Summary:
Sessions 8 starts with providing reason and logic for Incarnation. Then we describe non-dual Consciousness using various metaphors to collapse idea/belief in duality (separation). Also, what does Jīva have to do with an electrical appliance?
TOPICS COVERED:
- Reason for Incarnation (jiva transmigrating to another body).
- Qualifier for mokṣa: “See no difference between pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat and prepare for battle. You will incur no sin”. This statement is subtle introduction to Karma Yoga (whose purpose is to neutralize vāsanā's – which determine our experience of judgement between pleasure-pain, like-dislike).
- What Person of Perfection (Yogī) knows – in terms of how to live happy and successfully:
“ I have an obligation to fulfill in this world. A duty. See what life is asking, and give life what it wants; not what I want. This is sole cause of spiritual stagnation. We let our likes-dislikes (vasana) dictate life. Consequence is of suffering.
Suffering is defined as: Experiencing pain when (#1) I get what I don’t want, OR (#2) when I lose what I have.
Additionally, Jīva doesn’t control the environment, nor others responses, nor the next thought that'll arrive in 30 sec from now. Yet, jivas act as if they're in total control. So suffering is the price paid for worshipping our likes-dislikes.
Hence purpose of Karma Yoga is to neutralize our like-dislikes, which removes unnatural and irrational suffering.
ANALOGY: Every like-dislike is compared to throwing a pebble into a still lake. One pebble (despite it’s small size) has power to generate ripples, extending for meters. Every ripple is felt as a disturbance or agitation, subtracting 1 point off your happiness. A still lake can clearly reflect the sun; disturbed lake can't. Same with the mind. When it's disturbed by various wants, needs, desires, ideals, likes-dislikes — it's unable to clearly reflect your nature which is one of fullness (happiness).
- Metaphor for understanding your personality or purpose in life:
Appliance performs a certain function. For example, a drill's duty is to fix/screw things. Blender's duty is to make tasty concoctions. And provide the drill food when it's hungry. While the drill assists the blender when it's experiencing an existential break-down. Light-bulb's duty is to help both the drill and the blender to see what they're doing. Fan's duty is to provide comfort in warmer conditions. And prevent the drill, blender and light-bulb getting into a “hot argument” over whose duty is superior.
In our final analysis: Each appliance is needed MOST at exact time when it's needed. This appliance-duty is likened to your svadharma. Just like Arjuna's svadharma was to proceed with the war and restore order in the society. Meaning, if you don't accept your function (svadharma), it'll lead to suffering. Accept your duty, and be the given appliance. This prevents jealousy towards other appliances, recognizing both appliances contribute to the whole.
- We use analogy of H2O (Brahman), Ocean (Ishvara) and wave (jiva) to collapse false idea (belief) of duality, and explain reason for jiva's identification with B-M-I (Body-Mind-Intellect).
- Limitless Consciousness (Self) is defined as: non-participating, non-interfering, non-experiencing, non-verbalized Witness. Example: “I know (referring to the unverbalized, non-participating Consciousness) that I know (referring to the mind instrument, or ahamkara) this Object”. Meaning, it's the Knower (Self – which can't be verbalized or grasped) that Knows about the Knower (jiva), which knows about the Object/Experience. Hence, Self is that which let's all experiences (Objects) be known for what they are.
- We describe “Limitless Consciousness” (Self/Witness) in 5 points; ideally to be memorized because it'll help with Self-inquiry (discriminating Self [Satya] from not-Self [Mithyā])
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Download visual mind map of this session. And BGita 2.23/24 chanting | text.
20 June 2018
As a quick way to stay grounded in advaita is ok to say Emptyness metaphors in living life.
Rgs Brian
Great chapter explaining consciousness. I especoally liked the Water, ocean, wave metaphore. Thank you.
Welcome.
So asking someone if they believe in god is like a cup of water asking another cup of water (in a universe made of water) if they believe water?
Basically yes. Even belief/non-belief is also water. Even Advaita Vedanta is water. Even concept of “I AM Water” is also water. When there is a dream tonight, the dreamer doesn’t think it’s a dream. The dreamer creates field of science and religion inside the dream. Dreamer starts wars and plays a peaceful role. Yet everything is pervaded and sustained by YOU, the One Waker alone. Problem is the dream character tries to “feel” like he/she is the Waker (enlightened). But even the feeling and the very mind that’s trying, is pervaded by the Waker. That’s why dreamer can’t do anything, other then own up to what is already the eternal truth, the One Waker alone. Plethora more on this in course.
thankyou. very good!
Thank you for this excellent course! I’m learning so much from every single video.
I just had a question about someone who is unconscious. Can you elaborate further into this? In essence the person is not alive but then the body is still ‘alive’. So what does that mean? Also what has happened to the consciousness of this person? Also what happens when consciousness returns? Hope you can give me some clarity on this matter. Thank you.
Hi Pauline.
