9

Jnana Yoga Meditation: Vedantic Theory

A Jnana Yogi sees Atman everywhere through his eye of wisdom. There is absolutely no personal element in him. There is no thought of the self. He has not a bit of selfish interest. The lower self is completely annihilated. He lives for serving all. He feels the world as his own self. He actually feels that all is himself only. There is not a single thought or feeling for a personal little self. He has cosmic vision and cosmic feeling. Just as the river has joined the ocean, he has joined the ocean of bliss, knowledge and consciousness. He thinks and feels and works for others.

—Swami Sivananda
Vedanta in Daily Life

Jnana Yoga is one of the four main paths of Yoga. Jnana means wisdom; Jnana Yoga is the intellectual approach to spiritual evolution or realisation. Through inquiry and analysis, the mind is used to examine its own nature. Jnana Yoga is said to be the most difficult path, not because it is superior to any other path, but because one must be firmly grounded in the other yogic disciplines before attempting Jnana Yoga. There must be a strong base of selfless service—serving humanity without thought of personal gain—and love of God, or deep yearning to merge with the Absolute. One must have a strong, healthy body, control of the vital energies and of the mind before it is possible to use the mind as a vehicle to transcend this world of ignorance. Without these preliminary disciplines, there will not be the strength or discernment to stay on this path. It is easy to be confused, tempted, and led astray by the illusion of the world and the workings of the mind: It is the synthesis of all Yogas that rounds out the imbalances of life. Without this integration, there is the risk of becoming a dry intellectual from too much book learning.

Jnana Yoga is a path of evolution toward spiritual realisation. It employs and incorporates different methods to achieve this end, but its main tool is Vedanta philosophy. Vedanta is a body of knowledge based on ancient Indian texts. The practice of Jnana Yoga involves inquiry into the nature of the world by putting to use the teachings of Vedanta.

Vedanta

Vedanta literally means ‘end of the Vedas;’ Vedanta is based on the teachings of the Upanishads, which form the concluding section of the Vedas. The Vedas are the most ancient scriptural texts of India. Their origin is unknown, but it is said that they were given through inspiration to the holy men who sat meditating upon God. There are four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva.

The Rig Veda deals with questions and commentaries on the world and the nature of reality. The Yajur Veda lays down all the rituals and sacrifices and the rules for performing them. It is also a discourse on all the Mantras. The Sama Veda gives all knowledge on the theory and practice of music and singing. The Atharva Veda deals with magic and the black arts. Each of these Vedas is divided into four sections: the Mantra Samhitas, which are hymns in praise of God; the Brahmanas, or guides for performing sacrifices and pronouncing the Mantras; Aranyakas, which are the mystical books that give the philosophical interpretation to the rituals; and the Upanishads, which contain the essence or knowledge portion of each of the Vedas.

The philosophy of Vedanta is composed of the teachings of all the various Upanishads which are still known to man. It is also one of the six major systems of Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy can be divided into six categories, or schools, each of which was developed by a particular sage, or wise man. He promulgated it to his disciples who then passed it on. These six systems are:

1. Purva Mimamsa, founded by Jaimini, prescribes rituals to invoke and placate the gods, and to attain Heaven: Dharma and adharma, righteous and unrighteous actions, create the world which is based on reward and punishment.
2. Uttara Mimamsa, founded by Maharishi Vyasa, is pure, non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta. It states that all is Brahman, or unmanifested God, and everything else which appears to exist is only a projection of that Absolute Brahman. It is also the basis of Jnana Yoga.
3. Sankhya, by Kapila Rishi, differs from Vedanta in that it is dualistic. That is, it sees a separation between matter, called Prakriti, and spirit, called Purusha. The material world, Prakriti, is seen as the creation and interaction of the three gunas, or qualities: sattwa, rajas and tamas (purity, activity and inertia).
4. Yoga, of Pantanjali; is a practical system of concentration and control of the mind, for it is the mind which creates all illusions. It is similar to Vedanta, but suggests that Purusha (Brahman), which is untouched by Karma or time, is the cause of creation. Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras, (see chapters on Raja Yoga) are the essence of Raja Yoga, although Yoga, meaning union, actually applies to a broader range of disciplines.
5. Vaisheshika, of Kanada Rishi, presents a material or scientific view of the universe. That is, all things are made of basic units called atoms. This has proven to be unsatisfactory because scientists now know that the atom can be broken down indefinitely and the ultimate essence of matter cannot be determined.
6. 6. Nyaya, founded by Gautama Rishi, argues that God, or Ishwara, is responsible for the creation of the world.

