Here is the second part of Atma Darshan - Atma Nirvriti as I stated I would record here for my journal notes. Forms for capitalization and emphasis are not standardized in this work. I have carefully duplicated the text itself in each instance. I have clearly noted throughout my postings that this material is the work of Sri Krishna Menon and not myself.
Please note, there is no moralism in this work. It is extremely matter-of-fact.
I am putting this all behind a cut tag out of a desire to stay out of people's faces with this. I have found its study to be rewarding beyond calculation and I think that many can find something of interest here.
Atma-Nirvriti
by Sri Krishna Menon ~Atmananda
1-23 of 23 chapters
Translated into English by the author from the original Malayalam
1 Atma
I It is mind that has thoughts and feelings, not I. Birth, growth, decay and death pertain to the body and not to Me.
II I am no body--I have no body. I am no mind--I have no mind. I am no doer, I am no enjoyer. I am pure consciousness which knows no dissolution.
III That which shines just before and after every thought and feeling is the "I." That is objectless consciousness; that is Atma.
IV It is that Atma again that shines as bliss in deep sleep and also when a desired object is attained.
V The world shines because of My light: without Me, nothing is. I am the light in the perception of the world.
2 A Fundamental Doubt about Consciousness Removed
I He who says consciousness is never experienced without its object speaks from a superficial level.
II If he is asked the question, "Are you a conscious being?," he will spontaneously give the answer "Yes." This answer springs from the deepmost level.
III Here he doesn't even silently refer to anything as the object of that consciousness. This proves that the consciousness he refers to is objectless consciousness.
IV He who says, "I have consciousness," or "I am conscious," is separating consciousness from himself; this is surprising.
V What is not consciousness comes under the category of the known. The 'I' is always the knower and can never be the known. Therefore consciousness and the 'I' are one and the same.
3 Seeing and Hearing
I Unless there is seeing, there is no form. Form has no independent existence and is therefore the seeing itself.
II If form is itself seeing, how can one see a form? Therefore what is seen is not form but something different.
III Likewise objects of the other senses are also mere sense perceptions.
IV Because hearing is itself sound, no one hears a sound. This truth applies generally to all sense-objects.
V If therefore a searching enquiry is made to know what it is that is really perceived, it will be found that it is the Absolute Reality itself.
VI If it is the Absolute Reality that is perceived, how can the illusion of the world exist thereafter?
4 Knowledge always unconnected with Objects
I The knowledge of a thing does not prove the thing's existence. Is there not the knowledge of a serpent in a rope and the knowledge of objects in a dream?
II The knowledge of a thing does not show the thing's nature, but only shows knowledge.
III He is great who sees light (consciousness) alone in the manifestation of all objects.
IV Whether the objects are present or absent, he who has seen pure consciousness stands in it always.
V This truly is his own abode. It is changeless, carefree, truth, all-harmony, peace, holy and most exalted.
5 The Background of the Objective World
I Sound, form, touch, taste and smell can never exist by themselves. They always need a background to support them.
II The background cannot be seen by the sense-organs. Names are usually given to it without its nature being known.
III There is the scent and the beauty (form) of a flower. But who knows what a flower really is?
IV There is the same ignorance regarding the background of every sense-object.
V The substratum of all is one and the same. Diversity is only of things perceived.
VI The substratum remains unperceived; therefore there is no diversity in it. That is existence, that is one's self, that is consciousness pure, beauty transcendent and the abode of peace.
6 The Ignorant Man and the Sage
I The stand of an ignorant, worldly man is that he is a body, gross or subtle. There is no necessity for him to think or do japa (chanting a sacred name or syllable), in order to maintain his stand.
II When he perceives the body, he becomes its possessor and when he doesn't perceive it, he remains as body.
III Whatever happens to the body is claimed by him to be happening to himself on account of the close identification.
IV As for the sage, his stand is that he is pure consciousness. To maintain that stand he need not think or do japa.
V-VII A sage knows well that consciousness is self-luminous and that it is consciousness that illumines the entire world. He knows also that his real nature is consciousness and experience and cannot as such be known or experienced. Hence he does not desire or make any attempt to know or experience it.
VIII The sage knows from the deepest conviction that he is consciousness and that he has attained what has to be attained.
IX Because consciousness never undergoes any change, he knows also that he is changeless.
X Because of his deep-rooted conviction that he is consciousness, consciousness may sometimes become manifest before a perception.
