Summary:

Lesson 38 revises 4 stages of any seeker towards Liberation. Then we elaborate how Jnani (wise person) sees and lives in the world compared to ignorant person (ajnani). 

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5 – verse 17, 18, 19

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5 Theme:

• To help understand nature of Self, we compare it to Space…
• Space is:
  • Intimately close to everything. 
  • Not connected to anything. It's not tainted by what it's intimate with.
  • It accommodates everything.
  • It is divisionless.
  • It is formless.
• Atma is like screen on which movie is projected. The fire/water doesn't affect the screen. So we can say “Screen has renounced the movie”. It doesn't mean it discarded the movie, only that screen doesn't mistake itself for the character on it.
• The conclusion above is what a true sannyasi understands and what true sannyasa (renunciation) is. “I” (Consciousness) have renounced everything, because it was never mine. However while this body-mind is alive, it continues to be used wisely.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, verse 17 REVISION:

tat buddhayaḥ tat ātmānaḥ tat niṣṭhāḥ tat parāyaṇāḥ ।
gacchanti apunarāvṛttim jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ ॥ 5-17॥

Those who the knowledge of that (Brahman,) who have that (Brahman) as the Ātma, who are established in that (Brahman,) who have that (Brahman) as the supreme goal, and whose impurities are completely destroyed by knowledge attain the goal of non-return.

Stages of Progression in Self-Knowledge:

• Stage 1: Parāyaṇā (Obsession for Self-Knowledge)
  • Vision: Develop a deep value for Self-Knowledge.
  • Intensity: Like a person desperate for air after being underwater, one becomes obsessed with realizing the Self.
  • Focus: Brahman becomes the sole goal of life.
• Stage 2: Ātma as Consciousness in the Body
  • Understanding: “I am the body, and I have a Self (Consciousness).”
  • Perspective: At this stage, the body is still seen as primary, and Atma is incidental, some object “out there”.
• Stage 3: Identifying with Ātma as the Self
  • Shift: “I am Ātma, and I have an incidental body.”
  • Ownership: Begin to claim your true identity as Awareness (Ātma), not the body-mind complex. Take a firm stand in Awareness, recognizing the body as a temporary vehicle. I am the conscious being always available to report new changes brought on by sensations of the body, emotions and thoughts and desires of the mind.
• Stage 4: Spontaneous Abidance in Ātma
  • The identification with Atma becomes effortless and constant. Like an actor who never forgets their true identity behind the mask, even while playing various roles on stage.

Success in All 4 Stages:

• Jnana-nistha (Steadfastness in Knowledge):
  • Constant, effortless awareness of the Self as the Self.
• Test of Establishment:
  1. Is Self-Knowledge accessible during crises?
  2. Do you abandon Vedanta when faced with extreme situations (e.g., death of a loved one)?
  3. One firmly established in Self never loses sight of the unchanging presence, even in the worst crises.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, verse 18:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini ।
śuni ca eva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ ॥ 5-18॥

The wise (people) see the same (Brahman) in a Brahmana who has knowledge and humility, in an elephant, in a dog, and in a dog-eater.

This verse emphasizes the transformation brought about by the full assimilation of Jnana-yoga. A jnani (liberated person) perceives the world and its beings differently from an ajnani (ignorant person). According to Vedanta, one’s problems are not caused by the world or people. Because a jnani sees the same world as manifestation of Ishvara, rather then mere forms. Thus, the problem is not the world or people, but one’s perspective of them. 

• Perspective Shift: The world is like a mirror, reflecting back one’s own inner mind. How I look at the world depends on how I look at myself. For example, if I place great value on physical appearance, I will prioritize the physical looks of others. Similarly, how one perceives Ishvara is shaped by one’s personality:
  1. If I am physically oriented, I may see God as a beautiful form, like the sun.
  2. If I am emotionally oriented, I may perceive God as a reverential emotion, such as compassion or love. That's why you hear people say “God is love”.
  3. If I am intellectually oriented, I may worship God as omniscient (all-knowing).
• Saguṇa vs. Nirguṇa: This perception also extends to how I view myself:
  • If I see myself as a saguṇa jīvaḥ (an individual with qualities), I will see God as saguna Isvara (God with qualities).
  • If I identify as nirguṇa-caitanya (Consciousness without qualities), I will perceive God as nirguna (without qualities, limitless).

A jñāni, who identifies with Atma (Consciousness), sees the world as manifestation of Isvara (which has it's truth in Consciousness, which is known to you right now as “I am”), recognizing that all forms are merely incidental or superficial coverings of Brahman. This is the essence of sama-darshina (seeing the same in all). The jñāni’s vision is not about seeing all physical things as identical, but about understanding that all physical forms share the same essential nature—Intelligence, which has it's truth in Brahman, and Brahman is known to you right now as this ordinary conscious “I am” being.

