Tom: I recently received, and began reading, The Essence of Enlightenment.
I seek knowledge and understanding.
Thank you in advance ….
[Context] P. 32:
“Vedanta is the knowledge of three orders of the one nondual reality: (1) pure awareness with [Footnoted: Isvara] and without [Footnoted: Paramatma] the capacity to create ….”
“The third aspect of Vedanta is pure consciousness with and without its capacity to create objects. It is called Isvara in our tradition ….”
It seems that the first sentence identifies Isvara as pure awareness with the exclusive capacity to create — absent the lack of such capacity
Sundari: Good for you. Yes, correct.
Tim: It seems that the second sentence identifies Isvara as both with and without the capacity to create ….
Sundari: Yes, correct. See below
Tom: It is initially confusing for me to consider only two qualities, and that Isvara is identified as only one of them, and as both.
Sundari: There are only two things in existence, or two orders of reality: ‘Pure’ Awareness, also called satya, defined as that which is always present and unchanging, and the objects that appear in it, also called mithya – defined as that which is not always present and always changing. Meaning, everything other than the Self, pure Awareness.
But, this is a nondual reality, which means there is actually only one principle operating. The two aforementioned orders of reality never meet because the latter, mithya, can be negated by satya. If you can negate something, it does not qualify as real. This is where all the teaching of Vedanta takes place.
Though we can experience the creation (body/mind/field of experience), Pure Awareness does not and cannot create because to do so, it would have to become something other than itself, which is impossible. It seems like a both/and, but it’s not. Nonduality means nothing other than and for Self-knowledge to assimilate, we must negate mithya.
When Maya (beginningless ignorance), which is a principle in Awareness  seemingly allows for the Self/Awareness  to not know itself (which is actually impossible) appears, a creation appears. This creation denotes a creative principle, which is the Self in the ‘role’ of creator (Isvara), with the power to create. But we know that the Self cannot create, being nondual. So what gives? (This is a head scratcher, at first. Stick with it. All doubts that the teachings of Vedanta raises are answered by the teachings).
Vedanta provisionally accepts duality – as in the cause and effect prakriya, but only as a preliminary teaching. It has to do so because most people who come to Vedanta are still programmed by duality, mithya or ignorance. So it meets the inquirer where they are at, explaining who and what the person and the creation is, how it comes about, what governs it, and how to negate it.
Vedanta is a progressive teaching which gradually takes the inquirer from the cause and effect to the non-origination teaching, which negates the cause and effect teaching with the fundamental and unexamined logic of existence:
How can Sat, nonduality, be the basis of the material creation if it is non-dual Awareness? Nondual means nothing other than. The material creation is not material. It is a projection caused by Maya, which is not the same OR not different from Sat, Existence/Awareness. You can’t get something out of something that is incapable of modification. Sat is not the cause of anything. How could it be? If it was, it would not be non-dual. But it is understanding the meaning of ‘not the same and not different’ that is the hard part of nonduality.
Nonduality is very subtle, which is why qualifications, being properly taught and very dedicated to self-inquiry, are essential. You cannot read your way to nonduality without a teacher because your ignorance, or personal filters, will more than likely be in the way. It is a good thing that you wrote to us as we can help you resolve your doubts.
Tom: Is there a deeper awareness, which I am missing, to explain how Isvara being both does not invalidate the exclusiveness in the first identification? Thank you again for your patient tolerance and consideration of expressed ignorance.
Sundari: No, there is no ‘deeper’ Awareness because that would denote duality. How can there be two awarenesses in a nondual reality? However, the confusion Maya creates is hard to cut through because it appears so convincing. There is only one reality, but thanks to the hypnosis of duality, it seems to turn the subject (Pure Awareness/satya) into an object (mithya), which you can gain. This is why people chase ‘enlightenment’, because they think it’s a ‘special’ status or experience. When it is plain and simply who you really are. How can you gain what you already have? What you need are new specs to correct your vision – nondual specs.
This is why most teachings available for genuine inquirers are flawed – they do not have a valid and independent means of knowledge to (1) explain what duality/mithya is with reference to nonduality/satya, and (2) to negate mithya entirely so that Self-knowledge assimilates. There is no way to make progress and assimilate the true meaning of the teachings (direct Self-knowledge) unless you can discriminate between the jiva (person) and Isvara (the field of experience/Isvara), with reference to Sat – pure Awareness/Self.
You have come to the right place if you are a true knowledge seeker. But if you are serious, you need to follow the instructions we give on our website as to what self-inquiry entails.
Feel free to write to us any time
Tom: Thank you! Your shared light aided my seeing. My confusion is gone.
I was not giving enough awareness to the significance or meaning of orders of the one nondual reality.
Sundari: I am glad your confusion is gone, Tom. It is not ‘my’ shared light that aided your ‘seeing’ as these teachings do not belong to me or anyone. They stand alone.
I am just a vehicle of delivery for them because I have been properly taught. You need to be, too.
Remember that seeing is one thing, and a great start. But assimilation is quite another.
If you really do understand and have assimilated:
(1) 100% what those two orders are, that in actual fact there are not actually, only seemingly two because this is a nondual reality and mithya is not real – meaning it can be negated;
(2) based on that knowledge can discriminate between the two of them 24/7 and at all times identify primarily with satya – nondual Awareness or the Self,
(3)Â and you are 100% seated in the knowledge that you as AWARENESS are the one that knows your personal (reflected) awareness, never confusing yourself with the jiva identity again,
That is called moksa.
But take note of the 24/7 and 100%. It’s easy to claim, but not easy to live. Beware of being too confident that you can work it all out on your own.
Om and prem
Sundari
