Mandukya Karika Lecture 146 on 20-March-2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

As we are coming to the end of this Mandukya Karika, the commentary of Gaudapada Acharya. Gaudapada is now trying to summarize and put it in simplest terms. But unfortunately, he started borrowing terms, which seems to be a little roundabout. So in our last class, which we completed, 88th of the 4th chapter called Alatashanti. Now a few technical words specially used by the Buddhistic schools of philosophy. Probably they were very much current at the time of Gaudapada's living or borrowed. And so we have to understand, actually it is extremely simple for us. What is he talking about in these few karikas or verses? He is trying to find out, re-describe what we have already studied. Three states every living creature experiences. With the waking, the dream and the dreamless states. And what we think that we are the waker, dreamer and the deep sleeper. But really speaking, as we discussed earlier, that whatever changes is Mithya. And there is no equivalent in English language for this word Mithya. It is neither real nor unreal. We can call it Maya. Mithya is a best word. We have to familiarize ourselves with it. So, we identify and say, whichever state we are experiencing, until that state lasts, that we consider as real. Since it is real, we think that we are that reality. So, I the waker is the reality in the waking state. I the dreamer is the reality in the dream state. I the sleeper is the reality in the deep sleep state. But, whatever is changing, there is a phenomena here. To know that something is changing, and we definitely know. When we wake up, we can analyze the dream as well as the deep sleep. Say, my waking state has changed into dream. Dream has changed into deep sleep. So, I am witnessing that one. And what is the fundamental pillar of Vedanta? Whatever I experience is not me. Whatever I experience is an object. But, I am completely different, completely opposed to what we call the object, the subject and the object. Light and darkness can never be the same. Even there is no remotest resemblance to it. When we wake up to this fact, then something else comes. I am not the waker. I am not the dreamer. I am not the sleeper. Then there is only one possibility. I am the cognizer. I am that awareness. I am that pure consciousness. And there are no two pure consciousnesses. There is no multiplicity in consciousness. This is what Gaudapada wants to drive into us. And instead of, as I said, as I explained just now, simplistic words, we are experiencing the waking, the dream and the deep sleep. And since I am experiencing them, I am the experiencer, unchanging, independent experiencer. And whatever is experienced is changing and dependent. Let us always keep these two characteristics. What is reality? That which is unchanging. And what is unreality or mithya here? That which is changing. That means subject to time. And that which is dependent. That means it is not consciousness. It is what is called anatma, not atma. These are the two important concepts. As I mentioned, here Gaudapada has already introduced, from 1987 onwards, certain technical words. As I said, they are terms borrowed from the Buddhist philosophical schools. What are they? Vastu, Upalambham, Avasthu, Naupalambham, Dvayam, Laukikam, Shuddham, Lokottaram. I will translate these few so that it will be very easy. Vastu means an external object is called a vastu. Upalambham means a thought about that object. For example, if I am seeing a house, so the house is the vastu. And my knowledge in the form of a thought in my mind that this is a house is called Upalambham. And these two, there are external objects and there are thoughts in my mind within me that there are really external objects outside me. That is called waking state. And then what is the dream state? Avasthu, there is no real object. But as I said earlier, there is what we call thought is there. Thoughts. So in dream state, the thoughts themselves become the objects. So Avasthu means simply thoughts. Whatever is experienced during the waking state. And now Upalambham. So already there are thoughts in my mind. But there is an experience is there. Upalambham means what? My experience, there are things outside. Even in dream, there is something called, I am sitting and dreaming that I am looking from my window, from inside the house, through the window, outside. Outside, there are thousands of objects. They are outside, external. But I am inside. But upon waking, we understand these outside and inside are only my thoughts. And if we apply the same criteria, even in the waking state, there is no outside, there is no inside. They are only my thoughts. So what is the nature of this dream? There is no external object. But there is a thought about that object. And the thoughts give as real an experience as the waking state. But we think there is an external world and I am in the waking state. While