End Of Knowledge

Tag: enlightenment

  • The Elephant Mind

    Hello Vishnudeva,
    When I meditate, my mind gets distracted and unwanted thoughts come into play. I can’t clear my mind and make it completely empty.

    V: That’s okay, because in Advaita Vedanta understanding one’s self is the purpose of meditation, rather than getting rid of thoughts. And this is a good thing, because as you have seen, it is virtually impossible to force the mind to stop thinking. In fact, efforts made to willfully restrain the mind lead to frustration and inner tension, both of which, ironically, are inimical to the practice of meditation itself.

    So, try not thinking of meditation as actively managing the mind. Instead, think of the mind as a tank of muddy water that you are passively observing. Here, the mind is the water, and the dirt floating in the water is thought. And trying to coerce the mind into not thinking is like trying to get dirt to settle to the bottom of a tank of water by throwing in more dirt. Why? Because the desire to clear the mind, and the mental efforts made to do so, are just more thoughts. They only further muddy the water of the mind.

    But when you simply observe the mind without judgement, it will, like an undisturbed tank of muddy water, settle and become clear on its own. Let the thoughts arise and resolve of their own accord, doing your best not to judge them, dwell on them, or contemplate their meaning. And when you inevitably get “hooked” by one of the mind’s alluring ideations or distracting anxieties, then just watch the mind judge, deliberate, reminisce, worry and ponder, and wait to see if it settles down, rather than stirring the mind up further by trying to force it to stop. If the mind clears up on its own, then good. If not, then simply watch it in all of its muddy glory until the allotted meditation time is over, and then “try” again next time. When you sit to meditate in the same place and at the same time everyday, your mind will eventually get the hint about what you are trying to do, and it will become more cooperative. And once you are able to allow the mind clear of its own accord through passive observation, you are ready to use meditation for its intended purpose, which is self inquiry.

    But this approach, because it requires immense amounts of diligence and patience, rarely comes easily to people. So, when a meditator is not yet able to allow their mind to settle on its own through passive observation, Vedanta offers another option: the practice of japa. With japa, the meditator interjects a thought into their mind—in this case, a sacred mantra—and then focuses all of their attention on that that thought, to the exclusion of all other thoughts. The other thoughts are still present in the mind, no doubt, but because the meditator is occupied with the mantra alone, their attention remains steady, focused and undivided, rather than flitting hither and thither from thought to thought.

    Here is a common story that explains the methodology of japa. In India, there are elephant trainers called mahouts. And when these mahouts would parade their elephants through the village, the elephants would cause chaos as they walked the streets with their trunks swinging about, knocking over vendor’s stands and snatching bananas and coconuts.

    Now, in order to stop the elephants form running amok in the village, did the mahouts restrain the elephants and wrestle them into submission? No, because it is impossible for a man to overpower an elephant by force. Instead, the mahouts gave the elephants something to do—they gave the elephants a stick to hold with their trunks. And when the elephants had a stick to hold on to, their trunks were properly occupied and they no longer felt the need to swing them around causing trouble.

    Your mind is like an elephant that must be coaxed into behaving, because it cannot be forcibly overpowered. The swinging trunk of the elephant is the process of your mind thinking, and the bananas and coconuts in the vendor’s stalls are the various thoughts. The mantra that you focus on in meditation is the stick. And by giving the elephant mind a stick to play with, the trunk of thinking is occupied. When the trunk of thinking is properly occupied, it no longer feels the needs to swing about wildly, continuously dividing its attention in an attempt to find newer, juicer or more interesting bananas and coconuts (thoughts). By directing the mind’s attention towards one single thought, all attention towards other thoughts is withdrawn, by default. The thoughts are there, but you are no longer paying attention to them. Considering that the mind cannot be compelled to stop thinking, this is the more sensible approach to meditation. And by training the mind with japa to not give needless attention to frivolous thoughts, you will be preparing yourself to meditate by passively observing the mind. Because “observing the mind” is really just allowing thoughts to appear in the mind, without fixing your attention on them.

