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A Compendium of the Raja Yoga Philosophy - Sankaracarya, 1888 - Complete Book

English

The prdnamaya, being the modification of life-breath and the comer and goer, in and out, like air-currents, is also not the dtina, because it cannot by itself discriminate between good and evil, or the real self aud another, it is always depen dent on another (the self). 170. The organs of sensation together with the manas form the manomaya sheath which is the cause (hetu) of the differ entiation between I and mine ; it is the result of ignorance, it fills the former sheath and it manifests its great power by dis tinguishing objects by names, etc. 171. The fire of the manomaya sheath, fed with objects as if with streams of melted butter by the five senses like five Hotris*, and blazing with the fuel of manifold desires, burns this body, made of five elements. 172. There is avidyd besides the manas. Mnat* itself is the avidyd, the instrument for the production of the bondage of conditioned existence. "When that (avidya) is destroyed, all is destroyed, and when that is manifested, all is manifested.*)- 173. In dream, when there is no substantial reality, one en ters a world of enjoyment by the power of the manas. So it is in waking life; without any difference, all this is the manifesta tion of the manas.l 174. All know that when the manas is merged in the state of dreamless slumber nothing remains. Hence the contents of * Priests offering oblations to the fire. t Manas being the organ of doubt or the production of multiplicity of con cepts in relation to one and the same objective reality, is here taken to be the same as avidyd. The buddhi determines these manas born concepts as real and through the ahankara specialises them by an association with the true ego. Thus is the world of illusions produced. It will now be seen that if the manas attains tranquillity, the world of illusions is destroyed. For then the buddhi having no hypothetical concepts with regard to the one objective reality to deal with, reflects that reality and the ahan/cara is destroyed by the destruction of its limitations, and becomes merged in the absolute self. £ See Mr. Keightley's Synopsis of Du Prel's " Philosophic der Mystik."— Theoso2)hii>t, Vol. VI— for the psychology of dreams. ( 126 ) our consciousness are created by the manas and have no real existence. 175. Cloud collects by the wind* and is again dispersed by the wind ; bondage is created by the manas, and emancipation is also produced by it. 176. Having produced attachment to the body and all other objects, it thus binds the individual as an animal is bound by a rope, afterwards having produced aversion to these as if to poison, that manas itself frees him from bondage. 177. Therefore the manas is the cause of the bondage of this individual and also of its liberation. The manas when stained by passion is the cause of bondage, and of liberation when pure devoid of passion and ignorance. 178. When discrimination and dispassion predominate, the manas having attained purity becomes fit for liberation, theie- fore these two (attributes) of a man desirous of liberation and possessed of buddhi, must at the outset be strengthened. 179. In the forest land of objects wanders the great tiger named manas, pure men desirous of liberation, do not go there. 180. The manas, through the gross body and the subtle body of the enjoyer, creates objects of desire and perpetually produces differences of body, case, condition, and race all results of the action of the qualities. 181. The manas having'^clouded over the absolute conscious ness which is without attachment, it acquires notions of " I>; and " mine," and through attachment to the body, organs, and life, wanders ceaselessly in the enjoyment of the fruit of his actions. 182. By ascribing the qualities of the atmd to that which is not atma is created (the series of incarnations). This as- * The word translated wind includes the atmosphere, together with its moiiture and currents. ( 127 ) cription is produced by the manas, which is the primary cause of birth, suffering etc. in a man devoid of discrimination and tainted by rajas and tamos. 1S3. Therefore learned men who have seen the truth call the man-as avidya. by which the universe is made to wander as the clouds are by the wind. 184. For this reason pains should bo taken to purify the manas by one desirous of liberation. It being purified, liberation is at hand. 185. Through the sole desire of liberation having rooted out attachment to objects and renounced personal interest in action; with reverential purity, he who is devoted to study (sravana) and the rest, shakes off mental passion. 186. Even the manomaya (sheath) is not the supreme ego on account of its having beginning and end, its modificable nature, its pain-giving characteristics, and by reason of its be ing objective. It is not seen by that which is itself seen (or objective) for it is the seer (or subject), 187. Th&buddhi with its functions and combined with the organs of perception becomes the viynanamaya sheath whose characteristic is action and which is the cause of the revolution of births and deaths. 188. The modification of prakriti (to-gether with) the power accompanying chita pratibiniba (jiva or monad) is called vig- nanamaya the atma, and is possessed of the faculties of cog nition and action,* and its function is to specialise the body, organs and the rest as the ego. 189. This (ego) having no beginning in time is the jiva or monad. It is the guide of all actions, and governed by previ ous desires, produces actions, righteous and unrighteous and their consequences. * For explanation of gnanasakti (faculty of cognition) and kriyasakti (faculty •f action) sefc Five years of Theosophy, pp, 110—1. ( 128 ) 190. It gathers experience by wandering thro ugh various grades of incarnation* and [comes below and goes abovet It is to this viyndnamaya that belongs the pleasure and pain, per taining to waking, dreaming and the other conditions. 191. Pre-eminently illumined by the light (of the Logos) on account of its close proximity to the Paratma (the Logos) the vlfjndnamaya sheath which produces the difference between " I" and "mine" and all actions pertaining to different stages of life and condition becomes its upadhi (objective basis) when jiva passes from one existence to another through igno rance. 192. This clothed in the viyndnamaya sheath shines in the vital breaths (subtle currents of the sukskmasarira) and in the hearti This atraa acting on Kidhastha (mulapralcriti) and manifesting in this upadhi appears to be the actor and enjoyer. 193. Being limited by (buddhi) (intellect) the atma though pervading all appears different (from other objects) through the illusive nature (the ego), just as the water-jar and the rest (appear different) from the earth. 194. Pardtma by reason of connection with an objective basis, appears to partake of the attributes (of this upadhi) just as the formless fire seems to partake of the form of the iron (in which it inheres). The atiua is, by its very nature, essentially unchangeable. The pupil said. 195. Whether through ignorance or any other cause, the atma invariably appears as jiva (higher portion of fifth prin ciple) ; this upadhi, having no beginning, its end cannot be lm agined. * Such as animal, human, etc. •^Objective and subjective conditions. £ The seat of abstract thought. ( 129 ) 196. Hence the connection of the atma wiikjiva does not seem to be terminable, and its conditioned life appears to be eternal, then tell me, 0 blessed Master, how there can be libe ration ? The blessed teacher said : — 197. O wise man : you have asked rightly. Now, listen carefully. The illusive fancies arising from error are not con clusive. 198. Without error truly the afona, the independent and non-acting, and formless cannnot be connected with objects, just as blue colour is attributed to the sky (on account of our limited vision.) 199. The seer of the self (pratyagattna), being without action, without attributes, is knowledge and bliss. Through the error (caused by) buddhl it appears conditioned (connected with jiva) but this is not so. When this error is dispelled, it no longer exists, hence it is unreal by nature. 200.