[Advaita-l] Doubt

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sun, Jan 2, 2022 at 12:38 PM Kartik Vashishta via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> OM
> OM NAMAH SIVANANDAYA
>
> Revered Self,
>
> Sadar Pranam,
>
> I wish you comfort and peace. I wish you all a very happy new year.
>
> I have a doubt regarding the "self".
>
> Please help clarify this doubt.
>
> I think, that by the the grace of Guru, I understand that the "self" is in
> everything, in every subject and also in every object. I am trying to
> understand how it is the  ONE self that is in adibhauta/adiyatma/adidaiva.
>
> My logic(probably twisted) seems to suggest that I have a self and every
> other entity has a self, this self is not only inside me....nor is it only
> inside a particle of sand or an atom or an ant. I seem to think that every
> entity has/is a self and this self is different from everyone else's self.
>
> How to understand and imbibe that there is, in fact, just ONE self? And
> that, that self is Brahman...
>
> If you suggest readings, please suggest English texts. Thank you.
>

We have the famous Bh.Gita 13th chapter 2nd verse:  After saying that the
'body' (which is elucidated further in the 5 and 6th verses there to
encompass the entire inert world, objects, our thoughts, emotions, etc.) is
the 'observed' and the observer is the Consciousness, kshetrajna in the
first shloka, the very next shloka says: 'Know the observer in every body
to be Me.'  Thus, it is only from shastra pramanam that one can/will know
that the self, atman, in every body, is the 'same.' The 'Me', Brahman,
cannot be many.  So, in this crucial mahavakya verse of the Gita, we have
the answer to your question.  In the Panchadashi too, at the very
beginning, the knowing/knower consciousness is taught as Brahman.  Start
reading, with a commentary, the first few verses of the first chapter:
 शब्दस्पर्शादयो
वेद्या वैचित्र्याज्जागरे पृथक् । ततोविभक्ता तत्संविदैक्यरूप्यान्न भिद्यते ॥
३॥

Apart from the 'conditioning' of this consciousness by the body-mind, there
is no other way one can say that this knowing/knower consciousness is
different across bodies.

regards
subbu

>
> Pranam,
>
> OM
> Kartik Vashishta
> OM
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