Fwd: AN ARTICLE OF SHRII SHRII ANANDAMURTIJI'S SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY WRITTEN BY PROF. C.UPENDRA RAO, JNU AND SEMINAR NEWS PUBLISHED IN HT ON 21ST MARCH 2013
upendra rao
From: divyachetanananda avadhuta <divyacheta...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 8:59 PM
Subject: AN ARTICLE OF SHRII SHRII ANANDAMURTIJI'S SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY WRITTEN BY PROF. C.UPENDRA RAO, JNU AND SEMINAR NEWS PUBLISHED IN HT ON 21ST MARCH 2013
To:
CAUSE OF CREATION
Dr. C. Upender Rao
Professor
Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi –1100 67
All Indian Philosophical systems are independent with their specific views and theories. The followers of these philosophies often blindly uphold the importance of their philosophies and they are engaged in mutual debates without understanding them perfectly. Shri Anandamurti understood this problem and hence he tried to impart the unified knowledge of all systems and aspects of Indian philosophy without sticking to any one particular branch of philosophy. He explained the gradual evolution of primordial nature and at the same time advocated the Purushottama as the nucleus of the entire creation. He describes the Sanchara to be the centrifugal activity of the microcosmic nucleus and the Purusha and Prakriti in a refined philosophical terminology.
Anandamurti links the theory of sage Kapila to the other branches of Indian philosophy while explaining the cycle of creation. His opinion is, every sage researched about the reality in his own way. It is our duty, if we want to understand the reality to take it as a whole to understand all branches of philosophy in their wholesomeness and mutually dependent nature. He treats the two factors Purusha and Prakriti, though dual in theory, as a singular in spirit. They are in a collective body which is like that of fire with its thermal value (उष्णस्पर्शवत्तेजः), water with its own cooling value (शितस्पर्शवत्य आपः). the other elements with their value such as erth with its value of gandha (गन्धवती पृथिवी) and vayu as रूपरहितस्पर्शवान्वायुः, Akasha as शब्दगुणं आकाशं, time as अतीतादिव्यवहारहेतुः कालः, and direction as प्राच्यादिव्यवहारहेतुर्दिक् |
We cannot imagine fire without its thermal value. Likewise we cannot think Purusha without Prakriti in a collective body of Brahma. Because Purushottama the supreme consciousness is the nucleus of the universe whereas Sankhya philosophy accepts the Prakriti to be self dependent, without the basic cause. But Anandamurti while accepting the complete process of Sankhya including Purusha in it takes the help of Sanchara and Pratisanchara terms to explain the process of creation. We can find the basis of this explanation in Upanishads. In Brhiguvalli of Taittariyopanishad we find that the Bhrigu asks his father to make him understand the Brahma. Varuna tells his son that he can only explain about the Brahma but he cannot make him realize the Brahma-
He upholds the theory of Purushottama to be the nucleus of the universe. As some people believe this world is not causeless because there is a system in universe, there is an order in it. One has to think where from this order is coming? Who is doing this? In a smallest particle too we can find a system. The Brahman is the universal spirit. Brahman comes from the root brh, which means "The Biggest, the Greatest". Brahman is "the infinite Spirit Source and fabric and core and destiny of all existence, both manifested and unmanifested and the formless infinite substratum and from this Brahman the universe has grown". Brahman is the ultimate, both transcendent and immanent, the absolute infinite existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or shall be.The word Atman means the immortal perfect Spirit of any living creature, being, including trees etc. The idea put forth by the Upanishadic sages that Brahman is the cause of this universe. This is the contribution of Upanishads made to the spiritual thought of the world.
The Brihadaranyaka and the Chandogya are the most important Upanishads. They represent two main schools of thought within the Upanishads. The Brihadaranyaka deals with acosmic or nis-prapancha, whereas the Chandogya deals with the cosmic or sa-prapancha. Between the two, the Brihadaranyaka is considered more profound. Siva is the consciousness, who permeates each and every particle of creation. The consciousness is latent in all expressions but the same Shiva when controls all these microcosms as the macrocosmic Witnessing Entity, He is known as Parama Shiva, meaning supreme Shiva. Again when the same power is witnessing all the Purushas, all the unit consciousnesses, He is known as Purushottama. Thus Parama Shiva and Purushottama are the same. Anandamurti accepts him as the witness and the controller of the whole system. All entities are linked to the cosmic nucleus as if by thread, a kite, child flying, all are guided by him. Then Aanadamurti explains the process of creation. Sanchara is the gradual extroversal movement under the increasing influence of the gunas. The movement which started from this Purushottama, undergoes a change from the subtle to the crude. This is called Sanchara.
It starts from Shambhu as a never ending process. Prikriti though rudimentally static and inculcates in Purusha the ‘I’ feeling. This ‘I’ feeling is a Mahattatva. This process has been perfectly explained in Sankhya philosophy, where we find how Mulaprakriti produces the other eliments in gradual process. There it is said that (Samkhya Karika of Ishvara Krishna). Thus being produced from primordial nature this ego consciousness is troubling the whole humanity.
This ‘I’ is the first bondage of Purusha. Sanchara proceeds further as sentient Prakriti is gradually transformed into the mutative principle, because Purushottama transformed into Mahattatva again transforms into Ahanttatva then into chitta then into ethereal entity.
