1. Atma Bodha English Translation Johnson 1910

AUM

THE ATMA-BODHA (Self-Wisdom)

OF

SHANKARA-ACHARYA

JOHNSON'S TRANSLATION

PRICE, TEN CENTS

PRINTED BY THE DIVINE LIFE PRESS 614 OAKWOOD BOULEVARD CHICAGO 1910

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THE CREST JEWEL OF WISDOM Made by the ever blessed Shankara, pupil at the holy feet of Govinda (Krishna) his teacher

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INTRODUCTION

TRADITION, our best guide in many of the dark problems of India's past, attributes the purely philo- sophical work presented in these pages to Shankara- Acharya, the greatest name in the history of Indian philosophy, and one of the greatest masters of pure thought the world has ever seen. Shankara, again according to the tradition of the East, lived and taught some two thousand years ago, founded three colleges of Sanskrit learning and philosophy, the most important being at Shringeri, in southern India. He wrote commentaries on the older Vedanta books, and many original works of great excellence, of which this is reckoned to be one. Like all Shankara's separate works Atma-Bodha is com- plete in itself, containing a survey of the whole life from a single standpoint. The problem before us is "union" with the Higher Self -or SELF the liberation of our souls from the person- ality and opening the door to the life of the One Self, which will enter our hearts and rule them, once the per- sonal idea is put out of the way. If we consider it well,

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IV INTRODUCTION

and watch the workings of the powers of life we find within us, we shall see that all our misery and futility come from this very source, the personal idea,-the vari- ety and selfishness of our own personalities coming into strife with the equally vain and selfish personalities of others. There is not an evil that cannot be traced to this fertile source. The whole problem is this, and it is one which recurs in every moment of life: To disperse that which we call our personality, and let the pure Self pour into our hearts, to follow out its own will and manifest its own powers. And thus we shall enter into our inheritance, as undivided parts of the Soul of humanity, that Self whose nature is perfect Being, Consciousness and Bliss. CELESTIA ROOT LANG.

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THE ATMA-BODHA

OF SHANKARA-ACHARYA

1 FOR those whose evil has been worn away by fervor, who have gained peace, whose desires are gone, who long to be free, is set forth this Self-Wisdom.

2 For the Wisdom of Self is the one way to Freedom, leading beyond all other paths: as cooking cannot be ac- complished without fire, so Freedom cannot be attained without Wisdom.

3 As they are not opposites, works cannot make unwis- dom cease; Wisdom verily destroys unwisdom; as radi- ance the host of darkness.

4 For broken up, as it were, by unwisdom, the Self shines forth single of itself when unwisdom is destroyed; like the rayed sun when the clouds pass away. 5 When the life, turbid through unwisdom, is made clear by the presence of wisdom, even the effort of Wisdom passes away; as when water is cleared by the katak seed.

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2 ATMA-BODHA

6 For the circling world is like a dream, crowded with desires and hates; in its own time it shines as real, but on awakening to the Self it becomes unreal. 7 The world shines as real, like the silver of a pearl shell, until the Eternal is known, the Secondless Foundation of all.

8 In the Self that is Being and Consciousness pervading all, like the string in a chain of pearls, all manifold indi- viduals are contained; as all bracelets in the mass of gold.

9 Like shining ether, the Lord of sense, the Master, en- tering into many disguises, appears divided in their divis- ion, but stands single when they fall away. 10 Through the power of varying disguises, race, name and rank are accredited to the Self; as difference of taste and color to water. 11 Born of the five nature-stuffs commingled, through works heaped up in the past, is this body, that they call the dwelling, where are tasted pleasure and pain. 12 Formed of the five life-breaths with the emotion and soul, and the twice-five powers that perceive and act, is