Examples of Different Forms:

• vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe: A Brahmana is one who is rich in knowledge, due to their humility. Humility is the most important trait for Self-Knowledge. One cannot receive knowledge if they place themselves above it. Just as water flows from a mountain to nourish a river, knowledge flows from the guru to the student, but only if the student is humble.
• Gavi (Cow): A sāttvic animal, worshipped in India. All devas are said to reside in the cow’s body. In some villages, people circumambulate the cow as a symbol of the Higher.
• Hastini (Elephant): Worshipped as the embodiment of Ganesha. Another sacred animal in India.
• Śvapakaḥ (Dog-eater): Represents an uncultured person. Meat is avoided in India due to the tradition of ahimsa (non-injury). Meat and liquor are considered tamasic (dulling) for the intellect, which needs maximum sattva (clarity) for Self-Knowledge. However, don't take this as gospel. End of the day, listen to your body. Your mind may function 10x better on meat then going vegetarian.

Jñāni’s Vision of the World:

A jñāni sees the differences in these forms (brāhmaṇa, gavi, hastini, etc.) as superficial (anātma), while focusing on the underlying Ātma. The vision of samadarśaṇam (seeing the same in all) is always present in the jnani‘s subconscious mind. This means that while the jivanmukta recognizes the transactional differences in the world (vyāvahārika), they also see the essential sameness in all objects.

• Example of Gold: Just as one treats a golden bangle differently from a golden necklace, the jivanmukta/jnani interacts with different forms based on their function, but never forgets that all are essentially the same gold (Intelligence). The jñāni treats each object according to its form, but the vision of the same underlying reality is never lost.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, verse 19:

iha eva taiḥ jitaḥ sargaḥ yeṣām sāmye sthitam manaḥ ।
nirdoṣam hi samam brahma tasmāt brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ ॥ 5-19॥

Here itself birth is overcome by them whose mind is established in sameness. Brahman is indeed the same and defectless. Therefore they are established in Brahman.

Liberation After Death:

In many religious and spiritual traditions, liberation is often described as something that happens AFTER the body-mind dies. This is typically understood as reaching a specific loka (realm or place) such as Viṣṇu-loka, Śiva-loka, Brahma-loka, or some form of heaven. This concept of liberation involves the prāptiḥ (arrival) at a divine realm, where the individual is freed from worldly suffering.

Some refer to this as “Salvation,” but we avoid this term in Advaita Vedanta, as it implies being saved by an external entity, which contradicts the non-dual vision of reality.

There is only Me. Who will save who? It's like water in the ocean saving water, when water alone is.

Liberation While Living (Jīvanmukti):

In Advaita Vedanta, liberation is possible here and now, while living. This is because the same Consciousness (Atma) pervades all lokas (realms). There is no need to “go” anywhere for liberation, as the essential nature of the Self is already free. The realization of this fact is what constitutes liberation.

Who qualifies for this here and now liberation? The Bhagavad Gita describes such a person as taiḥ sargaḥ jitaḥ:

1. taiḥ: Refers to the jñāni (wise person) who has:
   1. abheda-dṛṣṭi: The vision of oneness, seeing no separation between oneself and the world.
   2. sama-dṛṣṭi: Equal vision, regarding all beings with the same respect and understanding.
2. sargaḥ: Refers to saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death, which involves punarapi jananam (again birth) and punarapi maraṇam (again death).
3. jitaḥ: Means “conquered.” The jñāni has conquered the cycle of birth and death, no longer identifying with the body-mind that is subject to this cycle.

Translation Summary: The wise person who has conquered the cycle of birth and death qualifies for liberation here and now.

Sama-darśaṇam:

The jnani‘s mind is established in sama-darśaṇam—the vision of sameness. This means the jñāni (cognitively) sees the same Intelligence (Ishvara) in all beings, regardless of their external differences. 

I AM:

• I: Refers to cit-svarūpam (the nature of Consciousness). 
• AM: Refers to sat-svarūpam (the nature of Existence). “Am-ness” is testament to Existence. Thus, the common nature of all beings is sat-cit—Existence and Consciousness.

Brahman:

The word Brahman means “big,” but this “big” is not in relation to any specific object. It is simply “big,” accommodating any object or concept. Even if we say “the entire universe and beyond,” that too must be accommodated by Existence (Brahman). Nothing can be bigger than Brahman because Brahman is the very basis of all existence.

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Recorded 26 Feb, 2019