NON-DUALITY
Ramana Maharshi gave a translation in Tamil of Gaudapada’s Māṇḍūkya Upanishad Karika, chapter two, verse thirty-two:
"There is no creation, no destruction, no bondage, no longing to be freed from bondage, no striving to be free [from bondage], nor anyone who has attained [freedom from bondage]. Know that this is the ultimate truth."
Ajata - Not a teaching, cannot be taught
No world, no appearance - nothing has come into existence and hence, nothing ever happens!
Ramana- The truth is that the world appears as a passing shadow in a flood of light
Vedanta states that the cosmos springs into view simultaneously with the seer. There is no detailed process of creation.
It is quite similar to creations in a dream where the experiencer springs up simultaneously with the objects of experience.
This echos quantum mechanics in that things don't exist unless observed or measured by a conscious observer.
"There is no creation, no destruction, no bondage, no longing to be freed from bondage, no striving to be free [from bondage], nor anyone who has attained [freedom from bondage]. Know that this is the ultimate truth."
Ajata - Not a teaching, cannot be taught
No world, no appearance - nothing has come into existence and hence, nothing ever happens!
Ramana- The truth is that the world appears as a passing shadow in a flood of light
Vedanta states that the cosmos springs into view simultaneously with the seer. There is no detailed process of creation.
It is quite similar to creations in a dream where the experiencer springs up simultaneously with the objects of experience.
This echos quantum mechanics in that things don't exist unless observed or measured by a conscious observer.
Gaudapada's doctrine of no origination is one of the core teachings of Non-duality. In a nutshell, Ultimate Reality is unborn, no birth and no death it has no beginning and no end. ANYTHING, whether an object, state, knowing or experience that has a beginning or an end is ultimately not real, and only an appearance. So seek that which is unborn, your Original Face before your parents were born, the True Self, which is always and forever one with God, one with Brahman, one with All!
I felt a deep communion with Gaudapada one day, sensing I have known him before, and meditating on his name, image and teachings, chant emerged from my being, with each being said 3 times. It was a powerful experience, and I like to repeat this several times daily. So simply and so profound! All is Brahman! Know the Self! Thou art That!
I felt a deep communion with Gaudapada one day, sensing I have known him before, and meditating on his name, image and teachings, chant emerged from my being, with each being said 3 times. It was a powerful experience, and I like to repeat this several times daily. So simply and so profound! All is Brahman! Know the Self! Thou art That!
Know the Self!
Know the Self! Know the Self! |
All is Brahman!
All is Brahman! All is Brahman! |
Thou art That!
Thou art That! Thou art That! |
The True Self/Atman is Not 2 with God/Brahman. It is Unborn, Infinite, Eternal, Perfect & Whole. It manifests as both Boundless Freedom & Unconditional Love, the Great Masculine (Shiva) and Feminine (Shakti) Respectively not as 2, but forever joined in the Great Mystery of Existence!
Ajātivāda: The Doctrine of No-Origination or Non-Origination (or Non-Production)
Ajātivāda is the fundamental philosophical doctrine of the Advaita Vedanta philosopher Gaudapada. According to Gaudapada, the Absolute is not subject to birth, change and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal. The empirical world of appearances is considered unreal, and not absolutely existent.
Gaudapada's perspective is based on the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad, applying the philosophical concept of "ajāta" to the inquiry of Brahman showing that Brahman wholly transcends the conventional understanding of being and becoming.
Ajātivāda:
"A" means "not", or "non" as in Ahimsa, non-harm
"Jāti" means "birth," "creation" or "origination; it may refer to physical birth, but also to the arising of mental phenomena
"Vāda" means "doctrine"
Note: Gaudapada borrowed the concept of "ajāta" from Nagarjurna's Madhyamaka philosophy. The Buddhist tradition usually uses the term anutpāda for the absence of an origin or śūnyatā.
Anutpāda:
"An" also means "not", or "non"
"Utpāda" means "genesis", "coming forth", "birth"
Ajātivāda is the fundamental philosophical doctrine of the Advaita Vedanta philosopher Gaudapada. According to Gaudapada, the Absolute is not subject to birth, change and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal. The empirical world of appearances is considered unreal, and not absolutely existent.
Gaudapada's perspective is based on the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad, applying the philosophical concept of "ajāta" to the inquiry of Brahman showing that Brahman wholly transcends the conventional understanding of being and becoming.
Ajātivāda:
"A" means "not", or "non" as in Ahimsa, non-harm
"Jāti" means "birth," "creation" or "origination; it may refer to physical birth, but also to the arising of mental phenomena
"Vāda" means "doctrine"
Note: Gaudapada borrowed the concept of "ajāta" from Nagarjurna's Madhyamaka philosophy. The Buddhist tradition usually uses the term anutpāda for the absence of an origin or śūnyatā.
Anutpāda:
"An" also means "not", or "non"
"Utpāda" means "genesis", "coming forth", "birth"
"Ajātivāda" is the fundamental philosophical doctrine of Gaudapada. According to Gaudapada, the Absolute or Self is not subject to birth, change and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal. The empirical world of appearances is considered Maya (unreal as it is transitory), and not absolutely existent.
According to Gaudapada, Brahman cannot undergo alteration, so the phenomenal world cannot arise independently from Brahman. If the world cannot arise, yet is an empirical fact, then the world has to be an unreal (transitory) appearance of Brahman. And if the phenomenal world is a transitory appearance, then there is no real origination or destruction, only apparent origination or destruction. From the level of ultimate truth (paramārthatā) the phenomenal world is māyā, "illusion", apparently existing but ultimately not real.
When the mind does not lie low, and is not again tossed about, then that being without movement, and not presenting any appearance, culminates into Brahman. Resting in itself, calm, with Nirvana, indescribable, highest happiness, unborn and one with the unborn knowable, omniscient they say. No creature whatever is born, no origination of it exists or takes place. This is that highest truth where nothing whatever is born.
— Gaudapada Karika, 3.46-48, Translated by RD Karmarkar
Acknowledgeing the strong Buddhist influences, but arguing for the need of an "unchangeable permanent reality," Karmakar opinions that the ajātivāda of Gaudhapada has nothing in common with the Sūnyavāda concept in Buddhism. While the language of Gaudapada is undeniably similar to those found in Mahayana Buddhism, Coman states that their perspective is different because unlike Buddhism, Gaudapada is relying on the premise of "Brahman, Atman or Turiya" exists and is the nature of absolute reality not Sunya or Emptiness. Or states another way the Buddhist Idea of Impermanence seems at odds with the absolute Permanence of Brahman.
Unifying the Idea of Self/Atman with No Self or Anatman AND Brahman (& Permenance) with Sunya (& Impermenance) is the hurdle between the unification of all Nondual traditions. A hurdle that as we'll see CAN be overcome!
Ma's Prakash
Ramana on Spontaneous Creation - End of "Talks"
Observer Effect, Consciousness constantly creating - Cause and Effect is an illusion
Unifying the Idea of Self/Atman with No Self or Anatman AND Brahman (& Permenance) with Sunya (& Impermenance) is the hurdle between the unification of all Nondual traditions. A hurdle that as we'll see CAN be overcome!
Ma's Prakash
Ramana on Spontaneous Creation - End of "Talks"
Observer Effect, Consciousness constantly creating - Cause and Effect is an illusion