On Witness Consciousness

According to Vidyaranya, there are three seers: the eyes, the mind, and witness consciousness. Science has confirmed the first two but remains ignorant about the third.

The eyes register reflections of light and a spectrum of color. The mind creates their names and forms, analyzes them, and passes judgment like the ignorant creator that it is.

Without the witness consciousness, none of this appears. It’s not the Creator though. The creation is Maya’s domain. But it's the substance from which these dreams are made.

a. silly mind

Big Science is still trying to unify quantum and newtonian physics

rather than quantum physics and nondual metaphysics. 

Silly science. The former isn't possible while the latter is what it is.

And what egoic mind calls Creator is just itself wrapped in robes.

The absolute one is beginningless.

In that unborn reality, creation is conceptual only.

b. real science

Real Science begins at wave-particle duality. That's the paradox it needs to sit with.

Upanishadic rishis sat with immutability and change thus conceiving the fabulous concept of Maya.

If it helps, the mind dreams whether the body is asleep or awake. When the mind stops dreaming, it's called deep sleep. Consciousness never stops witnessing though. Try meditating on that.

c. three good mantras

Individual consciousness (jiva) is ignorance (avidya). Universal consciousness (saguna brahman) is both god (isvara) and illusion (maya).

It's like mind (antahkarana) and ego (ahankara) appearing in the subtle body of organic chemicals and functional compounds without the ignorance of individual consciousness.

One cure for individual consciousness is resting in universal consciousness, God or Maya.

God has many names and forms for one to worship, relatively speaking. Maya says three things: I am, I know, I love. Any one from this primordial trinity makes for a good mantra.

d. reflections of satcitananda

Satcitananda is the truth. And the reflections of Satcitananda are the gods I worship in duality.

The reflection of existence is I am. The reflection of consciousness is I know. The reflection of bliss is I love.

Nisargadatta Maharaj says I am. Advaita Vedanta says I know. And Krishna says I still love Jesus.

The Reflections: I am, I know, I love.

1. The Reflections: I am, I know, I love.

The matrix of Satcitananda is not existence, consciousness, bliss as the mind defines them. Most people think the body-mind exists, is conscious, and feels bliss. Not true! The body-mind is only living on borrowed existence, consciousness, and bliss.

Real existence is the godhead. As is consciousness and bliss. And I, Satcitananda, is all there is. The mind is like a subtle body burning in the blink of that I.

In this way, Satcitananda is reflecting in the subtle body. And in its first blush, this reflection is saying, I am, I know, I love.

But as the egoic mind begins to own this reflection, objects become attached. I am me, I know lots of things, and I love some of them.

Thus Samsara appears in Satcitananda. To reverse this curse, return to that first blush: I am. That which is reflecting shall take it from there.

2. Satcitananda like the Sea

What people think of as existence is a wave. But real existence is like the sea.

People think that consciousness is a product of the mind, when the mind appears in consciousness like an island in the sea.

And people think that bliss is a culmination of the deepest pleasure. But bliss is that sea of holistic infinity and its reflection is actually unconditional love.

3. On Brahman, Maya, and Avidya

Brahman is the absolute one

like the silence of satcitananda.

Maya is primordial duality

like I am, I know, I love.

Avidya is samsaric multiplicity

like I am me, I know lots of things, and I love some of them.

a. Arizona, Japan, and Bon Secours

Existence is like that time I saw the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi to be historically incorrect) Mummy Cave Ruins across the narrow but lively springtime waters of Chinle Wash in Canyon del Muerto. It wasn't like spacetime stopped but it was never here.

Consciousness is like that time I stood on a dragon boat observing several small pine islands in Matsushima Bay (there are 260 in total) as if we were the ones being observed instead. That's why Basho remains silent about that place to this day.

My beautiful daughter had been born. The ironic pleasure of Steely Dan's Reelin' In the Years was playing on the radio as I was leaving Bon Secours. My wife had been in labor for an excruciating 24 hours. But bliss is beyond the pleasure-pain syndrome. And life isn't fair.

b. Birth and Death

Birth and death are states of existence.

Actually, birth and death are states of mind in unborn eternal existence.

You got the picture.

Optical Is Illusion

Separating name and form from pure existence is one type of external meditation.

This goes beyond not seeing the forest for the trees, but not seeing space for forest—

not knowing the space of consciousness in which these names and forms are appearing.

It’s not about optical illusions, but the optical, aural, and so on, are illusions, period.

a. It takes one to know one

The universe is the manifestation of the truth and not the truth itself.

Although the universe is the manifestation of the truth,

no individual will ever know it despite the funding it receives.

Only Saguna Brahman knows Nirguna Brahman. It takes one Brahman to know one.

b. Real maps

Boundless space and boundless time is neither space nor time but beyond spacetime.

