Sat-Chit-Ananda

GOD

Chapter 3

'If you want moksha, write, read and practise the instructions in Ellaam Ondre.' - Sri Ramana Maharshi

3. "Being" denotes that which is imperishable, that which exists forever. Should He become nonexistent at any time, who is His destroyer? Who created Him? Since the perishable nature of all leads to the inference that they are lorded over by One who is imperishable, this immortal overlord is God. His imperishable nature is Being (sat).

Now what is "consciousness (chit)"? By consciousness we mean knowledge. This is absolute knowledge, and not like our erring intellectual knowledge. Irregularity or mistake cannot stain its actions. It is knowledge, pure and simple. Frequently He teaches us saying, "Your knowledge is irregular and erring." How orderly are even the insentient objects of His creation! It is known to many how an atheist was taught a good lesson when he derided the scheme of things saying, "why did He make the seed so small for the banyan tree which is so big?" That an insentient thing is found in good order and later becomes useful, implies a conscious agency at work. Can a simple, insentient thing do something which is possible for unfailing knowledge only? Or can't it be done by our inadequate knowledge? No, it can never be. Therefore, God is said to be consciousness (chit) too.

Now what is "Bliss"? It is the state of being free from desire for anything. It is Peace which is ever full. Were He to desire anything, how could He be better than ourselves? How could we get bliss from Him? He Himself would require another being to fulfill His desires. But who would think Him to be so? The state of self-contentment is that of Bliss also. Therefore He is called Bliss (Ananda).

The three- Being, Consciousness and Bliss - are inseparable; otherwise they would become naught individually. Hence, He is known as Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). Thus God remains not only transcendent but also falls within the reach of our knowledge as Being-Consciousness-Bliss.