Atma Bodha - Awareness Of The Self
Set in 68 verses only, Shankar Atma Bodha seeks to put the abstruse philosophical speculation of the Brahma Sutras within easy reach of the common man. Using everyday common metaphors to illustrate Advaitic oncepts, the Atma Bodha serves as a orimer for those seeking to find a deeper eality beyond the desire-driven mind. Unlike his detailed reasoning in his Bhashyas, Shankara gets to the heart of the matter quickly. Atma Bodha leclares that knowledge alone can be he cause of liberation,just as fire is the lirect cause of cooking, andwhilethis nay include the requirement of water, oats and pans, it is fire that actually nakes cooking possible. Shankara declares that karma or action is powerless to destroy ignorance or "it is not in conflict with ignorance" knowledge, just as light alone can dispel darkness. He compares jnana abhyasa or the practice of knowledge which purifies by removing ignorance, with the traditional method of purifying muddy water in rural India with kataka-nut powder. Just as the powder sprinkled on the surface of the water forms a film and drags all the impurities to the bottom, leaving pure water on the surface, constant use and practice of knowledge removes the dirt of ignorance. And just as the kataka-nut powder dissolves into the water after doing its work, knowledge too disappears after the Self emerges. He refers to the illusion created by oyster shells scattered along the beach on a moonlit night. We mistake them for silver, only till we recognise the the world of names and forms exists only till self-knowledge dawns. The phenomenal world exists in the mind of the perceiver alone, and names and forms exist like ornaments, and Vishnu, the all-pervading consciousness, is like gold. Shankara reinforces the spirit and content of the Upanishads by alluding to the Mahakavya, in his delineation of the nature of Brahmn, reiterating the well-known method of arriving at the definition of Brahmn, by practising "neti, neti... not this, not this". He emphasises the need for continuous meditation on the impermanence of things, which is essential to refocus on the Self. The flame of knowledge can only be kindled by constant meditation, which he compares to the act of rubbing wood to create fire. The Atmarama, who derives satisfaction from the Self alone, having crossed tocean of delusion to vanquish the creatures of passion, just as Rama crossed the ocean to kill Ravana. Shankara seems to visualise his awareness of the Self as halluces tothe nature of Brahmn-sat-chit-anar(knowledge-existence-bliss). These verses reflect the cosmicnatureof thought, as he says: ""All things which can be perceived or heard are Brahmi self and nothing else... and though Atman is reality, it can be perceived by one who has the eye of wisdom." Shankara exhorts us to undertakthe real pilgrimage to "the shrine ofthe Atman", which will bestow real equanimity. The Atma Bodha, like it companion-piece the Vivekachudamais a call from the heart, reflective of Shankara's reaching out to peopleasmuch as to the intelligentsia of his trees
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Pranav Khullar views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Pranav Khullar and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Atma Bodha - Awareness Of The Self
Set in 68 verses only, Shankar Atma Bodha seeks to put the abstruse philosophical speculation of the Brahma Sutras within easy reach of the common man. Using everyday common metaphors to illustrate Advaitic oncepts, the Atma Bodha serves as a orimer for those seeking to find a deeper eality beyond the desire-driven mind. Unlike his detailed reasoning in his Bhashyas, Shankara gets to the heart of the matter quickly. Atma Bodha leclares that knowledge alone can be he cause of liberation,just as fire is the lirect cause of cooking, andwhilethis nay include the requirement of water, oats and pans, it is fire that actually nakes cooking possible. Shankara declares that karma or action is powerless to destroy ignorance or "it is not in conflict with ignorance" knowledge, just as light alone can dispel darkness. He compares jnana abhyasa or the practice of knowledge which purifies by removing ignorance, with the traditional method of purifying muddy water in rural India with kataka-nut powder. Just as the powder sprinkled on the surface of the water forms a film and drags all the impurities to the bottom, leaving pure water on the surface, constant use and practice of knowledge removes the dirt of ignorance. And just as the kataka-nut powder dissolves into the water after doing its work, knowledge too disappears after the Self emerges. He refers to the illusion created by oyster shells scattered along the beach on a moonlit night. We mistake them for silver, only till we recognise the the world of names and forms exists only till self-knowledge dawns. The phenomenal world exists in the mind of the perceiver alone, and names and forms exist like ornaments, and Vishnu, the all-pervading consciousness, is like gold. Shankara reinforces the spirit and content of the Upanishads by alluding to the Mahakavya, in his delineation of the nature of Brahmn, reiterating the well-known method of arriving at the definition of Brahmn, by practising "neti, neti... not this, not this". He emphasises the need for continuous meditation on the impermanence of things, which is essential to refocus on the Self. The flame of knowledge can only be kindled by constant meditation, which he compares to the act of rubbing wood to create fire. The Atmarama, who derives satisfaction from the Self alone, having crossed tocean of delusion to vanquish the creatures of passion, just as Rama crossed the ocean to kill Ravana. Shankara seems to visualise his awareness of the Self as halluces tothe nature of Brahmn-sat-chit-anar(knowledge-existence-bliss). These verses reflect the cosmicnatureof thought, as he says: ""All things which can be perceived or heard are Brahmi self and nothing else... and though Atman is reality, it can be perceived by one who has the eye of wisdom." Shankara exhorts us to undertakthe real pilgrimage to "the shrine ofthe Atman", which will bestow real equanimity. The Atma Bodha, like it companion-piece the Vivekachudamais a call from the heart, reflective of Shankara's reaching out to peopleasmuch as to the intelligentsia of his trees
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Pranav Khullar views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Pranav Khullar and Speaking Tree,Times of India