Sharing My Knowledge on Vedanta - Nature of Jiva and Isvara

Jiva: is the Sat-Cit-Anada-principle qualified (seemingly possess the qualities of the conditioning) as the microcosmic conditioning; by the individual gross, subtle and causal bodies and thus Sat-Cit-Anada-principle seemingly appears to possess the limitations.

Atman: is the substratum of Jiva. Atman, also 'Self' is unaffected by the conditioning. Atman can also be described as Sat-Cit-Anada principle from the perspective of Jiva.

Isvara: is the Sat-Cit-Anada-principle qualified as unlimited macrocosmic conditioning by the cosmic gross, subtle and causal bodies.

Brahman: is the substratum of the macrocosmic conditioning of Isvara. Brahman can also be described as Sat-Cit-Anada principle from the perspective of Isvara.

The differences between Jiva and Isvara

• Jiva has limited knowledge vs. Isvara has boundless knowledge
• Jiva is limited by time & space vs. Isvara is all-pervading & eternal
• Jiva strives for Liberation vs. Isvara free of bondage and therefore no need to strive for Liberation
• Isvara is the entire controller of cosmos and Jiva
• Isvara presents and controls maya vs. Jiva is deluded by maya and is ignorant of its own nature
• Isvara dispenses fruits of Jiva's actions and Isvara is detached from his actions because of self-knowledge, which is his nature. Vs. Jiva, being ignorant of Self-knowledge is conditioned by the gross, subtle and causal bodies and assumed he is the doer and also the sense of enjoyer ship, causing bondage.
• Alpa-sakthiman of limited power vs. Sarva shaktiman -all powerful
• Jiva is Lorded over vs. Isvara is Lord
• Jiva is deluded by maya vs. Isvara is the wielder of Maya and remains unaffected
• Jiva experience both bondage & liberation vs. Isvara is devoid of bondage & liberation

Is the difference between Jiva and Isvara illusory?

The Jiva and Isvara are one and the same. They appear to be different due to the microcosmic conditioning of the Sat-cit-ananda by the individual gross, subtle and causal bodies which is Jiva and the macrocosmic conditioning of the Sat-cit-ananda by the cosmic gross, subtle and causal bodies.

Vedas present a variety of examples to emphasize the importance of the concept of ONE appearing as many. First is the wave in the ocean. Even though each wave appears to be different, they cannot exist without the water in the ocean. The cause 'water' alone is nithya- Real and the form of water is mithya -unreal.

Another example is of gold as the basis for different types of jewelry like bangles, bracelets, chain, anklets etc. None of these would exist without the base metal, gold.

Electricity is another example often used, though not perceivable powers all equipment. Without that power, which is the cause, none of the electrical equipment would function, may it be a fan, light bulb, oven, toaster or a refrigerator.

Another popular one is the clay and pots. The pot, mug, plate, jug which are all different when the form is seen but they're all the same when we see the basic item with which they all are made of, which is clay. Similarly, all forms and names in this universe appear different (whether it is an ant, elephant, a human or a plant!) but the substratum is the same which the Isvara (Existence, Consciousness, bliss).

Clay is the cause for all those items; so also Existence is alone is the cause of all forms in this universe. Existence alone IS. Everything else is the manifestation from that source.

Clay and water, the cause can have independent existence; exist by themselves. The effects are merely the forms and names, categorized as amithya, unreal and illusory.

So also, the entire cosmos, which appears in various forms & shapes, due to micro and macrocosmic conditioning is but illusory and is the manifestation of the ONE supreme existence, which is Sat-Cit-Ananda principle. When we falsify these conditioning, one will understand that there is no distinct difference between Jiva and Isvara, what remains is the Sat-Cit-Ananda principle (Existence) alone.

Therefore it is the One that appears as many is nothing but maya, illusion.

Awesome Power is an organization committed to encourage, motivate, inspire, coach and support individuals to believe in themselves and reach their fullest potentially in all areas of their life.

The author of this article is a Life Coach, Changing Agent, Motivational Speaker, Professional Writer, dedicated to make a difference in other's lives.

The author is also deeply interested in spiritual studies and believes our life is the consequences of our own actions and that the spiritual study is the way for inner peace. We are on this earth to realize that all is ONE and that ONE is in all.

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Sharing My Knowledge on Vedanta - Identity of Atman and Brahman

The identity between Atman and Brahman can be fabulously explained with an example of a piece of printed textile with lots of flowers.

