Brahma Sutras – Sutra 2

(Study based on Shri Shankaracharya’s commentary)

Topic – 2: Definition of Brahman (sutra-2)

Sutra-2:

Meaning: From Brahman came the creation, preservation, and the dissolution of the universe.

Comments:

Only nothing comes out of nothing:

This sutra says that the universe did not come out from nothing. Only nothing comes out of nothing.

The Big Bang Theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the Universe. Under this theory, space and time emerged together 13.8 billion years ago and the energy and matter initially present has become less dense as the Universe expanded.

The most widely accepted theory of planetary formation, known as the nebular hypothesis, maintains that, 4.6 billion years ago, the Solar System formed from the gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud which was light-years across. Several stars, including the Sun, formed within the collapsing cloud. The gas that formed the Solar System was slightly more massive than the Sun itself. Most of the mass collected in the center, forming the Sun; the rest of the mass flattened into a protoplanetary disc, out of which the planets and other bodies in the Solar System formed.

However, something was there to expand. According to the Rishis, who reflected upon the fundamental questions of life like: (1) What is my true identity? (2) What is the purpose of my life? (3) How this universe came into existence? (4) What is the reality behind this constantly changing universe? (5) Who is preserving this universe? (6) What is the ultimate end of this universe? (7) What is my relationship with the universe? (5) What is my relation to all other beings? and found their answers through their scientific search within. They found with their inner search and reflections that there is only one Ultimate Reality which they call it ‘Brahman’ and the same Ultimate Reality appears as the universe. This conclusion matches the scientific conclusion mentioned above.

In the previous sutra, it has been said that when one has a proper background, then an intense desire comes to inquire into the nature of Brahman.  It was also established that the knowledge of Brahman makes one free from all bondages, destroys all doubts regarding one’s own existence and the universe, brings fearlessness, peace of mind, and fulfillment of life.

Now, in order to know or realize Brahman, one should know ‘What is Brahman?’ and “What are the characteristics of Brahman?”

Doubts and arguments for impossibility to acquire the knowledge of Brahman: Some people say that “Brahman has no characteristics by which It can be defined, and in the absence of definition It cannot be known, and consequently there cannot be any liberation or freedom from all bondages.

Answer: This sutra and its commentary give the answer to this question. It is not easy to describe Brahman, but sincere attempts are made to give as much idea of Brahman as possible. A mother points out a finger to the moon and tells her child, “Look at the moon.” The hand and the pointed finger are not the moon. They just point towards the moon. The child has to see the moon. Thus, Brahma Sutras and all the scriptures just point out to the Brahman. People have to follow the directions given by the scriptures and do appropriate spiritual practices to realize the Brahman. Those who have followed properly, they had realized the Brahman and their experiences match with the experiences of the Rishis who have realized It. Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and many other saints are examples of people who have realized the Brahman.

There are two major definitions of Brahman.

Tatastha Lakshana:

This sutra gives a definition of Brahman: “That which is the cause of the universe is Brahman – where the imagined “cause of the world” is indicative of Brahman.

This is called the ‘Tatastha Lakshnana’, meaning that characteristic of a thing which is distinct from its nature and yet serves to make it known.

In the definition given by this sutra, the origin, sustenance, and dissolution are characteristics of the universe and as such are in no way related to Brahman which is eternal and changeless; yet these indicate Brahman, ; which is imagined to be the cause of the universe. Actually, Maya, the power of Brahman, creates an illusion due to which the Brahman appears as the universe separate from Brahman. It is just like an imagined snake indicates the existence of a rope. One says ‘that which is imagined as a snake is the rope.’

Swaroopa Lakshana:

The scriptures give another definition of Brahman.

Taittiriay Upanishad (2.1.1):

“Truth, Knowledge, Infinity is Brahman.”

This is called the Swaroopa Lakshana, that which defines Brahman in Its true essence.  These words, though they have different meanings in ordinary parlance, yet refer to the one indivisible Brahman. It is like the same man is refer to by the words father, son, brother, husband etc. depending on the relationship with the other individuals.

In the universe grasped by the senses, knowledge comes by various means, like direct perception by the senses, reasoning, inference, and others. But, we have to note that this sutra does not arrive at the fact that ‘The Brahman is the first cause of the universe’ by reasoning, or inference or any other means.

Brahman cannot be so established independently of the scriptures (Shruti).

Cause – effect reasoning: Each effect has a cause. The existence of the universe is an effect and it must have a cause. But, we cannot logically establish with certainty what exactly the nature of that cause is. Since Brahman is not an object of the senses, we cannot say that the Brahman alone is the cause of the universe and nothing else. The relation between the cause and the effect can be established when both the objects are perceived.

Inference and Reasoning: Inference and other means may give only strong suggestions of Brahman’s being the First Cause of the universe. But, a thing established by mere inference, however well thought out, is explained otherwise by greater intellects.  A sound heard from a floor upstairs can be inferred through reasoning, but we cannot say with certainty that it is the only reason for the sound.

