The second mahavakya Vidyaranya explicates is aham brahmasmi.
Focusing on the first word of the three words—aham, or I—
what does this I represent, the physical or metaphysical?
This is essentialy self-inquiry: the I is paramatman, the supreme unlimited self.
Pure consciousness is the witness of reflected consciousness which by the eye is not seen but by which the seeing is seen, that I of I Am, the prajnanam of jnanam.
How marvelous! The consciousness of any creature in creation is the same one consciousness of the Creator itself.
Consciousness not only passes through the eye of a needle but encompasses the cosmos. Prajnanam brahma.
Julia of Norwich wore the pink panther faithfully. There are two macrocosmic universes: general relativity and quantum mechanics. And so on. It’s not as much scriptures as revelations. It’s not as much free will as non-doing. It’s not about how it should be but as it is.
It's neither religious nor scientific nor all the sub-divisions. Being is intuitive. Separate the wheat from the chaff. The gem in their pocket is your gem. The lint in their pocket is their lint. My paraverse is busy separating my gem from their lint. Owning it intuitively is sometimes called lectio divina.
Self-realization is not a goal. It happens. It’s like this transcendental stage of evolution within the subtle body of brahman. Enlightenment is a popular name for it. One day at a time. Don’t take it personal. Do your best. As one is well aware, waking is gradually spontaneous.
There are two creations, two dualities. The first is the macrocosmic universe called Isvara. The second is the microcosmic personal called Jiva.
There’s nothing wrong with the universe at all. All manner of things will be well. The personal, on the other hand, tells a different story.
The Pancadasi says there are two divisions of duality in the personal as well. First, there’s the evolutionary intent of realization manifesting
as personal deconstruction and self-inquiry. Second, there’s the desire and imagination of the personal loving the personal so much it hurts.
Isvara wields the wand of Maya—
Atman said let there be many.
Maya says let there be individuals!
As Satcitananda wills the space
of Maya into being,
Maya fills it with Avidya
of nonexistence,
unconsciousness,
and suffering.
Om of existence.
Self-shining light of consciousness.
Bliss of infinity.
The Svetsara says, creation is the magic of a great magician. The Aitareya says, atman said, let me be many.
The Taittiriya says, satcitananda wills space into being. The Chandogya says, earth, wind, and fire are the vast vibrations of absolute existence.
The Mundaka says, it’s all like the dazzling sparks from an awesome fire. Vidyaranya's Pancadasi says, there are two creations.
The one is brahman appearing as a manifest universe in all the various ways in which the Upanishads are telling it.
Second is that brahman, a subtle body, and the reflection of consciousness on this subtle body, creates the person, jiva, psychological duality.
Jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the guru.
Self-awareness is another name for maya.
If you say you're a nihilist, you're implying you are not.
Which by the eye is not seen but by which the seeing is seen,
That alone, the Absolute, You, know, and not this which they worship.
It's no e=mc² but attention minus thought equals brahman.
As the nature of the Self is awareness itself, it can’t be an object appearing in awareness. Thus the self is not non-existent, it’s just unknowable. Thus spake Vidyaranya.
The Self is neither known nor unknown, but knowledge itself. To say one knows an object but doesn’t know its knower isn’t paying attention. Thus that, they say, is known.
From whatever phenomenon, physical or mental, undergoing your earnest attention, tune out this object appearing in that awareness, and what awaits is Brahman. This is called Vidyaranya's Vision.
Vidyaranya’s Cave is like Plato’s Cave’s cave. The five sheaths are true Advaita myth and not scientific at all. They’re for seeing through Maya, not dissecting her.
And five can do as three just as well. For mind is the tool of existence, intellect is the hand of consciousness, and happiness is the heart of bliss. In this way, they mirror satcitananda as one.
The Cave of Atman is what Vidyaranya calls that Brahman which the five sheaths of personality are covering.
The five are body, vital force, mind, intellect, and happiness. They don’t form a myth of creation as much as one of deconstruction.
Reasonable self-inquiry says I’m not the body nor it’s vital force. Neither am I the mind–intellect–happiness complex, this tri-lateral reflection of satcitananda.
