SELF -- UNATTACHED TO SENSES

THIS IS THE REPETITION (CHAPTER 3) OF

 'UPADESHA SAHASRI' PART-1(PROSE)

The supreme reason why I(SOUL) am unattached is that 
nothing really exists except the Self. 

AS PER SRI SWAMY SIVANANDA--
BIRTH & DEATH ARE TWO ILLUSORY SCENES
IN THE DRAMA OF THIS WORLD :
REALLY NO ONE IS BORN,NO ONE DIES,
NO ONE COMES, NO ONE GOES,
IT IS Maya's JUGGLERY,
IT IS PLAY OF THE MIND :
BRAHMAN ALONE EXISTS.

As duality does not exist, the portions of the Upanishads 

regarding the oneness of the Self, should be studied to a 

great extent. 

BHGAVATHPADA SHRI SHANKARACHARYA

This is described for those who aspire after supreme tranquility of the mind by destroying accumulated sins and virtues and refraining from accumulating new ones. Ignorance causes defects. Defects produce efforts of the body, mind and speech. And through these efforts are accumulated actions having desirable, undesirable and mixed results. This method is described here so that there may be cessation of all these.

           As they are perceived by the ear and the other senses the objects called sound, touch, sight, taste and smell have no knowledge of themselves or of other things. Transformed into the body and other things they, like brickbats, are known to lack in the said knowledge. Moreover, they are known through the ear etc. Being the knower, that by which they are known is quite of a different nature. For, connected with one another those sound and other objects are possessed of various properties such as birth, growth, change of condition, decline, death, contact, separation, appearance, disappearance, cause, effect and sex. All of them produce various effects like pleasure, pain and so on. The knower of sound and the like is of a nature different from theirs as It is the knower.

          Distressed by sound and other things experienced, the knower of Brahman will thus practice repetition: I who am of the nature of Consciousness, not attached to anything, changeless, immovable, imperishable, free from fear, extreme subtle and not an object, cannot for the very fact of my being not attached, be made an object and touched by sound in general or its special forms such as, the notes of the gamut, praise, etc. which are pleasant and desirable, and false, terrible, insulting and abusive words, which are undesirable.. So there is no loss or gain due to sound. Therefore what can sound, pleasant or unpleasant, consisting of praise or blame do to me? Pleasant or unpleasant sound regarded as belonging to the Self glorifies or injures and ignorant man on account of nondiscrimination. But it cannot do even the slightest good or evil to me who am a man of knowledge. (These ideas should thus be repeated.)
            Similarly no change consisting of gain or loss can be produced in me by touch in general or its special form such as fever, colic pain and such other diseases and coldness, hotness, softness or roughness which is unpleasant. Again, pleasant touches connected with the body or brought into existence by external or adventitious causes can likewise produce no change in me as much as I am beyond touch like the ether which, when struck with one's fist, does not meet with any change whatever.
           Likewise as I am entirely unconnected with sight, no good or harm is done to me by it, either in its general form or in its special forms both pleasant, and unpleasant, such as ugly sights.
           Similarly, Independent of taste I am not harmed or benefited by it, either in its general form or in its special forms such as sweetness, sourness, saltiness, pungency, bitterness and astringency, though accepted as pleasant or unpleasant by the ignorant.
         Thus, I who do not consist of smell cannot be harmed or benefited by it, either in its general form or in its special forms such as, flowers, fragrant pastes etc. considered to be pleasant or unpleasant. For, the Sruti says that I am one who am 'eternally devoid of sound, thought, sight, taste and smell.'

           Moreover, sound and the other external objects that are transformed into the forms of the body, the ear and the other senses through which they are perceived, are transformed into the forms of the two internal organs, (the intellect and the mind) and also into those of their objects. For, they are connected and combined with one another in all actions. When this is so, I who am a man of knowledge have no one belonging to me as a friend or foe, nor have I anyone indifferent to me. Anybody, therefore, who wishes to connect me with pleasure or pain, the results of his action, through a false egoism, makes a vain effort. For I am not within the reach of pain or pleasure as the Sruti says, 'It is unmanifested and inscrutable'. Similarly, I am not changeable by the action of any of the five elements as I am not of an objective nature. Therefore the Sruti says, 'It cannot be cut or burnt'. The merit or demerit arising out of good or evil done to this combination of the body and the senses on the part of those who are devotional or adverse to me will be theirs, but will not touch me who am devoid of old age, death and fear as the Sruti and Smriti say, 'It is not pained by omission and commission’s, “It is harmed or benefited by any action', 'Unborn, comprising the interior and exterior' and 'It is beyond the pain felt by the people and unattached'. The supreme reason why I am unattached is that nothing really exists except the Self. 
          As duality does not exist the portions of the Upanishads regarding the oneness of the Self should be studied to a great extent.