THE DRAMA OF LIFE

The drama of life is central to the unfolding processes of the Samsāra Chakra (wheel of birth and death). Samsāra, itself, is an expansion of Māyā, the illusory power of Brahmān, the Supreme Being, or the Cosmic Self. The drama of life is found in the encirclement of Māyā. Since it is a drama, and it is neither real nor unreal. The Jiva, the living substance of a living being, unfolds its journey from inward, or subject, to outward, or object, depending on its elevatory priority fixation. The Jiva is only relatively real. Its individuality lasts only so long as it is subject to unreal Upadhis or limiting conditions due to Avidya. When Avidya, or ignorance, deludes it, the Jiva identifies itself with the body, mind, and senses. Avidya causes the Jiva to think, act, and enjoy itself. In reality it is not different from Brahmān or the Absolute. The Upanishads declare emphatically, "Tat Tvam Asi," or That Thou Art (Chandogya Upanishad, 6.8.7). The finest and subtlest things have Sat as their Self. That is the Truth, the Reality. We see all these forms before us. They are constantly changing. But what we cannot see—which is the essence of everything—does not change.  And that is our real identity. ‘That thou art’—this is the final message that Vedānta has to give. That self—that essence, that pure spirit—is our real identity. Like a bubble bursting into the ocean or a pot breaking into the universal ether, the Jiva, or empirical self, unites with Brahmān upon learning about Him. When knowledge dawns in it through the annihilation of Avidya, it liberates itself from its individuality and finitude, realising its essential Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) nature. It merges itself in the ocean of bliss. The river of life joins the ocean of existence. This is the Truth. The release from Samsāra means, according to Adi Sankaracharya, the absolute merging of the individual soul in Brahmān due to the dismissal of the erroneous notion that the soul is distinct from Brahmān. He says that Karma and Bhakti are means to Jnana, or knowledge, which is Moksha, or liberation. Ātman, or Self, is incontrovertible, the epicentre of the dynamics of subject and object, or inward and outward relationships. One is eternal and imperishable, and the other is transient and perishable.The notion of "I" is crucial to the existential narrative one experiences. The wrong way of seeing "I" as the body-mind-intellect system, according to Swami Sivananda, has three flaws: Avarana (veil), Vikshepa (distraction), and Mala (impurity). Karma Yoga is a practice that cleanses the mind of impurities via altruistic service. Worship, Upasana, Japa, and commitment should eliminate mental turmoil. The practice of Jnāna Yoga, encompassing the study of Vedic literature, inquiry, self-reflection, service to the Guru, and profound meditation, should dismantle the veil. Self-realisation is only attainable at that juncture.

1.      Outline

Life is a drama on a stage of Samsāra (of birth and death). Where people take birth, they perform their assigned role and go away (death) by making ways for others. Some make long-duration dramas, some of very short and medium durations. That way some leave certain marks and some simply fade away. The drama of life, proclaims sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, consists fundamentally of a succession of unfolding scenes, and no degree of worldly satisfaction appears sufficient to alleviate the incessant pain that arises from each failure to achieve one's objectives. It is because the world is a manifestation of Māyā, i.e. neither real nor unreal. Humanity's existence on Earth is characterised by an unending series of events, none of which seem to endure. The inevitability of suffering often follows earthly wealth, and it is only through numerous hardships that one realizes life is a barren expanse devoid of sustenance to alleviate one's hunger. There are instances when an enhancement in health or wealth, or any form of gain or profit, fails to elicit a sense of joy. In the anguish of pursuing ephemeral pleasures, humanity appears to perish momentarily, just to intermittently reclaim its identity, perpetuating this dismal cycle indefinitely. The tempest of life's upheavals engulfs him, torturing him with the insubstantial manifestations of his misguided perceptions. A multitude of life's burdens appears to weigh heavily on his frail shoulders as he sits despondently, pondering his uncertain future. Fear, desire, anxiety, and apprehension consume him perpetually. All things progress swiftly; they exist at one moment and cease to exist in the next. Individuals consistently want something unique and superior to their current possessions. This desire seems incessant and futile. Anxiety, irritation, hunger, and discontent are ubiquitous. All entities in the world face strife and pain. Youth fades like a fleeting flower, vitality wanes like a fragmented cloud, and physical beauty rapidly yields to the inevitability of death. All entities will cease to exist either today or tomorrow. No life will endure. The modern individual does not exist in the future. The pleasure centers of humanity mock him for his folly, and he acknowledges that everything he values is not worth the endeavor.  The individual conflates the allure of transient pleasures with the genuine fulfilment he desires in his pursuits, thus obstructing his escape from this dire predicament, despite the existence of a viable solution, as he is profoundly dissatisfied with his present circumstances and yearns for something beyond his comprehension. Does such a method genuinely exist? It lies in the alteration of circumstances, redirecting our investigation inside, changing attention from transient issues to those that provide more permanency, broader freedom, and deeper satisfaction. This intrinsic quest for the eternal signifies humanity's advancement toward truth, which epitomises immutable existence.  Swami Krishnananda brusquely says that human nature drives individuals to seek happiness; nonetheless, the pleasure obtained from their efforts is fundamentally ephemeral.

2.      Scriptures

The Vedic scriptures proclaim one indivisible essence of life. Sage Ghora in the Chandogya Upanishad (3.17.6) teaches this Truth to Sri Krishna that “You never decay, you never change, and you are the essence of life.”  

The Mahāvākyas (Great Sayings) succinctly say Reality is one, that may be: (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 Brahmān;" (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 Chandogya Upanishad (3.17.4) describes life as a celebration whose Dakshinā (gifts, payment) is moral conduct and ethical precepts that include austerity, charity, straightforwardness, nonviolence, and truthfulness. These virtues such as austerity and charity, among others, provide additional benefits beyond what one gains from living a life of sacrifice. These moral qualities and the way one lives both contribute much to the growth of one's religious life. According to Adi Shankaracharya, the Jiva possesses only relative reality. Only when illusory Upadhis or limiting circumstances arising from Avidya constrict it does its individuality persist. When Avidya, or ignorance, misleads the Jiva, it associates itself with the body, intellect, and senses. It perceives, operates, and derives pleasure due to Avidya. In essence, it is indistinguishable from Brahmān or the Absolute. The Upanishads assert unequivocally: "Aham Brahmāsmi," meaning "I am Brahmān." Similar to how a bubble merges with the ocean upon bursting and how pot-ether integrates with universal ether when the pot is shattered, the Jiva, or living substance of a living being, unites with Brahmān upon acquiring awareness of Brahmān. When knowledge emerges through the obliteration of Avidya, it transcends individualism and limitation, recognising its fundamental Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) essence. It integrates into the ocean of ecstasy. The river of life converges with the ocean of existence. This is the veracity. This is the Truth.

3.   Remarks

Human existence is a continuous process of knowledge acquisition, contends  sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda. All knowledge necessitates a subject or knower whose relationship to an object reveals it.  We cannot question the existence of the knower in an act of knowing, as knowledge cannot exist without a knower, and experience cannot exist without knowledge. Consciousness accompanies diverse forms of experience in life. The topic or the knower invariably connects to consciousness. Life's actions demonstrate that individuals deliberately and willingly act due to the pleasures experienced as a result. An action constitutes a transformation of a being from one state to another, resulting from the individual's incapacity to remain indefinitely in any specific condition. Inherently, all activities, whether mental or physical, aim to manifest one or more aspects of the not-self. The inability to suppress conscious behaviour suggests a profound and enduring relationship between subjective consciousness and objective reality. The fact that the vaster the subjective form contained in the self's relations and the nearer it is to the self, the higher is the intensity of consciousness and happiness experienced by the self, leads the way to the actual nature of Reality. The pinnacle of knowledge and happiness is consequently the outcome of a self-unification of existence inside consciousness. This equates to the collapse of the not-self within an all-encompassing Self, resulting in the vanishing of objectivity in self-identical awareness.

-Asutosh Satpathy