"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Ishwara = Jnani

Sri Ramana Maharshi
From 'Annamalai Swami's Diary Extracts'

AS: Sri Rama must have had the 'I am the body' idea as soon as he was born. Is this correct?

B seemed to disagree: 'Sri Rama first gave darsha to Kausalya as Vishnu; only then did he take avatara. Later, when Rama was in the forest, he was wandering everywhere, searching for (the kidnapped) Sita. Then Parvati (who was watching from heaven) asked Ishwara, "Doesn't Rama (who is an avatara purusha and therefore perfect) know where Sita is? Why should he wander about searching for her?"

In reply Ishwara told her, "Go and appear before Rama in the form of Sita. Then you will understand. Parvati did as He suggested by Rama completely ignored her. He just went on searching for Sita.

B then went back to the second question and read us a verse from Kaivalya Navaneetam which states that Ishwara and jnani are equal:

Disciple: O Master, you who are formless function as Ishwara and appear in human form (here). You speak of a jnani and Ishwara as the same. How can they be so?

Master: Yes, Ishwara and the jnani are the same because they are free from 'I' and 'mine'. The jnani is himself Ishwara, the totality of the jivas and also the cosmos.

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सर्वभूताधिवासं यद्भूतेषु च वसत्यपि।
सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad