February 2025 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Who Am I
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Srivatsa Ramaswami
Jan 31, 2025, 8:52:07 AMJan 31
to Vinyasa Krama Yoga Announcements
February 2025 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Who am I?
I taught a three-day 6 hr on line program on sirsasana and sarvangasana as per breath oriented vinyasakrama methodology. It was hosted by Atma yoga shala in Chennai
Yogavahini in Chennai had their Sangama recently. I recited on a Sunday morning the aruna or suryanamaskara mantras from the yajurveda. The participants, many of them, performed 32 savinyasa suryanamaskara one each at the end of each of the 32 anuvakas
I am scheduled to teach a one-week program on several vinyasa sequences in vinyasakrama, pranayama and the study of complete text of Nathamuni's Yogarahasya written in Sanskrit by my Guru Sri T Krishnamacharya. It is organized by Tapan Raj. Venue is Mysore. It can be attended either in person or online.
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Who am I ?
Sivaswami said in desperation. "I have been asking myself this question since I left school, "Who am I?" I am now 75. For almost 60 years I get the same answer "I am Sivaswami.", every time I ask this question.
These sages and elite scholars urge one to repeatedly ask this question and find the correct answer.
Govindaswami was Sivaswami's schoolmate. He had known about Sivaswami's "spiritual" thirst since school days. They were meeting after 50 years. Sivaswami used to talk about becoming a renunciate but got married. He and his wife raised two lovely children who themselves were well settled. But his spiritual pursuit was still intact despite working under a bossing boss and with a number of insubordinate subordinates almost his entire adult life.
Govindaswami asked Sivaswami why he could not accept that he was merely Sivaswami just as others like Tom Dick and Harry who consider themselves as Tom Dick and Harry respectively. Sivaswami was evidently distraught. He mumbled saying that to consider the empirical body mind complex as the self is just wrong and asuric as the Chandogya upanishad would imply or such mindless default acceptance as tamasic, the Gita would say..
Govindaswami said that the scriptures aver that one is really the Brahman the absolute real one or " aham brahma asmi" These are words of rishis and rishis are sages who speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Here it is the 'spiritual' truth about oneSelf.
Sivaswami came in to say "Now we are replacing one unanswerable question with another unknown entity. I do not know what Brahman is except as described in the upanishads. By any stretch of imagination, I cannot consider "I" to be Brahman which the upanishads say is the source of the entire Universe. It is mind boggling. Am I the source of this Universe?"
Why don't you go by the yoga definition of who you are, first. Yoga says that one, or the real "I" is just pure consciousness , drashta or one who merely sees, suggested Govindaswami
But I, Sivaswami 75 year old weighing 150 lbs and with a diminishing eyesight sees. I am not able to consider me as a nonchanging awareness or one that "merely" sees. So, it comes to the same conclusion. "I am Sivaswami."
Govindaswami tried a different approach. He asked Sivaswami " What are you doing now? Pat came the answer " I am talking to you" said the edgy Sivaswami. His friend shot the next question. " What are you experiencing now?"
I am experiencing happiness seeing you said his friend with a wry smile.
Govindaswami told his friend that he was not getting it and requested Sivaswami to ask the same questions for which Govindaswami himself would reply. To the first question Govindaswami said " I am talking to you" the same answer given by his friend. To the next question about what Govindaswami was experiencing, Govindaswami
answered "I am experiencing that I am talking to you" . He said that there were two "I" s in his reply and cheekily asked Sivaswami which of the two "I" s in the above sentence is the real "I"? Is it the experiencer, the seer or the talker the agent/doer.
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Without directly answering, Sivaswami asked as to how the Self which is consciousness according to yoga experiences objects? What is the process?
