CIRCLE OF LIGHT

CIRCLE OF LIGHT
The Essence of Consciousness and the Mystical Conundrum of AI
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ESOTERISM STUDIES

ESOTERISM STUDIES
The Way
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ESOTERISM ACADEMY NEW ARTICLE

ESOTERISM ACADEMY NEW ARTICLE
Thursday, 14 November, 2024

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Buddhism Yogacara

 

Buddhism Yogacara

An Insight into Consciousness-Based Philosophy

Introduction

Yogacara Buddhism, often referred to as the "Mind-Only" or "Consciousness-Only" school, is a profound and influential branch of Mahayana Buddhism. Emerging in India during the 4th century CE, it remains one of the most sophisticated attempts within Buddhism to understand the nature of consciousness and reality.

Origins

Yogacara was founded by two brothers, Asanga and Vasubandhu, who were driven by the objective of comprehending the nature of existence and experience. The term 'Yogacara' translates to 'practice of yoga' or 'yoga practitioner', reflecting the school's emphasis on meditation and mindfulness as pathways to enlightenment.

Core Tenets

Yogacara Buddhism posits that our understanding of reality is fundamentally shaped by our mind and that external objects do not exist independently of our perception. This notion is encapsulated in the concept of "vijnapti-matra", often translated as "consciousness-only" or "representation-only". According to this idea, what we perceive as 'reality' is merely a projection of our own consciousness.

Three Natures

Yogacara describes reality through 'Three Natures' or 'Three Modes of Existence':

1. Parikalpita (Imagined nature): This represents the world as we normally perceive it, filled with distinct and independent objects. Yogacara maintains that this level of reality is a product of our imagination, based on the mistaken belief in the inherent existence of objects and self.

2. Paratantra (Dependent nature): This is the dependent or causal nature of phenomena, acknowledging that our experiences are not random but arise due to specific causes and conditions.

3. Parinishpanna (Absolute nature): The absolute or ultimate nature of reality, experienced when one realizes the interdependent and mind-only nature of existence. It represents the world as it is when not filtered through our conceptual constructs.

Eight Consciousnesses

Central to Yogacara is the model of 'Eight Consciousnesses', a comprehensive explanation of how human consciousness operates:

1. The Five Sense Consciousnesses: These correspond to our five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.

2. The Mind (Manovijnana): This is the coordinating consciousness that processes and interprets sensory information.

3. The Defiled Mental Consciousness (Manas): This consciousness gives rise to the sense of "I" and "mine", it is the root of self-attachment and delusion.

4. Storehouse Consciousness (Alayavijnana): This serves as a repository for all potential energy and information, including our karmic seeds. It is this consciousness that continues from one life to the next in the process of rebirth.

Influence and Legacy

Yogacara's insights have had widespread influence, not only within Buddhism but also in various fields such as psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy. Within Buddhism, Yogacara concepts have been integrated into many Mahayana traditions, including Tibetan Buddhism and East Asian Buddhism.

Conclusion

Yogacara Buddhism provides a unique perspective on consciousness and reality. Its teachings invite us to question our habitual perceptions of the world and understand the profound role our minds play in constructing our experiences. By doing so, Yogacara offers a path to liberate ourselves from delusion and suffering, leading us towards enlightenment.

While the complex metaphysical and psychological systems of Yogacara can be challenging to comprehend, their essence lies in the practical application—mindfulness and meditation. As we navigate our contemporary world, the wisdom of Yogacara remains relevant, reminding us to examine our perceptions, cultivate awareness, and realize the interconnected nature of all phenomena.

THE "IDEALIST" THEORY OF REALITY

Preamble

Tathata

Citta

Dhyana

Paravritashraya

Preamble

The Yogakara Teaching is a "continuation" and an "extension" or "deepening" of the Sunyata Teaching. (at least in the view of the followers of the Teaching): The Only Reality is Sunyata, all is Sunyata, all are transitory phenomena. Even Sunyata is Sunyata, Emptiness. The only Stable Support (Asraya) is the One who experiences them, who "perceives" all these. Thus, the Ultimate Reality, Sunyata) Is Essentially Identified with Vijnana.

Jnana means Pure Knowledge, non-dual knowledge, pure perception. Vijnana is 'discerning perception'. In Yogacara when the term Vijnana is used it simply implies Jnana. When used with some aggressive designation it implies Vijnana as "discerning perception" (Alaya vijnana), or "objectifying perception with separateness " (Manas, Manovijnana, Visaya-Vijnana or vijnana of the senses).

(The root jna - means " to know "

Prajna means spontaneous, unhindered and untouched (by processing) knowledge, the primary experience of knowledge, an emergence beyond processed knowledge, into a higher knowledge, a higher awareness.

