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Upadesa Sara

Sloka 21

The True Self

In order to grasp the meaning of the following verse, it is necessary to comprehend an important fact. Till now we saw two meanings of the word ‘I’ – the pure Self and the ego. This sense of I-ness is felt only in our body and not in objects or beings outside the body. When this ‘!’-notion is in the body alone, man becomes extremely selfish. When his identification expands to include his family, clan, society, state, and nation then, to that extent, his selfishness reduces. The joys and sorrows of the family and successes or failures of the country become his joys, sorrows, successes, or failures. However, much one’s field of identification may expand, it is impossible for a limited ego to identify with the entire cosmos. The being that identifies with the Totality has the ‘I’ -notion in the entire cosmos. This is the third ‘I’ called lsvara – the Lord. Identifying with the Total, He has no selfishness and is, therefore, impartial. Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi shows us the interrelation of these three ‘I’ -s.

idam-aham pada’bhikhyamanvaham,
ahami linake’pyalaya sattaya.

idam-aham pada – this (Self) (which is) indicated by the word ‘aham’ (I); bhikhya – following; manvaham – the merger of individual ‘I’; ahami linake’pya – when the total ‘I’ also merges; alaya sattaya – (shines) due to the indestructible nature of It (of the Self)

Following the merger of the individual ‘I’ (in pure Consciousness), the total ‘I’ also merges. This (Self) which is known as the (true) ‘I’ shines due to its indestructible nature.

The pure Self when identified with an individual body is called the jiva – the individual ego and when identified with the total conditioning is called Isvara – the Totality. The same water is called a wave and the ocean due to individual and total conditioning. The concept of Totality exists only with reference to the individual. That is to say that the jiva and Isvara enjoy the same degree of reality. With the destruction of the individual ego, the concept of Totality too merges into the pure Self, free from all conditionings (individual and total). This pure Self even though called ‘aham’, is really nameless, formless, and indestructible. The Self is ever-existent and never becomes non-existent. Only with the thought ‘I am the body’- the notion of an individual – the world of objects, emotions, and thoughts and the concept of totality arises. The pure Self remains indestructible even when the notions of individual ego and Totality merge. The water remains when the wave and ocean notions perish. That is, the wave and ocean are known to be the only names and forms superimposed on water.

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Upadesa Sara

Sloka 20

Destruction of Ego

 Each individual wants to attain something or the other in life. Some want to be beautiful, some good, some wise. Someone wants to be rich and some other, a minister. On attaining the goal, they can say, ‘I am slim’, ‘I am nice’, ‘I am wise’, ‘I am rich’ and ‘I am a minister’ respectively. This notion according to the explanation in verse nineteen is the ahankara or the ego. It is said that through Self-enquiry this is destroyed. We, therefore, are afraid of Vedanta as we feel that our very existence is destroyed! This fear arises because of our not understanding of the true import of the term, ‘destruction of the ego’. Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in an attempt to remove this baseless fear says:

ahami nasa-bhajyahamahamtaya,
sphurati hrt-svayam parama-purna-sat.

ahami nasa – when the ego (ahankara) is destroyed; bhajyahamahamtaya – shines forth; hrt – the heart (which is); svayam – of its own; parama-purna-sat – Supreme- Infinite-Existence.

When the ego is destroyed, the Self which is the Supreme­ Infinite-Existence shines forth of its own (independently) as ‘I’.

The Self is called the Atman. According to Vedanta, we are ignorant of our true Self. Due to this ignorance, we identify with the body, mind, and intellect and take ourselves to be these limited conditionings that we identify with. This is the birth of the ego. When this ignorance-born ego is destroyed, the pure Self manifests on its own. When the clouds of ignorance are swept away by the breeze of knowledge, the self-shining sun is experienced. The destruction of the ego does not mean the destruction of the body, mind, and intellect but the destruction of the false notion that ‘I am the body’. The ego alone is the cause of all our misery and hence its destruction is desirable. An actor does not fear changing from his stage costume to his normal dress. He does not mind giving up his role to be himself.

When the ego is destroyed, the pure Self shines forth. That does not mean that the Self is not present now and comes into being only when the ego is destroyed. The sun shines even when our vision of it is obstructed by the clouds. The Self is of the nature of Existence. It is presently mistaken to be the ego. The actor does not lose his true identity when he is in the garb of a beggar or a king. To avoid the misunderstanding that the Self is finite, the words – ‘Supreme’ and ‘Infinite Existence’ are used. It means that the Self, unlike the ego, is not limited by time, space and objects. It exists in all three periods of time and is all-pervading. Now, why should one fear the destruction of the finite to gain the Infinite?

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