Life is a series of experience, and they are nothing but cognitions between subject me and object the world. In every cognition, the unattributed knowledge / consciousness me is always there, manifests in the form of attributed knower, known and knowledge. From one cognition to another, the knower-known-knowledge keep changing, but I the consciousness is not affected, only witnessing the coming and going of this triad.
Look at our own dream, from one consciousness me, the dreamer-dream objects-dream world, it appears as entire world which is different from me. If I identify with the dreamer, I am affected by the dream. Only upon waking up, by knowing I am not the dreamer, but the reality which witnessing dream comes and goes, I am not affected.
Therefore to stop this life of becoming where constantly avoiding what I don’t like and seeking after what I like, being toasted between sorrow and joy, what I need to do is to own up this fact that I am the consciousness which is the reality of everything here. When every cognition and experience is me alone, there is no more seeking now and here.
I am the light of the lights - jyotisām api tajjyotih, giving the experiential reality to the entire world. This light is said to be beyond ignorance - tamasaḥ param ucyate. Light is opposite of darkness, they are mutually exclusive. This light of consciousness, however allows everything, including darkness to exist. It is the light because of which we are aware of our ignorance, lending its existence to both knowledge and ignorance, doesn't stand opposed to anything. This consciousness is knowledge - jñānaṁ, which light up any attributed knowledge and ignorance. It is also jñeyaṁ - to be known for one who desires for total freedom. And it can be arrived at through self-knowledge - jñānagamyaṁ. Where can I find them? They present in the intellect of all - asarvasya viṣṭhitam, which is the inner-self projecting as I.
Entire world can be categorised as subject and object. When me the existence consciousness who identify with the knower is called subject, and the same existence consciousness when is attributed with names and forms is called object, where else existence consciousness is not? Therefore ātmā is ānanta - limitless. Since happiness is expression of limitless, and it can be absolute only if there is nothing limit it. Therefore it is also called ānanda - happiness. This is our true nature sat-cit-ānanda.
In every experience brahman is there. It is because of brahman alone that experience is possible. Its existence is because of sat, the experience of it is cit, and any pleasure that is there is ānanda. Asti bhāti priyam rūpam nāma ca iti amśapañcakam - existence, knowledge, joy, name and form, it is the experiential world. There is nothing outside of this because everything is brahman. The first three are invariable because they are the svarūpa of brahman, but last two are varying and always comprise of the first three. Therefore we need not wait for nirguna brahman to arise because you are not away from that brahman, the experiencer of all experiences.
Comments