Summary:
Lesson 30 demonstrates how ‘I' (Self/Atman) is only an APPARENT doer/actor in reference to the role played. Confusing ‘I' with ROLE results in pain.
TOPICS COVERED:
Terms used:
Māyā:
Māyā is the causal principle that is responsible for the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the universe. It is the power of Brahman (pure Consciousness) that manifests the world of names and forms. Māyā is often described as having two powers:
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- Āvaraṇa-śakti: The power of veiling, which covers the true nature of Brahman.
- Vikṣepa-śakti: The power of projection, which projects the world of duality.
Māyā is anādi (beginningless) and is responsible for the apparent conditioning of Brahman as Ishvara (the Lord) and Jīva (the individual).
Ishvara:
Īśvara is Brahman associated with Māyā. In this context, Īśvara is the sarvajña (all-knowing) and sarva-śakti-mān (all-powerful) creator, sustainer, and dissolver of the universe. Ishvara is the intelligent and material cause of the universe, meaning that the entire creation is both created by and sustained by Īśvara.
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- Sarvajña: Īśvara is omniscient because all knowledge resides in Īśvara.
- Sarva-śakti-mān: Īśvara is omnipotent, having the power to manifest the entire universe.
Conclusion:
- Māyā is the causal principle, the power of projection and veiling.
- Īśvara is Brahman associated with Māyā, the all-knowing, all-powerful creator and sustainer of the universe.
Hiranyagarbha:
- Meaning: Macrocosmic Subtle Body.
- Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ is the macrocosmic Subtle Body in Vedānta, representing the collective mind, intellect, and prāṇa (life force) of all sentient beings in the universe. It is the totality of all individual subtle bodies (minds), in past, present, and future — and is often referred to as the cosmic mind or the first-born (the first manifestation of consciousness in creation). Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ is the intermediary between the unmanifest potential (Māyā) and the gross physical universe (Virāt), and it governs all mental and subtle processes in the cosmos.
- It is associated with the five subtle elements (tanmātras: subtle forms of space, air, fire, water, and earth), which are the precursors to the gross elements.
- Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ governs all mental, intellectual, and vital functions at the cosmic level, making it the cosmic mind or cosmic intelligence.
- Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ literally means “Golden Womb” or “Golden Egg” in Sanskrit. The term is derived from two words:
- Hiraṇya: Meaning “gold” or “golden,” symbolizing purity, brilliance, and the potential for creation.
- Garbha: Meaning “womb” or “egg,” symbolizing the source or seed of creation.
- In Vedānta, Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ is called the “Golden Womb” because it represents the cosmic seed from which the entire subtle universe (the collective mind, intellect, and life force) emerges.
Virāt:
- Meaning: Macrocosmic Gross Body.
- Virāt represents the macrocosmic Gross Body, which is the totality of all gross physical bodies in the universe, including all physical objects and beings.
- It is associated with the five gross elements (mahābhūtas: space, air, fire, water, and earth in their gross forms), which make up the physical universe.
- Virāt is the physical manifestation of the universe, including all gross matter, and is responsible for the physical and sensory experiences of all beings.
Jīva:
Meaning: The individual being.
Explanation: Jīva refers to Ātman (pure Consciousness) when it is apparently conditioned by the three states of experience generated by Māyā:
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- Waker (Viśva): The individual in the waking state, interacting with the physical world.
- Dreamer (Taijasa): The individual in the dream state, experiencing a subtle, mental world.
- Deep Sleeper (Prājña): The individual in the deep sleep state, where there is no experience of the world or the mind, but ignorance remains.
1) “I Am Not the Doer” – Understanding the Role of the Individual (Jīva) in Vedānta
In Vedanta, the term Jīva refers to the individual being—the one who experiences the world through the body, mind, and intellect. The Jīva is the subject in every experience, the one who interacts with the world of objects. It is the Jīva that plays various roles in life, such as father, mother, employee, friend, etc.
The Jīva is essentially Ātman (pure Consciousness) that appears to be conditioned by the three bodies (gross, subtle, and causal) and the three states of experience (waking, dreaming, and deep sleep).
So, when we talk about the Jīva, we are referring to the individual who plays various roles in life—father, mother, employee, friend, etc.—but who, in essence, is pure Awareness (Ātman).
The Jīva constantly adjusts its mind and intellect to relate to different situations in life. For example:
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- As a father, the jiva may need to “lower” the intellect to relate to a 3-year-old child.
