with power. In bestowing

19 Not-Self: Whatever can be experienced or known through the mind, intellect or imagination. The Self is theReality without which the not-Self could not manifest.

20 Real: That which remains unchanged during the past, present and future.

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this power upon the sense objects, the conditioned mind loses its inner integrity, degradesits ability to discern, and becomes a slave of the not-Self. When Self-Knowledge arisessense objects lose their power over the conditioned mind; to the awakened mind, theyseem unReal21, like objects in a dream.

When does the world cease appearing Real?

7

If you do not know Brahmanas the underlying Realityin all things,the world appears Real,like the illusion of silver in mother-of-pearl.

The world as experienced at the physical, mental and intellectual levels appears Real to theconditioned mind. The sense stimuli seem to corroborate the reality of the perceived worldwhereas, in reality, the perceived world is a result of the sense stimuli. This is thecondition of a mind that takes the world as Real and searches for happiness in it, but iseasily deceived even at the level of the seemingly objective, acute sense of sight. Thesheen in the mother-of-pearl is mistaken for silver. The conditioned mind projects theillusory silver onto the non-metallic substrate in the mother-of-pearl, taking the illusion asReal. At night, a white sheet on the clothesline billowing in the breeze may be mistaken fora phantom or a ghost. Similarly, the conditioned mind, ignorant of Brahman, takes theever-changing, ever-elusive world of the senses as Real. This cycle is broken whenBrahman is recognized as the non-dual ground of the world of the senses.

The universe is as transient as a bubble.

8

In the Supreme Self,the foundation and support of all things,worlds arise, exist,dissolve and pass away,like bubbles in the ocean.

The world seems to be solid, permanent and Real, but astronomy reveals the constant rise,evolution and destruction of galaxies. The universe presents the spectacle of an ever-changing profusion of forms. Nothing remains constant; all things are in a continualprocess of change. Creation and destruction are nothing but changes of form. Thebiological cell, the organ, the human body, a house, a mountain, a star, each rises into

21 UnReal: That which changes with the passage of time.

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form, manifests for a time and eventually returns to a more elemental state. In a largersense, the whole universe arises from, exists in and dissolves back into the Supreme Self.Yet the Supreme Self remains unaffected, like the ocean, remaining unchanged whilebubbles arise, exist, dissolve and pass away. The Supreme Self is the foundation on whichall forms manifest.

The phenomenal world is a projection on the Self.

9

Just as different ornamentsare formed from gold,so the manifested universe in all its diversityis a projection on the eternal, all-pervading Self,of the nature of Being-Consciousness.

The mind perceives forms and objectifies them. From the one mass of gold, various formsemerge as ornaments. Yet the substance of the gold has not changed. The mind perceivesthese forms and assigns a reality to each. In time, the ornaments are melted to formanother ingot of gold. Forms arise from the gold ingot, persist for a time and merge backinto it. So, too, the whole universe of forms perceived by the mind is projected on the all-pervading Self, persists for a time, and returns to the Source whence it arose.

The Self is non-dual but appears divided because of unRealfactors.

10

Like space, the omnipresent Self,associated with limited conditionings,appears divided.On the removal of the limiting factors,the Self shines alone.

Space is an unbounded medium in which everything exists. Stars and planets move

continually within space. An object seems to occupy space; when the object is removed,space replaces it. Space appears divided into parts due to the presence of objects (thekitchen space, the dining room space, the hall space, etc.), but space remains unaffected bythe temporary presence of objects and phenomena. Without space, there could be noobjects; space remains when objects are gone.

Similarly, the Self, the Reality behind all disparate phenomena, appears to be divided intoparts when the limited mind perceives It as the pluralistic world. In the depths of

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meditation, the Self is seen as That from which these parts emerged, but which Itself isundifferentiated and undivided. On the rise of Self-Knowledge the pluralistic world is seenas none other than the Self.

Delusion imposes illusory differences on the Self.

11

Just as taste and color are ascribed to waterso such different life conditioningsas birth, race and circumstanceare projected onto the Self.

