Gurudeva - Pravachan Mudra
1. The Universe Exists For Those Who Perceive It
All of us experience the three states of empirical existence viz. the ‘awaken’ state (jagrat), the state of ‘dream’ (swapna) and the state of ‘deep-sleep’ (sushupti). The embodied soul is called ‘vishva’ in the awaken state, ‘tejas’ in the dream state and ‘pragya’ in the state of deep-sleep. The cognition of all name and form in the ‘awaken’ state relates to the physical as well as the mental body; whereas all creation and perception in the state of ‘dream’ is mental only. The state of ‘deep-sleep’ is devoid of all cognition of name and form. The Universe no longer exists for the one who has entered this state, but the seed of Ignorance persists.
There is also a fourth state - the state of ‘enlightenment’ (turiya), wherein the soul is established in the Absolute Non-Dual Brahman that is beyond the domain of cause and effect, and is of the nature of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss. This, in fact, is the true nature of the Self alone, a fact that the embodied soul does not recognize due to the superimposition of the Self and the non-Self in the aforementioned three states of empirical existence. The Universe no longer exists in this state too, but there is no seed of Ignorance. This is that state of emancipation, for which we have to strive for. - Dr. Narendra Tuli (posted on 21.10.2005)
2. The Great Superimposition
The entire Vedic and Pragmatic proclivity is consequent to the acknowledgement of superimposition of the Self and Non-Self. The Non-Self (anaatma) is superimposed on the Self (aatma) by way of ‘proximity’ (sansarga) as well as ‘character’ (swaroopa), whereas the Self is superimposed on the Non-Self by way of ‘proximity’ only. The direct knowledge of the principal (Self) annihilates this superimposition. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 7.1.2006)
3. Brahman - The Final Resort
All Vedanta texts, directly or circuitously, conclude in ‘Unqualified Brahman’ that is of the nature of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss, and is one’s own very Self. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 8.1.2006)
4. Maya - The Greatest Charlatan
Nescience (Avidya, Maya, Ignorance), though without a beginning, has an end. It is inscrutable, for It is neither true, nor untrue and neither both. It belongs to one who perceives It. This triple-trait Maya (consisting of sattva, raja and tama traits) veils the true nature of Self, and instead, manifests this confounding array of Name and Form. The immediate and direct knowledge of Self (Brahman) annihilates It. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 11.1.2006)
5. Salutations to the Shrutis
Many salutations to the Mother Shruti for bringing to light the Transcendental Truth, for otherwise none could have escaped the eternal vicious cycles of deep sleep, dream and awakening. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 13.1.2006)
6. Self - The Ocean of Bliss
If material objects would have been the source of happiness, then how come one experiences bliss in deep-sleep, a state where all gross and subtle worlds cease to exist. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 18.1.2006)
7. Self - The Ultimate Reality
Of ‘unreality’ there is no existence, and of ‘reality’ there is no dearth. The absolute transcendental Self is the ultimate Reality - Eternal, Immutable and Self-effulgent. Bliss, Knowledge and Existence is Its innate nature. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 22.1.2006)
8. The Fourth Dimension
The Shruti (Ma. Up.) explicitly propounds the four feet of Brahman, the fourth being declared as beyond all cause and effect, beyond all pragmatic behavior, the one to be specially known. Does there still remain any doubt as to the validity of the doctrine of Superimposition propounded by the Great Shankara? - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 23.1.2006)
9. Pause and Think
‘I perceive’ – this experience is direct and universal and does not require any further validation, but the all-important question is - ‘Who is this I’? Who is the ‘Perceiver’? Is it the ‘body’, which is a conglomerate of various cells, tissues, organs and systems; or is it the ‘mind’, a metaphysical entity - the exact nature of which has eluded the scientific world so far; or is it an entity beyond the domains of the physical and mental worlds? - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 28.1.2006)
10. The Perceiver
Perception is the characteristic of an intelligent sentient principle. The Physical and the Mental bodies are not sentient, but act merely as an instrument for the ‘sentient perceiver’. The ‘perceiver’ recruits these ‘insentient’ instruments to gain various sensory experiences and execute necessary motor responses. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue and the skin are used for getting sensory inputs. These inputs are analyzed by the ‘sentient perceiver’ with the help of mind and intellect, and appropriate motor responses initiated with the help of the limbs, speech etc. The ‘sentient perceiver’ rides over this conglomerate of insentient physical and mental instruments akin to a driver riding a vehicle. This fact is incessantly acknowledged by everyone everyday. It is a matter of direct knowledge that one says, ‘I see with my eyes and hear with my ears’, ‘I think with my mind’, thereby admitting to the objective (instrumental) nature of the mind and body. Hence it is concluded that the ‘perceiver’ is different from the mind as well as the body. This ‘sentient perceiver’ alone has been designated variously by the Scriptures as the Brahman, the Self, the Atman etc. It is of the nature of Existence, Knowledge and Consciousness, and is beyond the domain of physical and mental worlds. ‘It’ is ‘You’ only. - Dr. Narendra Tuli ( posted on 2.2.2006)