Athma - One's Real Self

Tattva Bodha - 5

The sthula sareera of an individual is matter only as the Pancha Bhuthas, of whose gross matter it is made of, are matter only.  The sukshma sareera is also matter only as it is made of subtle matter of these material Pancha Bhuthas.  The karana sareera is also matter only as it is nothing but the seed of these two bodies.  So all the three bodies of an individual are matter only, and do not contain a sentient substance. But the human body is sentient, conscious of itself and the environs and is capable of intelligently reacting to the environs and not inert like a table or chair which are matter only and not sentient.  From this we infer that there must be an independent inner sentient entity, Consciousness principle, lending sentience to sukshma, stula sareeras. That invisible inner entity, the Consciousness principle, is called Athma. Tattva Bhodha introduces Athma with these words:

स्थूलसूक्ष्मकारणशरीराद्व्यतिरिक्तः पञ्चकोशातीतः सन् अवस्थात्रयशाक्षी सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपः सन् यस्तिष्ठति स आत्मा।(sthula sukshma karana sareerad vyathiriktaha panchakosatheethaha san avasthathraya sakshi sachidananda svarupaha san yas thishtathi sa Athma)

That which is other than the Sthula, Sukshma, Karana sareeras, beyond the five Kosas, the witness of the three Avasthas and of the nature of Sat, Chit and Anandha (Existence, Knowledge, Bliss) is Athma.

We had seen earlier that sentient Athma is different from three sareeras. Since five kosas are only the three sareeras seen from another angle Athma is beyond the five kosas as well. Avasthas relate to the sareeras, and Athma which is different from sareeras, exists only as a witness to the avasthas. These descriptions tell what Athma is not.  What is not Athma is referred to as anathma. So Sareera Thriam, Kosa Panchakam and Avastha Thriam all come under anathma. After describing Athma negatively by telling what it is not through the listing of the anathmas, the text proceeds to describe positively Athma as Sat, Chit, Anandha. They are not three separate attributes but the nature of this Consciousness principle, Athma, described in three different ways. 

Swami Paramatmananda lists the properties of Consciousness as follows:
1)    Consciousness is not a part, product or property of the body. It is not a part like hair, nails etc.; it is not a property like birth, growth etc., and it is not a product like enzymes, cells etc.
2)    Consciousness is an invisible, independent entity that pervades the body and makes it alive.  Kena Upanishad describes in Mantra 2 thus:

श्रोत्रस्यश्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद् वाचोहवाचं स उ प्राणस्यप्राणः। (strosya strotram manaso mano yad vachohavacham sa u pranasya pranaha)

चक्षुषश्चक्षुः (chakshushas chakshuhu)

Ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech, prana of prana and eye of eye.  

That  means Consciousness is the power behind all the faculties of the body that makes them carry out their respective functions.
3)    This Consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body. It is boundless or infinite.  When associated with the upadhi of body it is called Athma; when associated with the whole Universe it is called Brahman.   This concept of Athma as Brahman is something unique to Advaita Vedanta and from this flows property 4.
4)    Consciousness will continue to survive the body medium even after the body perishes.
5)    The surviving Consciousness is not recognisable by us because the medium through which it was recognised is absent.  Through its reflection in the anthakaranam, Chithabasa, Consciousness lends sentiency to the human body. At the time of death, as sukshma sareera with Chithabasa leaves the body, the medium that reflected Consciousness is not available and so the surviving Consciousness is not recognisable.

This can be illustrated with the analogy of electricity.   Electricity passing through filament of the bulb makes it glow, which in turns makes the bulb shine with light and illumine the environs. Electricity is one and it makes aglow bulbs of all sizes and shapes and powers. So we can say:
1)    Electricity is not part, product, property of the bulb.
2)    It is an invisible entity that pervades the filament and make the bulb shine.
3)    It is not limited to the boundaries of the bulb.  It is infinite.
4)  It will continue to survive the bulb medium even after the bulb is fused out.
5)    The surviving electricity is not recognisable as the medium for recognition is not there.