dreaming, nobody says, I am in the dream state. Everybody says, I am in the waking state. But curiously sometimes, within the dream, that is, upon waking up, what we call the dream, there is an external world. And in dream also, we can dream that we went to sleep and we were having a dream. Dream within dream. So dream state is first to dream. And when we sleep within the dream state, and dreaming, creating another, that is called a second dream. So it is a dream. This is the characteristic of the dream state. And what is the common characteristic? Dwayam. Dwayam means these two go together. There is an object and there is a thought about the object. And so this is called reality. The subject, the object, the knower, the known, that is there. And both these, waking and dream, are called Lauki Kaam. So the waking is called Lauki Kaam. But curiously, the dream experience is called Shuddham. Here the word Shuddham. We should never mistake pure state, no. For God's sake, forget that meaning. Here Shuddham means pure mental or a thought in the mind. Shuddham means there is no external object. And that is why it is called Shuddham. These are the two states. First two, Upalambam, an external object and our thought about it. In dream state, our thought and our thinking that there is an external object and both, that division is there, duality is there. And both are Lauki Kaam means a state of ignorance. But the dream state is called Shuddham, not really. Otherwise, in every dream state, everybody becomes pure. And as soon as purity is attained, the person must wake up a realized soul. But it doesn't happen. Here Shuddham purely means no external object. That is the meaning of the word Shuddham. So our thoughts in the dream state could be as impure as the thoughts when we are experiencing in the waking state. But as different from these two states, which two states, waking and dream, there is another called Lokottaram. This is again a Buddhist term. What is Lokottaram? It is a peculiar state. We are not aware at that time. So we think like that, that I am not aware. I did not know anything. This is called the deep sleep or Sushupti state. Simply squeezed together, summary of this is, there are three states, the waking, the dream and the deep sleep. And in waking state, what are they? That there is an external object and a thought corresponding to that external object. Suppose I see a tree and there is a tree thought. Tree outside and a tree thought inside. That is called waking. In the dream state, there is this thought. What thought? Tree thought. But then when we are dreaming, that tree thought now becomes an external object. So there is also an external object in the dream. So we imagine and corresponding thought. But it is called Shuddham because there is no external object. It is only recollecting the memory. And both these states are state of ignorance. What about deep sleep? That is called Lokottaram. Is that a state of bondage? Yes, equally it is a state of bondage. Why? That is called Karana Sharira. That is, we have to wake up because deep sleep changes into waking, waking into dream, dream into dreamless. I want to confuse you a little bit further. Our Vedantins probably didn't have good work, especially the people who renounced the world. So these three states are subdivided into further six states. What is it? Jagrat Jagrat, Jagrat Swapna, Jagrat Sushupti, Swapna Swapna, Swapna Jagrat, Swapna Sushupti, Sushupti Sushupti, Sushupti Jagrat, and Sushupti Swapna. I don't want to confuse ourselves further. In the waking state, you are completely aware of an object and that is called Jagrat Jagrat. And while you are talking, say you are talking with your friend or somebody known, it could be a teacher also, your Guru also, God also, suddenly you remember, this fellow, my God, he had bestowed so many things on the other devotee, but in my case, he only starts giving a smile, like Vishnu in the form of Mohini. He was bestowing his smile on all the Asuras, but distributing the Amruta to all the Devas. Only two fellows, they became aware, jumped the queue, sat with the Devas, and they were what we call the eclipses, Rahu and Ketu. Anyway, you are doing something, suddenly your mind takes off to some other object, that is called Jagrat Swapna. And in between, in between two thoughts, there is a blankness there, and that blankness is called Jagrat Sushupti. And so they say, there is pure dream, when you are completely awake in the dream state and experiencing, and then suddenly you think, I thought I was in Varanasi, how come I am dreaming that I am in this? So sometimes a little bit of glimpse comes, and that is called Swapna Swapna. And then the same phenomena can be applied to Swapna Sushupti. In between, the mind becomes blank, just like in the waking state, that is called Swapna Sushupti. And while doing, what happens in Sushupti? We are not aware of time, space and causation. Suddenly, without waking