Now, here is the question. Is our body the field (seen) only? No, as wide and far as the seen or the "this"-ness can potentially expand to, all that is the field. Our body, others' bodies, all known-unknown objects of the world, the earth, sun, moon, stars, galaxies, in other words, whatever can become an object of our senses, all that is a seen, a field.
The senses themselves are perceptible to the seer, therefore even they are in the seen. In this manner, the mind also is perceptible to the seer, that is why even the mind is seen. In brief, whatever can become apparent to our mind and senses in all three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, as well as the mind itself, its transformation as well as the senses organs, all this is the field. It is the creation of effect (in cause and effect).
The cause of the afore-mentioned effect-natured (kaarya roopa) field is also within the realm of the field. The cause is the eight-fold Prakriti (Gita 7.4). Prakriti, the mahat element, ego and the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind and space) - these eight prakritis are the material cause of all objects of the world. Since effect follows the cause, all eight prakritis fall within the field.
Bhagavaan Shrikrishna has briefly described a field of 31 elements :
1-5) Five great elements
6) Ego
7) Intellect or Mahat element
8) Unmanifested or avyakta Prakriti
9-18) Ten organs - five of sense and action respectively
19) Mind and its 4 functions
20-24) Five objects of senses - sound, touch, form, taste, smell
25-31) Seven transformations - attraction, aversion, joy, sorrow, sanghaata, chetanaa and dhriti
The number is not important here. By counting the mind-intellect-memory-ego as four elements, the count will go to 24. The count of the transformations can also increase or decrease. The key point here is that the entire realm of cause and effect is Prakriti, it is the field, the seen, and there is one knower of this called the Purusha, knower, seer, witness and so on.
In the Saankhya school, the first 24 elements are considered the root cause of the entire cause-effect Prakriti, and the Purusha is considered the 25th element. There, the eight Prakritis and sixteen Vikritis (configurations) are considered separate from the Purusha. For the purposes of discrimination, Vedanta has accepted this method, especially in the Gita. But from a philosophical standpoint, the Saankhya position is not accepted. In Saankhya, the entire Prakriti is an independent doer and the Purusha is the enjoyer, who is different in each body. But in Vedanta, Prakriti is called Maaya and is the power of brahman. For this reason, the substratum of Maaya is brahman, Maaya is illusory, and brahman particularized by Maaya brahman or Ishvara is the root cause of the world. Counter to Saankhya, the Purusha in Vedanta is not the enjoyer. The cause of his enjoyer-ship is his establishment [identification] in Prakrti. Also, Purusha is not different in each body since all bodies are adjuncts only.
In the Saankhya school, three gunaas or modes are generated through Prakriti : sattva (power of knowledge), rajas (power of action), tamas (power of stability) . Prakriti is the root cause, it is not the effect of anything. All three gunaas are in equilibrium in it. When Prakriti is disturbed, the Mahat element arises from it, from Mahat arises ego, and from the ego, the five elements. In this manner, the Mahat element and ego are cause and effect simultaneously. The five elements are the final effects of Prakriti. Therefore they are not the cause of anything. Senses, body etc. are not the effects of the five elements. They are vikaaraas or reconfigurations. In each effect-level of Prakriti, the gunaas evolve. Each effect gets divided into three divisions - sattva, rajas and tamas. This method is accepted in Vedanta also.
Now, for clarification of discrimination, we shall briefly dwell on each of these 31 elements of the field.
1) The five great elements and their expansion : The final effect of Prakriti is the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and space. All name and form-endowed objects or substances are reconfigurations of these five alone. Trees, animals, birds, moths, humans, rivers, mountains etc., all these objects are made of these five elements alone, and by being the material cause, they pervade all objects.
Earth and other elements which are perceived by our senses, and the earth and other five great elements, are different. These five elements are mixed in objects. In technical terms, the five elements are "pancheekrit" in objects. But the elements are in their "apancheekrit" form. They are called "tanmaatra" or "just that". Those forms which enable us to perceive them are called "pancha tanmaatra". The tanmaatra of space is sound, that of air is touch, that of fire is form, that of water is taste, that of earth is smell.