The Self has no qualities. Due to delusion caused by Primal Ignorance, the conditionedmind feels separate from the Self and, in this delusion, conjures up a separate reality ofvarious forms and qualities. The conditioned mind, ensconced in a body, assumes thequalities of the body as its own qualities. Thus the Self, the Reality behind the conditionedmind, has the qualities of mind and body projected on it, just as taste and color areascribed to water due to impurities in it.

Three conditionings are imposed on the Self: the gross, subtleand causal bodies. The first conditioning is the gross body.

12

The gross bodyis the mediumfor experiencing pleasure and pain.Formed by the admixtureof the five great elements,the gross body is fashioned by ones past actions.

We are lodged in a physical body and spend a lifetime bound by its limitations. This bodymediates all the pleasures and pains of life. Just as our past actions and their mentalimprints lead us to choose the house we live in, so, too, our past actions fashion ourcurrent physical body. When the body dies, it disintegrates and returns to the five great

elements from which it came: space, air, fire, water and earth. At death, the body rapidlyloses heat (fire). It slowly releases gases (air) into the atmosphere and as the liquids(water) separate out, the body returns to the earth, releasing the space that it onceoccupied.

The mutable body, formed by the cumulative effects of past mental and physical actions, isa temporary vehicle in which each person charts a course, however tortured it may be,towards the inevitable awakening to Self-Knowledge. On recognizing this truth, a person

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naturally uses the body to prepare for this inner awakening. Thus, our present mental andphysical actions lay the groundwork for our future inner evolution. The disciplines ofVedanta are a guide to the ultimate goal of Self-Knowledge.

The subtle body: the second conditioning.

13

The subtle body,the instrument of experiences,is the life-force, mind and intellect,including the organs of action and the senses.The subtle body is formedfrom the subtle elements.

The life force (Prana) is manifested in five different life activities named as follows: (1)Prana energizes the mind to perceive through the sense organs and directs the life force inthe body. (2)Apana energizes the excretory system to rid the body of toxins. (3) Vyana isactive in the digestive system preparing the ingested food to be assimilated. (4) Samanadistributes the nutrients in the food as needed by the organs. (5) Udana activates thecapacity for new knowledge. Thus, the life force generates all the activities of life in thebody, just as electricity from a power station lights and heats the homes in a city and isnamed differently, as light in a bulb or as heat in an electric heater.

The human body needs the life force to produce meaningful thought and action. The lifeforce activates the various energy systems in the body and energizes the sense organs,

organs of action (speech, hands, legs, the anus and the genital organ), and mind andintellect. Fashioned from the subtle form of the five great elements (space, air, fire, waterand earth), the subtle body is the life force energizing the mind and intellect to perceivethrough the senses organs, and to act through the organs of action.

The subtle body is the instrument through which the lower self experiences the world ofsense objects. It operates from within the confines of the gross body.

The causal body; the third conditioning.

14

The causal body isbeginningless, indescribable Primal Ignorance.Know that the Selfis other thanthe gross, subtle or causal bodies.

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Through the causal body, Primal Ignorance manifests as an individual human being22byprojecting the illusion of the gross and subtle bodies onto the Self. Although the act ofconception initiates the manifestation of the physical body, it is merely the final act in achain of events stretching back into unknown time. Science tells us that the Big Bang, avast, primal explosion, is the origin of the universe. Through successive stages of gaseousmatter, supernovae, galaxies, and stars and planets, the universe has evolved to its presentstate. The planet earth supported the evolution of life forms, culminating in the conceptionof animals and human beings. Thus, even at the purely physical level, conception is not theautonomous act that creates the human being; it is but a link in the chain of cause-and-effect stretching back into endless time and culminating in the present moment.

Time is a concept of the conditioned mind and Primal Ignorance is the cause of the mind.Thus, Primal Ignorance is independent of time and is beginningless. Since PrimalIgnorance is the cause of the mind, and concepts are a product of the mind, PrimalIgnorance is prior to and indescribable by mental concepts. The causal body cannot beunderstood by the conditioned mind but can be surmounted by awakening to Self-Knowledge, just as darkness is banished by the appearance of light.

