Verse One
Rising even above knowledge, what
within the form
Of the one who knows, as equally
without, radiant shines,
To that Core, with eyes five restrained
within,
Again and again prostrating in adoration,
one should chant.
The inquiry begins with the introduction of the “Core” which has several unique properties. First of all this core is not dull or opaque, but “radiantly shines”. We consider our knowledge as our highest realm. It is in pursuit of knowledge that we undertake all kinds of disciplines. We also identify ourself with our knowledge. Our knowledge defines who we are. The “Core” however, rises beyond the limits of our knowledge. It is therefore both in and beyond our knowledge. There is also parity between the inner and outer aspects, or the subjective and objective aspects of our knowledge. Therefore this “Core” is unitive and indivisible even though it appears to be divided as a subject and an object.
The second half of the verse tells us to prostrate before this Core with the five senses restrained. Thus our search is not to be conducted in the outer world which is experienced through the five senses. We should explore the content of our consciousness within.
It also rises above the knowlege I" consciousness, which seems to be the core of the consciousness within one's physical being and also the point of reference with which everything outside is related for one's awareness of the external world. The same core is also to be seen as the all-pervading stuff of pure consciousness which is indivisible and yet is the only content of all this is objectively and subjectively visualized.
The core of consciousness is like a light which illuminates both the inside and outside. Everything that is experienced in the objective world has a correspondence with what is experienced in the subjective world, even though the converse of it is not true.
There is a vertical ascent from all relative forms of knowledge to arrive finally at a state of realization. The external world is related to the sense organs, and they have their subjective counterparts in the sense impressions. The subjective counterpart, however, has other aspects other than the mere production of copies of replicas of the external world. This is to be dealt with later.
This verse summarizes the attitude of a Guru who teaches by his Word. A person who wants to teach with words has to retain his personal ego as a point of reference. At the same time, what he has to teach is that which goes beyond all knowledge. So he also has to surrender his ego to the Self that is shining within him as the Guru. He has to continuously surrender and with an attitude of eternal reverence pay homage to the Supreme. Here the Guru does not claim that he is teaching. His word is representing the revelation of the Supreme.
The supreme truth is not the product of ratiocination. It is perennial and it's validity is independent of the man through whom it is revealed. That is why the Guru here us the term "chant."
Verse Two
The inner organ, the senses, and counting
from the body
The many worlds we know are all,
on thought, the sacred form
Of the Supreme Sun risen in the void
beyond;
By relentless cogitation, one should
attain to this.
Western physiology and psychology think of knowledge as something that registers on the mind from the external world. According to this verse, knowledge begins with a selective and subjective structuring. The last in the series is the external world.
All knowledge begins with the four-fold inner organ. The four aspects of the inner organ are:
1. Manas, which is the interrogating or inquiring aspect of consciousness.
2. Citta, which is that aspect of consciousness that memorizes and recalls.
3. Buddhi, which is the aspect of consciousness that judges and arrives at certitude.
4. Ahamkara, which is the ego factor that is affected positively or negatively or neutrally. The sense organs do not operate unless they are commissioned by the inner organ. Then alone comes the world of external objects and the various universes of interest.
The human mind traverses from one universe of interest to another. Guru takes the analogy of the light that becomes identical with the forms of things it illuminates as analogous with the one Supreme Consciousness, which is seen as apparently transforming itself into the several forms of itself. At night we see only a dark world o outside with no light to illuminate it. When sunlight comes we see clearly the hills and maybe a lake, and boats and trees. That does not mean that the sun produced the hills or water or boat. They do not have any light to shine by themselves - the sun illuminates them.
In other words, what we see as the sky and hills and lake is nothing but light, identified with the colors and shapes of all these particular things. It is the one light that shines on all these. The external light that falls on a tree enables an eye to see the tree. Though we think that we are seeing the tree, we actually see only a visual image falling on our eye that is none other than the sunlight that is reflected by the tree. This is a case of the light transforming into an object. What is the sun in the physical sky is the Self shining by its own light in the void of consciousness.
Verse Three
These phenomenal aspects five, such
as the sky,
When as emergent from outside is here
seen to be,
By contemplation one should bring to
non-difference,
As the sea is to the waves that rise
in rows thereon.
What is hinted at in the previous verse is made more explicit in this verse in which everything seen as external is pointed out ad a projection in psychological time and space. Physical space and time and the objectivity of things are assumptions, and the only fact of which we are sure is our subjective impressions, which are at best only mental images and abstracted language symbols.
