Atma : What we need to know?

For eons the great Indian sages searched for the ultimate unitary principle, the truth behind and within the multiplicity of objects of the universe, knowing which all other things could be known.  

Congruently all of them affirmed that Atma –individual self, is the most profound reality within man and said self-illumination should be the ultimate goal of man.

In Avadhut Gita, Dattatreya says; “All sufferings are born out of desire.  All desires are born out of ignorance of the true and real nature of ourselves, and the true and real nature of all others in existence. 

Everything which possesses name and form is illusion.  They do currently exist but undeniably subject to change.  They are impermanent, finite, and temporary.  They cannot therefore be considered as being truly real. 

All that is; emanate from absolute, which is unconditioned, undifferentiated, changeless, infinite, subjective, pure and eternal.  Anything extraneous to this absolute is illusion. 

Atma –the self, is nameless and formless.  We never meet anyone other than ourselves.  I am you –the one self, in the guise of “an other” and you are Me –the one self –in the guise of “an other”.  By doing service to others, we do service to ourselves only.”

All spiritual masters alongside the divine Avatars and divinities have said that one who lives a life without aspiration and experience of divine life suffers at death when he begins to see; “I am not my body, I am not my sensation, I am not even my mind.”  Those who did not live a divine life experiences agony at death, having lived a self-deceiving life, as life is gone by and what has remained is the Karma of not knowing the truth. 

We are reminded time and again not to ignore death up to the last moment of death when you cannot ignore any longer.  Dying in full awareness of death means being lived a life with dignity and respect. 

Ignoring death up to the last moment until it cannot be ignored any longer is ignorance. 

The philosophy of dying a noble death is based on the vision of a noble life.  The premise of dying a noble death lies in living a noble life.  It does not mean prolonging the life in time but the life lived well and lived in divinity.  If we live a noble life we die a noble death as noble life and noble death go together.  Indeed the art of dying and the art of living are one the same.

We are instinctive and intellectual beings.  We may live an instinctive life under the influence of Ego desiring bodily sensation and lusts, craving for wealth, fame and social position, expressing anger and hatred, worrying and fearing, and exercising restricted love.  We may also live an intellectual life of an ideal man seeking the supreme end with firm faith and conviction that he who seeks and realises the supreme end of being an enlightened man.

The spiritual investigations have affirmed that our mind has two dimensions: the outer and inner dimension.  The outer dimension is the ordinary mind which exists at the surface level in the realm of feelings and emotions.  It is not conscious.  The force that drives the outer mind is Ego –Ahankara, inherent to our body-mind complex.  Under the influence of Ego, the outer mind incessantly engages in satisfying the senses and responds to feelings and emotions, and remains attached to Samsara.  It is the material dimension of our existence.

The inner dimension of our mind is the spiritual dimension.  It is non-interactive, impersonal, unbiased and unprejudiced; and it is subjective.  It is simply conscious and aware.  It is independent of Ego.  It witnesses the actions and experiences of our body and ordinary mind in the realm of feelings and emotions under the influence of Ego.  It is our Atma, the self or soul or spirit, the most profound reality within man.  At death, it is our Atma that leaves our body for universal consciousness with an imprint of balance sheet of our Karma. 

In Avadhut Gita, Dattatreya says; “Atma –self, is consciousness and mind is matter.  A liberated Atma, the Avadhut, alone is pure and has evenness of feeling.

God is pure consciousness and it is within us.  The evil, the demon, too is within us in the form of impure consciousness.”

The entire structure of Vedas and Upanishads is built on two pilasters: Brahman and Atma.  Brahmn is the source of existence.  Brahmn includes everything, and everything dissolves to it.  It is the supreme reality, the ultimate truth.  It is absolute.

Atma is the material consciousness.  It is the individual self, the Jiva-Atma.  By its nature it tries to be the lord of matter, which is always evolving and uncertain, and remains in illusion. 

The mystical insight is that Brahmn and Atma are not two realities but one and the same thing: the Atma being an extension of Brahmn. 

Brahmn resides in our heart in two constitutional positions: (1) Atma -the individual material consciousness and (2) Param Atma -the universal self, as pure consciousness. 

