Introduction to Vedanta -Drig Drisya Viveka - Swami Sarvapriyanandaji's lecture in Vedanta society of southern California part 6

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 question may arise that if we are pure consciousness in reality what is that which thinks itself to be ignorant? Pure consciousness is never ignorant. How then are we forgetting our real nature?

The reflected consciousness is also known as chid-cchaya. There is no relationship between I sense and pure consciousness. The relationship which apparently exists is born out of error. Pure consciousness remains for ever, unending and unchanging. When the spiritual aspirant sees light, it is the light of the pure consciousness which is always shining. We are unable to see that light because our mind and senses are external focused. The subtle body with the reflected consciousness is called jiva. Individual jivas take up a body in mother's womb and is born. When it gives up the body it dies. However the jive as pure consciousness is neither born, nor dead, it only undergoes a series of experiences. The series of experience ends when the jiva realizes its Real Self, the pure consciousness. So we are ignorant as long as we forget who we are. Moment we realize, we break the bond forever.

An analogy given here is a series of buckets with different shapes and colours containing clear or muddy water of varying degrees. The same sun is reflected in each of them. The reflected sun together with the colour and contour of the bucket and the tardiness or clarity of water constitute an individual ego sense or jiva. It associates itself with the bucket contour or the water quality and thinks itself to be the bucket or the water. But all the while it is the sun outside that gets reflected. When the reflection knows itself to be the reflection of the sun outside, the association between reflection and the real sun breaks as there is no longer any reflection. The same sun of consciousness is reflected in millions of buckets of individual souls or jiva. There is only one pure consciousness that reflects in all water, whether muddy or clear, i.e. sinners or saints. This is also explained clearly in the 13th chapter of Gita where the Lord gives an idea of what kshetra or individual jiva is and who is a kshetragna or knower of the kshetra. He goes to say that there is ONLY ONE kshetragna, i.e the Lord Himself. He is the pure consciousness. Here dvaita or duality merges in advaita or non duality. 

Unless one is able to transcend the little individual self or the reflection, one cannot realize the pure consciousness. The pure consciousness is never an object, it cannot be known. It is self revealing - swayam prabha. The reflection thinks that I am muddy, or I am clear. For jiva suffering is the ultimate result of samsara or worldliness as Buddha said. Even the highest heavens are transitory and are therefore not the goals. The highest happiness in the world or the best of recognition is but transitory, they will end soon bringing in their wake misery. Vedanta says however that be in the world and experience it. Know it what it is for yourself. Once you have known it through and are tired of it and want something higher and better, then only your spiritual life will begin - that is called vairagyam or dispassion. This practical outlook is the difference between Buddhism and Vedanta.