Sunday, July 18, 2021

Adhyatma Rahasya : Secret of Spirituality ….2

 

Characteristics of flame of consciousness:

Gatha 22: The real attribute of the soul is its inward directed  Upayoga from the aspect of self. This is very different from the attributes of other non-conscious substances which are always seen differently.

The characteristics of the flame of consciousness is Upayoga directed inwards which is quite different from those of other non conscious objects which are devoid of characteristics of Upayoga itself.

Establishment of difference between self and others by means of characteristics:

Gatha 23: If the characteristics of two substances are different then those substances are different only, just like water and fire. The same difference of characteristics exists between our soul and other substances. In this way it is logically established which is irrefutable with Praman.

The logic is that if characteristics are different then the substances are different just as water and fire are. The same difference is observed between own soul and other substances. This is indisputable.

The form of Upayoga and its divisions:

Gatha 24: The engagement of conscious soul in contemplation of self and others(substances) only is Upayoga. From the aspect of hearing the upayoga engaged towards sound is Darshan. The Upayoga engaged in knowing the substances is Gyan. The soul is engrossed with both darshan and gyan.

The manifestation of jiva towards  realisation of self or others is known as Upayoga. From the aspect of hearing the upayoga engaged with words as its subject is darshan while from the aspect of knowing the upayoga is Gyan. Jivas have both the upayogas.

Means for purification of soul- Shuddhopayoga :

Gatha 25: The person engaged in Dhyan, without getting corrupted with Moha, Raga or Dwesha  in his pure soul, is thus  engaged in shuddhopayoga . With this  he attains purification. 

The purification of soul is achieved by contemplation of the pure nature of soul. By engaging in the Shuddha upayoga i.e. free of raga, dwesha and moha, towards own pure nature one attains purification of soul.

Means for destruction of ragas etc. form impurities:

Gatha 26: To prevent generation of ragas etc. form strong enemies and enable their destruction, one should always contemplate of his own pure conscious form soul meticulously.

Raga, dwesha and moha are impure bhavas which are harmful enemies of soul. To prevent their generation altogether and destroy them immediately if at all generated, one should always meticulously  contemplate upon his own pure conscious nature.

Forms of Moha, Raga and Dwesha:

Gatha 27: Raga is of five kinds namely, prem ( affection), Rati (attraction), Maya (deceit), Lobh (greed) and hasya (laughter). That raga only is termed as Moha with the incorporation of divisions of Mithyatva. The dwesha is of six kinds of the form of anger etc.

The forms of raga, dwesha and moha are defined by this Gatha. Raga is of five kinds namely prem ( three kinds of veda forms manifestations i.e. male, female and neuter.) rati , maya, lobh and hasya. Of these lobh and maya are termed as Kashaya (passions) while prem and rati are no-kashaya (minor kashaya). Dwesha is of six kinds namely krodh, maan (pride), arati ( aversion), shok (sorrow), bhaya( fear), and jugupsa ( disgust). Here krodh (anger) and maan are kashyas while remaining four are no-kashaya. The raga bhavas when associated with Mithyatva i.e. the fruition of darshan mohaniya  karmas are termed as Moha. In some places the manifestations in the form of Mithyatva alone are called as Moha.

Results of indulgence in Raga-Dwesha form activities:

Gatha 28: In reality the raga and dwesha are completely ignorable, however the ignorant jiva, induced by the karmas, ‘this is favourable to me’ thus believing indulges in raga with some things, and ‘this is harmful to me’ thus believing, indulges in dwesha towards other things. In this way he suffers the inducement of karmas.

Raga and Dwesha both are causes for bondage of karmas hence they should be completely ignored and renounced by the Mumukshus, even so ignorant jivas imagine the other substances to be favourable or unfavourable and therefore indulge in raga or dwesha towards them, hence accrue karmas and suffer the consequences.

Imagination of happiness and unhappiness in sensory subjects is ignorance:

Gatha 29: Due to bondage of karmas, in favourable Gatis (births) one attains enjoyments of sensory subjects. In unfavourable Gatis, he suffers a lot. All this ignorance is generated out of Moha which is worthy of destruction by knowledge now.

Here the form of ignorance has been highlighted. Imagining benefits of sensory subjects as happiness and miseries of sensory subjects as unhappiness is ignorance. The cause for such ignorance has been declared as Moha since on fruition of moha only the jiva imagines sensory benefits as cause for happiness or otherwise, wherein the karma bondage is being accrued in both cases. Samyak Drishti jiva does not have such desires and has an attitude of detachment towards fruition of past karmas.

From aspect of Nishchaya naya, soul is Sat-Chit-Anand (existent-conscious-blissful):

Gatha 30: From aspect of Nishchaya naya, the Adwait Bramha form is myself only comprising of sat-chit-anand (existent-conscious-blissful). By practicing this continuously I immerse within my pure soul.

Here the process for immersion in own pure soul is described. One should continuously practice the contemplation from the aspect of Nishchaya naya that the Bramha of the form of sat-chit-anand is myself only and none else. There is no other Bramha existent otherwise. My pure form is adwait with Bramha.

Existent nature of soul:

Gatha 31: From the aspect of own dravya etc. form foursome (dravya, kshetra, kaal, bhaav), being of the nature of Utpad-Vyaya-Dhrovya (generation-destruction-permanence) I am existent only. From  the opposite aspect of other dravya etc. foursome I am non-existent only. – I experience this.