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ATMA-BODHA 3

the subtle form, the cause of the tasting of pleasure and pain. 13 The causal disguise comes into being through the be- ginningless, ineffable error of separateness: let him appre- hend the Self as other than these disguises. 14 By union with these veils and vestures, the pure Self appears to share their nature; as a crystal seems blue be- side a vesture of blue. 15 Let him diligently discern the pure inner Self from these veils and vestures that cling to it; as rice from the chaff and straw by winnowing. 16 Though the Self is all-present forever, yet it shines not everywhere forth; let it shine in the soul as reflected in a pure mirror. 17 Distinct from the body, powers, emotion, soul, which are of Maya, let him find the Self, who, king-like, beholds all doings of these. 18 Through the busy activity of the powers, the Self seems busily active to the undiscerning; as the moon seems to course through the coursing clouds. 19 Dependents of the Self that is pure Consciousness, the

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4 ATMA-BODHA

body, and powers, and emotion and soul, each in its own duties move, as men move in the sunshine. 20 They attribute the potencies of body and powers and their works to the Self, to pure being and consciousness through undiscernment; as blue to the pure sky. 21 Through unwisdom the doings of its disguise, emotion, are referred to the Self; as the motion of the waves to the moon reflected in the water. 22 The opposites and the five life breaths move in the soul when it is manifested, but in dreamlessness there is none of them when the soul sinks to rest; therefore they are of the soul, not of the Self.

23 As shining is of the sun, as coldness is of water, heat of fire, so the own nature of the Self is being, con- sciousness, bliss, perpetual stainlessness. 24 That part of the Self which is being and consciousness, and the activity of the soul, together make a pair; when they are united by unwisdom the idea arises that "I per- ceive outward things." 25 There is no change in the Self, nor in the soul by itself is there any light, but the personal life perceiving all too

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ATMA-BODHA 5

outwardly, deluded, thinks, "It is I, who am doer and knower." 26 Thinking the personal life is the Self, as one thinks a rope is a serpent, he suffers fear, but when the under- standing arises that I am not the personal life, but the Self, then fearlessness comes. 27 The Self alone illumines the soul and the other powers; like a lamp in an earthen vase, the Self is not illumined by these inert powers. 28 In one's own awakening there is no need of another's awakening; the Self is an awakening of itself; as a light has no need of another light, the Self shines of itself. 29 Putting away all disguises, according to the saying, "It is not this; it is not this," let him see the oneness of the personal self in life and the Supreme Self, according to the mighty precept. 30 The body and all visible things belonging to unwisdom are fugitive as bubbles; let him find the Stainless Reality other than these, declaring that, "I am the Eternal." 31 As I am other than the body, not mine are birth, fading, misery, destruction, nor attachment to sensual things, since the sense-powers are other than I.

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32 As I am other than emotion, not mine are sorrow and desire, hate and fear, according to the teaching of the precept: "Pure is the Self, above vital breath, above emo- tion."

33 Without quality or action, everlasting, without doubt or stain, changeless, formless, ever free am I, the spotless Self. 34 I, like the ether, though inside all things and without them, am yet unchanged; ever equal, altogether, pure, un- attached, unstained, unmoved. 35 Everlasting, pure, free, One, partless bliss, and second- less, real Wisdom, the endless, the Supreme Eternal, That verily am I. 36 Thus the incessantly held remembrance that I am the Eternal, takes away all the bewilderment of unwisdom; as the healing essence stills all pain. 37 In the solitary place, at rest, passionless, with senses well controlled, let a man bring into his being the One Self, thinking of nothing but that Endless One. 38 Plunging all visible things in the Self by thought, the

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ATMA-BODHA 7

true thinker shall bring into his being the One Self, ever stainless as ether. 39 Putting off all names and coloring stains, and knowing the Supreme end, the Self stands forth in its own nature as fullest consciousness and bliss. 40 The division into knower, knowing and known, exists not in the Self; in the union of consciousness and bliss, it is self-illumined. 41 Thus ever setting the fire-stick of thought in the sock- et of Self, let illuminated understanding, as a flame, burn up all the fuel of unwisdom. 42 As by the red dawn, by Wisdom, the former darkness is driven away; then becomes manifest the Self, self-shining, like the rayed sun. 43 But the Self, though all the time possessed, is as though not possessed, through unwisdom; when unwis- dom passes away, it shines forth like a jewel on one's own throat, in full possession. 44 As a man imagined in a post, the idea of the personal life is imagined in the Eternal; but when the Reality is perceived, the personal idea passes away.