XI But whether it becomes so manifest or not, because he has this deep-rooted conviction, he is for ever contented, free and happy.
7 The Origin and Dissolution of the World
I Knowledge objectified is thought. Then the 'I' remains as the witness of thought.
II Without My being seen as the witness, thought is joined to Me and I am made the thinker by living beings.
III And subsequently, the thinker is made the physical perceiver and then the corresponding thought becomes a gross object.
IV Thus living beings make of Me the world, and ignoring Me, live in bondage.
V The illusion of the world which comes about by these successive superimpositions can be removed only by going back along the same path.
8 Beyond all Doubt
To attain the ultimate reality, one must go beyond both the existence and the non-existence of non-Atma.
NOTE:--BY NON-ATMA is meant everything objective, including thoughts, feelings, perceptions and doings.
9 Knowledge is the not the name of a Function
I All objects dissolve in knowledge. They are therefore none other than consciousness.
II A pot (when broken) dissolves into earth because it is of earth that it is made. It cannot dissolve into anything else.
III So the statement, "I know the thing," when properly examined, will be found to mean only that the thing has dissolved in knowlege.
IV Conceding that seeing and hearing are functions, it is only after the cessation of these functions that one can say one has known.
V Thus it can be clearly seen that knowledge is not the name given to a function.
VI It is therefore wrong to say "I know it," because here knowing denotes a function. What ought properly to be said is, "It has become knowledge."
VII When one's mind is fully satisfied regarding the truth thus expounded, a complete change of attitude will ensue.
10 Peace and Knowledge
I Since feelings rise and set in peace, their swarupa is peace.
II Since thoughts rise and set in knowledge, their swarupa is knowledge.
III Deep peace and pure knowledge are one and the same thing. Different names are given to it because it looks different from different angles.
11 Thoughts and Myself
I How can thoughts which rise and set in Me, be other than Myself?
II When there is thought, I am seeing Myself; when there is no thought, I am remaining in My own glory.
12 The Non-existence of Objects
I Before the seeing, there is no 'seen' (drishyam*) and there is no 'seen' after the seeing. There can be no doubt about it.
II When this truth is clearly understood, it will be evident that there is no 'seen' even at the time of the seeing. And then ceases all bondage.
* DRISHYAM is an object seen, with the accent not on the thing which has no existence by itself, but upon the seeing as a result of which the thing comes into existence.
13 The Non-existence of Thought
I Thought is subtle: it cannot come into contact with a gross object nor can it have any connection with it because they are on different planes.
II This being so, one can never think of a gross object, and to say one can, is wrong.
III The idea that subtle objects can take their rise in thought will also be found on careful examination to be untrue.
IV There is no doubt that a subtle object is itself a thought-form. One thought can never exist in another.
V A thought can therefore never have an object, gross or subtle. It cannot then be called a thought.
VI This objectless thought is one's real domain, formless and changeless. It is this that is pointed to by the word 'I.'
VII There was no bondage before, there is none now and there will not be any hereafter, since thought has no existence.
14 Past being Past, Where is Bondage?
I A past action cannot come back again, nor can a past thought.
II There is no thought in an action and no action in a thought; they have no connection with each other.
III Though a thought may occur after an action, that thought cannot be related to it since the action is not present when the thought occurs.
IV Though one thought may follow another, there can be no connection between them either.
V A past thought is one that has ceased to exist; how then can such a thought come into contact with a new one?
VI Two or more thoughts can never occur simultaneously. For this reason also, thoughts can never have any connection between themselves.
VII This clearly proves that action and thought exist independently of each other.
VIII This being so, how can they be the cause of bondage? To think that bondage is caused by them is clearly an illusion.
NOTE--IN THIS Section the word "action" is used to denote only bodily activities.
15 The Subject and the Object are one in Myself
I Experience and knowledge are inside. How can their objects be outside?
II It follows that there is nothing outside: all is within.
III What is within is Myself, and therefore the experiencer and the experience are one and the same, that is Myself.
16 The 'I' in its Pure State
I In between thoughts and in the deep-sleep state shines that principle to which the word 'I' points.
II There the mind has dissolved and cannot therefore perceive it.
III When the mind is directed to it, it changes into that, losing the characteristics of mind. This is called samadhi.
IV Whether there is thought or not, to be always self-centered is called the natural state. (Sahaja-samadhi).
17 Perceptions and Objects
I Seeing goes into the make of form and form into the make of seeing; therefore both are non-existent as such. This is true of the other sense-perceptions also.
