How perfect is the
'Perfect' Prayer?

by Peter Bonnici

Part III

Part I Part II

15. SHAKE 4. Is it possible for two different things to have an identical material and an identical maker?

Answer: Yes. In a dream, dream fire is put out by dream water by the dream ‘I’… The dream ‘I’, who puts out the fire appears different from the dream water and the dream fire. And the dream water appears different from the dream fire. But, on waking, the dream ‘I’, water and fire resolve into the one dreamer. It is realised that both, the dream substance and the dream creation, abide in the one dreamer. The dreamer is both the material and efficient cause of the dream.

16. SHAKE 5. Is there any common example of two terms indicating the same thing?

Answer: Yes. If I say: 'Patrick, the Irishman, is wonderful,' both terms, ‘Patrick’ and ‘Irishman’ refer to the same person. Patrick is a wonderful person. The Irishman is also a wonderful person. Both names refer to the same thing in this context. Similarly, Atman and brahman are two names of the same Absolute Reality.

17. So now, after testing the robustness of the proposition, we should be more convinced that ‘I’ is that pUrNam brahma and this creation is the very same pUrNam brahma. How succinct, how complete:

pUrNam adaH: That Atma, my true self, is nothing but the limitless brahma.
pUrNam idam: This body-mind amalgam, and all it perceives, is the same limitless brahma.

With this understood, the meaning of the rest simply falls into place...

18. pUrnAt pUrNam udacyate… From completeness comes forth completeness. Again, on the surface, this seems like an obvious statement. But we need to take into account the sutra-maker’s highest art – brevity, succinctness. The order of these two words unlocks the implied meaning of the sentence: from adaH pUrNam, comes forth idam pUrNam. From I, 'sat' brahman, comes this mithyA jagat. From the dreamer comes forth the dream creation. From water comes forth wave. From the formless comes the form-full without affecting the formless in any way, as expressed in the final two quarters of the mantra…

19. pUrnasya pUrNam AdAya, the completeness of completeness removed… pUrNam eva avashisyate, completeness alone remains. This tells us that when this mithyA jagat is taken away from (or added to) that adaH pUrNam brahman, the completeness, pUrNam, remains unaffected. Waves being there or waves not being there, water remains water. From gold, take away necklace and the gold loses nothing of its nature as gold. To gold add necklace and the gold remains unaffected. Upon entering the state of deep sleep, the dreamer who put out the fire and the dream creation both resolve along with mind. I alone remain: pUrNam eva avashisyate. When the truth of myself is seen to be the limitless Reality, when the false ‘I’ resolves into the truth of itself, I am all there is as the self of everything.

20. 'I am pUrNam, completeness. Nothing limits me. Like water of the brimful ocean, undisturbed. Waves and breakers play on me, but are only forms of me, briefly manifest. They appear to be many and different but I know they are only my glory – my fullness manifest, without limiting me in any way. They will resolve back into me. In me, the water of the brimful ocean, all resolves. I, pUrNam, completeness, alone remain.' [From Swami Dayananda’s text: pUrNam adaH pUrNam idam.]

That Atman, my true self, is nothing but the limitless brahman.
This body-mind amalgam, and all it perceives, is the same limitless brahman.
From myself alone as the material and efficient cause, arises this passing show.
Whether the passing show emerges from or resolves back into me, I remain unchanged, limitless Reality.

om shAnti shAnti shAnti

I am indebted to my teacher, Swamini Atmaprakashananda Saraswati and her teacher Swami Dayananda Saraswati for preserving and handing down the traditional vision of vedAnta which informs this article.

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