The Self is other than the gross, subtle, or causal bodies.

Identification with the not-Self clouds awareness of the Self.

15

By identificationwith the five sheaths,the spotless Self

is experienced as identical with them,like a blue clothwhich lends its color to a nearby crystal.

Just as an onion is wrapped in concentric layers, so the Self is encased in the five sheaths(kosa, see glossary): the food, vital-air, mental, intellectual and the bliss sheaths. Duringthe brief interlude between birth and death, the question Who am I? rarely surfaces inthe conscious mind. Yet, at the subconscious level, my identity is intertwined with fivelayers of my personality. I am carried along by my reactions to the distracting phenomenaof daily living and take myself to be the finite, vulnerable entity of the five sheaths. Thesesheaths seem so close to me that I identify myself with them, just as the perfectlytransparent crystal borrows the color of a nearby cloth. The Self that Iam is forgotten. Itake myself to be the body and the amorphous set of sensations, feelings, emotions,concepts and imaginations thrown up by the food, vital-air, mental, intellectual and blisssheaths.

22 Jva: The individual self, which is none other than the Self, illusorily conditioned by thebody, mind and intellect.

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By distinguishing between the Self and the not-Self, find the Selfat the core of the five sheaths.

16

By subtle, inner discernment,we distinguishbetween the pure, inner Selfand the five outer sheaths,just as rice is separated from the husksby threshing.

I experience myself pulled in different directions. My senses run after sense objects:colors, sounds, an arresting fragrance, a silken touch, or a heavenly taste. My mindfollows the senses as the hound follows the fox. My feelings are pulled hither and yon withlikes and dislikes, attachments and fears. By identifying with the sheaths: body, vital-air,

mental, intellectual and bliss sheaths, I abandon the anchor of the Self and find myselfprey to the sharks of desire, fear and anger.

By assiduous cultivation of an inner, discerning awareness clothed in a spirit of calmdetachment, I begin to recognize the debilitating nature of these distractions. I also realizethat each distraction can be traced back to its source in one of the sheaths. By subtle, innerdiscernment, I begin to peel back the sheaths, one by one, to reveal the ever-increasingpresence of Self.

Yet, the sheaths have deep roots in the mind and can only be peeled back as the subtlepractice of discernment weakens the bonds of identification with them. This isaccomplished by discerning the differences between the Self and the myriad parts of thenot-Self: the sensations of the body; the movements of energy in the physiological system;the emotions, desires, and fears of the mind; the logic, ideas and imaginations of theintellect; and even the joy and happiness of the bliss sheath. As the practice of discernmentbecomes established, the presence of Self becomes more abiding and one finds anincreasing tranquility of peace in the Self.

A clear intellect reflects the Self.

17

The Self is all pervadingbut does not appear everywhere.The Self only appearsin the purified intellect,like a reflection in a clear mirror.

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Only a highly reflective surface shows my bodys reflection. Just so, a seeker finds that theSelf is an elusive quarry, even though Self is said to be all-pervading. In fact, the Self ispresent in the cognition of objects though the conditioned mind does not register thistruth. The Consciousness of the Self reflected in the mind and intellect gives rise to humanconsciousness leading to cognition and knowledge. The intellect, schooled in objectiveinquiry, looks outward, missing the Self, the innermost Ground of all things. When theintellect drops its attachment to external entities and turns inward, entering the sacredrealm of devotion to the Self, the purified intellect rises above the dry bones of objectivity.As one leaves behind all traces of attachment to objective distinctions, one finds the Self inthe innermost regions always there beyond all distinctions reflected in the purifiedintellect.

The Self is other than the body, senses, mind and intellect.

18

The Self is set apartlike a King,from the body, senses, mind and intellectthat constitute the workings of nature.The Self is the Witnessof their functions.

The King in his court is set apart from his courtiers, both psychologically and socially, yet,at the same time, he is a witness to their activities. The mere presence of the Kingenergizes and confers legitimacy on the court. Similarly, the Self, by its mere presence,

animates the body, senses, mind and intellect, yet remains always distinct from them.Enfolded in the garments of nature, the Self appears to be the lower self, which knowsonly the workings of nature and is thus ignorant of its source in the Self. From within thisexperienced universe there is no escape for the lower self, as long as the individualidentifies with nature in all its multitudinous variety. By identifying with the Witness of myactions (physical and mental), I am identifying with That which lies beyond the realm ofnature, and That is the Self.

The mind and senses are active, but the Self is the immutableground of all action.

19

As the moon appears to be movingwhen clouds pass across the sky,so, for those lacking in discernment,the Self appears to be activewhen the sense-organs are functioning.

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Perceptions can easily deceive the mind. On a moonlit night when clouds race across thesky, the moon is perceived to be moving due to a perceptual illusion. At a deeper level,when an individual is awake and the sense organs are active, she sees the phenomenalworld and believes it is Real, thus attributing the perceptual activity to the Self, when it ismerely the mind that is active. When perceived by the sense organs and mind the Selfappears to be active, but this is an illusion. When the mental agitations have ceased, aseeker realizes the Self as the foundation upon which the moving world of phenomena isprojected. The Self alone is Real; the sense world is unReal23, a world of form forged inthe expanding, space-time continuum.

The mind mediates all knowledge before it is accepted, but the mind is fallible, acceptingas true that which is false, and that which is false as true. Yet the mind is the final arbiterof truth for the lower self. No wonder, then, that the Self that is Truth Itself is taken asillusory, and nature that is illusory is accepted as true.

Because of the Self, the body, senses, mind and intellect arealive.

20

The body, senses, mind and intellectdepend on the Consciousness of the Selfto function.Likewise, men act,sustained by the energy of the sun.

All life on the earths surface depends on the suns energy. Without the daily input of solarenergy, the earth would revert to a lifeless state. Each of the myriad plants and animalsdraws its energy from the sun, and each engages in its own unique activities. The sunsupplies light and energy freely to all, yet remains unaffected by their activities.

Just so, the body, senses, mind and intellect function in their unique ways, each activatedby the mere presence of the Self. The actions of the body, the sensations of the senses, thefeelings of the mind, and the thoughts of the intellect depend on the blessing of the Self,which flows freely like the rays of the sun. Yet the Self remains undisturbed by theseeffects: the rise and fall of emotion and the resulting joys and sorrows.

Although the mind erroneously assigns qualities, the Self iswithout any qualities whatsoever.

21

23 UnReal: That which changes with the passage of time.

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Just as the sky seems blue,so the person lacking in discernmentprojects the qualities of the body and senseson the stainless Self,whose nature is Being-Consciousness.

The ball of matter that is the earth glides endlessly through space. The thin band ofatmosphere that we call the sky hugs the earth closely. This formless, colorless sky, caughtin the glow of the suns rays, appears to have color and form.

Just so, the Self, viewed in the minds distorted prism, seems to partake of the qualities ofthe body and the senses. The Self, which cannot be conceived by the mind or perceived bythe senses, cannot have such qualities. The conditioned mind, infused with the disorientingflux generated by the lower self, mistakes the body and the senses for the Self and assignstheir qualities to the Self. This is, in essence, Primal Ignorance.

The Self, being the mirror in which I-ness is reflected, has nosense of agency.

22

Due to Ignorance,agitations on the waters surfaceare transferredto the moon reflected in it.

So, the agency of action and enjoyment,originating in the mind,is attributed to the Selfbecause of Primal Ignorance.

The sense of being the agent of action or enjoyment is a hidden component of theconditioned mind. Yet the sense of agency is an illusion. Action is merely action. Howeverthe illusory ego projects itself as agent but is only part of the passing scenery. Thisconfusion draws the ego deeper into the morass of egotism and folly and binds it morefully to the manifested world. From this vantage point, the Self is nowhere to be found.