We know Atma by via-negative, by negation, by ruling out what it is not.  When Atma is purified by ruling out what it is not, it becomes empty of I, me or mine.  At that state the bliss without form –Sat-Citta-Ananda is realised.  Atma is fully immersed in Brahmn and become one with it.  This is the quintessence of Vedas and Upanishads.

The Taittiriya Upanishad says Atma in a Kosha -sheath concept.  It says Atma is that subtlest reality that exists within a quintuple sheath.  The most exterior sheath is the physical body –Annamaya Kosa.  Within the physical body exists the strata of breadth or the vital spirit –Pranamaya Kosa.  Within the Pranamaya Kosa exists the mental sheath –Manomaya Kosa.  Within the profundity of mental sheath exists consciousness –Vijnanamaya Kosa.  And within the sheath of consciousness is the sheath of beatitude –Anandamaya Kosa.  All these sheaths taken together constitute the empirical house of Atma.

Advaita Vedants says; “All that are manifestations of the absolute are not real.”  The Brahmn is the only reality, which is absolute.  The phenomenal material world is Maya -illusion, though it is the manifestation Brahmn. 

Shankaracarya says; “The individual self, the body, the psyche, the intellect, are all manifestation of absolute.  They are not real on their own merit.  The Atma –the individual self to which we cling on to, thinking that it is real and permanent, is but Maya, a projection of Brahmn.  Anything that is manifestation or projection is Maya –illusion, and cannot be real.  Only what is un-manifested and absolute is real.

By illuminating Atma; Atma realises the true nature of it. 

Shankaracarya says; “Tat Tvam Asi –your true nature, is the divine nature.  Self illumination leads to self immersion in divine nature, losing the separate identity, but identifying with the infinity, the eternal divine, which is absolute and real.

The Atma –the individual self, has the scope to be enlightened and merge itself with the absolute by which it loses its self-identity.  Precisely its true identity is revealed in becoming one with the divine, the absolute. 

The Atma is Brahmn, the bliss without form.”

We human beings are a co-existence of body and Atma -self.  Body belongs to material world and Atma -self to the world of consciousness.  Body is material and temporary in nature while the Atma -self being consciousness, its existence is universal and eternal.  The needs of the two are different. 

Irrespective of the state of body, Atma -self continuously emits desire, thought and expectation.  It fulfils its desire, thought and expectation utilising the body as instrument.  Atma –self discerns, makes assumptions, it recognises, it decides and it knows.  Atma –self is the knowing principle in us and that is its nature.

When Atma -self is not at its right constitutional state of being and over evaluated there arise Ahangkar –Ego.  With Ego, Atma-self creates desire, thought and expectation with a feeling depravation, negative emotion, and attachment. 

Anything that is based on Ego, ridden by Ego or overwhelmed by Ego is transient and distressing.  Because, Ego itself is based on assumption and it changes when assumption is changed.  On this ground, Ego or any assumption or creation ridden by Ego is not true and universal.  Anything that is not universal and eternal cannot be Atma -self.  It is Anatman –not self.  Whatever is Anatman must be destroyed. 

Atma -self at its right constitutional state of being and rightly evaluated also give rise to desire, thought and expectation but they are mutually fulfilling and beneficial. 

When Atma -self is at its right constitutional state of being, it is independent of external influence, dependency or attachment.  Anyone who explores, evaluates and rightly understands one’s Atma -self, and has the right feeling, finds all others’ are same as of oneself.  At that level the being, the feeling of oneness, love and compassion outflows.  And at that state of being there arises the feeling of mutual prosperity and happiness. 

When Atma -self is not at its constitutional state of being and under evaluated, it goes in depression and the process of destruction by itself begins.  Just as Ego, depression is a state of mind.  It is mind born but opposite of Ego that cause suffering and it is mortal.  Both Ego and depression are the negative state of mind.  They are the root causes of suffering. 

By nature, we live with a cosmos of desire, thought and expectation which are both positive and negative.  They are positive when Atma -self is rightly evaluated and understood, and they are negative when Atma -self is either over evaluated or under evaluated. 

