Guest guest Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 SAI RAM Dear Brothers and Sisters, Atma (Brahman) is referred to as Truth-Knowledge-Infinity (Satyam Gnanaam Anantham) in Taittireeya Upanishad. Satyam refers to that which remains ever the same at all times in the past, present and future . Satyam is normally translated as Truth. The Upanishads declare that if the world of not-truth were regarded as truth, the Self or Atma is the Truth of Truths. This is contained in a significant passage of the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad which reads as folows:- " Its(Atma`s) intimate name is the Truth of all Truths; the cosmic energy (Prana) is verily truth; and This (the Atma) is the truth of truth. (Tasyopanishat Satyasya Satyamiti. Pranaa vai Satyam. Teshaam Esha Satyam). In the words of Swamy Vivekananda, " And here is the test of truth---anything that makes you weak physically,intellectually and spiritually, reject as poison; there is no life in it; it can not be true. Truth is strengthening. Truth is purity. Truth is all-knowledge. Truth must be strengthening,must be enlightening, must be invigorating. " In this context, the Mundaka Upanishad says, " The Atma can be realized by the constant practise of truth ( Satyena Labhyah tapasa hi Esha Atma). The very same Upanishad contains the famous declaration, " Truth alone triumphs, not untruth. ( SATYAMEVA JAYATE NA ANRUTAM " ). Acharya Gaudapada in his Mandukya Karika says, " Realising the Truth within the self and realizing the truth externally (in the not-self) and becoming one with the Truth and delighting in it ,one never deviates from the Truth (tatvaat aparachyuto Bhavet) " . The word " Satyam " is also taken as an equivalent of " SAT " , which means Reality as well as Existence. Existence is the most universal concept which leaves nothing else outside it. We become aware of even the non-existence of a thing as the existence of its non-existence. Existence is the substratum of all positive and negative entities. There is no existence apart from what exists. Bhagawan Sankaracharya considers Sat and Satyam as equivalent. Gyanam refers to absolute knowledge. Gyanam and Chit are considered as equivalent again by Acharya Adi Sankara. When pure knowledge is directed towards an object, the prescence of the object is known. Thus the same knowing principle enables us to gain knowledge as well as ignorance in this world. This knowing principle is us is called Gyanam. Atma(Brahman) is the very core of the knowing subject and as such it can never be made an object of knowledge and defined precisely. Existenceand awareness or Consciouness are never separate. They are obverse and reverse of the same coin. One is inconceiveable without the other. They constitute the essence of Reality. The abscence of consciouness cuts at the root of all value including existence. Consciousness and what is made conscious of can not be one and the same. (to be continued) With Loving SAI RAMs, G.Balasubramanian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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