Govindaswami replied that the samkhyas and yogis explain the process. It is also in agreement with the theory of seeing by modern science up to a stage. According to modern science the sense organs like the eyes, ears do not see, hear etc. They receive respective sensations from the objects like light particles, sound waves etc. convert them to electrical impulses and transmit through the respective nerve system,-- like the optic or auditory-- to the brain. And the brain processes the electrical impulses then it sees the objects
Samkhyas agree with the scientists up to a point. ( Maybe we should say that science agrees with Samkhyas). But samkhyas along with yogis disagree with the assertion that the brain sees the objects. Why so? The brain is like other parts of the body in that it has no consciousness. Science is still in pursuit of the elusive locus of consciousness in the brain. The samkhyas would say that the senses are mere gates allowing the respective sensations like light particles or sound waves or the appropriate tanmatras to use the samkhya terminology. In the brain or citta, manas coordinates all the sensations received through the senses. Ahamkara another aspect of citta, colours it with emotions and then buddhi the thinking faculty analyses and presents a processed picture to the purusha or consciousness to see/experience. And the brain or citta even as it can think has no consciousness. While the brain which is an active instrument keeps on changing and always in a flux, the awareness does not change, ever. That which does not change is immortal
Sivaswami interjected "How does this discussion make Sivaswami as not the "I" or Self?"
Govindaswami continued and said that the essential nature of subject in the subject object relationship is the awareness. The subject or the Self or the "I" in this equation is awareness which is aware of the processed object the cittavritti. If you can dichotomize the subject and the object clearly then you are in this spiritual business. To say that Sivaswami is the subject or pure awareness and the various things that Sivaswami is aware of are the objects is erroneous
Sivaswami became impatient. You talked about dichotomy. How do you do that.
In this context Govindaswami continued and said the yoga philosophy gives a huge advancement. We have seen that an individual through the senses gets sensations of the outside objects. In addition, the brain gets information about one's own body through the network of a large number of nerves and plexus all through the body. The sensations can be light moderate or intense as when one has a covid or a dengue fever and absolutely weak or nonexistent in deep sleep or samadhi. This information is received by the brain or citta. The brain or citta in addition to the information from outside, adds the information of one's own body and makes a composite projection which is overseen by the non-varying consciousness. This information about the body is called asmita vritti. So, the composite picture I now have is that Govindaswami is talking to Sivaswami. The object overseen by the self or "I" is a composite cittavritti of Govindaswami talking to Sivaswami. Now let us get to the question I asked you.
"What do you experience?" was the question And the answer would be " I (the real self) experience that I (Govindaswami) am talking to Sivaswami in the ambient of the drawing room" So the nonvarying awareness is the subject or "I" and the totality of my experience in the form of processed cittavritti at the moment is the object. The entire objective world including the empirical Govindaswami is the object and the consciousness variously called as purusha atma drashta etc is the subject or "I". It may also be observed that even though the yogis consider the outside world and one's corporeal person as real, it is experienced only as a processed mental projection or cittavritti at a given moment. It is significant.
Sivaswami looked a bit more relaxed . Govindaswami suggested that his friend should mull over what was discussed and clarify any doubts. Sivaswami then said what about the statement " I am Brahman".
Firstly, get convinced that one , or what should be called as "I" is pure unvarying consciousness observing the objects in the form of cittavrittis or mental projections. It is the answer to the question "Who am I?" With that understanding we can discuss the great vedic saying "Aham brahmasmi". So, said Govindaswami
The first step is to understand that the corporeal Sivaswami is not "I" but the pure unvarying consciousness should be recognized as the "I" by an individual or more specifically by one's buddhi, the intellect, the analyzing faculty. Once the correct "I' is recognized by my thinking faculty then the identity of "I" or aham with brahman, the source of the universe can be established.
"The final step we may discuss when we meet again next month after your pilgrimage to Mahakumbha" said Govindaswami to his friend Sivaswami.
And when Sivaswami took the holy dip during mahakumbha he mused " I, the atman is observing Sivaswami taking a holy dip." He smiled within himself. It was a strange lovely feeling.
Ross Smith
Feb 13, 2025, 11:10:18 AMFeb 13
to vinyasa-kra...@googlegroups.com
Dear Ramaswami,
You may have noticed vinyasakrama.com was down for a day or so. It is back up now. My hosting provider moved the site, but didn't inform me to change to IP address in the DNS settings for the domain.
I hope you are well. All's well here.
Best wishes,
Ross
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