The reasoning is also endless according to the intellectual capacity of people and therefore cannot go far in asserting the Truth.

It is a direct experience that carries the weight. Therefore all the scriptures are authoritative in asserting the Truth because they are the records of the direct experience of the masterminds (Rishis) who have come face to face with the Ultimate Reality. This experience can be checked up to a point through reasoning, but the reasoning should be based on the scriptures. Reasoning not based on the scriptures does not lead us anywhere. Therefore the scriptures having the records of the direct experience of the Truth of the Rishis are called ‘Aptavakya’.

Thus, the prime object of this sutra is not to establish Brahman through inference, but to discuss scriptural passages which declare that ‘Brahman is the First Cause of the universe.

Taittiriya Upanishad (3.1):

“Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, approached his father Varuna and said, ‘Venerable Sir, teach me about Brahman.’ Varuna told him, ‘…That from which these beings are born, by which they live after birth and into which they enter (at the time of dissolution) – try to know That. That is Brahman.”

The sutra asks us to collect the Vedanta texts for the full comprehension of Brahman.  Once, the scriptures have declared Brahman to be the First Cause, we have to reason to understand these Vedanta Texts and not to reason to contradict them. We must reason to find out the Truth lying behind these Vedanta texts.

Vedanta Practices:

Vedanta prescribed the following three kinds of practices in order to realize Brahman:

(1) Shravana: We have to listen to or read the scriptures (Shrutis). Listening to scriptures from a person who has realized Brahman or whose goal is to realize Brahman and who is sincerely making efforts to achieve that goal is better than reading the scriptures ourselves. These people tell us the essence of the scriptures and save our time to find this essence. We can then read the scriptures to better understand the essence we had heard.

(2) Manana: After listening to and reading the essence of the scriptures, we have to reflect upon them. Sri Ramakrishna always emphasized to sit in the solitude and reflect on the essence of the scriptures which is, ‘Brahman alone is real and everything else is unreal, meaning impermanent’. We have to reflect upon the reasoning and the elaboration provided to us establishing the Ultimate Truth of the scriptures by the Sages who have realized Brahman.

(3) Nididhyasana: We have to meditate on the nature of the Brahman in order to realize It ourselves. If we have done Shravan and Manana practices properly, then our meditation becomes deeper and focused on the Brahman. We have to continue our meditation practices until we realize the Brahman.

Intuition: Meditation leads us to intuition. By intuition is meant that kind of mental modification (Vritti) of the mind (Chitta) which destroys the ignorance. The main ignorance is to think that ‘I am this body and mind’, ‘I am not Brahman’, and ‘This universe is different from Brahman’. When the ignorance is destroyed by this mental modification in the form of Brahman (called Brahmakara Vritti), then Brahman, which is self-luminous, reveals Itself within.

The difference between ordinary perception and realization of Brahman:

In ordinary perception, first, our senses bring an external object to our mind, then our mind  (Chitta) takes the form of that object, and the consciousness reflected through intellect in this modification of the mind manifests the object. Thus, our ignorance about the object will vanish.

In the case of the realization of Brahman, the mental modification in the form of Brahman (Brahmakara Vritti) destroys the ignorance mentioned above, and the Brahman, being self-luminous, and Pure Consciousness reveals Itself within.

Since the destruction of the ignorance is most important, the scriptures mostly talk about Brahman negatively, saying ‘Neti Neti” (Not this, not this), means ‘body is not Brahman, the mind is not Brahman, intellect is not Brahman, what we perceive through our senses is not Brahman.’

However, Sri Ramakrishna gave an excellent example regarding this. He said that if we are going to the terrace of a house, we climb each step and ask, ‘Is this the terrace?’ and the answer is ‘No’, until we come to the terrace. Thus, we deny all the steps as not being the terrace. But, after reaching the terrace we find that the steps are made out of the same material as the terrace is made out of. This means that after negating everything, when we realize Brahman, then we find that everything is Brahman. There is nothing in this universe that is not Brahman. Only out of ignorance we perceive everything as different from Brahman.

The difference between ‘an inquiry into Brahman’ and ‘a non-Brahman religious inquiry’:

In a non-Brahman religious inquiry, a person usually wants to achieve a worldly thing or wants to go to heaven for enjoyment. In that case, one has to have faith in the scriptures, perform the required rituals, and then wait for the result. In this case, only faith is required to acquire the predicted result. Also, note that one has to wait for the result.

In the inquiry into Brahman, we do not have to wait for the result. As soon as the ignorance vanishes, the Brahman reveals from within. Note that the Brahman has already existed before. We have to make efforts to destroy our ignorance, and not to reveal Brahman. In this process of realization of Brahman, faith, reasoning, and other methods are available to destroy our ignorance.

Brahman also has been described as “Sat-Chit-Ananda”, Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute, and as “Shuddha, Buddha, Nitya Mukta”, Pure, All Knowledge, and Ever Free from all the bondages.

We will know more about Brahman by studying the remaining Brahma Sutras.