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| a r t i c l e s o n h i n d u i s m | ||
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From
ancient times, seekers of truth aiming at emancipation (moksa) have hankered
after the knowledge of the self (atman confined in the body) vis-a-vis the
cosmic supreme Self (Brahman). That the two are same has been established by the
mahavakya: Ayam atma Brahma (The self is Brahman). In Brihadaranyaka Upanisad,
Yajnavalkya emphatically tells his wife-disciple Maitreyi, "Self alone
should be heard of, should be contemplated and be meditated upon." That
being so, an inquiry about the nature of the self is natural. In Aiterya
Upanishad, a seeker has posed the question: "What is that we
meditate/worship as atman the self or the supreme Self, the Brahman? Also, which
of the two (para-brahman or apara-brahman) is to be meditated upon? Is it that
by which a living being sees (form), hears sound, smells (odour), utter words
(speech) or that which he discriminates between what is sweet and what is not
sweet (sour)? The
question aims at a clear understanding of Its real nature for the purpose of a
proper meditation. The atman (Brahman) has been described as both with
attributes (saguna with attributes, meaning Hiranyagarbha which can be attained
and that without attributes (nirguna, which can only be realised). It is not
unnatural that a non-indiscriminating mind lumps all activities of organs of
sense-perception and collectively considers these as atman. Each
organ of sense perception responds to a particular sensation that leads to
cognition. But one hears what is good and also what is not good, one smells what
is pleasant and also what is fetid and also one sees what is worth seeing and
what is not worth seeing. A close scrutiny reveals that since atman that is
unborn, eternal which must be unchanging in its nature, cannot have a variable
element as an integral part in its being. Thus, these could not be the self
(atman) that is to be worshiped for seeking the knowledge that leads to
emancipation. The
process of cognition has to be distinguished in terms of gathering the
cognition, collectively from different senses, and that which enables a
panoramic view of the external world. For example, eye only provides a visual
sensation of an object. The process of seeing has to be coordinated with the
mind. It is said, "one sees with the mind". Some time we may
"see" an object but if the mind was not attentive, one would say,
"I saw that but I was out of mind" - meaning I did not give any
attention. The
verse continues: Does one worship consciousness as Brahma, Prajapati (the first
born), other gods, etc., who are themselves evolved from the Brahman or the five
elements of nature: Earth (prithvi); water (jal); fire (agni); air (vayu); and,
ether (akasa), which are themselves insentient or the big and small men, animals
and birds that fly and objects (as trees) that do not move? One
has to keep in mind that instruments of cognition that enable various functional
activities, heart, mind and antahkaran are verily (names of) those which arise
from consciousness, and hence enable knowledge. The sense, mind, antahkarana
function only as long as the atman is in the body and provides to it the
consciousness. Both are needed. Even when there is the self within, but when one
is rendered unconscious, say by a head injury or on being administered
anaesthesia, one does not have cognition of objects around him. Also, after the
self has discarded the body as on death and there is no consciousness, there is
no cognition or a knowledge of the objects around one. It
is the self within the body that is the cause of consciousness that enables
functioning of various organs of sense perception and action, mind, antahkaran,
prana, etc., as the effect. Thus consciousness (prajnana within) is the basis of
all activities and has to be the object of meditation. It
is concluded that all these and the whole world, impelled by consciousness, is
based on consciousness (prajna) within. Therefore, consciousness (at the body
level) is verily the atman which at the cosmic level is Brahman. Thus is the
mahavakya Prajnanam Brahman.
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