Five Stories Revealing Illusion and Superimpostion etcetera

Five Stories Revealing Illusion and Superimpostion etcetera

The first story: The Imaginary rope:-

Once, a washerman was taking the clothes to the river to wash on the back of his donkey. When he reached the river after a long walk, he found that he has not brought the rope by which he used to tie his donkey. So he was at loss and cannot go back to home and bring the rope, if he does so, he would end up with a futile journey and incur a loss. As he was thinking deeply, a man who was going by the river saw him and asked, “What happen, why you so worried are?” The washerman told him the incident. The man told him not to worry but advised him to pretend to tie the donkey with an imaginary rope and the donkey should see it. The washerman did the same thing and to his surprise, he saw all through day that the donkey stood still under the tree with which it was tied and munched grass. After his work was over, the washerman collected all his clothes and bundled up on the donkey’s back, but this time he met with another problem. This time the donkey did not move an inch. The washerman rushed to the man’s house who advised him, and asked him what to do. The man told him the same technique, to pretend to untie the imaginary rope. The washerman did the same thing and took the donkey back. The rope is metaphorical, the illusion or Maya with which we mortals are tied to this materialistic world, sorrow, greed, hatred. We are attached to our body. We think everything with the perspective of our body. In technical terms in Sanskrit, it is called: AdhyAropa – ApavAda (Method of Deliberate Superimposition).

The second story is about King Janaka, the father of Sita of Ramayana. He was a powerful king with mighty army and abundant wealth. One day at night when he was sleeping, the gatekeeper rushed towards him and awake him and told that his kingdom has been attacked and now under threat. King Janaka immediately called the generals and ordered them to be ready for war. In spite of his powerful artillery King Janaka was defeated and captured. But the enemy king told that he would not kill him as he was from a blue blood family, but he would be banished. King Janaka was banished, while that, he begged by the road side but nobody helped him. After much toiling and starving he fell on the ground. As he fell on the ground he woke up with pounding heart, perspiring like anything. The gourd rushed and asked, “OH, my lord what happen, is your health okay?’ Since King Janaka was not an ordinary man and a philosopher, he asked the gourd,” Was that true, or is this true?” The gourd was perplexed with this reply of his king. Gradually it spread in the kingdom that the king has gone insane. This new reached to Ashtavakra muni (the sage Ashtavakra). Realizing something interesting to it, he went to king Janaka’s court to meet him. When Ashtavakra asked him about his health, king Janaka uttered the same line, “Was that true or is this true?” Ashtabakra being an omniscient sage, asked him, “ O king, the pain, the humiliation, the hunger you experience is there now?’” The king coming out of his stupor said, “No.” Ashtavakra again asked, “The glory, the power, the army all that you have, was there?” The king again answered negatively. The sage then told, King Janaka, “Neither that was true, nor this is true.” The king was surprised by this answer and asked is that nihilistic philosophy? Then Ashtavakra explained, since you were there in your dream and you experienced all your plight, hunger and defeat, and now you are here and experiencing this glory—therefore you are the truth. This story teaches the core lesson of Vedanta—

slok- ärdhena pravakshyämi yad-uktam granthakotibhih |

Brahma satyam jagat-mithyä jivo brahmaiva näparah || means the Brahma is the ultimate truth, and the whole world is an appearance, and you are the absolute reality. This is elaborated in Mandukya Upanishad explained by Adi Shankaracharya.

The third story: The Tenth man:-

The third story teaches that you are what you are—same philosophy of ‘Cogito, ergo sum’ is a philosophical statement that was made in Latin by René Descartes, usually translated into English as “I think, therefore I am”. Ten friends went on a journey, in the mid of their path, came a river with much water and current. So when they swam across the river, they counted the heads, and each time they counted it nine, leaving out self. So they started crying. In the meantime a sage was passing by. He saw them crying and ask for the reason. So they told him the story. Then the sage consoled them and told not to worry as he convinced them that the tenth man is there. Thus he showed them by counting and each time, each member found himself the tenth man. Brihadakaranya explains that we consider ourselves as objects and therefore cannot see the tenth man. This is the ultimate ignorance. Adi Shankarya said in his Brahmasuta Vasya: ‘Naisargkiyavayam Loka Byabahara.” Not knowing the tenth man is an ignorance that leads to error and error leads to sorrow. After sorrow comes the knowledge, then comes peace of mind and finally the bliss. This all happens not knowing that thou art the tenth man.