Imagine a piece of a textile with colored flower garden. The various flowers together form the flower garden with multiple plants, a variety of flowers of different shapes, sizes and colors.

Let us say this flower garden is similar to the entire cosmos. (jagat) The individual flower represents an individual name and form (nama & rupa) of conscious beings (jiva) including inert objects.

The foundation or the essence of this flower garden is a thread. (yarn) There is no other existence in this cloth other than the thread. If we remove the thread, the garden vanishes and nothing remains!

When we don't see the thread and see only the colors, patterns, sizes, we see the flowers in the garden. None of these would exist without the thread.

The analogy is that the thread is the God principle, Isvara. Without this God principle there would be no world. The individual jiva with varied names and forms form the total concept of the world (jagat). If we take away this Isvara, the entire pattern must perish, just like the garden of flowers ends with the removal of the thread.

As we go deeper, the thread is made out of cotton. It does not exist by itself. From the perspective of flower garden the thread is the cause. But what is the cause of the thread? It is cotton. Without cotton the thread would not exist. Without cotton both the thread and the garden would not exist!

Through cotton, both the thread and garden sustain, exist and into the cotton, the thread and the garden of flowers merge.

The relationship between jiva and every object (name and rupa) and Isvara is the relationship between the garden and the thread.

Jiva is the individual flower, the garden is the jagat and the thread is the Isvara. The cotton is the Brahman is Sat-Cit-Ananda principle.

The cotton, which is the basis for the individual flower, is also the substratum for the whole garden. Cotton is the cause and is alone there. We give the name 'garden' at one stage, 'thread' in another stage and 'cloth' in a different stage. According to our own changing perspective the same cloth gives different impressions at different times - either as individual flower or group of flowers.

When we observe this garden closely, we will see the thread, when we see more closely; we'll have the vision of the cotton. Having once seen the cotton, we no longer see the difference between the individual flowers or colors or shape. In the same way, once we have the vision of the Reality/Brahman, the plurality of forms and names merges into the Substratum, Brahman.

This is the exact meaning of the verse 1 in Isha Vasya Upanishad. Verse 2 provides a different approach for people who are unable to have Isvara drushti, or think that is not practical.

Awesome Power is an organization committed to encourage, motivate, inspire, coach and support individuals to believe in themselves and reach their fullest potentially in all areas of their life.

The author of this article is a Life Coach, Changing Agent, Motivational Speaker, Professional Writer, dedicated to make a difference in other's lives. All my writings are from my direct experiences in my life.

The author is also deeply interested in spiritual studies and believes our life is the consequences of our own actions and that the spiritual study is the way for inner peace. We are on this earth to realize that all is ONE and that ONE is in all.

Your feedback is welcomed, appreciated and considered valuable on the topics written.

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Sharing My Knowledge on Vedanta - Panca Koshas

Adi Sankaracharya compares the Atman to a crystal in Atma Bodha verse 15. Crystal is transparent. When a piece of crystal is placed on a colored material, it will take the color of the material. A crystal placed on a blue cloth will appear blue, a crystal placed on a red cloth will appear red, and a crystal placed on a yellow paper will appear yellow. So too, he says, the Self/Atman is crystal clear. It takes the qualities of the five sheaths that are closer to it in each individual.

The experience of the Self in the limited form as jivatman goes through the various modifications of the body like birth, growth, disease, decay, old age and death along with joy and sorrow, which is the bondage. Atman when identifies with these five kosas or sheaths is jivatman which experiences the pleasure & pain, and the six modifications of the physical body just like the example of a crystal above.

The five kosas are:

Annamaya kosa: constituted of skin, flesh, blood, bones etc. The physical body is impermanent, temporary in existence, made up of inert elements and undergoes modification with time. Birth, growth, disease, decay, aging and death pertain to the physical body not the SELF..

Pranamaya kosa: also made up of five elements of nature and are independent of the Self, but operates by the power of the Self. Thoughts such as 'I am hungry, I am sick' and all 'I am' are irrelevant to SELF, the witness and separate from these.

Manonmaya kosa: is constituted by the mind, memory and the five organs of knowledge. These sensory organs alone cannot perceive objects. The mind plays a part in recognizing the object by going through the organ.. The mind also goes through agitations and modifications like desire, doubt, faith, courage etc. It is an object of awareness as the SELF is the seer and the mind is the seen and they cannot be the same.