The Vedantic thought of Uttara Mimamsa challenges all other systems. It maintains that liberation cannot be attained by ritual, action, duty or charity. Change is the law of this manifest universe. Because of this impermanence, it cannot be real. Brahman alone is real; the world of illusion is unreal, and the individual soul is nothing but Brahman Itself. This Ultimate Reality is beyond the reach of the limited intellect and the knowable world. Renunciation alone, the abandonment of all worldly attachments, can lead to knowledge of the Absolute. This is achieved through a process of negation of all worldly desires, identifications, qualifications and extensions. That which is left after complete abandonment is God.

Vedanta philosophy has a triple basis—in scripture, reason and experience. Although the basic authority is scriptural, this does not mean that Vedanta is a matter of blind, unthinking acceptance. Reasoning is necessary for intellectual understanding of the scriptures. The Vedantin uses logic to distinguish between the real and the unreal and then discards that which is unreal. Intellect can explain only the finite. After exhausting itself through the process of discrimination and negation of all that is unreal, it too must be discarded when it reaches the point where all that is left is the real.

While the path of the Self lies through exhaustive intellectual inquiry and analogy, language is of service only in indicating the nature of the Real. The final Court of Appeal is intuitional experience. Western philosophy tends to ignore direct intuition. It brings the intellect to the brink and abandons it there. Vedanta approaches Self-Realisation with the intellect and then pushes on to the final leap, through intuition, to direct experience.

Some religions hold that the universe was created out of nothing, by a fiat of God, and will lapse again into nothingness. It is not possible for something to come out of nothing. A tree, for example, is preceded by invisible energy in the form of a seed. God did not create the universe from nothing. What would be the purpose? Nor did he do so out of love for humanity, for there were no human beings at the time of the Creation. The Law of the Conservation of Matter and the Law of the Conservation of Energy say that neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed; only its form can be changed.

For all practical purposes, it does not matter whether the world as we know it is real or unreal. If a starving man sees a fruit tree, does he first analyze the tree and count its leaves before plucking the fruit? If a man catches his clothing on fire, will he ask himself, ‘Hmm, I wonder where this fire came from?’ or will he immediately try to extinguish the flames? Time and energy are wasted in useless intellectual speculation and discussion. Concepts lead to no final answer. One’s notions of God do not arise from reason. They are preconceptions, mere projections of somebody else’s ideas. One group’s ideas differ from those of another group, just as individual ideas vary. Vedanta does not try to convert to ‘isms.’ It offers a technique for one to experience Ultimate Reality by approaching first through intellectual inquiry and then through direct realisation.

Although the questions one runs into during the quest for spiritual fulfillment cannot be appropriately answered through the intellect, nonetheless inquiry, as opposed to discussion or debate, is necessary to lead the true spiritual seeker along the path. If the mind is open and free from prejudice and preconceived ideas, inquiry will eventually lead to direct knowledge.

The Veils of Illusion

Brahman, Absolute Consciousness, has neither name nor form. It is infinite, unqualified and undifferentiated. In Raja Yoga, it is called Purusha. Just as moonlight is actually reflected sunlight, so also this manifest world, Maya, is a reflection of Brahman. Reflected through Maya, or Prakriti in Raja Yoga, Brahman takes on qualities and is called Ishwara, or God.

Maya is the veiling power of Brahman. It creates the idea of limitation, an illusion that the world is different from Brahman. An empty glass creates the idea of space within defined boundaries, but when it breaks, the illusion disappears. With Self-Realisation, the world-illusion disappears and all is experienced directly as the unchanging, unlimited Brahman.

The difference between the individual soul and Brahman is only apparent. The individual soul is Brahman veiled by the illusions of body and mind. As long as man accepts only the manifest world of Maya, he is caught in its meshes and bound in Karma. Yet, it is only an apparent binding, for the Self cannot be bound by anything. Like the sky, it is eternally free. It is, however, overlaid with various phenomena, just as the motion picture screen is overlaid with the lights and shadows that play over its surface. Floods, fires, murders, love and death all take place in the shadow play, but they in no way affect the underlying screen.

