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Part XXXVII -
Nature of ‘ego’ and Self-realization
Some time ago, we began the discussion of jIva and
JIva sAkshI, Ishvara and Ishvara sAkshI. Subsequently,
we deviated from this topic in order to address some
of the issues that had been raised during the earlier
discussion. Now we return to the main theme.
jIva and JIva sAkshI have to be understood clearly
for self-realization. Shri Sureshvara devotes a whole
chapter to sAkshI in his naiShkarmya siddhi. jIva sAkshI
is the limiting witnessing consciousness, limited by
the upAdhi-s. The example usually given is that of a
pot space seemingly limited by the pot walls, although
space is limitless and indivisible and the pot-space
is inseparable from the total space. Even the pot-walls
are in the space. The notion of pot ‘jIva-hood’ can
be thought of as arising when the pot identifying with
the upAdhi-s thinks that ‘I am a small pot with
a limited pot-space’. Here, in addition to this
perceived limitation, there is also identification with
the upAdhi-s or pot walls, and taking the limitations
of the pot as its own limitations as with ‘I am
a small-pot, and I wish that I was a big pot like the
next door neighbor’.
Pure consciousness is all pervading, like space. Just as in
the case of the pot-space seemingly limited by the pot-walls,
the witnessing consciousness, sAkshI (also called upahita chaitanya,
where ‘upahita’ means ‘depending upon, connected
with) is as-though limited by the upAdhi-s of body-mind-intellect
or BMI. The consciousness is of the nature of an eternal, self-illumining
entity. Just as the pot-space is not separate from the total
space, the jIva-sAkshI or upahita chaitanya is not separate
from the total consciousness. Yet pot space is different from
the total space in the sense that it appears to be limited
by the pot walls. Similarly the jIva-sAkshI of A is different
from the jIva-sAkshI of B. In the presence of this self-illumining,
witnessing consciousness, jIva-sAkshI, the BMI upAdhi-s get
illumined and the reflected consciousness in the mind forms
the knowledge of the mind. This is the same for everyone, including
the j~nAnI. The ignorance of the jIva comes into play when
I, the conscious entity, identifying with the reflecting consciousness
in the intellect, take myself to be this intellect. This notion
that ‘I am this’ is a thought or vRRitti in the
intellect only. This identification with reflected consciousness
is the jIva and is called chidAbhAsa or reflected consciousness.
Ego:
This reflection occurs as long as the upAdhi-s are there, since
illuminating consciousness is always present. Ego or jIva-hood
arises when, not realizing that I am pure consciousness, I
identify myself with the limiting reflecting consciousness
and think ‘I am this’, where ‘this’ stands
first for the intellect then the mind and then the gross body.
This identification includes any modification of the body,
mind and intellect. Thus, jIva is the limiting reflecting consciousness,
chidAbhAsa, qualifying itself as ‘I am this’ where ‘this’ stands
for BMI. Hence, the jIva is also called vishiShTa chaitanya,
in contrast to the upahita chaitanya of the sAkshI. vishiShTa
means qualifying or attributive consciousness where I, the
subject consciousness, identify myself with ‘this’,
the object that I am conscious of. This identification also
results in ownership as in ‘this is mine’. Thus,
both ahaMkAra (I am this) and mamakAra (this is mine) get crystallized
with the jIva notion, and together are called ‘ego’.
Inclusion of ‘this is mine’ also involves exclusion
of ‘that is not mine’, and ‘that is not I’.
Thus, space-wise, time-wise and object-wise limitations get
superimposed onto the jIva notion, as a result of the identifications
- adhyAsa.
Self-realization:
Self realization is therefore the recognition that I am not
this, this being the upAdhi-s (BMI), but I am the sAkshI which
is the illuminating consciousness of the upAdhi-s. sAkshI does
not really illumine anything and it is just the self-shining,
ever-effulgent, all-pervading entity. However, in the presence
of sAkshI, the upAdhi-s are illumined. Hence I can say “I
am not this”, since ‘I’ am the subject and ‘this’ is
an object of my consciousness. I am the pure existence-consciousness
that is ever present. By dropping all visheShaNa-s or qualifications,
I shift my identification from vishiShTa chaitanya to upahita
chaitanya. This shift is done in the buddhi only. I, a conscious
entity currently identifying myself with the BMI, drop that
identification and recognize that I am the self-existing ever
present sAkshI or upahita chaitanya. When I realize that I
am the sAkshI, even the notion that ‘I am sAkshI’ also
falls away (sAkshI is relevant only with reference to sAkShyam
or witnessed) and I recognize that I am the pure, eternal,
all-pervading consciousness with no qualifications or limitations.
I become a jIvanmukta.
Since the upAdhi-s (BMI) are still there, I can play
the role of a jIva knowing very well that I am actually
the pure consciousness that illumines the upAdhi-s.
When the upAdhi-s fall away, the upahita chaitanya (sAkshI)
becomes one with the nirupAdhika chaitanya (all pervading
consciousness). It is like saying when the pot walls
break the pot-space merges with the total space. In
reality, the pot-space is never separate from the total
space and there is no real merger either. When the walls
are broken, the limiting adjuncts are dropped, along
with all notions of division in the space.
Meditation therefore involves shifting my attention
from the identification that I am this (BMI) to the
witnessing consciousness, jIva sAkshI, because of which
I am conscious of, or have the knowledge of, this (BMI).
Since the sAkshI is not an object for me to see (since
I am the seer sAkshI), I cannot objectify this
process as ‘I am not this but that’. All
I can do is negate all my identifications by thinking ‘I
am not this’ but I am the one who is the negator,
who cannot be negated nor objectified. I am the knower,
the pramAta and this is known, prameya. I am the pramAta
or I am the subject knower, only when there is prameyam
or object, separate from me, for me to know. The recognition
that this duality is superficial or adhyAsa imposed
by the working of the mind and that I am pure consciousness
where there is neither pramAta, prameya nor pramANa
is self-realization.
The world is nothing but an assemblage of objects and
they are known only when the perceptuality conditions
are met. This happens when the subject consciousness
is identified with the object-consciousness in the form
of existence. Shifting attention from the superficial
names and forms (objects) to that identifying consciousness
that I am (subject) is the essence of meditation.
Ishvara and Ishvara sAkshI
In the realization of that I am upahita chaitanya or jIva sAkshI,
there is also recognition that I am upahita chaitanya only because
of the presence of the upAdhi-s. But my real nature is that I
am the all pervading consciousness that is one without a second.
This understanding arises from the Vedantic knowledge that I
am not only the existence-consciousness, but that this existence-consciousness
is one without a second. In this way, the ‘aham brahmAsmi’ teaching
will sink in. It is like saying that the recognition that I am
the pot-space also leads to an understanding that I am the total
space too, since space is part-less or division-less. This teaching
comes from vedAnta. The significance of this is also understood,
since even the sAkShyam [witnessed object] that I am conscious
of is not separate from me.
In the perceptual process, the object-consciousness is
identified with the subject-consciousness in order for
perceptuality to occur as discussed by VP. Hence VP says
that, in the beginning of the analysis of perception,
perceptual knowledge is nothing but pure consciousness.
In that understanding, jIva, jIva sAkshI, Ishvara and
Ishvara sAkshI all merge into the pure undifferentiated
consciousness that I am. With that understanding, the
very life existence is fulfilled. Even the scriptures
glorify such a realized person. The whole family or lineage
is blessed by his presence; his mother is fulfilled by
having such a son, nay the whole country where he is born
is blessed by this presence.
Proceed to the next
essay.
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