Introduction to Vedanta

145 Pages·2017·0.59 MB·English

by  Dr. K Sadananda

Introduction to Vedanta
Dr. K. Sadananda
Edited by Dennis Waite
Introduction to Vedanta
Copyright © 2017 by Dr. K. Sadananda All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the
publisher or the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

First Edition, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-0-9991704-0-3 Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0-9991704-2-7 Hardcover Library of Congress
Control Number: 2017947891

Publisher:
SRATH-VISUAL PRESS
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52402
United States

[email protected]

Note: Editing for publication has Americanized the original English version. If any errors crept in, it is to
be attributed to the publisher and not to the Editor of the original material.
Foreword
I first encountered Dr. Sadananda back around 1994. At that time, I was
actively researching Advaita via the Internet (the only source I had at the time)
and I found his article ‘Who is the Deep Sleeper I?’ on the Chinmayananda
website. It was so clear and helpful that, eventually, I had to write to him to ask
him several questions prompted by the article. Thus began a long association via
Internet discussion groups and emails, though we did also meet when he came
over to England for a conference.
He is a prolific writer, producing many series of articles and talks on
specific topics or scriptures as well as always being available to answer
questions posed by seekers. The only problem is that his typing cannot always
keep up with his bountiful flow of ideas so that, when I eventually asked if I
could publish some of his material on my website (www.advaita.org.uk), to
which of course he agreed immediately, I was also obliged to spend significant
time editing! But this was to my advantage! The editing process naturally
necessitated careful analysis of what had been written, so that it proved an
invaluable learning process also! This was especially the case with the series on
‘Knowledge.’ This is a commentary/elucidation of ‘Vedanta Paribhasa of
Dharmaraja Adhvarindra’ and, quite frankly, the original text is virtually
unreadable and extremely difficult to follow. There was simply no way I would
ever have followed the original, so Dr. Sadananda having done the principal
work already was extremely helpful!
The present series ‘An Introduction to Vedanta’ was originally serialized
on the Advaitin discussion group where it was justifiably well-received. As they
say in the advertising media: ‘it does what it says on the box.’ It covers all of the
material needed to introduce the subject to a new seeker, clarifying aspects that
could otherwise prove difficult or even dampen enthusiasm. He never talks down
to his listeners but speaks directly to them using everyday examples that resonate
immediately. No doubt he benefits from having been taught directly by Swami
Chinmayananda and more recently by many other teachers including Swami
Tejomayananda and Swami Paramarthananda, but his scientific background also
brings naturally clear reasoning ability to his analysis of the subject with the
result that he seems able to explain the most difficult topics.
Anyone looking for an overview of the essential teaching of Advaita could
not do better than to read this Introduction.
Dennis Waite
June 2017
Bournemouth , UK
Preface
This text “Introduction to Vedanta” took a form when my friend Dennis
Waite became a Chief-Moderator of the Advaitin list that started many years
ago. It is an open on-line forum for discussions on Advaita Vedanta. Many
questions were raised by those who wanted to know, and many people came
forward to answer these questions. When Dennis became the chief moderator, he
observed that questions from novices on Advaita Vedanta were somewhat
similar. He felt the need for introductory articles that clarify many concepts of
Advaita Vedanta and to help those who joined the list at a later time to look up
the article archives and get their answers. The series of essays compiled in this
book were written to fulfill that need. Dennis volunteered to edit them and also
post them on his website. Hence in a way, Dennis Waite is responsible for these
series of articles. I thank Shree Sethu Rathinam for coming forward to publish
these series in book form making it available for generations to come.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Dennis for his painstaking efforts
to edit the series, and Shree V. Ram Chandran, Prof. V. Krishnamurthy, Shree
Sunder Hattangadi, and all the Advaitin list moderators who were instrumental
in the formation and maintenance of the Advaitin list. They all provided
continuous interactions when these series of essays were being posted. Coming
from a science background, I had to examine the issues or topics discussed from
the rationalistic point of view. The series reflects that approach, which I follow
in all my writings. My interest in Vedanta has been inculcated and encouraged
first by my mother, then by my father who was a staunch follower of
Vishishtaadvaita philosophy, and later by many of my Vedantic teachers starting
from my Guru, Swami Chinmayananda. I bow down with reverential gratitude to
all my teachers who shaped my thinking. Finally, I have to thank my life
partner, my wife, Mrinalini, who is the embodiment of compassion and love, and
who taught me that love and compassion come first before logic.
I take this opportunity to offer these series of essays with reverential
attitude to all my teachers.

Hari Om!