Spacetime has a beginning and an end. Beyond spacetime is beginningless.

If it never began, then how could it ever end?

Mapping spacetime is like mapping earth. It's just a piece of paper to get you there.

It's not right here right now. Real maps are made to be thrown away.

c. Sat & Cit

Is existence external and consciousness internal? Or is Atman Brahman?

What is more miraculous? Existence or the Knowledge of Existence.

Trick question; they're the same. Inbetween is the reflexive universe of Maya.

d. Rising Arizona

Driving up from a cold wet Phoenix, we hit the altitude where things had turned to snow—

the breakdown lanes were filled with vehicles of people making snow people in the median.

Let me tell you about Sedona. It's a veritable dreamland.

Like a red rock sandstone rorschacht test, it still reveals myself to myself—

bypassing the logical pathways of my old New England mind.

The road to Grand Canyon was running straight to a big gap in the world—

it's a visual metaphor for the Great Beyond of course. People flock to the truth like ravens.

e. Satcitananda redux

Existence is to die for,

Consciousness is intelligent awareness,

and Bliss is beginningless.

Samadhi, Self-shining and Free

Nirvikalpa is not a flame in a place without wind but a flame without any air at all.

For the Self is self-shining and free, in need of no outside fuel source. The Self is the Source.

And Atman is not in the human heart. This heart's in Atman.

a. Exclamation Points

It's not so much that Atman isn't in the human heart. Atman is Brahman and Brahman is all there is. Brahman permeates the human heart like Vishnu do!

Like the analogy of sea and wave, the sea is not in the wave; the wave is in the sea—although the sea is permeating every wave with seawater!

Because the mind isn't absolutely real, all its sentences must end in question marks of paradox and not declarative periods. And all vehicles in analogies ultimately break down!

b. Me Far So Lalaland

City of Angels—the Hollywood Sign and everything! Don't Bogart that handprint on Hollywood Boulevard. Peter Max at a Rodeo art gallery. The Witch's House just off of Walden Drive.

Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach. Lifeguard stations and beach volleyball. Surfers are always California dreaming. We are watching a Pacific Easter sunset from the end of a pier. 

Jay Leno wasn't playing that weekend at the Comedy & Magic Club. Wayne Liquorman was off too. No nondual deconstruction for you! A Larry David look-a-like eating street food will have to do.

c. Matrices

Existence, consciousness, and bliss weave the rope of the real matrix.

Dreaming, believing, and defining is the anti-matrix.

I am, I know, I love. These are your antivenoms. Take three and see.

d. Popular science

Science thinks it knows it all. Yes, it knows the big bang better every day but it does not know beyond at all.

The uncertainty principle is the great beyond as far as quantum physics go. When it comes to the great beyond, the mind is obviously uncertain.

High school science tells us everything is more than 99% space. Name and form has always been the 1 percent.

One can never know the definition of the truth. One can only be it. Money can’t buy me love. Shake it off, shake it off.

e. This unbelievable knowledge

I am. I know. I love. I love that I know I am.

Existence, therefore I am. I am, therefore I think Cartesian science is a joke.

Science is the new religion. Religion was the latest truth.

Truth is unborn existence. Reality is this unbelievable knowledge.

And ananda is holistic bliss infinity.

Drg Drsya Viveka 22 Trans/Notes

DDV 22

Indifferent to both name and form while being devoted to existence-consciousness-bliss, one-pointed meditation should be practiced both within the heart and outside.

Upeksya nāmarūpe dve saccidānanda- tatparah,

Samādhim sarvadā kuryād hṛdaye vā’thavā bahih.

उपेक्ष्य being indifferent; नाम रूपे (to) name and form; द्वे two; सच्चिदानन्द तत्परः – being devoted to Existence-Consciousness- Bliss (Truth); समाधिम् – meditation; सर्वदा always; कुर्यात् – should be practised; हृदये वा either in the heart; अथवा or; बहिः – outside

Being indifferent to both name and form, and devoted to the Truth, one should always practise meditation both in the heart and outside.

~T

नामरूपे (to) name and form द्वे two उपेक्ष्य being indifferent सच्चिदानन्दतत्परः (सन्) being devoted to Saccidānanda हृदये वा either in the heart अथवा or बहिः outside सर्वदा always समाधिं concen- tration कुर्यात् should practise.

Having (1) become indifferent to name and form and being devoted to Saccidānanda, (2) one should always practise concentration (3) either within the heart (4) or outside. (5)

~N

Being indifferent to both name and form,

and devoted to the Truth,

one should always practice Meditation

Both within in the heart and outside.

