Hi Sundari,
I have been inquiring or rather inquiring has been going on in my mind and a thought occurred about God or Isvara. Isvara as awareness manifested is a partless whole,
Sundari: Thank you Andy. Your statement is essentially correct, with one problem. Isvara as Pure Awareness is always present, unchanging, unborn and eternal. As such, Awareness is never not manifest ; your statement suggests otherwise. Isvara is pure Awareness ‘wielding’ Maya, that which makes the partless whole appear to be many parts, and appear to be changing. Maya is not always manifest, and when it appears, Isvara ‘in the role’ of creator manifests, and the world of multiple forms appears.
This is a tricky point, and central to discriminating satya, Pure Awareness, that which is always present, from mithya, Isvara in the role of creator and the creation. As you know, reality is nondual, and duality is merely a superimposition onto it caused by Maya. Under the spell of Maya, both Isvara and the creation (jiva/Jagat) have an apparent existence, but they can both be negated as only not actually real. Which leaves only Pure Awareness, unaffected by and unaware that there ever was Isvara in the role of creator, or a creation, for that matter.
Andy: It is we in our ignorance who separates this beautiful partless whole into apparent parts, such as hands, arms, feet etcetera etc. Is this a fair assessment? I feel that it is, although I may be incorrect?
Sundari Who does the ‘we’ refer to? I take it you mean the jiva under the spell of Maya. When Maya, the hypnosis of duality, covers the mind of the jiva with personal ignorance (avidya), it seems to make the Self ignorant of its eternal unborn nature. Thus, such a mind identifies with the body/mind, takes its personal identity as the limited jiva or egoic entity, to be real. Under the spell of Maya, the jiva relates to its environment as a duality, and separate from all ‘other’ forms. Thus the partless whole seems to appear as many parts.
Andy: No object can exist apart from the thought of it and the thought is merely me, Awareness, appearing “out there” as a name and form a function.
Sundari: Correct. Except that as the Self, there is no ‘out there’ as there is no ‘there’ because there is nowhere you, Awareness, are not. When Self-knowledge has removed the hypnosis of duality, you as a jiva still experience the world as a seeming duality made of many parts, but you are no longer fooled by it. The question is always about discrimination between satya and mithya.
Andy: Isvara being only a principle is silent and is always there as a whole and complete never demanding anything of us as it – Awareness – sees us as non-separate or “identical” to it in every way.
Sundari: Yes. Isvara in the correct context of the nondual teachings is not a person, so you cannot say that it is ‘silent’. Isvara is the impersonal Total Mind, and as such, controls the dharmafield. As a principle, Isvara in the role of creator, is karma phala datta – the provider of all karma, personal and universal. The dharmafield is run by natural laws which all life is subject to. Isvara is never involved in the creation.
The tricky part in understanding this teaching is Awareness does not ‘cause’ Isvara. Isvara in association with Maya, Beautiful Intelligent Ignorance, is not an effect but it is a cause with reference to the creation. There is a connection from the point of view of the jiva, but not from the Self. There is only one Awareness out of which everything arises and depends upon, but Awareness is always free of the objects. Awareness is adjata, unborn.
Vedanta is the path of the unborn, because it reveals that although there appears to be a creation, nothing ever really happened, from Awareness’ point of view. All objects are made up of Awareness and dissolve back into Awareness in that they appear in the mind and the mind appears in Awareness. The mind/jiva (Subtle Body) like all objects is an object known to you, Awareness. The thoughts that appear in the mind belong to the gunas: Isvara.
Andy: It is our avidya as the names and forms which separate reality into bits ‘n’ pieces of ignorance and/or information and we then come to grief. Life is of the nature of a simple space-like whole and complete existence shining as awareness. The bracelets, and the rings and so on and so forth are there only so we can enjoy the dream and not be confused. However woe betide anyone who takes the names and forms at face value. Is this right?
Sundari: Yes, the hypnosis of duality is the source of all suffering, as you know. As stated, discrimination between satya and mithya is the essence of inquiry, and another word from moksa.
Om and prem
Sundari
