The essential spiritual nature is called ‘ATMA’. The nature of the physical body is inert just as any inert object in the world. It is like a Wall or a Desk as inert principle. That inner essence alone is making the inert body alive, just like a bulb. Behind the bulb that principle because of which the bulb is bright. Bulb by itself is not naturally bright. It is some other principle which makes the bulb bright. The moon borrows light from some other source Viz. from the Sun. Sun is bright by itself. It is the consciousness principle.
We can see the five similarities between the body (Anathma) and the wall. Both of them are our objects of experience. (Dhristyatvam). Second similarity is that both Wall and Body are made up of the same material only. Both are made up of matter only. (Bouthigam). Third is that both of them have varieties of material properties. Viz. Form, Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell. (Sagunatvam). Fourth is that both external objects and physical body is continuously changing. (Vikaraga). Both are subject to arrival and departure which we experience every day. For example, every night when we go to deep sleep state the whole world disappears for us. During sleep the Body is not available for experience. Agama arrival and Agama departure. Thus during our sleep the body is not available for experience. The lender of consciousness or light to the inert material body is called ‘ATMA’.
We shall see the five features of the Atma.
Atma can never be an object of experience. (Adhirsyatvam). “Atma” is the original subject. Atma is the observer and a non material entity. It is a spiritual entity (Abothigatvam) enlivening invisible behind the body. Atma do not have sound, form, taste, touch and smell. (Nirgunathvam). Atma is Avikaraga. Body disappears when we go to sleep and reappears when we wake up. Atma is the opposite. (Anagangapayi). Every individual is a mixture of the body (Anathma) and the Spirit (Atma) i.e. Matter and Spirit.
The First lesson Krishna teaches Arjuna in the 12th Sloka of 2nd Chapter is “You are the eternal and immortal Atma”. Atma is not subject to birth and death. Wisdom is discovering the ‘Atma” (non material spirit) and holding on to that for security in life. We are not human beings seeking spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings temporarily having a human experience. These experiences keep changing continuously. I am the Changeless ‘Atma”.
Lord Krishna started his teaching from the 11th verse of 2nd Chapter of Gita. Krishna has two fold tasks to answer Arjunas question. 1st is whether to fight the Mahabharata war or not? Second question is solving the more fundamental problem (samsara) that Arjuna is facing intensely and which is faced by everybody (Human being). Moga comes as a conflict as a result of these two. Through Arjuna Krishna wants to help the entire humanity. Emotional resistance to a fact of Life is Samsara.
Whenever we are grieving, the problem is with ourselves. We do not want to change. We want the fact to change. We require a change from non acceptance to acceptance. Helplessness, Anger, Frustration and Depression cannot be avoided when we refuse to accept the mistake of fact of life to be changed. What can’t be changed is a definition of fact. Success in life is accepting the old age before the old age sets in. We have to accept the changes of the body. Body is an integral part of Pancha Bootha. Death is not the destruction of the body. Matter cannot be created or destroyed. What is meant by death or destruction is that the Body will get converted into pancha bootha (three handfuls of Ash). Death is a total transformation which is a form of change. I am a boy. I am a youth. I am middle age. I am old. There is one thing which is continuing. i.e. I am. A changeless I am. If I continue during the 5 modifications then this should continue during death also.
We have to go through the worst or helpless situation in our life. What attitude that we should entertain at this worst situation is important. Here we have a choice. Willingness to go through the situation is called acceptance. This is acceptance Bhavana. If you say that you are not willing to go through the worst situation it is called resistance bhavana. Within the mind when we are going through helpless unfavorable situation there are two scenarios. In acceptance bhavana the pain will be seen as half the pain (demagnified). When there is a resistance the pain will be felt as double the pain. An equanimous mind will learn from experiences of life. The entire world of anathma is continuously changing. There is no stability in this world. The world has got beauty, variety and novelty but no stability. You cannot hold on to what is unstable. It is foolish to rely upon name, fame, position, people, money etc. You can use the world for everything but for security you should depend on something else which is stable. Anathma is unstable. The one and only thing which is stable is “ATMA” which is abstract and invisible. It is described in scriptures as Bhagavan which is a symbol. Rama is a symbol of Atma. Krishna is a symbol of Atma. The thing is we can use the world but hold on to God. Atma is your inner essence. Hold on to Atma and enjoy life.
Be blissful.
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