~S

Notes

Samādhi is not a verb, it is a noun. One cannot ‘do’ samādhi, one can only ‘be’ in samādhi. Samādhi is the alert, steady and poised state of mind abiding in its true nature. Assuming a pose or posture does not guarantee this poise. One can only be alert, to be alert. This attentiveness can be maintained irrespective of the activity one undertakes, the emotions one feels, or the thoughts one entertains. Hence, it is said that meditation should be practised at all times.

In true samādhi, one does not experience something new or out of the world, such as flashes of light or the sound of conches. Such experiences may occur as stages in the practice of samādhi.

The practice of samādhi can be within or without. The practice within is done with reference to the individual. On enquiring, Who am I?’ and discriminating between the Seer and the seen, one realises the Self which is of the nature of pure Consciousness. The practice without is done with reference to the world perceived. On enquiring, ‘What is the world?’ and discriminating between the world and its substratum, one realises the Self to be the absolute Reality. Close eyed and open eyed meditation is also sometimes referred to as meditation within and without, respectively. Whatever be the locus of meditation, withdrawing the attention from names and forms and fixing it in the Truth, is meditation.

~T

[1] Having, etc. Names and forms are impermanent, because they appear and disappear. Though names and forms give the direct meaning (वाच्यार्थ) of ‘That’ (तत्) and ‘Thou’ (त्वं) yet they are negatable as found in deep sleep.

[2] Saccidānanda This is the implied meaning (लक्ष्यार्थ) of all objects. The characteristics of Existence, Conscious- ness, and Bliss are universal and therefore they form the common features of the substratum of all objects compre- hended by “That’ and ‘Thou’. Therefore these aspects alone, being permanent, as distinguished from names and forms, are worthy of being concentrated upon.

[3] Concentration – Concentration or samādhi means one- pointedness of the mind by which the student feels his steady identity with Brahman.

[4] Heart – Heart is pointed out, for the facility of concentra- tion, as the seat of Paramatman.

[5] Outside – That is, concentration can be practised through the help of any external object, such as a word, sound, image, or any other symbol. These two modes of concentra- tion are meant for different temperaments.

~N

From the 13th verse up to the 21st verse, the author dealt with the central theme of the text, which is the cause of saṃsāra and the remedy for saṃsāra. The cause for saṃsāra is the ignorance-based mixing up of the real and the unreal. This mixing-up takes place both at the subjective level between the seer and the seen, and the objective level between Brahman and the universe. We have a wrong self-image and have a wrong expectation from the world. These two together cause saṃsāra. These two have to be sorted out by viveka, discrimination, through proper enquiry. That enquiry is done by Vedānta śravaṇaṃ and mananam, which leads to correction at the subjective and the objective levels. Subjectively, I learn that I am emotionally independent and objectively, I learn that the unstable nāmarūpa world cannot give lasting security. Kṛṣṇa uses two adjectives to describe this, nityatṛptaḥ, always contented, at the subjective level, and nirāśrayaḥ, independent, at the objective level. From verses 22 to 31, the author talks about the assimilation of the teaching because without internalization, the teaching will remain an academic knowledge.

For this nididhyāsanam is prescribed from verses 22 to 31. Nididhyāsanam can be practiced in many ways. The definition of nididhyāsanam, Vedāntic meditation, is dwelling upon the teaching intently by providing quality time and not trying to get rid of thoughts or remaining thought-free. If dwelling on the teaching is meditation, it can be done in any manner that is convenient to us.

In this verse, the author is talking about samādhi-abhyāsa-rūpa nididhyāsanam. Six-fold samādhi is described in this section. This is a unique approach that is not found in any other Vedāntic text.

~P

The Sacred Matrix of Satcitananda

Namarupa is the superimposition and satcitananda is the substrate. Namarupa in translation is name and form. Satcitananda in translation is existence, consciousness, bliss. One name for namarupa is Maya. One name for satcitananda is Brahman.

In that classic Vedantic analogy of snake and rope, or raju sarpa nyaya, namarupa is the snake and satcitananda is the rope, indicating the reality matrix of Brahman is ignorantly believed to be this illusory world of samsara instead.

This inquiry, analysis, viveka is all about teasing out the golden strands of nondual satcitananda from the monolithic dualities of namarupa. In doing so, one becomes impervious to all names and forms and devoted to the underlying trinity of existence, consciousness, bliss. 

~A

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda

Seer and Satcitananda in Savikapa

As thoughts appear, disidentify with the mind and all its objects, and see the seen as the witnessing seer sees through it. For the absolute seer is one’s true self.

Unattached Satcitananda, self-shining and nondual, I am. They say this is meditating in duality with pointers. Or using thought rather than being abused by it.