- As a husband, the same jiva may need to “sharpen” the intellect to relate to the spouse.
- As an employee, the jiva adjusts to the role required by the job, such as a policeman or any other occupation.
The problem is not the constant change of roles—this is natural and necessary for functioning in the world. The issue arises when the jiva forgets its true identity (as Ātman) and becomes entangled in the role it is temporarily playing. This attachment or entanglement leads to suffering when the role is no longer appropriate, but the mind continues to cling to it due to the momentum of thoughts (vāsanās).
For example, a person playing the role of a boss at work may come home and continue to act like a boss with their family, causing unnecessary conflict. This happens because the jiva has failed to stop playing the role when it is no longer needed.
“I Am Not the Doer” (Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 5, Verse 13)
The statement “I am not the doer” refers to the Self (Ātman), which is not involved in the actions of the world. The doer/enjoyer exists only in reference to the roles that the jiva plays in the world. When there is no role to play (as in deep sleep), there is no doer or experiencer.
In deep sleep, Māyā takes away the world (jagat), and with it, the roles and experiences. This shows that the Self (Ātman) has nothing to do with the world—it is Māyā that generates and dissolves the world, not the jiva.
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- Dreams: Do you decide when the dream world starts? No, it happens without your intervention.
- Deep Sleep: Do you decide when the world disappears in deep sleep? No, it happens without your control.
- Birth: Did you choose when and where to be born? No, it was decided without your input.
- Death: Do you choose when the body will die? No, it can happen unexpectedly, without your decision.
- Thoughts: Do you control every thought that arises in your mind? No, thoughts come and go without your direct control.
What Does the Self (Atman) Actually “Do”?
The Self (atma) does nothing. It merely observes the roles generated by Māyā. The roles and actions, played by the jiva (which is made of the 3 bodies) are part of the apparent world (mithyā), created and sustained by Māyā. The Self (Ātman) is not an actual doer but an apparent doer when associated with 3 bodies.
The difference between an ignorant person and a wise person is knowledge—specifically, the knowledge that the Self is not the doer, even though it appears to act through Māyā.
Conclusion:
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- Life is relating: The jiva constantly adjusts to different roles to interact with the world.
- Attachment to roles: The problem arises when the Jiva forgets its true identity (Ātman) and becomes attached to the roles it plays.
- I am not the doer: The Self (Ātman) is not the doer; it merely observes the roles generated by Māyā. The world and roles are apparent (mithyā), not absolutely real.
In essence, the wise person knows that while I may appear to act in the world, I am are not the true doer. The world and its roles are part of Maya‘s play, and I remains ever free and untouched.
2) Test in Class:
Right now or today at most, reserve 20+- minutes to describe following to best of your ability. Benefit of it's completion is to help exercise the Intellect.
1. Purpose of Bhagavad Gītā
2. How to Communicate:
a. satyam (Honesty/Integrity. Don’t be shy. Say it!)
b. rtam (Researched. Don’t speak unless it’s 100% verified.)
c. priyam (Appropriate/timely. Sensitive to environment’s needs.)
d. hītam (Leads to learning. Curious what other has to say, judge not.)
3. Subtle Body (sūkṣma-śarīra/antaḥkaraṇa)
a. Mind: Manas
b. Intellect: Buddhi
c. Ego: Ahaṃkāra (Doer/Enjoyer)
4. Causal Body
a. Karma
i. Sanchita (Storehouse of all lifetime karmas)
ii. Prārabdha (portion of Sanchita playing out in this lifetime)
iii. Āgāmi (created by Prārabdha, which will become Sanchita upon death)
b. Vāsana / Saṃskāra
5. Dharma
a. Sāmānya (Universal values. Applies to entire Universe.)
b. Svadharma (Unique to circumstance. EG: Mom. Must adhere to Sāmānya.)
6. Explain concept of “Free Will”. (Must tie in with 4a)
7. What are some attributes of a jīvan-muktaḥ? (Liberated while living)
8. GENERAL: What is the purpose of Avaita Vedanta? (Examples, Term, How it helped you, etc.)
9. Who am I NOT? (Use all Vedānta knowledge to describe what the “I” is not.)
10. What does it mean to live life of Dharma?
11. What is the difference between Satya/Mithyā? And how is this knowledge applied in day-to-day “ordinary” life of duties, joys, sorrows, concerns, doubts and epiphanies?
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- After class questions
- Download visual mind map of this session.
- Further explanation on “I am NOT the Doer”.
Recorded 27 Nov, 2018