Introduction to Vedanta -Drig Drisya Viveka - Swami Sarvapriyanandaji's lecture in Vedanta society of southern California part 4

Swami Sarvapriyanandaji's lectures are available on youtube. These are just the my personal interpretations and transcriptions of his explanation of the text of Drig Drisya Viveka. Actual Copyright of the lecture belongs to Vedanta Society of Southern California.

Drig Drisya Viveka is a Vedantic test written by Vidyaranya Swami in 14th century AD. Its an introductory text on Vedanta.

The analogy that can be provided is that of a ball of iron and the glowing fire. The ball of iron gets heated by taking the heat from the glowing fire. This ball of iron is the body mind (ego/individuality) while the fire it catches is the reflected consciousness. The fire from which it derives the heat is the pure consciousness. The other analogy is that of a mirror and the image. The mind body (ego/individual) is the mirror while the reflection is the reflected consciousness or the jiva, the individual soul. The pure consciousness is reflected and appears as the reflected consciousness. 

The three relationships between ego or the individual and reflected consciousness or jiva, ego and the body and ego and the subtle body or mind are depicted here -

The relationship between ego and reflected consciousness is natural, if one is there the other will be there. As long as the limited "I" sense is there mind will borrow consciousness and illumine body and senses. The relationship severs with knowledge when we get over with the limited "I" sense and get to the real "I" - The real man vs. apparent man as in Swami Vivekananda's lecture.

The relationship between the ego and the body is born of karma. Vedanta says that because of the prarabdha or the karma that has started yielding fruits we have this body. once the body dies the relationship ends and the jiva transmigrates to assume another body, to do fresh karma based on past impressions or samskaras and experience the fruits of the new prarabdha. This cycle goes on till enlightenment dawns, and then there is no further embodiment. The subtle body dissolves in nature upon enlightenment (nature or the prakriti or the cause of origin which imparts the causal body, the thin blissful covering on the atman). The apparent "I" or the individual ego sense merges in the real "I", the sat-chit-ananda or existence-consciousness-bliss. 

The relationship between ego and pure consciousness is - NONE. As long as we have the limited ego sense, we cannot be pure consciousness. This is the bridge between dvaita & advaita i.e. duality and non duality. As long as we have body consciousness, as long as we are identified as limited ego sense, puny individuals, we are not the pure consciousness, not the sat-chit-ananda. The individual or reflected consciousness is separated by a barrier from the pure consciousness and that is the ego senses as narrated by Sri Ramakrishna in Gospels. With the down of the knowledge the I sense dissolves and the pure consciousness is realized. The pure consciousness is always there, only the barrier of ignorance, of I sense is broken. The infinite nature behind the finite reflected self is realized. When the sun rises the night of ignorance is over. The rope is seen as snake and not mistaken as rope anymore.