up, you suddenly remember something from the waking state, that is called Sushupti Jagrat. When you are sleeping without any awareness, that is called Sushupti Sushupti. And when you are a little bit, slightly, suddenly, for a lightening, small remembrance of the waking state, that is called Sushupti Jagrat. And sometimes you wake up and start a little bit of imagination, and that is called Sushupti Swapna. So we don't need to go. What is important is, throughout all these three states, what is their common characteristic? They are, first of all, changing one into the other. And just now, I enumerated nine types of experiences. That means, from experience number one, to experience number two, from two to three, three to four, four to five, five to six, six to seven, seven to eight, eight to nine, so again nine to one, like that it is roaming, that is called changeability, and completely dependent upon consciousness. How do we know? When I say I am in the waking state, I am aware, I am aware that I am in the waking state. I am aware I am in the dream state. Why do I say so? So put up with me a little bit, because beautiful thoughts, deep thoughts, supposing I am in the waking state, I am talking with somebody, just now I gave that example, and some remark the other person makes, takes off my mind to that particular person, or whatever it is, and then I come back and say, oh, I should not have thought something else, I should be paying attention to what this person is telling, that means I am completely aware. First of all, I am speaking with this person, secondly, my mind is straight, and then for a second or so, complete blankness, oh, so I did not experience anything. Even to say I did not experience anything, I need consciousness, otherwise I could not have recollected that I did not experience anything. So that awareness is completely different from the Mithya, which has two characteristics, what are they? Changeability and dependability. This consciousness is continuous, unchanging, eternal, whatever be the state. And that is what Gaudapada wants to drive into our mind. There is yet another state. This is the description of the Sushupti state, as contrasted earlier with the waking and dream states. So in this 88th Karika, there is yet another state of consciousness admitted by the wise, which is free from contact with external objects and also free from the inner thoughts. There is no external object and there is no thought about the external object, which are both present in the waking as well as the dream, but in what is called Sushupti. Deep sleep, the body which represents the waking state and the mind which represents the dream state, both become completely merged for the time being, for a temporary period of time. And that state is called deep sleep, Sushupti, and that is being described in this particular Karika. There is no external object. There is no thought about that object. Therefore, this third state, what is it called? Loka means Jagrat Loka, Swapna Loka, and this is far beyond both of them, completely separate from both of them. So this is the description. It is Smritam, means thus it is said. So what is that state? This state is beyond all empirical experiences. Buddhai means wise people. Loka means always. Once right knowledge comes, it can never be destroyed. So here is a wonderful point we have to understand. So long as our knowledge is partial or completely opposed, that means partially right, partially wrong is one form, completely mistaken, something is taken in its opposite sense, or doubt-ridden, these three states, our worldly knowledge is characterized by these three. First of all, doubts come. Do I know it completely or do I not know? This is called Samshaya Jnana. And the second one is partially known, partially right, something is right, something I mistaken. And there is something called Viparita Jnanam, means I mistake, like the young man who mistook a black bear on a dark night for his beloved, completely mistaken. So right knowledge, doubtful knowledge, partial knowledge, and completely opposite knowledge, our goal should be to have what is called right knowledge. And that is the person who has that kind of right knowledge. What was the point I mentioned earlier? That all this partial knowledge and completely opposite knowledge, or doubtful knowledge, they are subject to change. Scientists are always doing it. They discover something, oh, we have discovered everything. And the next scientist comes, no, no, that is completely wrong. This is the right thing. Like that, every knowledge that is discovered so far is being denied by the next person, but it is not complete denial. It is expansion of knowledge. But a person must come to that ultimate point of knowledge. Once a person reaches, he can never change it. That is called changeless knowledge. And that changeless knowledge is called Atman, Brahman, or it is called real knowledge. That is what Sri Ramakrishna said, Gnanam