When our desire, thought and expectation are based on right evaluation and right understanding of Atma -self, they are driven for mutual prosperity and happiness, and the continuity of the two.  When the desire is pursued with over evaluated self at egoistic level, the sense of deprivation arises causing over exploitation, corruption, and negative emotions that makes our Atma -self slave of it.  In either case the doer is Atma -self and there is no external intervention.

For happiness one should do introspection, explore and evaluate Atma -self and set it right.  For happiness, right assumption is imperative.  The mistake we make is that we seek happiness with over evaluated self, and with attachment to material world and with a feeling of deprivation wanting to exploit others and mother nature.

The natural pursuit of a man is happiness and it is universal.  Happiness comes from within and within we should look at and not outside.  True happiness requires right understanding of the needs of Atma –self, and body, and the harmony between the two.  With exploration and evaluation of Atma –self, one naturally knows that the need of the Atam -self is happiness and the need of the body is its material wellbeing and satisfaction. 

Satisfaction with material wellbeing comes with a feeling of prosperity and a minimum degree of material wellbeing determines the happiness of Atma -self.

Prosperity is the right feeling of having required quantity and quality of physical amenities for material wellbeing and livelihood and it arises when self is rightly evaluated.  From right feeling comes the feeling of right relation with others. 

When Atma -self is over evaluated, there arises a feeling of deprivation and one continues to exploit others and lives a life with negative emotions, neither happy within nor letting others to be at peace. 

When Atma -self is at a right level of evaluation and right understanding, happiness is experienced with every level of progress is made in right direction, irrespective of whether or not the desire, thought and expectation are fulfilled.

We do all kinds of things, but we are not aware of our Atma -self and we do not even know our Atma -self.  This is ignorance.

Vedas and Upanishads says; “Be aware of self, and make conscious decisions with right understanding of self.  Be aware, be mindful and live a meaningful life.” 

In Chandogya Upanishad, sage Udyalak says; “Hari OM......there is this city of Brahmn, the body, and in it the palace, the small lotus, the heart and in it that small ether.  Now what exists within that small ether, that is to be sought for, and that is to be understood.

So large is that ether within the heart, both heaven and earth are contained within it.  Whatever is here in the world, and whatever is not there or will be there, all are contained in it.

If everything that exists is contained in that city of Brahmn, all beings and all desires, whatever can be imagined or desired; what is left when old age reaches and death scatters apart?

By the old age of the body, the ether, the Brahmn within, does not age.  By death of the body, the Brahmn within is not killed.

In that ether one should discover the truth, free from sin, free from old age, free from death and grief, which desires nothing but what it should desire, and imagine nothing but what ought to imagine.

Those who depart from hence without having discovered the truth and the true desires, for them there is no freedom in all the worlds.  But those who depart hence, after having discovered the truth and the true desires, for them there is freedom here on earth and all the worlds.” 

Shankaracarya says, “Brahmo Satya, Jagato Mithya.”  Only Brahmn is true.  All other existence is illusion. 

The ultimate truth is Brahmn -the consciousness; that consciousness before it manifest at the level of mind.

Shankaracarya upheld Lord Buddha’s doctrine that corporal existence is unreal, the doctrine of impermanence, but only to the extent of illusory plane of matter.  The ideological difference on the subjects of Nirvana and Brahmn continued to exist. 

Shankaracarya contended for Brahmn –the spiritual world, and said; “Prajnnam Brahma –the Brahmn is pure consciousness.  Brahmn is truth but material world is false.  The Brahman is Param Atma, the absolute truth.  The Atma is a spark or extension of Param Atma, and the two are one and the same.”

The Atma, though an extension of Param Atma, is in material mode and it is covered by veil of ignorance –Maya, which causes to consider, what is not real as real, relative as absolute, and conditioned as unconditioned.  When the veil of ignorance is removed with complete renunciation of relationship with material world, Atma realises the real identity. 

Brahmn is the consciousness of all pervasive life principle.  Brahmn is the conscious principle itself which is timeless and transcendental.  The rests are created by cause and condition thus.  Things that are created by cause and condition are perishable and not real. 

That which is born and dies is Jagat which is characterised by a constant flux of birth and death.  The realm of experience presents itself in front of us and in us. 

