Summary:

Lesson 158 provides big picture of total reality. Connection between final reality (sat-cit), maya, ishvara, and jagat (which includes objects and jivas).

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Preamble to Verse 6

Revision:

• PART 1: Definition of Samsara. V1-2, and up to first half of Verse 3.
• PART 2: Four Remedies for Samsara. Verse 3-6.
  1. Vairāgyam:
     • Putting things in their right place according to intrinsic value and not biases. This creates a proper relationship (otherwise known as: detachment or dispassion).
     • Dispassion is not something you choose. It’s a consequence of viveka (discerning nature of things) > viveka is consequence of education.
       • Education > viveka > vairāgyam > less anxiety/relative freedom/confidence.
  2. Bhakti / Śaraṇagati: Uncompromising devotion to the Truth.
     • God one form > Many forms > Advaita-bhakti.
  3. Sadguṇah: Values subservient to dharma (CH13, 20 values).
     • Why most don’t follow?
       • (1) Habit: easier to do old way, even if impure, then make a change [path of least resistance].
       • (2) Haven’t sufficiently reflected how violating what-one-knows-to-be-right actually costs one peace/freedom.  
         • Complication: If mind is tamasic/rajasic dominant, it won’t value peace/freedom. Hence himsa is justified. Indication of bhakti Stage 1: sākama-bhakti (worldly things).
  4. Brahma-vicāra: Ascertaining the vision of the whole reality according to Vedānta (final knowledge). Below 4 stages constitute Brahma-vicāra (otherwise known as brahmavidya).

STAGE 1: INQUIRY INTO NATURE OF SELF:

• POINT 1: I AM NOT THE BODY
  • World/body (both object) is seen by you.
    • Only difference, special relationship with the body (just like special relationship with car/house).
    • Question is just because have special relationship with body, ARE you the body? No.
      • So we're not attempting to disown the body (as true in Neo). Only see it objectively.
  • SUMMARY: Nature of seer is independent of the seen/object. Meaning seer doesn't become the seen.
• POINT 2: I AM NOT THE MIND
  • Mind changes based on environment.
  • “I” also have special relationship with the mind. But does that mean I AM the mind? No.
    • Because mind's fluctuations of thoughts/emotions are known to you. So there's an unchanged presence.
  • SUMMARY: Presence remains before thought, during thought, after thought.
  • What is nature of this presence? Cit (Awareness).
  • Is Awareness restricted to one mind (local), or is to universal/same to all living minds (global)?
    • Only way to say it's local is if say Awareness has an attribute (EG: blue, smart).
    • But Awareness is the seer onto whom nothing stick.
    • EG: Space was already there. But presence of walls (mind/body), as though, creates divisions.
      • EG: Sacred space in room > Walls fall down > “Sacred-ness” lost, but space still IS.

STAGE 2: INQUIRY INTO CAUSE OF UNIVERSE (time/space/objects):