Like the screen, the ‘I’ is subject to manifold illusions—I am a painter, I am an actor, I am a Catholic, I am a Protestant, etc. These names and forms are only illusions superimposed on the Self and change from lifetime to lifetime and sometimes within a lifetime. They disappear in the light of Self-Realisation, just as the shadows vanish from the screen the moment the light is switched on.

Until realisation takes place, man is wrapped in avidya, which is ignorance or nescience. Avidya is the multilayered veil that lies over knowledge of the Self, which is the only true knowledge. Ignorance is erroneous identification with limiting adjuncts. Unlike the concept of sin, ignorance does not imply guilt, but rather a condition in which knowledge is yet to be acquired. The Panchadasi, an ancient Indian text, asserts, ‘Man’s present miseries and sufferings, his pains and limited pleasures, births and deaths, are all due to his erroneous identification with the five sheaths and three bodies.’ The three bodies are the physical body, the astral body and the causal body, while the five sheaths are the food sheath, the vital sheath, the mental sheath, the intellectual sheath and the bliss sheath. They are described in detail in The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.

When someone says, ‘I am Mr. California Muscle Beach; look at my body,’ he is identifying with the physical food sheath. Its qualities are existence, birth, growth, decay and death. He identifies with the vital sheath when he is concerned with hunger, thirst, heat, cold and other such sensations. The mental sheath deals with thinking, emotions, doubt, exhilaration, depression, etc. When one boasts of intellectual achievements, it is identification with the intellectual sheath. Such associations constitute true ignorance. When one identifies with the blissful sheath there is an attachment to striving for realisation of the Self. Even this must ultimately be transcended. Attachment to the food sheath will bring only pain; muscular accomplishments will wane. So it is with them all. Only by throwing off bondage to these shadows can one be free. Vedanta is an intellectual method of disassociating from all the sheaths.

A person may identify with one of these limiting sheaths more than another. For instance, if the intellectual sheath predominates, one might assume the role of philosopher. Identifying with that role, a momentum would be created that translates everything into intellectual terms of experience, thus setting up obstacles to balanced integration as a human being and to finding true identity with the Divine. Thus in addition to being misplaced attachment, avidya is also causal ignorance, that which creates binding karmic actions. It is the root of all actions and reactions.

Attachment to the various sheaths also affects relationships with others. Someone who dwells predominantly on the emotional plane may have difficulty communicating with another who associates with the intellectual sheath. Depending on which sheath prevails, people are attracted to various gurus. A true guru, however, is unattached to any body or sheath. His only identification is with I AM.

In essence all is Brahman. Nature, as the reflection of Brahman, manifests in the individual soul as avidya or a veil of ignorance. As it is only a reflection, the material world, emotions and intellect, are all illusion. This illusion is called Maya. To be more exact then, avidya is the state of being trapped in Maya. This ignorance is present until Unity is realised. As long as one experiences diversity, there will also be the experience of fear. In regarding others as different from himself and from Brahman, man becomes prey to various fears of what might happen to him in his separateness.

Avidya, manifesting through illusion or Maya, has neither beginning nor cause. As the projection of Branman, Maya, which is the manifest world, cannot exist independently. It is both real and unreal—real to mankind, unreal in the light of Brahman.

The magician who pulls a rabbit out of a hat or saws a woman in half creates an illusion. He does not really cause a rabbit to materialise inside an empty hat, nor does he bisect a woman and then put her together, yet the illusion exists while the audience sits and watches. Thus the trick is both real and unreal. This universe is real because man participates in the illusion, but when he reaches Self-Realisation, its reality dissolves. In the same way, a dream is real at the time that it occurs but is recognised as unreal upon awakening. Its unreality lies in its impermanence.

The beginning of a dream cannot be fathomed. Its subtle roots lie in the unknown reaches of the past. Even the beginning of the actual experience of dreaming is unknown to the dreamer. Suppose you go to sleep at 11:00, begin dreaming of a Hawaiian vacation at 11:30, and wake up at midnight, thus ending the dream. While asleep, can you know what time your dream begins? It has an infinite past, just as it has an infinite future while it is being dreamed. After awakening, however, you know that it must have taken place between 11:00 and 12:00. In the waking state, the dreamer knows that the dream had not an infinite past, infinite future, nor reality.

