Passage 4

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

We see with the eye and take it to be the world. The knowledge that, through the eye, with the working of the antaḥkaraṇa, sees colours: that itself is Prajñāna. The knowledge that, through the ears, by the working of the antaḥkaraṇa, can hear many sounds, pleasant and harsh: that is Prajñāna. The knowledge that, through the sense organs, with the working of the antaḥkaraṇa, experiences fragrances and foul smells of every kind: that itself is Prajñāna. The knowledge that, through the tongue, with the working of the antaḥkaraṇa, comes to know tastes of many kinds: that itself is Prajñāna. For sight, hearing, speech and smell, for all of them, this Prajñāna is contained in the principle called the antaḥkaraṇa. The eyes are only like bulbs. Just because there is a bulb, do we get light? What makes this bulb shine? That is the current. That is electric power. So the eyes are only like bulbs; they have no power of their own and no power to shine by themselves. Their support is the current. In the same way, the ears are like loudspeakers. Just because there is a speaker, can we hear sound? There must be a current connected within it. Without this current we cannot hear sound. If there is no current in the mike, you cannot hear my voice in the speaker at all. In the same way, all these five senses are inert. What turns these inert senses into living consciousness is that Prajñāna.

The whole world is a mixture of substances. In all of these, what does not change, what is there in all three times, is one and one only. That is the principle of the Ātma. That is Prajñāna. That is Brahman. Only through such a power, eternal, true and ever present, are all these fleeting, impermanent, transient substances able to work. The name of the Paramātma is asti, bhāti, priyam. That is, Sat, Cit, Ānanda. Sat means being, that which always is. Cit means that which shows all-knowingness. This principle of the Ātma is that which is always Ānanda. All three of these do not change. To such an unchanging principle we add form and name. These forms and names are always changing. When form and name are added to asti, bhāti, priyam, that is, to Sat, Cit and Ānanda, they become five. This set of five they named prapañca. That is, they said Matter + Being = GOD. So the principle that always is, is present in all substances too. You may not know it. You may not be able to see it. Even though you do not see it, there is in it one thing, that eternal principle. So behind all our senses there is something called consciousness, and it goes on working. Without that principle of Prajñāna, man is nothing but inert matter. So we must recognise the truth that humanness is the principle of the Ātma joined with divinity.