can be changed, but Vignanam. So Gnanam, Gnayam, Vignanam. Gnanam means knowledge. Knowledge of the many things. For example, you see a tree. I know this is a tree. And you see a wall. I see a wall. So I have knowledge of the tree. I have knowledge of the wall. I see a bird. I have knowledge of the bird. So every type of knowledge is called limited knowledge. And it is changing whenever we come across a new object. Not only that, the same object also. I thought this was a good person. No. Like that, our knowledge is being continuously replenished. And that is called evolution. That is the nature of things. So three types. First is Gnanam. What is the second one? Gnayam. That is the objects that should be known. Gnanam is the knowledge of the objects. Gnayam is the objects about which we come to have knowledge. But the instrument, the consciousness only through which we can distinguish this is an object, this is a thought about an object. That is called Gnayam. Or that is the final knowledge. That is called Turiyam. So why did all these previous karikas were described? To make us think. Whatever is changing, whatever is dependable is undependable. We want something independent. What is that independent? Pure knowledge. What is the name for that pure knowledge? Turiyam. And this is the essence of the whole Mandukya Karika. So Gnanam, whatever differing knowledges is called Gnanam. Gnayam. All the objects which are the targets of that changing pieces of knowledge. Gnayam never changes. It is called Chaitanyam. It is called the eternal witness. And this is called Turiyam. That is called Brahman. That is called Bhagavan. That is called Ishwara. That is called Shakti. So that is what Godopada wants to tell. So discard all the objects and their knowledges. But that which is witnessing all the so called objects and the thoughts produced when we come into contact with those objects one must be aware who is experiencing both the object as well as the thought or knowledge about that object. And once a person understands and identifies I am that pure knowledge. It is eternal. It is unchanging. And it is pure consciousness. Aham Brahmasmi, that is what it means. That should be the goal. And he who realizes I am Brahman, I am Turiyam he is called a Buddha, a wise person. So now this is what is being again repeated in the 89th Karika. Gnane cha tri vidhe gne kramena vidhite svayam sarva-jnatahi sarvatra bhavateha maha-dhiyaha Earlier he said Budhai, wise people. Here is same idea repeated here. Repetition is not for fault because until we realize the truth repetition is the only way. That is why there is a beautiful shloka in Sanskrit saying that is mantra nam jyamita nasti about truths. Mantra means the truth, highest truth. Jyamita, nothing called that you should not repeat you are telling me for the billionth time. No, it has to be told until we become that. Once we know I am that then there is no need, there is no teacher there is no thought, there is no sadhana etc. In this 89th Gnane cha tri vidhe gne kramena vidhite svayam sarva-jnatahi sarvatra bhavateha maha-dhiyaha A person becomes maha-dhiya that is a realized soul. When he attains sarva-jnata, all-knowingness What is all-knowingness? That there is no all at all. There is only Brahman and about Brahman we should never say Brahman is everything because so long as we see infinite number of things countless countable things we have to say it is nothing but Brahman. For example, you are seeing a hundred ornaments so this ornament is different from that ornament but every ornament is made up of gold so long as we do not realize there is from the viewpoint of the basic material there is no difference between one and the other even the smallest ornament is nothing but gold its value may be different because we measure it, it is a small quantity of gold and a big ornament that goes around the waist that is very heavy and that costs tremendous amount of weight of gold it is more costly that is a yavaharika, transactional world but the truth is small ornament, big ornament every ornament is nothing but pure gold gold is its true nature that is what he wants to say that there is no everything it is only to convey to us because we have not attained to that state sarvajnatha, all-knowing there is no all-knowingness Brahman is only one ekahadvityaha there is no everywhere, sarvatra that is also because we can think only in terms of time-space causation we have to say past, present and future so for us to understand it is telling when a wise person realizes Brahman everything is Brahman everywhere it is Brahman everything that was in the past, present and future is Brahman and he is called mahadhyaha the wisest of the persons in simple words he is called realized soul he is called mukta purusha, liberated soul but how to attain to that? so we have to first separate this is a waking state I am its witness and whatever I am witnessing is not me so this is called the knowledge