Page 37 - November Cover 2017.pmd

tion and modification – one goes states that anything which con-
to work, comes back, watches stantly changes is mithyä and
TV, listens to a discourse, eats that which is changeless is
and sleeps. All the different satyam. In the semi-darkness of
actions I do during the waking twilight, we see a rope lying on
period put together is jévan – the ground and in the dim light,
constant change, constant acti- imagine in it the movement of
vity, modification, transmuta- a snake. The rope is satyam and
tion. That is why we say: Now the snake is mithyä, which
I am tired. I am exhausted. Now appears to exist for a while. In
I feel fresh. the same way, jévan-mukti is
We feel the ups and downs possible, because jévan is mithyä,
in the jévan, whereas mukti is though it seems to appear real,
changeless. Liberation means whereas mukti is the ultimate
infinitude – no change. So jévan- truth. This is the purport of the
mukti seems to be a contradic- beautiful statement by Adi
tion in terms, a combination of Sankaracharya – brahma satyaà
that which is changing and that jagan mithyä, jévo brahmaiva
which is changeless. Jévan näparaù. 2
means finitude, which belongs Ahaìkära has different
to ahaìkära, the ego. Mukti names. One name is Swami
means infinitude and belongs to Bodhatmananda! Jévan mukti
ätman. Ahaìkära includes the means that while the swami is
gross, subtle and causal bodies. living, he must understand that
As ahaìkära, I am subject to this individual entity known as
constant change, while as ätman, Swami Bodhatmananda is mith-
I am changeless. yä and he is actually Brahman,
A proper understanding of
Vedänta brings clarity. Vedänta 2 Brahmajnanavali, verse 20

The Infinite is our nature. We
SUBHA VARMA PATHIAL have to realize this, and we
will find ourselves at our
Newberg, OR, U.S.A. journey’s end.
Swami Chinmayananda

Tapovan Prasad 37 November 2017