Jna -na is the Higher Unadulterated Knowledge, the True Knowledge, the "transcendence" of vi - jna -na.

Vi - jna - to be the discerning rational knowledge.

A- jna -to be non-knowledge).

Tathata

TATHATA (As It Is, So It Is) is the One Reality. Tathata is absence of all perception, without any determination, without differentiation, empty of everything, it is Sunyata (Emptiness). Tathata Exists by Itself, Alone. Tathata is based in Himself, in His Absolute Nature. It is the Real, That, which Exists Thus.

Tathata is the Supreme Jnana, Pure Knowledge, Enlightenment.

Tathata is Nirvana, the completion of 'being'.

As in all Buddhism, "Ontology", Epistemology, Ethics, are identical. Thus, Tathata has both "Ontological" and Epistemological and Ethical Character, it is Tathata and Vijnana and Nirvana at the same time, it is all three.

There is no perception that there is anything different, outside:

Whatever is perceived whatever 'appears' is Cittamatra (Mind Alone).

Within the Absolute - Vijnana - Citta all consciousness and "material" phenomena appear. (Vijnanakaya or Cittakalapa , or Ayatana , "worlds").

Citta

All that exists and all that can exist is only Citta (Cittamatra – Only Mind) or Vijnana. When the Chitta or Vijnana is Activated, a different quality of energy called " Vijnana " (consciousness, mental flow) appears and from which arises the world of phenomena.

So, what appears (vijnana, consciousness) is actions, processes, phenomena, arising spontaneously within the Citta and again disappearing within It, (Citamatra Lokam – the world is only Mind). In this case the Citta is called Alaya Vijnana. (The Mental Activity which produces everything, the Transatomic Consciousness which contains the seeds of all possible forms – the equivalent of Calculus). All this is vijnana. They have no self-existence, a reality of their own (svabhava). The ultimate essence of all these vijnana (perceptions, sensations, phenomena) is vasana, that is, the crystallized memory that keeps them in existence There is no external, self-existent world. The ceaseless succession of perceptions (phenomena), creates the impression of an "objective world". All this apparent life is subject to the law of karma.

There are various kinds of Vijnana (discerning consciousnesses). It must be understood that all these " Vijnanas " described are not distinct categories of Vijanas but several phases of the cosmic evolution of the One Vijnana. Vijnana has Objective Character, Subjective Character, Limited Subject Character, Special Personality Character, etc.

Vijnana in detail (the Variations of Vijnana, the "Vijnan "):

1) Cittamatra: (Tathagata, Tathagata-Garba): Has an Objective Character:

Prabada Alaya Vijnana (Unceasing) or Paramalaya Vijnana or Viviktadharma (Oneness, Absolute Reality).

2) Citta: It has a Subjective Character; It is the Great Subject, the Objective Subject, without particularly subjective elements:

Laxana Alaya Vijnana (Manifest) or Vijnaptir Alaya Vijnana or Hetuka Vijnana (subject to causation): The all-encompassing consciousness, the inner intelligence, which has three gradations, in which:

a) there is no underlying object (empty consciousness),

b) underlying object identify (global consciousness),

c) subject, object, are separated (omnipresent consciousness).

3) Citta:

Manas: Individuality (Consciousness of Self), Higher Self, Pure Ego (not empirical personality).

Manas has a "Double Side". When it does not relate to the "objective world" or withdraws from the "objective world" it is non-Local and does not differ in essence from the Objective Subject, from the lower form of Alaya Vijnana (omnipresent consciousness). When it turns towards the "objective world" it acquires Local Character within a secular environment. In its Physical State it is a Non-Dual Subject, a Non-Dual Consciousness that in its Awareness Embraces everything. It has the Character of the Non-Dual Ego (Ego, discriminating and classifying activity – mentality having an internal function with object in the world of forms and an external activity in the world of forms). It is the Enlightened-I. It does not have the character of a special personality.

4) Manovijnana: It has the character of the limited particular ego, the binary-ego which functions as a separate subject within an objective world and feels all objects "opposite". It is the special special personality.

Manovijnana is still the unification of the five senses, the sixth sense – the equivalent of Perception. It is the Experiential Personality.

Manovijnana is Intellect (Alambana - representational perception and Visaya - external perception): Three varieties: (intellect, intellect, external perception).

5) Five Visaya-Vijnanas or Pravrittis Vijnana, (Vijnana of the Senses).

6) Visaya (objective world, material world).

