What is the Self? What it is not.

“What is the Self? That which is other than the gross, subtle and causal bodies; beyond the five sheaths. [the food sheath,  vital air sheath, mental sheath, intellect sheath, bliss sheath ].

“The witness of the three states of consciousness [waking, dream and deep sleep] and of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the Self”

~Sri Adi Sankaracharya, in Tattva Bodha-Awakening to Reality
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One way to know what Self is, is to know what it is not. In a meditation recently, when we did the familiar exercise of   “I am not a [mother/father,wife/husband,child, doctor]” etc., it was revealing to each meditator to see how there are certain roles in our life, that we find difficult to deny, even in words.

As a healer, I will say that these roles describe the hooks that we place on each other, the conditioning over our essential self; that allows us to relate to each other, but not to grow together.

The lightness that comes with such a revelation is something each of us needs to experience so that words as in the Upanishads are not just words to us; but reality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[links and details added october 14, 2008-meenakshi]

Re: What is the Self? Existence Consciousness Bliss

After the exposition of what the Self  has [bodies], or wears [sheaths] or does [states]- and of how these are its conditionings; and not its essence, Sri Adi Sankaracharya describes what the Self is in two short lines; or rather a word composed of 3:
Sat Chit Anand

Sat - Being or Existence
Chit -  Consciousness
Anand - Bliss

Adi Sankaracharya: ”Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Sat-chit-ananda”



Swami Tejomayananda: “The Self is beyond all names, forms and qualities. Then are Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss different from each other? The Self is partless, therefore Existence is Consciousness and Existence-Consciousness is Bliss.  The Self is infinite and there can be no two infinities. Therefore also they are one.

Then why three names? They are three indicators of the nature of the Self and hence enumerated differently.

'I am', 'I know that I am', and 'I am always dear to myself' is a single experience based on which I transact in the world.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This knowing is liberation, is Truth. It is beyond enlightenment, for to know this, is the same as experiencing it, and being it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Swami Tejomayananda: “One should knowone's infinite nature; for on knowing it, one gets liberated from all sorrows for all times to come.

How can one know it? The Self [is] known by  listening, reflecting, meditating on It. By [different practices of yoga] the mind is made pure, subtle and single-pointed. Knowledge gets firmly rooted in such a mind and the Self is directly experienced.”

~Sri Adi Sankaracharya, : Tattva Bodha-Awakening to Reality; Commentary by Swami Tejomayananda

Re: What is the Self? Existence Consciousness Bliss

My deepest reverence and pranaams…

THANK YOU

Re: What is the Self?Sat-chit-ananda

Moola Mantra - the Meaning and the Manifestation

 Wonderful mp3 of the mantra

Explantion also on youtube.

Re: What is the Self?Sat-chit-ananda

Dear Meenakshi,

Please accept my “Aantarik Dhanyawaad”

Eli

Re: What is the Self?Sat-chit-ananda

Thank YOU, dear Eli, for your presence.

Today, I AM existing in the consciousness of bliss –and have even blogged about this!

Appropriately, at the time of poornima--full moon!

Re: What is the Self?Sat-chit-ananda

The Nature of the Self (satchitananda swarupa).
If the Self is neither the five sheaths
nor the three bodies, then what is it?

It is the awareness of them.
This awareness is called chit.
Because of chit things are known.
Therefore it is called the knower.

The Self does not change when the three bodies
and their respective states change.
It is beyond time and therefore is called
‘that which always exists (sat).’

The limitations suffered by the bodies
do not affect the Self. It is limitless.
It is self effulgent, sees space as an object
within it and pervades every atom of the cosmos.
It is limitless and complete (purna). It is a partless whole.


It is the nature of every living and non-living thing but is not known
because all our attention is caught up in:

 (1) trying to ward off death. Death, however, is a non-issue for the Self. Attempts to prevent it show lack of discrimination.
 (2) attempting to gain freedom from a perceived sense of
limitation. This endeavor is futile because the Self is already complete.
The apparent problems humans suffer stem from an unnecessary
identification with what changes.

