Karma Yoga and Happiness
Tag Archives: Vedanta
Ignorance Creates Bondage
Being deluded by ignorance, one mistakes a thing for what it is not. In the absence of discrimination, the snake is mistaken for a rope, and great danger befalls one who seizes it through this false notion. So listen, my friend, it is mistaking the not-Self for the Self (the unreal for the Real) that creates bondage. [Vivekachudamani, Translated by Acharya Pranipata Chaitanya]
Creation Theories
Q: If the truth is only one why there are so many theories of creation put forward by various religions & philosophies?
A: If you ask a frog in the well about creation what can it say? When we want to know about the purpose and cause of creation, we need to see this from the perspective of the creator and not from the perspective of someone who is part of the creation. Since absolute truth is consciousness and there is nothing else but it from its perspective, actually there is no creation (please refer to this). But since answer is to be given to somebody living within the creation asking this question, various attempts are made to come out with the most sensible answer applicable at that particular point of time.
You Are That – Quote
Consciousness and Enlightenment
The following line from Patanjali Yoga Sutra [4.19] speaks about the dependence of what people call consciousness in common language on something else:
The above implies that individual consciousness does not have an independent existence, it exists due to the impersonal consciousness. In Vedanta individual consciousness is called reflected consciousness. Many times when you say, “I” you mean individual consciousness.
When light ray strikes a mirror it gets reflected and we speak of incident and reflected rays. For observer there are two rays. However, light just knows that it is light and not as incident and reflected rays separately. After bouncing, instead of saying, “I am reflected light” the light still says that I am just the light. Water says I am water whether it is inside a cup or inside a bucket. When you realise this deeply, the identification with individual consciousness goes. You realise that one consciousness is expressing through various things and you are that.
When you are absolutely comfortable in saying this to yourself that I am pure impersonal consciousness and Jiva is reflecting it but I am not Jiva, you are enlightened. Also, the understanding that because Jiva appears in me, Jiva is me but I am not Jiva becomes firm.
If you are looking for mystical experiences and epiphanies to attain enlightenment, you may have a tough road ahead as maya is very strong. All these experiences are made possible by maya. Consciousness is beyond maya and one needs to remove the veil of maya to know the truth. Experiences come and go but you remain.
Gita on Enlightenment
In Bhagavad Gita [14.19], Krishn as Impersonal Consciousness says:
That moment when besides the three gunas, the seer does not see anybody else as the doer and recognises Me, Sat-Chit-Anand beyond the three gunas by substance, that moment he attains My form.
Bhakti with Mind & Intellect
In the following verse Krishn as Consciousness says:
[Bhagvad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 8]
Meaning: Apply mind in me and apply intellect in me only; subsequently you will reside in me only, there is no doubt in this.
Comment: Bhakti goes beyond the blind following of rituals if one is seeking Self.