Only by shifting our attention from the body, senses, mind and intellect back to theirsource, do we find the Self. There is no point in looking in a bucket of water to find themoon. To see the moon as it really is, we must shift our gaze from the delusory reflectionson the waters surface and look directly at the moon.

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Attachment, desire, pleasure and suffering are not found in theSelf.

23

Attachment, desire, pleasure and sufferingarise while the mind is functioning.On the minds suspension in deep sleep,they are absent,being of the mind and not of the Self.

Attachment, desire, pleasure and suffering seem so real. They are among the greatinstigators of the psychic life of the conditioned mind. They arise in the conditioned mindwhen the world of phenomena is filtered through the lens of the subconscious impressions.While the mind is functioning in the waking or dream states these phantoms, camouflaged

in the garb of emotions and thoughts, cast their spell by distracting the mind from the Self.They draw the mind into a vortex of illusion. As the conditioned mind subsides in deepsleep, these phantoms of the mind fade from the screen of awareness, being mere productsof the mind, while the Self remains unaffected.

What is the nature of the Self?

24

Just as the nature of the sunis brightness;of water, coolness;and of fire, heat;so the nature of the Selfis timelessness, purity,Being-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.

The conditioned mind naturally identifies the salient qualities in each thing it surveys,categorizing and organizing our store of knowledge. Similarly, the mind tries tounderstand the Self, yet the Self is timeless and cannot be understood in terms of the

world of phenomena. The Self is pure in that It is unaffected in any way by theimperfections or qualifications of the phenomenal world.

The Self is beyond the reach of qualities, yet Vedanta supplies the mind with theexperientially based terms, Being-Consciousness-Bliss (sat-chit-ananda). Theconditioned mind needs these reminders to learn to leap beyond itself to the limitless worldof Self. In coming to grips with these terms, the mind eventually abandons the attempt tocatch the Self in the net of qualities.

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The mental concept I know is a product of the lower self.

25

Through lack ofinner, subjective discernment,the thought forms of the intellectand the Being-Consciousness-Essenceof the Selfblend and produce"I know."

Among the sentient life on earth, the human being generates the startling belief, I know.Vedanta postulates that the Being-Consciousness essence of the Self, reflected in thethoughts in the intellect, gives rise to this assertion due to the lack of discernment. Thus, amischievous belief launches the lower self into the world of names and forms and leads tothe delusion of a separate entity, the lower self as subject distinct from objects. This is theprime agent of Primal Ignorance, around which adhere all the mental constructs of duality.Primal Ignorance ushers the lower self into the world of difference, leading toestrangement and suffering.

The delusion of the lower self.

26

The Selfis not subject to change,and the intellect by itselflacks Consciousness,but the lower selfembraces delusion,thinking,"I am the knower, I am the seer."

The Self is the ground upon which change takes place and is not subject to change. Thelight of Consciousness imbues the intellect with the attributes of knowing, comprehending,

and willing. Without the light of Consciousness the intellect reverts to the state ofinsentient matter. The lower self, arising from the reflection of Consciousness in theconditioned mind, assumes the mantle of knower and seer of the sense world ofphenomena. Yet all phenomena are nothing but waves in the ocean of the Self, and thewaves are nothing but the ocean. When the lower self realizes that the knower and theseer are none other than the Self in disguise, Self-Knowledge arises.

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Fear and fearlessness.

27

Fear overcomes a person

who mistakes a rope for a snake,or the higher Self for the lower self.Fearlessness is re-establishedby Knowing,"Iam not the lower self,Iam the higher Self."

