Day 268: The Story of Indra's Realization of Brahman
Day 268: The Story of Indra's Realization of Brahman
The Cosmic Awareness and Dissolution of the Ego
Introduction
Bhusunda continues his discourse, recounting the story of a ruler of heaven, Indra, who sought to break free from the cycle of birth and death. Through meditation and self-realization, Indra discovered the truth about Brahman—the infinite, omnipresent consciousness that permeates everything. Bhusunda also elaborates on the illusory nature of the world-appearance (maya) and how the ego-sense (ahamkara) binds individuals to this illusion. He concludes by explaining how deep meditation can lead to emancipation, as demonstrated by a celestial being who attains immortality.
Indra's Journey of Realization
Bhusunda begins by narrating the story of a king of the gods, Indra, who sought to escape the endless cycle of birth and death. Though he ruled the heavens, Indra was deeply determined to find liberation. Following the guidance of Brhaspati, the preceptor of the gods, Indra performed appropriate actions as situations arose, including engaging in religious rites and battling demons. However, his mind soon turned inward, as he desired to perceive the ultimate reality of Brahman, the absolute.
Through deep meditation, Indra experienced profound peace and eventually realized Brahman. He saw the supreme self as omnipotent, all-pervasive, and manifesting everywhere. Indra realized that Brahman was the essence of everything—the pot, the tree, the monkey, the sky, and even himself. This recognition dissolved the ego-sense, and Indra became immersed in the awareness of Brahman’s omnipresence.
The Infinite Consciousness as the True Reality
Bhusunda describes the realization of Brahman as an experience of infinite consciousness, which exists within all beings. This consciousness is beyond the senses, yet it is the essence of all sensory experiences. It is both present and unattached, sustaining the world without being affected by it.
Indra's realization revealed that everything, including the sun, moon, earth, mountains, and oceans, is nothing but Brahman manifesting in different forms. This Brahman is both the creation and the emancipated self, the primordial consciousness that exists beyond all things. Despite being the essence of the universe, Brahman remains unaffected by the world-appearance. Indra realized that this infinite consciousness is the true reality, while the world is merely an illusion created by the ego-sense.
The Illusion of the Ego-Sense and Maya
Bhusunda explains that the ego-sense (ahamkara) is the root cause of the world-appearance (maya). The ego creates the sense of individuality and separation, causing one to perceive the world as real and substantial. Just as Indra's realization dissolved his ego and led to his understanding of Brahman, Bhusunda emphasizes that the ego-sense must be eradicated for maya to disappear.
He likens the world-appearance to the blueness of the sky, which seems real but is merely an illusion. The ego-sense acts as the seed from which the tree of world-appearance grows, with its branches as the stars and its fruits as the notions of limitation and individuality. As long as the ego-sense persists, the illusion of the world continues to exist.
Bhusunda explains that once the ego-sense is removed through the investigation of its reality, maya vanishes. The infinite consciousness is then revealed as pure, unconditioned, and devoid of any subject-object division. This consciousness is free from gross substantiality and exists as the void, with Brahman as its only reality.
Continuing his teachings, Bhusunda narrates the story of a celestial who attained liberation through the dissolution of the ego-sense. This celestial, like Indra, sought the truth and engaged in deep meditation. After understanding the illusory nature of the ego, he immersed himself in pure awareness and attained the supreme state of self-realization.
Bhusunda explains that when the teachings of self-knowledge fall upon a qualified heart, they expand within that intelligence, leading to liberation. In this way, even an ignorant person can attain immortality through the knowledge of the reality, as the celestial did.
The Tree of Creation and the Ego-Sense
Vasistha elaborates on Bhusunda’s teaching by using the metaphor of a mighty tree to explain the nature of creation. The tree represents the creation of the universe, bearing both sweet and bitter fruits, representing happiness and unhappiness. The ego-sense serves as the seed for this tree, and when the ego is recognized as false, the tree of creation collapses.
He explains that when self-knowledge dispels the illusion of the ego-sense, the ego ceases to exist. Just as a leaf draws moisture from the earth and the sun evaporates it, the sun of self-knowledge evaporates the ego, turning it into the subtle essence of Brahman. Without self-knowledge, the seed of the ego grows into the tree of creation in the blink of an eye, as the entire creation is contained within the ego.
The Nature of Death and the Cosmic Life-Force
Vasistha further explains that even death does not put an end to the cycle of existence. When a person dies, the prana (life force) leaves the body and is carried by the cosmic air, filled with all the notions and experiences accumulated by the jiva (individual soul). These pranas fill the space, and the world within each jiva continues to exist within its mind, just as oil exists within seeds.
He explains that these worlds, carried by the pranas, exist everywhere and are subtler than space itself. However, they are not truly wafted here and there because they are merely false notions created by the mind. In reality, everything is Brahman, and there is no true movement or creation, only the illusion of such.
Conclusion
Bhusunda’s teachings reveal the profound realization of Brahman by Indra and the illusory nature of the world created by the ego-sense. The ego-sense is the seed from which the world-appearance grows, and through self-inquiry and meditation, one can dissolve this illusion and realize the infinite consciousness as the only reality. Bhusunda also shares the story of a celestial being who attained liberation through this knowledge, emphasizing that the dissolution of the ego is the key to immortality and emancipation.
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