The fourth story: The Princess of Kashi:

Kashi was an ancient kingdom erstwhile Varanasi. A drama was to be staged in which the character of princess of Kashi was there. But since there was no girl available for the role, the prince of the king who was a kid and beautiful, was selected as to be the princess of Kashi. The queen was so much happy; that she wanted her son’s portrayed to be made with the girl attire. So the portrayed was and hung in the wall in the King’s court. After fifteen years the prince came from foreign completing his education. One day while he was wandering in the Palace, he saw his own portrayed as a girl painted fifteen years back, but he could not remember those days. So he fell in love with the princess of the picture. When his parents noticed this, they told the minister to look into the matter. The minister asked the prince that why all the time he looked morrows? When the prince told about his love and expressed his desire to marry the girl, the minister laughed and told the truth that the girl in the picture is he himself. And at once he was freed from his pathos. The pathos was an enigma. The whole world is the princess of Kashi. There is no real princess of Kashi—so the revelation of the truth removed his sorrow immediately.

The fifth story: The lion cub and the sheep:

It teaches about the deception of relating me to the elements. Once a lioness gave birth to a cub and died. The lion cub was reared up by a flock of sheep. The cub started thinking that he too was a sheep, and became vegetarian, and bleats like them. One day, a big lion chased the sheep, so the lion cub to started running in fear. The lion became confused, so he asked him that why was he running? The cub told that he is afraid of him because he is a sheep. The lion laughed and told the cub that he is not a sheep but a lion cub. The lion brought the cub to a pond and showed the image of both of them. The lion cub realized that he was not a sheep and got himself freed from the deception of his thought.

MP3 Audio of this text - Tap this Link Audio of Five Stories

Adopted from : Article in TOI by 

Raka Bhattacharyya

Raka Bhattacharyya @

letsconfabulate

SEP 11, 2021, 17:21 IST

Titled : How storytelling shapes principles of life

at : Link to Article

Our True Self

A car is made up of metal, plastic, composite, liquids and gasses as parts.

They are put together to make assemblies.

Assemblies put together make the car's parts.

Parts are put together to make the machinery, body and chasis.

These are put together to make a car.

The car has three identities at this stage. Manufacturer, Model and Year of Manufacture.

The car's identity becomes unique when the engine number and chasis number are stamped or engraved.

It gains an unique identity when it is registered with the transport authority post sale.  It then gets possessed. The owner becomes the possessor. A non entity becomes owned.

Same is the case with us all. Our primary origin is the egg from which we were born. Prior to it we were in the form of food our maternal grandma ate.

The egg on fertilisation became ovum and on attaching to the uterine wall an embryo and subsequently an growing embryo, thence a foetus and then a living baby after 23 weeks of pregnancy. We were born in roughly the 40th week of pregnancy of our mother. We had one of two identities - male and female. 

Stage of Company, Model and Date of Manufacture of a Car.

Our parents received us. We were then formally named and possessed even registered with the birth registry.

Stage of Car's Registration. We were possessed with a name, parental names and family name. With it came our tribe, race, caste and religion.

At around 18 month's we recognised ourself as ourself when we looked at ourself in the mirror and sort of said to ourself - that's me. We came to possess ourselves.

Around the age of three years was when we asserted our identity as in I, he, she, we, they etc. The ego was born.

We then started fighting to protect, promote and assert our ego to others through resistance, ownership and belonging - with name and qualities - the ego was moulded.

We then started promoting our unique identity around the time we grew to be some 15 - 16 years of age.

The we became owners of others - our brothers and sisters, parents, people in the extended family, friends, associates, company etc. The ego firmed up.

Coming to know our true Ideentity.

Similar to the origins of the car to be atoms and molecules (these are universal) we too are made of food our maternal grandma ate (again the same or similar atoms and molecules).

Similar to the identity formation and name and fame of car, we too gained an inflated ego. Our real identity got lost.

So what is our real identity. The universal one to which our origins can be traced. Next our being and existence as givens. Thirdly the innate capacity and urge to know i. e. pursuing consciousness.

Erasing the ego methodically is one of many ways to realise our true Identity.

Please care to read another post on consciousness by tapping here -> CONSCIOUSNESS  

I thank you for reading through this write-up.

Please spare time to write a line of appreciation, your view or comment.

The many selfs

You know Atma. It is the un-maligned witness of the universal self in the limited self - जीव. This atma रूप is equivalent of चित्त the cognitive aspect of Atma. The chitta as the maligned aspect of the Atma - maligned by the psyche - is the evaluating, assessing, weighing, concluding aspect variously called the mind. The mind's views are further distorted in the following ways cited by examples of rope-snake, dhobi-donkey, Janaka-dream experience, illusory water in Mirage, lion's club who believed he was sheep and the prince of Kashi and the enigma - the world and by nama roop.

Now the mind's attitude, orientation, thinking, feelings and behaviours show up in thirteen ways.

1. The natural un-programmed self 

2. The programmed but unrestrained self

3. The compliant self

4. The rebellious self

5. The pathos-ic self

6. The Lagos-ic self

7. The Ethos-ic self

8. The Controlling self

9. The Prohibitive self

10. The Persecuting Self

11. The helpful Nurturing Self

12. The Rescuing Self

13. The troubled - victimised self

The sense of self is marked by its fluidity.