(3) attempting to erase ignorance by the pursuit of objective knowledge. The Self, however, is beyond knowledge and ignorance. It is that because of which I know what I know and know what I don’t know.

Time is a projection of the mind, a relative, not an absolute concept.
Identification with time causes worry about birth and death. That it is
relative is proved by the common experience that when one is enjoying
oneself time seems to move very quickly but when one is suffering time
seems to move very slowly. Or the fact that what makes a child happy
loses its value in adulthood.

The Self is timeless or eternal. Happiness as
human beings define it is merely a temporary state of mind.
Real happiness happens when knows one is the Self. Objects
cannot supply happiness. In the deep sleep state there are no
objects, no body or mind, yet one experiences limitless bliss, the Self


http://www.shiningworld.com/Home%20Page%20Links/Tattva%20Bodha.pdf

Re: What is the Self?Sat-chit-ananda

I found this wonderful depiction…

Sat Chit Anand - Truth, Consciousness, & Bliss

Truth, Consciousness, & Bliss

Re: SAT-chit-ananda- Existence

What is Existence? [Sat** is also Truth]

The past and the future are named only with respect to the present. The Self is 'present' in all the three periods of time….Since I ever exist, I am birthless, deathless, beginningless, endless.

Being birthless, I am timeless, unchanging, unnamed, without form, without attributes.

Anything exists because of this Existence principle, which is the substratum of the entire Universe. It is experienced in the world as the “isness” of an object. It is experienced within as “I am”.
~~~~
~Sri Adi Sankaracharya, : Tattva Bodha-Awakening to Reality; Commentary by Swami Tejomayananda

**Note:Sat is pronounced as sutt with 'u' as it 'but'; and 't' is soft.

Re: Sat-CHIT-ananda- Consciousness

What is consciousness? It is of the nature of absolute knowledge. Knowledge of the world is gained as thoughts of the mind. Without thoughts, no knowledge of any object is possible.

Without me, the thoughts cannot be known. I illumine all my thoughts, remaining different from them. I not only illumine my thoughts, but also their absence. Thoughts come and go, but I remain unchanging and ever shining.
Then who illumines the Self? None can illumine the Self. It being the subject, It can never be known as an object of knowledge. It is self-shining.
I always know that I am.

This self-shining, ever-shining knowledge principle is called Chit  or Consciousness, which is the true nature of Self.

[Chit is pronounced with a soft 't' sound. ]

~~~~
~Sri Adi Sankaracharya, : Tattva Bodha-Awakening to Reality; Commentary by Swami Tejomayananda

Re: Sat-Chit-ANANDA: Bliss

“What is Bliss? It is of the nature of absolute  happiness.

A thing is dear to me only when it gives me joy. I love others for my sake, but I love myself unconditionally, totally, eternally. Therefore I must be the source of absolute happiness.

There is sorrow in finitude. The Self is beyond time, space and objects. It is infinite and hence of the nature of absolute happiness.

Each thing tends to move towards its own nature. I always desire happiness which is my true nature. My nature is never a burden to me. Happiness is never a burden to me, whilst sorrow is.

Then why don't I experience this happiness? Why am I miserable or dissatisfied much of the time? The desires in my mind for objects veil this happiness. In moments when I am peaceful, I experience joy within myself.”

~~~~
~Sri Adi Sankaracharya, : Tattva Bodha-Awakening to Reality; Commentary by Swami Tejomayananda
~~~~~~


When the meditator forgets himself totally in meditation, it is ‘vishranti’ which means complete relaxation ending total forgetfulness.
This is the blissful state, where there is no need for words, concepts or even the sense of ‘I am’. The state does not know ‘it is’ and is beyond happiness and suffering and altogether beyond words; it is called the ‘Parabrahman’ – a non-experiential state.

~Nisargadatta Maharaj  in The Nectar of Immortality.

Re: Knowing the Nature of Self

Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss[Sat-Chit-Ananda].


A rose is fragrant, red and soft. The smell, color and touch are three aspects of the same rose.

Similarly, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss are aspects of the one Self. A quality always belongs to a substance and a substance always has a name and form.

