Exploring the Essence of Advaita Vedanta
In a wide-ranging 90-minute conversation, Dr. Tony Nader, head of the International Transcendental Meditation® organisation in more than 100 countries, explores with Rupert the depths of Advaita Vedanta, a philosophy that delves into the nature of life and the ultimate reality. Among many highlights, they discussed the inextricable role that understanding consciousness plays in better knowing peace of being.
Tony begins by introducing Vedanta as the ancient science of knowledge that stems from deep intuition, introspection, and a different perspective than objective knowledge. Vedanta recognizes consciousness as the foundation of all understanding, emphasising that awareness itself can exist at different levels.
Rupert highlights the core essence of this philosophy. He shares that the ultimate knowledge expressed in Vedanta can be distilled into a simple statement: Peace and happiness are the nature of our being, and we share our being with everyone and everything. The Vedanta concept of sat chit ananda is a Sanskrit term wherein sat means ‘being’, chit means ‘consciousness, awareness, or knowing’, and ananda means ‘peace’ or ‘joy’. He says, “This beautiful, condensed phrase in which the entire non-dual understanding is expressed [means that] the knowing of being is happiness itself”.
Exploring the Nature and Primacy of Consciousness
The conversation then delves into the nature of consciousness. Tony raises an important distinction between consciousness as the ultimate reality and the idea of consciousness as an attribute of something else. Rupert concurs that consciousness is not a quality possessed by something else but is fundamental and primary. He asserts that our experience of being aware is the foundation of all knowledge and that consciousness is all that is ever experienced.
All knowledge arises from consciousness and that any theory proposing consciousness as derived from something else cannot be verified. Rupert compares such theories to materialism, which assumes there is a substance that pre-exists consciousness. It is impossible, however, to find this substance in the absence of consciousness. He advocates for building our understanding of reality based on our direct experience of consciousness rather than inventing abstract entities that lie beyond consciousness.
The Process of Being Conscious
They further discuss the process of being conscious, which involves the interaction between the knower and the known. Tony refers to the Vedic literature, where the Rishi represents the knower, the Deva symbolises the process of knowing, and the chandus forms the structure that conceals the knower and the known, becoming the object of knowledge. This framework highlights the interconnectedness and interplay among the subject, the process of knowing, and the object.
The Dream Analogy
Consider a dreamer falling asleep in, say, Paris, and dreaming of walking on the streets of Oxford. The mind of the dreamer in Paris represents infinite consciousness, and the character walking in Oxford symbolises the finite mind. Just as in a dream, the dreamer simultaneously imagines the dream world and localises themselves within it, forgetting their true nature. From the perspective of the dreamed character, experiences are divided into the knower, the known, and the knowing that connects them.
The Illusion of Separation
The two emphasise that the illusion of separation arises when we believe that the one infinite consciousness is limited to the body-mind. When we identify solely with the body-mind, we create the illusory ego or separate self. Upon investigation, however, this separate self is never found. The reality lies in the one infinite, indivisible, and unnameable whole that underlies all appearances.
Understanding Consciousness
Tony explains that the nature of consciousness is to be conscious and know itself in all possible ways. Consciousness spontaneously explodes into different ways of knowing itself, including the experiences of animals, humans, and even the universe itself.
Rupert adds that consciousness knows itself as the universe through the finite mind, although the infinite cannot fully know itself through the limitations of a finite mind. Consciousness knows itself simply by being itself, without the need for reflection or analysis. But once consciousness localises itself in a finite mind, the reflection upon itself becomes necessary for the recognition of its infinite nature. The self-reflection occurs at the individual level, but consciousness itself doesn’t reflect on itself. It is self-luminous and self-aware by nature.
The conversation winds its way through intriguing concepts such as the distinction between pure consciousness and relative consciousness, emphasising that consciousness knows itself spontaneously and is self-aware. They discuss the concept of illusion, clarifying that illusion does not imply something being unreal but rather something appearing differently from its true nature. And they examine perception and subjectivity, and the interconnectedness of all things.
Finally, they take a deep dive into consciousness and its relationship with time, space, and the human experience.
“This beautiful, condensed phrase in which the entire non-dual understanding is expressed [means that] the knowing of being is happiness itself”
The Inward-Facing Path
Rupert describes the inward-facing path as a process of transcending the content of experience. Consciousness, he suggests, lies prior to experience, making it more intimate and innermost. This path involves tracing our way back through the layers of experience, leading to the pure awareness of being.
The Outward-Facing Path
Tony elaborates on the outward-facing path, which complements the inward journey. He describes it as the realisation that consciousness pervades all experiences and is the essence of everything. Referred to as ‘unity consciousness’, it involves engaging with the world while never losing oneself; being anchored in one’s true nature while actively participating in life’s activities, relationships, and experiences. The Bhagavad Gita’s teachings emphasise this dual awareness, highlighting the importance of establishing oneself in unity consciousness before engaging in actions.
The Paradox of Motion and Stillness
The two explore the apparent paradox between the motionless nature of consciousness and its dynamic expression in the world. Rupert suggests an analogy: the image of his face on a screen. Depending on how one looks at it, the image can appear both stationary and moving simultaneously. Similarly, infinite consciousness never moves, yet it appears as changes within itself. It is a paradox that the human mind struggles to comprehend fully. The statement by Jesus, “I am a movement, and a rest,” captures, from the perspective of the human mind, the essence of consciousness being both dynamic and still.
The Oneness of the Absolute
Expanding on the oneness of the absolute, Tony offers an intriguing proposition related to thermodynamics and creation. He suggests that the inherent balance between positive and negative aspects is the key to understanding the motion and stillness within consciousness. This balance ensures that the dynamism apparent in the world is ultimately cancelled out when viewed from a transcendent perspective. The example of sound cancellation illustrates how creating sound to remove sound leads to silence. Similarly, the universe exhibits balance through the coexistence of positive and negative charges, matter and antimatter, and other complementary aspects.
Together, the inward-facing and outward-facing paths lead to unity consciousness, the recognition of consciousness beyond the limitations of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions. It is a state of profound understanding where the dual aspects of consciousness, motion, and stillness, are harmoniously reconciled. And it is an essential step towards establishing oneself in one’s true nature.
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