ॐ गं ॐ
Ayam Atma Brahma - this Atma is Brahman
This is the mahavakya from Mandukya Upanishad. Let us analyse this extraordinary statement made by the Upanishad.
Brahman, by it's very word meaning means that which is limitless. However in our understanding, when we say Brahman, we look upon it in third person, as something remote, something away from me.
'ayam' in Sanskrit means 'this'. Atma refers to the self. ayam atma means 'this Self' - The teacher must be pointing towards the heart and saying 'this Self' - referring to the self-evident immediate (aparoksha) presence of consciousness which shines as 'I' in the antahkarna.
We use the words pratyaksha, paroksha, sakshi-pratyaksha and aparoksha in Vedanta. These words indicate the type of knowledge and by what means knowledge takes place. Pratyaksha jnanam refers to sense-perception and it gives us direct knowledge of objects that we perceive. Paroksha jnanam refers to the indirect knowledge of things which are remote. We would gain this knowledge through inference, presumption, comparison, knowledge of absence all of which are methods of reasoning based on pratyaksha jnanam.
Sakshi-pratyaksha refers to the direct knowledge we receive of our own thoughts, feelings, memories, ego in which sense perception plays no part.
Aparoksha jnanam refers to the immediate self-evident presence of consciousness, referred to as 'I'.
The Shastra points out aparoksha atma is Brahman. That the self is immediate we have no doubt about. However, usually we have a lot of conclusions about the nature of I - that it is limited. So we conclude that I am mortal, I am such and such, based on the condition of the body or mind, which is always limited.
So now when Shastra says 'ayam atma brahman' what it is saying is 'that which is immediate is limitless' or 'that which is limitless is immediate'.
There is only one thing which is immediate - that is the self-evident, self-revealing conscious presence that one is, that reveals itself constantly in the antahkarna as 'I'. This immediate I is limitless. To understand this, we have to let go our sense of limitation. How? By letting go our sense of reality in the ego, the sense of individuality. How? By understanding it is mithya.
Aparoksha atma is free of limitation in time - meaning the immediate, self-evident consciousness that one is, is timeless, changeless, indestructible, immortal.
Aparoksha atma is free of the limitation of space, meaning the immediate, self-evident consciousness that one is, is all-pervading.
Aparoksha atma is free of the limitation of object, meaning the immediate, self-evident consciousness that one is, is formless, attributeless.
We also need to understand intimately that Brahman, the limitless is not remote.
The limitless is immediate.
How profound and subtle is this knowledge of the self!
The immediate is limitless.
The limitless is immediate.
To understand the full implications of this grand statement 'ayam atma brahman', I will usually also dwell on Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 9 statements where Lord Krishna reveals Himself totally to His beloved Arjuna, by saying 'matsthani sarva bhutani, na ca'ham teshu avasthitah' (all this is in me, but I am not in them) followed by 'na ca matsthani bhutani' (all this is not there in me) in the very next verse.
In the statement 'matsthani sarva bhutani, na ca aham teshu avasthitah', the Lord is pointing out the entire universe exists in Him who is consciousness, dependent on consciousness ( to exist, as well as reveal itself) whereas He, consciousness is not dependent on this universe. You may still imagine that there are two things, Consciousness and the universe. To dispel this notion, Lord Krishna declares that 'na ca matsthani bhutani' there is no universe in Me, meaning He, consciousness alone is - limitless, whole, purnam, ekam eva advitiyam - one alone, without a second. Limitless Consciousness-existence by its own creative power appears as this changing universe, even as one you alone appear as all the different objects in a dream.
To understand this lets us look at the example of ocean and wave. Both are nothing but water. Wave does not have an independent reality from the ocean. The wave does not have an independent reality from water. Wave is water. When water looks, all it sees, is itself. It does not see wave as an independent reality limiting it! It does not see wave ...sees only itself water.
We need to dwell on this again and again and really see the implications.
Our shashtanga namaskarams to our Shastras and Sadgurus who make us understand this profound truth.
Om Tat Sat
