VEDANTAM FOR BEGINNERS - 44. SWAMI SIVANANDA

-

========================================================================

Monday,  March 06, 2023. 06:00. 

TAT TVAM ASI =  That Thou Art :

The Maha-Vakyas :

Post-44.

========================================================================

Inapplicability Of Viseshana Viseshya Bhava :

It is open for anyone to contend that the words Tat and Tvam may be interpreted and

identified through the use of either solely Samanadhikarana or Viseshana Viseshya Bhava as in the

case of a Blue Lotus, without the help of Bhagatyaga Lakshana. The answer to that is that the literal

meaning, as understood in the statement ‘the blue lotus,’ does not fit in with the sentence Tat Tvam

Asi.

In the assertion ‘the blue lotus,’ the two words ‘blue’ and ‘lotus,’ by themselves, are two

contrary ideas, but still they qualify each other so as to signify a common object. This mutual

qualification is Viseshana Viseshya Bhava.

All lotuses are not blue and all blue things are not lotuses. But in this particular case, blue

qualifies the word lotus and lotus qualifies the word blue. Thus they qualify each other and there

exists a mutual qualifier-qualified relationship. Thus, temporarily avoiding all their distinctions,

they unite together to mean that thing which we call the blue lotus, the Samanadhikarana.

This type of interpretation cannot be given to the. sentence ‘Tat Tvam Asi.’

In the statement ‘the blue lotus,’ though the word ‘blue’ and ‘lotus’ are two contrary ideas,

yet, they exist on one and the same substratum, Samanadhikarana, and further stand in the mutual

relationship of qualifier and qualified to denote a common basis.

In the case of Tat and Tvam, they are two contrary ideas respectively associated with

remoteness and nearness. As such, their co-existence in one and the same individual is not possible.

Further, it cannot be argued that after eliminating their mutual distinctions they stand in the mutual

relationship of the qualifier and the qualified, on the same substratum, so as to mean that

substratum.

In the sentence Tat Tvam Asi there is no effort to bring two contrary ideas in the relationship

of the qualifier and the qualified, and thus to effect a unity between two contrary ideas, so as to bring

out the meaning of the substratum. The true significance of the sentence Tat Tvam Asi is an absolute

homogeneous Consciousness.

The inadmissibility of Jahallakshana and Ajahallakshana were discussed before. Now the

inadmissibility of Samanadhikarana and Viseshana Viseshya Bhava have been discussed·

Thus, Bhagatyaga Lakshana or Jahadajahallakshana alone is admissible in getting at the

true meaning of the sentence Tat Tvam Asi.

*****

Next
Realisation :
To be continued

=========================================================================

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Knowledge : Ch-5 -3.

-
Image
Chapter 5: Maintaining One's Position-3. What are you going to understand when you are trying to understand yourself? Where is the object? And which is the subject there? When I see an object, I say, "I see this. I know this table, this desk, this person, this something that is in front of me"; but I am not in front of me, so I cannot make such statements in regard to my own self. I cannot say, "I am seeing myself"; nor can I say, "I am touching myself". These statements, which usually apply to persons and things outside, do not apply to our own self. Hence, this understanding may not be adequate for the purpose of understanding your own self. All knowledge fails when it becomes a means to the knowledge of one's own self, though it becomes a great success when it is a weapon to know what is not itself. There is this peculiar difficulty which is easy to miss, because of the fact that the only thing that we miss in our daily o...
Read more

What is Knowledge : Ch-4. Part-4.

-
Image
Chapter 4 : Yoga – An Integration of Consciousness. Pat-4. It is only the discriminating consciousness that feels dissatisfied with its present achievements. Ignorance is bliss, and when we know nothing about what lies ahead of us, and we are not even conscious of there being anything at all beyond our possessions and our areas of operation and action, we are kept in a state of This ignorance also brings a sort of joy, because of the disconnection of consciousness from the awareness of there being something beyond itself. So, the ignorant person is happy, and we too are happy, though we know very well that our very physical existence here is not secure. It is a terrible insecurity in which we are placed, and the next moment's fate of our physical existence is not known to any wise man in the world; yet, we are happy. This is an instance of how ignorance can be bliss. However, yoga is that art of awakening the sleeping consciousness of the human individual to...
Read more

Vedantasara :20.

-
Image
201. General discipline (Yama) consists of non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence and non-acceptance of gifts.  202. Particular discipline (Niyama) consists of cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of the scriptures and meditation on God.  203. Posture (Asana) means the placing of the hands, feet, etc., in particular positions, such as Padmasana, Svastikasana etc.,  204. Control of the vital force (Pranayama) refers to exhalation, inhalation and retention of breath, which are means to the control of  the vital force.  205. Self-withdrawal (Pratyahara) is the withdrawing of the sense-organs from their respective objects.  206. Concentration (Dharana) means the fixing of the mind on Brahman, the One without a second.  207. Meditation (Dhyana) is the intermittent resting of the mental state on Brahman, the One without a second.  208. Absorption (Samadhi) is what has already been described as attended with self-co...
Read more