    Here are some tips for doing japa properly:

    1. Use only a single mantra for this practice, one that you find meaningful. Continuously switching mantras is unhelpful, and using a mantra that your mind finds unappealing is ineffective.
    2. There are three ways to repeat the mantra: loudly, quietly and mentally. Saying the mantra loudly is especially good if, at first, you find it difficult to completely focus on the mantra. Once you’ve mastered the ability to keep your attention on the loud mantra, you can then practice saying it quietly, like you are muttering. Then, you can move on to repeating the name mentally.
    3. If you have trouble concentrating on the mantra alone, you can use a mala, which is a loop of beads similar to a Catholic rosary, or a Muslim misbaha. Using a mala aids in concentration by anchoring the repetition of the mantra to a physical object, thus occupying both the mind and the body.
    4. In the absence of a proper mala, any beads will do. Recently, one of my students made a mala out of some old Mardi Gras beads he had lying around, and his practice of japa has been progressing nicely. (I absolutely loved this “Mardi Gras Mala”, because it shows that it is not the paraphernalia, but the practice itself, that matters).
    5. To use the mala: Put your right ring finger through the loop of beads and let it hang at the first bead (called “meru”; you will know this bead because it is usually larger than the rest of the beads and marked with a tassel). Repeat the mantra one time, and then use your thumb or middle finger to cycle to the next bead. Repeat until you come to the other end of the mala. This is one round. You will know when the round is over when the meru bead is in front of your middle finger or thumb and you cannot move to the next bead. To do another round, flip the mala over so the meru is once again behind your ring finger, like when you started.
    6. Your goal is to bring your full attention to the mantra. But be gentle with your mind. Remember that you are coaxing it, rather than fighting it. If you find your mind wandering, don’t waste attention on being concerned about the the wandering. Just observe the wandering like a disinterested witness and gently bring your attention back to the name.
    7. Establish a set place and time to do your practice. Any place will do as long as it is clean and relatively quiet. And any time that suits you is fine as long as it is the same time everyday. Through regularity, your mind will come to recognize the time and place you choose as “meditation time” and “meditation place.” Then, the mind will know that it is time to concentrate, rather than wildly chase after thoughts, and it will fall into the practice of japa more quickly and easily.
    8. Sit on the floor or in a chair, whichever is most comfortable. You want the body to be at ease, in order that your mind doesn’t become distracted by physical discomfort. Breathe and fully relax the body. Then hold the mala comfortably with your right hand, while letting the remainder of the mala rest in your left hand.
    9. In addition to your formal meditation practice, you can also mentally repeat the mantra while you go about your daily affairs, especially if those activities are mundane and normally mindless, like washing dishes or taking a shower. An activity that requires your attention, such as driving, would not be suitable (or safe) for japa.

    If you have additional questions, just let me know. And good luck!

    All my best,
    Vishnudeva

  • Advaita, Karma & Reincarnation

    Hello Vishnudeva,
    I have a question: Since the whole world and everything which appears in it is just an illusion (Maya), and there is no real person, how does the Advaita Vedanta explain the doctrine of Karma and reincarnation?

    V: Hi Henry. Advaita Vedanta is nothing but the teachings of the Upanishads. On that basis, Advaita Vedanta accepts the theory of karma put forth in the Upanishads themselves. An example of this theory is found at verse 4.3.3 of one of the most ancient Upanishads, the Brihadaranyka:

    “[Rebirth] is like this. As a caterpillar, when it comes to the tip of a blade of grass, reaches out to a new foothold and draws itself onto it, so the self, after it has rendered the body inert, reaches out to a new foothold and draws itself onto it.”

    H: In other schools of Indian philosophy there is a kind of Dualism between Jiva Atma and ParamAtma. I can understand this doctrine, but not according to Advaita Vedanta, because there never existed an individual person or entity in the first place. I would like to know your stand on this subject.

