Algorithmic application of adhyāropa-apavāda



  • I am aware of the body. Therefore, I am not the body.
  • I am aware of sensations. Therefore, I am not the sensations.
  • I am aware of thoughts. Therefore, I am not the thoughts.
  • I am aware of emotions. Therefore, I am not the emotions.
  • I am aware of the ego-sense, the feeling “I am this person.” Therefore, I am not the ego-sense.
  • All these are witnessed: body, sensations, thoughts, emotions, and ego-sense. Therefore, provisionally, I take myself to be the sākṣī, the witness.
  • This sākṣī standpoint is a necessary adhyāropa. It separates me from the body-mind complex.
  • Now the thought arises: “I am consciousness.”
  • The thought “I am consciousness” also appears in the mind. Therefore, I am not that thought as a mental event.
  • But this thought is a pramāṇa-vṛtti, a knowledge-form produced by śāstra. Its function is not to create consciousness or objectify consciousness. Its function is to remove the error, “I am the body-mind.”
  • Therefore, I do not cling to the thought as an object. Nor do I reject what it reveals.
  • The thought is negated as a thought. But the consciousness indicated by the thought is not negated, because it is the very basis of all negation and affirmation.
  • Now apply apavāda to sākṣitvam itself.
  • Is the sākṣī another object? No.
  • Can the sākṣī be seen, heard, touched, thought, or objectified? No.
  • Does the sākṣī stand apart from the mind like one object watching another object? No.
  • Therefore, sākṣī is not an entity inside me. It is not a second thing observing the mind.
  • Witnesshood is only a provisional word used because there appears to be something witnessed.
  • When the witnessed is understood as mithyā, a dependent appearance, the witness-witnessed division also loses finality.
  • The mind appears in me, consciousness.
  • The mind has no independent reality apart from consciousness.
  • Therefore, I am not a separate witness standing apart from a second thing called the mind.
  • The sākṣī standpoint has served its purpose. It removed identification with the body-mind.
  • Now even sākṣitvam, witnesshood, is released as a provisional teaching construct.
  • What remains is not an inferred thought, not a mental conclusion, and not an objectified experience.
  • What remains is self-revealing, non-dual awareness.

  • Therefore: I am not the body, not the mind, not the ego, not the thought “I am consciousness,” and not even a relational witness. I am non-dual awareness, Brahman.

    • Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Meeting Swami Paramārthānandaji - July 14th, 2025, 5 PM at Swamiji’s Abhirāmapuram Dwelling, Chennai.

    Image
      After the initial introduction and remembering/thanking Sangeetha (my undergraduate friend and student of Swamiji), who sought an appointment for me to meet Swamiji, and profusely acknowledging Swamiji’s grace in granting us the time, I proceeded to begin speaking along the following lines, seeking Swamiji’s guidance.   1. On Deepening Nididhyāsanam in G ṛ hastha Āśrama I started off saying that if śrava ṇ am is “advitīya vastu tātparya avadhāra ṇ am” , mananam is “advitīya vastu anāvarta anucintanam” , and nididhyāsanam is “advitīya svasvarūpa vastu anāvarta anusandhānam” . How can one go deeper into nididhyāsanam, especially while living in the g ṛ hastha āśrama, where constant svasvarūpa-anusandhānam is the goal, but vikṣepas keep showing up in the form of vikalpas ? Swamiji smilingly acknowledged my framing and said mananam is reflecting upon the tattvam based on the yuktis learnt from the teacher. Then nididhyāsanam is mananam that happens continuously, even...
    Read more

    Thursday Slokas (Focus on Sri Dakshinamurti and Sri Bhagavathpaada)

    222 Om Namah Prannava-Arthaaya Shuddha-Jnyaanaiaka-Muurtaye Nirmalaaya Prashaantaaya Dakssinnaamuurtaye Namah Gurave Sarva-Lokaanaam Dakssinnaamuurtaye Namah Nidhaye Sarva-Vidyaanaam Bhissaje Bhava-Roginnaam Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwaraha Guru Saakshat Para Brahma Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha Brahmaanandham Parama Sukhadam Kevalam Jnaana Murthim Dhvandhvaa Theetham Gagana Sadhrisham TatvamAsyaadi Lakshyam Ekam Nithyam Vimalam Achalam Sarvadhee Saakshi Bhutham Bhavaatheetham Thriguna Rahitham Sadhgurum Tham Namaami. Dhyaanamoolam Gurur Moorthihi Poojamoolam Guroh Padam Mantramoolam Guror Vaakyam Moksha Moolam Guru Krupa Poojyaaya Raaghavendraaya Sathya Dhrama Vrataayacha Bhajataam Kalpa Vrikshaaya Namathaam Kaamadhenave jñānāndamayaṃ devam, nirmalam spaṭika kritam; ādhāram sarva vidhyānām, hayagrīvam upāsmahe. acinoti hi sāstrāṇi acāre sthapayatyapi svayam acarate yasmāt tasmāt acāryaḥ ucyate. Om̃ nārā...
    Read more

    Chanting before starting our Bhāgavata sessions

    Image
    Minimum Chanting before starting our Bh ā gavata sessions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13) (1)  janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ / tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ // tejovāri-mṛdāṃ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā / dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṃ satyaṃ paraṃ dhīmahi // (BhP 01.01.001) We meditate (dhīmahi) upon that Supreme Reality (satyaṃ param) from whom (yataḥ) arise the creation, sustenance, and dissolution (janma-ādi) of this universe; who is directly (anvayāt) present in all that exists and indirectly (itarataḥ) distinct from all that is non-existent; who is fully cognizant (abhijñaḥ) of all objects and self-dependent (svarāṭ); who imparted (tene) the Veda (brahma) into the heart (hṛdā) of the first-born sage (ādi-kavi Brahmā), about whom even the learned (sūrayaḥ) are deluded (muhyanti); in whom (yatra) the threefold creation (tri-sargaḥ of sattva, rajas, tamas) appears real (amṛṣā) like the apparent transformation (vinimayaḥ)...
    Read more