The text defines Sat, Chit and Ananda as the inherent nature of Athma.  “Sat” stands for Existence i.e. pure existence.  This existence principle is not bound by time and is valid for all the three periods of time, past, present and future. So it is eternal.  Athma being eternal and unchanged in the three periods of time is indicated by ‘Sat’.  “Chit” stands for Knowledge, not knowledge about anything but Absolute Knowledge that illuminates for one  the objects of experience in the outer and inner world.  The Consciousness principle illuminates all it comes across without any preference and irrespective of their nature and quality.  The Consciousness being boundless or infinite is complete, पू्र्णः purnaha.  Purnatvam is total bliss as nothing is lacking and no shortness or deficiency is felt.  This is the “குறையொன்றுமில்லை” state that Sri Andal attributes to Lord Govinda in Thiruppavai verse 28.

This Athma is our real self.  It makes the Anthakaranam  sentient through its manifestation in the Anthakaranam as its reflection, called Chithabasa. The sentient Anthakaranam in turn makes the whole body sentient. One mistakes the ego as the real self, not knowing about the invisible inner self that has lent sentiency to the ego itself  due to which the ego identifies with actions, pleasures sorrows, emotions etc. and claims doership and enjoyership.  We can say that Athma is the ego’s Ego on the analogy of Kenopanishad Mantra we saw earlier.  The ego is only the imposter “I” and the Real “I”, is Athma, that cannot be known directly as it is invisible and is not available for perception by the senses or for conceptualisation by intellect.  The goal of Self enquiry is to discover the Real “I”, Athma, rejecting  all anathmas and claim identification with it as one’s Self, disowning the imposter, ego, and through it  disclaim the body-mind  complex as “me” 

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Jeevanmuktha

Before study of Vedanta, ‘I’ means for one, the ahamkara ‘I’, i.e.ego ‘I’  associated with the three bodies, gross, subtle and causal , together referred to as sareera triam, along with the consciousness manifested in the mind i.e. chidabasa.  While studying Vedanta, one comes to know of the second ‘I’, the witness ‘I’ or the sakshi ‘I’. One also learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is the real ‘I’ and the ahamkara ‘I’ is only the transactional ‘I’, which is useful for distinguishing oneself in one’s transactions with the world. One further learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is pure Consciousness, one without attributes, not subject to modifications, beyond time and space and has no birth or death and that this is the ‘I’ that is referred to in the mahavakhya, “Aham Brahmasmi”, I am Brahman. 

When one in ignorance considers ahamkara ‘I’ as the real ‘I’, then that one considers the limitations of the body and mind as his limitations and is subject to the emotional ups and downs caused by the raga and dwesha, likes and dislikes of the mind, and the  physical struggles to make oneself  complete and fulfilled.  This struggle and turmoil is called samsara.  This samsara is the result of Self-confusion, mistaking the ahamkara ‘I’ as real Self, and the consequent activity to overcome the resultant feeling of limitations and this samsara causes the sense of bondage. Since the sense of bondage is caused by mistaken notion, freedom from this sense of bondage can come only from correcting the wrong notion and getting established in the knowledge that one’s real self is the Sakshi ‘I’. 