The dream of Maya does not begin with one’s birth. It weaves through many lifetimes and has an infinite past. Although archaeologists and anthropologists keep pushing back their theories on the dates of man’s origin, his past is infinite. In the highest state of consciousness on the path of man’s spiritual evolution, there is neither past nor future; time and space are transcended. Such concepts are recognised to be illusory. There is only one eternal now.

There is no real difference between the dream of sleep and the dream of Maya. When we identify with the body and mind, they seem real enough; but on reaching the fourth, or highest state of evolution, turiya, we realise that they are not real. Just as darkness disappears in the light of the sun, the illusion of space and time vanish in the light of realisation. As long as Maya exists as the projection of Brahman, man will be subject to its illusion. While the dream action is taking place, it is impossible to remove the illusion by any action within the dream. One must step outside the dream to see clearly. Likewise, man must learn to step outside of Maya. All of man’s sufferings stem from identification with the shadow of Maya.

It takes light only an instant to remove darkness. Darkness, however, can never remove light. Though ignorance enshrouds man, it can never bring darkness to the Self which remains untouched. Man is eternally the pure Self. Space is always space whether occupied by air, water, earth or any other form of dense matter. It can never be removed, negated or destroyed. So, too, the Self remains the same in all conditions.

True knowledge refers only to the Immortal Self, untouched by causal ignorance. Vedanta uses the analytical method to break the attachment to the five sheaths. By following this method, a highly advanced student will eventually experience the feeling of separation from the sheaths. When the veil of ignorance is thus lifted, he will realise his true identity.

Throughout life, one is conditioned to think of oneself in terms of qualifications. The question ‘Who are you?’ may elicit such response as, ‘I am Fred,’ ‘I am the sales manager,’ or ‘I am a black man.’ There is a lifelong process of brainwashing going on in which people think of themselves as rich or poor, tall or short, Prime Minister or bricklayer. They go on endlessly with this charade, becoming more and more limited in their ideas of themselves.

How does one realise identity with the Immortal Self which existed before one was born and will exist after the death of the body? The authority for such knowledge is the scriptures as revealed through the sages and passed on through the instrumentality of a teacher. The classic Vedantic analogy for enlightenment of the deluded human condition is that of ‘The Snake and the Rope.’

A man is walking along a poorly lit path at dusk when he sees what appears to be a snake and he becomes frightened. When a light is produced, he sees with relief that it is only a rope. The illusion of a snake has disappeared and no further convincing is needed. The moment the Self is realised, ignorance, ego and limiting adjuncts disappear. You know who you are. Illusion disappears in the light of Reality. Nothing can stop anyone from eventually reaching this goal. It is your very birthright.

Who Is This ‘I’?

In all of Vedanta nowhere is it stated that the Self is an object which is to be obtained. One can obtain an external object, but the Self is not an external object. More to the point, how can one obtain what he already has? One Vedantic path to Self-Realisation is that of negation, ‘Neti, Neti,’ meaning ‘not this, not this.’ Everything that can be known is experienced through the senses and the mind, and therefore cannot be the attributeless Brahman. After negation of the sheaths, what is left IS. Just as the idea of a snake is negated from the coiled rope when the light is brought, the non-Self also is negated from the Self which is eternally existing.

That which one must strive hardest to control is the ahamkara, or ego. The ego is that quality of the mind which considers itself to be separate from others. It is the ego that creates the illusion that people are entities separate from the rest of reality. The illusion separates one from the Self. Because of its proximity to the Self, the ego appears to be conscious. Hence, the two ideas ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are fabricated causing a false perception of the Self. Identification with the false self causes the ego to emerge. The world when seen as separate from the individual becomes an adversary and an object of exploitation, rather than a harmonious whole. Then various objects are needed to satisfy the ego’s voracious appetite.

The Self is the Indweller; body and mind are its reflection, like the sun reflected in a mirror. A mirror has no inherent light. Reflected light, however, has certain qualities. It can illumine a dark object, blind the eyes and be mistaken for the real sun.

