MP - 2-Brahmaivāhamidaṃ

Notes from Swami Paramarthananda’s talks

I am Brahman, this universe is Consciousness alone, fully projected. Everything without exception is born of Maya shakti by the play of the three Gunas and are imagined by me. Whosoever has the firm conviction of this understanding of the Consciousness, which is absolute, pure, eternal and blissful, whether he is a chandala or a dvija, he is as adorable as my Guru this is my firm conviction.

What is the relationship between consciousness and matter? Are they two? Are they one?
In Materialism, matter is the ultimate truth and consciousness is a temporary property as suggested by the scientific theory of evolution of life. Here Consciousness is just a phenomenon in a brain or a cell.
In Samkhya philosophy, both matter and consciousness are independent, none depend on other and are separate entities.
In Advaita, consciousness is fundamental and matter is an incidental manifestation of consciousness, there is no independent matter. Consciousness being fundamental this is called Spiritualism. How is this idea conveyed in the Upanishad?
The Upanishad uses a method: It says, Consciousness or Atma or Brahman is karanam and matter or entire creation is karyam.
Chetana karanam achetana karyam
Drik karanam drishyam karyam
Atma karanam anatma karyam
The relationship is thus karana karya sambandha or cause and effect relationship. This is presented in the Taitriya Upanishad – All the five elements including space and the five elementals including the mind are born out of the consciousness. What is conveyed by saying atma is karana and jagat is karyam? No karyam or product can exist independent of the cause of karanam.
There is no furniture separate from wood.
There are no ornaments separate from gold.
There is no earthen ware separate from clay.
There is no furniture, ornament or earthen ware. It is wood, gold and clay alone.
The weight of the furniture, ornament and earthen ware is not separate from the weight of the corresponding wood gold or clay.
Thus the furniture, ornament and earthen ware are non-substantial, only Nama Roopa, perceptible and useful for transaction but cannot be counted as a substance.
Extending this Vedanta says, the whole creation being karyam is non substantial, it has dependent existence and therefore is Mitya. Mitya is useful but is non-substantial. Mitya alone is useful since Brahman is avyavaharyam, not available for any transaction. But just because it is useful, don’t believe that it is real! Vedanta says whatever is useful is Mitya.
In the previous verse Shankara has said you have to train your mind to own up the consciousness as ‘I’.
The Upanishads have said that Consciousness alone is. Matter is incidental which rises and resolves in consciousness.
Thus, ‘I’ am Satyam, ‘I’ am Brahman, ‘I’ am chaitanyam. ‘I’ here is not the body not the mind. It is the consciousness. Thus, the whole world rises out of me and resolves in me.

The final lesson is:
Aham Satyam Jagat Mitya
I am independent the world depends on me.
Until we arrive at Vedanta, we believe we are the world and we depend on the world. The sense of dependence is the problem. Vedanta says you are independent so why do you cry? How do we assimilate this fact intellectually? Vedanta gives the example of the dream. I create dream time and space. I am the creator and dream is the created entity. We get into the dream as one of the individuals in dream by creating a dream body. I identify with the dream body. In that process I dis-identify from the waker’s body. The moment I identify with the dream body I have lost the creator ship and I have become a creature in the dream. I am a creature persecuted by, affected by the dream members. Imagine a dream guru comes and takes classes. He says why are you afraid, dream fire cannot burn you, you have created the whole thing. Instead of rejecting the false belief we may reject the teacher. Then the guru has to shake him and wake him. The moment he wakes up, disidentifies from the dream created body and identify with the waker’s body then the whole dream is seen to rise and resolve within me. Vedanta says this world is another extended dream of yours. You are the creator and you have the creative power called Maya (just as Nidra the sleep has the power to create the dream world) with which you have created the whole world including your own body.
When I choose to identify with this body I become a member of this creation. Identified with this body you can never swallow the idea that you are the creator. Deha abhimana is an obstacle to waking up to the status of the creator (Eshwara owning up).
I have thus become a creature in this world. Dis-identify with this body and become a creator. Thus, with the dream example we have to assimilate this fact that I am the creator and with deha abhimana I will never be able to swallow this fact. Drop the deha abhimana and look at yourself as the consciousness, then it is easily assimilable. There is one difference. When we wake up from the dream body the dream world disappears. Whereas, in Vedantic wisdom, when I wake up from this world and own up my nature, this world does not immediately disappear. Later in Videha mukti it disappears. Imagine, if you continue to dream after waking up from the dream, then there is no fear of any of the dream members.

Similarly, after Vedantic wisdom when we continue to live in this world after owning up to our real nature as consciousness we live with freedom as a Jivan mukta.
Brahmeva Aham – I am Brahman only, the all-pervading consciousness presented in the previous verse. This expression is taken as the second Mahavakya aham Brahmasmi.
Sakalam Jagat Chinmatra Vistaritam – The entire universe is a projection of, a manifestation of my consciousness. Just as a dream thought becomes a dream tiger, which is capable of creating fear in the dream mind. Just as my thought appears as a tiger in the dream, my consciousness alone appears as this vast universe.
Sarvam Etat asesham Maya Kalipitam – Everything without exception (asesham) including time and space is my kalpana. This is possible because I have kalpana Shakti. Just as I have power to dream (Nidra Shakti). To project this vast creation we have maya Shakti. Maya Shakti projects bigger dream while Nidra Shakti projects smaller dream.
Avidya – that maya is here called avidya.
What type of Maya?
Trigunaya _ that maya has three fold faculty. Sattva (Jnana Shakti – knowing faculty), Rajas (Kriya Shakti – acting faculty) & Tamo ( Drvya Shakti – A faculty which obstructs both Jnana and Kriya shakti – Inertia) gunas.
With the help of this maya I create this universe.
Iththam Yasya Drida Mati – this fact whoever knows (the fact that I am the only satyam and everything else is Mitya). One who has this knowledge with drida – without an iota of doubt. This is not a matter of belief; it is a matter of understanding, matter of knowledge. In belief teaching is not required. For understanding teaching is required and Vedanta is willing to answer any number of questions.
What type of Atma?
Sukhatare – Ananda swaroopam
Nityae – Permanant
Pare – Absolute
Nirmale – Pure
Whoever has got clear conviction regarding this Atma
Chandala Astu – Let him be a chandala
Satutdvijostu – Let him be a maha Brahmana.
Saha Guruhu – He is as adorable as my Guru
Eti Mama Maneesha – In this regard I have no doubt this is my firm conviction.

Thus in the first two verses Adi Shankara has brought out the two Mahavakyas,
Prajnanam Brahma and Aham Brahmasmi and thus condensed the entire Vedantic teaching.

The lessons of Vedanta are:
1. I am the Atma different from the world, the body and the mind
2. I the Consciousness behind this ‘body-mind’ is the same consciousness behind the entire creation
3. I the Consciousness alone is Satyam and everything else is Mitya without substantiality of its own.
With this fact, ‘Aham Satyam Jagan Mitya’, the teaching is complete.
Why should Shankara continue?
Vedanta Sara is over. But, Shankara wants to explain two other Mahavakyas and give some other information also.

Links
<Manisha Panchakam PDF – Commentary by Swami Paramarthananda