Rising even above knowledge, what
within the form
Of the one who knows, as equally
without, radiant shines,
To that Core, with eyes five restrained
within,
Again and again prostrating in adoration,
one should chant.
The inquiry begins with the introduction of the “Core” which has several unique properties. First of all this core is not dull or opaque, but “radiantly shines”. We consider our knowledge as our highest realm. It is in pursuit of knowledge that we undertake all kinds of disciplines. We also identify ourself with our knowledge. Our knowledge defines who we are. The “Core” however, rises beyond the limits of our knowledge. It is therefore both in and beyond our knowledge. There is also parity between the inner and outer aspects, or the subjective and objective aspects of our knowledge. Therefore this “Core” is unitive and indivisible even though it appears to be divided as a subject and an object.
The second half of the verse tells us to prostrate before this Core with the five senses restrained. Thus our search is not to be conducted in the outer world which is experienced through the five senses. We should explore the content of our consciousness within.
It also rises above the knowlege I" consciousness, which seems to be the core of the consciousness within one's physical being and also the point of reference with which everything outside is related for one's awareness of the external world. The same core is also to be seen as the all-pervading stuff of pure consciousness which is indivisible and yet is the only content of all this is objectively and subjectively visualized.
The core of consciousness is like a light which illuminates both the inside and outside. Everything that is experienced in the objective world has a correspondence with what is experienced in the subjective world, even though the converse of it is not true.
There is a vertical ascent from all relative forms of knowledge to arrive finally at a state of realization. The external world is related to the sense organs, and they have their subjective counterparts in the sense impressions. The subjective counterpart, however, has other aspects other than the mere production of copies of replicas of the external world. This is to be dealt with later.
This verse summarizes the attitude of a Guru who teaches by his Word. A person who wants to teach with words has to retain his personal ego as a point of reference. At the same time, what he has to teach is that which goes beyond all knowledge. So he also has to surrender his ego to the Self that is shining within him as the Guru. He has to continuously surrender and with an attitude of eternal reverence pay homage to the Supreme. Here the Guru does not claim that he is teaching. His word is representing the revelation of the Supreme.
The supreme truth is not the product of ratiocination. It is perennial and it's validity is independent of the man through whom it is revealed. That is why the Guru here us the term "chant."
Verse Two
The inner organ, the senses, and counting
from the body
The many worlds we know are all,
on thought, the sacred form
Of the Supreme Sun risen in the void
beyond;
By relentless cogitation, one should
attain to this.
Western physiology and psychology think of knowledge as something that registers on the mind from the external world. According to this verse, knowledge begins with a selective and subjective structuring. The last in the series is the external world.
All knowledge begins with the four-fold inner organ. The four aspects of the inner organ are:
1. Manas, which is the interrogating or inquiring aspect of consciousness.
2. Citta, which is that aspect of consciousness that memorizes and recalls.
3. Buddhi, which is the aspect of consciousness that judges and arrives at certitude.
4. Ahamkara, which is the ego factor that is affected positively or negatively or neutrally. The sense organs do not operate unless they are commissioned by the inner organ. Then alone comes the world of external objects and the various universes of interest.
The human mind traverses from one universe of interest to another. Guru takes the analogy of the light that becomes identical with the forms of things it illuminates as analogous with the one Supreme Consciousness, which is seen as apparently transforming itself into the several forms of itself. At night we see only a dark world o outside with no light to illuminate it. When sunlight comes we see clearly the hills and maybe a lake, and boats and trees. That does not mean that the sun produced the hills or water or boat. They do not have any light to shine by themselves - the sun illuminates them.
In other words, what we see as the sky and hills and lake is nothing but light, identified with the colors and shapes of all these particular things. It is the one light that shines on all these. The external light that falls on a tree enables an eye to see the tree. Though we think that we are seeing the tree, we actually see only a visual image falling on our eye that is none other than the sunlight that is reflected by the tree. This is a case of the light transforming into an object. What is the sun in the physical sky is the Self shining by its own light in the void of consciousness.
Verse Three
These phenomenal aspects five, such
as the sky,
When as emergent from outside is here
seen to be,
By contemplation one should bring to
non-difference,
As the sea is to the waves that rise
in rows thereon.
What is hinted at in the previous verse is made more explicit in this verse in which everything seen as external is pointed out ad a projection in psychological time and space. Physical space and time and the objectivity of things are assumptions, and the only fact of which we are sure is our subjective impressions, which are at best only mental images and abstracted language symbols.
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