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Panchadashi Lesson - C0510: After Uncovering

Panchadashi
Module - C
Unit - C05
Lesson - C0510: Practical - After Uncovering
By Raja Subramaniyan

It is expected that we will find the meaning of the word I, after removing the five sheaths. It is also said that the mere process of enquiry will remove the five sheaths. We have enquired thoroughly the nature and functions of all the five sheaths. Moreover, we have found out that the five sheaths are like a dress that covers our body.

However, after uncovering all sheaths we do not find anything?

Yes, we are on the right path in our understanding of the meaning of the word I. The one who removes all the five sheaths and find nothing inside has found the meaning of the word 'I'.

All the five sheaths are objects perceived by the subject I.

The relationship of 'I' with the FIVE SHEATHS is explained with an example:
Michael Jackson's personal secretary (who is an authorized signatory of the bank account) visits the bank in chauffer driven limousine every day.

One day when the car enters the bank premises, the manager says "There! He has come". Someone who is new in the bank asks 'who' and gets an answer 'Michael Jackson'. Therefore, he eagerly looks out and sees the car.

Michael Jackson is not the car. (The car represents our physical body.)

He is not the automotive power that drives the car. (Physiological sheath)

Michael Jackson is not the skills of the driver (Psychological Sheath)

Michael Jackson is not the driver (Intelligence Sheath)

The onlooker knows all these things but he is hoping that the person who gets down from the limousine is Michael Jackson. However, unfortunately only the Personal Secretary (Happiness Sheath) is getting down.

As far as the bank is concerned Michael Jackson has visited the bank.

Similarly, we have five sheaths, which interact with the external world. I am represented by
Happiness Sheath as The enjoyer
Intelligence Sheath as The doer
Psychological Sheath as The executor
Physiological Sheath as The motive power
Physical Sheath as The instrument
Question: Still I do not experience myself as I experience my five sheaths?

True, in order to accept something as existing we need to experience it:

* We should be able to perceive it directly (By touching, seeing etc)
� I see a cat. So I know it exists
* If the above is not possible, we should be able to do it at some future date or on fulfilling some conditions.
� I do not see China Wall but I have seen a photo of it AND I can see it if I visit China. Therefore, it exists.
� I do not see the groundnut inside the shell but I can see it if I open the shell. Therefore, it exists.
* We should know someone who has directly experienced it.
� I know moon exists as a solid sphere like the earth because someone has directly experienced it.
* We should be able to infer it based on what we know/ observe
� I know Black Hole exists because I can infer it based on the scientific data provided.

Any object in the universe, which does not fulfill any one of the above conditions, can be stated to be non-existent.

Rule: An object, which cannot be experienced, does not exist.

For example if someone says there is cat here on the table but you cannot experience it, then the statement is a lie. Therefore, it is not possible to say an object exists but cannot be experienced. If something is not experienced / cannot be experienced then it does not exist.

There is only one exception to this rule: The subject

Example: We cannot see our own eye. (What we see in the mirror is the reflection of our eye). However, since we see the reflection we know that we have eyes although we do not perceive them directly.

Similarly, the knower who is the subject, who experiences all objects, cannot experience himself. If the status of the subject is changed as an object, then there will be a question mark on who is the subject of that object.

All the objects in creation can be experienced. Whatever cannot be experienced can be dismissed as non-existent except the subject who is experiencing all the objects.

Because I am the subject who is experiencing the entire creation, I cannot be experienced by definition. There is no one else other than me to experience me!

Example: In order to see any object, we need light. However, in order to see the source of light we do not need any other light. Similarly, our consciousness is the light, which enables us to know everything. Moreover, we cannot use any tool to know this consciousness. There is no need to know the consciousness since it is self-revealing.

A candle light does not need a sun light to reveal itself since it is self-revealing.

All the objects in the world are known only through me. Since nothing other than me exists it is not possible to know myself. If there is some other knower to know me then the question 'who will know that knower!' arises. It will be like a blind person searching for a black cat in a dark room that is not there. One will never find it. Thus, the knower cannot be known.

Therefore, we cannot experience ourselves, not because we do not exist but because we are the subject.

Example: Suppose you ask someone to check if there is anyone inside a big house and that person enters the house and checks all the rooms and reports from his mobile phone "There is no one inside this house". This information is technically not correct. HE IS INSIDE THE HOUSE. Besides without him going inside the house it is not possible to know whether the house is empty.

Similarly, the knower is the one who identifies all the five sheaths and cannot find anyone else except self. Self exists, but cannot be counted as an object.

Example: The source of sweetness in coffee is from Sugar. Coffee is bitter by nature. It borrows sweetness from sugar. Where does sugar get its sweetness? It does not get it from anywhere nor can any other object lend sweetness to it. Sweetness is naturally available in sugar.

If one wants to know the origin of sweetness in sugar, his search will be endless. Sugar's inherent nature is sweetness and it does not need to borrow sweetness from elsewhere as the other items do. Moreover, no other item is capable of giving sweetness to sugar.

Similarly, it is my nature to know everything. But I (knower) cannot be known.

Thus the meaning of the word I is SELF (or ONE) which is not knowable as an object because I am the subject.

Whatever I know is not SELF.

Whatever I do not know is not SELF.

Whatever I will ever know is not SELF.

Whatever is ever knowable by anyone is not SELF.

SELF exists as something else other than objects that are known /unknown.

Then who is SELF?

Whoever is asking this question is the SELF

Question: I still do not understand. What exactly should I do to know SELF?

Answer: It is like shouting, "I do not have a tongue. What should I do to get one?"

We can only pity such a person and hope he matures to become more intelligent and then start this enquiry. His mind is not sufficiently prepared to receive this knowledge.

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