In reference to Joy,

For the searcher: World is real (they feel that the world can make them joyous)

For the seeker: World is unreal (they know that the world cannot make them joyous)

For the seer: World is real (they are joyous with or without the world)

It is important that we make these words workable for us and not just listen to them as poetry. In this text, Acharya Shankara is guiding us to be independent.

Recap of verse 15: Acharya Shankara highlighted how Tamas makes us forget that there is a distinction between the seer and the seen. This forgetfulness is happening in our inner world. Through contemplation, we are encouraged to register that thoughts are not independent, they are shining in the presence of a light (seer). The thoughts are the seen and the limits that are applicable to the thoughts are not applicable to you the seer. This forgetfulness is expressed in the outer world as confusion: outer world is confused to be the creation. We feel only the creation, and maybe a little bit of consciousness but they are in fact separate. Creation is perpetually changing and consciousness is perpetually unchanging. It is because of this consciousness, we know the changing creation.

One technique can make a significant difference in us relating to and working with Vedanta. This technique involves dialing back our experiences. We are experiencing Rajas in the form of creation, dialing back would mean to switch from Rajasic to Sattvic lifestyle, for example, allocating one hour for reading, writing and reflection. Once we dial back the Rajas, it becomes easier to dial back Tamas. This would then lead to Sattvic vision. A sattvic vision is one where you don’t live by what your body perceives, you treat the body to be functional and acknowledge that there is more to life. This is beautifully shown in Skanda 10 of Shrimad Bhagavatam. In the story of the snake Kalia, if we imagine the bed of the river Yamuna to be existence- awareness-joy (Brahman/seer), the water of Yamuna is our heart (what we feel we are), Kalia is the senses (with five heads) and Kalia spews out poison (what our senses try to reach out in the world is poisonous). We need Bhagavan Krishna to come into our hearts so He can press on our senses and Bhagavan, who is the icon of Sattva, makes us realize that the joy we are seeking cannot be fulfilled by the senses.

Verse 16: The light of the seer is close to linga (ego, memory, intellect, mind) and this is connected to the deha (body). The light of the seer is close to the inner doer which in turn is close to the outer doer.

This verse highlights the game of taking/stealing that is going on in our inner and outer worlds. The seer, the spirit is of the nature of light. The inner doer takes this light and also then the body. This game is going on and what we are supposed to do is watch this game. If you don’t watch then you will start identifying with the game. When we watch, we don’t feel the limits of the body and the mind, you become the Sakshi. In order to bring this teaching to life, we need more Viveka and more Vairagya. Viveka is practiced by being observant and Vairagya is to change the identification. Once you are more clear about being an observer, then you can practice Vairagya more naturally.

The word Vairagya has another form, Viraga, which has two meanings, Visheshena rakthaha (one who specializes in being attached) and Vigatha rakthaha (one who specializes in being detached). You will know which one applies to you only by testing yourself by try living without a certain entity for a little while, especially when you are imbalanced.

If there is power (Chaya), there has to be a source for it (Chit) and we can acknowledge and practice this knowledge by being grateful. Gratitude focuses on the cause. We should always feel gratitude, not only when we see someone who is less fortunate as us. This is vairagya!

The last quarter shares that the effect of living the lie and forgetting the Truth is that one becomes a Jeeva, one that is empirical or relative or useless! If your nature is Truth and you are living empirically, that is quite useless. Jeeva is the lie!

Using the framework of Jeeva-Jagat-Brahman, we can engage in a practice to feel less empirical. Jeeva is the individual, Jagat is the total and Brahman is infinite. We can move from feeling relative to feeling absolute by expanding my identification to more, expanding from individuality to family, to community to society to humanity thereby expand what you are living for. Loving one person is attachment, when you love all, it is detachment. When identification expands from Jeeva to Jagat, they merge and becomes Brahman. In Kathaupanishad, it is called Vishnupada (Vishnu= vyapaka sheelatva, one who is all pervading). So first feel the divine in yourself, then grow that feeling to others. One more practice for coming out of being a Jeeva, the more one grinds (exerts), more one gives up their dependency and conditionings and a beautiful expression of this is Bhagavan Krishna. He is working tirelessly. When you work tirelessly, you are giving up all of the limitations that are holding you back.

First verses of DDV lay out the Truth (awareness), second wave focuses on the lie (ego), third wave describes how the lie came to be (Maya) and the last wave bares out what happens if we believe this lie (Jeeva).