Vigyanamaya kosa is comprised of Buddhi, ahankara and Jnana-indriyas. Buddhi is the thoughts of the nature of analysis like differentiation, judgement and reasoning. Ahankara is the thought of doership and enjoyership. Jnana-indriyas are the organs of knowledge eye, ear, tongue, nose and skin.

The final core is the Anandamaya kosa, is made up of the ignorance (of Self) and vasanas (tendencies).

The bliss that we experience during deep sleep (due to being unaware of the non-self, body, mind, intellect, all worldly objects) is called the Anandamaya kosa. We make the bed with soft pillows, adjust turn light, and reduce the volume of the music to glide into the sleep but once we're in deep sleep none of these matters. The deep sleep is because of it being in close proximity of the Self without the knowledge of the non-self..

We experience bliss momentarily when we are one with the nature near water or mountain or during karma where we're single pointed.

The intellectual differentiation of the Self from the non-self, which is composed of five sheaths, by the method of negation of each sheath, is called panca-kosa viveka. Removal does not literally mean removing these sheaths but intellectual negation that none of these sheaths is SELF, which is independent, separate witness and that, which illumines these sheaths. This understanding or differentiation of the Self from the five sheaths is called as removal in Vedanta.

Negation of five kosas...

Annamaya-kosa is not the Self - physical body

The physical body is made up of the food eaten by the parents, grows with the food eaten by the mother in the womb, grows with the food eaten by the individual and becomes food to other living creatures like birds, insects etc. upon the death of the physical body.

• This physical body, which is made up of flesh, bones and blood is not the Self because: The body is temporary in existence, has a specific time frame for its existence after which it disintegrates, whereas the Self is permanent.

• The physical body is subject to modifications on a consistent basis like birth, growth, age, disease, decay and finally death. Self is 'nirvikari'-'changeless' and therefore this body cannot be that Self.

• The body is inert: Body is made up of Calcium, Carbons and other elements, which are inert in nature while the Self is of the nature of consciousness.

Pranamaya-kosa is not the Self - physical body

The five pranas (prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana), and the five organs of action (hands, legs, organs of speech, genitals and anus) form the pranamaya kosa. These also originate from the five inert elements of nature by the panchikarna. Therefore pranamaya kosa is not the Self.

Therefore actions are not of SELF, functions like breathing are not of SELF. The statements like 'I am hungry, angry, happy or sad' do not belong to SELF. I am ever-free SELF, existing as witness and I AM the same in all.

Mononmaya-kosa (mental body) not the Self

This is the mental sheath made up of mind, memory and five organs of action. These organs of actions cannot function by themselves. The mind reaches the object thru' the particular organ and generates an experience. It is amazing to understand that the mind alone is the experiencer- experienced-experience in the dream state. The mind alone creates man's attachment to the body & sense objects.

Mononmaya-kosa not the Self because

• the mind arises while waking and ceases while in deep sleep state but the Self has a no beginning (anadhi) and no end (anantha).
• The mind is erratic, with desire, doubt, courage, fear, joyful, sorrow etc. It is not steady or changeless like the Self (nirvikari).
• The mind is constantly afraid or has the fear of change, constantly restless and pain. The mind, which is under the grip of sorrow, fear, and doubt, can never be the blissful Atman.

When we say that 'my mind was not here' it simply confirms that 'I' is different from the 'mind'. It is an object of awareness; it is not me, the 'SELF'.

Viganamaya kosa (causal body) is not the Self

Sankaracharya explains in his Vivekachudamani verse 206, that the Vijanamaya kosa cannot be the supreme Self because it is subject to change, is inert, limited, remains as the object of knowledge and is not always present. A perishable temporary thing cannot be the imperishable SELF.

a. Vijanamaya kosa is subject to change: the intellectual ideas change. When sattva is predominant, it is steady & clear, when rajas takes over it is restless & hasty and when tamas dominates, it is dull & sleepy. Since Self is changeless (nirvikari), vijanamaya kosa cannot be the self and is not Self.

b. Vijanamaya kosa is inert: It is born out of five elements (tanmantras) by the process of pancheekarana; they're inert in nature. It is only by the light of consciousness it is illumined and functional. Therefore it is not-Self.

c. Vijanamaya kosa is limited: Every thought that appears in the intellectual space dies and give raise to a different thought. Therefore that which is not permanent cannot be the Self, which is vibhu (all-pervading) and ever present.

d. Vijanamaya kosa is an object of knowledge: Vijanamaya kosa, which is an object of awareness (like I am aware of my mood today) cannot the source - a subject that never becomes the object.

e. Vijanamaya kosa is not constantly present: This kosa is absent in deep sleep. When one is asleep, the body, mind and intellect are absent. The ability to reason & decide is the intellectual function. That which is not permanent cannot be the Self, which is nithya.

