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yajvan
13 August 2008, 08:56 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste,


As I study Abhinavagupta's commentary on Parā-trīśikā Vivaraṇa¹ I find one principle most intriguing and noteworthy. Let me offer it and ask your views on this matter.
The principle or truth is this:
sarvaṃ sarvātmakaṃ

sarva सर्व - everything, all; whole, completely
ātmakaṃ or ātmaka आत्मक- belonging to or forming the nature of Hence
sarva + sarva + ātmaka = everything + everything all + belonging to or forming the nature of; Or in prose , everything pervades everything else.

Do we find this in the Upaniṣads? In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad we have the Vaishvanara vidya. It guides us with the knowledge that all things are connected together. There is no independent action in this Universe. Svāmi Kṛṣṇanānda's comment on this is 'everything is all things and anything is everywhere'.

If we look in the Bṛhadaraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Madhu (sweet or honey) Brāhmaṇa, there is this infinite correlation called out with the earth, sun, waters, ākāśa, all beings, the devatā, etc.

We also find in the Upaniṣads this principle of aṅga is no different then aṅgī ( that the part belongs to the whole).

What is your take on this… just flowery words? Or are the sages offering us an insight that is worthy of consideration?


pranams

1. Parā-trīśikā Vivaraṇa¹ -or- That (Śrī Devī) who transcends and is Identical with trika. It also means That which speaks out (kāyati) the three (tri) śakti-s (śa) of the Supreme (parā). Vivaraṇa means the act of uncovering, opening, or explanation; This work , 36 ślokas, is suppose to be the the essense of the Rudayamāla Tantra.

yajvan
15 August 2008, 10:50 AM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~


I find one principle most intriguing and noteworthy. Let me offer it and ask your views on this matter.
The principle or truth is this:
sarvaṃ sarvātmakaṃ
sarva सर्व - everything, all; whole, completely
ātmakaṃ or ātmaka आत्मक- belonging to or forming the nature of
Hence
sarva + sarva + ātmaka = everything + everything all + belonging to or forming the nature of; Or in prose, everything pervades everything else.




Namaste
This view offered above is considered pramiti - or the correct notion of the world. This is to suggest one's awareness is now established in the correct view of the world.

Some also call this Awareness bhāla netra, the 3rd eye of Śiva considered pure awareness; Some associate Śiva's 3rd eye with Agni. So the notion offered here is perfect awareness.

But why do we not see the world as homogeneous, whole, and uniform today within this diversity we live in? This is due to the mala-s or impurities we live with and accumulate over time - they go from gross ( sthūla or fixed) to subtle (sūkṣma) in nature.

These are in consciousness, in the nervous system. My teacher has also suggested these are also stresses and strains we experience in our lives that block the clear functioning of the body-mind-ātman relationship; the impressions that are embedded need removal.

kārma-mala - the blemish that comes with actions and bind.
māyīya mala - the blemish of duality , of mine, yours, others.
ānava-mala - this is the notion of feeling incomplete, less then whole and can come then fade-away. This non-fullness is called a-pūrṇatā.People have this experience of a-pūrṇatā and think something is missing, I am not full. Some will try and fill the lack of fullness by accumulating things ( bringing on kārma-mala) - more friends, or knowledge, or more degrees, bigger house more, cars, like that.

Svāmi Śivanānda says the when this desire for fullness, pūrṇatā, is directed through the senses, it becomes the desire for objects. Why so? The senses in themselves reside in the finite, the limited. Yet the notion of more ( as the infinite is more then the most) is appealing - as it gives the sense of more, of some addition, some happiness due to the expansion of having more.
Yet it does not take long for the mind and senses to figure out that was not 'it' - that these acquisitions were entertaining for a time, but did fulfill this impulse for fullness. And then the cycle starts again 'maybe a bigger house, a promotion, a trip around the world, perhaps this will close the gap to the infinite'.