In savikalpa samadhi, an individual consciousness is meditating as pure consciousness, the highest degree of visualization and a paradoxical act of manifestation—one’s own deconstruction.

a. No matter.

No matter how much an individual meditates it will never be enlightened.

This illusory individual meditates because it has listened to the nondual truth, contemplated that nonduality as a whole, and has faith in its reality.

Geronimo!

b. Absolute reality.

Absolute reality is beyond description. In that sense, the absolute is the unknown.

In reality, I, Atman, am the absolute. In this sense, the absolute is known.

Brahman is not an object. Objects are Maya. Brahman is the absolute subject. I am Brahman.

c. Satcitananda is.

Satcitananda is reflecting in the subtle body of organic chemicals and functional compounds.

The reflection of existence is—I am. The reflection of consciousness is—I experience. The reflection of bliss is—I love.

Satcitananda is nonduality. The reflection of satcitananda is duality.

Brahman is never saying, I am, I experience, I love. Brahman is the silent principle of Existence, Consciousness, Bliss.

d. We drove.

We drove through the Texas panhandle on the way from Oklahoma City to Santa Fe. That place ain't just flat, it's Texas flat.

So I've been from Amarillo to Tucumcari on the way to Santa Fe but I've never been to Tucson though.

Leaving Tucamcari, we barely beat a rogue tornado out of town. It followed us down Route 66 and on to I-40 West.

We never stopped until we got to Santa Rosa. The waitress says it dissipated somewhere east of here and west of Cuervo.

e. Pure consciousness.

Pure consciousness is awareness. The reflection of awareness is universal consciousness. The reflection of christ consciousness is ego, mind, memory, and intellect.

Eyes see a piece. Mind places the piece in the puzzle. Consciousness watches.

Rah, rah, rah. Hand me the pliers.

f. Satcitananda is 2.

Satcitananda Is the Holy Trinity of Vedanta.

Existence is like the sea and this I-am is like a wave.

Consciousness is the knowing node of existence and infinity.

Bliss is not earthly bliss. Earthly bliss is love. The principle of Bliss is holistic infinity.

g. Our metaparadigm.

Our metaparadigm was materialism as it was in the old west and as it is in the new east.

Make my metaparadigm be pure consciousness. It doesn't have to be a hard problem.

Look, this egoic complex of mind, memory, and intellect is a mirror. See?

 

Transcreating Drg Drsya Viveka (wip)

A. Three Seers

1 Seen and Seer

Forms are the seen and the eye is the seer. And as that eye in turn is seen, the seer is the mind. And as thoughts of the mind are seen, the Witness is the one seer and never the seen.

2 The Eye as Seer

Blue, yellow, physical, subtle, short, long, and other such differences, the forms are various and many. But the eye sees them all remaining as one and the same.

3 The Mind as Seer

Blindness, dullness, and acuteness are some of the characteristics of an eye. And the mind in unity recognizes all of these. Also, the same in the case of ears, skin, etc.

4 Consciousness as Seer

Desire, determination and doubt, faith and faithlessness, perseverance and its opposite, humility, understanding, fear, and more is illuminated by unchanging consciousness.

5 Self-shining Consciousness

Neither rising nor setting, Consciousness does not increase nor disintegrate, but is self-shining, illuminating all without any support.

B. Reflection of Consciousness

6 The reflection of consciousness

Because of the reflection of consciousness within, the intellect appears to be conscious. This understanding is of two kinds. One is called ego and the other, the inner instrument of the mind.

7 Identification like a heated iron ball

Of the reflection of consciousness and the ego, there is an identity like that of a heated iron ball. It’s further said that ego in turn identifies with the body causing it to attain consciousness too.

8 Three identifications of ego

The ego identifies with the reflection of consciousness, the body, and also the witness. The first is natural, the second is due to karma, and the third is born of ignorance.

9 Identifications disappearing

Between the mutually related reflection of consciousness and ego, annihilation is not possible. But through the exhaustion of karma and direct realization, the other two respectively disappear.

10 Three states of ego

In the dissolution of the ego during deep sleep, the body also becomes unconscious. The half manifestation of ego is the dream state. The full manifestation of ego is the waking state.

11 Dreaming and waking states

Thought modifications of the inner mind identifying with the reflection of consciousness project various ideas in the dream state, and in the waking state imagines objects outside with the senses.

12 Subtle body

The subtle body is the material cause of ego and mind. It is one and insentient in nature. It is born, cycles through its three states for a time, and dies.

Maya

13 Powers of Maya

The two powers of Maya obviously are those of projecting and veiling. The projecting power creates all the world from the subtle body to the totality of the material universe.

14 Creation like waves in an ocean

Creation is the name of that form of Brahman in the reality of Existence Consciousness Bliss, as in the ocean there are waves which are like the manifestation of all names and forms.

