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Upadesa Sara

Sloka 26

Vision of Self

 Our understanding of a ‘vision’ is generally with the duality of the seer of the vision and the object seen in the vision. The true meaning of the vision of the Self and vision of the Lord is explained thus:

ātma-samsthitih svātma-daršanam,
ātma-nirdvayād-ātma-nisthatā.

ātma-samsthitih – abidance in the Self (is); svātma-daršanam – vision of the Self; ātma-nirdvayād – (since) the Self is non-dual; ātma-nisthatā – firm abidance in the Self

Since the Self is non-dual, the abidance in the Self alone is the ‘vision of the Self’ and that alone is known as firm abidance in the Self

 The Seer or the Witness of the object is the Self. The seen, the object, is the not-Self. The Seer is one, the seen may be many. The Seer – the subject cannot become the seen – the object. Generally, we feel that a vision is not possible without the duality of the Seer and the seen. But in Vedanta, the word ‘vision’ has a technical connotation. Here, ‘vision’ means knowledge free from the duality of the Seer and the seen.

The vision of the Self is the knowledge that takes root as a direct experience that ‘I am of the nature of pure Existence­ Consciousness’. This is known as firm abidance in the Self. When the limited ‘I’ -notion is renounced, one ‘realizes’ the Self and gets established in it. A wealthy man in his dream imagines himself to be a beggar and consequently goes through all the pains and trials of poverty. When he wakes up, the dream beggar and his miserable dream world along with the imagined sorrows disappear. The waker realizes, ‘I am not the beggar but a wealthy man’. Having once realized, he gets firmly established in his true status and revels therein.

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Upadesa Sara

Sloka 24

Relation between Individual and Totality

 Consciousness identifying with individual conditioning is the jiva and identifying with the Total conditioning is Isvara. Verse eight explained that worship without difference between the jiva and Isvara is superior to worship with a difference. How can there be both, difference and oneness between the jiva and Isvara? This is now described.

isa-jivayor-vesa-dhi-bhida,
sat-svabhavato vastu kevalam.

isa-jivayor – between Isvara (the Lord) and jiva (individual); vesa-dhi-bhida – there is difference from the standpoint of the body (gross equipment) and intellect (subtle equipment); sat-svabhavato – from the standpoint of their true nature; vastu – supreme Reality; kevalam – alone is

From the standpoint of the gross and subtle equipment, there is difference between the jiva and Isvara. But from the standpoint of their true nature, the supreme Reality alone is.

The strength of a single body, however strong, will always be finite. The jiva identifying with one particular gross body is naturally limited in strength (alpa-saktiman). Since no intellect could possibly know the entire cosmos, the jiva identifying with a particular mind-intellect (subtle body) is limited in knowledge (alpajna). The finitude of strength and knowledge is only due to identification with the individual gross and subtle equipment.

Now, the individual cannot exist apart from the Totality. The gross body cannot exist but for the five great elements of the universe. The total would be incomplete without any individual. The individual is born, exists, and merges into the Totality alone. Also, the individual is an essential constituent of the total. In the total ocean alone do all the individual waves arise, exist, and merge. Each wave has limited strength and form but the ocean is all-strength and all-forms. Similarly, Isvara, the wielder of the total gross equipments, is Almighty (sarva-saktiman). As a wielder of all subtle equipments He is omniscient (sarvajna). Water itself is called the wave and the ocean due to its identification with different conditionings. Similarly, Existence itself is called the jiva and Isvara because of the difference in gross and subtle equipments.

An individual contesting for the post of President of a country is an ordinary citizen of the country, wielding only one single vote. On making a clean sweep at the polls, he becomes the President and thereafter wields total power. As a citizen, he was ruled over, and now as a President, he becomes the ruler. This is the difference between the individual and the Total. But from the standpoint of their true nature, there is no difference whatsoever. They are one.

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