    V: You are correct that in Advaita Vedanta, there is ultimately no dualism between jiva atma and paramatma. But that does not make the jiva atma non-existent, seeing as the jiva atma (body/mind entity) is obviously experienced by all conscious beings. And Shankara, Advaita’s greatest teacher, says that the claims of even a thousand scriptures cannot contradict common experience and turn fire cold or light into darkness. 

    So, Advaita does not deny the existence of the jiva atma, because it is obviously experienced, as is the world. And in that world, there are natural laws, one of which is karma and rebirth. Action causes results, which must necessarily be reaped by the agent of those actions. Since a living being performs innumerable actions in life, reaping the results of those actions requires future lives. 

    Now, even though Advaita does not question the existence of karma and rebirth, it does question its reality. There is a difference, for we can experience something, yet still question whether or not it is actually real. A common example is experiencing a dream, but questioning its reality upon waking.  

    But why would Advaita question the reality of life at all? Well, if the theory of karma and rebirth is true, then every moment in the present is the effect of a past action, and every reaction to the present moment is the cause for yet another moment in the future. And so forth. How then can liberation from karma and rebirth be achieved when every karma leads to more karma and future rebirths in and endless chain of cause and effect? 

    At best, we can perform good karma and try to go to some kind of heavenly realm when our body dies. The fly in the ointment though, is that the same scripture that endorses the performance of karma to get to heaven also says that our trip to heaven will be temporary, seeing as it was caused by a limited entity performing a finite number of actions life. This means that when the good karma that we’ve accrued runs out, we are once again born in the world. The implication here is that liberation from karma and rebirth cannot be found in the performance of karma itself, for a limited number of transient actions cannot logically produce an infinite, permanent result i.e. liberation. 

    Since liberation from karma and rebirth is the aim of all schools of Indian Philosophy, the issue of karma potentially presents an intractable conundrum: If we really are this body and mind, which is the effect of old karma as well the producer of new karma and new bodies, then how can we ever truly be free by doing more karma? We’re stuck in a loop! 

    Luckily, the scriptures (to which all orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy supposedly owe their allegiance) offers a solution:

    “The knower of Brahman attains the highest. Brahman is existence, consciousness, infinity” -Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1

    “This self is Brahman” -Mandukya 2

    “I take that to be the self, I who have the knowledge, I who am immortal…the breathing behind breathing, the sight behind sight, the hearing behind hearing, the thinking behind thinking…with mind (understanding) alone must one know it. There is no diversity here. From death to death he goes, who sees here any kind of diversity.” -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.19

    “I am Brahman”–Brihadaranyaka 1.4.10

    Here, the scripture, irresespective of any particular school of philosophy’s views on atma and paramatma, rather plainly states that there is no relationship possible between “I” (jiva atma) and Brahman (paramatma/self) on the basis that paramatma and atma are non-different. 

    When paramatma and atma are non-different, then liberation, rather than being the result of action, is the result of understanding. It is not what we do that causes liberation. Rather, liberation is directly realizing what we are: “Oh! We’ve been free this whole time, because freedom is our nature.” 

    But…the jiva atma exists. How is this so, when there is only Brahman? 

    “The lord, on account of his maya, appears variously” -Brihadaranyaka 2.5.19

    The scripture answers by saying that the difference between jiva atma and paramatma consists in appearance alone. The difference is only “as if.” 

    For instance, from experience we know that there is a difference between a lump of clay and a clay pot. The lump of clay is just a formless mass but the pot is round. The lump of clay can’t be used for anything but the pot can hold water. On the superficial level, the lump of clay is not a clay pot. 

    But digging beneath the surface level of appearance, what is the actual difference between the lump of clay and the clay pot? In reality, the clay pot is nothing but clay. So while the clay may assume a form and a function, this does not alter its fundamental nature as clay. The pot may be broken and remolded, but it nontheless remains clay, despite any appearance to the contrary. 