The root of fear is Primal Ignorance. When I am ignorant of a rope in the grass at dusk,my mind projects a snake on the rope and I shrink back in fear. I apparently see the snakein all its imagined detail; a host of reactive thoughts races through my mind. How can Iescape? Will the snake bite me? Will I die? The snake, which in reality does not exist,

nevertheless strikes fear into my heart. Thus, an unreal snake engenders real fear in me.Primal Ignorance conceals the Self from me; consequently, my mind projects the illusionsof the lower self and the sense world in place of the Self. The lower self requires thewhole sense world to provide a field for its activities. All my fears stem from taking thesesensory illusions of the lower self to be Real. Destroy Primal Ignorance and recognize thelower self as nothing but a phantom of the mind. Fear now has no basis.

The mind draws its sentience from the Self.

28

As a lamp illuminatesobjects in a room,so the Self illuminatesthe mind and sense-organs,which are inert matterand cannot illuminate themselves.

The spark of life in a human being manifests through the intellect, mind and sense organsand illuminates all the affairs of life, whether good, bad or indifferent, just as a lamp in aroom illuminates all the activities, whether joyful or sorrowful. This spark of life is a

reflection of the Consciousness of the Self in the intellect, mind and sense organs, which,in themselves, are merely forms of matter. At the death of an individual, these facultiesrevert to being nothing but insentient matter.

Objects in themselves are not self-illuminating, but require a light to illuminate them.Similarly, the intellect, mind, and sense organs in themselves are insentient matter. Theydraw their spark of life from the Self, from which all life flows.

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The Self illuminates Itself.

29

Just as a lamp

has no needof another lamp to illuminate it,so the Self,whose nature is Knowledge,has no needof another knowledge to know Itself.

In the outer world of the senses, light is the medium that enables objects to be perceived.However, when the normally extroverted mind turns inwards, another light is needed toilluminate all our experiences. This light is none other than the Consciousness of the Self

reflected in the inner world of the mind. The mind is thus redirected from the outer worldof phenomena to the inner world of ever more subtle discernment, between the Self andthe not-Self. When the inner world of the mind subsides in the fuller awareness of deepmeditation, the light of Self-Knowledge shines out of the fullness of the non-dual Self.

The Self in you is identical with the Self in all.

30

By negatingall identification with outer conditionings

using the Upanishadic directive,"It is not this. It is not this."realize that the Self in each personand the Supreme Self are identical,as indicated by the Great Sayings.

There are four Great Sayings (Maha-Vakyas) from the Vedic scriptures: (1) PureConsciousness is Brahman, (Pragnanam Brahma); (2) That Thou art (Tat-tvam-asi);(3) This Self is Brahman (Ayam Atma Brahma); and (4) I am Brahman (AhamBrahmasmi). When correctly understood, these striking assertions affirm that theindividual self and the Supreme Reality, however conceived, are identical. Brahman is the

ground of both. The perceived world of duality is none other than the non-dual Brahman.This meaning is found by divesting the terms Thou, That, lower self, Supreme Being,Self, and not-Self of the meanings projected upon them by the mind.

The methodology of awakening to Self-Knowledge presented in this verse is one ofnegating the illusory conditionings projected on Reality by the conditioned mind. At anexistential level, the mind must come to know that the Self cannot be identified with anyentity. We realize this by continually watching the minds activities. The mind, like a bee in

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search of pollen, alights on one object after another, searching among the objects of sensefor the Bliss that is the Self. Each time the mind alights, remember the great injunction, Itis not this, and interrupt the stultifying trance of the mind. The mind at last learns toexist, like an albatross in its long flight, floating above all phenomena, and suspended in asilence of the senses. In that suspension, the mind comes to know that the Self cannot befound in the passing panorama of the sense world. Slowly, the mental gaze can be turnedaway from the world of phenomena to the source of the Self, to awaken to the knowledgethat the Self in each person is identical to the Supreme Self.

Realize Brahman by dropping all ephemeral conditionings.

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The gross, subtle and causal bodies,being objects perceived,are perishable like bubbles.

By subtle discernment realize:"Iam the unsullied Brahman,ever separate from these."

