Atma Bodha - Post 21

VERSE 14

अनाद्यविद्यानिर्वाच्या कारणोपाधिरुच्यते ।

उपाधित्रितयादन्यमात्मानमवधारयेत् ॥ १४॥

ANAADI AVIDYA ANIRVAACHYAA

KAARANA UPAADHIR UCHYATE

UPAADHI-TRITAYAAT ANYAM

AATMAANAM AVADHAARAYET.

(Ignorance is beginningless and inexplicable. it is said to form the Causal Body. We should understand the SELF to be/ as other than these three conditioning bodies)

The reference is to verse 6.5 of Tattva Bodha, which defines the Causal Body. This is one of the few verses without a simile.

In the two previous verses, we have learnt the two Upadhis which are the gross and the subtle bodies. In this verse, we learn about the third upadhi which is the causal body. Acharya here is explaining that the ignorance is the causal body. It is the cause due to which the other two bodies exist. Only when one forgets one’s own nature that there arises limitedness. Due to this limitedness, duality and hence all the miseries arise.

The mind and the intellect with their modifications create a world of duality which is superimposed on the Self. Through the gross body and inner organs, one experiences this outer world. Thus both the gross and subtle bodies exist only when the truth about the Self is not known, i.e. due to ignorance only.

Hence ignorance is called as the causal body. The atman which is verily existence-consciousness and bliss can never be attached to ignorance as both are contradictory in nature. Hence ignorance is only an illusory adjunct of the Self.

ANAADI AVIDYA

The beginning of avidya cannot be known by the mind, because it is the mind which creates the concepts of time, space. Time is only an interval between any two experiences i.e. there should be a beginning experience, also there should be a subject of experience, an object being experienced and the relation between them, i.e. experiencing.

Even for the first experience, the equipments for the first experience, the gross and the subtle body must have existed prior to the first experience and thus prior to time, as time is explained above as an interval between 2 experience.

For Example, till the time only point A is there, there is no time factor involved. Only when one travels from Point A to point B, then the time factor comes there and we say that that such and such time is taken for travel from point A to Point B.

If A is considered as the point of first experience, then the equipments to experience- The mind, the intellect should have existed prior to this first experience A.  Since Avidya or Ignorance is the causal body for the subtle and gross developments, this Avidya is also understood as existing prior to appearance of Time, I.E. Anadhi, Beginningless and endless!!

The “Desire-Lineage”:

Here, the new point brought out is on the subject of “The Consequences of Desire”. Ignorance is said to be the form of the causal body. The causal body is just pure Ignorance. We do not know the cause of Ignorance. Logically there can be no cause for it. It is said to be Causeless. Acharya elaborated on the details of this Lineage as follows:

This lineage, from Step 1 to Step 9, is the vicious cycle spoken of in the scriptures, and from which the Rishis have been trying their utmost to save us.

There is a link between Causeless and Beginningless. Ignorance is considered to be beginningless. Logically, it is first found to be causeless. We cannot know any cause for ignorance. And because it is causeless, it has to be beginningless.

However, we do know from logical analysis that its first “effect” is seen as Desire. Desire is born due to ignorance of the Truth. It arises from the alienation of our true identity. From desire there arises a train of consequences, which is like a “desire-lineage”, and is appropriately known as the Anartha Parampara or “Inauspicious Lineage”.

Knowledge of this Lineage helps us to trace back to our original identity beyond Ignorance. By saying that Ignorance does not have a cause, Vedanta is not being escapist in its approach. It is not hiding away from the problem. It is actually merely stating a logical fact. It is by facing the bare fact that Vedanta has established its credentials to provide the most flawless philosophical model to explain Reality.

Thus, the aim of a seeker is not to understand ignorance but to gain knowledge that will negate this ignorance. As we have seen, it’s futile to search for the cause of something illusory and hence even these explanations are only to ward off a seeker from searching the cause of ignorance.

Swami Chinmayananda in his commentary gives a beautiful example for this. The essence of the example is given below.

Keeping a burning gaslight on his head, one fool once walked the whole night through, trying to place the light at some place where there is darkness

Seeking the root of ignorance is as futile as holding a lamp and searching place of darkness.

Thus, seekers need not try to understand and experience ignorance. The aim of a seeker’s very existence is to realize the ever glowing lamp on his forehead, the KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF, the SATHYA JYOTHI, THE JNANA JYOTHI, THE PREMA JYOTHI, THE ANANDA JYOTHI!!!

The final outcome of these three verses is to teach us what the Self is NOT. Hence, we can now once again go back to the discussion of what SELF is.

Love.