15 The cause of samsara

The distinction between the seer and the seen within, and between reality and creation without, is veiled by the other power, and is the cause of samsara.

16 Becoming the empirical self

In immediate proximity to the witness, the subtle body, identifying with the gross body, shines—and due to that encounter with reflected consciousness becomes the empirical individual self.

17 When the veiling is destroyed

The nature of individual consciousness appears in the witness due to superimposition. But when the veiling is destroyed, the difference is revealed and that notion disappears.

18 Reality appears to undergo modifications

Similarly, the distinction between creation and reality remains veiled, and because of the influence of this power, reality appears to undergo modifications.

19 Destruction of the veil between Creation and Reality

In this case also, the destruction of the veil makes clear the distinction between Reality and creation. Of the two, change only occurs in creation and never Reality.

20 The five aspects of every entity

It exists, it’s known, it’s dear, it has a name, and form. Thus are the five aspects. The first three belong to reality. The nature of the world are in the latter two.

21 Satcitananda is the same for all entities

In space, air, fire, water, and earth; in deities, animals, men, and so on; existence, consciousness, and bliss are the same. Only the names and forms differ.

22.On samadhi

Indifferent to both name and form while being devoted to existence-consciousness-bliss, one-pointed meditation should be practiced both within the heart and out.

23. Savikalpa meditation of the heart

With thought and without thought: meditation is of these two kinds in the heart. With the seen and with words: meditation with thought is again of two kinds.

24. Meditating on the seen

Thoughts, like desires and such, arising in the mind are the seen. As their witness, one should meditate on consciousness. This association with the seen is a meditation with duality.

25. Meditating with words.

Unattached Existence Consciousness Bliss, self-shining and free from duality, I am. This association with words is a meditation with duality.

26. Nirvikalpa meditation of the heart

But complete absorption in the bliss of self-realization beyond both the seen and all words—this meditation in the state of nonduality is like a flame in a place free from the wind.

Drg Drsya Viveka 21 Trans/Notes

DDV 21

In space, air, fire, water, and earth; in deities, animals, men, and so on; existence, consciousness, and bliss are the same. Only the names and forms differ.

~A

Khavāyvagnijalorvīșu deva-tiryan- narādișu, abhinnās-saccidānandāḥ bhidyate rūpanāmanī.

ख-वायु-अग्नि-जल-उर्दीषु in space, air, fire, water and earth; देव-तिर्यङ्-नर- in deities, animals, man, and so on; अभिन्नाः are the same; सत्-चित्-आनन्दाः Consciousness-Bliss; भिद्यते Existence- differs ; रूपनामनी – the name and form

Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the same in space, air, fire, water and earth, and in deities, animals, man, and so on. Only their names and forms differ.

~T

खवाय्वग्निजलोर्गीषु in the ākāśa (space), air, fire, water and earth देवतिर्यङ्नरादिषु in gods, animals, and men सच्चिदानन्दाः (the attributes of) Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss अभिन्नाः common features रूपनामनी forms and names भिद्येते differ.

The attributes of Existence, Con- sciousness, and Bliss are equally (1) present in the ākāśa (space), air, fire, water, and earth as well as in gods, animals, and men, etc. Names and forms make (2) one differ from the other.

~N

In space, air, fire, water and earth;

in Deities, animals, man and all others;

Existence, Knowledge and Bliss is no different;

Only their names and forms differ.

~S

Notes

Space is defined as that which accommodates (avakāśaṁ dadāti iti ākāśaḥ). The special quality of space is sound. Similarly, the special qualities of air, fire, water and earth are feel, form (and colour), taste and smell respectively. They differ from one another in their names and forms (form here does not mean only the physical forms but includes the qualities perceived by the senses). The names and forms are the product of māyā in fact, name and form is māyā. But Existence- Consciousness-Bliss is common to all.

~T

We distinguish one object from another only by their names and forms. Names and forms are character- istics of the individual and hence rela- tive. Even after the negation of names and forms, there exists the common substratum whose nature is Existence- Consciousness-Bliss (Absolute).

~N

Sat-cit-ānanda is equally present in all the insentient things of the world and also the sentient beings. In the verse, the insentient things are referred to by the five elements and the sentient beings are referred to by three grades of beings, the superior celestials, the inferior animals and the intermediate human beings. But nāma-rūpamake all the things and beings appear different. Sat-cit-ānanda is satyaṃ and nāma-rūpa is mithyā. One should differentiate between satyaṃ and mithyā and not mix them up.

~P

Oak, Satcitananda, Oakananda

The world is made of five ingredients, of which these are the foundational three: that which exists, that which is knowable, and that which is lovable, either in Its presence or its absence.