Dhyana

Citta or Vijnana is the One Reality. Either in Fundamental, Unmodified Stillness, Empty of all perception (Prabada), or in energy, like Lakshana Alaya Vijnana, then all phenomena appear (Variations of Alaya, Manas, Manovijana, Visaya Vijnanas, Visayas), there is no difference. There is no reality outside of the Citta. Either there is recognition of the Reality of the Citta, or there is not. Absorption in phenomena is not reality, it is a dream. Therefore, since the Citta is the One Reality, there is no falling into another reality, no evolution, no redemption, nothing. Simply, either there is recognition of the reality of the Citta, or not. When the Reality of the Citta is not recognized, phenomena are left to operate according to their own laws. But all this is a dream situation.

Citta or Vijnana is the One Reality. All that Appears as "Creation" is "Contents" of Citta or Vijnana, the Great Subject, is Mental in Nature. And the Small Subjects (Mother), and the "objective phenomena". The "difference" between the Great Subject (citta or Vijnana) and the small subjects (Manas) is that the Vijnana Understands all phenomena more correctly while the manas see the phenomena in a distorted way.

So since "Creation", the "Experience of the World", has a "subjective character", is of a mental texture, it becomes clear that it depends entirely on the "Subject" how he will see Reality, it does not depend on the perception or not of an object or from some real object, there is no such thing.

Consequently, the deeper meaning of Dhyana also changes character. In "Realistic" Theravada, all processes of "existence" must be exhausted in order to naturally reach Nirvana. In "Dialectical" Sunyavada we must realize the "Emptiness" of all experiences, all phenomena. In "Idealistic" Jnanavada we have to understand that it is entirely up to us (from the Subjective Existential Basis) whether we continue to " give up" the "Creation" and "dream" of an individual, limited life or whether we "give it up":

1) Certainly, as long as we are absorbed in the external "objective" life we have no hope of progress. For this, in principle, the external discipline of a righteous life is required.

2) The correct understanding and use of the "senses", is the basis for a real release from the fantasy world.

3) The "Discreet" Observation of Manovijana, the external intellect, comes next. Rejecting beliefs, prejudices, "knowledge" and "experiences" is to some extent easy because all of these are immediately recognizable as "conditional lies". There is no delay here. The dialectical intellect which is supposed to be able to as "thought", "contemplation", "philosophy", can mislead some as a process of finding or revealing the truth. But anyway "thought" is a closed system that cannot lead beyond its own right. Truth lies outside of 'thought. Even looking at things objectively is not enough as long as even a trace of "I" remains. The physical exhaustion of ego-viewing can actually "lead" to transcendence into Manas, the Non-Dual Consciousness that in its Awareness includes everything.

4) Manas marks the essential passage beyond the lower worlds, the "liberation" from reincarnation in the lower worlds. Because, in fact, it constitutes Non-Dual Consciousness it sees the world and acts in the world without getting "involved" (and thus does not create karma or leave residue). When the karma of the present life is exhausted the mere "being" does not return to the lower worlds.

As an "experience" the Manas because all "personal" mental content has been exhausted is like the one-dimensional point which always escapes when you try to grasp it. When he turns to the world he works without personal nuances. When he "remains" in his awareness, in his understanding he is in a free blissful state (which is not, however, fixed or permanent). When he "leaves" the world he is essentially (emerges in) Alaya Vijnana in its lowest state as 'omnipresent consciousness'.

So essentially Manas is an Intermediate State between the Higher States (worlds) of Alaya Vijnana and the lower worlds of reincarnation. It is a Gate, to "Above" or to "Below". As a Status, because it is Timeless it can last forever but it has no meaning when the Infinite Worlds of Alaia Open to its perspective Vijnana.

5) The Experiences of Alaya Vijnana actually constitute the passage from the "Split" of the Subject into Subject-Object to the Complete Unification of the Subject within its Real Essential Nature, its Limitless Oneness. It is the State of True Sunyata the Complete Emptiness of the Subject.

When the Subject Reaches This Unbounded State, It Finally Metamorphoses into its Objective Nature, It "Ceases" to Be a Subject. It is the Ultimate State of Agni Alaya Vijnana before 'Becoming' 'That', 'That Which Is Thus', Tathata.

6) The Tathata

Ultimately, the One Substantial Reality Is Tathata. The All, the Support of All. Any "consciousness" is without entity. Experiences, life, etc., are dreamlike. There is no individuality, no samsara, no redemption, nothing, everything is dreamlike.

Paravritashraya

What does Paravritashraya mean:

Bhritti is 'mental content', mental fluctuation, thought.

Para means "beyond", above.

Asraya means Base, Foundation

Paravrittiasrajya means:

"Beyond Thought Foundation", means "Beyond Mind".

"Elimination of mental activities and return to Subjective Base", or "Return to Base", or "Return to Back" or "Return to Original Nature".

It means a total spiritual conversion.

