CHAPTER II
THE MASTER ON JNANA YOGA; THE VEDANTA OR ADWAITA PHILOSOPHY OR PHILOSOPHY OF THE UNCONDITIONED
(a) Brahma of the Vedanta—The Absolute and the Unconditioned.
Master: Well, I was talking of Vidya. But Brahma is above and beyond Vidya (the relative knowledge which leads Godward) as well as Avidya (the world which keeps all beings away from the knowledge of God).
Knowledge leading Godward is the last and topmost step of the stairs leading to the roof. The Absolute is the Roof.
The phenomenal world2 is made up of that3 which leads Godward and that4 which does not. Thus God the Absolute5 is above and beyond the phenomenal world.
1 Bhakti.
2 Mâyâ.
3 Vidyâ.
4 Avidyâ.
5 Brahma.
(b) The Absolute is perfectly unattached: The problem of Good and Evil solved.
The Absolute is unattached to Good or Evil. It is like the light of a lamp. You may read the Holy Scriptures1 with its help. It is equally open to you to forge another man's signature in the same light.
Again, the Absolute is like a snake. The snake has poison in its fangs. But it is none the worse for this. The poison does not affect the snake or cause its death. It is poison to others only; those whom it may chance to bite.
Whatever misery, sin or evil we find in this world is misery, sin, or evil only relatively to ourselves. God the Absolute is not affected thereby. He is above and beyond all these things.
Evil in the created is not evil to the Absolute and the Unconditioned any more than the venom in the fang of the snake is venom to the snake. God the Absolute is above and beyond Good and Evil.
Yes, that Being is perfectly unattached. He is not to be judged by any human standard of Good and Evil. His sun sheds light equally on the Evil and the Good.
(c) Brahma is unspeakable2
Everything—even the revealed Scriptures, the Vedas, the Puranas, the Tantras and all other Sacred Books—has become with one sole exception, as it were defiled3 like the leavings of food, having been uttered by the mouth of human beings. That One Exception is Brahma. For when one reads the Vedas and other Sacred Books one must use the vocal organs and thus bring these texts in touch with the mouth, so to speak. Thus they may be said to have all been defiled like the leavings of food. But no creature in this world has yet been able to give proper and adequate expression to God the Absolute. He is unspeakable, unthinkable, inconceivable!
1 Bhâgavat.
2 Avyapadesyam.
3 Ucchista.
Vidyâsâgar: I must say, here is, indeed, some thing that I have learnt to-day. The Absolute is the One Substance that has never been defiled by the mouth!
Master: Yes, that is so. It is Being not conditioned by anything—Time,1 Space,2 or Causation,3 etc. How can one give expression to it by any word of mouth?
The Absolute again is like the unfathomable ocean. Nothing can be predicated of It—the Being beyond the bounds of Relativity—of all existence! The last feeble attempt to describe this Being—the attempt made in the Vedas—is to call Him by the name of Bliss4 Everlasting!
If you are asked to describe the ocean, you stand with your mouth wide open and can only stammer out, 'Oh, how vast an expanse! What a never-ending succession of gigantic waves! What thunderous sound, incessant and eternal!' That is all!
The utmost that Sukadeva and Holy Sages like him could ever do was to see and to touch the water of this Immortal Sea, and just taste a bit! Had he once gone down into that Sea, he would have been merged in It, never to come back into this world any more!
1 Kâla.
2 Desa.
3 Nimitta.
4 Ânandam.
(d) The Great Mystery is unfathomable by conditioned knowledge: Parable of the Ants and the Mountain of Sugar.
Once upon a time, there came some ants to a mountain of sugar. They, of course, had no idea that it was such a big thing. They ate up a few grains of the sugar and were filled. Then each took away a particle. As they went their way, they thought the next time they would be able to carry away the whole mountain to their place of habitation!
Such, alas, is the condition of man! It is given to some few, indeed, to realise the Supreme Being1. But many unfortunately, run away with the idea that they have fully known, fully enjoyed communion with, fully realised, that Infinite Being!
The mountain of sugar seems all but carried home by the ant; for is he not filled and satisfied with his meal? Thus, too, the self-deluded Rationalist! He is satisfied with his ounce of reason. Ergo, he comprehends Brahma!—he knows what the Absolute is and what It is not!