So what is one to do?

pranams

words used

pramiti प्रमिति- a correct notion; some use this word for awareness that has been developed, really unfolded as it exists already.
bhāla भाल- is forehead ( the location of Siva's 3rd eye) ; also means splendor or lustier ( we associate luster with the eyes)
netra नेत्र- the eye (as the guiding organ); also means a leader , guide , as the eye leads the way.

yajvan
18 August 2008, 11:51 AM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~



These are in consciousness, in the nervous system. My teacher has also suggested these are also stresses and strains we experience in our lives that block the clear functioning of the body-mind-ātman relationship; the impressions that are embedded need removal.
kārma-mala - the blemish that comes with actions and bind.
māyīya mala - the blemish of duality , of mine, yours, others.
ānava-mala - this is the notion of feeling incomplete, less then whole and can come then fade-away. This non-fullness is called a-pūrṇatā.
People have this experience of a-pūrṇatā and think something is missing, I am not full. Some will try and fill the lack of fullness by accumulating things ( bringing on kārma-mala) - more friends, or knowledge, or more degrees, bigger house more, cars, like that.

Svāmi Śivanānda says the when this desire for fullness, pūrṇatā, is directed through the senses, it becomes the desire for objects. Why so? The senses in themselves reside in the finite, the limited. Yet the notion of more ( as the infinite is more then the most) is appealing - as it gives the sense of more, of some addition, some happiness due to the expansion of having more.
Yet it does not take long for the mind and senses to figure out that was not 'it' - that these acquisitions were entertaining for a time, but did fulfill this impulse for fullness. And then the cycle starts again 'maybe a bigger house, a promotion, a trip around the world, perhaps this will close the gap to the infinite'.

So what is one to do?



Namaste

What does one do? There have been many that thought ' since actions bring more actions and more attachment which perpetuates kārma-mala -> māyīya mala -> ānava-mala ...I just won't act. I will just abstain from the world and that stops the wheel that continues to turn'.

This notion at first blush seems to be a rational thought, yet in the Bhāgavad gītā Chapter 3, the 3rd śloka Kṛṣṇa clearly instructs Arjuna that ' not by abstaining from action does a man achieve non-action, nor by mere renunciation does he obtain perfection'. In this sentence the word for non-action is naiṣkarmyam - it means freedom from the results of action - some say freedom the re-action, the event or binding influence that happens to the native once an action takes place.
Kṛṣṇa is saying by mere abstinence of action one only becomes idle which does not even approach the notion of naiṣkarmyam. Kṛṣṇa says in the next sloka 'no one indeed can exist even for an instant without performing action, for everyone is helplessly driven by the gunas born of nature'.
So , now we're in a pickle… the cycle of kārma-mala -> māyīya mala -> ānava-mala is part of one's life, and we cannot stop it by just stopping kārma-mala and abstaining. What then is one to do? Once again, Krsna offers the solution to this conundrum.

We know that we are helplessly part of nature driven be the 3 guna-s, so Kṛṣṇa says¹ 'be without the 3 guna-s , freed from duality… possessed of ( or established in) the SELF (ātmavān)'. Very practical I'd say. It is from being established in the SELF (ātmavān) that Kṛṣṇa says¹ yogasthaḥ kuru kārmaṇi - established or steadfast in yoga ( union of the ātma, the SELF) perform actions.
This to me is the cornerstone of the Bhāgavad gītā, advice for one's spiritual advancement and practical advice for anyone on this good earth. Kṛṣṇa informs Arjuna of who really is performing actions that brings this attachment, and directs Arjuna to be without the 3 guna-s.

This then suggests that when a person looks to a upāya, a dhāraṇā, technique one may wish to consider the words of Kṛṣṇa. But if you are without the 3 guna-s then where are you? When using or exercising various upāya-s or dhāraṇā-s the notion is to experience turīya, the 4th. It is here that one is beyond the 3 guna-s which operates and maintains the relative field of life i.e. duality, diversity.

My teacher has said it is by this dipping into this turīya, this pure awareness that the knots , stresses and strains are removed. The mind is groomed to work from this state of pure awareness. The intent is to stabilize this 4th state, and then it is called is turīyatit chetana or sustained turīya, Self Realization.

Abhinavagupta says it this way:
Just as by washing the dirt or impurity lying in the inner fold of a cloth, the dirt lying on the upper portion ( the outer folds) gets automatically washed or cleansed ; even so, by the removal of the dirt (mala) lying at the subtle levels, the dirt residing at the madhyamā levels get automatically removed.

We can get a general feeling of what Abhinavagupta-ji is saying. There is also (as ususal) symbols or saṃketa offered here. The sense is ṣodhya or purification occurs by the ṣodhaka the purifier, in this case the Supreme, and that Supreme is turīya, the 4th.