II No one sees anything, no one hears anything, and no one thinks anything, because objects and sense-activities have no existence.
III Thus all are in deep-sleep state, a deep-sleep state where there is no ignorance (non-knowingness).
18 To the Mind
I If you are going to live as you please, claiming that you are I, how can you accomplish your desire?
II Don't believe hereafter that by such a claim, your vagaries will be accepted by Me.
III At least hereafter, you must know the truth of the saying, "He who does a thing, alone reaps the fruit of that action, good or bad."
IV If you can live according to your claim, it is well and good. But, to do so, you must first try to see Me.
V Although I am in front of you, in you and behind you, it is better first to look behind and try to see Me there.
VI I am always standing behind you disinterestedly witnessing your varied activities. You can see Me so without much effort.
VII As soon as you turn behind to see Me, I will take you into the inmost core of your being and there you will see Me.
VIII Later on, you will see Me in your thoughts and feelings.
IX Still later, you will see that the thoughts and feelings are none other than Myself.
X Since all objects are mere thought-forms, they will also be seen in the end as Myself.
XI Then you will not see Me different from yourself. Your claim that you are I, will become true only when you reach that state.
19 The Puja of the Sense-organs and the Mind
I I am pure happiness. All the activities of the sense-organs and the mind aim at happiness.
II Thus all their activities are puja done to Me.
III I am ever in repose, disinterestedly perceiving this puja.
IV Again and again they touch Me unawares and lapse into passivity.
V Coming out of it, they continue their puja again.
VI Once they understand that by their activities they are doing puja to Me, and in passivity they lie touching Me, all their suffering ceases.
VII Thereafter, action done will be no action, and passivity will be no passivity, because ignorance has been rooted out.
[Extraneous note concerning the nature of formal puja omitted]
20 The Natural State
I Variety is in the objects (of consciousness). The perceiving consciousness is one and the same throughout. But because consciousness is commonly seen connected with the objects, change is attributed to that also by delusion.
II Objects can never cause any change in consciousness. If consciousness changed, how could it perceive the variety of objects?
III Objects undergo that change called destruction. Consciousness alone is changeless. Body, sense-organs, mind, will and intellect come under the category of objects.
IV On account of the inability to see them simply as objects, one supposes them to be changeless through delusion.
V Being always the knower, one can never come under the category of the known. Even the word knower is wrong, because the changeless knower is knowledge (consciousness) itself; not an embodied being.
VI Nothing hides consciousness. It is present in all mental activities such as thought, grief, pleasure, pain, etc. It is in it (consciousness) that all men are carrying on their life's activities.
VII A man believes he is bound, becomes miserable, seeks liberation and for that purpose approaches a Guru and listens to his teachings. But all this time he was unknowingly standing in pure consciousness alone which is itself the truth he was seeking.
VIII When once he becomes fully aware of this stand he is freed and thenceforward, all thoughts, feelings and objects of perception will be pointing to himself.
21 All is Consciousness
I Knowledge has nothing to know. The insentient can never know, being insentient.
II Therefore no one knows anything. All beings stand established as pure consciousness.
22 Atma's Disappointment
I I created thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and the rest as a means whereby I could make Myself known.
II Yet people don't look at Me but cling to the objects of their thoughts and feelings. How then is their bondage to end?
III Taking away the objects, I created a deep-sleep state; it was also meant to make Myself known.
IV There being no thought or feeling nor anything else to be seen in that state, they blindly began to see nothingness in it.
V Whether objects are present or absent, I am always there without change.
VI My position is just in front of the eyes. It is in and through Me that all men see, yet they don't see Me. This is most surprising.
VII If a man always insists on closing his eyes when he faces Me, how can he see Me?
23 *Experience and the Objective World
I, II, III & IV It is experience that must prove the existence of anything. An object as such is never experienced. It is the knowledge of it that may be said to have been experienced. Even this is not strictly correct. If an object is not experienced it must be held to be non-existent. How can there be knowledge of a non-existent thing? Therefore it is not even the knowledge of an object that is experienced but knowledge itself. Thus experience proves that the entire objective world is knowledge and knowledge alone. That is consciousness and that is ATMA.
*EXPERIENCE is deeper than the superficial knowledge or feeling. It is in that sense that the word is used here.
Sri Krishna Menon, ~Atmananda~
"I am pure consciousness which knows no dissolution."