These pancha tanmaatras are seen in three locations - in objects, in senses and in the mind. Their form in objects is called "adhibhoota". Their form in senses and mind is called "adhyaatma". Apart from these, we have to accept yet another form of these and that is "adhidaiva". On one hand, adhidaiva becomes the cause of connecting the adhyaatma and the adhibhoota. On the other hand, it establishes (vyavasthita) the adhyaatma. These three forms of each tanmaatra become the cause of each guna : adhyaatma from sattva guna, adhidaiva from rajo guna, and adhibhoota from tamo guna.
Take the tanmatra of fire, which is form, as an example. Its adhibhoota form is - the colour and shape of the object. Its adhiyaatma form is the eyes. Its adhidaiva form is the sun. In this manner, there are three forms of each tanmaatra. Adhyaatma, adhidaiva and adhibhoota, in this manner, five "trik"s are created. Each trik is called a "triputee".
Scientists analyze each element to determine its characteristics. This is the adhibhautic method. The ancient Indian method is to analyze our experience and determine the element. This is the aadhyaatmika method.
The organs of sense are means of their respective objects. Hearing can only cognize sound, and sound cannot be cognized by any other means. Therefore, for objects of sound, only hearing is the means. This is because hearing is the tanmaatra of space alone. In the same manner, each sense organ is the tanmaatra of a single element alone. This point is expressed as : The sense organs are made of the apancheekrita great elements.
There is a rose. It contains all five elements. But the eyes only see its form, the skin only knows its delicate nature, the tongue only conveys its taste, the nose only knows its smell, and the ears only convey it crackle. Even thought senses made of a particular element illumine only one aspect of the rose, yet the flower contains all five elements, and the sum total of all those cognitions is the cognition of the rose. This cognition happens through the internal organ. That is why, the five elements exist in the mind and in the rose. In the rose, they are in their "pancheekrita" form, and in the mind, they are in their "apancheekrita" form.
Like the flower, all objects are constituted of the five elements. The process of combination of the five elements is called "pancheekarana". 50% of an element is found in an object in which that element is dominant. The other 50% contains the remaining four elements in equal proportion. This process of combination is called pancheekarana. For example, soil contains 50% earth and the other half contains equal amounts of water, fire, air and space.
Our gross body is a transformation (vikaara) of the "pancheekrita" great elements.
The organs of sense and the mind (the four-fold internal organ) are made of the "apancheekrita" great elements.
The mind grasps all five tanmaatraas. The mind has a specialty that the senses do not have. The senses can only illumine their respective senses objects, and even there, they only illumine the dominant object. But the mind illumines all the five sense objects, and also, the past, present, and future states of those sense objects. The mind is special since it can recall memory (chitta) and project imaginations (intellect). But at one point in time, the mind can only process one object. Therefore the mind is a conglomerate of the "apancheekrita" great elements".
The mind and sense organs are made of the saatvic tanmaatraas of the give great elements, the organs of action and the vital forces from the raajas tanmaatras, and objects and external materials are made of the taamas tanmaatraas.
Four types of mind are known - mind, intellect, memory and ego. This alone is called the four-fold internal organ.
The organs of sense are five - ears, skin, eyes, taste and nose.
The organs of action are five - speech, hands, legs, genitals and anus.
The vital forces are ten - in these, five are prominent - praana, apaana, samaana, udaaana and vyaana. There are five secondary vital forces - naaga, koorma, krikala, devadatta and dhananjaya.
The nose conveys information abotu smell, and the anus discharges apaana vaayu. Both contain the tanmaatra of the earth element, and both are the result of the gross form of the taamaasa tanmaatraa of the earth.
All ten senses (five of action and five of knowledge) are made out of the apancheekrita five elements. But if the organs of sense are made of their saatvic tanamatraas, then organs of action are made of their raajasic tanmaatraas. Sattvaguna is knowledge-oriented, rajoguna is action-oriented. The containers of the senses, their location of functioning is gross, they are made of the taamasic tanmaatraas of the five elements.