of the waking state apply the same thing to the dream state this is called dream state I am imagining these things and whatever I am imagining I am not what I am imagining I am totally separate, that awareness I am that unbroken awareness that is how from the waking state we go to the dream state and then even while experiencing deep sleep state we say even this is a state of changing state and it is also a dependent state if I don't have body-mind the question of deep sleep doesn't arise at all none of these states will be there in other words I am not the body, I am not the mind but when a person attains to this realization he will not say I thought I had a body, I had a mind no, because they never existed that memory also will not be there why? because the memory belongs to which organ? mind when there is no mind where is the question of remembering the past remembering the present remembering the future so we have to exercise our intellect and say for Brahman there is no past, present and future when there is no past or future memory and imagination they vanish in one go that is what, but to attain to that state first we have to say I am not the body and when I progress the same thing is applied I am not the mind what happens? that is I am not the gross body so waking state gone vanishing I am not the mind dream state put an end to gone vanishing then we also see the other state what is that state? I am not the sleeper also this is I am not experiencing Sushupti also I am not the causal body also that is called this marvelous thing that is called denying I am not the waker or dreamer or sleeper then through that sadhana process then a day will come simply there is whatever comes after I am that is a dreamer, a waker, a dreamer a sleeper there will be no remembrance simply aham I am even that is also human language only and that will never be broken that is called all knowingness that is called all times everywhere and one who attains to this state is called Mahadhyaha when knowledge and the threefold threefold means the Jagrat, Sopna, Sushupti waking, dream and deep sleep are known one after the another in their correct sequence what is that correct sequence? they are changing they are dependable he who is possessed of the highest reason spontaneously realizes that state of knowledge everywhere that means he goes beyond time and space everywhere means beyond space every time all the time means beyond time that means there is nothing called this world, the other world past, present and future which is enumerated in the very what is called very first mantra of this Mandukya Upanishad that is what he wants to say in this 89th Karika so what is the way? what should we practice? so for that also we have seen and as I said Godopada is only recollecting what is he recollecting? that we have to do Omkara Sadhana and for this Sadhana for the sake of spiritual practice we have divided this spiritual practice into four types so we have divided for the sake of practice Omkara into four letters that is why it is called four Matras what are those four? A, O, M and Amatra that which is unsounding sound Akara represents waking Ukara represents dream and Makara represents deep sleep but that unsounding sound represents the Turiyam so it is only for the sake of understanding we call it fourth state we should never call it fourth state that state which alone makes these three states possible without which no state is possible that is called the fourth state or Turiyam so we have to be very careful without gold there is no small ornament or large ornament or largest ornament nothing will be there but for the sake of beginner we say that consciousness associated with body cross body is called waking associated with subtle body called mind that is called dream state and associated with the causal body that is called deep sleep state and that Upasana has been beautifully explained earlier that is simple way to put it is I am not the waking state, I am not the dream state, I am not the deep sleep state and when slowly gradually from the gross to the subtle to the causal and then automatically what remains that is called Turiyam, this is what he wants to say alright, you told me what is the goal, Turiyam to know that I am that pure Brahman and what is my problem I am in this transmigration bound soul and what binds me my thinking that I am the waker, dreamer and sleeper and how to realize I am the Turiyam slowly the gross has to be merged in the subtle Akara should be merged in Ukara Ukara should be merged in Makara and Makara automatically leads to that final state called Turiyam and again how to attain Sadhana spiritual practice and what are the spiritual practices to be done that is explained in this 1990th Karika Heya, Gneya Paakya Vigneya Anya Grayanataha Vigneya Agrayanataha in the very beginning that means Sadhana beginning of the Sadhana these Sadhanas are divided into four categories Heya Gneya and Apakya and Vigneya