People talk glibly of the Infinite, the Absolute, the Unconditioned, as if they had any conception of It at all!
Sukadeva and other holy sages were at best ants of the larger sort. If we say that they could eat up eight or ten particles of this sugar, we have said enough in their favour.
1 Brahma.
It is just as absurd to say that God the Absolute has been known and comprehended by any one, as it is to say that a mountain of sugar has been carried home by some ants to be eaten up.
(e) The Goal of the Vedantin.
The union between the Undifferentiated (the Universal Soul) and the Differentiated (the individualised soul1) is the goal of the Vedantin.
The parable of the Salt Doll.
Once upon a time a doll made of salt went to the sea with a view to measure its depth. This salt doll had in its hand a sounding line and plummet. It came to the edge of the water and looked on the mighty Ocean that was before it. Up to this point it had continued to be the doll of salt that it actually was, keeping its own individuality. But no sooner did it take one step forward, and put its foot to the water, than it became one with the Ocean—lost—entirely lost to view! Every particle of the salt doll now dissolved in the sea-water. The salt of which it was made had come from the Ocean, and behold, it came back once more to be reunited to the original salt of the Ocean!
The 'Differentiated' had again become one with the 'Undifferentiated.'
The human soul is this salt doll—the Differentiated Individualised ego. The Absolute, the Unconditioned is the Infinite salt Ocean—the Undifferentiated Ego.
1 Jiva.
The salt doll could not come back and tell of the depth of the Mighty Ocean. Such is he who is fortunate enough to realise God the Absolute in the unfathomable depth of a Samadhi1 which wipes out all individuality. Undifferentiated as He is, He comes not back out of the deep to tell the world the nature of God, the Absolute and Unconditioned. For if it were ever possible, by my Mother's will, for the salt doll to come back to the differentiated again, it must speak in terms of the finite—in the language of the differentiated. It must behave like an inhabitant of the relative phenomenal world.
This is why the Great Mystery defies all attempts at explanation. The Absolute and Unconditioned cannot be stated in terms of the Relative, the Conditioned. The Infinite cannot be expressed in terms of the Finite.
God the Absolute beyond all predication. Parable of the Vedic Father and His Two Sons.
A certain father had two sons. When they were of age he wished to start them on the first stage of life—that of the student2. To this end they were given into the care of a preceptor and with him made to go through the Vedas and other Sacred Books.
In this way there passed some days. The father now wished to see how the young men were getting on with their studies. He sent for them and asked whether they had read the Vedanta, which purports to teach the Highest Knowledge to the aspirant. The sons replied that they had.
1 Nirvikalpa.
2 Brahmachârin.
Father: So, my boys, you have read the Vedanta. Well, tell me what sort of a Being is God1 the Absolute.
Elder son (quoting the Vedas and other Scriptures): It, O Father, is not capable2 of being expressed by words, or of being known by the mind. O, He is thus and thus and so and so; I know it all (Here he quotes texts from the Vedanta).
Father: Very well, that will do. So you have known Brahma; you may go about your business. Now, my boy, let me hear what you have got to say. What sort of Being is the Absolute?
The second son, to whom this question was put, hung down his head and sat quite mute. Not a word proceeded out of his mouth. Nor did he make any attempt to speak. He continued in this state for a long time.
The father thereupon said, Yes, my boy, you are right after all. Nothing can be predicated of the Absolute and the Unconditioned! No sooner do you talk of him one way or the other, than you state the Infinite in terms of the Finite, the Absolute in terms of the Relative, the Unconditioned in terms of the Conditioned. Your silence is more eloquent than the recitation of a hundred texts3 and the quoting of a hundred authorities.
(f) Realization.
Yes, He who has True Knowledge ceases to have anything to do with talk or controversy. God the Absolute, is the one Substance to be realized—not described or known. The sign of True Knowledge or Realization is cessation of doubt and therefore of all philosophical discussion.
1 Brahma.
2 Avângmanasagocharam.
3 Slokas.
How long does the clarified butter set in a pan over a cooking-stove go on making a noise? Why, so long as it does not get to the right degree of heat at which no trace of water is left. The clarified butter not sufficiently hot bubbles up and gives out those well-known sounds kawl, kawl.