Behind every phenomenon there is cause and condition which starts the process and itself brings the process to an end.  What is transient cannot be truth.  It is simply Mithya –delusion and Maya -illusion.

Brahmn is Nirguna –without form.  At its state of Nirguna, Brhamn is Sunya, without attributes or qualities and it cannot be defined.  Besides Nirguna Brahmn everything is Bhava –becoming, and always changing.  Anything that is Bhava lacks inherent self existing permanent entity.  All worldly phenomena are in continuous cycle of rise and fall and the end point of every rising and falling is the Nirguna Brahmn. 

Nirguna Brahmn is the home of all existence and eventual refuge of all of us.  That Brahmn is the eternal consciousness and that eternal consciousness pervades in us.  It is there in us, and it is independent of birth and death.  The Nirguna Brahmn is universal and one.

Brahmn is our inner consciousness.  In pragmatic sense it is one and responsible for both wholesome and unwholesome actions of ours.  If we employ our inner consciousness, with negative mental propensity, it leads to wrong actions and with positive mindset, it leads to goodness.

Isha, in Isha Upanishad, says; “Detachment from selfish motives is necessary condition to produce serenity of mind, without which a man is incapable for higher understanding leading to complete freedom from births and thereby attaining Moktsa.  Man obtains immortality through knowledge of Atma -self, and sees all beings in Atma –self, and Atma -self in all beings.” 

Here, Isa is talking about two things: the individual material self, which is caged by Ego and the universal self which is deeply seated within, which is not activated or influenced by Ego.  The universal self is seated next to individual soul, and witnesses the individual self’s activities and gives opportunity to act freely on its own. 

In Chandogya Upanishad, the Prajapati says, “...He, who has searched out Atma –self, and understands it, obtains all the worlds and all the desires.” 

Hearing these words the Devas –Gods and Asuras –Demons decided to search that Atma -self.

Indra from Gods and Virocana from Demons approached Prajapati.  Both lived as pupils for thirty two years and after which Prajapati asked them, “For what purpose have you both dwell here?” 

They replied: “A saying of yours we repeat; The Atma -self which is free from sin, free from old age, from death and grief, from hunger and thirst, which desires nothing but what it ought to desire, and imagines nothing but what it ought to imagine, that it is which we must search out, that it is which we must try to understand.  He, who has searched it out that Atma -self and understands it, obtains all the worlds and all the desires.  We both have dwelt here because we wish for that self.”

Prajapati said to them, “The person seen in the eye is Atma -self.  He who sees it is immortal.” 

Prajapati meant seeing the pure Atma -self residing in one’s heart in his own eye.  But Indra and Virocana, both took it in literary sense and asked another question. 

Prajapati told them: “When a man being asleep, reposing, and at perfect rest, sees no dream, that is Atma -self, that is immortal, that is fearless, and that is Brahmn.” 

Prajapati meant when mind at complete rest and heart is free from desires one is at a state of being in pure Atma -self.  But, by these words of Prajapati, both Indra and Virocana understood that body is the Atma -self and being satisfied they left for their abode. 

Indra however before he arrived back to Gods realised that he had in fact did not know his Atma -self, nor had he seen Atma -self within him, in his eye.  He felt utter annihilation and went back to Prajapati again as a pupil. 

Prajapati said to Indra, “Maghavat! (Another name of Indra, the god of senses) as you went away satisfied in your heart, for what purpose did you come back?” 

Indra said, “He did not see his own Atma -self in his eye by himself.”

After one hundred and one year, Indra having remained as pupil, Prajapati said, “Maghavat, this body is mortal and always held by death.  But body is the abode of that Atma -self which is immortal and without body.

While in the body, by thinking this body is Atma -self, the Atma -self is held by pleasure and pain.  But when he knows himself, the Atma -self is different from the body, he is free of the body.

That serene being, arising from this body, appears in its own form as it approaches the highest knowledge of Atma -self.  At the highest state of knowledge of Atma -self, all the senses become a mere instrument of seeing, smelling, hearing etc. and mind becomes the divine eye and perceives truth not only in present but also in past and future, with and through the knowledge of highest Atma -self.”

This eternal knowledge gained by Indra was shared with the Devas-Gods.  From there on Devas meditate on that Atma -self, understand it and obtain all worlds and all desires. 

