Hello, my friends, after some reflection
and also some reluctance
I have decided to share
my insights on the Brahma
Sutras with you.
Why the reluctance?
Well, the reluctance comes
primarily from my past experience that when I work
have offered a fresh or new or original
interpretation
of either
either spirituality or
now, you know, science,
quantum mechanics and the quantum mechanical body and
quantum healing.
Whenever I've done that,
I have invited
the criticism, the vilification,
the
condescension, the ridicule
of mainstream
scientists on the one hand and mainstream philosophers and actually mainstream
spiritual people at the same time.
Nevertheless, I decided I would not be true to myself if I did not share my
own insights from my own experience and my own
reflections and my own sadhana and my own practice.
Of course,
I look at all the classic texts
and choose selectively which ones to use.
In the case of Bhrama Sutras
I'm going to basically rely on
people who are experts but
who also are very classical. So in the Brahma
Sutras,
which I'm going to share with you. I'm going to be looking up
the text from
Adi
Shankara,
from people from the Ramakrishna mission, the
Vedanta society,
one particular Swami
et
cetera, et cetera.
But do know
that what I share with you
is not necessarily consistent with the
mainstream commentaries or even the original,
I read a sutra
and then
I connect
with my archetypal
mentors or higher Self
or whatever
and then whatever, Śruti
and Smriti, I experience, I share.
So Śruti means that which is heard
as revelation
in nonlocal awareness
and Smriti means that which is remembered, which is actually the basis of all the openings
as well.
So I'm sharing my own
Śruti and Smriti, but riding on the shoulders of giants as well,
if this is agreeable to you, then I will continue. I'll wait for your feedback.
Let me know if this is useful and you know, there are so many
and if they continue to be useful, then I'll share them with you.
And at any time, I feel that they're not
having any beneficial effect to you based on your feedback, we can stop.
So a little bit about the Brahma
Sutras, they're also known as the Vedanta
Sutras.
And they are the foundational text in the Vedanta
tradition.
Vedanta
deals with the culmination of all
vedic knowledge. anta
means end
anta
also means
the blissful eternal.
But in this case, the culmination
and these Vedanta
Sutras consist of about 555 short
aphorisms or Sutras. So if you all go all the way, it'll be a
interesting and
and you know, prolonged journey,
but it could be fun.
And these are the essential teachings of the
Upanishads. They are also found in the Bhagvad Gita.
They are also found in
many other important Sutras. Of course,
Adi Sankara
the great reformer
is very well known for having done an extensive
examination of the Brahma
Sutras.
The Brahma
Sutras are divided into four chapters. Each of
which contains a series that explores different types
or different aspects or different perspectives of
what we might call the vita
philosophy. The Vedanta
philosophy is fundamentally non dual with qualified dualism in
sankhya but sankhya
is not
Vedanta. Nevertheless, there is
some correlation
and
of course, you know, depending on the commentators,
you will find different perspectives.
The first chapter of the
Vedanta Sutra is,
is known as samavaya,
and it discusses the central theme of
which is the identity of the individual self. Jiva,
what we might call the soul
with the supreme self, Brahma
Brahman
with
Atman
and Brahman being
actually
more or less the same Atman is Brahman.
So
Atman is the unconditioned self and Jiva
the soul is the conditioned self based on Karma, memory, desire, et cetera.
So the first chapter presents arguments and
evidence from various scriptures to establish the identity
of
Jiva as one with Brahman
And it also refutes alternative views. We're not going to get into the discussions.
I will just use the Sutras as a trigger
for
our
journey together on Revelation and Awakening.
The second chapter is also known as
chapter discusses the compatibility of
different scriptures and teachings within
and resolves apparent contradictions between them.
It emphasizes the importance of a coherent and consistent,
consistent understanding of Vedanta
with an
as
non dual experience and non dual philosophy. Again, I will not be going
much into
the discussions on this except sharing
what I feel are
revelations and awakenings that
I think will be practical.
And the third chapter which is actually more interesting to me known as Sadhana,
discusses the means of obtaining liberation or Moksha.
Moksha means freedom from suffering
through spiritual practices such as meditation
inquiry.
the experience of supreme love or devotion.
It explores the role of karma and knowledge,
Jnan yoga,
which is
the yoga of the intellect to correct the mistakes of the intellect.
So it explores all these techniques
in spiritual practice
and provides guidance on how to cultivate the
necessary qualities of the mind and the heart.
And the fourth chapter known as Phala
Phala chapter
Phala chapter. Phala means fruit. Discusses the results
of attaining liberation, including the attainment of ultimate reality. Brahman,
freedom from suffering and the realization of
one's true nature as the supreme self.
