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Panchadashi Lesson G0208: Method of Enquiry

Panchadashi
Module - G
Unit - G02
Lesson G0208: The Method of Enquiry
By Raja Subramaniyan

In any communication, there are three aspects: sound, thought and the content. In a communication between the speaker and the listener, if all these three are identical then the communication is successful. Else, there will be a communication gap.

Example: The speaker says 'Ram'. The sound originated from him should reach the listener in the same way. Suppose there is a distortion due to external disturbance, then the listener may hear the word 'Sam'. To avoid communication gap it should be ensured that the sound should reach the listener without distortion.

Secondly, the word 'Ram' has content. It refers to a person. The speaker has a picture of that person in his mind and wants to communicate the same. The second requirement is the listener should also understand the content (thought about the same person) as per the intention of the speaker.

Thus if the sound, thought and content are same with respect to both the speaker and the listener we establish a successful communication.

However when the speaker is thinking of Ram as the hero of the Ramayana and the listener is thinking of Ram as the neighbor, then there is a communication gap due to variation in content.

Even if listener gets the correct meaning of Ram, he may not have as much regard for Ramayana as the speaker. This is a case of communication gap due to variation in thought.

Similarly, the scripture declares "YOU ARE THAT (ONE)". The sound reaches the listener without any distortion.

Nevertheless, both the words YOU and THAT create thoughts that are different from the intended content. As a result, the listener gains indirect knowledge thinking that ONE is somewhere far away. In order to gain the direct knowledge it is necessary to analyze the process of communication.

For the word YOU, the listener replaces the word 'I' appropriately. However, there is a difference in the content between what is meant by the scripture and what is understood by the listener.

The listener knows that 'I' definitely means a live entity and not an inert object. However due to the strong wrong knowledge, the listener understands the content of the word 'I' as inclusive of certain inert objects like his body or mind, in addition to the conscious principle.

Sometime he assumes it to include his physical body but mostly he assumes it as his mind. Both are wrong. Both his mind and body are inert objects and they should not be mixed up with the conscious principle.

Example: We say to the doctor "I was walking for the past 15 minutes". In this statement the literal meaning of the word, "I" includes the physical body along with the conscious principle. However, the meaning is changed in the next sentence. "My whole body aches now". We do not say, "I am aching" because we are aware that the word "I" does not include our body.

We also know that the word "I" does not include our mind. Hence, we talk about 'My mind…". We have a mind and body and we are not the mind and the body.

Even though we are aware that the word "I" does not include our body/ mind complex we often include them when we convert the sound into thoughts.

Thus in the sentence "You are that", normally we take the wrong literal meaning of the word "YOU" and create a thought about our body/mind complex.

This is the communication gap with respect to the word "YOU"

Similarly, there is a communication gap with respect to the word "THAT" too. The scripture refers to ONE as "THAT". Nevertheless, we understand it to be God. In addition, we think God is someone who is sitting far above in the heaven and controlling us. Nevertheless, all along we all know that the God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. How could a God, who is omnipresent, be far away from us?

There is a communication gap with respect to the word "THAT"

As a result, when we listen to the sentence "You are that" we compare our insignificant body/mind complex with the all-powerful god who is sitting in the heaven and say 'How can this statement be true?'

In order to understand the true meaning of the sentence it is essential that one should first get the correct literal meaning of the words "YOU" and "THAT".

Example: We look at the old photograph ourselves and claim "I AM THIS". How can a lean young figure could be the fat old me? However, we do understand this statement by disregarding the features of the body.

Similarly, we need to disregard the features of the body/mind and understand the statement 'YOU ARE THAT' to mean 'I AM THIS ONE'

Thus when both the words 'YOU' and 'THAT' create identical content in the minds of the listener then the communication will be successful.

The word "I" should refer to the changeless ever-existing joyful conscious principle, which is not a part, product and property of our body/mind complex.

The word "That" should also refer to the changeless ever-existing joyful conscious principle of which God is just a reflection.

ONE is the only reality.

ONE reflects on the individual mind creating a micro reflection, which borrows the sentiency of the ONE and illumines the inert body/mind complex. This is referred as YOU the individual.

The macro reflection of ONE seen on all the minds taken together constitutes God.

The YOU in the statement YOU ARE THAT refers to the original ONE disregarding the micro reflection and the body/mind complex.

The THAT in the statement YOU ARE THAT refers to the same original ONE disregarding the macro reflection and the universe.

Thus, the statement YOU ARE THAT should be understood, as "I am this ONE".

Statement 13: 'I am this ONE' means the saying from scripture 'You Are That'

It is essential that one has trust in the scripture and the statements revealed in them cannot be meaningless or false. Only then we will disregard the primary meaning (that I am God) as meaningless statement and look for secondary meaning (that both God and I are reflections of the changeless ONE).

Panchadashi Lesson G0207: Gaining Knowledge << Home >> Panchadashi Lesson G0209: Gaining Knowledge

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