Sadananda June 2017
Washington D.C., USA
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Part 1 – The Fundamental Questions
Part 2 – Search for Happiness
Part 3 – Questions about Religions and God
Part 4 – Belief that we are Mortal, Unhappy and Ignorant
Part 5 – You are Not what you take Yourself to be
Part 6 – Problem Definition
Part 7 – Vedanta as pramANa
Part 8 – shravaNa, manana and nididhyAsana
Part 9 – Experience versus Knowledge (How do I know I exist?)
Part 10 – Who am I or what am I not
Part 11 – Ego or ahaMkAra
Part 12 – All about the Universe
Part 13 – Creation according to Vedanta
Part 14 – Description of Brahman
Part 15 – Progressive Teaching Method: svarUpa lakShaNa
Part 16 – Carpets and Schrödinger's Cat
Part 17 – Attribute and Substantive
Part 18 – Does the World exist Independent of an Observer?
Part 19 – Brahman and the World
Part 20 – The Cognitive Process
Part 21 – Perception of the World
Part 22 – What does Negation involve?
Part 23 – Errors in Perception
Part 24 – adhyAsa or Error Superimposition
Part 25 – What is Real?
Part 26 – Transformation-less Transformation
Part 27 – The Mind of God
Part 28 – The Paradox of Space and Time
Part 29 – Living in the Present
Part 30 – Relationless Relation
Part 31 – Concept of Ishvara or God-Hood
Part 32 – Self realization or God realization
Part 33 – Self-Realization and the Attitude of the Mind
Part 34 – Consciousness and Reflected Consciousness
Part 35 – Conscious and Unconscious entities
Part 36 – Real Self and False Self
Part 37 – Transmigration of Soul
Part 38 - Witnessing consciousness and Reflected Consciousness
Part 39 - Analysis of Mind: Introduction Part I
Part 40 - Analysis of Mind: Introduction Part II
Part 41 - Mind and Matter Part I
Part 42 - Mind and Matter Part II
Part 43 - Classification of the Mind Part I
Part 44 - Classification of the Mind Part II
Part 45 - Classification of the Mind Part III
Part 46 - Classification of the Mind Part IV
Part 47 - Fundamental Human Problem Part I
Part 48 - Fundamental Human Problem Part II
Part 49 - Fundamental Human Problem Part III
Part 50 - vAsanA-s Part I
Part 51 - vAsanA-s Part II
Part 52 - Viewpoints of Reality
Suggestions for Further Exploration
Part 1 – The Fundamental Questions
In these essays, I will be presenting an understanding of what Vedanta is
and why it is important to know Vedanta. This presentation is aimed at the
freshman in Vedantic study who has little understanding of Sanskrit. It must be
recognized, however, that we have to use some Sanskrit words to bring out the
full impact of the terms that are defined. A typical example is the word
‘vAsanA’[1]which is a technical word with no appropriate equivalent word in
English. One can say vAsanA-s manifest as ‘likes and dislikes’ both at
individual level and at collective level. Thus we have individual vAsanA-s as
well as collective vAsanA-s that propel us to act the way we act, individually or
collectively.
Another Sanskrit word is ‘mAyA,’ which is poorly translated as ‘illusion.’
It can be considered as that ‘power’ because of which one appears to become
many. While more of these terms will be introduced as we proceed further, the
point I would like to make is that there are many technical words in Vedanta
with which one should familiarize oneself early in the game, if one wants to
understand and participate in Vedantic discussions. Like many of these things, it
is not essential that one should understand all these terms to know Vedanta, but
it will be helpful. It is not really a big deal, since we do use many technical or
mathematical terms without fully appreciating their significance. For example,
we learn the symbolic language of mathematics in early schooling without
questioning their meaning or validity. We use two parallel lines to signify an
equals sign, symbolizing an equality of what is on the left hand side with that on
the right hand side of the equation. Symbolically the equals sign establishes a
relation between the two sides of the equation.
Later we learn in mathematics that a symbol of three parallel lines is used
to establish an identity equation, that is, to declare that what is on left side of the
equation is identically equal to what is on the right side of the equation. No, I am
not writing on mathematics, but I want to lead you to simple but profound
statements of Vedanta that establish some relations; not relations establishing
equality, but statements confirming identity-relationships. The first one (equal
sign) provides a relation of two entities that appear to be different. The second
one (identity equation) provides a relation (in fact, a relationless relation) of two
entities that appear to be different, but, in truth, are one and the same. Vedanta
zeros in on the second aspect.
Before I discuss about the above aspects, I want to identity those who are
the beginners to Vedantic study, since this writing is intended for them. A
serious study of any subject would require a student to have met some
prerequisites. Vedantic study is no exception. Shankara defines these
requirements as ‘The four-fold qualifications’ – collectively called the ‘4-Ds.’
These are:
1. Discrimination between what is eternal and what is ephemeral
2. Dispassion to reject that which is ephemeral in order to gain that which
is eternal
3. Discipline of the mind to divert it from trivial or ephemeral pursuits in
life in order to conserve the energy to pursue that which is eternal, and finally
4. Desire strong enough to motivate one in that pursuit without getting
discouraged by any type of obstacles that arise.
They are somewhat interrelated, with each one reinforcing the other.
Hence, from Shankara’s point of view, if one does not have these four-fold
qualifications, he[2] has not prepared his mind for the knowledge of Vedanta. The
mind that has acquired these four-fold qualifications is a ‘pure’ mind that is
ready to ‘take off’ when the Vedantic teaching is imparted by a competent
teacher. The discipline of the mind (the third ‘D’ above) involves six subsidiary
disciplines for uncompromising commitment to the study. The most important
among these is complete faith in the import of Vedanta, as explained by the
teacher. Each word and idea in this paragraph is important and elaborate
discussion of these is available in texts such as the vivekachUDAmaNi – they
will be discussed as needed, later.
Hence, a beginner in Vedantic study is one who has acquired the four-fold
qualifications for the study. If one has the prerequisites, then the study will be
fruitful. I will address some of the misconceptions of Vedantic study later, but
suffice to say here that, if one experiences that the study has not been fruitful, it
is not the fault of Vedanta but only signifies that the prerequisites have not been
met adequately.
The next question that arises then is: should one study Vedanta without
these prerequisites? Vedanta itself address that issue, saying that one has to
listen to Vedanta from a competent teacher (shravaNam) and reflect on it until
all doubts are fully resolved (mananam) and finally contemplate on this until the
teaching has been fully assimilated (nidhidhyAsanam). Listening to the teacher
is sufficient if one has all the prerequisites. For those who do not have the
prerequisites, the other two are required until conviction takes place in the mind
- a conviction that what Vedanta says is indeed true to the letter.