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adjuncts while in reality they preserve their essential non-differentiateness, so the distinction of different selves is due to limiting adjuncts only, while the unity of all selves is natural end original", 69 There is only one pure consciousness or highest reality, eternal, unchanging, which is the luminous body of pure-consciousness, which, on account of ignorance or Maya, manifests itself as many, and except this there is no other reality, no other pure-consciousness.70
On account of avidya, we superimpose the world on Brahman, which is supporting ground of the phenomenal world. On account of ignorance," we mistake rope for snake, shell for silver, we see one object in place of another. We attribute to an object certain qualities which do not belong to it. We superimpose the world on Brahman in the same manner as it a lower level, we superimpose the snake on rope, shell on silver etc. similarly we superimpose the body, the sense organs and the mind on the self. We also attribute agency and employership to the self which do not really belong to it.71 We think that this Jiva assec ated with ego is the highest reality. Actually speaking, this cgo is not the true self. True self is that which is free from all these adjuncts, ultimately it is one with Brahman 72 From the Päramärthika transcendenta! point of view, even the view that jiva becomes one with Brahman at the state of realization is only a verbal statement, for he is always Brahman.73 Just as pure transparent crystal is wrongly imagined to be red on account of a... red flower placed near it, just as colourless sky is wrongly imagined to be sullied with dirt by the ignorant or just as a rope is wrongly taken. to be a snake in darkness, similarly, the non-dual Atman or
is worngly imagined to be jiva or empirical self by ignorant people. 74. On account of powerful avidya, the self appears to be manifold. But infact, Sankara, writes, "the self is not to be known" as manifold, qualitied by the universe of effects. You are rather to dissolve by the true know. ledge, the universe of effects, which is the mere product of nescience and to know that one self which is the general abode, as uniform. 75 Common error like seeing snake in place of a rope, silver in a place of shell, etc., can be set right by proper observation and examination. But to remove metaphysical error like superimposition of world on Brahman, one has to go through rigorous spiritual descipline.76 After going through very hard descipline one can aquire the higher knowledge of Brahman which consigns the world to a lower order. The superimposition of world on Brahman which is beyond specio--temporal, causeless, non--perceptible, is like superimposition of colour, shape, dirtiness on the sky, which has
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