The butter melted to the right temperature and not giving any sound is he who has got True Knowledge—that is, who has realized God the Absolute.
The butter not heated is the aspirant for knowledge. The water with which it is mixed must be taken out by setting it over the fire. This is the ego or self which gets very clamorous in the process of being got rid of. As soon as this egoism is shaken off it is pucka. No noise, no clamour (Laughter).
At the same time the impurities all settle down on the bottom of the pan. Worldliness and attachment to women—'carnality and gold' and their attendant evils are the impurities.
The Perfect Man again, is like a pitcher of water filled to the brim. While the pitcher is being filled it gives a gurgling sound (bhawk, bhawk). As soon as it is filled the sound ceases altogether. The sound is reasoning or discrimination leading up, by my Mother's will, to True Knowledge. The sound tells us that the pitcher is not yet full. Discriminating1, too, proves that the Goal has not yet been reached.
1 Vichâra.
The bee buzzes so long as it does not settle down on the flower and begin to drink of the honey. As soon as it tastes the honey all buzzing is at an end.
Is discriminating possible after True Knowledge?
The question now arises how do we explain the relation between a 'Perfect' preceptor and his disciples? The preceptor must talk with a view to drive away the ignorance of the disciple. This is discriminating—which, however, does no harm.
The butter set over the fire in a pan when melted to the right degree of heat ceases no doubt to give any sound. But throw an unbaked cake1 into this hot melted butter. The result is that the heated butter in contact with the water in the cake will once more begin to give off sounds. This noise will go on as long as the cake is not sufficiently fried and made ready for eating.
The cake is the disciple. The sound which the heated butter (the preceptor) gives the second time is the process of discrimination which he is called upon to go through in order that the disciple may be brought to light. The cessation of the sound tells us that the Master has stopped talking as soon as the disciple has been illumined.
(g) The Higher Self alone knows the Higher Self.
The result of the foregoing position is that the Higher Self2 alone knows the Higher Self. He, Knowledge Absolute3 is capable of being realize by Himself, the Knowledge Absolute alone.
1 Luchi (Poori).
2 Atman.
3 Bodhaswarupam.
The Differentiated Soul, so long as it continues to be differentiated and walks on the lower plane cannot as such realize God the Absolute.
The Undifferentiated alone realizes the Undifferentiated.
This is the true meaning of the expression 'God is unknown and unknowable.'
The World-system (Maya) is unreal. Vedanta Philosophy interpreted by the School of Sankara
All differentiation takes place in the domain of Mâyâ. In other words, it is Mâyâ that causes the differentiation. It ends with the cessation of Mâyâ.
All the facts of the universe—every object, every phenomenon—that comes under creation, preservation and destruction—under Body, Mind and Soul; under waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep, even meditation,1 all come under Mâyâ (the World-system). All these are looked upon as unreal by those2 who interpret the Vedanta Philosophy after Sankara and the like.
According to these the Absolute is the only Reality; the Universe3 is Unreal4 that is when looked at from the point of view of the Absolute. To the Absolute or the Undifferentiated the universe and man and other creatures5 are unreal, for the only Reality is the Absolute.
When Mâyâ is realized as unreal the differentiated ego6 has been completely shaken off or effaced, so to speak. There is no trace of the ego left behind. It is perfect Samadhi.
1 Dhyâna.
2 Vedantists or Jnânins.
3 Jagat.
4 Mithyâ.
5 Jiva.
6 Aham.
It is absurd to say 'the world is unreal' so long as we remain convinced that we ourselves are real! A person who has not realized the Absolute cannot realize that the world is unreal.
On the other hand, a saint returning from Samadhi to a lower spiritual plane gets back by my Mother's will, his differentiated, attenuated, though purified, ego.
Getting back his ego the saint is thrown once more upon the world of relativity. So long as his ego is real to him (real relatively), the world is real too, and the Absolute is unreal (unreal relatively)!
With his differentiated ego restored to him he perceives, the World-system (Mâyâ) as real. Only the ego being purified by God-Vision, he sees the phenomena of the universe as manifestations of the Absolute to the senses.