Here the sat (existent) and asat (non existent) natures of soul are described. The sat is observed from two aspects. One is that every existent dravya has nature of Utpad-Vyaya-Dhrovya (generation-destruction-permanence) at every moment. If it does not have this feature then it is asat only. Secondly each dravya is sat from aspects of dravya-kshetra-kaal-bhaav while it is asat from aspects of other dravya’s dravya-kshetra-kaal-bhaav. Anything which does not conform to these characteristics is asat.

Soul is not of the form of the Universe:

Gatha 32: Experiencing the differences between all the substances in certain aspects, the way the universe is, I am not the same as it. Further the way I am, the universe is not the same as me.

Here the sat form is further highlighted. The  self is different from all substances of the universe in certain aspects hence I am not same as the Universe. In fact each substance is different from each other in certain aspects.

The consciousness form of soul:

Gatha 33: The one which has been knowing since eternal times in some way, who is knowing today in this way and who shall continue to know till endless time in another way; I am such conscious substance.

Here the chit (consciousness) form of soul is highlighted. The soul is of the nature of consciousness which has the nature of knowing. From eternal times, the soul has been knowing and will continue for ever. Soul is such consciousness form substance.

The generation-destruction-permanence nature of soul:

Gatha 34-35: Just as a substance getting destroyed at a given moment in the form of previous paryaya, gets generated in the form of present paryaya, remains existent at all times and is recognized as “ this is same” by means of Pratyabhigyan (recognition); in the same way the entire lot of substances are experienced in the form of generation-destruction-permanence. I too am a conscious substance, hence in the stream of eternal progeny I  am also manifesting in the forms of my conscious paryayas- i.e.  destructing every moment from the aspect of previous paryaya, generating with respect of later paryaya, I am remaining conscious substance at all the times-different form all other non-conscious substances.

In the previous gatha consciousness form of soul was  described which is a general aspect. In this gatha the generation-destruction-permanence nature of dravya is described which is a specific aspect. In this aspect it is observed that every dravya has the nature of generation-destruction-permanence at every moment. There is no dravya which is devoid of this property. The generation of present paryaya is the moment of destruction of previous paryaya while dravya remains the same. All the three occur at the same moment. Soul also being dravya has the same characteristics.

Now it is told that the consciousness form soul has qualities and paryayas:

Gatha 36: The substances comprise of qualities and paryayas. The qualities are all together while paryayas are sequential. The consciousness is quality of soul since it exists eternally and can never be separated from jiva.

Here the dravya is described in terms of qualities and paryayas (modes). The qualities of substances are all together and paryayas manifest sequentially. Consciousness being an extraordinary quality of soul is eternal which can never be separated form soul.

The special characteristics of Ajiva dravyas and the form of Arth Paryaya:

Gatha 37-38: The pudgala dravya has quality of being corporeal, dharma dravya assists both jiva and pudgala in their movements. Adhrama dravya assists in stationing them. Kaal dravya assists all dravyas for manifestation. Akash dravya assists in  locating each dravya in space. These are special qualities of each dravya. The Arth Paryayas of each dravya are very minute and destructible at every moment.   

The extraordinary qualities of remaining five dravyas are described here. The Pudgala matter is corporeal, Adharma dravya assists in mobility of jiva and pudgala while Adhrma assists in immobility of them. Kaal provides the basis for manifestation of all dravyas. Akash provides space for all of them. Paryayas are of two kinds. One is called Arth paryaya which manifests at every samaya hence is very minute and cannot be noticed. The second is Vyanjan paryaya which is described next.

The Arth and Vyanjan paryayas of dravyas:

Gatha 39: The Vyanjan paryayas of jiva and Pudgala are describable (by speech), have limited life period, stationary and corporeal. These Jivas and pudgalas are one with their Arth and Vyanjan paryayas and those paryryas are one with dravya.

The manifestation of dravya sequentially every moment i.e. in transitory manner is called paryaya. These have been stated to be of two kinds Arth and Vyanjan paryayas. While Arth paryayas are classical momentary hence really not noticeable except by Kevali bhagwan, the Vyanjan paryryas are describable since they have finite duration.

The experience of consciousness:

Gatha 40: Just as in a necklace, while the pearls and the whiteness are experienced separately, even then they all are necklace only; in the same way in the soul substance, ‘I am conscious’ – this is realised. In my eternal dravya the consciousness and its manifestations merge together and are experienced as one.

The soul has been described with a metaphor of necklace. In a necklace the pearls and whiteness etc. are experienced separately, in the same way the soul is conscious substance form dravya having quality of consciousness and paryayas manifesting in conscious form. The soul substance is one with them just as necklace is one with pearls and whiteness. Just as wearer of necklace experiences the necklace only, in the same way soul substance, in spite of being of the form of qualities and manifestations is experienced as soul form only.

Form of the blissful experience of soul:

Gatha 41: The bliss which is never known to Chakravarthy, Indra, Ahamindra, etc. , such perennial bliss I experience within myself.

Here the other specific quality  of the soul i.e. ‘Anand’ has been described which is not available in any other dravya  similar to consciousness quality. The pure own soul experiences the bliss and realises that such an experience is not known even to Chakravarthy, Indras, Ahamindra etc.  The happiness experienced by them is senses based  and hence is dependent. It becomes clear that when the soul experiences its true nature then how blissful is that experience that the worldly pleasures become inconsequential.

Continued…..

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