Ananadamaya kosa (causal body) is not the SELF

a. Anandhamaya kosa is conditioned by the sense of perception, desire and possession. That which relies on the external objects cannot be the Self, which is nirvikalpa.

b. When one is in deep sleep one does not recognize anything else except bliss. When the individual is awake, he acknowledges the fact that he did not know anything during the sleep. So Anandhamaya kosa is subject to modification and cannot be the Self, which is nirvikara.

c. According to the law of causality, every action has a consequence that is borne by the individual. The experiences of Anandhamaya kosa are due to the punyas/good deeds from pervious births and these have a beginning and an end. Anandhamaya kosa cannot be the Self, which has no beginning or end. It is perpetual -nithya.

d. Anandhamaya kosa is associated with other matter: This kosa is ever attached to other kosas - annamaya, manonmaya, pranamaya and vijananmaya kosas. That which remains with the association of something outside can never be the Self - nirguna and nirangana

I, the SELF is totally free from anything and everything in between. I neither have qualities nor attributes. I simply exist as witness!

Awesome Power is an organization committed to encourage, motivate, inspire, coach and support individuals to believe in themselves and reach their fullest potentially in all areas of their life.

The author of this article is a Life Coach, Changing Agent, Motivational Speaker, Professional Writer, dedicated to make a difference in other's lives.

The author is also deeply interested in spiritual studies and believes our life is the consequences of our own actions and that the spiritual study is the way for inner peace. We are on this earth to realize that all is ONE and that ONE is in all.

Thanks for your consistent feedback.

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Sharing My Knowledge on Vedanta - Mahavakyas

Mahavakyas enable the seeker to arrive at the non-dual nature of the Self and put an end to the bondage by declaring the knowledge of the Atman and Brahman. The four mahavakyas can be interconnected.

There are four Vedas and one statement from each Veda signifies each vakya (statement)

Mahavakya Meaning Upanishad Veda

1 Prajanam Brahma-Consciousness is Brahman-Aitreya Upanishad-Rg Veda

2 Ahambrahmasmi-I am Brahman-Brahadaranyaka Upanishad-Yajur Veda

3 Tat Tvam asi-That thou art-Chandogya Upanishad-Sama Veda

4 Ayamatma Brahma-This Self is Brahman-Mandukya Upanishad-Atharvana Veda

The concept of how the four Vedas are interconnected is explained by interlacing a beautiful story between a student and a vedantic teacher.

The student, a vedantic disciple approaches the teacher and seeks to be taught about the ultimate Truth. The Guru defines the Truth - Prajanam Brahma (Consciousness is Brahman). This statement is called Laksana vakya, a statement of definition because it describes Brahman.

The student gets a feeling that the Guru is referring Brahman as the Self but he always thought that the Brahman was different from him. So he goes back to the teacher for clarification.

Guru now presents the statement 'Tat Tvam asi' (That thou art) and declares that the seeker is the sought! Since this statement is 'teaching' is Upadesa vakya -statement of instruction.

The student now bestowed with the knowledge intellectually that 'the Self is the non-dual' focuses on mediation and with dispassion & discrimination, overcomes the belief that the body, mind and intellect are conditioning on the Self and directly experiences the Brahman -Aham brahmasmi (I am Brahman), anubhava vakya, a statement of experience.

Once the student has realizes this state, the teacher advises him to revel and abide in this knowledge. This nature of abidance is 'Ayam atma Brahma'- 'This Self is Brahman', is 'anusandhana vakya', 'a statement of constant practice.'

The student never loses sight of this experiential knowledge even when transacting with the world around him/her.

This logical sequence provides a road map to listen(sravana), reflect (manana), contemplate (nidhidyasana), experience (samdhi)and stay on course (nistha) firmly.

Awesome Power is an organization committed to encourage, motivate, inspire, coach and support individuals to believe in themselves and reach their fullest potentially in all areas of their life.

The author of this article is a Life Coach, Changing Agent, Motivational Speaker, Professional Writer, dedicated to make a difference in other's lives. The author is also deeply interested in spiritual studies and believes our life is the consequences of our own actions and that the spiritual study is the way for inner peace. We are on this earth to realize that all is ONE and that ONE is in all.

Your feedback is appreciated.

View the original article here