[Advaita-l] Self-knowledge

[Amuthan]

namo nArAyaNAya!

dear shrI S.N.shAstrI,

--- "S.N. Sastri" <sn.sastri_at_gmail_dot_com> wrote:
> 
> Atmaj~nAna is a vRtti, known as akhaNDAkAravRtti and
> so it is a modification
> of the intellect. svarUpaj~nAna is the very nature
> of the Self. That is the
> witness of all the modifications of the mind. It is
> vRttij~nAna that removes
> nescience. So self-knowledge is also intellectual.
>

in your terminology, all that i'm saying is that
svarUpa j~nAna is non-intellectual. vR^itti j~nAna
turns the mind inward and one pointed, but destruction
of the mind can happen only with svarUpa j~nAna. and
it is svarUpa j~nAna which ought to be called self
knowledge. vR^itti j~nAna at best refers to the
AtmAnAtma viveka that springs from guru and vedAnta
upadesha. vR^itti j~nAna itself cannot destroy avidyA
though avidyA cannot be destroyed unless (akhaNDAkAra)
vR^itti j~nAna is present. in other words, vR^itti
j~nAna is necessary, but not sufficient. 

let's hear a jIvanmukta's opinion on this issue. no
doubt BP Himself is a jIvanmukta, but since there
seems to be some difference of opinion in
understanding His bhAShya, let's look at what shrI
ramaNa maharShi has to say regarding Atma j~nAna-
(i've emphasized points that are relevant to our
discussion within **'s and by capitalizing certain
words) 

\begin quote

'I' is not known in sleep. On waking 'I' is perceived
associated with the body, the world and the non-self
in general. Such associated 'I' is aham vritti. When
Aham represents the Self only it is ** Aham Sphurana
**. This is natural to the jnani and ** is itself
called jnana by jnanis **, or bhakti by bhaktas.
Though ever present, including in sleep, it is not
perceived. It cannot be known in sleep all at once. It
must first be realised in the waking state, for it is
our true nature underlying all the three states.
Efforts must be made only in the jagrat state and the
Self realised here and now. It will afterwards be
understood and realised to be continuous Self,
uninterrupted by jagrat, svapna and sushupti. ** Thus
it is akhandakara vritti (unbroken experience). VRITTI
IS USED FOR LACK OF A BETTER EXPRESSION. It should NOT
be understood to be literally a vritti. In that case,
vritti will resemble an 'ocean-like river', which is
absurd. Vritti is of short duration; it is qualified,
directed consciousness; or absolute consciousness
broken up by cognition of thoughts, senses, etc.
VRITTI IS THE FUNCTION OF THE MIND, WHEREAS THE
CONTINUOUS CONSCIOUSNESS TRANSCENDS THE MIND. This is
the natural, primal state of the jnani or the
liberated being. That is unbroken experience. It
asserts itself when relative consciousness subsides.
Aham vritti ('I'-thought) is broken, Aham sphurana
(the light of 'I'-'I') is unbroken, continuous. After
the thoughts subside, the light shines forth. **

\end quote

what the maharShi calls as 'aham sphuraNa' is the
svarUpa j~nAna or self knowledge that we are talking
about. 

vAsudevaH sarvaM,
aparyAptAmR^itaH. 


		
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