The Truly Experienced Yogacara Dhyana, who Rightly Understands the Teaching, does not need to walk this gradual approach to the Inner Self. One who is truly determined can immediately discard all the Vijnana processes and emerge directly into the Absolute. This is the "Direct Way". But such people who can "apply" the "Direct Path" are rare. So, most people necessarily follow the Path of gradual approach.

...

Ελληνικά:

Βουδισμός Γιογκακάρα

https://www.wholeness.gr/2022/05/blog-post.html 

 

 


 


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TAOΪSM

TAOΪSM
Chapter 11. Embracing the Power of Emptiness: Reflections on Chapter 11 of the Tao Te Ching
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BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM
Chapter 10. The Mystical Path to Compassion and Self-Mastery
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VEDANTA

VEDANTA
(Atma Bodha - By Adi Sankaracharya) / The Mystical Journey of the Jivan Mukta in Atma Bodha (Verses 51-55)

The Mystical Journey of the Jivan Mukta in Atma Bodha (Verses 51-55) 

  

In the timeless verses of Atma Bodha, Adi Shankaracharya presents profound insights into the nature of spiritual liberation, or Jivan Mukti, and the final realization of Brahman, the Supreme Consciousness. Through verses 51 to 55, Shankaracharya unveils the inner journey of one who has attained self-knowledge, transcended worldly desires, and dissolved into the eternal essence of existence. This article will explore these mystical teachings, aiming to illuminate their meaning and provide a pathway for contemplating the true nature of the self. 

  

Verse 51: The Inner Radiance of the Self-Realized Soul 

  

"The self-abiding Jivan Mukta, relinquishing all his attachments to the illusory external happiness and satisfied with the bliss derived from the Atman, shines inwardly like a lamp placed inside a jar." 

  

In this verse, Shankaracharya describes the Jivan Mukta as one who has transcended attachment to the fleeting pleasures of the external world. The term Jivan Mukta refers to someone who has attained liberation (Moksha) while still in the body. This state is one of profound inner satisfaction, free from the continual search for external happiness, which is recognized as illusory. 

  

The image of the Jivan Mukta as a lamp shining within a jar conveys both isolation and illumination. The lamp's light, symbolizing the Atman's bliss, shines inwardly, undisturbed by external distractions. Here, the jar represents the body, mind, and senses, which contain but cannot obscure the brilliance of the self-realized soul. The inner light of the Atman does not need fuel from the outer world, for it is self-sustaining and self-fulfilling. This blissful state is serene and whole, and the soul’s quiet radiance emanates from a deep understanding that everything it has ever sought externally is, in truth, an aspect of its own divine essence. 

  

Verse 52: The Liberation Beyond Attachment 

  

"Though he lives in the conditionings (Upadhis), he, the contemplative one, remains ever unconcerned with anything or he may move about like the wind, perfectly unattached." 

  

The term Upadhis refers to the limiting adjuncts—such as body, mind, and ego—that can distort the perception of one's true nature. While the Jivan Mukta still inhabits these Upadhis, they no longer hold power over his consciousness. He remains Asanga, or detached, like the wind that moves freely through the world, yet remains untouched by it. 

  

In this state of freedom, the liberated soul may continue to engage in the activities of life but without attachment. His presence in the world is like the wind: free, boundless, and unaffected by what it encounters. This quality of detachment is not a coldness or indifference but rather a deep, unshakeable inner freedom. This liberated state signifies a level of self-realization where the individual is not burdened by worldly concerns, moving through life with an ease and lightness born of profound spiritual insight. 

  

Verse 53: Merging into the Infinite 

  

"On the destruction of the Upadhis, the contemplative one is totally absorbed in Vishnu, the All-pervading Spirit, like water into water, space into space, and light into light." 

  

In this verse, Shankaracharya describes the dissolution of the Upadhis upon physical death, a moment when the Jivan Mukta fully merges into the universal spirit, Vishnu, the All-pervading. This merging is akin to water blending seamlessly into water, space into space, and light into light. The individual consciousness, having realized its inherent unity with Brahman, loses its sense of separateness and dissolves into the totality of existence. 

  

The analogies used here—water, space, and light—each represent an aspect of this dissolution. Water symbolizes fluidity and continuity, suggesting that individual consciousness was never truly separate from the universal essence. Space represents the infinite and boundless, suggesting that all perceived separations were only illusions of limited perception. Light symbolizes knowledge and purity, illuminating the truth that the self, free from ignorance, is one with the eternal radiance of Brahman. 

  

This absorption is not annihilation but a return to the natural state of oneness. It signifies the end of all individuality and the realization of absolute unity with the cosmic source. In the final dissolution, the soul is forever liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth, existing eternally as part of the infinite. 

  

Verse 54: The Attainment Beyond All Desires 

  

"Realise That to be Brahman, the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be attained, the blessedness of which leaves no other blessing to be desired, and the knowledge of which leaves nothing more to be known." 