In Maitri Upanishad, the curious pupil Valakhilyas asks Prajapati Kratu: “O Saint, if thou show the greatness of that Atma -self, then who is that another different one, also called Atma -self, who by bright and dark fruits of its action enter into good or bad birth?  Downward or upward is his course, and overcome by the pairs, he roams about.”

Prajapati Kratu replies: “There is indeed that another different one called the Jeeva Atma, the elemental self, also called the Bhuta Atma that dwells in the body. 

The aggregates of five elements give rise to Sarira, the body, with senses and mind, out of the senses and mind, there arises I; the Ahangkara –Ego, which overpowers the Jeeva Atma. 

Because Ego has overpowered the Jeeva Atma -elemental self, the mind is bewildered.  One with bewildered mind does not see the pure Atma –the higher self also present within.  The Jiva Atma ridden by Ego enters to good or bad birth depending upon the fruits of its Karma.”

Amazed Valakhilyas says: “O saint, tell what processes are there for the elemental self, by which, after leaving its identity with the body, he obtains union with true self.”

Prajapati Kratu says:

“Acquiring knowledge, by performing one’s own duty, and by meditation, the true self is obtained and whoever obtains does not return.

Through composure of thought, he liberates from causal actions.  When his elemental self is serene and abiding in the true self, obtains imperishable bliss.

For thought alone cause the round of birth; let a man strive to purify his thoughts.

By composure of his thought, he who does all his actions dwelling in his true self, with serene thought, obtains imperishable happiness.

Mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberty for men.  If mind is attached to this world, the Samsara, it becomes bound; if free from the world; that is liberty.”

The mind must be restrained; the impurities must be cleansed till it comes to an end; when the elemental self is dissolved in the true self.  The happiness at that state of being, which belongs to mind, cannot be described by words; it can be experienced. 

In Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa goes to the abode of Yama, the lord of death, seeking answer to the question as what is there beyond death. 

Nachiketa asks Yama; “Do something lingers after death or is death the end of everything.  What, in other words, is the ultimate reality?  Is there such a thing as Atma -the soul or the self?  The world, as we see, is constantly changing, always in a state of flux, a stream of becoming.  Is there something behind it which never changes, which is permanent or eternal?” 

Death tried to dissuade Nachiketa from pressing him for an answer to his question.  But Nachiketa wanted nothing but the transcendental knowledge of the Atma -self.  Thus Yama says to Nachiketa:

“The Shreya –good, is one thing; and Priya -the pleasant, is another.  These two, having different objects, chain a man.  The path of Shreya is the path of knowledge and wisdom, while the path of Priya is of pleasure. 

The path of Priya drags to pleasure of senses and believes that it is the truth, while the path of Shreya takes away from the pleasure of senses to the knowledge and understanding of the Atma -self.  It is well with him who clings to the good; but he who chooses the pleasant, misses the end.

As good and pleasant approach man; the wise goes roundabout and distinguish them.  The wise prefers good to the pleasant, but the fool chooses the pleasant through greed and desire.

He who has understanding, who is aware and mindful, and always pure, reaches indeed that place, from where he is not born again.

Beyond senses there are objects, beyond objects there is mind, beyond mind there is Buddhi –the intellect, and beyond intellect there is the Param Atma –the great self, which is pure.

Beyond the great Self there is the undeveloped, beyond the undeveloped there is the Purusha, and beyond the Purusha, the Brahmn and beyond Brahmn there is nothing, and this, the Brahmn should be the goal of life.

When all the instruments of knowledge stand still with the mind at rest and the intellect do not move, that is the highest state of being.

This, the firm holding of the senses, is what is called Yoga.

When all the desires that dwell in the heart cease, then the mortal becomes immortal and obtain Brahmn.

A person has many choices to make in his life and of all the directions available, one of them leads to Brahmn.

He who forms desires in his mind is born again through his desires here and there.  But to him who realises the presence of the Param Atam -true self within him, all desires vanishes here on earth.

He, who knows the highest Brahmn, becomes Brahmn.  He overcomes grief, he overcomes evil, he becomes free from fetters of his mind and feelings, and he becomes immortal.”