But how is this done? Withdraw, then withdraw from the withdrawal - we will look at this in the next post.

pranams

words and references

Bhāgavad gītā Chapter 2, 45th śloka ; 48th śloka
dhāraṇā धारणा - undistracted instruction; collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath); the act of holding , bearing , wearing , supporting , maintaining ;firmness , steadfastness , righteousness
upāya-s उपायthat by which one reaches one's aim , a means or expedient
turya तुर्यsome write turīya तुरीय - the 4th.
ṣodhya शोध्य - to be cleansed or purified or refined or corrected or improved
ṣodhaka शोधक - a purifierHDF posts on turya subject matter: Turiya http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2996 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2996)
The import of turya - http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1822 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1822)
The summary of the import of turya - http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2050 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2050)
Consciousness - http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1773 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1773)

yajvan
19 August 2008, 09:58 AM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~



But how is this done? Withdraw, then withdraw from the withdrawal - we will look at this in the next post.


Namaste

The wise say withdraw then withdraw from the withdraw. We know that these words as sutras ( or stitches, snippets). So people ask withdraw from what?

Withdraw from the parts (aṅga) and experience the the whole,(aṅgī); then withdraw from the withdrawal i.e. withdraw from that whole or aṅgī, and come back to the parts. Now what's that again?

Withdraw from the duality of life, the parts, diversity (aṅga) and experience fullness, bhuma, turīya ( aṅgī ), then come back to diversity.

What is going on with this? It is the cleaning process that Abhinavagupta suggested in the last post:
Just as by washing the dirt or impurity lying in the inner fold of a cloth, the dirt lying on the upper portion ( the outer folds) gets automatically washed or cleansed ; even so, by the removal of the dirt (mala) lying at the subtle levels, the dirt residing at the madhyamā levels get automatically removed.

We dip into pure awareness then come back. Each time this is done, some purification happens, mala-s are being removed, but more importantly we are infusing more and more pure awareness into our daily awareness. We are 'refreshing' the system.

Svāmi Laksmanjoo calls this process sūkṣma gati¹, and is done with ever-refreshed awareness and is accompanied with anusandhāna¹ or the refinement of the breath.


So we become ṣodhya¹ (the one being cleansed), the Divine is the ṣodhaka (the purifier) and the withdrawal approach is ṣodhana ( or the process). By doing this process, the aspirant is fulfilling , in part, what Krsna advises¹, be without the 3 guna-s. When one withdraws and experiences turīya, the 3 guna-s are left in duality, the relative field of life.

Now Abhinavagupta say it a bit differently, but the meaning is the same. He says, Leave both dharma and adharma . Having left both truth and falsehood leave also by which you leave everything.
This instruction is the same. Leaving dharma and adharma behind, that is within the world of duality, the relative field of life of thinking and doing. But what does he mean leave also by which you leave everything? He his saying even leave behind the technique (upāya), the mantra or method that got you to this level of refined consciousness.

Here's the beauty of that process : This 'leaving behind' occurs all on it's own. The individual transcends the finest levels of awareness and arrives at turīya. That is, one 'gives up' the vehicle that got him/her to turīya and this is done naturally, spontainiously without effort.

But how? My teacher always used the analogy of diving. We go to the edge of the pool, we take the proper angle, we bend correctly and we just let go. One goes into the swimming pool successfully.

Bring one's awareness to the holistic part of Reality (samasta, or pervading the whole) and bathe in it, then come back to the parts or limbs of life (aṅga). Each time, one brings a bit more of this Bhuma/fullness back into daily life until this level of Being is established in us - living the SELF 7x24x365.


pranams

words used

aṅga is no different then aṅgī ( that the part belongs to the whole).
Bhāgavad gītā Chapter 2, 45th śloka ; 48th śloka
ṣodhya शोध्य - to be cleansed or purified or refined or corrected or improved
ṣodhaka शोधक- a purifier
ṣodhana शोधन - the process of cleaning, purifying, correcting, improving
sūkṣma gati : sūkṣma सूक्ष्म acute , subtle , keen + gati गति manner or power of going, procession, march, passage, procedure, progress, movement
anu+sandha+āna : anu अनु- each by each, orderly, methodically, one after another, repeatedly; saṃdhi संधि- is the junction point, transition from one to the other; āna आन- exhaling the breath through the nose.
upāya-s उपाय that by which one reaches one's aim , a means or expedient

yajvan
21 August 2008, 12:03 PM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~

Namaste,


There remains just a few more points to this post that the reader may find useful or even insightful.