  

In this verse, Shankaracharya reveals Brahman as the ultimate goal, the supreme attainment beyond which nothing further remains to be achieved. The satisfaction derived from Brahman is not one of ordinary contentment but is absolute. It fulfills all aspirations and longings, erasing any trace of desire. 

  

For the seeker, this realization means that once one truly knows Brahman, there is no further knowledge to pursue. This state is the pinnacle of all spiritual attainment, embodying both complete liberation and ultimate fulfillment. It speaks to the ineffable experience of wholeness, where all the fragments of perceived reality come together, no longer separate or divided. Realizing Brahman brings an end to the search, for nothing remains unknown, nothing left to desire, and nothing left to achieve. 

  

Verse 55: The Vision of Unity and Freedom from Rebirth 

  

"Realise that to be Brahman which, when seen, leaves nothing more to be seen, which having become one is not born again in this world and which, when knowing leaves nothing else to be known." 

  

In the closing verse of this series, Shankaracharya echoes and emphasizes the essence of Brahman as the source of all. The realization of Brahman is a revelation that all that was once sought externally is contained within. It is a vision so all-encompassing that nothing beyond it exists. 

  

When one merges with Brahman, the cycle of reincarnation ceases, as there remains no individual identity that needs to continue the cycle of birth and rebirth. The soul, having recognized its eternal nature, is no longer bound by ignorance or illusion. This realization completes the soul's journey, culminating in the mystical knowledge that it is one with all, free from desires, liberated from the confines of time and space. 

  

Conclusion: The Journey to the Eternal 

  

Through these verses, Shankaracharya provides a roadmap to the mystical experience of Atma Jnana, the knowledge of the self, and the ultimate realization of Brahman. The teachings in Atma Bodha offer a vision of liberation not as an abstract ideal but as an attainable reality for those willing to undertake the inward journey. The journey leads to the dissolution of separateness, an immersion into the bliss of the Atman, and the discovery that the ultimate truth has always been within. 

  

In this spiritual culmination, the seeker transcends the illusions of the world, abides in the self-luminous Atman, and ultimately merges into Brahman. Shankaracharya invites each of us to undertake this transformative journey, revealing that the truth of existence, the essence of all reality, and the source of all joy, is the divine presence within. 

... 

Το Μυστικό Ταξίδι του Jivan Mukta στο Atma Bodha (Στίχοι 51-55) 

  

Στους διαχρονικούς στίχους του Atma Bodha, ο Adi Shankaracharya παρουσιάζει βαθιές γνώσεις για τη φύση της πνευματικής απελευθέρωσης, ή τον Jivan Mukti, και την τελική συνειδητοποίηση του Brahman, της Υπέρτατης Συνείδησης. Μέσα από τους στίχους 51 έως 55, ο Shankaracharya αποκαλύπτει το εσωτερικό ταξίδι κάποιου που έχει επιτύχει την αυτογνωσία, έχει υπερβεί τις εγκόσμιες επιθυμίες και έχει διαλυθεί στην αιώνια ουσία της ύπαρξης. Αυτό το άρθρο θα διερευνήσει αυτές τις μυστικιστικές διδασκαλίες, με στόχο να φωτίσει το νόημά τους και να παράσχει ένα μονοπάτι για τον στοχασμό της αληθινής φύσης του εαυτού. 

  

Στίχος 51: Η εσωτερική ακτινοβολία της αυτοπραγματοποιημένης ψυχής 

  

«Ο αυτοσυντηρούμενος Jivan Mukta, εγκαταλείποντας όλες τις προσκολλήσεις του στην απατηλή εξωτερική ευτυχία και ικανοποιημένος με την ευδαιμονία που προέρχεται από το Atman, λάμπει εσωτερικά σαν μια λάμπα τοποθετημένη μέσα σε ένα βάζο». 

  

Σε αυτόν τον στίχο, ο Shankaracharya περιγράφει τον Jivan Mukta ως κάποιον που έχει ξεπεράσει την προσκόλληση στις φευγαλέες απολαύσεις του εξωτερικού κόσμου. Ο όρος Jivan Mukta αναφέρεται σε κάποιον που έχει επιτύχει την απελευθέρωση (Moksha) ενώ είναι ακόμα στο σώμα. Αυτή η κατάσταση είναι μια κατάσταση βαθιάς εσωτερικής ικανοποίησης, απαλλαγμένη από τη συνεχή αναζήτηση για εξωτερική ευτυχία, η οποία αναγνωρίζεται ως απατηλή. 