Like Nachiketa, who have their mind fixed on supreme goal of life; who, under no circumstances would deviate from it, and who are able to overcome the temptation of phenomenal world and concentrate on the subtler than subtlest obtain the transcendental knowledge on Atma –self.

Tripur Rahasya, the non-dual Advaita Vedanta, says; “Investigating the teaching on supreme bliss is the first step towards self-realisation.  Contemplate and practice self-enquiry within with a desire to realise the Atma -self. 

Know the Param Atma –the pure consciousness, is present in you, which is eternal and expands as the world of consciousness. 

Param Atma that exists in our heart is the true self.  It is not ours but us.  It is not mine but me.  It is universal and it is one.  Param Atma that exists in our heart is at bliss.  That bliss cannot be ours because that bliss is us.  It cannot be mine because that bliss is me.  It is universal and it is one.

Maya -the cosmic illusion is created by Ahankara –Ego.  It is evil.  It keeps us ignorant of the Parma Atma –the true self, the pure consciousness present in us.  Maya prevents us from recognising and realising Param Atma inherently present in us.  Maya is bondage.  It binds us to the cycle of desire-gain-loss-suffering-desires and so on.” 

Tripur Rahasya sums up; “O man, throw off delusion! Think of that pure consciousness which alone is illuminating all and pervading all.  Surrender to the pure consciousness and invoke that pure consciousness -the eternal energy, inherently present within, with loving devotion.” 

The philosophy of Tripur Rahasya is that at the highest state of being, everything is one pure consciousness, which itself shines and all else shines on its reflected light.  At that state both subject and object becomes one.  The inner consciousness at deepest level is Siva of which the cosmic energy is Shakti. 

Siva is Nirguna -without form and transcends three bodies called Tripur: the gross, subtle and causal bodies. 

The gross body refers to physical body.  The subtle body refers to mind and emotional feeling.  The causal body refers to Maya responsible for creating Cosmic Illusion.  Beyond these three bodies is the Param-Dham, beyond heaven, from where one does not return to Samsara.  By taking refuse in Nirguna Siva we will be able to attain Moktsa –freedom, and reach Param Dham.

Interlinked to the concept of Atma –self is the concept of Moktsa.  Moktsa means emancipation, freedom or liberation of Atma -self from Samsara -the cycles of birth and death, characterized by Maya –Illusion and Dukkha -suffering.

Three things integral to the concept of Moksha are: (1) Existence of Atma –individual self, (2) Atma continues to exist after Moktsa in the causal plane of existence, and (3) Eventually the Atma which has attained Moktsa, merges with Siva, the Brahmn -the source of all existence.

Moktsa could be attained both before and after death.  A person who has lived his life with ethical and moral disciplines, devotion, and free from attachment is fit for Moktsa.  At death of physical body, the departed soul of such person goes to Ishta-Loka, the abode of God, and stays there blissfully in a spiritual body but continues to be subservient to God and make spiritual progress until he attains oneness with God and attain Moktsa.

One can also attain Moktsa even when alive.  One who exercises moral and ethical behaviour and live in harmony within, with others and nature, and strive for happiness, prosperity and the continuity of the two for self and others gradually purify his mind.  Such person attains Atma Jnana, the knowledge of inner divine Atma –Self, which destroys the ignorance -Avidhya that cast illusion on the true nature of Atma making it invisible and inaccessible.  As soon as his ignorance is annihilated, the person attains Jivan Mukti. 

One who has attained Jivan Mukti no longer thinks of himself as an embodied being.  To him the body and the rest of the world appear illusory.  The illusory body continues to exist as long as the Prarabdha Karma, the accumulated or destined Karma lasts.  When the Prarabdha Karma is exhausted and the illusory body dies, the disembodied Atma directly merges with Nirguna Brahmn and attains Moktsa. 

To attain Moktsa means to attain the state of life in eternal bliss, for which one needs to eliminate ignorance.  Param Atma is already present, and it is perfect and blissful.  But it is covered with a layer of ignorance and to remove that layer of ignorance we should renounce Ahankar –Ego.