four the four things if we have to be successful in our spiritual practice we have to be having a crystal clear idea about four things some things have to be avoided called Heya and then what is that I have to accept and I have to realize that goal has to be clear that is the second what is the things to be attained or accepted and that is the third and thoughts to be rendered ineffective I repeat things to be avoided the object to be realized things to be attained or accepted and thoughts to be rendered ineffective we will come to that all these four among these four all the rest excepting what is to be realized exists only as imagination this is a very pithy statement what is that statement so when we realize Brahman Brahman alone remains so I have to avoid these things I have to get these things and I have to progress in spiritual life and attain to my goal and all the thoughts have to be completely avoided all these only when we think we are bound souls I am a practitioner and so I am a human being and I am a beginner I have got a Guru and he teaches me what to do, what not to do so I have to not even think of what he advised me my Guru advised me to give up Haya then he clearly told me you have to realize Atman Haya Atman has to be realized that is the second one then what is the third one for that I have to do Shravana, Manana, Nididhyasana and that that is what to be accepted and then every other thought contrary to this any unspiritual thought has to be avoided simply speaking it is very easy when we experience this in order to reach that goal we must not only know what is Turiyam but must necessarily practice ourselves so some things we have to avoid totally some values we have to experience, to acquire and keep that is called Daivey Sampath and then we have to constantly keep our vision I have to reach that goal which is called Turiyam and once I reach there every other thought that is this is Turiyam I am a Jeeva I am slowly climbing and I have reached the peak of my realization all these are also thoughts when there is no mind did you remember? do you understand? when we are in the deep sleep state there is no question of thinking I am a spiritual practitioner and I have to realize God and I have to do Sadhana nothing will be there because the idea of bondage itself is not there when there is no idea of bondage the idea that I must get rid of bondage also will disappear so the whole world, external world is called Anatma internal world is called Anatma the causal world is called also Anatma and whatever is Anatma is Mithya or only appearance therefore what is the first one? I must give up what is the given? I must develop pure dispassion through discrimination Anatma has to be given up and at the same time I must also accept, I must love in this Anatma world I must love God I must love my teacher and I must love also the scripture because these are the anti-poisonous medicines so and then we have to understand what should be given up whatever distances us from self-knowledge should be given up and whatever helps me to realize my own self has to be accepted and all the time my goal is to reach that self-knowledge so that should be kept in mind and that alone is the eternal, unchanging and that is called Thuriyam that is called Brahman and I am that Brahman that has to be attained once I attain even one goes in Vedantic terminology even what is called this Brahma Kaara Vritti I am Brahman that is like pole vault this Brahma Kaara Vritti is like the big thorn and what are the other thorns, three thorns the waking is one the dream is another thorn the deep sleep is another thorn with the help of I am Brahman learned from Guru and scripture with the help of that big thorn I must get rid of I am not the waker I am not the dreamer, I am not the sleeper and I must pick up what is called completely separate from it and once I know who I am, I don't need to say I am separate from these things because these things become non-existent and something becomes non-existent even the idea that I have to remove these things from me doesn't arise at all this is the essence of it, Sadhana is what that go beyond identity with these three states and bondage is only these three states there is no fourth state only three states waking, dream, dreamless so Aapyam means that which I have to reach this is called Brahman I will have to have this this is the meaning of this which we will discuss a little bit but the general trend is I must know I am the Turiyam which means I am not the waker, I am not the dreamer, I am not the sleeper, that is the essence of these verses which we discussed then Gaudapada enters into the again reiterating that there is no Jiva everything is Brahman and nobody is born nobody is in bondage and nobody has to do practice any spiritual practice and that is what he wants to drill from the 91st which we will discuss in our next class May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Ramakrishna