Talk 323.
While explaining stanza 6 in Arunachala Ashtaka, Sri Bhagavan observed as follows: The final word in the previous stanza asks, "Is there one?" The initial words in the present stanza answer, "Yes, there is the One….." It proceeds, "Though it is the only One, yet by its wonderful power it gets reflected on the tiny dot `I' (the ego) otherwise known as ignorance or the aggregate of latent tendencies; this reflected light is relative knowledge. This, according to one's prarabdha [?] (past karma now fructifying), manifests the inner latent tendencies as the outer gross world and withdraws the gross external world as the subtle internal tendencies; such power is called mind in the subtle plane and brain in the physical plane. This mind or brain acts as the magnifier to that Eternal One Being and shows It forth as the expanded universe. In the waking and dream states the mind is out-ward bent and in sleep it is in-ward bent; with the mind as the medium, the one Supreme Being seems diversified in the waking and dream states and remains withdrawn in the sleep state, or swoon, etc. Therefore you are only That and cannot be otherwise. Whatever the changes, the same one Being remains as yourself; there is nothing besides yourself." The previous stanza says: Once exposed to sunlight, a sensitive plate cannot take on images; similarly, the mind (the sensitive plate), after exposure in Your Light, cannot reflect the world anymore. Moreover, the Sun is of You only. Should his rays be so powerful as to prevent images being formed, how much more so should Your Light be? It is thus said that there is nothing apart from the One Being, Yourself. In the present stanza the tiny dot = the ego; the tiny dot made up of darkness = the ego consisting of latent tendencies, the seer or the subject or the ego rising, it expands itself as the seen, the object or the antahkaranas (the inner organs). The light must be dim in order to enable the ego to rise up. In broad daylight a rope does not look like a snake. The rope itself cannot be seen in thick darkness; so there is no chance of mistaking it for a snake. Only in dim light, in the dusk, in light darkened by shadows or in darkness lighted by dim light does the mistake occur of a rope seeming a snake. Similarly it is for the Pure Radiant Being to rise up as the Ego - it is possible only in ItsPage 298
Light diffused through darkness. This darkness is otherwise known as the Original Ignorance (Original Sin). The Light passing through it is called Reflected Light. The Reflected Light on its own merits is commonly known as the Pure Mind or Isvara [?] or God. Isvara is well-known to be unified with Maya: in other words the Reflected Light is Isvara. The other name - Pure Mind - implies impure mind also. It is the rajasic or active mind or the ego; this too can be projected from the former satvic mind through another reflection only; thus the ego is the product of the second darkness (avidya [?]) Then comes the tamasic or the dull mind in the shape of antahkaranas (the inner organs); this appears as the world. From the standpoint of the gross body it may be said to shine forth externally as the world by means of the brain. But the gross body is of the mind only. The mind may be said to consist of four inner organs, or the principle composed of thoughts, or the sixth sense; or combining intellect with the ego, and chitta [?] with the mind (i.e. memory-faculty with the thinking faculty), it may be taken to consist of two parts (the ego and the mind). In the latter case the vijnanatma [?] (the intellectual Self) or the ego or the seer forms the subject, and the mental sheath or the seen, the object. The waking, dream and sleep states have their origin in the Original Darkness (mula avidya). With the mind outgoing and deriving experiences from its modes in the waking and dream states, and indrawn in sleep, experiencing with modes of Maya [?], a unique power regulates all activities of the individuals and of the universe. All these are only phenomena passing through the Reflected Light on the substratum of the Self-radiant Being. Just as a rope-snake cannot be seen in broad daylight, nor rope itself in thick darkness, so also the world appears neither in the samadhi state of Self-shining pure Being or in deep sleep, swoon, etc. Only in Reflected Light (Light mixed with Darkness or knowledge soiled by Ignorance) can the world, not independent of its Source, seem to rise up, flourish and be resolved. Its diversity too cannot be exclusive of the Reality, the original Source. Here a play is going on in which the One Single Being becomes manifold is objectified and then
Page 299
withdrawn. There must be a Sakti [?] [?] (Power) to do it, and wonderful too! She cannot also be independent of Her origin. In the Self-shining Pure Being this Sakti cannot be seen. Nevertheless, Her actions are only too well-known. How sublime! From Her sublime original activity (i.e., power vibrating) satva-filled reflection results; from it the rajasic ego; then tamasic thought-forms which are commonly known as knowledge, or the light corresponding to the magnifying lens. Just as the artificial light is projected through a lens on to the screen, so also the Reflected Light passes through thought (the magnifier) before expanding as the world beyond it; furthermore, thought, itself the world in-seed form, seems to be the wide external world. Such is the extraordinary Power! In this way Isvara, individual and the world are only of the Reflected Light, having the Self-shining Single Being for the substratum.
Now, what is this `I-thought' (the ego)? Is it the subject or the object, in the scheme of things?
Inasmuch as it witnesses all other objects in the waking and dream states, or at any rate we think that it does so, it must be considered to be the subject. On realising the Pure Self, however, it will be an object only.
Whose is this `I-thought' (the ego)? This investigation forms the vichara [?]. `I-thought' and `this'-thought are both emanations from the same light. They are related to rajoguna and tamoguna respectively. In order to have the Reflected Light (pure satva), free from rajas [?] and tamas [?] it must shine forth as `I-I', unbroken by `this'-thought. This pure state momentarily intervenes between sleep and waking. If prolonged it is cosmic consciousness, or even Isvara. This is the only passage to the Realisation of the Self-shining Supreme Being.
Again there are two kinds of experiences in deep sleep as recollected after waking, that is, "I slept happily, unaware of anything". Happiness and ignorance are the experiences. Thus we see the Power modified as (1) avarana [?] (darkness) and (2) vikshepa [?] (diversity). The mind is the result of vikshepa.
Page 300