The ego experience is the reflected experience of the Self. If it reflects through the blissful sheath, one is a holy man. If it reflects through the intellectual sheath, one is an Einstein. Reflected in all five sheaths, the ego will manifest strongest in the higher ones. With meditation, these higher sheaths become more developed and tranquility and joy are experienced.

The reflection of a face in a mirror is different from the face itself. It imitates the real face and partakes of the mirror’s qualities. It depends on the mirror for its very existence. The real face is not subject to this dependency and therefore differs from the reflection. Similarly, the reflection of the Self in the ego is different from the real Self. The individual ego depends on limiting qualities, upadhis, but the real Self depends on nothing.

In the case of the reflected face, it is not real, for it is not always there in the mirror. At the same time, it is not totally unreal, as it can sometimes be seen. It is also used at times, such as when combing the hair. By extension, the existence of the ego cannot be denied. Yet by analysis, we know that reflected things are only temporary.

The mirror has an existence independent of the face. The intellect, however, which is the reflecting medium of the pure Self, does not exist independently of and apart from the Self. Therefore, the distinction between pure Self and its reflection is only apparent.

The reflection of the Self in the ego is the individual soul experiencing and acting in this universe. It is sometimes said that the individual soul is a real entity with its own properties, like the shadow of a tree that refreshes those who come into it on a hot day. However, the shadow does not have an existence of its own, for it is merely the result of the leaves blocking the sun’s light and heat. Therefore, it is said that the shadow is only the ever-changing result of the sun and the tree’s leaves. Pure Self remains unacting, untouched and unchanging. It does not participate in the experiences of existence, birth, death and non-discrimination. A Self-Realised person knows that death and birth are false experiences.

Knowledge of the appearance and disappearance of the mental modifications or changes of the mind rests on the existence of the Self as witness, and that it alone exists after the negation of everything else. If one accepts the idea that the Self is reflected in the individual soul, then it is possible for the intellect to know itself to be Brahman. The intellect, like the body and senses, is not conscious. The knowledge I AM BRAHMAN can be possible only through the agency of reflection.

Ignorance leads us to regard ourselves as individuals suffering transmigratory existence; we are born again and again, and we will die again and again. This idea results from identification with the body, and is only a reflection. Transmigratory existence cannot be predicated of the Self, which is actionless, nor can it be predicated of the ego, which has no real existence. Those who maintain that the Self is the experiencer of transmigratory existence, and is therefore subject to change, mistake the ego to be the Self.

We have all looked into the distorting mirrors of a carnival. Each mirror reflects differently, although we ourselves remain the same. Wars occur because people look into the mirror and cannot agree upon the image. The Self is neither good nor bad, but the upadhis, or limiting adjuncts, create the problems of pain, suffering, birth and death. The wheel of birth and death reflects in different egos, and the continuously differing reflections create endless problems.

Adhyaropa

In reality, the world as we know it was never created. This world is superimposed on Brahman. Understanding of Vedanta is impossible without understanding the principle of superimposition, adhyaropa. Adhyaropa means superimposing the idea of the world with all its qualities and pairs of opposites upon the one attributeless Cosmic Existence.

The classic example of superimposition, ‘The Snake and the Rope,’ has already been cited. As another example, suppose someone were to visit a friend and discover that he is out but will be returning in half an hour. The person waits outside the house for about half an hour, when he sees someone approaching. Although it is actually a stranger whom he has never met, he mistakes him for his friend. This is called positive superimposition. On the other hand, assume that the person approaching really is the friend but he is thought to be somebody else. This is called negative superimposition. In both cases, a certain false attribute is superimposed upon the original friend.

Adhyaropa is illusion resulting from ignorance of the real object. It vanishes with the realisation that the apparent snake was, in fact, a rope. The snake was not there in the past, is not there in the present, and will not be there in the future. The snake exists only in the imagination. Once enlightenment takes place, the same mistake will not be made again. In the same way, all that one sees as diverse objects and conditions in this world is really Brahman. It was Brahman, alone, in the past, and will remain so in the future.

Dream is a vivid example of superimposition on reality. Mind and the manifest world have power, however, to create illusions far more pervasive and lasting than dreams that occur in sleep. Everyday life is full of illusory transactions. For instance, in getting a bank loan to pay off a mortgage, all sorts of papers are signed by various people. The bank manager lends money that does not exchange hands and is not even seen. It is only a record on a piece of paper somewhere in the bank. The entire transaction is pieces of paper: a paper dream. But at the same time, it seems very real.

