Class Notes by Bhargavi

One of the terms used to describe Brahman is “Nirbeeja”, which means “without seed”. Brahman is that which is uncaused and also is uncausal (does not cause any other matter). We describe Brahman as the uncaused cause, thereby assigning cause to Brahman. This shows Avichara, because we are taking a deep subject and approaching it casually. By doing so repeatedly, the relative gets pushed into the spot of the Absolute. The Absolute gets pushed out into non-existence! Our joy reflects this very clearly. We are all relatively joyous and we feel that is good enough. Our course is an aspiration in Drig Drishya Vichara, to think deeply about the seer and the seen thereby giving the Absolute its deserved place along with the joy, making us absolutely joyous!

Chorus followed in this text by Acharya Shankara is “Drik eva na tu drishyate” (seer is not the seen).

Recap of verses 1–9:

Verse 1: Articles are seen, body is the seer. Body is seen, mind is the seer. Mind is seen, awareness is the seer.

Practice for verse 1: Trying to see strengths of others. Seeing the strengths gives the vision of unity whereas focusing on weaknesses gives the sense of separation.

Verse 2: Articles are seen, body is the seer.

Practice for verse 2: Be organized with your articles. This will show that you are different and in control of the articles.

Verse 3: Body is seen, mind is the seer.

Practice for verse 3: Manage two waves of sorrow that this body continuously experiences, thirst and hunger. See what it is doing to the mind.

Verse 4: Mind is seen, awareness is the seer.

Practice for verse 4: Try to be more objective with your thoughts, try to visualize your thoughts are actually someone else’s. Position yourself in reference to a far relationship.

Verse 5: Awareness is described (even though awareness cannot be described) because we are oriented towards descriptions. These orientations are towards space, time and matter. More purity of antahkarana we have, dependence on such orientation drops. That should be our aspiration.

Practice for verse 5: Purify the Antahkarana (inner equipment)

Verse 6: Acharya Shankara introduces another orientation. We think that if there is awareness, that means that there is reflection of awareness. This may be true in the world but not in the sacred. But we are oriented towards orientation, it is as if this variable has been included that if there is awareness, a very pure expression of that is the reflection of awareness, Chitchaya.

Practice for verse 6: As you go about your day to day business, try to analyze what it means to be sentient and inert. That which is sentient has its own light and can illuminate other entities. Inert object cannot illuminate. Is antahkarana (thoughts) sentient or inert? We verbalize that they are inert but it is not clear for us yet.

Verse 7: We feel that the reflection of awareness is projected into the Antahkarana. The ego is the dominant force of the Antahkarana. This ego projects all the way to the body. The body then projects more to articles, beings and circumstances.

Practice for verse 7: Acknowledge generously.

Verse 8: Ego started to express its ownership of awareness, reflection of awareness and the body. Sakshi is awareness but as long as there is a concept of sakshi, there is still dvaita. Ego’s possessiveness is quite thorough.

Practice for verse 8: To reach the understanding that the ego is inexplicable (Anirvachaniya). If ego were to be explained logically, it would mean that it is real. But if its illogical, then it would mean it is unreal. We should not indulge in causation hunting of the ego.

Verse 9: Cause of why this is all happening is explained. We all have Bodha (knowledge), prabodha (wisdom) is where you feel this. This has gone from intellect to mind to action. Prabodha is when we realize that there is no ego. Implication then is that there is no body, therefore no reflection of consciousness and as a result there is no Sakshi. There is only awareness.

Practice for verse 9: Engage in vichara that joy cannot be created. All that is created will be uncreated. Absolute joy can only be realized. Everytime I feel “me”, there is separation. We have to dismantle the ego that is responsible for this “me”-ness.

Verse 10: The ego is dormant when sleeping (but present). We feel at ease when sleeping because the burden of the go is not on us. Since the ego is dormant, the body follows suit (as if the body is unconscious). In a dream, the ego is half expressive. The intellect also expresses half which why there are fewer limits in dreams (full intellect is not there to check).

In the waking state, all equipment function fully. This is important for seekers because you can only be enlightened in waking state.

Verse 11: The antahkarana expresses as vrittis (thoughts). For seekers, we have to make that which is subtle, gross. We have to learn to treat our thoughts as gross materials.

Awareness as if joins with the power of awareness and the ego keeps owning and focusing on the power of awareness instead of awareness. Humility is very important because humble person wants to know the source of this power, Chiti not the Chaya.

Dream is merely thoughts. Thoughts come from vasanas. We can exhaust light vasanas while dreaming.

In the waking state, all that we experience is the projection of sense organs interacting with sense objects. Sleep, dream and waking all have the same level of reality. Whether expressing fully or half, the ego is just the ego, not real. These states are a hint for us to get out of these states of maya.