THE POWER OF DISCRIMINATION

The person is a consciousness centre labelled by imperfections such as limitation, birth, growth, change, decay, and death. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda lucidly states that thought is the objectified form of awareness. The higher the objectification, the denser the ignorance, and the more aggravating the suffering. Truth does not shine as brightly as it might because of the inner instruments, the obstructing psychological changes. Crossing the barrier of these restricting adjuncts appears to lead to a larger reality, better freedom, and a more fulfilling life. Every being has a shared desire-impulse to exist indefinitely, to know everything, to dominate everything, and to experience the greatest bliss. Despite individualised appetites that may attempt to hinder it, sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda underlines that every form of cogitation flows, propelled by an undetectable power that progresses towards the recognition of the indivisibility of existence and the discovery of oneself at the core of its experience. Every living being aspires to rest in the pleasant enjoyment of eternal life, and nothing less. 

According to the Upanishads, the ātman, or self, progresses from false to truth, apparent to actual, shadow to light, and perishable to eternal. From the unreal, lead me to the Real; from darkness, lead me to Light; from death, lead me to Immortality. —Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28)

But how does one go by? It is a simple yet fundamental one. A way to uncover oneself from the veil of ignorance and what finally remains is the true Self. Swami Chidananda succinctly puts it as “Get rid of these accretions. The moment you get rid of these accretions, you are what you are. You don’t have to become something. You are already That.” And to emphasise it: “You are That and That alone, and you are no other!” What a great truth! What a liberating truth! What a wonderfully strengthening truth! You will revel; you will rejoice in your eternally liberated, ever-free state. Brahma satyam jagan-mithya jivo-brahmaiva naparah. This is the truth, this is the fact. And this truth is an immediately liberating fact to which you have immediate access. Realise this and be free! The ultimate truth is Brahmān. Adi Shankaracharya asserts that the ultimate Truth is Brahmān (Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence, or Ultimate Reality) which is beyond time, space, and causation. Brahmān, according to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, transcends intellect, emotion, will, feeling, sense, ascertainment, name, shape, and action. While Brahmān is the efficient and material cause of the Cosmos, it is not limited by its own projection and extends beyond all binary opposites/dualities—particularly individuated aspects such as form and being—because it is incomprehensible to the human intellect. Transcending the mind is the path to realising atman, or the Self, which is a being's essence. Shankaracharya says: "Brahmān alone is real; the world is appearance; the Self is nothing but Brahmān."

1. Outline

The power of discrimination is the epicentre to make one conscious of his Self. It is to evolve one towards moksha, or liberation from the worldly entanglements, by discriminating between the real and the unreal. It is the supreme aim of life on earth, as per the Vedantic tradition. Adi Shankaracharya pioneers the concept of Viveka Chudamani (“The Crest Jewel of Discrimination”) to discriminate between the real and unreal, truth and untruth to realise the Self, a foundational step to experience Brahman, the Absolute Existence, or the Cosmic Self. Adi Shankaracharya boldly affirms Brahmān alone is real and all else is unreal. Adi Shankaracharya reaffirms the same in his Brahmasutra Bhashya. He outlines the steps a follower should follow:

 a) Nityanitya Vastuviveka, i.e., prudence to discriminate between what is real and what is unreal in the context of his adage, Brahma satyam jagan-mithya jivo-brahmaiva naparah.

b) Ihamutrartha bhoga viraga, i.e., the ability to give up all desires for enjoyment of objects here and hereafter.

c) Shamadamadi sadhanasampat, i.e., control of mind and senses. Sama is keeping the mind in the heart by Sādhana. Sama is restraint of the mind by not allowing it to externalise or objectify. The restraint of the external activities and the Indriyas is the practice of Dama (Bahyavritti-nirodha). It is to be followed by qualities like vairagya, or detachment; titiksha, or forbearance; equanimity, patience, power of concentration, etc.

d) Mumukshutva—ardent desire for liberation.

These are to be underlined by six-fold practices of body and mind to sustain the momentum towards the goal of moksha, or liberation.

a) Withdrawal of mind from the objects.

b) Withdrawal of senses and their objects.

c) Uparati—Withdrawal from the external objects.

d) Titiksha—Endurance in the binaries of opposites: heat, cold, happiness, distress, and so on.

e) Shradha—Faith in the supreme reality, Brahmān alone.

f) Samādhana—patience in everything until one reaches the goal of atma-jnana (Self knowledge).

The Ultimate reality is termed Brahmān, which is impersonal and absolute consciousness. Owing to avidya, it appears as Ishvara, Jiva, and the world. The true nature of Ishvara and Jiva is Brahmăn. The universe as such is indeterminable, either as real or as unreal. Ishvara can be ever realized. The jiva falsely identifies itself with the psychic and physical organisms, and being prompted by passion and hatred, it engages, is prescribed, and is interdicted in the scriptures and undergoes transmigration.

