One more thing ! ......

Tatvam asi - realization through "Dasamanyaya"

దశమాన్యాయ - दशमान्याय

This starts with first understanding what is "Dasamanyaya". There is a story behind the Vedic/Tarka reference to "Dasama Nyaya" or "Justification of the Tenth". It is interesting.

The story is as follows.

Once ten men waded into a tumultuous swift flowing swirling river . None of them could swim and in neither did they know the direction in the darkness.

However holding one othere they did reach the other side.

They wanted to know if they all reached safely !

So one of them counted the number of men and found only nine. He was sure the tenth has drowned.

Then others counted and and came to the same conclusion because each of them counted all the other nine.

So they began to to bewail of the loss of their comrade

Another man passing by , being solicitous enquired about the cause of their grief . He was told when they were crossing one of their comrades drowned. In no time the stranger found out their mistake.

The stranger asked one of them to count. When he counted nine,and said "you see, we have lost the tenth!!".

The stranger then touched the man and said " Thou art that" , (the tenth)

In order to reassure all he made them count and repeated the same thing with all of them. So their anguish disappeared and happiness returned.

Like wise the disciple searches every where and comes to the teacher and tells him that he has searched for the Truth everywhere - in books , in temples , in images , in heaven - and he has not found it !!!.

Of course he has not sought the truth in the right place, that is to say in his own self .

So the teacher touches him gently and says :

After explaining the meaning of the Vedic statement "That thou art" , the guru exhorts the aspirant to meditate on his real essence:

That which is beyond caste and creed, family and lineage, which is devoid of form, merit and demerit;

That which transcends space , time and sense objects - that Brahman art thou ! :

That Supreme Brahman which cannot be comprehended by speech , but is accessible to the eye of pure illumination; which is stainless, the Embodiment of Knowledge, the beginning less entity- that Brahman art thou !

That beyond which there is nothing; which shines above Maya, and is infinitely greater than universe ; the innermost Self of all ; one without a second ; the true self; Sat-Chit-Anand - that Brahman art thou !

After hearing these exalted words of the teacher , the aspirant reflects on the meaning.

As he realizes through reason that the guru's words are true, he contemplates Brahman with single minded devotion.

He gradually rids himself of all superimpositions because of which he had been identifying himself with transitory objects and the notion of "I"

He relinquishes the observation of social formalities, indulgence of the body , the over engrossment on the scriptures

He becomes purified by the incessant contemplation of Brahman.

The more the mind is established in the inner self the more it gives up the desire for outer objects.

When all the desires have been totally negated, there takes place a uninterrupted realization of Atman.

This may be a long process .. but start by reducing demands , expectations .

The reduction in expectations automatically gives a feeling of relief and a genuine happiness !!

||om tat sat ||