To attain Moktsa, we should cultivate positive attitude with devotion and develop dispassion to desires that cause bondage to Samsara.  We should practice renunciation to all forms of attachments.  The highest form of renunciation is to renounce the fruits of our actions benefiting others. 

We are the architects of our own fate.  We should renounce things that are Anitya, ephemeral.

Being free from ignorance means having attained Moktsa.  Attaining Moktsa does not necessitate getting anything afresh.  It is only to be realised and that realisation arises with the elimination of ignorance, the link chain that binds man. 

The world we love and to it we are so much attached is only a bubble on the ocean of infinity.  Every phenomenon is impermanent yet we keep running after them.  This is ignorance.  And the causal factor is Ego. 

Renunciation of Ego the root cause of ignorance and attaining Moktsa is one and the same.  And Moktsa is just another word for realisation of Atma -self realisation.

To attain Moktsa does not mean to qualify for heaven.  Heaven is a temporary place of rest where one stays for a period depending upon one’s merit.  When merit is exhausted one has to take birth on earth, where death occurs. 

Moktsa means to attain a state of being, the Brahma-lok or Param Dham, from where one does not return to Samsara. 

Hinduism is intertwined with both Dvaita –duality and Advaita –non duality philosophies.  The Dvaita philosophy embraces that there are two realities: the Param Atma and Atma, the independent and dependent.  Parma-Atma, the universal self, is independent of the phenomenal world.  While the Atma -the self, is dependent. 

Dvaita philosophy believes by merging Jeeva-Atma, the individual self, with Param-Atma, one attains Moktsa.  The greatest stand of Dvaita philosophy is that the Jeeva-Atma is active and it is responsible for its own Moktsa.  The Jeeva-Atma appears separate because of Maya, the illusion, creating cosmic ignorance.  When we know the cosmic ignorance, and come out of it, we find Param-Atma within, already inherently present. 

While the Advaita philosophy says; “You just have to sink into the eternal self.  Nothing needs to be known or done or developed.  Simply surrender directly and unhesitatingly to Param Atma -eternal self, the primal cause of the universe.  Take refuse and be devoted to Param Atma –the pure eternal self, the illusion will be destroyed by itself.”

Our life presents us a choice between things that are pleasurable, and things that are pure and moral.  Peace lies in the purity of mind.  When our mind is pure, we are at peace and bliss.  That purity is hidden deep in our mind and to find it out we must dive deep into our mind.  When we sink deep into oneness with the Param Atma –the true self, the subject and object disappears.  There exists no I or I am. 

Realisation of Atma -the self realisation is not a causal product.  The realised state of Atma, the Param Atma exists eternally within.  We only require insight, moral power and austerity.  Mind control is a good beginning but surrender is the best, because mind control does not cause self-realisation.  Arresting thought and turning it inward do not produce self-realisation for the Param Atma -true self is already realised at all times. 

Both, Dvaita and Advaita philosophies co-exist in perfect harmony.  Both philosophies are part and parcel of same great philosophy of purification of Jeeva Atma -self realisation.  The Moktsa, the ultimate essence remains same, while the paths are different.

Sankharacarya says; “The phenomenal world is the projection of Brahmn and it is not real.  The Brahmn is Sat-Citta-Ananda, the pure consciousness, pure bliss and pure existence.  It neither changes nor ceases to exist.  Brahmn is essentially Nirguna, without attributes, but it manifests itself with personal attributes, Saguna.  The Nirguna aspect is ultimately true and Saguna false.”

The theory of Brahmn defies any description of Nirguna Brahmn in language because none of its description can be exhaustive and complete.  It can be experienced, but not described.  Brahmn is the substratum of every affirmation but denial of qualities. 

Whatever the philosophies are, the true knowledge comes from the right understanding of the cosmic ignorance -Maya, the illusion, created by Ego and thereby not recognising the truth that exists within us. 

Param Atma -true self that resides within us is higher than the mind or intellect, and beyond all materials components or influences of Ego.  The Param Atma -true self is Nitya –eternal, while Ego is Anitya –ephimeral.  When one sees and affirms one’s own real identity, he realises the Param -true self within.  Realisation of Atma -self realisation essentially means knowing one’s own real identity.