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8 ATMA-BODHA

45 By experiencing one's own nature as it really is, Wis- dom straightway arises and destroys the unwisdom of I and my like a mere mistake in direction. 46 The seeker after Unity, knowing all things One, with the Eye of Wisdom beholds all things standing in his own Self; the Self as One and All. 47 The Self is all this world; other than the Self nothing is, as all earthern vessels are of earth, he sees all as his own Self.

48 Let him who is free in Life knowing this, rid himself of the potency of his former disguises; let him become be- ing, consciousness, bliss; as the chrysalis becomes butter- fly. 49 Crossing the ocean of Maya, slaying raging desire and hate, the seeker for Unity, perfected in peace, grows radi- ant, rejoicing in the Self. 50 Giving up clinging to outward, unlasting joys, turning to joy in the Self, he shines within; bright as a light within a vase. 51 Even while wearing the disguises, the Sage is not taint-

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ATMA-BODHA 9

ed by their nature; like the ether; though knowing all, let him seem as nothing knowing; let him move unfetter- ed like the air.

52 When the disguises fall away let him enter altogether into the All-Pervading; like water in water, air in air, flame in flame.

53 The gain, than which there is no higher gain; the joy, than which there is no higher joy; the wisdom, than which there is no higher wisdom; let him learn that this is the Eternal.

54 When That is seen, there is no more to see; when he has become That there is no more to become; when That is known, there is no more to know; let him learn that That is the Eternal.

55 Upward, downward, on all sides perfect, being, con- sciousness, bliss, the stainless One, the secondless and endless; let him learn that That is the Eternal. 56 By putting off all but That, the fervent searcher is taught the partless bliss by the sacred precepts; let him learn that That is the Eternal. 57 By sharing even a little of the bliss of that partless

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blissful One, the gods are blissful all; according to their measure. 58 Every being is bound to That; every movement follows That; therefore the Eternal is in all; as butter is in all milk. 59 Nor small, nor great, nor short, nor long, unborn, un- fading, with neither form, nor quality, color nor name; let him learn that That is the Eternal. 60 By whose shining the sun and all lights shine, but who shines not by the shining of any; by whom all this shines; let him learn that That is the Eternal. 61 Itself penetrating the whole world, inwards and out- wards, and making it to shine, the Eternal shines forth; like the glowing of a heated iron ball. 62 The world is other than the Eternal, yet beyond the Eternal nothing is at all; what is other than the Eternal shines indeed unsubstantial; like the phantom lake in a desert place. 63 What is heard and seen is not other than the Eternal; by understanding the Real, the Eternal is known; being, consciousness, bliss, the secondless, stainless Reality.

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ATMA-BODHA 11

64 The eye of Wisdom beholds everywhere the Self that is consciousness and being; the eye of unwisdom may not behold it; as the blind see not the shining sun. 65 Thoroughly tried by the fire of Wisdom, kindled by right hearing and thinking, the personal life, free from every stain, gleams bright as gold. 66 The Self, rising in the firmament of the heart, the sun of awakening, dispersing the darkness, all-penetrating, all- sustaining, of itself shines forth and illumines all. 67 He, who, regarding neither place nor time, enters on the pilgrimage of the Self, the all-present, the healer of all pain, the everlasting joy, the stainless, he ceasing from all other allegiance, all-knowing, all-possessing, becomes immortal. Thus the Self-Wisdom is completely attained.

THE END

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