• Accepting “I” am Awareness, it still doesn't answer where all objects of universe come from?
• Any effect that comes, requires 2 causes: Maker/Material Cause.
  • RELATABLE EXAMPLE:
    • Creation of pot. It's made by (1) Maker (2) Material; clay.
    • CONCLUSION: Wherever pot is:
      • (1) You don't see Maker.
        • Also to make pot, Maker must have: (a) Knowledge of pot (b) Power to make. 
      • (2) Not away from Material.
      • So Maker CAN be away from Effect, while Material can't. IE: Intelligent-cause isn’t immediately apparent.
  • APPLYING ABOVE EXAMPLE TO WHOLE CREATION:
    • If whole universe is intelligently put together (IE: connection between each thing + complexity of each thing), means: Maker must be “All-Knowledge, All-Power”.
    • Scriptural logic: ghatasya karta ghatajñah, sarvasya karta sarvajñah; Just as the maker of the pot has knowledge of the pot. The maker of the ‘entire jagat‘ has knowledge of the ‘entire jagat‘. He is sarvajña.
• WHAT IS THE MATERIAL USED TO CREATE UNIVERSE (TIME-SPACE-OBJECTS)?
  • LOGICAL FLAW: If say that Material is separate from “All-Knowledge, All-Power”… that implies there was ALREADY time-space-objects (material).
    • Logical flaw produces counter-question: Then what “All-Knowledge-Power” produced that Material (because can't produce functional Material without Knowledge-Power). Which is contradiction to statement “Material is different from Knowledge-Power”.
  • So logically only possibility is: Maker (All-Knowledge, All-Power) is both the Maker AND the Material. Maker is called Ishvara.
  • CONCLUSION: Maker (Isvara) is thus everywhere (omnipresent), pervading time-space-objects.
• NEXT QUESTION: If Isvara is everywhere, how come I don't see Ishvara?
  • Upanishads say, look at any object in this universe (EG: human body, stone, planet), if inquire into truth of that object, discover it's forms-with-forms.
    • EG: Wood > Cellulose/Lignin > Arrive to quantum level (Particles moving high speed). But gives impression of solid distinct forms.
    • WHAT IS THE FINAL BUILDING BLOCK?
      • Science doesn't know; they stop at hypothesis. If they did, we don't need Upanishads/Gita.
      • Upanishads say it's Knowledge-Power from which tiniest objects come into being, but also organized at every level to become another object. EG: Particles organized > Atoms > cells > organs > organism.
  • CONCLUSION: What we can see is objects (material). But can't see the ONE Intelligence appearing as different objects.
• NEXT QUESTION: Where was this Intelligence before universe (time-space-objects) came?
  • Intelligence was present in potential form.
    • EG: Today, I have potential for dream tonight, which hasn't manifested yet. So entity carries potential for dream world to come.
  • THIS IMPLIES: There's no linear creation. It always remains either in (1) Potential (2) Manifest form. Thus creation is cyclic.
  • FLAW: If postulate linear beginning, have to answer “What came first?”. Man/son, seed/tree.

— END OF INQUIRY INTO CAUSE OF UNIVERSE –

STAGE 3: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN (1) YOU & (2) ALL-KNOWLEDGE-POWER?

• EQUATION: Final step in solving the equation to Oneness. Equation means; Must find commonality on both sides.
• At first both sides seem different.
  • EG: 4 + 1 = 100 – 95.  5 isn't immediately apparent, only upon solving.
  • EG: E = MC2. Can't say that Energy is exactly Physical matter (otherwise walk through a wall). At same time, they are not different.
• If solve equation at wrong point, then will see similarities in dissimilarities and vice-versa.
• EQUATION REGARDING INDIVIDUAL AND ISHVARA:
  • STARTING POINT:
    • There ARE apparent differences between Individual and Ishvara.
    • Comparison:
      • Individual = limited knowledge-power. No individual knows what will come tomorrow.
      • Ishvara = all-knowledge-power from which universe of objects/jivas come… which survives cycles of creation.
    • CONCLUSION: Can't equate Jiva to Ishvara in reference to Knowledge-Power.
  • PURPOSE OF EQUATION:
    • In spite of apparent differences of Individual/Ishvara, where is point of resolution? Just as 3 + 2 resolves into 5, and 100 – 95 resolves into 5. So 5 is point of resolution.
    • Similarly, need to find where Ishvara and Individual have common identity.
• SOLVING LEFT SIDE OF EQUATION (INDIVIDUAL / JIVA):
  • What does anybody's intelligence require to put things together? Awareness.
• SOLVING RIGHT SIDE OF EQUATION (ĪŚVARA: From which every mind comes, future minds will come, from which past minds came):
  • Can all-knowledge exist without presence of Awareness? No. 
• SO WHAT IS THE FINAL REALITY INTO WHICH BOTH SIDES RESOLVE?
  • Sat-cit: Sat (Existence), Cit (Awareness). Both must Exist. Both must be Aware to “put together”. Jiva must be aware/conscious to put together two words. Ishvara must be aware/conscious to intelligently create & sustain the universe at the smallest particle level (EG: H3O is no longer water. Water is specifically created when 2 particles of Hydrogen and 1 particle of Oxygen come together.)

