Go to Part 31 IV - Änanda with reference to the body-mind-sense-complex The position of änanda with reference to the body-mind-complex and the objects is the same as it is for cit and sat and is set out below:
BRAHMAN AS THE CAUSE OF THE MANIFESTATION I - Brahman is the intelligent and the material cause Çruti reveals the incidental nature [217] of Brahman as the cause of everything that is manifest [218]. It dramatically does so by posing the question: “What is it by knowing which everything is known?” [219]. Taittiréya Upaniñad answers it comprehensively: “Know Brahman as that from which all beings come into existence, that by which all-born beings exist and that towards which they move and into which they merge”. [220]
The question that immediately arises is as to why Brahman’s status as the cause should be called incidental. While this will become fully clear later, briefly, it is because Brahman, as the cause, does not undergo actual change to become the effect and as it has no direct relationship with the effect.
We may now look into this incidental nature of Brahman. Every cause consists of two parts. If we take the case of pot, it is made of clay. This is the material cause or upädäna käraëam. But, mere presence of clay does not produce a pot. It requires a potter to make a pot out of clay. This is the intelligent or efficient cause or nimitta käraëam. The pot is the total effect or kärya of both the material and intelligent causes.
Normally, the material cause and the intelligent cause are different. For example, in the case of the pot, the material cause is clay and the intelligent cause is the pot maker. In the present case, the Upanisadic statement “that from which everything comes into being, by whom they are sustained and unto whom they go back” does not mention any cause other than Brahman. It also quotes: “This (universe) was indeed the unmanifest (Brahman) in the beginning. From that alone the manifest (universe) was born. That (Brahman) created itself by itself. Therefore, it is said to be the self-creator.” [221] There is also another statement to the effect, “It thought, may I be many, may I grow forth” [222]. From this we understand that Brahman is both the maker and the material or abhinna-nimitta-upädäna käraëam. Muëdaka Upaniñad illustrates this dual role through the example of spider: “Just as the spider creates and withdraws (its web), just as trees originate on the earth, just as hairs on the head and body (grow) from a living person, in the same manner, the universe is born here out of Brahman. [223] Another everyday example is the mind, which provides the material for the dream out of the impressions stored in it and creates the dream out of them.
In the case of Brahman, however, the question arises as to how that which is without a second can become many, and how that which is without any limitation of qualities (nirguëa) can become limited through qualities. Also, production involves action for bringing about the necessary change on the parts of the cause and it is inconceivable as to how Brahman can produce anything when it is partless, actionless and changeless.
The explanation lies in the cause being of two different kinds. One is what we are very familiar with, namely the cause that transforms itself to produce the effect. It is called the pariëämi-upädäna-käraëam. Here, the material cause changes itself to become the effect [224] like the milk converting itself into the curd. The other type of cause becomes the effect without changing itself and without giving up any of its own nature [225]. It undergoes only apparent change to produce the effect. This is known as the vivarta-upädäna-käraëam. For example, the rope in semi-darkness appears to be a real snake without the rope changing itself in any way; the colorless crystal appears as a red crystal when the red flower is placed near it without the crystal actually changing its color. We had seen that the apparent change is brought about by the limiting adjunct or upädhi. The crystal in the upädhi of red flower appears as red. In the case of Brahman, the upädhi of mäyä is the cause of the appearance of the manifestation [226] 217.Taöastha lakñaëa, is that which is distinct from the nature of the thing and yet by which it is known. It is like the crow sitting on the roof of a house, which helps to identify that house. Go to Part 33
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