    It is the same with paramatma. It is the clay that appears to be the clay pot of jiva atma. When the jiva atma thinks it is the clay pot of the body, it believes that it will be broken and refashioned endlessly. But when the jiva atma understands that it is really paramatma, and nothing but paramatma, it knows that karma and reincarnation are only happening on an “as if” basis, similar to a dream. Just as a dream is real when we think it is real, so is the jiva atma. But just as a dream is seen to ultimately unreal upon waking, so is karma and reincarnation seen to unreal upon waking up to the reality of Brahman. 

    Mandukya Karika 2.31-32 says, “Just as dream, magic or a city in the sky are seen to be unreal, so also is this whole universe known to be unreal from the Upanishads by the wise. There is no destruction, no origination, none in bondage, none striving or aspiring for salvation, and non-liberated (Because all are already the ever-free Brahman). This is the highest truth.”

    So, Advaita’s position on jiva atma and paramatma is that they are only superficially different. When this superficial difference is thought to be real, then we think that the jiva atma’s karma and reincarnation applies to us, defines us and limits us. When we see that jiva atma is really paramatma, then though the appearance of the jiva atma (body/mind) persists until death, it is known that the appearance in no way whatsoever affects us.

    Thank you very much,
    Henry

    V: You’re welcome Henry. This was a good question and I enjoyed answering. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask. Though, as you may have noticed, I am always speedy with my replies. Life always keeps me busy with plenty of karma, wink wink. 

    All my best,
    Vishnudeva

  • A “Hard” Question

    Namaste,

    How can the Atman(consciousness) appear as something hard? My sense of touch seems to disprove the Advaita stance that the physical world is merely an appearance of the non-physical self.

    In dreams, things appear real to me. But in my personal experience, I’ve never felt a hard or soft thing inside a dream. Hence, I don’t find the idea that the world is like a dream to be very useful. Please help.

    Hello,

    This a complicated subject, that in my experience, I will not be able to adequately explain in a single email. So I will give a summary of the issue. And if you feel so inclined, we can start an ongoing conversation.  

    Right now, you are saying that a hard object has an objective existence, meaning that it truly exists, in physical form, outside of your Self i.e. outside of your consciousness. But how can you tell me that this hard object exists? Only because it appears in your mind.  

    And how can you tell me that the object feels hard? Only because you experience the sensation of “hardness” in your mind in the form of a thought.

    Since that is the case, then you only know the object and its “hardness” as a thought. Even though you may experience thoughts and sensations in waking life differently than you experience thoughts in dream, they are nonetheless both thoughts.  

    While waking life and dream life thoughts may feel different, they both only appear as thoughts, in you, the conscious Self. Yet, while no one hesitates to dismiss dream life as fanciful, we take waking life at face value because it “feels real”, not considering the fact that these feelings and sensations are just thoughts in our minds. 

    To prove that a physical world actually exists, independently of the conscious Self, you would have to step outside of your consciousness and attempt to verify a physical world without using your mind and senses. 

    Why? Because the mind and senses are the only instruments we have available to use for acquiring knowledge, for proving something. Right now you are using the evidence of your mind and senses to say that the physical world is actually “out there”, outside of your consciousness. 

    I am not arguing that your mind and senses don’t make a very convincing case for a real, physical world. But observe how many times in your life that your mind and senses have deceived you. For example, everyday your mind tells you that the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. But in reality, this is not true.

    So I would ask you to prove to me that this physical world actually exists, because I only experience it as a thought, as an object in my consciousness. This is no special power that I have, because it’s already like that for you too. We are both the conscious self, passively witnessing the universe as a thought appearing in us. Through inquiry, you merely see for yourself that this is true. 

    One note: I am not saying that the world exists purely in your mind, meaning in SJ’s mind. SJ is but an individual. An illusory person. He does not create the universe. Nor does the universe only exist when SJ’s individual mind is aware of it, as some schools of Buddhism and philosophical Idealism claim. For instance, I assure you that I exist here in America, writing this email while you are halfway around the world, completely unaware of what I am doing.    

    In summary: There is only you, the Self. From you, the Self, arises Isvara, the creator and sustainer of the universe. Isvara is a thought in the infinite awareness of you, the Self. From there, the universe arises as thought in Isvara’s mind. One thought within that thought of the universe is the body-mind called SJ. In turn, the body-mind called SJ experiences the “thought-universe” of Isvara, in the form of thoughts in his own mind. 