These first three correspond to Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, which are present in all deities, creatures, and humans. The other two are name and form, namarupa, which differs with every entity.

Rather than stopping at visible names and forms, see Satcitananda as the essence of all. Consider an oak tree not as Oak but as Oak-satcitananda or Oakananda for short. What’s good for the monk is good for the mighty oak.

~A

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda

The Sacred Matrix of Satcitananda

Namarupa is the superimposition and satcitananda is the substrate. Namarupa in translation is name and form. Satcitananda in translation is existence, consciousness, bliss. One name for namarupa is Maya. One name for satcitananda is Brahman.

In that classic Vedantic analogy of snake and rope, or raju sarpa nyaya, namarupa is the snake and satcitananda is the rope, indicating the reality matrix of Brahman is ignorantly believed to be this illusory world of samsara instead.

This inquiry, analysis, viveka is all about teasing out the golden strands of nondual satcitananda from the monolithic dualities of namarupa. In doing so, one becomes impervious to all names and forms and devoted to the underlying trinity of existence, consciousness, bliss.

a. May the Fourth be with you Luther

All beliefs have one thing in common. They're not the truth.

True myth keeps on pointing. Dead myth is believed to death.

Don't mistake faith for belief. Belief forgets the point. Faith follows it.

b. Holy Yamadera, Part One

In 2007, we ascend the thousand steps of Yamadera, or temple mountain—officially known as Mount Hoju just northeast of Yamagata City—which Basho climbed in 1689, to Risshakuji Temple constructed in 860.

Basho wrote a haiku about this place where the voices of cicadas and silence are seeping into the rocks beneath his feet but he says it better: shizukesa ya / iwa ni shimiiru / semi no koe

Just beyond the halfway point, memorial inscriptions are engraved like tombstones in the cliffside beneath the towering cedar trees. In other words, you are now entering immortality.

c. Inside the Sacred Matrix (You can’t beat a trinity. It’s one better than duality)

Existence is the first filament in the sacred matrix of satcitananda. Because of this principle, I have something to say: I am.

The next strand in the gossamer of reality is consciousness. Not only do I see and think, I see through all this thought. I know.

Ananda is the third line in this satcitananda matrix. It’s difficult to translate ananda into English. Some say bliss. Others say bliss was co-opted by the Sixties.

Some try to replace ananda with infinity. Others dumb it down to happiness. I either leave it untranslated or say ‘holistic bliss infinity’ to cover all my bases.

d. The Mass of Consciousness

If existence isn’t absolutely godly, what is? Without consciousness, what do you know? Without ananda, what is satcitananda but samsara?

Without ananda, satcitananda is existence and consciousness. Two out of three ain’t bad when majority rules. There is no majority in nonduality.

The real matrix is existence, consciousness, and ananda. The false matrix is spacetime, religion, and the pleasure-pain syndrome. Beneath every dream is the silver screen of satcitananda.

The waking and sleeping dreams are appearing in consciousness. Deep sleep is the consciousness in which their absence is appearing. This is the mass of consciousness!

The mind is dreaming whether identifying with the body or not. In consciousness, the mind appears. In the mind, the world appears. In the world, the truth appears. Look for it.

( If existence itself isn’t absolutely godly, what is?

Without consciousness, what do you know?

Without ananda, what is satcitananda but samsara.

Without ananda, satcitananda is existence and consciousness.

Two out of three ain’t bad when majority rules. There is no majority in nonduality

The real matrix is existence, consciousness, and ananda.

The false matrix is spacetime, religion, and the pleasure-pain syndrome.

Beneath every dream is the silver screen of satcitananda.

The waking and sleeping dreams are appearing in consciousness.

Deep sleep is the consciousness in which nothing is appearing.

This is the mass of consciousness!

The mind is dreaming whether identifying with the body or not.

In consciousness, the mind appears. In the mind, the world appears.

In the world, the truth appears. Look for it. )

e. Penultimately, atman is brahman

If fire is our greatest knowledge, then the Bic Lighter must be our greatest technology.

Self-awareness is the greatest fire. Nonduality is like kindling.

The heart is atman. The metaphysical is brahman.

Drg Drsya Viveka 20 Trans/Notes

DDV20

It exists, it’s known, it’s dear, it has a name, and form. Thus are the five aspects. The first three belong to reality. The nature of the world are in the latter two.

~A

Asti bhāti priyam rūpam nāma cetyaṁśa- pañcakam, ādyatrayam brahma-rūpaṁ jagad-rūpam tato dvayam.