Primal Ignorance engenders the perception of the food, vital-air, mental, intellectual andbliss sheaths and the gross, subtle and causal bodies. Yet whatever is perceived is asperishable as the thoughts in the mind or the bubbles in the ocean. In the rush of mentalactivity, perceptual entities dominate the landscape with their apparent reality andobjectivity. The conditioned mind is impressed with the apparently causal nature of theobjective world. We forget our source in the Self and settle for a life lived in the shadowsof mortality, fear and grief, relieved with random bursts of joy.

The Self, being identified with the gross-body, apparently becomes the lower self in thewaking state; being identified with the subtle-body, becomes the dreamer in the dreamstate; being identified with the causal body, becomes the deep-sleeper in the deep sleepstate. Yet, the Self merely illuminates these three states of consciousness and like the sunremains ever independent and free. It is the lower self that becomes embroiled in the dailyround of waking and dream activities and loses consciousness in the deep-sleep state. TheSelf is the Witness of these states. As the Upanishads never tire of reminding us, IamBrahman, ever separate from these ephemeral attachments.

The whole world perceived by the senses is a mere projection on

Reality. The following six verses present a mental process thatcan establish this conceptual understanding as existentialknowledge, leading to an awakening to the Reality of Brahman.

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Being other than the body,

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Iam not subject tobirth, disease, senility or death.Having no sense-organs,Ihave no contact with sense objects,such as sound, taste, touch or sight.

Attachment to my own embodiment in flesh and bones brings me a little joy and a torrentof sorrows. Could I but dispense with this attachment, a flood of awakening woulddescend upon me. Iam not this body, thus I suffer none of the afflictions of the body.When the umbilical cord of attachment to the body is snapped, the qualities of disease,senility and death follow the body, being inherent in it, while Iremain free in the fullnessof Self. Bound inextricably to the body, the sense organs also depart with the body. Beingthus unattached to the objects of the senses of sound, taste, touch, or sight, Iexist beyondthe body and sense organs, ever free, ever the endless Source of all.

The Self is not subject to mental or physical constraints.

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Being other than the mindIam free fromsorrow, attachment, aversion and fear.The Upanishads teach thatthe Self is pure,without breath or mind.

The mind is with me during my waking hours, moderating all sensory experience. Myinner experience is also a product of the mind, yet Iam not the mind.Iam the Witness ofthe mind. However, because I feel that I am the lower self, I inherit the sorrows,attachments, aversions and fears of the lower self.I, who am the Self, being other than themind, am free of all mental debilities, such as sorrow, attachment, aversion or fear.

The Upanishads aim to pierce the shell of this mental fixation by ceaselessly reminding usthat the Self is ever untouched by phenomena. As an individual, my body depends onbreath and my mind is limited in understanding. When the minds fixation with the senseworld is negated by discernment, I am none other than the Self that is independent ofbreath and mind.

The Self is free of all qualities.

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Iam changeless,without attributes or form,unsullied, free of doubt or agitations.

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Without actions amI,ever free, pure, eternal.

Matter has myriad attributes and is the substance of the world of the senses. The Self thatIam is without attributes, It is the foundation without which matter could not manifest.The sense world is full of changing forms and actions; Iam changeless, without form oractions. The mental world is full of doubts and agitations; Iam unsullied, without doubtsor agitations. I may feel bound, inwardly tainted and mortal; I am ever free, pure andeternal.

This verse offers a glimpse of the Self in words and ideas, yet we must allow the mind togo beyond the import of words, which by their nature are limiting. However, in the searchfor the Self, the limitation inherent in each word can become a trigger to soar beyond thefinite. Never let the mind be bound by a limitation, seek always beyond, ever beyond allconfinements. Thus, the mind is free to identify with the Self that is forever beyond alllimitations.

The Self is all pervading yet transcends all.

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Like spaceIpervade all things,both within and without,always the same in all,changeless, pure.Iam unattached,

stainless, beyond motion.

The same invitation to push the mind beyond itself continues in this verse. Anything thatexists perforce exists within the bounds of space. Space encompasses all things within itsfolds, yet remains unaffected by them. Like space, th

Self Knowledge 24Nov09 Cur

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