The senses are not made of gross elements. So in the Saankhya school, the senses pervade the entire body. Their containers can reside anywhere in the body. The visible containers are the places of functioning (offices) of the senses. It is possible that someone can see with their hands or smell with their feet through some special medical procedure. The ant sees with its nose, and the snake smells with his eyes, this is quite well known. We even know that tasting and speaking, two different functions of sense, are carried out in the tongue. Praana, rayi, ravi and soma, these electric currents pervade the body along with the forces of the senses. The senses pervade the body, they are not restricted to their containers.
There are three opinions about the extent of the subtle body : Anu, mandyama and Vibhu. The Vaishikaas and others accept the Anu opinion, which means that the substle body is atomic in size. The Yoga school accepts that the mind is Vibhu, all pervasive. Vedanta accepts the internal organ as Madhyama, which means it exists from the nails to the crown of the head. The senses are incorporated in the subtle body, therefore they pervade the entire subtle body.
Why are the senses called "indriyas"? Because they belong to Indra. Indra is the deity of action. Therefore, the development of the senses from one, two, all the way upto five in beings is seen due to differences in action. In Yoga, the development of a sixth sense is also considered possible, which enables mental perception. But this sense is not natural, so it should be counted as part of the mind.
The mind is not considered a part of the ten senses. It does not have the ability to directly perceive an object. By taking inputs from the senses, and by cognizing that input based on impressions, the mind can create abstractions. Those abstractions alone result in mental perception. Therefore, a self-illumined object that is beyond the senses cannot be known by the mind.
There are four popular divisions of the mind : mind, intellect, memory and ego. Due to its vacillating nature, the mind contains the saatvika tanmaatraa of air. By illumining doubt and decision, the buddhi contains the saatvika tanmaatraa of fire. Due to "rasa" or emotional pleasure being associated with recollection, memory contains the saatvika tanmaatraa of water, and due to robustness of ego, it contains the saatvika tanmaatraa of earth. By taking "sphurana" or arising of thought made of the saatvika tanmaatraa of space, the process of "pancheekarana" is complete. The effect of arising of thought is considered to be internal knowledge.
The five elements cannot be the self since they are five. The self cannot be many, it is one alone. These cannot be the self because they are known, since the self is the knower. If you saw that the aggregate of the five, or the aggregate of their transformations is the self, then even that is not possible since any aggregate is always meant for another. Body, senses, objects, tanmaatraas, aggregate of five elements and mind - all these are expansions of the five elements alone! These are great as well as elements, that is why they are called great elements. Great since they are so pervasive, and elements (bhoota) since they have been created out of something. Their dissolution is seen in deep sleep, therefore they were once created from something. In transactions, the effect is seen to dissolve into the cause. Therefore, this expansion of the five elements cannot be the self.
2) Ahankaara, Mahat element and Avyakta : When the five elements do not have any further effects, how do they assume bodily form through mixing in various proportions? Who assembles them in this form? That element is ahankaara. Just like iron filings assume a form when a magnet comes near them, in the same manner, ahankaara gives a bodily shape to the elements.
"Aham" and "ahankaara" are different entities. "Ahankaara" is that "aham" which is endowed with movement, born of action, the arrogator of action and that which assumes the impressions of action. It is divided into its micro and macro aspect. The micro ahankaara is a part of the internal organ. The macro ahankaara is the cause of the five elements.
The five great elements are created out of ahankaara and get dissolved into it. But even the ahankaara is an effect of the Mahat element, and thus, dissolved in it. That it why it is the field, not the knower.
There are millions of actions, but these actions happen for the benefit of the Purusha, the Purusha does not exist for the benefit of actions. There are millions of objects created out of the great elements. What is the root doer-power underlying all these actions ? It is egoism or ahankaara. Without ahankaara, proper action cannot be conducted out of this action force.