  

Η εικόνα του Jivan Mukta ως μια λάμπα που λάμπει μέσα σε ένα βάζο μεταφέρει τόσο την απομόνωση όσο και τον φωτισμό. Το φως του λαμπτήρα, που συμβολίζει την ευδαιμονία του Άτμαν, λάμπει εσωτερικά, αδιατάρακτο από εξωτερικούς περισπασμούς. Εδώ, το βάζο αντιπροσωπεύει το σώμα, το μυαλό και τις αισθήσεις, που περιέχουν αλλά δεν μπορούν να κρύψουν τη λάμψη της αυτοπραγματοποιημένης ψυχής. Το εσωτερικό φως του Άτμαν δεν χρειάζεται καύσιμο από τον εξωτερικό κόσμο, γιατί είναι αυτοσυντηρούμενο και αυτοεκπληρούμενο. Αυτή η ευδαιμονική κατάσταση είναι γαλήνια και ακέραια, και η ήσυχη λάμψη της ψυχής πηγάζει από μια βαθιά κατανόηση ότι όλα όσα έχει αναζητήσει ποτέ εξωτερικά είναι, στην πραγματικότητα, μια πτυχή της δικής της θεϊκής ουσίας. 

  

Στίχος 52: Η Απελευθέρωση Πέρα από την Προσκόλληση 

  

«Αν και ζει στις συνθήκες (Upadhis), αυτός, ο στοχαστικός, παραμένει αδιάφορος για τίποτα ή μπορεί να κινείται σαν τον άνεμο, τελείως αδέσμευτος». 

  

Ο όρος Upadhis αναφέρεται στα περιοριστικά πρόσθετα - όπως το σώμα, το μυαλό και το εγώ - που μπορούν να διαστρεβλώσουν την αντίληψη της αληθινής φύσης κάποιου. Ενώ ο Jivan Mukta εξακολουθεί να κατοικεί σε αυτούς τους Upadhi, δεν έχουν πλέον εξουσία πάνω στη συνείδησή του. Παραμένει Asanga, ή αποκομμένος, όπως ο άνεμος που κινείται ελεύθερα στον κόσμο, αλλά παραμένει ανέγγιχτος από αυτόν. 

  

Σε αυτή την κατάσταση ελευθερίας, η απελευθερωμένη ψυχή μπορεί να συνεχίσει να ασχολείται με τις δραστηριότητες της ζωής αλλά χωρίς προσκόλληση. Η παρουσία του στον κόσμο μοιάζει με τον άνεμο: ελεύθερος, απεριόριστος και ανεπηρέαστος από αυτό που συναντά. Αυτή η ιδιότητα της απόσπασης δεν είναι ψυχρότητα ή αδιαφορία, αλλά μάλλον μια βαθιά, ακλόνητη εσωτερική ελευθερία. Αυτή η απελευθερωμένη κατάσταση σηματοδοτεί ένα επίπεδο αυτοπραγμάτωσης όπου το άτομο δεν επιβαρύνεται από εγκόσμιες ανησυχίες, κινείται στη ζωή με μια ευκολία και ελαφρότητα που γεννιέται από βαθιά πνευματική ενόραση. 

  

Στίχος 53: Συγχώνευση στο Άπειρο 

  

«Στην καταστροφή των Ουπαντί, ο στοχαστικός απορροφάται πλήρως από τον Βισνού, το Παντοδύναμο Πνεύμα, όπως το νερό στο νερό, το διάστημα στο διάστημα και το φως στο φως». 

  

Σε αυτόν τον στίχο, ο Shankaracharya περιγράφει τη διάλυση των Upadhis μετά τον φυσικό θάνατο, μια στιγμή που ο Jivan Mukta συγχωνεύεται πλήρως στο παγκόσμιο πνεύμα, τον Vishnu, τον Παντοδύναμο. Αυτή η συγχώνευση μοιάζει με το νερό που αναμειγνύεται απρόσκοπτα στο νερό, το διάστημα στο διάστημα και το φως σε φως. Η ατομική συνείδηση, έχοντας συνειδητοποιήσει την εγγενή ενότητά της με το Μπράχμαν, χάνει την αίσθηση της χωριστικότητας και διαλύεται στην ολότητα της ύπαρξης. 

  

Οι αναλογίες που χρησιμοποιούνται εδώ - νερό, χώρος και φως - αντιπροσωπεύουν το καθένα μια πτυχή αυτής της διάλυσης. Το νερό συμβολίζει τη ρευστότητα και τη συνέχεια, υποδηλώνοντας ότι η ατομική συνείδηση δεν ήταν ποτέ πραγματικά ξεχωριστή από την συμπαντική ουσία. Ο χώρος αντιπροσωπεύει το άπειρο και το απεριόριστο, υποδηλώνοντας ότι όλοι οι αντιληπτοί διαχωρισμοί ήταν μόνο ψευδαισθήσεις περιορισμένης αντίληψης. Το φως συμβολίζει τη γνώση και την αγνότητα, φωτίζοντας την αλήθεια ότι ο εαυτός, απαλλαγμένος από την άγνοια, είναι ένα με την αιώνια λάμψη του Μπράχμαν. 

  

Αυτή η απορρόφηση δεν είναι εκμηδένιση αλλά επιστροφή στη φυσική κατάσταση της ενότητας. Σηματοδοτεί το τέλος κάθε ατομικότητας και την πραγματοποίηση της απόλυτης ενότητας με την κοσμική πηγή. Στην τελική διάλυση, η ψυχή ελευθερώνεται για πάντα από τον κύκλο της γέννησης και της αναγέννησης, που υπάρχει αιώνια ως μέρος του απείρου. 

  

Στίχος 54: Η επίτευξη πέρα από όλες τις επιθυμίες 

  

«Συνειδητοποιήστε ότι για να είστε Μπράχμαν, η επίτευξη του οποίου δεν αφήνει τίποτα άλλο να επιτευχθεί, η ευλογία του οποίου δεν αφήνει καμία άλλη ευλογία να είναι επιθυμητή και η γνώση του οποίου δεν αφήνει τίποτα άλλο να γίνει γνωστό». 

  

Σε αυτόν τον στίχο, ο Shankaracharya αποκαλύπτει το Brahman ως τον απώτερο στόχο, το υπέρτατο επίτευγμα πέρα από το οποίο δεν μένει τίποτα άλλο να επιτευχθεί. Η ικανοποίηση που προέρχεται από το Brahman δεν είναι μια συνηθισμένη ικανοποίηση αλλά είναι απόλυτη. Εκπληρώνει κάθε φιλοδοξία και λαχτάρα, σβήνοντας κάθε ίχνος επιθυμίας. 

  

Για τον αναζητητή, αυτή η συνειδητοποίηση σημαίνει ότι από τη στιγμή που κάποιος γνωρίσει αληθινά το Μπράχμαν, δεν υπάρχει περαιτέρω γνώση για επιδίωξη. Αυτή η κατάσταση είναι η κορυφή όλων των πνευματικών επιτευγμάτων, ενσωματώνοντας ταυτόχρονα την πλήρη απελευθέρωση και την τελική εκπλήρωση. Μιλάει για την άφατη εμπειρία της ολότητας, όπου όλα τα θραύσματα της αντιληπτής πραγματικότητας ενώνονται, δεν χωρίζονται πια ή διακρίνονται. Η συνειδητοποίηση του Μπράχμαν φέρνει ένα τέλος στην αναζήτηση, γιατί τίποτα δεν παραμένει άγνωστο, τίποτα δεν μένει να επιθυμείς και τίποτα δεν μένει να επιτύχεις. 

  

Στίχος 55: Το όραμα της ενότητας και της ελευθερίας από την αναγέννηση 

  

«Συνειδητοποίησε ότι το να είσαι Μπράχμαν που, όταν το δεις, δεν αφήνει τίποτα άλλο να φανεί, που αφού γίνει ένα δεν ξαναγεννιέται σε αυτόν τον κόσμο και που, όταν γνωρίζεις, δεν αφήνει τίποτα άλλο να γίνει γνωστό». 

  

Στον τελευταίο στίχο αυτής της σειράς, ο Shankaracharya απηχεί και τονίζει την ουσία του Brahman ως πηγής όλων. Η συνειδητοποίηση του Μπράχμαν είναι μια αποκάλυψη ότι όλα όσα κάποτε αναζητούνταν εξωτερικά περιέχονται μέσα τους. Είναι ένα όραμα τόσο περιεκτικό που δεν υπάρχει τίποτα πέρα από αυτό. 

  

Όταν κάποιος συγχωνεύεται με το Μπράχμαν, ο κύκλος της μετενσάρκωσης παύει, καθώς δεν υπάρχει ατομική ταυτότητα που χρειάζεται να συνεχίσει τον κύκλο της γέννησης και της αναγέννησης. Η ψυχή, έχοντας αναγνωρίσει την αιώνια φύση της, δεν δεσμεύεται πλέον από άγνοια ή ψευδαίσθηση. Αυτή η συνειδητοποίηση ολοκληρώνει το ταξίδι της ψυχής, με αποκορύφωμα τη μυστικιστική γνώση ότι είναι ένα με όλα, απαλλαγμένη από επιθυμίες, απελευθερωμένη από τα όρια του χρόνου και του χώρου. 

  

Συμπέρασμα: Το Ταξίδι στο Αιώνιο 

  

Μέσα από αυτούς τους στίχους, ο Shankaracharya παρέχει έναν οδικό χάρτη για τη μυστικιστική εμπειρία του Atma Jnana, τη γνώση του εαυτού και την απόλυτη συνειδητοποίηση του Brahman. Οι διδασκαλίες στο Atma Bodha προσφέρουν ένα όραμα απελευθέρωσης όχι ως αφηρημένο ιδεώδες αλλά ως εφικτή πραγματικότητα για όσους επιθυμούν να αναλάβουν το ταξίδι προς τα μέσα. Το ταξίδι οδηγεί στη διάλυση της χωριστικότητας, σε μια βύθιση στην ευδαιμονία του Άτμαν και στην ανακάλυψη ότι η απόλυτη αλήθεια ήταν πάντα μέσα. 

  

Σε αυτό το πνευματικό αποκορύφωμα, ο αναζητητής υπερβαίνει τις ψευδαισθήσεις του κόσμου, μένει στο αυτόφωτο Άτμαν και τελικά συγχωνεύεται στο Μπράχμαν. Ο Shakaracharya προσκαλεί τον καθένα μας να αναλάβει αυτό το μεταμορφωτικό ταξίδι, αποκαλύπτοντας ότι η αλήθεια της ύπαρξης, η ουσία όλης της πραγματικότητας και η πηγή κάθε χαράς, είναι η θεϊκή παρουσία μέσα μας. 

 

 

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jKRISHNAMURTI

jKRISHNAMURTI
The Only Revolution / The Mystical Dance of Stillness and Action: Unveiling the Essence of True Meditation
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RELIGION

RELIGION
Freedom
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Quotes

Constantinos’s quotes


"A "Soul" that out of ignorance keeps making mistakes is like a wounded bird with helpless wings that cannot fly high in the sky."— Constantinos Prokopiou

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Δικαιώματα πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας

Το σύνολο του περιεχομένου του Δικτυακού μας τόπου, συμπεριλαμβανομένων, ενδεικτικά αλλά όχι περιοριστικά, των κειμένων, ειδήσεων, γραφικών, φωτογραφιών, σχεδιαγραμμάτων, απεικονίσεων, παρεχόμενων υπηρεσιών και γενικά κάθε είδους αρχείων, αποτελεί αντικείμενο πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας (copyright) και διέπεται από τις εθνικές και διεθνείς διατάξεις περί Πνευματικής Ιδιοκτησίας, με εξαίρεση τα ρητώς αναγνωρισμένα δικαιώματα τρίτων.

Συνεπώς, απαγορεύεται ρητά η αναπαραγωγή, αναδημοσίευση, αντιγραφή, αποθήκευση, πώληση, μετάδοση, διανομή, έκδοση, εκτέλεση, «λήψη» (download), μετάφραση, τροποποίηση με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο, τμηματικά η περιληπτικά χωρίς τη ρητή προηγούμενη έγγραφη συναίνεση του Ιδρύματος. Γίνεται γνωστό ότι σε περίπτωση κατά την οποία το Ίδρυμα συναινέσει, ο αιτών υποχρεούται για την ρητή παραπομπή μέσω συνδέσμων (hyperlinks) στο σχετικό περιεχόμενο του Δικτυακού τόπου του Ιδρύματος. Η υποχρέωση αυτή του αιτούντος υφίσταται ακόμα και αν δεν αναγραφεί ρητά στην έγγραφη συναίνεση του Ιδρύματος.

Κατ’ εξαίρεση, επιτρέπεται η μεμονωμένη αποθήκευση και αντιγραφή τμημάτων του περιεχομένου σε απλό προσωπικό υπολογιστή για αυστηρά προσωπική χρήση (ιδιωτική μελέτη ή έρευνα, εκπαιδευτικούς σκοπούς), χωρίς πρόθεση εμπορικής ή άλλης εκμετάλλευσης και πάντα υπό την προϋπόθεση της αναγραφής της πηγής προέλευσής του, χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνει καθ’ οιονδήποτε τρόπο παραχώρηση δικαιωμάτων πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας.

Επίσης, επιτρέπεται η αναδημοσίευση υλικού για λόγους προβολής των γεγονότων και δραστηριοτήτων του Ιδρύματος, με την προϋπόθεση ότι θα αναφέρεται η πηγή και δεν θα θίγονται δικαιώματα πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας, δεν θα τροποποιούνται, αλλοιώνονται ή διαγράφονται εμπορικά σήματα.

Ό,τι άλλο περιλαμβάνεται στις ηλεκτρονικές σελίδες του Δικτυακού μας τόπου και αποτελεί κατοχυρωμένα σήματα και προϊόντα πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας τρίτων ανάγεται στη δική τους σφαίρα ευθύνης και ουδόλως έχει να κάνει με τον Δικτυακό τόπο του Ιδρύματος.

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