QUESTION
But there is an experience which is of a subject-objectless type, spoken of by the scriptures, and in the commentaries of Shankaracharya too.
Sri Ramana Maharshi himself has declared before Sri Muruganar and other intimate devotees that Ajata was his 24 hour experience. He has used the very word experience. And Ajata is beyond the mind.
When a questioner enquired whether whatever Bhagavan was talking was from his experience, Sri Ramana Maharshi replied, “Would I dare to talk so without experience?”
There is experience beyond the mind too where there is neither subject nor object. Hence it is called the subject-objectless experience.
SRI PRABHUJI
I exist and I am aware is experience beyond mind for all. This manifests as “I AM” in waking state. Here I points to awareness and AM points to existance. However the mistake we make is identification of “I AM” with the body which is manifest. In reality “I AM” is pointing to unmanifest (Ajata) reality which is infinite – Sat-Chit-Ananda. Sat-Chit-Ananda is background of all our experiences through sense organs and mind . This is like a movie screen ( unmanifest I AM) is background of all the movies. Movies change but the screen (unmanifest I AM) does not change.
Then what is realization? Realization is seperation of Real (satya) and unreal (mithya). I AM unmanifest experience being background is always direct and intuitive (aproksha anubhuti). Unmanifest I AM (sat-chit-ananda) is present in all experiences in waking state (jagrat), dream state (swapna) and deep sleep (sushupti).
Hence SELF (unmanifest I AM) is the experience of all including ignorant and wise. But, the ignorant confuses the direct intutive experience (aparoksha) with experience of body and mind (paroksha and anumana). Paroksha and anumana re mithya.
Hence ignorant person experiences SELF (atma) and non-Self (anatma) together and misses the direct experience of SELF. Hence Shri Ramana Maharshi teaches us to enquire “Who am I”. To go to the root of “I Am” thought which points to SELF all the time.
Is SELF new experience ? No. Any new experience is temporary and mithya. Is SELF gained as experience after SELF realization – no since any gain is mithya (unreal). Ever existing unmanifest I AM has to be seperated from the unreal – not a new experience to be gained. It is only to be recognised.
Any recognition has to be clarity of intellect only. Hence scriptures declare -”Mana eva karanam manushyanam bandha mokshayoh – Intellect alone is cause of bondage and liberation”. This being the case realiztion is clarity arising in intellect. Intellect is cause of bondage when SELF is confused with the body (dehatma buddhi). Intellect causes liberation when SELF is recognised as SELF.
How to recognise SELF as SELF by intellect ? The SELF can not be objectified. SELF is ever pure subject powering the intellect.
The whole process of SELF realization should be called as SELF recognition. By discriminatiton intellect rejects non-self (all objects – thoughts, feelings, body, world) using a process of negation – neti, neti. However Intellect cannot negate existance (sat) which is nothing but SELF. That non-negatable pure existance – SELF is recognised by intellect as “I AM the SELF”. This clarity of recognition is called direct intutive experience (aproksha jnana) arrived after negating all objective experiences.
Removal of superimposed non-self (anatma) by negating superimposition (adhyasa) and recognising SELF as Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahman by intellect through the process of discrimination (viveka) and dispassion ( vairagya) is called Aparoksha Jnana by Shri Shankara. Entire knowledge of self recognition happens in purified intellect. Impure intellect cannot recognise SELF.
The SELF experiencing itself is eternal bliss (Ananda). Ignorant person misses the Ananda in the objects of the world, while Jnani experiences Bliss abiding in SELF.
Sri Ramana Maharshi calls the ajata SELF as I-I. This is eternal non-dual experience for Jnani while for ajnani it is a mixed experience with the objective world.