Knowledge of Brahman is to be understood, there is no application for it. This statement becomes a doubt for seeker of moksa. If in this case, why should one spend so much time studying vedānta? Indeed a lot of things in our life is valuable when it is applicable, just like when one has the knowledge of medicine is at no use until one put into practice to cure some diseases. This kind of knowledge governs action. But we need to know that how one lives one's life is based on the understanding of oneself. Just like the story of tenth man who is sorrowful because of misunderstanding of losing the tenth members of the group. But when knowledge of the tenth man is himself taken place, there is no more sorrow and no more searching to be done. In the same way for knowledge of Brahman. When we understand firmly that my nature is limitless alone, there is no more searching for happiness, because I am the meaning of happiness itself, total fulfilment is there. Transaction is to be done just for the sake of fulfilling basic needs of the physical body.
Therefore no action of gaining to be done for owning this fact. If by any chance we can gain Brahman by other means, it means that Brahman is different from me. Since anything which can be and need to be gained is not me. Thus even gaining limitless Brahman which is different from me, I am still a limited being. Therefore only by knowing the fact that limitless Brahman is not different from me, then this knowledge alone can free me from all the limitation which cause sorrow.
What should I do for this knowledge to take place? In gītā seventh chapter jñāna-vijñāna-yoga (indirect and immediate knowledge), when knowing Brahman as another entity different from me is indirect knowledge, and only owning-up the fact that I am that limitless Brahman without any doubt and habitual errors is called immediate knowledge. Therefore śravanam (listen to śāstra), mananam (removing of doubt), and nididhyāsanam (removing habitual error) are needed. Doubts are resolved by further śravanam and asking questions. Habitual errors are gone by seeing this understanding again and again in our life.
Life is all about our understanding dealing with subject-object differences. How does one reconcile this non-dual ultimate reality with this subject-object duality world? That is why this chapter is working as the cushioning. Knowing this entire creation which we transact with is nothing but Brahman alone (including me), and the differences are only in names and forms which is the basis for transaction, one can live one's life with total fulfilment because he/she sees only one reality without second. There is a full understanding of what is satyam and what is mithya. There is no more wrong expectation in our life. If there is no second thing but oneself, where is the reason for one to be sorrow?
purodhasām ca mukhyam mām viddhi pārtha brhaspatim |
senānīnām aham skandah sarasām asmi sāgarah ||10.24||
Pārtha (Arjuna)! May you know Me to be Brhaspati, the chief among the priests. Among the commanders in chief I am Skanda, and among the water reservoirs I am the ocean.
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