So overall,
these Brahma
Sutras provide very comprehensive and systematic
explanation and discussion and exposition of that
which has been a passion of mine for now several decades.
And of course,
these trials have been widely studied and
commentated by many practitioners and experts.
And so don't feel that my
commentary is in any way authoritative.
But we are going to start a journey together now
on one of the most comprehensive and important texts in Vedanta
and I hope
that this experience will be
an inspiration to you on your spiritual path.
So let's begin
with
the first sutra
and I will just read it as
as originally expressed in Sanskrit, Hindi
अथातो ब्रह्माजिज्ञासा athāto brahmājijñāsā
best I can do here
as I read my Sanskrit
and it begins with
direct translation as follows. Now,
the inquiry into the real nature of Brahman begins.
Now, I'm reading a little bit from
Swami Vireswarananda.
He says, now, after the attainment of the requisite spiritual qualities,
therefore,
the result of the knowledge of Brahman,
which is eternal, the inquiry into the real nature of Brahman,
which is beset with doubts owing to conflicting views
of various schools of philosophy should be taken up.
OK.
So
let's leave it at that
the original text, but
let's
explore
what
the inquiry will be starting with this
first sutra.
So if Brahman,
which is
best translated as universal consciousness, is the ultimate reality,
then and, and we are an aspect of Brahman, you and I as awareness as,
as soul,
as fundamental reality.
Then
the inquiry and the experience of Brahman
should lead us
not only to freedom but
pure knowledge. Pure knowledge means
that which is the source of all knowledge.
So here I will express something
from
the original
which has been repeated many times in many commentaries.
And that is know that one thing by knowing which
everything is known, know that one
entity
by knowing which
everything is known.
And what is that? That's the source of all experience. If you know that one thing
which is the source of all experience,
then you will know all things.
But this has to be both through experience and knowledge.
As I've said before, experience without knowledge is confusing
and knowledge without experience is also
useless, irrelevant.
So
let us begin our journey.
And what
the teachers of Vedanta
is that
in order to start this journey, there are certain
prerequisites.
OK.
So the first is discernment with things that are permanent
discernment between things that are permanent and transient.
So this experience you're having right now is transient.
The experience of the body that you're having is transient.
Everything you experience in the mind is transient thoughts, feelings, emotions,
images,
sensations,
there is no experience
that is not
transient,
but the source of all experience is eternal and timeless.
So any time we do inquiry,
ask,
am I exploring the transient
or am I exploring the eternal?
The second prerequisite is
detachment
from the outcome
of inquiry and even the outcome of our exploration.
Because when you focus on the outcome, then
it takes away from the process.
So detachment from the outcome
and totally
focused on the process,
the,
as they call it the practiced
and then
actually
focusing on these six treasures as they are called
for our exploration,
the six treasures. So what are
these six treasures?
Again, if you read the classical text, you'll find
maybe interpretations different from what I'm sharing with you.
But here is what I want to share.
The six treasures
are as follows. Number one,
the selective use of a sensory apparatus,
whatever we focus on will become
more dominant, whatever we take our attention away from
will recede.
So experience can be selectively chosen by putting attention
to a sensory apparatus
and focusing on what is the outcome we desire.
But at the same time
being in the process, so let's say the first treasure is selective use of our senses.
The second.
And
since this is a journey,
patience,
do not be restless for results.
Immediately,
patience means enjoy the journey,
make the journey, your destination,
make the journey your destination.
The third treasure
is daily practice daily, sadhana.
In my case, by the way, that includes
everything I've been speaking about eight limbs of yoga, meditation inquiry,
actually even journeys into astral domains which we can get into
in time.
But the third treasure is daily practice.
The fourth is
what I call surrender to mystery
Surrender to the incomprehensible.
We may not be able to understand it, but we may actually
dive into it and become one with it. And to the extent that we dive into
the knowledge,
directly
we become that knowledge. So I would say surrender,
the last
and the last what do you call it?
surrender to mystery
number five, I would say faith
and not belief. So belief can be an idea that you hold to be true,
whether it's true or not.
But faith is something
very different.
Faith is the certainty, true experience of the invisible without which
there is no invisible.
OK?
What is that,
that which is speaking right now is invisible.
OK?
But it is speaking through this apparatus which is
visible
but that, which is speaking and that, which is hearing
right now or watching
you
are also invisible.
But you know, you're using a user interface that is your body mind and also
an extension of that.
In this case, your computer, your handheld device or whatever.
But
this is what faith is. Faith is the
direct knowing of the invisible
without which
the visible is not possible.
And the sixth treasure here today
is
the deep desire for freedom,
deep desire
for freedom.
So having heard what I
just share it with you. Let me know.
Are you ready,
are you ready
to explore the Brahma
Sutras?