Adhyaaropa (adhi: ‘above’, ‘over’ + aropa: ‘attribute’):
superimposition, wrong attribution, erroneously transferring
a statement of one thing to another ;
adhyaasa: to sit over or above, to impute wrongly,
such as with a snake on a rope, water on a mirage; taking
appearances for reality; seeing as exisiting what is not
there; (negative superimposition:) taking as not there what is
there, such as in the missing necklace (see below).
Superimposition, Bhagavan tells us, is projection, the
transformation of Brahman into the objects of the world or
the remoulding of the light of the Self into the ego and
I-am-the-body consciousness. Correct seeing (through
atmavichara and finally, jnana) removes false attribution and
allows the real to be seen as it really is. Once appearances
are exposed, no special effort is required. Bhagavan blames
superimposition for the prevalent mistaken notion that the
Self is bound, and thus in need of being liberated, like the
woman he describes in Talks, who needs to find her ‘lost’
necklace.When a friend points to the necklace round her
neck, the woman shouts with joy at having ‘found it at last’.
But, Bhagavan says emphatically, “In fact she never lost the
necklace nor recovered it, [for it was there all along]. And yet
she was once miserable and is now happy. So also with the
realisation of the Self. The Self is always realised. Realisation
is now obscured but when the veil is removed, the person
feels happy at rediscovering the ever-realised Self.”
(Talks §490)
FAMOUS EXAMPLES OF SUPERIMPOSITION --
Error arises, according to the theory of Non-duality, on
account of the superimposition of one reality on another.
Seeing
• a snake where there is a rope,
• a piece of silver where there is nacre,
• a thief where there is the trunk of the tree,
• water where there are only heat-waves,
• a dream object.
Adhyasa Bhashya Of Sri Shankara
Reference: Sreenivasarao S / Sulecha.com
1. The magnificent prelude that Sankara wrote to his
commentary on the Vedanta Sutras is celebrated as The
Adhyasa Bashya. It is in fact not a Bhashya; it is not a
commentary. It is an independent piece of writing, which
served as a prologue to his main work.
2. The Adhyasa Bashya is remarkable in many ways. It is not
a lengthy work; it is less than fifty lines divided into five
sections. It is a free flowing writing. Sankara lucidly puts forth
his views. While doing so, he does not cite any traditional text
or authority in support of his views. He does not denounce or
attack any school of thought (vada). He is not propagating a
new school of thought or a new argument. He assures that the
significance of the initial discussion will be realized in the main
commentary, which seeks to restore the true interpretation
of the. Vedanta tradition as contained in the Vedanta Sutra.
Adhyasa Bashya is a rare gem in the field of philosophical
texts.
3. Attaining ones aspirations and expectations by resort to
rituals had caught the imagination of the common people,
though the Vedanta tradition advocated wisdom as the sole
means for attaining ones goals in life. However, some
thinkers diluted the rigorous position by combing Upanishad
teachings with rituals to make it appealing to the common
people. This they called ‘jnana_karma_samucchaya”--
a two- in- one of wisdom and ritual.
3.1. Sankar viewed this as a distortion of the Upanishad
ideals. In order to play down the prominence given to rituals
by the Mimamsakas, Sankara relied on the idea of avidya
He bracketed the ritualistic approach with avidya and
called it an “error”.
4. Avidya is a word that occurs in Upanishads, though not
often. The word Vidya is used to denote effective
discrimination and avidya is the absence of it. Sankara
states wisdom (vidya) can eliminate ignorance (avidya);
but the ignorance it eliminates is not real, because it has no
existence of its own. Once the error is removed the
Universe (Brahman) will reveal of its own accord.
4.1. Sankara explains, darkness and light are distinct from
each other in their nature and in their functions. Darkness
has no existence of its own; it is merely the absence of light.
Wheareas, the light is positive and helps vision. Darkness
and light can neither coexist nor share their functions or
nature. Darkness is an error that can be removed.
5.Sankara states in his prologue , the main purpose of the
Upanishads is to provide the Knowledge(vidya) that will
eliminate darkness , ignorance(avidya) , which is in the
nature of “reality transfer” (adhyasa). He thereafter goes
on to explain the concept adhyasa.