One is continually getting into this type of situation. The ordinary man gets completely caught up in it. The Vedantin, or jnani, on the other hand, keeps his awareness of the world as illusion and remains unattached as he performs his duties. Jnana Yoga teaches that even though one is dreaming, one can intellectually dissociate from the ‘world dream’ and associate with the Self.

Vedanta leads to the detachment necessary for successful meditation. When there is no detachment, worldly objects and thoughts—the play of Maya—intrude in meditation and the aspirant identifies with them rather than with the Self or God. Accepting the world of appearance, he hungers for diverse objects, feels pleasure and pain, undergoes sufferings and tribulations, and is subject to likes and dislikes. But to a jnani there is no world at all; he resides in the Self.

Awareness of unity and identity with Brahman may seem hopelessly unattainable, for we are conditioned to think of ourselves as unique individuals. No man stands alone. We are all the body of Brahman. One part of the body is not regarded as different, or better, or more useful than another part. The brain cells are not treated better than the bladder cells. There are trillions of cells in the body, but they are not differentiated. Even though they are actually independent and can function independently in the laboratory test tube, we regard the body as one. In the light of the Supreme Brahman, the whole universe is one body. Individuals are like cells. We think that we are different from the body of Brahman, however, and we cling to the idea of our little independent identities.

The organs of knowledge and action enable man to discern the diverse objects of the world. But when reality is cognized, the world no longer appears real. Brahman, the Self, alone is everywhere. You may dislike your body or anything outside of yourself, but it is impossible to dislike the Self. When everything is seen as the Self, who can be hated? One becomes the embodiment of pure cosmic Love.

Man has been made in the image of God. This does not mean that God has eyes, nose, liver, freckles, pain, death and ignorance. This is man’s image, not God’s. God is what remains after all such qualifications have been negated. There is a natural limit to the play of loving the body and enjoying the physical world. Real love begins when people are seen, not as individuals, but as the beholder’s own Self.

Nyayas

Because its abstract truths cannot be easily understood by the finite intellect, the philosophy of Vedanta is best taught through practical illustrations. Its main purport is that Brahman alone is real, the whole world of appearance is unreal, and the individual soul is nothing but Brahman Itself. This truth is taught by the following classical analogies, or nyayas.

Rajjusarpa Nyaya (Snake and Rope): At night, a man treads upon a rope and mistakes it for a snake. When a light is brought, he sees his error and his fears vanish. This illustrates how qualities of the world are superimposed on Brahman until Realisation is reached.

Mrigatrishna Nyaya (Mirage in the Desert): A mirage gives the appearance of water and lures the wanderer to his destruction. Just so, the pleasures of this world appear to be real and lure the jiva, the individual soul, away from the spiritual path. Ultimately, however, the attachment to pleasure brings pain.

Shuktirajata Nyaya (Man and the Post): At dusk, a post is seen in the distance and it is imagined to be a man. Like the ‘Snake’ illustration, this is another example of superimposition. The unreal is superimposed upon the real.

Kanakakundala Nyaya (Gold and Ornament): Although ornaments are of diverse forms, they are gold in essence. Likewise, there are various kinds of pots—big, small, round, narrow—but basically, all of them are only clay. This nyaya illustrates that the names and forms of the world are in essence Brahman alone; Brahman appears in all shapes and forms.

Samudrataranga Nyaya (Ocean and Waves): There are countless waves in the ocean, and each can be perceived separately. But all are water, inseparable from the ocean. In reality, they are identical with it. Brahman and the individual souls are the same body.

Sphatikavarna Nyaya (Crystal and Color): Crystal is pure and colorless. Yet, when it is placed near a colored object, it will reflect that color. Brahman is attributeless, but the limiting adjuncts and the reflection of the three qualities of nature, or gunas, make it appear to have qualities.

Padmapatra Nyaya (Lotus Leaf): When it rains on the lotus, the drops will gently roll off the leaves and fall from them without wetting the leaf. So also, Brahman is the untainted substratum of the world. It is like the movie screen—unaffected by the play of light and shadow upon it.