    There is no physical world. Just the thought of one in Isvara’s mind. And every individual person (jiva or body-mind) experiences that “thought world” of Isvara in their own minds. But Isvara, the universe and the individual people who inhabit it are nothing but thoughts in you, the Self.

    I hope that helps. 

    All my best,

    Vishnudeva

  • Relationships & Non-Duality

    S: What is the relation of the Self to the body/mind?

    V: Relation is only possible between two different things. But the self alone exists. So there is no relationship between the self and the body/mind because there is no actual body/mind. There is only the self appearing to be a body/mind. The appearance of the body/mind is none other than you. All you have to remember is that appearing as a body/mind does not affect your true nature in any way.

    S: I am aware of the sensations of the body, and thoughts of the mind appear to me like other perceptions from the world. But I am not aware of pain in another’s body or mind. In that sense, it is different from other objects. What is the special/additional relationship I have with the body?

    V: Again, there is no special relationship. You’re looking at this issue from the perspective of the mind, not the self. 

    Where does S.’s body/mind appear? In awareness. Where does Vishnu’s body/mind appear? In awareness. Does this mean there is more than one awareness or that awareness has a special relationship to either of our body/mind’s? No. Just as one sun illuminates all objects on earth, there is only one awareness in which all body/minds appear. Awareness is aware of your body/mind in the exact same way it’s aware of mine. 

    When you say, “I don’t know your thoughts” what you are saying is, “My mind doesn’t know your thoughts.” And this is correct because the mind is a limited instrument with a limited range of perception.  It will not experience what another mind is experiencing.  But awareness illuminates both your mind and my mind equally.  To the self, there is not even a “my mind” or “your mind.” There are just minds appearing. So while your mind may not be able to read my thoughts, as the self, you “know” (illuminate) my mind the exact same way that you “know” S.’s mind. 

    S: Also, terms like ‘act as an embodied spirit’ or ‘play the role of a son/friend, etc.’ also suggests hypocrisy and artificialness. How do I cope?

    V: Yes, it can be strange to know that you’re the self while other people don’t. But that’s just how it goes. When you radically change your thinking, it takes time to adjust. And most people will never understand what you know. It can be disorienting at first, but you just get used to it over time. 

    So just be S., all the while knowing you aren’t S. There’s nothing artificial about it because it’s true. Act normal. Live your life. Friends and family are good. Enjoy them. Your relationships with people aren’t fake just because you know you’re the self. In fact, they are much more real because you can relate to people in a more open, loving way. Why? Because you know you don’t have to be compelled to act from the selfish standpoint of the ego.

    So self-knowledge isn’t intended to interfere with your personal relationships. It simply helps you approach those relationships with more understanding, objectivity and compassion. You can actually care about people on a deeper level when you know they are none other than yourself. Your relationships can become more authentic because your thinking is in alignment with the truth. The only inauthentic way to relate to people is from the false standpoint of the ego. Let me know if that helps. 

    All my best – V

  • Breaking Body Identification

    Hello Vishnu, I hope you are doing well. 

    V: Hi S.  I am doing well. Thank you. 

    S: I can report that I am making slow but sure progress in my understanding of Advaita. I have a doubt about letting go of body identification. I am convinced that as the limited body I will continue to be affected by problems from which there is no escape. Consciousness on the other hand is infinite and unaffected by anything.

    V: You are correct. The limited body, because it is part of the unreal world, will continue to be affected by problems: Sickness, fatigue, old age, death etc. This is the case for both the enlightened and the unenlightened. 

    S: How do I shed my body identity and start seeing myself as consciousness?

    V: Up until this point you have spent your whole life thinking you’re the body. In other words, identifying yourself with the body is a long standing habit. That means it will take a long time to break that habit. And how do you break an old habit? By starting a new one. In this case, you practice thinking of yourself as the Self until it replaces your old habit of thinking of yourself as the body. Here’s one way to do it: 

    Constantly monitor what you think and say. Whenever you say or think the word “I”, ask yourself, “What ‘I’ am I talking about?” 

