Brahmanubhuti – Talk 3
(Brahman cannot be known through Sense organs)
https://youtu.be/R2s5GcU-Nvg
Let us contemplate whether we can know Brahman through sense organs. The knowledge through sense organs is called ‘pratyaksha’, which means what is visible to us. All knowledge in the world comes to us through sense organs. Through eyes, ears, tongue, touch, smell – the five sense organs. These sense organs illuminate everything in the world and give us knowledge of the object. But the sense organs cannot illuminate Brahman, the supreme reality, which is all pervading. The question that comes is that if Brahman is all pervading, can the sense organs indicate Brahman? It is not possible, because sense organs themselves have limitations. Eyes can see forms, but the eyes cannot see what is formless. You can smell something, but for that, an odour is required. If there is no odour, there is no smelling possible. That means each sense organ operates on a quality of an object. If the quality is not there, then the sense organs cannot perceive it. Brahman has no qualities by which the sense organs can perceive it. No form, no smell, and no touch. Something which has no qualities cannot be perceived by the sense organs. Sense organs can perceive only matter, for which there are qualities. The Consciousness has no qualities which can be perceived by sense organs.
By nature, sense organs themselves are inert. They don’t have the capabilities. The eyes don’t have the capability; the eyes get the capability because Consciousness is reflected in the eyes. Consciousness is not a property of the eyes; Consciousness is coming from the Self. When that Consciousness is superimposed on the eyes, eyes can see. When the eyes see an object, again Consciousness is reflected on the object. So there is a perception of the qualities of the object. The sense organs take and give the input to the mind. Mind conveys it to the intellect, and intellect to the Self. Now, the mind and intellect are also inert. They are also products of matter. They themselves don’t have Consciousness. The Consciousness illuminates them, and because of that they perceive the object. There is no way the sense organs can perceive the Consciousness. Sense organs are always directed outwards. But Consciousness is the innermost nature. How can sense organs, which are directed outwards, experience something as deep within as Consciousness?
It is like an electric bulb. The electric bulb emits light and gets illuminated when the electricity passes through it. But the bulb has no way of knowing that electricity is the cause of light. Similarly, the sense organs operate because of Consciousness, but sense organs have no way of knowing Consciousness. Sense organs are like five blind men, trying to understand the elephant. One touches the trunk, another touches the tail, another touches the legs, and one touches the teeth, but none of them can make out what the elephant is. In the same way, even though Brahman is all pervading, present everywhere, there is no way that the sense organs can understand or give the knowledge of Brahman, because Brahman has no qualities which can be perceived by sense organs. So, the experience of Brahman through sense organs is altogether ruled out.
If someone says, ‘I saw Brahman,’ that means he didn’t see Brahman. Somebody said ‘I saw God; Brahman,’ that means he has not seen it, because the sense organs cannot see Brahman.