Greetings Ramji
I read this morning that lovely satsang by Shankar that was posted today. It must be so satisfying to see the teaching producing such beautiful results.
Ramji: Yes, indeed.
Tom: I am confused with your response to Shankar in that he referred to, he as a jiva as a “what”. This was what I thought you had been attempting to convey to us jivas, that we do not exist as living entities but rather are material objects merely reflecting the Self. You corrected him saying that he as Shankar is a who and the Eternal Self is a what.
I follow your comment that it is a small difference but no difference, like moonlight and sunlight, being neither the same nor different.
Can you please clarify for me?
Much appreciated,
Tom
Ramji: The non-eternal jiva is a material conceptual entity, Tom, created by falsely imputing consciousness to the three material bodies. It is actually the Self bewitched by Ignorance thinking it is a sentient being that lives and dies…a who.
The eternal Jiva is the Self with three bodies. Shankara says, “Jivo brahmaiva na parah” The Jiva is non-different from the Self. Vedanta teaches that if you inquire into the three bodies, according the principle of removing the non-essential elements as “not-self”, you will arrive at existence shining as consciousness, which can not be negated. That isness that appears in the form of “I” is the real you…a what.
RamjiÂ