5.1.Adhyasa, according to Sankara, is not an intellectual
construct (kalpana_viseha) but a matter of experience
(anubhava).Sankara says we do it all the time.Adhyasa
consists in mistaking one thing and its attributes for another;
superimposing one level of reality over other. This we do
every day. An individual experiences the world through his
senses, mind and other ways of perception. His experience
of the world may be tainted by the defect in his senses or
other constraints, internal or external. Nevertheless, that
person creates his own set of impressions and experiences
and he accepts those subjective experiences as real.
5.2. A special feature of sankara’s thought is that he regards
personal and intuitive experience (anubhava) as
independent and convincing evidence. Sankara says that
individual’s experience cannot be disputed, because the
experience he went through was real to him; though that may
not be real from the absolute point of view. Sankara
makes a distinction between the absolute view and the
relative view of things.
6. In short, what the person does is, he imposes his
transactional experience (relative or dual) over the
transcendental (absolute) and accepts the former as real.
That subjective experience need not be proved or disproved .
However, the confusion it created can be removed by
wisdom (vidya).According to Sankara the world we
experience is not absolutely real but it is not false either.
The real is that which cannot be negated and that which is
beyond contradiction.
6.1. Sankara explains that vyavaharika (relative) and
para_marthika (absolute) bothare real. However, the relative
reality is “limited” in the sense it is biologically or mechanically
determined and it is not beyond contradictions. The absolute
on the other hand is infinite (everlasting and unitary (meaning
utter lack of plurality)). Sankara is careful to point out that the
two dimensions – Vyavaharika and Paramarthika- are two
levels of experiential variations. It does not mean they are two
orders of reality. They are only two perspectives. Whatever
that is there is REAL and is not affected by our views
6.2. The Self in the vyavaharika context is saririka (embodied
self); it encounters the world. However, the Self in reality is not
saririka; it is absolute, asaririka and is infinite.The infinite
Self, perceived as the limited self (jiva) is what Sankara calls
as adhyasa.
7. The dichotomy between being an individual-in-the-world
(jiva) and being originally a pure, transcendental
consciousness (atman) is taken by Sankara as merely
superficial.According to Sankara, it is due to avidya that
the individual fails to see the nexus between Being and the
world. That nexus indicates the oneness underlying the
subject-object, inner-outer, Man-Nature distinctions. All that
is required is to remove the error and the universe will shine
on its own accord.
8. The analogy given in the text is that of a pond that is clear
and undisturbed .One can see the bottom of the pond through
its still water. When, however, pebbles are thrown into the
pond, the water in it is disturbed and the bottom of the pond
becomes no longer visible. That bottom however is there all
the time and it remains unchanged, no matter whether the
surface water is disturbed or not. The water in the pond is the
transactional world. The bottom of the pond is the
transcendental reality. The disturbance created is avidya
[It is difficult to find an exact English word for adhyasa. It may,
among other things, mean “superimposition”,” projection” etc.
adhyasa is more comprehensive than that. Sankara, in my
view, recognizes three levels of existence, the Absolute, the
relative and the illusory. Adhyasa consists in superimposing
one level of existence (relative/illusory) over the other (The
Absolute) and accepting the former as true while it may
actually be untrue.The absolute (atman) appearing as the
limited (jiva) is what Sankara calls adhyasa.]
9.Extending the concept of adhyasa, Sankara says, we
superimpose the body, the sense organs and the mind on
the Self(infinite) and we use expressions like: 'I am fat',
'I am thin', 'I am white', 'I am black', 'I stand', 'I go', 'I am dumb',
'I am deaf', 'I think', 'I am not going to fight', 'I shall renounce'
and so on. In this way, we superimpose our mind on the
Atman, which is the eternal witness. We do it the other way
also by superimposing self on the mind, the non-Self.
According to Sankara, the relation between mind and self
involves mutual superimposition (itaretara-adhyasa). This
relation is false since there cannot be any real relation
between the self and the non-self. This confusion or adhyasa
is innate to us, and is a matter of common experience.
10. Sankara says, the purpose of Upanishads is to remove
adhyasa or avidya; and once it is removed, Brahman will
shine of its accord, for it is the only reality. This doctrine of
Sankara became the nucleus for the development of the
Advaita school of thought.
11. As regards the rituals, Sankara says, the person who
performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in
terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage
of his life, his standing in society etc. In addition, he is
required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the
Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person
who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless,
eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one
for the other; and is therefore an ignorant person. The
scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards etc. are therefore
addressed to an ignorant person.
11.1This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its
wake a desire for the well being of the body ,aversion for its
disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction and thus a host
of miseries(anartha).This anartha is caused by projecting
karthvya("doer" sense) and bhokthavya(object) on the Atman.
Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals,
rewards etc. are therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant
person.
11.2.In short, person who engages in rituals with the notion
"I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sankara, is
ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate
doer/agent/knower ; and an object that is to be
done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that
can be removed by vidya.
11.3. Sankara elsewhere explains that, when such acts are
performed by a person without desire for the fruits of his
actions, by recognizing the reality that there is neither a
"doer" nor an “object”, then that instills in him the desire for
Brahma-vidya, which takes him closer to vidya.
12.Sri Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging
reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the
point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the
knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma vidya) and the Upanishads
give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is
identical with the Absolute, the Brahman.
DIRECT YOUR MIND TO CONCENTRATE ON ATHMAN
By continuous effort, repetition,meditation & Bhakti force your
mind to remain on Athman. This leads to gradual improvement
of thoughtless stage & sadhak becomes desireless, vyragya
takes over.
ELIMINATING GUNA TRIAS(Three Cunas)
This has to be done in three stages --
1) Improve Sathvic & Rajasic gunas leading to elimination of
Thamas.
2) Improve Sathvic Guna & eliminate Rajasic Guna. This means
vyvahara dristi( worldly activity) & involvement to be reduced
drastically.
3) When only good thoughts, seeing GOD in everything &
everybody settles & mind sticks to Athman, Sathvic Guna
also gets eliminated.
FEAR OF SUSTAINING BODY NEED NOT BE THERE
Above transformations take place only when all Papa portion of
Prarabdha Karmas are exhausted & only punya portion remains.
This ensures that your body will be sustained, whether you
carryout unattached actions or not, till the end of your life span.
(Refer BIRTH-DEATH CYCLE POSTING),
Eliminate ignorance of identifying Athma(Self) with Anathma
(non-Self).
KNOW THY OWN SELF AS THE SELF OF ALL
Through Guru or scriptures, your own jnana associated with
analysis & ATHMA Jnana, know that your own Self is the Self
of all & get rid of the ignorance of identifying the Self with the
Non-Self..
GET RID OF IGNORANCE OF IDENTIFYING THE
SELF WITH THE NON-SELF--
Always we should think,"I am not Jiva, I am the Supreme
Athman , birthless,deathless & only through desire, I have
received this body' by carefully analysing this, get rid of the
ignorance of identifying the Self with the Non-Self.
Always meditate & one pointed concentration on Brahman
eliminate this illusion of identifying the Self with the Non-Self.
Veda Vakya 'TAT-TWAM ASI' which means 'THOU ART
THAT' signifys oneness with the supreme Self. Remain as
Athma by constant perseverance & Jnana, get rid of the
ignorance of identifying the Self with the Non-Self.
ONENESS OF ATHMAN & SUPREME BRAHMAN WHICH
WE ARE, BODY.& WORLD ARE NON-SELF TO BE DISCARDED
So long as even a dream-like perception of the universe
and souls(ie, plurality) persists do away with, your
superimposition, wise one, without the any break.
Without giving the slightest chance to oblivion on account
of sleep, concern in worldly matters or the sense-objects,
one is likely to forget oneness of Athman, reflect on the Self
in your mind,
This body which has sprung from the dirt of Father & Mother
& itself consists of filth, flesh etc, give up as one who keeps
distance from an out cast, get established in Athman &
become Brahman.
As the space in the pitcher is the same as that of outside,
so also ATHMAN in the body, think that is one with the
undivided Supreme Brahman & observe Mauna(silence)
Becoming thyself the self -effulgent Brahman, the
substratum of all phenomena, — as that Reality, give tip
both the macrocosm and the microcosm, like two filthy
receptacles.
Transferring the identification now rooted in the body, to
the Atman, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, and
discarding the subtle body, be one, universal whole..
The Athman in which there is this reflection of the universe,
as a city is reflected in a mirror, -- that Brahman am I ;
knowing this you wilt attain perfectness & liberation.
That which is real and thy own primeval Essence, that
Knowledge, and Bliss Absolute, the One without a second,
which is beyond form and activity --attaining That one
should cease to identify oneself with one's false bodies,
like an actor giving up his assumed role & dress.
BY FOLLOWING THE ABOVE, LET US RESOLVE DEFECT
OF SUPER-IMPOSITION (ADHYASA) & ATTAIN FULFILLMENT
OF HUMAN LIFE !!
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