He also sees the World-system (Mâyâ) as either Vidya or Avidya.
Vidya leads Godward. To this belong discrimination1, non-attachment2, love of God3, etc,. Avidya leads away from God. To this belong carnality4, riches5, honors, work with attachment, and the rest.
Realization: The reconciliation between the Non-dualist and the Dualist.
Vijnânis are they who have realized God in Samadhi both (1) as the Impersonal or the Undifferentiated, and (2) as God Personal.
(Literally Vijnâni means, He who possesses an intimate Knowledge of God.)
1 Viveka.
2 Vairâgya.
3 Bhakti.
4 Kâmini.
5 Kânchan
Vijnânis have realized that it is the Absolute and Unconditioned who as the Primal Divine Energy causes this differentiation1 into God and the World-system, the soul and the universe. They have seen God both within and without and have received this Revelation from Him direct. God Personal has said to them, 'I am the Absolute (Brahma Nirgunam of the Upanishads) realized in Samadhi. I have caused this differentiation. I am the Origin of the twenty-four categories—of the human soul and the world.'
The Personal God—creating, sustaining, destroying and causing this differentiation—has manifested Himself in various forms to those2 who seek the Personal God3 alone, as well as to the Vijnânis as a Person with the three qualities4.
The Sattva Guna (material) of the Divine Person preserves, the Rajas creates, and the Tamas destroys. These three qualities dwell in the Divine Person. But He is not in them. He is quite unattached.
(h) The only Proof of God, Impersonal or Personal: Revelation.
The Vijnâni with his soul (his ego) purified has thus seen God, the Personal side of the Absolute as well as the Impersonal. He has heard His voice both within and without him. Not only so. He has talked to him. He has ministered to Him as Father, Mother, Son, Wife, Servant, Brother, &c. According to the testimony therefore of these Perfect men—these Vijnânis—the World system5 is not an illusion, but the manifestation to the differentiated but purified ego of a Real Being as a Person who has created (or from whom have been evolved) the human soul and the soul of every created being as well as this universe.
1 Bheda.
2 Bhaktas.
3 Sakti or Iswara.
4 Gunas.
5 Mâyâ or Sakti.
This testimony is infallible because based upon Revelation.
The Lord revealed Himself to the Rishis as both Personal and Impersonal. Such revelations are made from time to time for the salvation of mankind as well as for the joy of Devotees.
The Impersonal and the Personal God.
When the Supreme Being is thought of as inactive1—neither creating, sustaining nor destroying, I call Him by the name Brahma or Purusha (the Male Principle) the Impersonal God. When I think of Him as active—creating, sustaining, destroying, I call Him by the name of Sakti or Mâyâ or Prakriti (the Female Principle) or the Personal God.
The use of analogies.
Analogies indeed do not go on all fours with the things to be made clear by them. They are at best one-sided2 being intended to clear up some one particular phase of an unknown thing and bring it out from obscurity.
'So and so is a tiger' does not mean he is a tiger in every respect, even to the head, the teeth, the claws, the tail! It is not meant that he has claws or a tail like a tiger. The meaning is simply that he is fearful-looking.
1 Nishkriya.
2 Ekadesi.
No analogy can be perfectly satisfactory to explain the relation between the Impersonal and the Personal God. This is a thing to be realized alone.
Yet analogies enable us to catch a glimpse, however faint, of the truth regarding spiritual matters that go beyond the bounds of sense-consciousness.
(i) One and the same Being.
But in fact the distinction between Brahma the Inactive or Impersonal God on the one hand and Sakti the Active or Personal God on the other is a distinction without a difference.
The Impersonal and the Personal are one and the same Being, even as fire and its burning property are one. You cannot conceive of fire apart from its power of burning, nor the power of burning apart from the fire!
They are one, even as milk and its whiteness are one. One cannot conceive of milk without the whiteness.
They are one, just as a gem and its brightness are one. You cannot conceive of a gem without its brightness, nor of gem-like brightness apart from a gem.
They are one, even as a serpent and its movement in a crooked line are one. You cannot conceive of the serpent apart from its serpentine tortuous motion nor of serpentine motion apart from the serpent.