Vatagandha Nyaya (Wind and Odor): Wind carries whatever scent is exposed to it, whether good or bad, but itself is unaffected by it. Although Brahman puts on various names and forms, it is unattached.

Oornanabhi Nyaya (Spider and Thread): The spider brings forth its web from its own body, and later reabsorbs it (it is said). The thread is nothing but the body of the spider and is one with it. Even so, this world is projected from Brahman, withdrawn into Brahman, and is always one with Brahman.

Surya Bimba Nyaya (Reflection of the Sun): The sun may be reflected in ponds, rivers and puddles, yet there is only one sun. Despite the many reflections of Brahman, there is but one Reality. It appears as many in the form of Maya.

Ghatasasha Nyaya (Pot and Space): Space, ether, is unaffected by the walls of a pot which appear to separate the space into ‘inside’ and ‘outside.’ But when the pot is broken, what was ‘inside’ and what was ‘outside’ are seen to be the same and have undergone no change at all. The Atman may seem limited by the mind and body, but it is one with the Supreme.

Dagdhapata Nyaya (Burned Cloth): If a cloth is burned, its form will remain intact until touched, when it will crumble to ashes. In the same way, the jnani’s ego is burned in the fire of wisdom; only his body remains.

Arundhati Nyaya (Star): If it is difficult to find a certain star in the heavens, the teacher may point to stars which are brighter and easier to locate. From these, one is guided to look at the star he seeks. Thus the aspirant is first shown Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, etc. These lead him to Self-Realisation.

Bija Vriksa Nyaya (Seed and Tree): The seed is the cause of the tree, yet the tree is the cause of the seed. It cannot be said which came first. This illustrates that each statement has a counter-statement, and the world is bound up in relativity.

Markata Kishora Nyaya (Monkey and Baby): A baby monkey will cling to its mother, by its own strength, while she travels about the trees. Even so, an aspirant of Jnana Yoga struggles for himself to attain wisdom. In contrast, the Bhakti Yogi is helpless in his surrender to the Lord, like a kitten dependent upon its mother to pick it up.

Ashma Loshtra Nyaya (Stone and Mud): Mud is hard compared to cotton, but soft compared to stone. There is no quality in things by themselves. Qualities exist by virtue of their relativity.

Kakadanta Nyaya (Crow and Teeth): Looking for happiness in this world is like looking for the teeth of a crow, or the son of a barren woman. It is meaningless to question the contradictions and mysteries of existence, for in reality, there is no creation at all.

Dandapoopa Nyaya (Stick and Cakes): In India, cakes, that is, pastry-like breads, are often tied to a stick and carried to the marketplace. It is said that when many cakes are tied to a stick and the stick disappears, the cakes are missing also. That is to say, that all the doubts and delusions of this world disappear when the world disappears and Self-Realisation occurs.

Kshaurikaputra Nyaya (Barber and Son): When asked by the king to find the most beautiful boy in the kingdom, the barber searched in vain until he thought of his own son, who, in reality, was the embodiment of ugliness. This illustrates the blinding quality of attachment. Everyone is shut up within his own limited experience.

Visha Krimi Nyaya (Poison and Worms): Worms thrive in poison that would kill a man. One man’s cake is another man’s poison. This illustrates that good and bad are relative. Sensual pleasures are poison for evolved beings.

Kakataliya Nyaya (Crow and Palm Tree): A crow sat on a palm tree and was killed by a falling coconut. Is the death of the crow attributed to the coconut, or to his being in that place at that time? We each experience the world independently. Experience of this world that is common to all is accidental and has no meaning. Reality is the experience of the undifferentiated Self.

A child might see the sun reflected in a dozen pots of water, and think that he sees a dozen different suns. The reflected suns will have certain qualities, but they are not comparable to the real sun which is many times brighter and more powerful. When the water in the pots dries up, the illusions are gone but the sun still remains.

The Self, like the sun, is reflected in all. The quality of the reflection depends on the purity of the reflecting surface. It is only limited by ignorance, avidya of the mind. A person whose reflection is obscured by ignorance might be called a sinner, and one whose reflection is bright could be called a saint. But a Jnana Yogi never forgets that there is no difference between a saint and a sinner, for both are the same unlimited Self.