Without intellect, the action of the doer cannot be conducted appropriately, even if he has the power to act. In this manner, there is a root doer-ego (kartaa ahankaara) behind the creation of this world. And the cause of that is the Mahat-element, the macro intellect (samashti buddhi).
Even the Mahat element is an effect of the avyakta, the moola Prakriti. Therefore, even the Mahat element is a field, not the knower of the field.
Even the Mahat element (intellect) is never acting all the time. There comes one state where everything becomes unmanifest or avyakta, like your deep sleep. Where there is no sense of time, nor of external objects nor of place such as "where am I?". Nothing shines there.
You are in deep sleep - yours/unknown, this/that/me, untouched by all these differences of knowledge. This is the unmanifest state. When you wake up, as soon as your eyes open, nothing shines as who am I, what am I, where am I. Only the "I am" knowledge remains.
This is the state of the Mahat element. Immediately afterwards, you begin to know that I am so and so, I am here and so on. This is the state of ahankaara. The very next moment, you will begin to know sounds, touch, form, taste and smell. This is the state where the tanmaatraas of the five great elements arise.
Even the unmanifest is a field, since it is a cause, and since it is of the nature of ignorance..
Vedanta does not accept the expansion of the world from inertness. That is why the avyakta, Mahat element, ahankaara and five great elements - these eight elements are accepted as the adjuncts of the pure awareness. The name of pure awareness (shuddha chaitanya) is brahman. This eight are the adjuncts of brahman.
The awareness that is endowed with the adjunct of ahankaara is called the Vishva-viraata. That which is ahankaara from the viewpoint of the inert, is Viraata from the viewpoint of awareness. This Viraat is the enjoyer of the gross Prakriti. Its location is the waking state of man.
The intellect - the awareness with the adjunct of the Mahat element - is also called Taijasa - Hiranyagarbha. It is also called sootraatmaa. This is the enjoyer of the subtle Prakriti. It's location is the dream state.
Avyakta - the awareness with the adjunct of ignorance or Maayaa is also called Prajnya - Ishvara. It is the enjoyer of bliss and its location is deep sleep.
There is a rule. You cannot know knowledge, in other words, knowledge cannot become a known. Whatever is known is inert. Knowledge is pure illumination, and since it requires something to illumine, it is the illumonator. In the Nyaaya school and other schools, knowledge is considered the known in matters of recognition, but Vedanta does not accept this. According to Vedanta, knowledge is the illuminator alone, not the illuminated. It means that the awareness in ahankaara (Ishvara), that in Mahat element (Hiranyagarbha) and that in avyakta (Ishvara) is one and the same. All these are adjuncted forms of that one awareness. The difference in name is due to the difference in adjunct, there is only one awareness. That one awareness is the knower of the field. Avyakta, Mahat element, ahankaara, five great elements and their transformations, this world and this body - all are the field.
In the Puraanaas, even the ahankaara is classified into three - vaikaarika, taijasa and taamasa. Even their actions are different. Five great elements are created from the taamasa ahankaara. Vital forces, power of action and organs of actions are created from taijasa (raajasa) ahankaara. The knowledge-oriented mind and organs of sense are created from vaikaarika (saatvika) ahankaara.
All these undergo change and are known, therefore, all of them are the field. That is why any of these or all of these together are not the "I", and are not mine.
The body is not "I", nor mine. That gross body which is created by the predominance of the earth element is neither "I" nor mine. The smell attribute of earth is neither "I" nor mine. The nose created out of the smell tanmaatraa is neither "I" nor mine. The mind that cognizes the smell is neither "I" nor mine. The bliss that is created out of that smell, the arrogation that I have created this perfume, then the enjoyment of that perfume, that knowledge that this is a perfume, and the seed-state of that smell (beeja avasthaa), all of this is neither "I" nor mine. In this manner, water, fire, air and space and their respective attributes, their senses, mind, ahankaara, intellect, avyakta - these are neither "I" nor mine.
