Greetings All,

Shloka # 5:

“ Arguments that this is real or false, sentient or inert, sorrow or joy, are to no purpose. The state free from all thoughts, without “I” notion and the world, is supreme state desired.”

Continuing his teaching on Saddarshana, Swami Paramarthananda said, even though Brahman is Adishtanam of everything, Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi says Jiva Vichara is most important. Jagat and Ishwara Vichara do not address Ahamkara directly.

Therefore, even after years of enquiry, Ahamkara may continue to be strong, as Samsara continues even after study of scriptures. This is because the study has not attacked Ahamkara. Samsara is located in Ahamkara. The existence of Samara means Ahamkara is still there. So, the study may not have attacked Ahamkara. As per Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi all studies are useless unless Ahamkara is attacked.

Only in Jiva Vichara is Ahamkara falsified and dissolved. With this Jagat and Ishwara also fall. The result of this enquiry should be a division-less state where Ahamkara is absent.  All problems belong to Ahamkara or I. The desirable state is one in which there is no division (first person, second person and third person; Pramata, Prameya and Pramanam; Jiva, Jagat and Ishwara). In this state, it does not mean perceptuality is absent. You still see the world, however, there is no more factual division. Division is understood as Mithya. They are understood as Nama and Roopa. I see only water, not the wave and the ocean anymore. The world is not seen as real. It is that state of wisdom in which the world is not seen as a separate thing. One does not see localized Ahamkara or finite I. Subject Object division is falsified. Such a state of Gyanam is Paramam. It is a state of Advaita Gyanam. In the state of advaitam, one is in a state of experience. State of experience is always a temporary one and the experience will be replaced. Advaita Anubhava is false as Dvaitam is present in potential form. Any experience is temporary and displaceable by next experience. But advaita is the gyanam that I am non-dual at all times and that divisions are all mithya appearing and disappearing in me. They cannot disturb my Advaita Gyanam. I am ever non-dual. Knowledge alone is supreme, as it will not be disturbed by anything. Just as I am sure that two plus two equals four so also this knowledge is clear and undisturbed. Anubhava advaitam is mithya.

Shloka # 6:

As long as there is an understanding that I am with form (that is, I am the body) there will be the idea about the world and the Lord that they too have form. If the Self is without form, who will see? That vision is indeed one, Limitless and complete.

Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi here gives further reasons for performing Jiva Vichara. He says it is Ahamkara that is coloring our perception of the world and god. The way we look at Jagat and Ishwara is dependent upon how you look at yourself. If I cannot change my perception of myself, I cannot change my world and God vision. So to change way we look at ourselves is crucial. As you look at yourself, so you look at God. If you see Self as localized then you will see world and God as localized as well. Here you see God as in Vaikunta.

Citing an example through a small incident, Swamiji said, a young girl said she liked Sonia Gandhi very much. When asked why, she said Sonia dressed very well. She is typical of many teenagers who are very conscious of their dress. She can only see everything in terms of dresses.

We too are dependant on the Kosha (one of the pancha kosha’s) that is dominant in us. I look at the world through this “I”. As I look at myself, so I look at the world. The “I” is dominant. Don’t try to realize god without realizing your own nature. Nirguna Brahman cannot be understood with Deha Abhimana. So one has to question the notion of “I”.

One thinks of improving individuality. One wants to be a happier father, a happier mother etc. I don’t want to displace it. Aim of Vedanta is destruction of fatherhood and motherhood and not to improve the father or mother. There is never a finite happy person. Our normal instinct is to decorate our ego. Decorated Ahamkara will always be sickly and dying.

As long as you retain or want to retain your ego, you will continue to have Saguna Jagat and it will give you both pain and pleasure. This is because of Saguna Ahamkara. Your notion of God will also be Saguna Ishwara; nirguna Ishwara will not appeal to you and thus mortality will continue to haunt you.

If you say I will retain Ahamkara and I will still get protection from Saguna Ishwara, that God will bring only destruction. So long as division is there, mortality exists and fear will continue.

So Ishwara has to be nirguna. You should become nirguna Atma. It is like the actor who knows inside that he is someone else in the green room. I am the formless consciousness or the one that transcends form. Idea of localized individual should go. If a person sees that he is really formless consciousness and it is a fact for him, this is nirguna atma.

Bhagawan Ramana Mahraishi does not deal with the procedure for Aham Vichara. For this one has to go Guru Shastra Upadesha. Many followers of Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi’s don’t believe they have to go to Shastra’s for Gyanam. This is unfortunate.

Shatras will teach you about that one Vision. Here Jiva Jagat and Ishwara will all be one Sat darshanam. This is only possible in nirguna state. Each Jiva, Jagat and Ishwara become limitless. All three are just words for one truth. Therefore it will be a vision of poornatvam or limitlessness.

Shloka # 7:

Apart from the body made up of five sheaths, does

The world shine? Let people explain. Without the five fold body who can perceive this world?

Continuing with same topic of Jiva Vichara, Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi says Jagat and Ishwara Vichara will not be meaningful until Ahamkara is attacked. Here one has to understand your self first.

As per this shloka the very perception or existence of world and god are dependent on the arrival of Ahamkara. Therefore in sleep when Ahamkara is temporarily dissolved, the first person is not there; therefore there is also no world, nor is there the cause of the world. Karya Jagat and Karana Ishwara occur only in presence of Ahamkara. Ahamkara is basis for existence of world and God. Ahamkara comes into being with identification with Anatma (body). “I” identify with the body, thus the person comes into being. He then creates God and thus division is created.

Tad Antara means with Deha-abhimana, you descend from your original nature. “I”, original one, come into body and take a role. God also takes a role when he takes an Avatara. Our birth is a consequence of our ignorance while God’s avatara is not.

Without Deha-abhimana there is no Ahamkara. Anatma consists of Pancha Kosha. Ahamkara rises with Pancha Kosha Abhimana. Without Ahamkara, who will see? Where is the world and god to see? Elimination of division requires elimination of Ahamkara. Don’t try improving Ahmakara. Eliminating it is your goal.

Summary: (my understanding)

In the Chaitnayam many forms and names manifest. The forms and names constitute Samsara and include all sentient and insentient beings in it. For some reason a form develops an “I am” sense. This is Ahamkara coming into being. With this now comes identification of this small “I” with the world around it. Through transactions with other forms (mother, father, the dog, the cat etc.) it learns to become a Samsari. In this small” I”, thus, a world perception is created called Jagat. In this small “I” a vision of God is also created (Shiva, Vishnu, Allah etc.). This is the saguna Ishwara. We have to go back to our origins, to the time we became a manifestation, when we were a part of Chaitanyam and not a part of the small “I”. This is the supreme knowledge. Hence the analogy of being just water (chaitnayam) and not the wave (the body) or ocean (samsara, many forms or bodies) is used.

Let me know if my understanding is correct.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy