Sunday, October 13, 2013

8.3 Is Scripture For The Wise Or The Ignorant?

Now we will consider this question : If liberation-related scripture is for the ignorant, then how does is it become a means of knowledge? The scripture is the means to show the knowledge of identity of self and brahman, but through education, not through edict. The motive, which is liberation, is dear to an ignorant alone, and is accomplished through the knowledge of the identity of self and brahman alone. Therefore, even under ignorance, when the mumukshu contemplates upon the great statements, then his motive is fulfilled. The engagement into liberation-related scripture happens from an ignorant person alone. It is merely the confirmation of experience for a wise person.
 
Scriptures of positive and negative command are means towards moral conduct. By following the edicts of positive and negative commands, the ignorant person develops the prowess needed to imbibe the education of the truth. The wise person does not have any motive towards observing positive and negative commands, because he has already imbibed the truth.
 
The dealings of the knower and known cannot happen in the pure awareness since it is non-dual. Even in the Upanishads, all dealings are said to be negated in the whole (bhoomaa). The ignorance of this non-dual nature leads to the following. There is delusion of matter and material action in the real aspect (sat amsha) of the self. There is delusion of the individual soul (knower) and the refuge of matter which is Ishvara in the aware aspect of the self. There is delusion of like and dislike in the bliss aspect of the self. This liking seems to happen sometime towards Ishvara and sometimes towards the individual soul, sometimes in inertness and sometimes in illusory vision. But the reality is that apart from imbibing (knowledge) there is no reality and no bliss.
 
The self becomes a doer by the adjunct of the action organs, enjoyer by the adjunct of mind, knower by the adjunct of intellect and sense organs. The doer of all dealings who becomes the doer, enjoyer and knower, is the mere superimposition-oriented form of the self. "This is not a superimposition, this is real" - this is a non-discrimination-oriented view. "This is a natural superimposition but is illusory" - this is a discrimination-oriented view. "There is no such thing as superimposition in the self, only the non-dual self is real" - this is the view of an essence-knower (tattvajnya). In this manner, the scripture engages in imparting the discrimination-oriented vision to one of non-discrimination.
 
In the vision of an essence-knower, there is no experience different than the self whatsoever. Even if this is the case, whenever an essence-knower deals with the world, he will engage in dealings only by identifying with the mind and senses. There can be no dealings with one who has a non-superimposed-feeling body. Without superimposition, there can be no dealings of knowing etc. coming to the unattached, unmodified, anvil-like and pure-aware (chinmaatra) self. Wherever there are dealings, there is superimposition, like in the waking state and dream state. Where there is no superimposition there are no dealings, like in the deep sleep state. Therefore all dealings happen due to superimposition, this point is fully proven.
 
Question : Then there should be no difference in the dealings of a wise person and an ignorant person. Then what is the greatness of knowledge?
 
Answer : Shree Shankaraachaarya Bhagavaan has a revolutionary answer to this. The behaviour of a wise person and an ignorant, and even the behaviour of a wise person and an animal, are no different. The difference is only in the vision. In the vision of a wise person, everything is obstructed-perception and self is non-obstructed-perception, for him everything is a perception, which is one with the self-perception (bhaanaatmaa). In the view of an ignorant person, all this is real as-it-is. Therefore, the ignorance and the sorrow that arises from it, fear and bondage are also real. The animal does not have any such vision. It is in control of natural forces and engages in dealings helplessly.
 
There is a similarity between the dealings of a wise person, an ignorant person and an animal. All dealings are in the realm of superimposition, engagement towards the favourable and retreat from the unfavourable. The animal runs away from a stick and runs towards green grass. Whether a person is wise or ignorant, runs away from a vicious attacker and runs towards one who speaks kind words. These thought flows of attraction and repulsion are common in humans and animals. Its cause is : the asserted and negated knowledge (anvaya vyatireki) knowledge based on immediate knowledge.
 
Question : An animal does not have intellect and so cannot attain knowledge of brahman. They cannot also perform scriptural actions such as rituals. But a human has the foremost developed intellect, he can perform such actions, gain the knowledge of brahman. Then this statement that there is no difference in the dealings of a wise person and an animal does not hold.
 
Answer : It is not said above that everyone's behaviour is the same. In other words, everyone's method of dealing is more or less the same. All engage in dealings through superimposition (by the feeling of I and mine in the body). They are attracted towards the favourable and run away from the unfavourable.
 
To say that an animal does not have any intellect is not correct. There is always enough of an intellect to run one's own specific dealings. Food, sleep, fear and procreation - all these dealings are the same in man and animal, and the intellect to do all of these is possessed by all.
 
Not it is correct to say that an animal will not receive knowledge of brahman through scriptures meant for humans. But they can attain knowledge of brahman in their own language. The mount of Shankara Bhagavaan, Nandi, was an essence-knower, then what is the big deal if he were able to make another bull into an essence-knower! That is why even animals can receive knowledge of brahman if conveyed in their language. The example of Garuda and Kaakabhushundi is well known from the Raamaayana.
 
Scriptural dealings are meant for humans, not for animals, no one objects to this. But even in humans, the ignorant are only qualified for scriptural knowledge, not the wise. One whose ignorance is not destroyed could be considered a scholar, but he is still ignorant. He is under the purview of scripture and should remain so. But one who has understood the identity of the brahman-entity and the self-entity, and through that, the entire world has become an illusion forever, is not eligible for the scriptures anymore, they are of no use to him.
 
Question : Even if we assume that scriptural dealings are for the wise person alone, then what is the harm?
 
Answer : The harm is as follows. There is the need for a qualified person in the scheme of scripture. Class, life stage, age, gender, place, time, object, taste, prowess, knowing of rules - all these are thoughtfully considered in order to decide one's qualification. It also has to be seen whether a person has the prowess to imbibe the result of scriptural actions. This means that the qualification for scriptural dealings is attained by superimposition of class, life stage, age, gender etc. on the self, not otherwise. Now the wise person is one in whom there is no arrogation, there is no ignorant reality such as place, time, object etc. In fact, there is opposition to such arrogation. In such a situation, scripture cannot work for a wise person.
 
Do not now raise the doubt that scripture is useless, since everything is useful prior to self-knowledge. The delusion-prompted casting away of scripture and scriptural dealings prior to brahman-knowledge is the cause of misfortune. It is like dropping the ladder before reaching the roof.
 
The section on conduct in scripture is meant for purifying one's character. The section on means and samaadhi is meant for purifying the mind. The section on the self is useful in hearing etc. The scripture brings a mumukshu from the objects to the senses, from the senses to the mind, from the mind to the doer-enjoyer individual soul, from the soul to the witness, and from the witness to the knowledge of the identity of the self and brahman.
 
This is what an ignorant mumukshu should do. He should, through superimposition, imbibe the knowledge of the scripture in the form of verbal means. He should seek to investigate the topic of the knowledge of the identity of the self and brahman, and by doing so, realize his brahman nature. After that, the means-nature of scripture and the knowing-nature in oneself will become obstructed, will end. That is why, even if it is the refuge of the ignorant, scripture is not useless.

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