by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 37
March. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 11

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

Now let us look at it from another viewpoint. Why we have this perpetual play of changes? How do the changes take place? Earlier we have discussed that change is an absolute necessity for the creation. Change means dissolution of one state and evolution of another state. Ordinary people understand it as death, destruction, dissolution etc. where as, it is a mere change of state for our benefit and for the universal benefit as well. Really speaking, if we consider our physical and gross identities, that physical identity is dying every moment and getting reborn every moment. Since evolution is my nature- and the nature of the entire creation as well- I am constantly discarding what is useless and inferior and am changing to what is useful and superior. I am under continuous change. The important truth here is that, if I do not change, there will be a halt to my development. ‘No change’ means ‘no further development’. Every death leads to another life, a vital necessity for me. It is so with everyone and everything in the creation. Sristi, sthiti and pralaya are thus merely different stages in this process. The cycle goes on.

And what causes these changes? As the science would tell us, changes are caused by interaction of forces, any kind of forces.

Who is the originator of these forces? It is the nature, which again has its source as Bramhan.

Why Bramhan does not get affected by these forces?

If Bramhan itself were acted upon by these forces, then forces can not themselves be controlled. It is not difficult to imagine what chaos that would create, what calamity. So we have a supreme controller the great niyantaa who though is the originator of these forces, remains unaffected by them witnessing and controlling all the changes that these forces bring. That controller, that niyantaa is Bramhan.

This brings sense to the creation, sense to all actions. And since all actions lead to evolution, Bramhan being changeless and fully conscious and in command, becomes the very cause of everyone's evolution. Bramhan is the primary cause of everyone's ascent in the spiritual ladder towards their final perfection, their goal.

Bramhan is the only one who is responsible for unwavering movement of every created being, towards its final goal of attaining perfection, mukti, nirvana, satchidananda what ever you may call. Towards this unqualified purpose whatever is required by anyone, whatever is necessary for everyone,

He alone fulfills all those needs:

Eko bahunaam yo vidadhaati kaamaan

He is the greatest friend that you and me have that will take us from unhappiness to bliss, from mortality to immortality, from ignorance to enlightenment. That is why we fervently pray to Bramhan, Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, mrtyur ma amrtiam gamaya. He is the only one who can grant us our desire from unhappiness to bliss, from mortality to immortality. He is Bramhan.

Having discussed this aspect of eternality of Bramhan, and the eternal identity of Bramhan as absolute bliss and the ever dynamism inherent in Him simultaneously, we move on to another beautiful Upanishad of ours, called Mundaka, and try to peep through some other windows that it opens for us.

But before we go straight to the discussion about Bramhan, as the Mundaka describes it, it will be wise to spend some time on a relative issue which springs from the first chapter of Mundaka, specifically the second section of the first Mundaka.

Let us do a little introspection.

In this series of our discussions, as you see, there are two sides involved. I am trying to tell you, what we should understand as Bramhan. You on your part, are trying to explore, what is Bramhan. There are two important questions we should ask ourselves. Firstly how competent am I, or for that matter how competent is any one who tries to give knowledge of Bramhan. Secondly how competent are you, or for that matter any one who ventures to understand Bramhan?. This is the classical question about any kind of daana or 'giving'. How competent is the giver who gives and how competent is the taker who takes?

Our intention is not to be critical about any one here. Please do not misunderstand. But the introspection is necessary if we have to be satisfied that we are not simply engaged in some kind of intellectual exercise only and wasting our time.

When I speak to you, explaining the Bramhan, please keep in mind that I am not doing this from the position of a teacher. I am as much a student as you are. We are all trying to unravel a certain mystery together, with joint efforts and without decrying each other.

We have taken that pledge in the beginning:

Sahaveeryam karavavahai

Tejasvinavadheetamastu, ma vidvisavahai.

So let us come back to our questions with this back ground. We are now engaged in gathering knowledge.

The first principle of adhyatma siksha or pursuit of Bramhan knowledge, is that it should be done without any exchange of worldly benefit. Any desire in mind, of whatever kind it may be, as the fruit of spiritual sadhana, defiles all efforts. Sadhana, to be effective, is to be done as an offering to Bramhan. Rewards will invariably come by the grace of the Lord. All that one should ask for is this grace and nothing but His grace. But if there is a tinge of expectation driving our sadhana, we will be simply wasting our time.

This is a very difficult concept to accept really. All of us are accustomed to think that if we do sadhana there awaits for us great benefits. Yet our philosophy tells us to first remove any kind of expectations of mind and then proceed with sadhana.

If I am engaged in this study to become a man of knowledge (jnani) or an authority on scriptures (shastri), it is a waste. If my aim is to have a good life of success and fame in this world, this is not the remedy. If I want to acquire this knowledge to become a revered guru or a teacher, Bramhan will remain far away from me.

Any body who says, 'come I will teach you adhyatma or true knowledge, is himself a fool, and the situation will be like " andhena eva niyamaanaa yathaah andhah " a blind leading another blind.

Even amongst the learners, only a juvenile mind will ever say "I know now"- krtaartha iti abhimanyanti baalaah.

So what do our seers and saints have done for us? They have simply said " come walk the path that I have walked. Listen to what have I said as inputs for your sadhana or tapasya. Then see for yourself the truth the way it is revealed to you."

The question is, who is the kind of person who is competent to say this? Who acquires such a status? How does one acquire the status to become a guide?

We get some answers to this from Mundaka itself.

Although the requirements mentioned are in the context of a teacher or a guru, they are equally applicable to all, the siddhas and the sadhakas, the learned ones as well as the learners. Because both are seekers of knowledge.

The knowledge -and here we are speaking of knowledge of Bramhan - can only be acquired by those who tapah shradheh ye hi upavishanti aranye and are shaantaa vidvamsah bhaikshyacaryaam carantah.