The purpose of Shastra study is to discover oneself as whole, as secure. Dhanyoham, Shantoham, Asangoham, Purnoham, Triptoham, Shuddhoham
Dhanyoham – I am blessed
Shantoham – I am peace. I am silence.
Asangoham – I am unaffected – I am unattached – I am free
Purnoham – I am whole, I am secure, I am love, I am complete
Triptoham – I am fulfilled
Shuddhoham – I am pure
Acaloham – I am motionless
If this indeed is the nature of oneself, then only one can discover these facts. Shruti says this is the nature of yourself. Wise people who have discovered these facts say this is so.
So to help us to discover these facts about oneself – there is a whole methodology of teaching. The teaching takes into account that there is an individual living in the world, who wants to discover himself or herself as whole, secure and complete. This individual, thinks that to be whole and secure, he must make changes to the world around him or her.
The individual does not understand at first, that no matter what changes he brings about in the world around him, it cannot make him whole and secure … because a wholeness or completeness that is dependent on any external factor, is subject to change at any time.
Discovery of wholness, completeness and security has to centered upon oneself alone – a self who is not subject to time, place and object. If the self is subject to time, place or any condition whatsoever – then it is not possible to discover oneself as secure or complete … because there will be change at some point or the other.
So now the question is does such a self exist … a self that is not subject to time, place or any condition. Here is where Shastra comes in and teaches … YES … such a self exists … that self is whom we call GOD …. not subject to change.
You can say that I do not know of anything which does not change….
Hey the very fact that you know changes … points to the changless. Change cannot be known, unless there is a changless reference. The teaching of Vedanta points out that, there is a changless truth … and that changless reference is free of all attributes, is free of form and that is your self …. a self that is ever-present, ever-existent and in whose presence everything that is known or knowable is illumined. Not only is this changless self independent of everything… (now Shatra reveals a rahasyam ) this changeless prakashaka is also the very adhistana or basis or content of everything…
In Chapter 7 of Bhagavad Gita – there is a beautiful exposition of Isvara's svarupa. There Isvara is pointed out as para prakriti plus apara prakriti. The apara prakriti is the changing manifestation of Ishvara … and the para prakriti is the changless, formless nature of Isvara. There are four difference between these two :-
Para Prakriti | Apara Prakriti |
| Acentana tattva - inert principle |
| With attributes - sagunatva |
| Subject to modificaton, subject to change – savikara tattva |
| MITHYA tattva – depends on para prakriti for its existence – has no independent existence – like wave has no independent existenec from water. |
This Isvara alone was there before creation … sadeva soumya idam agra aasiit …
So this changless tattva is the illuminator ( of all changes) as well as the adhistana … the very basis or content of everything that is illumined….. totally free of all that is illumined.
Such a self is there … and this self is an already existing fact … this fact has to be discovered by each individual.
Vedanta is pointing out an existing fact … Vedanta is not a mere concept … There is an existing truth about yourself. Use Vedanta as a means of knowledge … for knowing the ever-existing truth about yourself that can never be negated.
The bottom line for that fact is that there is a fundamental truth about you the individual that does not change. So you must ascertain, what changes … and what does not change.
What changes is apara prakriti.
Let is ascertain what changes – the world around you changes
- the body changes
- the mind changes
- the ego changes
- the waker changes
- the dreamer changes
- the deep sleeper changes
- the waking world changes
- the dream world changes
- the deep sleep absence of world changes
What does not change?
The light of consciousness, in whose presence these changes are illumined. This light of consciousness is the truth about you that can never be destroyed… it never changes … it is never born – it ever-is … it never dies. It is totally independent of all that is illumined in its presence, even though all that is illumined is totally dependent on it.
This light of consciousness in itself is totally free of all attributes. Yet it has the capacity to appear as all that is changing.
So Shastra wants you recognize this existing fact … this existing reality about yourself – without which you will not be able to have experience whatsoever.
In the light of that discovery, one meditates, one contemplates…..
I meditate on the Lord, the ever-auspicious, ever-present light of consciousness, the changeless core of peace and silence that is my self, that is ever unaffected.
Shantoham, Asangoham, Purnoham, Triptoham, Shuddhoham
Dhanyoham – I am blessed – the Lord the ever-auspicious, ever-present light of consciousness, the changeless core of peace and silence is verily my self. I am verily that light of consciousness.
Shantoham – I am peace. I am silence. I am changeless. I am indestructible.
Asangoham – I am unaffected – I am unattached – I am free – I am indeed satyam
Purnoham – I am whole – there is no dent in me – there are no parts in me.
I am secure – I am indestructible
I am the love, the ananda that everybody is searching for
I am complete
Triptoham – I am fulfilled
Shuddhoham – I am pure – I am totally free of raha-dvesha, I am totally free of ignorance
Acaloham – I am motionless
As individuals living in this world, we have total identification with the body. Even wise man has identification with the body – without body identification it is not possible to do anything. However the difference is that the wise man, recognizes, and acknowledges that he is indeed the indestructible truth – he recognizes the changless truth about himself …. and identifies with the changless. His "I" sense is no longer with the body-mind-sense complex only.
Since this truth is an existing fact… and recognition of this truth about oneself liberates one from endless suffering,shastra says you must make the effort to recognize this truth. First you must come to know about it using Shastra as a means of knowledge – let there be sravanam. This sravanam will not have effect unless there is anatahkarna shuddhi … so work for anatah karana shuddhi … let your life be transformed … live your life as a bhakta … a bhakta of truth … the truth that is God. The truth that is God pervades your daily life …. recognize the truth of God in your daily life…. be a devotee. Let your life be transformed with new attitudes … and the result is peace of mind and antahkarana shuddhi.
Now when you do sravana, it will begin to make sense. Still you have doubts … so let there be manana. …. to remove all your doubts. After that still the dehatma-buddhi is strong … so do nidhidhyasana .. contemplate … In a quiet frame of mind … recognize yourself to be the prakashaka…. the the one in whose presence all thoughts are illumined. Again and again may you contemplate, in different ways…. with "I"/ sakshi as locus and Brahman or Isvara as locus. … drshya anuviddha samadhi, sabda anuviddha samadhi…. and may this kind of constant contemplation lead to total uprooting of the dehatma-buddhi and being establised in Brahma buddhi.
Om Tat Sat