Here "Maaya" is not being discussed. It has two aspects - ignorance and science (vidyaa). Due to ignorance, there is duality apparent perceived to be real in your jam-packed imperishable, full, non-dual form. Through science, all these become illusory though they remain visible. Maaya is neither the field nor the knower of the field. It is beyond both, and is the cause of the imagined duality.
3) Other aspects : Seven other aspects of the field are now being discussed : wanting, aversion, joy, sorrow, sanghaata, chetanaa and dhriti.
Icchaa (wanting) : Here, the name of wanting is raaga or attraction. Let's say you obtained something earlier - a man, woman, food, house and so on. And that gave you joy, such an impression is formed in the mind. Now you want to get it again. This craving is called wanting or attraction.
This wanting makes us a beggar, a pauper, weak. When we experience emptiness or absence in ourselves, then we want its fulfillment from someone else.
"Wanting" is a known, and therefore, a field.
Aversion : Wanting to remove that person, object or situation that caused us sorrow in the past is called aversion. The burning caused by the memory of a sorrowful object or person in the mind is called aversion.
Joy : That which makes the senses smile and pure, that is called joy. When there is wanting in the mind, when there is a vikaara or transformation, then there is no joy. When there is no rising of wanting, of desire, in that, it means that there is peace in the mind. This is joy. The reflection of the joy-filled self in the calm lake of the mind is joy alone.
Such joy can be caused or causeless. The joy which is generated due to fulfillment of a desire, resulting in a temporary silence of the mind, is caused. That joy which is generated due to an absence of any desire and consequent calm of the mind is causeless. Caused joy is temporary, whereas causeless joy is stable. In reality, joy is the nature of the knower of the field. There is an adjuncted perception of that in the field. This perception is a field. There are many definitions of joy. But the key point is that it is a field, not the knower, because joy is never not known.
Sorrow : Sorrow is the counterpart of joy. Therefore our definition of joy should be that which is opposite to the definition of sorrow. For example, that in which our senses are polluted is called sorrow. Unfavourable-ness is called sorrow.
The reflection of the supreme self in a quiet mind is called joy, and the absence of that reflection in an agitated mind is called sorrow. Both joy and sorrow are known. Therefore they are the field.
Chetanaa : The power of the mind, intellect and memory is called chetanaa. Even in an unconscious state, there is chetanaa in the body. In chetanaa alone, through the contact with impressions, wanting, aversion, will etc. arise. It is chetanaa alone that, per experience, study and discourse, takes the form of a determined intellect. When there is no will (sankalpa) and there is no decision, but there is awareness, that is called chetanaa. When there is doubt or fanciful thinking, chetanaa is called mind. The mind, intellect and chetanaa are known to us, therefore they are the field.
Dhriti : There is a power of steadfastness in the body. This is known as dhriti. In deep sleep, this power maintains life, blood circulation, heart beat etc. This is the ahankaar in the internal organ, it is the power of the internal organ. This alone keeps the will to live. Broken bones, wounds etc. automatically heal through this force. Since it also is known, it is the field.
Sanghaata : That which is made out of many other objects is called an agglomeration, a sanghaata. This world and body is a sanghaata of the five great elements. Senses, vital forces, internal organ, wanting, aversion, joy, sorrow, chetanaa, dhriti - they body is a sanghaata of all of these. If its components are a field, then the sanghaata too is a field. Therefore this body and this world, the ultimate sanghaata, are fields alone. I am the knower, the witness, am distinct from them, of the nature of knowledge.
"The tanmaatraas are beyond the senses. The mind is beyond them. Intellect is beyond mind. Ahankaara is beyond the intellect. Mahat element is beyond ahankaara. Avakta is beyond Mahat element. (This is the field). Beyond the avyakta is the Purusha (This is the knower). There is nothing beyond the Purusha. The Purusha is the culmination of the subtle. The Purusha is the ultimate destination" (The knower is brahman). (Kathopanishad 1.3.10-11)
No comments:
Post a Comment