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yajvan
09 July 2010, 12:04 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

This post is about sāmānya, defined as:

whole , entire , universal
the connection of different objects by common properties
equilibrium , normal state or condition
some may also call this bhūman - fullness of experienceThere is a quality the wise (muni) experience called sāmānya. It is the experience of viewing, perceiving all the parts ( diversity) as a whole ( union). That is, where we see mutual differences (pṛthaktva¹) they see connections ( saṃyoga¹) thoughout creation. We view separation ( vibhāga¹) they view sama ( this sameness) and call this the Real, the Reality of things.

Yet this post is not about our inferior abilities. It is about the possibly that we too have the same apparatus within us ( our nervous system ) to view creation in this manner. But how so? We have this quality in seed form and we can demonstrate this in our daily experiences. Let me explain.

Lets say I am on a farm and I look in the pasture and see cows or gotvajāti ... I use this word as it will help explain and tie things together in a moment or two.; gotva+ jāti is gotva = being a cow or the state of a cow + jāti = birth, position assigned by birth. As you you look in the field you see various types of cows i.e. Gudali, Guernsey, Guzerat, Hallikar , Hariana, Hartón, etc. and you see various colors of black, red, white, gray, etc.
Yet what are you able to do? Collectively understand them as 'cows' - the birth or position or being a cow as a macro-family of cows . You are able to do this in a holistic way i.e. you see sāmānya.

Now you turn your attention to the barn yard and see ducks, and geese, pigs, horses, etc. All different types of animals - yet once again you see paśutva ( animal beings); collectively they are grouped as a whole and harmonized into one's awareness as paśu ( animal) + jāti beings or positions.

Just one more example and then the insight as I see it. You are walking along a street and see shops, stores people in commerce, cars moving, trucks hauling, lots of movement and activity. Yet if you fly over this area or other areas like it you see a 'city' . A grouping of all these activities, you do not see any one thing, but a total - some may call this dravya a single object.

Now an observation or two for your kind consideration. You have seen all different types of animals, activities, motion, change and cities from the sky - how can one view all of this as a whole or sāmānya?

What padārtha¹ (category) runs throughout this pṛthaktva ( mutual differences) ? It is sat. One could come to the conclusion that all the mutual differences of objects all have existence, Being (sat) as their base. One has just found the common string of ones overall perception.

Yet for the muni, the realized yogi, the fully enlightened in their fitness & ability ( yogyatā) see this sattā (existence, Being) at all times, it goes unwaivered and is not lost to them.
There are many reasons for this. The one I most gravitate to is that these beings are anchored in the SELF , there is no noise or chatter within the mind, or the senses pulling them here and there.

We too have this ability - for some it is dormant, for others there they are sprouting this ability, for some the buds are on the branches and for others, the blossoms are beginning to open to this awareness of sāmānya.

The wise say it is our destiny (aṛṣṭa) for this full blooming to occur. Yet IMHO we must contribute to the blooming as I see it just like the Gardner. The Gardner does not really grow anything. It is nature that does all the heavy lifting , yes? What does the Gardener do? Provide the water , the fertilizer, remove the weeds and impediments to growth. Like that this is what I see we can do to assist this growth to sāmānya.

praṇām

words

pṛthaktva = pṛthak + tva : pṛthak = widely apart , separately , differently , singly + tva = several ( can also mean one)
saṃyoga - connection, conjunction , combination , connection ; 'direct material contact' - my teacher would call this infinite correlation
vibhāga = vi+ bhāga - vi= in two parts + bhāga rooted in bhoj meaning a part , portion , share . Hence fractionated, many parts of separation
gotva+ jāti - gotva = the being a cow or the state of a cow + jāti = birth, position assigned by birth the being a cow , state of a cow
padārtha - a category, yet it also included that which corresponds to the meaning of a word , a thing , material object , man , person
bhūman - abundance , plenty , wealth , opulence , fullness