In reversal process which is known as Pratisanchara or the gradual introversal under the waning influence of the gunas. Purusha is the witness and Prakriti is the act of witnessing. As gunas increase their bondage, they express themselves totally. Due to excessive pressure of the gunas the proper balance in the 5 fundamental factors will be lost, and the crude factor explodes, which is called pralaya. According to Sankhya this is a gradual and natural process. But Shri Anandamurti says it is the act of purushottama. In Bhagavadgita Krishna Bhavan says that
Later by means of fundamental factor manifests the ‘Bala’ (energy). The resultant interior force forming the nucleus within the physical structure and maintaining it solidarity is called ‘Prana’ or vital energy. Due to internal clash mind is evolved. Likewise later chitta, Aham evolved, further ‘Mahat’ is evolved, from it ‘Buddhi’ (intellect) evolves from which ‘Bodhi’ intuition evolves.
Thus the Purushottama evolves into the crudest forms of universe. The cosmic nucleus (Purushottama) is connected to all entities. this is aften explained in Bhagavadgita etc. The philosophy of Anandamurti and the practice prescribed by him are based on the idea that God is within all in Bible we can that Jesus Christ also says –the kingdom of god is within you. He is the seed of entire universe, but ordinary man with his physical eyes cannot comprehend him So Brahma is the ultimate reality in the universe. Anandamurti says Brahma is the absolute truth and the universe is also truth but relatively. This sutra clarifies an important philosophical question whether this world is reality or just illusion? There are two extremely different views on this subject. One is of the materialists and the other is that of the idealists such views were also prevailed during the Buddha’s time which were summed up in Dighanikaya of Pali literature as “ (Dighanikaya, 1.1.2. p. no. 114)
The materialists say that Brahma is Mithya and Jagat is Satya. God is false and this world is real. They believe that matter alone is truth and infinite, the creator of consciousness. The universe moves like a machine and there is no supreme controller. -Sankhya) God is a myth. Charvakas, Marxists, communists, hold such view.
The idealists on the other hand believe that god alone is real and this world is merely an illusion. The great master Adi Shankaracharya taught us. God is truth this world is false. He said due to Adhyasa (false perceptions) we see this illusionary world as real. Seeing a rope one understands it as a snake. It is very deep philosophy. But many teachers of this philosophy now preach us to develop indifference and avoidance of the world in which we live. As a result we face many problems sometimes it is affecting our family relationships also as a result of this idealistic view India’s material, socio economic and technological potential was never properly developed. Hence this view was opposed. The Advaya Brahma was not acceptable to many ancient Indian acharyas. The philosophy of Vaishnavism is an important branch of Indian philosophy. This philosophy is based on Bhakti or devotion. The origin of Indian philosophy is very ancient, which started from Vedas. If we analysis the history of middle aged Indian philosophy, we feel that it was so indistinct. This period was so confusing. The previous aspects of Indian philosophy such as jyana, karma and other theories were slowly neglected by the people and they started getting initiated in Vaishnavism. As a consequence vaishnavism grew and many acharyas of vaishnavism have come to existence.
1. Ramanuja
2. Madhva
3. Nimbarka
4. Vallabha
were the most important acharyas in vaishnavism. All these acharyas have strongly opposed the mayavada (falsehood of the world) and nirvishesha Brahma-vada of acharya Shankara and they have spread dual and Bhakti theories. The theories of these Vaishnava Acharyas were mainly based on Bhakti or devotion.
But according to Sri Anandamurti we are living in this transitory world and if we deny its existence in a realistic sense we must deny our own existence, as even our existence will be false. Shri Anandamurti says – those philosophers who preach that everything is illusion should treat themselves as an illusion and why should we listen to such people of illusion? Once there was an Advaitavadi pandit who was just a scholar without the practical awareness and apathy. He entered in to a village for teaching. He used to teach everything in the world is (illusion). If someone goes to him with a problem, he would merely shrug his shoulders and say “don’t worry, it’s all illusion”. Villagers thought that the scholar would help them in getting solutions for their problems. But all the time he was teaching about the illusion. Finally the villagers became frustrated with his and decided to teach him a lesson. On one day they threw him into a well. The water in that well was very cold and hence he started crying loudly for help. “Get me out of the well, get me out of the well” he yelled. All villagers smiled and told him “don’t worry, its only an illusion.” The pandit said “oh, don’t be foolish, get me out of well, and I promise I will never say that everything is an illusion again.” The villagers were more compassionate than the scholar and hence they pulled him up with the help of a rope. But as soon as he came out and understood that he was out of danger, he started saying again “you see everything is really an illusion, isn’t it?”
Villagers asked him “dear scholar, remember what you promised us when you were in the well’ “yes, I remember, oh, you don’t understand, my being here is an illusion and my saying that I would never repeat it again is also an illusion”. This time villagers were furious and they threw him again in to the well. Then he literally begged them “please I have really learned this time I swear, that I will never say ‘everything is an illusion’, please save me.” They pulled him out and from that day that pandit never spoke of the illusion of the world again.
Anandamurti says-“we need not renounce this false world and retire into mountain caves to find the reality of the God, The world is always changing, as explained by Acharya Shantideva –world is true but it is a relative reality.
World is a relative reality and we cannot deny or reject it. The Svaccanda tantra and Tripura Rahasya say that there is nothing except the supreme reality. Without the God realization all is illusion and ignorance. To know all as God is knowledge. The Tantric scholars do not be unhappy for the transitory-ness of the world. For them change it selves reveals the supreme consciousness that underlies all the changing forms.
Instead of proclaiming like the traditional Indian philosopher God is not this, God is not that” the Tantrics affirm happily all is he and I am He. This universe is not an illusion; it is the arena for spiritual effort. Perceived and used properly it can reveal all and not veil God. Thus a social consciousness and a social theory arise out of this philosophy is that we must work in this relative reality. We must seek to develop it and elevate all the beings in it. Only in this way we can attain the absolute truth. Salvation for the self and for the welfare of the world.
PROF. C. UPENDER RAO,
SPECIAL CENTRE FOR SANSKRIT STUDIES,
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY,
NEW DELHI 110067