The Self is beyond all names, forms and qualities. Then are Existence,Consciousness and Bliss different from each other?

The Self is part-less, therefore Existence is Consciousness and Existence-Consciousness is Bliss.

The Self is infinite, and there can be no two infinities. Therefore also they are one.

Then why three names? They are three indicators of the nature of the Self and hence enumerated differently.

“I am”, “I know that I am”  and “I am always dear to myself” is a single experience based on which I transact in the world.

One should know one's infinite nature for on knowing it, one gets liberated form all sorrows for all times to come.

How can one know it? The Self should be known by listening, reflecting, and meditating on It.

One may have heard about It, reflected upon it and even attempted meditation, yet one may not realize the Self. This is because the initial preparation of the mind is not sufficient. By karma yoga, bhakti yoga, etc. the mind becomes pure, subtle and single-pointed. Knowledge gets firmly rotted in such a mind, and the Self is directly experienced.

Re: What is the Self?Unconditional love

Talking about unconditional love on The Power of Light pod; I realized that it is there, waiting in that same space as Satchitanand.

I wonder if it's the same; different words to express this concept. It is difficult with our human love and the many ways to discuss it, to understand what unconditional love is.

I feel it is the state of complete connection; when there is no I or you. Even beyond feeling and compassion, yet including them all.

————–
[moderator note- title edited. Replaced “What it is not” with Unconditional love”-meenakshi 24 oct 08]

Re: t is the Self?Unconditional love

Meenakshi,

Unconditional love has been defined very explicitly in Bhagwad Gita, Chap. 6, verse 29 as follows:

“sarvabhutastha atmanam sarvabhutani chatmani
ikshate yoga yuktatma sarvatra samadarshana”

The Yogi whose mind is harmonized by Yoga, looks on all with an equal eye, sees the self present, in all beings and all beings as assumed in the self.

Namaskaram

Eli

Re: Know Thyself

'Know Thyself' — Easier Said Than Done

Benjamin Franklin wrote in his 1750 Poor Richard's Almanac that “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.” The problem of achieving accurate self-knowledge hasn't gotten any easier in 250 years; and, as shown in a new research report, there are major real-world consequences to this very human attribute.

In “Flawed Self-Evaluation: Implications for Health, Education, and the Workplace,” investigators David Dunning (Cornell), Chip Heath (Stanford), and Jerry M. Suls (University of Iowa) summarized current psychological research on the accuracy (or rather inaccuracy) of self-knowledge, across a wide range of studies in a range of spheres. Their report is published in the December 2004 issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the American Psychological Society.

A consistent and sobering picture emerged from the team's analysis: On the job, at school, or even in managing our own health, it is as though we all live in Garrison Keillor's fictional Lake Wobegon, “where all the children are above average.” People's opinions of themselves, their abilities, and their health outlooks are generally skewed quite strongly in a positive direction.

Such errors in self-assessment can have serious consequences, for example in how people manage their own health. People generally underestimate their own susceptibility to serious health risks like high blood pressure, cancer, or food poisoning — partly because they overestimate how different they are from the norm in terms of behaviors that might put them at risk. This can influence the steps people take — or don't take — to prevent or treat such problems. On the other side of the health equation, doctors (being people too) overestimate their competence to treat problems outside their areas of specialization.

A similar overconfidence is found in education at all levels. Students and people undergoing professional training show a strong tendency to overestimate their mastery of new knowledge and skills, and teachers and peers are generally much better able than a student is to accurately predict the student's performance on tests.

The work world is full of overconfidence and flawed self-knowledge as well. Employees underestimate how long they will take to complete tasks. And CEOs and entrepreneurs are famously (sometimes disastrously) overconfident in making business decisions, particular when venturing into unfamiliar territory such as a business startup or an acquisition — a problem the authors called “the problem of the new.”

Although a degree of self-deception may be just part of human nature, individuals aren't completely to blame for their lack of accurate self-knowledge, according to Dunning. There are social and institutional barriers to self-knowledge, such as the difficulty of giving honest critical feedback in workplace settings, as well as to the simple fact that people don't have access to the full range of human competence and skill against which to evaluate their own. Also, in many areas, what people are striving for — excellence — is ill-defined.