As we begin to cultivate and nurture higher state of pure consciousness towards realisation of Atma -self realisation, with knowledge, understanding and practice, we begin to accommodate different values in our life without conditions.  We get physically, mentally and spiritually elevated and life truly becomes worth living.  As we approach higher state of pure consciousness, the spaciousness of our consciousness expands and there begins to spur the feeling of equanimity, loving kindness and compassion.

When we discover our inner consciousness and continue to stay at its purity, we are at bliss; Sat-Citta-Anand which can only be experienced when one understands that not only body but the mind too is separate from Cetana, the true self, the inner consciousness, the Prana.

Mind is close to Cetna but still it is not Cetana.  Because when body dies, the mind also dies and therefore it is not eternal.  This idea is supported by the notion that mind is born out of aggregation of matters along with Ego and when the aggregation dissociates, the mind dissolves in space.

A person, who is in a state of Sat-Citta-Anand, knows that the real enemies are the disturbing emotions and develop his personal capacity to transform adverse situations into advantages. 

A person, who is in a state of Sat-Citta-Anand, transforms everything he posses including negative emotions into goodness of others.  By doing it he eliminates all obstructions and obscuration on his path to Sukkha -happiness.  He develops spiritual strength and trust that no matter what happens in his life or in the world, he will have the inner strength to create and transform things into advantage of everyone. 

Both body and mind are impermanent and what is permanent is the true self –the Param Atma.  The true self witnesses every passing thought and fully aware of their insubstantial and deceptive nature.  One who discovers and realises the true self, the delusion disappear and the eternal happiness outflows. 

Our body is constantly changing and goes through the never ending circle of births and deaths, but the Param Atma –the true self, who is the pure witness within, remains unchanged and untouched by deaths. 

Our mind is at flux constantly generating thoughts at all times.  One thought follows another, each of them arises when the preceding one has disappeared and this pattern never stop. 

Our life is driven by our thought and emotion.  It is the balance between the emotion impelled from our heart and the thought from our mind enables us to live a meaningful life.  But the balance is always tipped off by Ego causing our emotional mind overweighing the rational mind.  When passion surge the emotion, the rational mind is defeated causing it to be irrational and illogical. 

Our thought and emotion are outer consciousness, while Param Atma is pure inner consciousness.  It does do not get immersed and lost in our thought and emotion.  It is simply aware of our mood and our thought which could be good or bad, positive or negative. 

Our quest for true happiness require introspection and awareness being attentive of our internal state of being by knowing and witnessing our own thought and emotion.  The field of awareness is a dimension of our being besides thought and emotion.  It is self-reflexive which simply observes as an interested yet un-reactive witness with total impartiality.  It is not carried away by thought and emotion.  It is in a neutral mode that remains undisturbed but curiously witnessing the turbulence of our thought and emotion unless it is interacted with or asked for advice.

When our outer consciousness look inwardly and communicate with inner pure consciousness, whether the thought and emotion created by it are right and good for others or not, it will inevitably be advised for right things to do.  The divinity unfolds when we act with pure consciousness.

Outer consciousness is all but one sided thought and emotion.  They are centred on I.  They are Ego centric.  But the inner pure consciousness is in equanimity.  When our outer consciousness acts in communion with the inner consciousness, others become the centre point and the positive impact on others’ thought and emotion guides our action. 

Being mindful means being aware and being aware means constantly assessing our state of being in relation to us and its relation to others and the environment we live in.  Awareness produces realistic self assessment.  We ask some fundamental questions: Who am I?  What do I want?  What does the situation demand? 

In our life many paths unfolds but it is the awareness that tells us the right one to take.  For the right decision we must reach deep inside us and understand our Atma -self. 

Upanishads says; “Know that one thing by which all else is known.”  That one thing is consciousness, the inner consciousness, which is simply aware.  There is no greater power than being aware and being mindful.

Being successful in life is all about being aware and being mindful.  We should extend what we want to what others need.  We should be self-guided and shape our vision with conscious conviction being deeply aware.  We should keep expanding our self-image as our career unfolds. 

We should pursue our vision with perseverance despite obstacles and downturn.  Balance the inner world which is subjective in nature with the outer world which is objective in nature and be in harmony.  The true happiness will unfold naturally.