The one who distinguishes between the Real and the unreal, whose mind is turned away from the unreal, who possesses tranquilly and the related virtues, and who desires Liberation is considered the only one eligible to question Brahmān. In this regard, sages have spoken of four modes of accomplishment, each of which is necessary for devotion to Brahmān to succeed and without which it fails. The first is enumerated discrimination between the Real and the unreal. The second is an aversion to enjoying the fruits of one's actions both now and in the future. Third, a firm conviction in the mind that Brahmān is real and the universe is unreal. Fourth, this is referred to as discrimination (Viveka) between the Real and the unreal.

2. Scriptures

Brahmān is the Absolute Existence, or Ultimate Reality, so proclaims the Rig Veda (1.164.46):

indram mitraṃ varuṇam agnim āhur atho divyaḥ sa suparṇo garutmān |

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanty agniṃ yamam mātariśvānam āhuḥ ||

They have styled (him, the Sun), Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is the celestial, well-winged Garutmat, the One Being the wise, diversely speaks of Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.

A similar aphoristic assertion by Adi Shankaracharya, brahma satyam jaganmithyA jIvo brahmaiva nAparah anena vedyam sacchAstram iti vedAntaDiNDimah (Brahma Jnanavali Mala, 20)

Brahmān is real; the universe is mithya (it cannot be categorised as either real or unreal). The jiva is Brahmān itself and not different. This should be understood as the correct SAstra (scriptures). This is proclaimed by Vedanta. Chandogya Upanishad (6.2.1) maintains that before this world was manifest, there was only existence, one without a second. On this subject, some maintain that before this world was manifest, there was only non-existence, one without a second. Out of that non-existence, existence emerged.

Brahmān is complete, all-pervading like the ether, without a break, and unconditioned, states Brihadāranyaka Upanishad (5.1.1).

oṃ | pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate | pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate || oṃ khaṃ brahma | khaṃ purāṇam; vāyuraṃ kham iti ha smāha kauravyāyaṇīputraḥ; vedo'yaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ; vedainena yadveditavyam || 1 || iti prathamaṃ brāhmaṇam ||

It says that Brahmān is infinite, and this universe is infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Then, taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahmān alone. That Brahmān which is immediate and direct, the Self that is within all, unconditioned, beyond hunger, etc., and is described as ‘Not this, not this,’ and the realisation of which is the sole means of immortality. The Brihadāranyaka Upanishad (2.1.20) goes on to affirm that It is "Being of being.” It says, as a spider moves along the thread (it produces), and as from a fire tiny sparks fly in all directions, so from this Self emanate all organs, all worlds, all gods and all beings. Its secret name (Upaniṣad) is ‘the Truth of truth.’ The vital force is truth, and It is the truth of that.

The power to discriminate between the Real and unreal germinates in knowledge.As a kindled fire reduces wood to ashes, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita proclaims, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions from material activities.

yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā (B.G. 4.37)

According to the Bhagavad Gita, knowledge is highest science and the most profound of all secrets. But for those, in accordance to the Gita, whose ignorance has been removed by divine awareness, the Supreme Entity is revealed, just as the sun illuminates everything when it rises.

The Mahāvākyas, or the Great Sayings give approximate definitions of Absolute Existence, or Ultimate Reality.

(i) “Prajñānam Brahma,” Aitareya Upanishad (3.3), Rig Veda, refers to "Consciousness is Brahmān;"

(ii) “Ayam Ātmā Brahma,” Mandukya Upanishad (1.2), Atharva Veda, refers to "This Self (Ātman) is Brahman;"

(iii) “Tat Tvam Asi,” Chāndogya Upanishad (6.8.7), Sāma Veda, refers to "Thou art That," and

(iv) “Aham Brahmāsmi,” Brihadāranyaka Upanishad (1.4.10), Śukla Yajur Veda, refers to “I am Brahmān.”

The only recourse to be taken is to admit the failure of the intellect in determining the nature of Reality and resort to negative propositions.

3. Remarks

According to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, an individual cannot know what is not an individual. He underlines that we cannot know what we do not own at our core. Our knowledge and experience are exclusive to ourselves. Every being is trapped within its own experience and cannot comprehend anything outside of itself. Knowing and being are identical. A thing cannot be known unless it already exists. Everything we see outside of ourselves is a reflection of our consciousness, and there is nothing that exists that is not ultimately our awareness. This extension of the subject to its sense objects is, nevertheless, psychological and metaphysical in the realm of relative individual consciousness.

-Asutosh Satpathy