THE BASICS OF THE THREE PHILOSOPHIES - II
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ADVAITA
Happiness is the only state of mind that is sought by every being that is born on this earth. Misery is most unwelcome to all creatures. Every living creature is engaged in some activity or the other only in search of eternal happiness. But have they attained this happiness – eternal happiness? The answer is a big “No”! Instead they have gotten themselves entangled in only in miseries. They have not been able to get this happiness because they seek external happiness from external objects, while the truth is that eternal bliss is within oneself and the search must be made within to attain this supreme bliss.
All the pleasures that are derived from the external objects are trifles compared that to that eternal bliss which is the Supreme. Hence, it would the greatest help if one could show the way to this eternal bliss. The Vidya(knowledge) of Advaita philosophy does this supreme help to all, by showing the way to eternal bliss. Let us briefly get introduced to the concept of Advaita philosophy and the manner in which it helps to attain liberation, the nature of which is eternal bliss.
Advaita is that state of non-duality where there is complete cessation of thoughts such as “I am an individual”, “the objects that are seen/perceived are different from me”, so on and so forth. In this state, there is no misery or delusion. “ Tatra ko moha: ka: shoka:” says the Ishavasya Upanishad which means “Where is delusion or misery for the one who has realized this non-dual state”
The mixture of joy and misery is inevitable to all beings that are born. The cause for birth is the Karma load (stock of the results of actions performed) of the individual soul. As long as action is there, Karma is accumulated and that will lead to birth, which in turn will result in death. The cycle goes on. So the only way to completely avoid misery is to get out of this cycle of births and deaths. Hence if one wishes never to be born again, one must attain a state of inactivity. This inaction is possible for the individual soul only if the root cause for the actions, namely desire, is completely destroyed. Desire arises in one’s mind only if he sees the objects of the world as external to him. If there is no second object (non-dual state), then there is no room for any desire at all! Absence of desire leads to inaction on the part of the individual soul which ultimately helps him come out of the cycle of birth and death. Once a soul is out of this cycle, there is no scope for misery and hence this state of supreme bliss is known as “Liberation”.
Notion of diversity -> Desires -> action in search of happiness ->acquisition of Karma ->leads to cycle of births and deaths ->miseries
Hence, to get freed from miseries, following the same track, one must get rid of the ‘Notion of diversity” which is the root cause of desire. This is the road to eternal bliss.
How does Advaita say that there is no diversity at all, when we have the cognition of this entire universe with all varieties in its creation? Advaita proclaims that the truth which is Brahman is the only reality and that the apparent notion of diversity (the root cause of all miseries) is only due to ignorance (technically called Avidya). This avidta is destroyed once the knowledge of Brahman arises. Once this knowledge arises, the individual soul reaises its identity with the Supreme Brahman.
The Upanishads say“ Sarvam khalvidam brahma” i.e, All this is indeed Brahman and “Anando Brahmeti vyajaanaat” i.e, one realizes Brahman is bliss
Since this Brahman is “ Paramananda ghanam” which means “bliss condensed” and is the much sought after purushaartha ( object of desire of man) for all jivas.
Let us now see, how the relationship between jiva, Brahman and the universe is explained by the Advaita School and what according to it is the truth? Truth, according to Advaitha, is that which is eternal. In fact, according to this school, that which is the truth has to be eternal and the eternal thing is nothing but the truth alone. In this sense, Brahman alone is truth according to this school. Then, how do we explain the objects and jivas of the world that are so vividly perceived. Are they not true?
The answer to this is that all these manifestations as the various jivas and the diverse universe are mere illusionary appearances on this Supreme Brahman. These appear due to Avidya or Maya(ignorance). The Supreme truth is only one and that is Brahman. To explain this, three states of realities are accepted in the Advaita school.
1. Apparently real objects –
If one looks at a shiny shell from a distance, it looks like silver. This is called “Apparently real” as the knowledge of this object (silver) vanishes on the rise of knowledge of its substratum i.e, shell. Though silver was cognized in the shell to be truly existent, a closer inspection revealed its nature to be illusory. Thus it is only “apparently real”. Here the silver is merely superimposed on the shell though in truth, it never existed there.
2. Empirical reality –
The Advaitins contend that the whole creation with its diverse names and forms is a mere superimposition on Brahman, just as silver is a superimposition on shell as explained above. As the knowledge of the substratum arises, the illusory appearance of silver is destroyed. So also, once the knowledge of the Brahman arises, this entire creation is realized to be a mere illusion. Hence all these objects which will continue to exist, till the rise of the knowledge of the Brahman, are said to be empirically (practically) real.
3. Absolute reality –
As said before, the Brahman is the absolute reality as it never gets altered in any divisions of time – past, present or future. This neither has a beginning nor an end (Anaadhi – Anantham). This is beyond names and forms. It cannot be described as “This is Brahman”. Brahman is that which remains after negating everything that is impermanent as Not this” (Neti, Neti).
Hence, in truth, the individual soul is the same as the Brahman and all the objects that are seen are also nothing but Brahman. “ Sarvam Brahmamayam” says Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra.
Let us now see what this Maya is, which has been described as the cause for the notion of diversity. Maya, according to Advaita, is “anirvachaniya” – i.e, (in Advaita parlance) one whose nature cannot be ascertained. It is a mysterious energy whose nature cannot be determined to be either truth or untruth. It is described as the cause for this universe according to the Advaita school. Maya appears to be real only till the knowledge of the Brahman arises. Once this supreme knowledge arises, Maya becomes unreal. The entire universe along with its cause disappears at the rise of the supreme knowledge.
To put it in a nutshell,
“Brahma satyam – Jagat mithya – Jivo brahmaiva naapara:”
i.e,
“Brahman alone is real. The entire universe is illusory. The individual soul is non- different from the Brahman”
Liberation for the jiva is the realisation o his identity with the supreme Brahman. This Brahman is “ Satyam Jnanam Anantham” i.e, “ Truth, knowledge and infinite” and hence is eternal bliss.
Part III >>
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