STAGE 4: HIERARCHY OF BIG PICTURE:

• ORDER:
  • Sat-cit (Brahman) is final reality > Has potential called māyā (All-Knowledge-Power) > When māyā manifests as universe (time-space-objects), it's called Ishvara (cause of universe).
  • Within Ishvara, there are many entities. One of them is you, called Jiva.
  • CONCLUSION: Everything is projected onto sat-cit.
    • DREAM EG: Just as you have now potential for dream. During dream, you become the Ishvara of that dream. During dream, you pervade everything.
      • While dreaming, it seems to you, as though, you are one of the characters in the dream world.  So whole thing is you.
• RECAP OF ORDER ABOVE:
  1.  All that is here is One Reality is called: Satyam jnanam anantam brahma (Existence Awareness which is Limitless).
  2. That One Reality, within it is potential to manifest the universe. Potential is called māyā.
  3. That SAME One reality, when potential HAS manifest into the universe, it's called Ishvara.
  4. Within the universe, there is one individual called jīva.
     • Problem: Jiva thinks I am body-mind. 
     • Upanishads say: The individual you think you are, is nothing but Knowledge-Power (EG: Every cell is organized), organizing not only your body, but every body-mind.
  5. And what is the truth at every standpoint: Satyam jnanam anantam brahma.
     • Where to know this reality: In the buddhi, self-evident as “I AM”. 
• ORDER SHORTENED TOP-DOWN:
  • Brahman > Māyā potential > Isvara > Manifest-universe (jagat) > Within universe is jīva.
  • Are there 4 entities? No. There is only ONE reality seen from different standpoints.
• ORDER SHORTENED DOWN-TOP:
  • Jiva can't exist without Knowledge-Power which makes body/mind what it is > That intelligence was in potential called maya > Māyā further resolves into sat-chit.
• ALL LEVELS ARE PRESENT NOW:
  • Look at any object, you'll find all levels present RIGHT NOW ALSO.
  • EG:
    1. Where jīva is, there is knowledge-power (Ishvara) holding it together.
    2. The knowledge-power carries potential (māyā) for tomorrow's body-mind.
    3. Right now, there is existence-awareness because of which the world is known to Me.
  • CONCLUSION:
    • It's not like this hierarchy “once upon a time was”. It's AVAILABLE right now. That's why knowledge can't be contradicted, because we're talking about a true fact now. Not a belief. 
  • No question of transcending any reality. THE REALITY is here and now.  All standpoints remains the SAME upon moksha. No change. Only clarity ensues.
  • Even upon clarity, All-Knowledge-Power is still holding together the jīva's profound understanding. Thus no question of “world disappearing” or diminishing Ishvara. 
• TO HOLD THIS REALITY: Need a clean mind. Free from subjectivity, else mind lives from it's own reality.

Need additional clarity? Listen to the big picture MP3 — as explained in Thonsey, India, Feb 2023.

QUESTIONS:

• DEFINITION OF: Satyam jnanam anantam brahma
  • Brahman: Limitlessly big. However it's specifically described with 3 words only: sat-cit-ānanda (Existence-Awareness-Limitless).
    
• DEFINITION OF: Māyā
  • Māyā is knowledge-power in potential form.
  • Meaning Brahman has potential (which includes Knowledge-Power) to manifest as universe.
• DEFINITION OF: Īśvara
  • Brahman + Maya.
  • Maker (all-knowledge, all-power) & Material (which is actually all-knowledge appearing as material, and put together at every level by all-power).
  • Potentiality manifesting into Actuality.
  • Maya manifesting as the universe.
  • When māyā (All Knowledge-Power potential) manifests as universe — then Brahman is given name Ishvara.
• DEFINITION OF: Jīva
  • One individual within universe who doesn't know that all here is One appearing as many.
  • Whether you observe someone's Intelligence or Power, they both belong to All-Knowledge-All-Power whose truth is Brahman.
• WHERE IS JIVA DURING DISSOLUTION OF UNIVERSE?
  • Jiva being nothing but collection of samskaras — they remain in potential. Just like in sleep; your mind is temporarily resolved (that's why there's no world/body). Upon waking, mind manifests and blesses the body, thus experience of body/world continues.
• WHAT HAPPENS TO JIVA AFTER VIDEHAMUKTI?
  • Jiva is a name given when there are samskaras associated to one embodied doer/enjoyer (individual). Since moksha is dis-identifying from the samskaras, they are as though destroyed. They don't go to any other jīva, but go back into potential (without ownership of “I”).
• WHAT DO UPANISHADS REVEAL THAT SCIENCE DOESN'T?
  • Science reveals forms (matter).
  • Upanishads reveal maya (all-knowledge/power in potential), ishvara (maker/material that makes the forms what they are, and from which forms come), sat-cit (the final reality, which is existence-awareness; being limitless).

— END OF VISION OF ADVAITA VEDANTA —

Keywords: 

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya), Paramarthananda & Chinmaya Mission.

Recorded 1 Feb, 2022