It was mentioned

Withdraw from the parts (aṅga) and experience the the whole,(aṅgī); then withdraw from the withdrawal i.e. withdraw from that whole or aṅgī, and come back to the parts.

Withdraw from the duality of life, the parts, diversity (aṅga) and experience fullness, bhuma, turīya ( aṅgī ), then come back to diversity.
This withdraw and withdrawal can be equated to Śiva & Śakti. We know that Śiva is the transcendent, anuttara, the Supreme. And Śakti, His energy, power, His self-referral ability. From this self-refferal impulse manifest creation, or the expansion of Śiva occurs.

We also know that Śiva is considered pure consciousness, pure awareness. We know from previous posts that trying to explain this greatness is beyond definition, indescribable (we call it uccāra rahitam vastu). Yet we also know from a personal experience the ṛṣi-s (rishi-s) have called this purity of Being, this perfection aham, or pure 'I'.

Here is the connection to with and withdrawal. This sound, aham, is considered a sṛṣṭi-bīja mantra. A sound that is prasara or expansion in it's nature. A sound that wants to expand.

This bīja is made up of trika, 3, components: A+ha+m. A is equal to Śiva ( we have discussed this on other posts¹) + ha is equal to Śakti + m is = nara or that of creation, the family of man, or the manifest.

It is from Śiva that creation occurs; Śakti is the creative impulse that makes this all occur, resulting in nara or all of creation (this includes you and me and everything your senses experience).

Now if we take the same mantra aham and reverse it we get ma+ha+a. This too is a mantra and it is called saṃhāra bīja mantra. That means its nature is praveśa or an entrance point - the place for withdrawal to occure.

In this case of ma+ha+a, we go from nara -> Śakti -> Śiva ( back to the source). Going back to the source is called pratiprasava, reversal of the birth process. This too is found in the Yogadarśana of Patañjali ( chapt 2 10th sūtra), that is going back to the Source.

Now we have all the components:
Withdraw (ma+ha+a) then withdraw from the withdrawal (a+ha+m). That is from your level of creation (nara) return (pratiprasava) to or enter into the source, aham. Yet come back again to nara - withdraw from the withdrawal.

Each time we do this says Abhinavaguta-ji we wash away
'the dirt or impurity lying in the inner fold of a cloth, the dirt lying on the upper portion ( the outer folds) gets automatically washed or cleansed ; even so, by the removal of the dirt (mala) lying at the subtle levels, the dirt residing at the madhyamā levels get automatically removed.'

pranams

words and references

praveśa प्रवेश - an entrance point;the entering into.
sṛṣṭi सृष्टि - production, creation; emission
saṃhāra संहार - fetching back, binding together
bīja बीज - is seed; primary cause; source, origin
connection to aham HDF post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3093
inner absorption HDF Post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3253

yajvan
06 October 2008, 01:19 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namaste,

In the spirit of the post above , let me offer another viewpoint.


If one can dwell and be established in aham अहम् "I" , then all is right with the world. Yet if we say asmi¹ अस्मि 'I am' AND say 'I am not' then the fullness of reality has yet to be recognized. What am I saying here?


When one can still say ' I am not ' , I am not the world around me, I am not society and and society is not an extention of me, I am not the cosmos, then we are still within in idividuality or ahaṃkaraṇa; Ahaṃkaraṇa अहंकरण is individuality , the conception of the individual of diversity, from my experince outwards, and not the Universal.

So what needs to come together? The knower ( of the world) some call pramātr + the means of knowing i.e. perception and cognition called pramāna + the object to be known, the environment - all that surrounds you , and this is known as prameya.
What brings the Unity of these three ? Pramiti प्रमिति. Pramiti is correct knowledge, clear vision of reality or knowledge gained by pramā प्रमा , correct knowlege, pure knowledge. And what is that? Experiencing and becoming established in aham अहम् "I", Pure Consciousness Itself.


This is just another point of reference for the posts above i.e.

Withdraw from the parts (aṅga) and experience the the whole,(aṅgī); then withdraw from the withdrawal i.e. withdraw from that whole or aṅgī, and come back to the parts.

Withdraw from the duality of life, the parts, diversity (aṅga) and experience fullness, bhuma, turīya ( aṅgī ), then come back to diversity.



pranams


words
asmi अस्मि - from 'as' is to abide, dwell, stay ; 'mi' is observe, perceive know; to meter out