The person who has acquired this right knowledge through sravanam, then made it doubt-free through mananam, and got established in this knowledge unshakably by removing habitual dehatma buddhi through nitidhyasanam, is called Jeevanmuktha. Jeevanmuktha is one who has become a mukthapurusha, a liberated person, while living and his state is called Jeevanmukthi.  The final liberation from the cycle of birth and death which is attained when the body, which continues until exhaustion of prarabhdha karma, is shed at death is called videha mukthi.   Jeevanmukthi  is a concept unique to Advaita Vedanta.  Jeevanmuktha realizes that he has never been bound and the notion of bondage was one born out of his ignorance, Ajnanam.  Both bondage and liberation are only concepts and one’s true Self, the sakshi ‘I’ which is Athma, is always free of all concepts. Being established in this right knowledge is only called liberation.  As he is firmly established in this knowledge he is also referred to as Sthithaprajna.  Lord Sri Krishna refers to such a person as Gunatheetha (Gita-ch.14)  as well besides Sthithaprajna (Gita-Ch.2).  Athma is free of all attributes, and as one who has identified himself with Athma, he has transcended the three gunas and so is called Gunatheetha.  As Jeevan muktha is one who has realized the jeeva-Brahma-aikyam and is established unwaveringly in that, he is also called Para-Bhaktha, a supreme Bhaktha . He is also referred to as Brahmavid, knower of Brahman, since he has realized his real Self as Brahman.

Since we normally identify ourselves with the ahamkara ‘I’, we have sense of incompletion and non-fulfillment.  To complete ourselves and feel fulfilled, we go after wealth, possessions, positions, relationships, status etc. and this leads to activity aimed at self-aggrandizement and material enrichment.  Such activities in self-interest lead to karma and karmaphala, which may be beneficial or adverse.   Unfructified karmas of present birth are called agami karmas, the accumulated karmas over previous births is called sanchitha karma and that part of the sanchitha karma that determines the present birth with its environments, equipment and length of lifetime  is called prarabhdha karma.   For a Jeevanmuktha, agami karma is annihilated, sanchitha karma is liquidated and only the prarabdha karma, remains.  Prarabdha karma is like the arrow that has left the bow shot at a target.  It cannot be got back or arrested in its movement but has to exhaust by itself, by reaching the target.  But the balance of prarabdha karma does not affect Jeevanmuktha  mentally, as he does not identify himself with his body/mind.  But prarabdha’s influence can be seen in his interaction with the external world.  This accounts for different types of Jeevanmukthas.  Some retiring to a forest or a lonely place to spend their days in silence;  some being active in society, teaching, running ashrams and working for the physical and spiritual welfare of the people; some staying in Samadhi mostly, coming out of it only to satisfy essential biological needs etc. 

  

Swami Sridharananda, while explaining the term ब्रमविदां वरिष्ठः,Brahmavidham varishtaha, in Mundakopanishad (3-1-4), used to classify Brahmavids thus. ( As Jeevanmuktha  is synonymous with Brahmavid, I am using that term only.)  Jeevanmuktha superlative is one who goes out to people to help them spiritually and in other ways.  Jeevanmuktha comparative is one who does not shun society but keeps himself aloof in society and helps those people who come seeking him, in all ways possible. Jeevanmuktha positive is one who keeps away from people and society and pursues his spiritual practice in a secluded place like forest or cave.  A Jeevanmuktha engaging in pravritti, activity or nivritti, withdrawl, is due to the influence of residual prarabhdha.  But either way he is working for loka sangraha, universal welfare, only, through seva or through silence or through both.

When Lord Sri Krishna speaks about Jeevanmuktha, Arjuna’s curiousity is aroused and he wants to know how Jeevanmuktha speaks, how he sits, how he walks, in short how he behaves and conducts himself (Gita 2-54).  This curiousity is understandable as Jeevanmuktha having evolved into unity consciousness, sees everything in himself and himself in everything.  Further as he has awakened to the state of Thuriyam, the waking world is also another dream to him, only this dream is long, continuous, useful and shareable. I will not go into Lord Sri Krishna’s reply now but only state this much. Though a Jeevanmuktha is fully conscious of his identity as the sakshi ‘I’, he makes use of ahamkara ‘I’ in his interactions with the external world.  In his case, ahamkara is a non-binding one and like a roasted seed it cannot germinate fresh karma, as his desires are non-binding and actions are selfless ones arising out of a sense of fulfillment and a sense of love and compassion for all, with no sense of doership, karthrutvabhava.

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