It journeys through all these selfs.

Besides there is a guilt causing aspect that hurts us and the sensuous, sexual and greed generating urges, drives and impulses controlling genetic centre. There is also a liberating aspect that prods and pushes to gain autonomy and liberation. It is called as the force of physis.

Our programmed system uses us to tap or use these aspects from moment to moment. We need to view this motion picture in real time through generating awareness by observing the motions of our mind by asking these simple questions. 

1. Where am I

2. What am I doing / what activity am I engaged in

3. Where is my mind (wandering) and the fodder it is grazing.

In time hyped awareness is rewarded whereupon we can then steer the mind to remain anchored where we want it to stay engaged.

This is rewarded to me by my study of TA.

Myself and My-Self / My-Selves

Understanding Myself and My-Self / My-Selves

This an intriguing area of human exploration. It affects us all. This is a modest effort to document my understanding.

Our self is that part of us which thinks and feels, evaluates and assesses, considers and concludes our own value, worth, dignity and esteem. It thus generates a view and a self-concept that is empowering and motivating on the one hand or deficient and lacking on the other hand or de-motivating on the still another hand.

We have ten principal aspects of personality which structure our thinking and feeling in generating our perceptions, evaluations, assessments, conclusions, decisions, judgements, activities and actions. These may be done by us on purpose or occur awarely or unawarely in a programmed or habitual manner. They are listed in the note at the end.

There are two aspects of this self. The 'I' that sees, feels, experiences itself or other selfs (living, non-living, conceptual, thoughts, ideas, evaluations, constructs, occurrences, behaviours, processes etcetera) - the subjective self and the 'I' that possesses; interacts; deals with people, events, incidents; and lastly the externalised subjective 'I'. This other 'I' is called 'me'. 

Then there is of course the Pure Self. This Pure Self is the aspect of the universal of which each one of us, every other living entity, non living matter and object is also an aspect much like a drops of water which together form water bodies as an ocean, sea, river, lake, tank, or for that matter what we hold in a glass or carry around in our body.

Ten Principal Aspects of Personality

1. Value, worth, dignity and esteem upholding authoritative, controlling self.
2. Value, worth, dignity and esteem denying aggressive, persecuting self.
3. Value, worth, dignity and esteem upholding helpful, assisting nurturing self.
4. Value, worth, dignity and esteem denying rescuing self.
5. Age appropriate, reality driven and orienting situation ending, problem solving sane, objective self.
6. Little bothered, free of restraint, free flowing urges, impulses, drives driven self.
7. Child-like creative, innovative, out of the box thinking, magical thinking unencumbered self.
8. Child-like adapting but rebellious non complying, rules breaking self.
9. Child-like adapting compliant, complying, extra courteous, pleasing self.
10. A deep hidden aspect that sort of pulls the sheet from our feet, so to say, and nullifies a well done task, job, activity, piece of art, a tasty dish or a dress - aptly called the demon. It also from nowhere releases a slip of tongue, causes momentary withdrawal of attention from an ongoing activity, or triggers a self harming, impulsive act.

Aspects of the Me Self

1. The Material Self - This believes it owns and possesses. It includes all things that belong to us. Our body, whatever we own, our associations and whatever we hold dear including our thoughts, feelings, memories and experiences.
2. The Social Self - Who we are in a given social situation. We change with time, place, position, role, purpose etc.
3. The Spiritual Self - The Self with a Conscience that experiences right and wrong, guilt etc.
4. Pure Self - This Pure Self provides continuity of existence through past, present and future.

I am That

I am that. Signature statement of Nisargadatta Maharaj.

Explained by Papaji (Harivanvsh Lal Poonja) on how Ramana Maharshi put forth resulting in the liberation of Papaji.

What appears and dis-appears is not real.

You saw him (Krishna), he dis-appeared. You remained. The seer remained. Now find out who the seer is? The real seer is beyond all this. The seer is the abiding source and substance of all that exists. It is called the self. It has nothing to do with mind or the personality. It is the continuous presence that abides timelessly and formlessly as the real nature and heart of all beings. We live in the illusion that we exist overlooking the abiding presence. Directing the mind to the source. This is the enquiry to be pursued. Get the mind to face the source. What is mind? Thought. What is thought. I. Let the I face the source. Now this facing the source is called enquiry. Now the I is facing the source. Just like mirror, reflecting. When you look at a mirror, what do you see? Our reflection. When we keep aside the mirror, where does the reflection go? Back to the face. No this I was enquiring from its own source which was reflected to the mind mind to the senses, senses to the body and body to the objects. So this universe. So this is the method of Ramana Maharshi. Striking at the root of the mind. Other kinds of practices are with the mind. Result will be mental. Or with yoga, physical. By striking at the root of mind, mind is no more. So by getting the I to face its source. The I merges with the source. It becomes that. Thus the man will experience the ever abiding freedom.

