இரு தறுவாய்கள் - இரு பார்வைகள் (Two Contexts and Two Perspectives)

 2022-02-22

இரு தறுவாய்கள் - இரு பார்வைகள் (Two Contexts and Two Perspectives)

Many years ago, I had written the following (on 03-May-2007 to Shan) which is worth sharing.

There are two contexts and two perspectives. 

Contexts: Relative and Absolute. 

Perspectives: Separateness and Oneness. 

There are four combinations.

	Relative	Absolute
Separateness	(S-R) All the play with attachment, words can prove/disprove.	(S-A) inferring the oneness, words cannot prove / disprove, words can point; cannot practise, words will contradict, no resolution possible with mind,  mind has to give up.
Oneness	(O-R) All the play with detachment, point of reference has shifted, no desire to be this or that but watching this or that happens on its own accord.	(O-A) Nothing can be said, silence; peace.

1. Relative-context: Day-to-day life of body-minds.

2. Absolute-context: Looking at the illusion of relative-context. This is not exactly correct. Both (1 & 2) are within the illusion. But, there is no other way to communicate unless we are able to strike direct transmission (this is also not correct as who / which will communicate to whom / which, when all-there-is is IT aka existence / nature / awareness).

Perspective-S: ‘I’ as a separate individual having volition.

Perspective-O: There are no individuals to have or be deprived of volition.

Perspectives can be called contexts. Contexts can be called perspectives. They are not clear cut categories. It is enough if we understand the basis.

Sometimes one may abide in O-R (keeping quiet internally and flowing with the world and observing with detachment). Other times one may lose oneself in S-R fully. Some other times under the influence of S-A, one may share some insights like this.

These contexts and perspectives come and go (in our thoughts and words). When it is said ‘words cannot prove anything conclusively’, it is said in ‘absolute’ context with ‘separateness’ perspective. But, words can prove / save life / hang a murderer under ‘relative’ context with ‘separateness’ perspective as well as ‘oneness’ perspective.

There is nothing new or great about these contexts and perspectives. They are just convenient (conceptual) labels to remind ourselves to make better sense of ourselves when discussing or thinking to ourselves.

Added now:

Mixing these context-perspectives will not help to communicate effectively. One may not agree with these context-perspectives. One may see only S-R in which case we will have to first show the contradictions within S-R and point to the raw experiences (without conceptual layer / interpretation) of S-R (using some helper concepts like oneness, advaita which have to be thrown away after use; no clinging to them) to intuit all the context-perspectives. Raw experience of S-R is the only reality. The issue (illusion) is only what we make of it, what we understand it as.

‘Every level of illusion has to be transcended by using another illusion at the same level’

    --Ramana Maharshi

Ultimately there is no separateness / oneness or relative / absolute. They all come into play only when there is apparent sense-of-separation. The sense-of-separation (that we are separate from existence / nature) is not right or wrong (as it is an expression of existence / nature or whatever IS) but now it is understood as real as a concept and not really (concrete) real as taken before which is the root cause of everything - all manifestation (names and forms) including fear, suffering, dis-ease....

Even 'concept' and 'concrete' are labels and false split; they all need to be thrown away after understanding which will bring us back to where we started the exploration (seeking) but now everything looks the same as before as well as totally different forever. This is liberation which is ever present; this is (free will) freedom from willing (desire)!

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

            - T.S.Eliot (English poet)

"அத்வைதத்தை (O-A) நடைமுறை வாழ்க்கையில் கடை பிடிக்க முடியாது. அதே சமயம் அது (அத்வைதம்) குறித்த தெளிவு, உறுதி நடைமுறை வாழ்க்கையைப் பாதிக்காது மாற்றாது (O-R) என்பதும் தவறு. "