अस्ति – (it) is; भाति (it) shines; प्रियम् – (it is) dear; रूपम् – form; नाम name; च – and; इति अंश- पञ्चकम् – thus (are) the five aspects (of every entity); आद्य-त्रयम् the first three (are); ब्रह्मरूपम् the nature of Reality; जगत् रूपम् – the nature of the world; ततः – the latter; द्वयम् – two (are)

Every entity has five aspects It is, it shines, it is dear, its name, and its form. The first three belong to Reality and the latter two to the world.

~T

अस्ति (it) exists भाति (it) shines (becomes cognizable) प्रियं (it is) dear रूपं form नाम name च इति अंशपञ्चकं all these five aspects (char- acterize every entity) आद्यत्रयं the first three (are) ब्रह्मरूपं characteristics of Brahman ततः the next द्वयं two जगद्रूपं characteristics of the universe.

Every entity has five characteristics, viz. existence, cognizability, (1) attractive- ness, form, and name. Of these, the first three belong (2) to Brahman and the next (3) two to the world.

~N

“It is, it shines, it is dear, it has form, and a name” – are the five aspects (of every entity). The first three belong to Reality; The latter two belong to the World.

~S

Notes

Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the Nature of the Self and every object of the world. Reality manifests as ‘is’ ness, awareness and dearness in objects. Every object also has a name and form which keeps changing and perishing. Objects like the earth, sun and other stars seem to live forever, but they too, are conditioned by time and space. Reality is the only changeless substratum over which the changing world is superimposed. The ‘is’ ness, awareness and dearness of an object belong to the Seer and not the seen. The name and form constitute māyā.

~T

It was said that through enquiry the seeker differentiates between what is Brahman and what is creation. The differentiation is an intellectual process because they can be never separated. The objects can be physically separated from each other because they are limited. But Brahman being limitless cannot be physically separated from the objects. Existence and consciousness being all-pervading cannot be physically separated from the world. Only intellectual separation is possible and actually intellectual separation alone is enough. At the objective level pure existence cannot be seen separately. At the subjective level, I cannot physically separate consciousness from the three bodies. In the waking state, the gross body continues, in the dream state, the dream body continues, in the deep sleep state and even in the samādhi state, the causal body continues. I am never going to experience pure consciousness, but it is only in terms of discriminative understanding that the differentiation is done. How is that discrimination done? The author presents the method of discrimination in this verse. This is a very oft-quoted verse. We are experiencing five factors outside. All our experiences have five components. Three of those components belong to Brahman and two belong to the creation. Three are factual and two are material. Thus all our experiences are mixed.

~P

Oak, Satcitananda, Oakananda

The world is made of five ingredients, of which these are the foundational three: that which exists, that which is knowable, and that which is lovable, either in its presence or its absence.

These first three correspond to Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, which are present in all deities, creatures, and humans. The other two are name and form, namarupa, which differs with every entity.

Rather than stopping at visible names and forms, see Satcitananda as the essence of all. Consider an oak tree not as Oak but as Oak-satcitananda or Oakananda for short. What’s good for the monk is good for the mighty oak.

~A

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda

Oak, Satcitananda, Oakananda

The world is made of five ingredients, of which these are the foundational three: that which exists, that which is knowable, and that which is lovable, either in its presence or its absence.

These first three correspond to Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, which are present in all deities, creatures, and humans. The other two are name and form, namarupa, which differs with every entity.

Rather than stopping at visible names and forms, see Satcitananda as the essence of all. Consider an oak tree not as Oak but as Oak-satcitananda or Oakananda for short. What’s good for the monk is good for the mighty oak.

a. There is nothing but Brahman

There is nothing but Brahman. All is vanity but Brahman.

Namarupa is superimposed on Satcitananda. All dreams, whether waking or sleeping, appear in Satcitananda.

Atman is the witness. The seer is never seen. Atman is Brahman.

b. Form or Formless

As if Existence, Consciousness, and Holistic Infinite Bliss is not enough.

Every form needs a name.

Question, are we the form or the formless reflecting in the form?

c. On Individual, Universal, Nondual 

Consciousness in Maya is universal. Everything in Maya is made of nondual consciousness. Nondual consciousness is the absolute ground. Consciousness in Maya is universal; Consciousness in Samsara is individual.

Between nondual consciousness and universal consciousness is the form of the universe. Maya speaks in forms. Between universal consciousness and individual consciousness are names. People talk in names.

Individual consciousness is original ignorance. Universal consciousness is primordial God. Nondual consciousness is gone, gone beyond, gone far beyond. Tattvamasi.

d. Going East

I have been one who has seen the Garden of the Gods and all I got was this Frank Waters book at a Colorado Springs bookstore: The Woman at Otowi Crossing.

The Platte River is said to be a mile wide and an inch deep. I stayed there overnight on the way to Omaha. Deafening midnight thunder lets me know its sky is ten thousand miles deep and the speed of light loud.