For interview of which this is a transcript see this YouTube Video.

https://youtu.be/k-7Iip6lk8Q

How Yogis perceive self

Question on Quora

When saints or yogis see their own selves in everything and everyone that their eyes can see, is it their own 'aura' that they actually see?

Imagine yourself being a mirror.

Now the mirror sees in itself what others see themselves in it. Correct. This happens when we are seeing things and other persons in a mirror then becoming the mirror.

So also with consciousness. When we ‘become of the nature of consciousness' we 'do not see anything apart from that consciousness / see everything as part of the same consciousness'.

That happens at event of emancipation.

The Many Me-s (Mees) in Me

One can easily identify / associate with one of these mees.

1. Controlling Me
2. Persecuting Me
3. Helping Assisting Me
4. Rescuing Me
5. Age Appropriate Adult Me
6. Urges, impulses, drives driven self.
7. Creative, innovative, out of the box thinking, magical thinking unencumbered Me.
8. Rebellious non complying, rules breaking Me.
9. Adapting compliant, complying, extra courteous, pleasing Me.
10. A Me that take me to my doom.

Two Minds and Self

The Two Minds and Self

The two minds are the thinking mind and the observing mind. While all the thoughts in our head occur in our thinking mind, it is the observing mind that generates the feeling of being “Me” as it watches the thoughts in our head.

We have capacity to first become aware of these two minds. Sit at ease. When thinking starts step into the shoes of the observing mind and watch the thinking mind in operation.

We could do this. We can now de-personalise ourself and become the non reflecting observer of both. 

Thus we move to the locus of the self.

Understanding our Real Self Intelectually

What we call self is viewed in many ways.

The way defines the understanding of what we call self. And besides each way has many schools. Each school presents it differently. Many a time the explanations conflict with each other.

Therefore the assetion: एकम संत. विप्र बहुधा वदन्ति.

Ekam Sat. Vipra Bahudha Vadanti. Truth is one. Different persons describe it variously.

This truth is there is what is called 'the real self'. There is no mine, yours, their’s, our.

We are born from a fertilised ovum. The ovum itself is the cell of our mom's body. Every cell is anna-maya food stuff. So we are food stuff. Every thing in this universe is combination of five elements.

These elements are: Prithvi/Bhudevi (Hindi: पृथ्वी:, Earth), Apas/Varuna/Jal (Hindi: अप:, Water), Agni (Hindi: अग्नि, Fire), Vayu (Hindi: वायु:, Air), Akasha/Dyaus/Ether (Hindi: आकाश, Space ). Wikipedia.

Backward dissolution takes us intellectually to energy and still backward to space, and still backward to nothingness. That nothingness is full. That is the real self', true self, the self, the it, the Brahman.

Our Self - Another View

Our Self - Another View

We use the word self mainly in these contexts.

1. I, myself.
2. We, ourselves.  
   
3. You, yourself.
4. You, yourselves.
5. He, she, it, himself, herself, itself.
6. They, themselves.

What does the word self mean? Self means our existence. It becomes experienced or known when we think, reflect or introspect about ourselves and / or other/s. Now what does the word selfhood mean? Selfhood means the qualities that set individuals or groups of people apart from others. This creates individual identity and asserts our existence as persons. Self therefore indicates in body, mind and soul. This self has two components one is the I, and the other, the me. The I is the one that is affected, and me is the one that experiences. Therefore, it is the I that experiences joy, sad, pain, sadness, fear, anxiety, distress and other feelings / emotions. It is the I that is well or unwell. It is the I that is motivated or unmotivated, brave and strong or fearful and weak, that can or cannot. It is the I that experiences being insulted, ignored, hurt, pained, injured, cornered, isolated, embarrassed, guilty, exploited, wronged, harassed, used, habituated, addicted and in many more things. We need to remember that I can be an individual or a group of individuals. The group can be a family, religious, community, linguistic, racial, national, employee, professional, occupational, political or work or other group. They too have an I, that experiences right and wrong. One may wonder what has this got to do with Positivity. Actually a lot. Why? Because it concerns our well being. Me experiences the effect. I experiences it in terms of  feeling, emotion, thinking or opinion. Self is affect in mind, body and soul. There is a direct correspondence between our level of well being and the condition of our body. Of course, we have been provided with a level of stress which we can tolerate. This stress has a threshold. It reflects in many ways once the threshold is crossed. Many of the bodily ailments are caused because of our eating habits. Many more are caused by the thoughts, opinions, feelings and emotions that we deliberately hold from expressing.