The esoteric ‘RAMAYANA’ and ‘Self-Realization’- ‘LAKSHMANOPADESA’, the vedantic rendition of supreme understanding by ‘LORD SREE RAMA’, is actually meant for each and every one of us, deluded by ‘MAYA’, engrossed in the phenomenal world, since so many births without ever knowing what it is all about.

The esoteric ‘RAMAYANA’ and ‘Self-Realization’

“ LAKSHMANOPADESAM” ( The spiritual instruction for ‘Lakshmana’ )

At ‘Panchavadi’( where the mind has become ‘no-mind’, liberated from the body-mind-intellect complex and the five sense organs and the five organs of action ) , on the banks of river ‘GODAVARI’, one day , ‘Lakshmana’ approached ‘RAMA’ and asked about, the liberating theology of ‘VEDANTA’ (The culmination of knowledge or the supreme understanding). ‘Lakshmana’ asked ‘Rama’ about the theories of bondage and liberation-in-life. He also wanted to know about ‘MAYA’ (perception of the non-existent, phenomenal world), ‘VIDYA’(knowledge), and ‘AVIDYA’ (ignorance), the origin, sustenance and annihilation of the world ( srushti, sthiti, and samhara ) and the means of getting liberation from lives, births and deaths ( moksha ). LORD RAMA answered like this.

RAMA : Dear ‘Lakshmana’!!! A knower of ‘Brahma’( one who knows ‘Brahma vidya- self knowledge) and the knowledge of ‘Brahma’ ( ‘Brahma vidya’), are very scarce in this world. Let me tell you about ‘MAYA’, which is nothing but, false identification of oneself, with the body-mind-intellect complex, as ‘oneself’, just like the false identification of a snake ,on a piece of rope, in dim light. This is due to lack of awareness of rope and false awareness of the snake on rope. Similarly ‘MAYA’ creates the phenomenal world, through concealment ( avarana ) and projection (vikshepa). When one perceives, the snake on a rope, first of all , one loses the awareness of rope ( concealment) and then the awareness of snake arises (projection). The phenomenal world with names and forms appears (projection) , when the ‘self’, pure consciousness or ‘BRAHMA’ , disappears (concealment) as the substratum . Just like the objects, seen in dream or imagination, are not at all real, the perceived phenomenal world with names and forms are also unreal, in all the three states of consciousness (wakeful, dream and deep sleep); but appears as real, due to self-forgetfulness (avidya) . When the individual self ( jiva), abandons the false identification with the body-mind-intellect complex (dehoham - buddhi), through self-realization ( brahmoham- buddhi ), there occurs the merger of ‘microcosm’(pindandam) in ‘macrocosm(brahmandam)- (vidya).

Due to association with the’ Wise’ (satsang), an individual self (jiva) , develops devotion (bhakthi, athma-nivedana); which when matures, get transformed into self-knowledge( athma jnana); resulting in self-realization and sahaja Samadhi. Then the phenomenal world disappears in the primordial self (truth-consciousness and bliss ), just like waves in an ocean.

Friends!
‘LAKSHMANOPADESA’, the vedantic rendition of supreme understanding by ‘LORD SREE RAMA’, is actually meant for each and every one of us, deluded by ‘MAYA’, engrossed in the phenomenal world, since so many births without ever knowing what it is all about.

`Swaathmaaraaman