REALITY & REALIZATION:- That is all ye know on earth And all ye need to know WHAT we commonly know to be real is not the Reality “we need to know”. We see the real things, we grasp them & enjoy them but the Reality, which we discuss now, has no image ; it cannot be viewed by the eye, nor can it be rationally comprehemded. Eckhart philosophically describes it as the ‘Unknowing knowing’. The Katha Upanishad beautifully describes it : Not by speech, not by thought, Not by sight does one grasp Him. He Is ; by this word & not otherwise Is He comprehended. Such an invulnerable conviction can only well out of the direct intuitive experience of the seers of the Upanishads, who had a perfect realization of Unity—the Unity that subsists between the knower & the known. This Unity with the Transcendent is the fundamental conception of the Upanishads & it is the self-same unity apprehended by the great mystic sage Ma Anandamayi of India. She has similar intuitions, similar experiences, & like convictions of unshakable character. Let us get back to our study of the eternal problem of what Reality is. In moments of stillness a thinking man perceives that he lives in two worlds—an outer world of material phenomena & an inner world of thoughts, emotions & feelings. Similarly, we have a dual self in us. One is the self—this ego—this “I” of which we are normally conscious & proud. The “I” that was a little while ago is not the same “I” that I am now. With the flux of time it changes & it is subject to decay & death. It is, therefore, only an ephemeral, finite self, & cannot be regarded as the true Self. THE UPANISHADIC VISION OF A SAGE :- I am the Way, the Truth, & the Life :-- IN THE last chapter, it observed that Ma Anandamayi enjoys ‘Sat-Cit-Ananda Consciousness’, as beautifully characterized by the great mystic Sri Aurobindo. Knowledge, love & power have coalesced in Her in a supreme unification. She has absolutely “Only Thou art & Thou alone” or “I alone am & all is contained in me.” Never ruffled or wearied out, She is always found basking in radiance & in the freshness of a bright morning glory. Ever at peace, sweetness & love for all humanity being the central trait of Her character, the hazards of tours & other trying situations have not impaired them in the least. She is joy, love & wisdom personified. One curiously asks—what is the secret of this radiance, this perennial energy, this indomitable will, this mystical poise, & this immanent ‘peace that passeth understanding?’ The answer to this intriguing question may be found in that book of book—the eternal Upanishads—on the all-pervasive character of which we have briefly touched in the earlier chapters. “What is not there can be found nowhere.” The truths evolved therein are revelations of the Rishis who could look beyond the past, present & future. THE SAGE DWELLS IN BRAHMAN:- I live, yet not, but God in me.:- It is a mystical state which is too ineffable in character & cannot be communicated adequately unless one has some analogous intuitive experience. To this mechanized world the world ‘Brahman’ may appear to be enigma; as such it requires some elucidation. Brahman in Kena Upanishad:- Brahman cannot be defined because it is infinite ; it is beyond thought & beyond imagination. In the first part of Kena Upanishad, the definitions of Brahman are of a negative character but later on it flashes out, ‘He is known in the ecstasy of an awakening which opens the door of life eternal’ ; ‘For a man who has known Him, the light of Truth shines.’ Katha. :- Explaining Brahman, the Katha says:… “The Tree of Eternity has its roots in heaven above & its branches reach down to earth. It is Brahman, pure Spirit, who in truth is called the Immortal. All the worlds rest on that Spirit, & beyond him no one can go: “This in truth is That.” “The whole universe comes from Him & his life burns through the whole Universe. In his power is the majesty of thunder. Those who know Him have found immortality.” THE SAGE WITHOUT TRAMME*************************************** ***************************Give me that man*************************************** That is not passion’s slave, & I will wear him In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of hearts As I do thee. (Shakespeare). LET us now present the second characteristic of an illuminated sage as delineated in the Upanishads, & study how far it has been reflected in the life of Ma Anandamayi. The Upanishads postulate that an illuminted person is liberated from the thralldom of body & mind. Hunger & thirst cannot torment him; disease & death cannot rob him of has happiness. So long as he lives in the physical body he is no doubt subject to physical conditions, but he is free from their tormenting effects, partly because his nature has become sattvic & partly because he lives attuned to God. He overcomes pain & sorrow, fear & doubt, & all the distressing conditions of the mind