    Here’s an example. Say you didn’t sleep very well. You go to work and a friend asks, “How are you today?” You reply, “I’m tired.”  At that moment you ask yourself, “What ‘I’ am I talking about?” What ‘I’ is tired? In this case the ‘I’ is the body. You remind yourself that only the body is tired. Draw your attention to the fact that you are the consciousness that illumines the tired body, and you, consciousness (the self), are never tired. 

    Do this anytime you make a statement or think a thought like this. “I am hungry”, “I am sad”, “I am sick”, “I am happy” etc. Remind yourself that the “I” you are talking about in these statements is just the unreal body. Then draw your attention back to the fact that you are the Self that knows the body and mind, the Self that is never hungry, sad, sick, happy etc. 

    This is one way that I found to be very helpful in regards to breaking body identification. The bottom line is that when you see identification with the body appear in the mind, you simply draw your attention back to who you really are. If it’s a stubborn identification, go back to the basics and use the logic you already know: “I know the hunger, so I cannot be hungry. The hunger was not previously present. I was. The hunger will go away. I won’t. The hunger is a transient state and therefore unreal. I am the real Self that knows the hunger and I am unaffected by it.”

    Alternately, you can spend time affirming who you really are using descriptions of your Self in the scriptures. For instance, you know that you, the Self, are ananda, limitless. So say this to yourself and think about it. “I am the limitless Self.” Ask yourself, “Is there anything that limits me?” Think about the body, the mind. Are they real? Are they always present? Do you change when they change? No. You are ever present and unaffected by them. 
    In this way, not only do you affirm the limitlessness of your true nature, but you also walk your mind through the logic that proves this is true. The mind has spent its whole life thinking of itself as a limited being. But over time, doing this practice retrains the mind to think of itself as what it really is: the limitless Self. 

    This is nididhyasana, the process of retraining yourself to identify with who you really are, the Self, rather than the body and mind.

    You can use what I’ve suggested as a guideline but also feel free to modify the practice in whatever way works best for you. The point is to diligently watch for identification with the body and mind in your thoughts and then gently remind yourself that you are really the Self. 

    I say “gently” because this is an ongoing process. Don’t obsess about it or beat yourself up if you continue to see body/mind identification in your mind. Just stick with it lovingly and patiently. Over time, the identification will continue to appear in your mind. After all, it’s completely normal to say things like, “‘I’m tired”, “I’m hungry”, “I’m sick”, etc. The difference is that, after practice, hen those thoughts or words appear, they no longer cause you as much distress. Or no distress at all. 

    And here’s the kicker: The Self neither identifies with the body/mind NOR doesn’t identify with the body/mind. Identification only happens at the level of the MIND. So when the mind identifies with the Self rather than the body/mind, then great. But you, the Self, are not identifying with anything. The identification is known to you and it doesn’t affect you. 

     Likewise, when the mind identifies with the body/mind rather than the Self, it’s no real problem. You, the Self, are not identifying with anything. The identification is known to you and it doesn’t affect you. 

    In other words, identification with either the body/mind or the Self are states of the mind that are known to you, the Self. Yes, the mind identifying with the Self as much as possible is a good thing because it leads to peace and happiness. But peace and happiness are simply states of the mind that don’t actually affect you, the Self. Likewise, sorrow caused by identifying with the body/mind are also states of the mind that don’t affect you. So work on identifying with the Self as much as possible. But don’t get upset when you catch your mind identifying with the body/mind. It’s just a passing mental state that doesn’t affect you.

    Always remember this while doing this practice because changing your mind is an incidental benefit to the practice of discrimination. But the real point is know that no matter what the mind is thinking, you are always the unaffected Self. You are not the mind, no matter what it thinks. And THAT is true knowledge. Good luck S. Just let me know if you need help. 

    All my best – Vishnudeva