Attain Brahman By Discrimination of Reality
Divine Life
Society Publication: Discrimination
of Reality – The Philosophy of Panchadasi by Swami Krishnananda
 |
| The fall of the Jiva takes place in seven stages: Avidya, Aviveka, Ahamkara, Raga-dvesha, Karma, Janma and Duhkha |
The whole cosmos is materialized
out of the five elements, and in it are situated the various Lokas or planes of existence. The worlds
thus produced differ in their quality, intensity and constitution in accordance
with the nature of the desires of the Jivas for whose experience they are made to
manifest.The subtleties of the bodies of Jivas also vary in accordance with the
worlds they inhabit. Thus the Devas or celestials have no physical body, and
there are those who have only the causal bodies bringing them into great
proximity with the Reality.
The Universal Consciousness in
forming this physical realm is known by the name of Vaisvanara or Virat. When
it animates the physical cosmos, all Jivas in all the fourteen planes of
creation, are characterised by externality of consciousness, due to which they
are deprived of insight into their own inner essences. This absence of true
knowledge involves all Jivas, notwithstanding that some of them may be endowed
with greater degrees of understanding. Being thus bereft of true knowledge the
Jivas engage themselves in activity for the fulfilment of their desires. This
fulfilment stimulates further activity in the same direction, and there is no
end to this process, as desires are endless. The Jivas, thus, drift helplessly
like insects caught in the currents of a river and find it impossible to get
out of the whirls of the flow. Samsara or world-existence comes to an end only
when the Jiva recognises its true identity with the Absolute.
The
fall of the Jiva takes place in seven stages: Avidya, Aviveka, Ahamkara, Raga-dvesha, Karma, Janma and Duhkha.
The first stage is when the
Jiva is deprived of its universal consciousness and is made to feel as if it is
not there at all. This is Avidya, the negation of Reality and the cause of the
manifestation of relative reality. Avidya becomes the source of the erroneous
identification of the Self with the limited existence in the form of a personality
or a body. The Jiva under its influence begins to honestly feel that there is a
real diversity of things and these are all absolutely real.
The Jiva in its waking state
is really a part of the universal Virat and ought really to know that its
existence is impossible apart from Virat, but when, due Aviveka, or
non-discrimination given rise to by Avidya, it begins to feel otherwise, and
asserts its independence, considering the other parts of Virat as objects of
its consciousness, Ahamkara or ego is thereby developed which veils the
ultimate Reality and confirms the value of its own personal experiences as set
in opposition to those of others.
This principle of Ahamkara,
while asserting its finitude and imperfection, is automatically made to feel an
intrinsic want in itself, and struggles in every way possible, to overcome the
limitations by fulfilling the wants. The finitude of the Jiva being ultimately
rooted in its erroneous identification with a particular body by forgetting its
essential nature, the desires born of it assume infinite forms and it becomes
impossible for the Jiva to fulfil them by finite means. Thus, its desires and
the actions directed to their fulfilment, exceed the limitations set to it by the
short duration of its life, which it can live through any particular body.
A succession of births and
death is the result, with the false hope of complete satisfaction of the
desires born of finite nature. Ahamkara causes likes and dislikes for particulars
(Raga-dvesha), which is the incentive for all action (Karma). The binding
actions infused with desires bring about birth in a body (Janma), and there
comes in the grief (Duhkha) of the Jiva.
A proper understanding of this
state of affairs is a part of Viveka that should form the equipment of a
sincere Sadhaka or spiritual aspirant, endeavouring to attain Brahman through
knowledge. It is with this qualification that one should approach a spiritual
preceptor or Guru, being dissatisfied with the worlds of desire and action, and
with the genuine longing for freedom from Samsara. The Guru should be a
Srotriya and a Brahmanishtha, one well-versed in the scriptures and established
in Brahman. He instructs the disciple in the true nature of Brahman.
The company of a genuinely
great preceptor is the result of maturation of one’s past good deeds, and to
such a blessed soul, he becomes a veritable shady tree to cool its thirst in
the desert of life. (Verses 15-31)
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Discrimination
of Reality – The Philosophy of Panchadasi by Swami Krishnananda
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