By the time I got to Finger Lakes, I was completely claustrophobic. No longer was I seeing the desert for the trees. By the time I got to Woodstock, I was back in the world again. My next stop needs to be the Gulf of Maine or bust.

e. On Analogy and Paradox

First hit me with analogy. Then knock me out with paradox.

Hit me with your snake and rope.

Knock me out with nonduality.

 

Drg Drsya Viveka 19 Trans/Notes

DDV 19

In this case also, the destruction of the veil makes clear the distinction between Reality and creation. Of the two, change only occurs in creation and never Reality.

~A

Atrāpyāvṛti-nāśena vibhāti brahma- sargayoh,

Bhedastayor-vikāraḥ syāt sarge na brahmaņi kvacit.

अत्र अपि in this case also; आवृति-नाशेन by the destruction of the veil; विभाति becomes clear; ब्रह्मसर्गयोः of the Reality and creation; भेदः distinction; तयोः of the two; विकारः – modification; स्यात् exists; सर्गे in the creation; न क्वचित् – never; ब्रह्मणि – in the Reality

In this case also by the destruction of the veil the distinction of Reality and creation becomes clear. Of the two, the modification exists in the creation, never in Reality.

~T

अत्र अपि in this case also आवृतिनाशेन with the destruction of the veiling power तयोः ब्रह्मसर्गयोः of Brahman and the phenomenal universe भेदः distinction विभाति becomes clear (तत: therefore) सर्गे in the phenome- nal universe विकार: change स्यात् exists न not ब्रह्मणि in Brahman क्वचित् ever (विकारः स्यात् change exists).

In (1) this case also, the distinction between Brahman and the phenomenal universe becomes clear with (2) the disap- pearance of the veiling power. Therefore change (3) is perceived in the phenomenal universe, but never in Brahman.

~N

In this case also, by the destruction of the veil,

is made clear the Reality-Creation

distinction. Of the two, the modification exists

In Creation, never in the Reality.

~S

Notes

Substratum. The substratum alone lends existence to the superimposition. The substratum pervades the superimposition, like the background screen which pervades colours and forms of the movie. They constantly change on the unchanging screen. Without the backdrop there would be no movie. The screen pervades the entire projected picture. Similarly, the Reality is the changeless and all-pervading substratum of the world.

In addition, the knower of the changes must be changeless and separate from the changes. Who knows the changes? I know. ‘I’, the illuminator of the world, am changeless and eternal. The substratum (Reality) and the illuminator (Self) are both changeless Existence-Consciousness. Hence, I am the Reality of the world. I do not exist in time, space or among objects, but they are in me. I am not part of the world. However, the world exists because of me. It should be noted that here ‘I’ refers not to the limited jīva but the Witness-Consciousness. This knowledge destroys the veiling.

~T

In the foregoing stanzas we have seen, following the methods of agreement and dif- ference, that the word त्वं (Thou in the Vedic statement, “That Thou Art’) indicates the Witness (Sākşin) which is immutable and changeless and that the word तत् indicates Brahman which is unrelated to the phenom- ena. The attributes generally associated with ‘Thou’ and ‘That’ are mere appearances and hence unreal.

~N

The problem is not with the vikṣepa-śakti. It is welcome because it has given me a body and mind to enjoy the world. The problem is with the āvaraṇa-śakti. A jīvanmukta is one who has removed the āvaraṇa-śakti but allows the vikṣepa-śakti to continue as long as the prārabdham is present. Body-mind continuing is not the problem, āvaraṇam is the problem. Āvaraṇam is ignorance. Ignorance will only go with knowledge. That knowledge is ātma-anātma-viveka which requires śāstra pramāṇam in the form of śravaṇaṃ and mananam with the help of a guru. To do the śravaṇaṃ and mananam effectively, one needs to have the qualifications of discrimination, dispassion and the six-fold mental discipline. This process removes the ignorance and I know that I am the sākṣī and not the body-mind. This sorting-out has to be done at both the levels. At the subject level, the discrimination is between the factual sākṣī and the material body-mind complex, which is called ātma-anātma-viveka. This was mentioned in the 2nd line of verse 17. In this 19th verse, the author says that the sorting out has to be done at the objective level also between the factual Brahman and the material world through śravaṇaṃ and mananam. The first one is called tvam-pada-viveka (verse 17) and the second one is called tat-pada-viveka (verse19).

~P

In Creation but Not of Creation

Maya projects Creation and veils Brahman in which Creation is appearing.

Change is another word for Creation and Change only appears in the Changeless.

Seeing through this veil—discerning what’s Creation and Reality—is the Knowledge. 

~A

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda