Consciousness Only Knows

There's a tendency to mistake attention for awareness. In Maya, attention is reflected consciousness and awareness is pure consciousness.

Reflected consciousness resembles pure consciousness like a lowland swamp resembles an alpine lake. Attention minus thought equals awareness.

Is awareness Nirguna Brahman and attention Saguna Brahman? That's one way to put it. It's that awareness behind attention which lends reality to people, gods, and universe.

Attention comes and goes but awareness neither begins nor ends. As matter can't know matter, the mind doesn't know a thing. Only consciousness knows. 

~reference Pacadasi 8:1-25ish

To Knowing: Talks on Pancadasi P7:31-44

From Himalayan revelations, one knows the existence of Brahman indirectly. By way of viveka et cetera, one directly realizes I Am Brahman.

By these two modes of knowing, ignorance and its effects are undone. Misconceptions that Brahman Is Nonexistent and Brahman Is Unknown pass away.

Asattavarana (existence (sat) of Brahman veiled) is unveiled by indirect knowledge. In Abhanavarana (the veiling of self-awareness) direct knowing is being conscious Absolute Consciousness (cit of satcitananda) is identical with one’s Self.

On Duality and Nonduality

Both birth and death reveal the unreality of duality. There's no need to figure it further.

Only consciousness is unending. It's non-existence can't be known. Only consciousness is the knower.

Deconstruct duality daily. Why not? Duality is much more trouble than it's worth.

Nonduality, on the other hand, deconstructs your troubles. So watch what you identify with.

reference Pancadasi 6:246-256

Experiencing Nonduality (Pancadasi 6:246-256)

Maya Mahavakya

Worship whatever deity you want. Everything is possible in Maya.

As Maya is beginningless, it makes for excellent gods and true believers.

Freedom is another mahavakya for understanding secondless reality. 

No gods means no people. Maya finally has its happy ending.

reference Pancadasi 6:281-8

Knowledge of Reality is Essential (P6: 281-8)

To Isvara, Inner Controller, Grand Unified Equation, Maker and Material of the Cosmos

Both individual consciousness and universal consciousness are reflections of Atman in Maya.

Maya is like a cloud. Thoughtforms in the buddhi are like the water droplets making up this cloud.

Reflected consciousness in Maya is like the sky reflecting in the water droplets.

Consciousness reflecting universally in Maya is called Isvara, Inner Controller, Grand Unified Equation, Maker and Material of the Cosmos.

Isvara dwells in deep sleep as the sacred omniscient ruler of all and our place of bliss.

Notes on Pancadasi 6:155-164

Both Māyā as such and the impressions of Buddhi are Īśvara’s upādhi—the identification with the former gives unity to Īśvara and that with the latter brings in variety. ~Swahananda

In the reality of Brahman without a second, this entire universe with Īśvara, Jīvas and all other objects animate or inanimate, is like a dream. ~Pancadasi 6.211 (tr-Swahananda)

"One who has known Īśvara to be the controller of things knows his Self as non-attached. This knowledge of the non-attachment of the Self is the cause of release." ~Vidyaranya

Further Reading:

Isvara and the Bliss Sheath (Pancadasi 6: 155-170) Notes by Swahananda & Krishnananda

Free Will and the Will of Isvara (Pancadasi 6:174-179 with Commentary by Krishnananda)

Knowledge of Reality and Not Otherwise (Pancadasi 6: 209-219 & Commentary by Krishnananda)

We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep. ~The Tempest (Act 4, Scene 1)

Modifying Atman

Vidyaranya says the modification of Atman the Supreme Self into this physical manifestation of a universe is a fourfold process much like the four stages of painting a picture.

The substrate is like a basic clean canvas, pure consciousness, Brahman.

Priming the canvas is Isvara, Brahman with the power of Maya, as Vishnu, as the indwelling spirit of consciousness, Kutastha, Christ Consciousness.

Then there's Brahma as an outline drawn with a pencil, the one identified with the totality of subtle bodies, cosmic mind, world soul, the dreaming condition of creation, Hiranyagarbha, the golden egg, and the will of God.

Lastly is the application of tint, shade, and tone towards the state of Virat, this material universe, the waking state of all things into individuality and variety.

Only Brahman is. As mithya, Isvara sleeps like a seed sleeps. Brahma dreams in black and white. With heaven as its head, the sun and moon as its eyes, and earth as its support, Virat lives vicariously.