If computer hardware is damaged (brain), then even if electricity (consciousness) is flowing through it, the computer is unable to show any software (mind) on the screen. Hence computer is “unconscious”. But this doesn’t mean that electricity isn’t flowing through the computer.
In same way…
When person is unconscious, it just means physical brain (gross body) is temporarily damaged, thus can’t host the mind (subtle body). Remember brain and mind are two different things. EG: Brain has weight/mass. But you can put weight onto thoughts.
Order is like this:
1) Consciousness
2) Subtle Body (Mind)
3) Physical Body (Brain) – Damaged, hence no mind, hence person is considered “in unconscious coma”.
I was wondering if you have read anything about IBM research on Mind Loops?
Also, if you would you be willing, maybe a video, to expand on this in regards to our vasanas, karma and reincarnation?
Many Thanks
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I was wondering if you have read anything about IBM research on Mind Loops?
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Is it:
1) Observe: senses pickup external world data and send inside the mind (which can be equated to CPU). But also observe one’s own inner thoughts.
2) Reflect: Taking time to study what kind of feelings it’s triggering, and what kind of related thoughts it’s bringing up.
3) Make: On bases of Step 2, intellects forms a conclusion, thus person acts for sake of (a) enjoying the result (b) protecting from potential harm.
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Also, if you would you be willing, maybe a video, to expand on this in regards to our vasanas, karma and reincarnation?
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Yes, the matter is spread throughout next 90+ videos. But through search I see something mentioned here: https://www.yesvedanta.com/bg/lesson-37/
Search on page: reincarnation
Thank you Andre, I started at Session 1 and am getting a lot out of the course so far. There are two things I’m confused about at the moment:
1. In this video you mentioned an analogy of apparently separate waves that are in reality the ocean/H2O. I think at one point you said that in this metaphor, the ocean is Īśvara 2, but then later I thought you said the ocean was Īśvara 1. I’m having trouble understanding what Īśvara 2 is – sometimes it seems like it’s just the entirety of the material world, but then I hear you talk about it as being sentient, which makes me think you’re talking about Īśvara 1. It would make sense to me if Īśvara 1 is consciousness and Īśvara 2 is all the apparent forms of it (like ocean vs. waves), but when I hear you use Īśvara 2 as a synonym for God, I get confused and think, “Isn’t Īśvara 1 supposed to be God?”.
2. The ahaṁkāra/ego is introduced here as the “doer/enjoyer” and I am struggling to see the connection between enjoying something and ego. E.g. if I listen to beautiful music and enjoy it, I don’t understand how ego is involved there, because there doesn’t seem to necessarily be any comparison/judgement/sense of “I” involved. I would have assumed that simply enjoying music would take place in the manas, while the ahaṁkāra would be operating when I think about my relationship to the music and form value judgements about it.
Maybe the best way to resolve these points of confusion is “just keep watching”, which I certainly will 🙂
1)
Isvara 1 = Brahman (final reality). Equated to H2O (that pervades the entire ocean). Satyam.
Isvara 2 = God (which is totality of all names-forms that manifest as this world. Just as Ocean is totality of all waves). Mithya.
I think in 10+- sessions the Isvara 1/2 will be taken out, and it’ll be called properly: Brahman & Isvara.
2) Ahamkara is a mechanism in the subtle body that localizes the experience (generated by emotions, intellect, and sensations of the world) as belonging to “I”. It’s mechanism because of which individual says “my ___”. EG: My pain, my happiness.
Therefore “I” do things in this world so that “I” can enjoy the fruits.
The only reason individual does is to enjoy the consequences. Noone does to suffer the consequences.
Thank you for these videos, Andre. I have a question about Isvara 2.
If Isvara 2 is the whole of objects in mitya, then how does Isvara 2 control the whole? The teaching is that Isvara is an intelligence that directs our purposes, so does this mean that Isvara is something different from my jiva, in terms of mitya? How can the whole be different from a part of the whole, like my jiva?
Hi,
Just like in a dream, by the power of your mind, a dream world is created.
Dream consists of characters, laws and orders like gravity/physics/ethics, and materials that make up the flesh of those characters, their individual minds, mountains, etc.
So in reference to the dream, you become God (the creator, sustainer) of the entire dream world. You are both the material and intelligent cause of everything and everyone in the dream.
So the dream of duality (multiplicity) is caused by ONE Mind. Meaning there’s no two things. There’s only You. Everything in the dream is not apart from you.
Similarly, the final reality (Brahman; Ishvara 1) enjoys a creative power. When that creative power manifests world of multiplicity, it forms this universe that’s being experienced right now.
The universe consists of infinite sentient beings (jivas) and insentient objects.
Nick is one of the infinite sentient beings (jiva). Andre is another sentient being. Worm another. Bacteria another, Etc.
When Nick asks what is the cause of time-space and all objects in time-space, the answer is God (Isvara 2).
In other words: Brahman (Ishvara 1) + creative power = God (Ishvara 2).
For now, I’d like you to ponder on what makes sense in above answer. Don’t get too hung up, because session 8 is very early. Take it lightly, gradually. 🙂