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By Todd F. Reinhard
When discussing ultimate spiritual topics, it is necessary to keep in
mind at all
times that words and concepts do not suffice. Any attempt we
make to describe the transcendental is ultimately futile, for the
boundless cannot be encapsulated within a concept, a word, a name, or a
form. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that human beings from time
immemorial have attempted to wrap their minds around and to articulate
the nature of some "thing" beyond their human natures-some
"thing" that transcends the psycho-physical entity which they
regard as "themselves". This vain striving to capture the
"truth", to make the infinite finite, is a reflection of our
spiritual nature. Indeed, we can label this quest for ultimate knowledge
as "science", or we can call it "religion", but
regardless of what we call it, it is spiritual. Some may argue that it
is not a spiritual quality, but rather an intellectual quality of
humanity that compels one to verbally describe ultimate principles. This
is a typical Western philosophical stance, since it is common for the
Westerner to equate the "soul", or transcendental entity or
principle, with the "mind". (It is of interest to note that
the word "Psychology", which has been defined in the West as
the "Study of Mind", literally means "Study of the
Soul"; this indicates that the mind and soul are perceived as one
in the same in the West.) The Indian Vedantin, however, with razor-sharp
intellect, vehemently denies that the mind is the transcendental
principle; for him, the mind is but a gross entity emanating from and
controlled by subtler and subtler entities-the most subtle of all being
the Atman, the TRUE SELF, the WITNESS (Sakshi).
According to the Advaitist Vedantin, the true spiritual aspirant must
eventually become intimately familiar with the workings of his
"inner equipment". He must first hear of it, then rigorously
contemplate upon it, and then, through meditation, use the equipment to
overcome the equipment. This is the science of Vrtti Jnana, or
"Ripple (Emanation) Knowledge". To understand this science,
one must first understand that the Atman is regarded as Absolute; it is
timeless, spaceless, causeless, changeless, and infinite; it is the
Sakshi, or "Witness". It is Pure Consciousness. It is the
substratum for all phenomenal motion and action, whether physical or
psychological. The phenomenal motions and actions themselves are
referred to as "vrttis", or "ripples". All of these
ripples emanate from the Sakshi, the most subtle of all subtleties. The
Antahkarana is likened to a ray that consists of four aspects, which
emerge when the Sakshi (Atman) expresses: 1) Ahamkara (the ego), 2)
Chitta (roughly translated as the "subconscious"), 3) Buddhi
(the intellect), and 4) Manas (the mind). It is more useful to think of
these aspects in terms of their functions than in terms of distinct
entities, for in truth, there is no independent substance to any of
them. They arise together and coexist in the phenomenal internal world,
so to speak. Nevertheless, for the sake of communication, we will speak
of them as if they are independent and arise sequentially.
The ahamkara is the first aspect of the Antahkarana to emerge when
the Sakshi (Atman) expresses. It is the subtle "limited
I-consciousness" and functions in two ways: 1) by Avarana, it veils
the Sakshi from which it has emerged, and 2) by Vikshepa, it projects as
something different from itself, expressing as cause (karana) and effect
(karya), or subject and object. Because of the ahamkara, during waking
consciousness (jagrati-sthata), we identify ourselves with our limited
body and minds and perceive a phenomenal universe of multiplicity.
During deep sleep (sushupti), vikshepa ceases, but the avarana persists.
The karya (effect) withdraws back into the karana (cause), the object
back into the subject. The ultimate "goal" of the practitioner
is to get behind this deceitful ahamkara and merge with the Sakshi, the
Real Self, the Real "I".
The Chitta is less subtle than the Ahamkara and is responsible for
remembering and forgetting. The forgetting process is called "Apohana",
and the process of recollection is called "Smrti". The Chitta
receives knowledge from the Buddhi (to be discussed next) and stores it.
The process of forgetting (apohana) is actually the taking of knowledge
from the front of consciousness and placing it in the background.
Remembrance (smrti) occurs when the information is taken from the
background and given back to the forefront.
The Buddhi is less subtle than either the Chitta or Ahamkara and is
responsible for making decisions and directing the Manas, the grossest
aspect of the Antahkarana. In short, the Manas works in conjunction with
the five sense organs (jnanendriya)-the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and
tongue-and serves as a plate upon which the impressions gathered by the
jnanendriya are imprinted. The Manas goes forth, as it were, collects
the impressions from the jnanendriya, sorts, and changes them into
concepts. The Manas then hands these concepts over to the Buddhi, which
subsequently rejects most of them. The concepts that the Buddhi keeps
comprise our knowledge. As already mentioned, the Buddhi then, through
the process of apohana, puts the knowledge into the background of
consciousness.
The Antahkarana can operate in two modes: 1) by the process of
abhijna, it can look outside and obtain external knowledge. This process
involves the gross coming out of the subtle, such as described above,
where the Manas evolves from the Ahamkara. 2) by the process of
pratyabhijna, it can turn inward and obtain Self knowledge. This process
involves the gross going back to the subtle, where the Manas involves to
the Ahamkara and ultimately to the Sakshi, the Atman.
As pointed out above, the purpose of Vrtti Jnana is to realize the
Sakshi (i.e. merge with the Witness), and this realization demands Mano
Nasa, the killing of the mind. (Here, the "mind" aspect is
synonymous with the Antahkarana gestalt.) However, the process of
killing that mind requires the concentrated use of that very mind-that
is, the mind kills itself. When that is accomplished, Pure Consciousness
alone exists, beyond all of the concepts, ripples, Vrttis just
described. The method is to merge all objects (the gross vrtiis) back
into the absolute subject, the Witness-that is, Pure Consciousness. To
do this, one must first make use of the Buddhi Vrtti to fully digest and
assimilate the material expounded here. She must then make use of the
Chitta Vrtti to REMEMBER. Once the Sakshi is located, all Vrttis
dissolve into it. With that, comes the experience of "Neti Neti"…"Not
this, Not this".
Suggested Further Reading
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