To the artists of the true spirit, angels of supreme attention, and revelators of divine imagination in this manifestation of self-awareness.

Mahavakya Story

Consciousness is Brahman. The mind is reflected consciousness. Pure consciousness is that everyday awareness beyond thought in which this universe is appearing.

They say consciousness is not experiencing a universe as something separate from Itself but experiencing Itself as a universe. For more, see Maya.

Without words, one points to your self and silently shouts tattvamasi you are that. Myself is Brahman sitting by the river contemplating such a truth. Can confirm. I am Brahman.

Inspiration: ‘Consciousness is Brahman’ (Prajñānam Brahma) is the definition of the ultimate Reality behind the ever-changing phenomenal world of things and beings. ‘That Thou Art’ (Tat Tvam Asi) is the teacher’s advice. The student in his seat of meditation realises subjectively in himself that ‘This Self within is Brahman’ (Ayam Ᾱtmā Brahma). Last comes the hallelujah that sings in the bosom of the now Liberated sage in the student and he in his sense of fulfilment and bliss immeasurable, confirms in a mad roar of joy and wonder, ‘I am Brahman’ (Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi). ~Chinmayananda from Vakya Vritti commentary

Diamond Meme

Both likes and dislikes are the stuff of samsara. Maya is just the stuff of creation. The mind is the means of our house arrest.

A diamond is just another stone in this Isvaraverse. Our relation to that stone is dependent on the meaning we are giving to the diamond.

Freedom isn't reading meaning into anything—seeing all things are made of Brahman. And self-awareness is the highest meaning of them all.

Space-time Body-Mind Maya

Existence is the substrate Turiyam. Space-time is primal superimposition on Brahman. Body-mind is primeval superimposition on Atman. 

Space-time is not the real substrate called Reality. And Existence isn't evolutionary. The body-mind is an aftereffect of Maya.

Existence is not space and space is not existence. Space is an appearance in Existence. Minus Existence, space is nothing.  

This Is Called Intuition

The power of Brahman is Maya. Maya is not the same as Brahman (Existence) nor different from Brahman (non-existence). Thus Maya neither exists nor doesn't exist.

It's impossible to investigate the origin of Maya because our understanding is one of its effects. And there is no understanding of a cause by its effect.

An effect transcends to the state of its cause to understand itself as an effect. As the mind transcends to that state of Turiyam to see through Maya. This is called Intuition.

I Am (Aham Asmi)

Beyond the Big Bang Theory of All Creation, there is Existence alone (sat eva), one only without a second (ekam eva advitiyam).

Because Existence is beyond the manifestation of names and forms, Existence is unconstrained by names and forms.

When they say 'existence is,' all that can be said about Existence has been said. For Existence is Brahman and Atman is Brahman, I am.

Isvaraverse

1. That Isvaraverse

Isvara, or Brahman reflected in the intelligent creatrix of Maya, is the Maker, The Creator, instrumental cause.

And Isvara, in relation to the appearance of matter (tamas) in that Big Creatrix, is material cause too.

And Brahman in Avidya of sattva, tamas, and rajas appears as the jiva. Brahman is creator, creation, and creature. Aham Brahmasmi.

2. That Reflexive Isvaraverse of Light

In that reflexive Isvaraverse of light, the nuclear appears, binding and forceful, like the probability of wave or particle.

The second stage of materialization is atomic. Center, order, and property appears in the form of hydrogen and its 108 transformations.

Full tamas is the molecular. Classical physics lives here. But a great turn occurs with the appearances of functional compounds

like organic chemicals and sexual hormones, foretelling the motion of plants, animals, and true gurus of the light of self-awareness.

The Creatrix

The primordial substance of the cosmos, the source of creation, is called prakriti, the creatrix. The whys are beginningless but truth transcends time.

The creatrix is not a product of Brahman nor other than Brahman. As self-awareness is neither a product of awareness nor something other than awareness.

There are three kinds of threads weaving the net of this creatrix: intelligence (sattva), motion (rajas), and material (tamas). Like energy, the speed of light, and matter.

When the weave is pure intelligence, this creatrix is called Maya. When such a weave is then mixed with motion and matter, it's called Avidya (nescience).

Brahman reflected in Maya is Isvara, that supreme universal god. Brahman reflected in Avidya are jivas like me and you.

(see Pancadasi 1:15-17)