A PRECEPTOR SPEAKS TO A PUPIL ... 1

 A PRECEPTOR SPEAKS TO A PUPIL ... 1

Vedanta means the endpoint of the Veda, its climactic development. Its fundamental feature is the affirmation that there is an Absolute Reality which is self-conscious and stable, immutable and integrated, a wholeness without parts, behind the phenomenal universe of constantly changing discrete elements which are combining and breaking down ceaselessly, transforming and translating in the duality of space, time and causality (desh, kala, nimitta). This world of multiplicity is seemingly real but essentially unreal for it is changeable and ever-changing, its life being momentary and death a constant contradiction embedded in its structure. Brahman is the Reality and Maya is the dual phenomenon which incorporates both the puppets in perpetual dance and the Puppeteer who orchestrates the events. The senses are unreal and the vision thereof of this world is therefore equally unreal, delusion producing delusion. There can be no rationale for it and experience of the Real is the only way out of this terrible tangle. The path is called Jnana Yoga, illumination through progressive discrimination and renunciation of the unreal elements. Finally, the stumbling block will be the last bit of renunciation, that of the discriminating mind itself. This must simply dissolve under the inertia of earlier renunciation. One way of expressing it could be though that the last elemental bit rejected by the mind couples up the rejecting mind itself and the twain dissolve in tandem. Perhaps, we have a cue here from Swamiji's epic statement, 'God and the universe rise together and God and the universe fall together.' At any rate this must be the rational solution in linguistic and mathematical terms that the final act of dissolution is that of Radha and Krishna both in an integrated spiritual embrace. It is for sure difficult to understand but it must be so. No external help can be posited here, rationally speaking, to bring it about, for all externalities have by now disappeared, although it is said that Mahamaya Herself will do the final releasing act to free the soul. But this is logically untenable and this is an intractable problem really. However, the universe being a seeming reality, there should not be a problem in accepting its disappearance as such. Hence, Brahman reveals Itself to Itself in a self-conscious frozen Presence and the game of relativity is over.

Written by Sugata Bose