Re: Know Thyself

gnothi seauton (Greek): Know thyself. (A precept inscribed in gold letters over the portico of the temple at Delphi. Its authorship has been ascribed to Pythagoras, to several of the wise men of Greece, and to Phemonoe, a mythical Greek poetess. According to Juvenal, this precept descended from heaven.)

gnothi seauton (Know Thyself) Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Posted to the Advaitin Egroup by Shyam Subramanian Mar 2007.) I If thou canst bear Strong meat of simple truth If thou durst my words compare With what thou thinkest in my soul's free youth, Then take this fact unto thy soul,—– God dwells in thee. It is no metaphor nor parable, It is unknown to thousands, and to thee; Yet there is God. II He is in thy world, But thy world knows him not. He is the mighty Heart From which life's varied pulses part. Clouded and shrouded there doth sit The Infinite Embosomed in a man; And thou art stranger to thy guest And know'st not what thou doth invest. The clouds that veil his life within Are thy thick woven webs of sin, Which his glory struggling through Darkens to thine evil hue. III Then bear thyself, O man! Up to the scale and compass of thy guest; Soul of thy soul. Be great as doth beseem The ambassador who bears The royal presence where he goes. IV Give up to thy soul—– Let it have its way—– It is, I tell thee, God himself, The selfsame One that rules the Whole, Tho' he speaks thro' thee with a stifled voice, And looks through thee, shorn of his beams. But if thou listen to his voice, If thou obey the royal thought, It will grow clearer to thine ear, More glorious to thine eye. The clouds will burst that veil him now And thou shalt see the Lord. V Therefore be great, Not proud,—–too great to be proud. Let not thine eyes rove, Peep not in corners; let thine eyes Look straight before thee, as befits The simplicity of Power. And in thy closet carry state; Filled with light, walk therein; And, as a king Would do no treason to his own empire, So do not thou to thine. VI This is the reason why thou dost recognize Things now first revealed, Because in thee resides The Spirit that lives in all; And thou canst learn the laws of nature Because its author is latent in thy breast. VII Therefore, O happy youth, Happy if thou dost know and love this truth, Thou art unto thyself a law, And since the soul of things is in thee, Thou needest nothing out of thee. The law, the gospel, and the Providence, Heaven, Hell, the Judgement, and the stores Immeasurable of Truth and Good, All these thou must find Within thy single mind, Or never find. VIII Thou art the law; The gospel has no revelation Of peace and hope until there is response From the deep chambers of thy mind thereto,—– The rest is straw. It can reveal no truth unknown before. The Providence Thou art thyself that doth dispense Wealth to thy work, want to thy sloth, Glory to goodness, to neglect, the moth. Thou sow'st the wind, the whirlwind reapest, Thou payest the wages Of thy own work, through all ages. The almighty energy within Crowneth virtue, curseth sin. Virtue sees by its own light; Stumbleth sin in self-made night. IX Who approves thee doing right? God in thee. Who condemns thee doing wrong? God in thee. Who punishes thine evil deed? God in thee. What is thine evil meed? Thy worse mind, with error blind And more prone to evil That is, the greater hiding of the God within: The loss of peace The terrible displeasure of this inmate And next the consequence More faintly as more distant wro't Upon our outward fortunes Which decay with vice With Virtue rise. X The selfsame God By the same law Makes the souls of angels glad And the souls of devils sad See There is nothing else but God Where e'er I look All things hasten back to him Light is but his shadow dim. XI Shall I ask wealth or power of God, who gave An image of himself to be my soul? As well might swilling ocean ask a wave, Or the starred firmament a dying coal,—– For that which is in me lives in the whole.

Re: What is the Self? What it is not.-self inquiry

Also related to

4 Gatekeepers to Freedom- Inquiry/vichar from The Concise Yoga Vashishta by  Swami Venkatesananda

Re: What is the Self? What it is not.

I have come to view it as follows.

All is self. If not, separation is a reality.

The expessions of self can be difficult to reconcile and understand, but are expressions of self none the less.

Love, Chuck :)