Kalpa Vṛkṣa -2

In the BhagvadGita, in many many verses, earthly life is called an illusion.

In this blog entry we'll look at just one. Chapter 15, Verse 1. In which it is suggested that the human world is only a reflection of Krishna Loka, and being a reflection, the human world is unreal and "upside down". Metaphorically speaking.

श्रीभगवानुवाच
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥१५- १॥
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसंततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥१५- २॥
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल-मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥१५- ३॥
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी॥१५- ४॥

The Lord said: They (or the wise) speak of the eternal Ashvattha tree having its origin above and its branches below (in the visible cosmos) whose leaves are hymns. One who understands this is a knower of the truth.

The branches (of this world tree of Maya) spread below and above (or all over the cosmos). The tree is nourished by the Gunas; sense pleasures are its sprouts; and its roots (of ego and desires) stretch below in the human world causing Karmic bondage.

Neither its (real) form nor its beginning, neither its end nor its existence is perceptible here on the earth. Having cut these firm roots of the Ashvattha tree by the mighty ax of detachment;

The goal (of nirvana) should be sought reaching which one does not come back; thus thinking: In that very primal spirit I take refuge from which this primal manifestation comes forth.

MY MUSINGS.....
The reflection of a tree in water or a mirror, if closely observed, will have ALL the details, that the real tree has. But it's not real. Of course.

QUESTION:

So if earthly life is only an "upside down" reflection of Krishna Loka, where is Krishna Loka? Where is the evidence of its existence?

__________________

Kalpa Vṛkṣa

From Bhagvad Gita.US

Text 1

sri-bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
ashvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.


Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

After the discussion of the importance of bhakti-yoga, one may question, “What about the Vedas?” It is explained in this chapter that the purpose of Vedic study is to understand Krishna. Therefore one who is in Krishna consciousness, who is engaged in devotional service, already knows the Vedas.

The entanglement of this material world is compared here to a banyan tree. For one who is engaged in fruitive activities, there is no end to the banyan tree. He wanders from one branch to another, to another, to another. The tree of this material world has no end, and for one who is attached to this tree, there is no possibility of liberation. The Vedic hymns, meant for elevating oneself, are called the leaves of this tree. This tree’s roots grow upward because they begin from where Brahma is located, the topmost planet of this universe. If one can understand this indestructible tree of illusion, then one can get out of it.

This process of extrication should be understood. In the previous chapters it has been explained that there are many processes by which to get out of the material entanglement. And, up to the Thirteenth Chapter, we have seen that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the best way. Now, the basic principle of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord. The process of breaking attachment to the material world is discussed in the beginning of this chapter. The root of this material existence grows upward. This means that it begins from the total material substance, from the topmost planet of the universe. From there, the whole universe is expanded, with so many branches, representing the various planetary systems. The fruits represent the results of the living entities’ activities, namely, religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.

Now, there is no ready experience in this world of a tree situated with its branches down and its roots upward, but there is such a thing. That tree can be found beside a reservoir of water. We can see that the trees on the bank reflect upon the water with their branches down and roots up. In other words, the tree of this material world is only a reflection of the real tree of the spiritual world. This reflection of the spiritual world is situated on desire, just as a tree’s reflection is situated on water. Desire is the cause of things’ being situated in this reflected material light. One who wants to get out of this material existence must know this tree thoroughly through analytical study. Then he can cut off his relationship with it.

This tree, being the reflection of the real tree, is an exact replica. Everything is there in the spiritual world. The impersonalists take Brahman to be the root of this material tree, and from the root, according to Sankhya philosophy, come prakriti, purusha, then the three gunas, then the five gross elements (panca-maha-bhuta), then the ten senses (dashendriya), mind, etc. In this way they divide up the whole material world into twenty-four elements. If Brahman is the center of all manifestations, then this material world is a manifestation of the center by 180 degrees, and the other 180 degrees constitute the spiritual world. The material world is the perverted reflection, so the spiritual world must have the same variegatedness, but in reality. The prakriti is the external energy of the Supreme Lord, and the purusha is the Supreme Lord Himself, and that is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Since this manifestation is material, it is temporary. A reflection is temporary, for it is sometimes seen and sometimes not seen. But the origin from whence the reflection is reflected is eternal. The material reflection of the real tree has to be cut off. When it is said that a person knows the Vedas, it is assumed that he knows how to cut off attachment to this material world. If one knows that process, he actually knows the Vedas. One who is attracted by the ritualistic formulas of the Vedas is attracted by the beautiful green leaves of the tree. He does not exactly know the purpose of the Vedas. The purpose of the Vedas, as disclosed by the Personality of Godhead Himself, is to cut down this reflected tree and attain the real tree of the spiritual world.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

The fifteenth chapter states that detachment is the cause of cessation of birth, that the soul is an amsa of the Lord, and that Krsna is superior to matter and the jiva.

The second to last verse of the last chapter stated that by bhakti yoga one attains the status of brahman:

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
BG 14.26

The question may be asked "How does a person attain brahman by bhakti yoga rendered to the Lord possessing a human form?"

True, I am human in form, but I am the basis of brahman, the supreme shelter of brahman. This statement, which functions as a sutra, forms the beginning of chapter fifteen. You said that the devotee, surpassing the gunas (sa gunan samatitya), attains the status of brahman. What is this material world made of the gunas? Where did the thread begin? Who is that jiva who surpasses samsara by devotion to you? You also spoke of the jiva being qualified for brahman (brahma-bhuyaya kalpate). What is that brahman? And who are you, the basis of the brahman?

Anticipating these questions, the Lord now speaks. First, with use of a metaphor, the material world made of gunas is compared to an asvattha tree. Above all planets, in Satyaloka, lives four-headed Brahma, who is the one root of the tree of the material world, who is composed of mahat tattva, the first sprout from prakrti (urdhva mula). The branches of the tree are below, composed of devas, gandharvas, kinnaras, asuras, raksasa, pretas, bhutas, humans, cows, horses and such beasts, birds, insects, worms, moths, and immobile creatures at the bottom, in the realms of svah, bhuvah and bhu loka.

This asvattha tree is the best tree because it lets one fulfill one's goals of artha, dharma, kama and moksa. But according to viewpoint of bhakti, asvah means that which will not last till tomorrow (a= not, svah= tomorrow). Asvattha therefore means that which is bound to perish. For the non-devotees however, it appears to be indestructible (avyayam). Chandamsi refers to the Vedas, which expound karma in such verses as the following:

vayavyam svetam alabheta bhumikam

Desiring wealth and power one should sacrifice a white horse in the northwest. Taittiriya Samhita 2.1.1.1

aindram ekadasaka-palam nirvapet prajakamah

Desiring offspring one should offer eleven oblations in the east. Baudhayana Srauta Sutras 13.2.120.7

Because they expand the bondage of the material world they are called the leaves (parnani). With these leaves the tree becomes attractive. He who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

Katha valli sruti says:

urdhva-mulo'vak-sakha eso' svatthah sanatanah

This eternal asvattha tree has its root is upwards and branches downwards. Katha Upanisad 2.3.1

Some Concepts of Use

'Death & Sleep'

When death occurs, it occurs from the point of view of the outside observer.

The person who dies, does not know that he has slipped into death.

Just like we are not aware of the point when we drift into sleep.

Only after waking up do we know that we were asleep.

So the questions that arise are:

• How do we know we are alive?
• How do we know we are not asleep?

__________________________________



'Thoughts'

What we call 'thoughts' may not be generated from within us. They could be from the outside. Disembodied voices pretending to be our thoughts.

Ramesh Balsekar, a non dual teacher, says thoughts are not personal.

"Breathing goes on by itself while the deluded individual thinks it is he who is breathing. Thoughts come from outside, arising spontaneously through intervals of mental vacuum, and he thinks it is he who is thinking. The thoughts get transformed involuntarily into action, and he thinks it is he who is acting. All the while, he is doing nothing but to misconstrue the actions of the Totality as his own action." - Balsekar in the 'Net Of Jewels' (1996).

_________________________________

'Memory'

Every single thought has hidden content and power to hypnotise.

For example, the word 'Blue'. It comes with associated content. Images of blue objects, and possible connections with events.

• It is possible that that the memory associated with words that come our way is false.
• It is possible that we are bombarded with false memories on a continuous basis.

The ability of so called 'thoughts' to hypnotise the human is intriguing. Some kind of a hypnotic quality is inevitably a part of these so called 'thoughts'.

But there can be times when the associated hypnotic quality weakens momentarily. In such a moment, the true nature of 'memory', i.e., false memory, can be seen.
________________________________________

'Archetypes'

Ar·che·type/ˈärk(i)ˌtīp/ (Noun):
1. A very typical example of a certain person or thing.
2. An original that has been imitated.

In view of the above commentary, and in view of C.G. Jung's perspectives, it is possible that there is only the PRESENT MOMENT. In which impersonal trajectories with NO PAST are manifesting, in a random manner.

It is possible that what you see as 'you in the past' is only these trajectories, pretending to be you.

The present moment, if it was all that is, it would be always dynamic and changing its flavour. It does not get stuck in any one flavour, at any level.

Slow changing levels, medium chaning levels, fast changing levels. All superposed.




ON 'VOICES'

"Throughout history and even today there are people who hear voices who find their voices inspirational and comforting. Many researchers, practitioners and voice hearers believe it is mistaken to regard voice hearing as part of a psychopathic disease syndrome. Rather, they consider it to be more akin to a variation in human experience - a special faculty or difference that definitely does not need a cure."

False Awakening

False awakening
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A false awakening is a vivid and convincing dream about awakening from sleep, while the dreamer in reality continues to sleep. After a false awakening, subjects often dream they are performing daily morning rituals such as cooking, cleaning and eating. The experience is sometimes called a double dream, or a dream within a dream.
Contents

1 Further concepts
1.1 Lucidity
1.2 Continuum
2 Symptoms of a false awakening
2.1 Realism and unrealism
2.2 Repetition
3 Types of false awakening
3.1 Type 1
3.2 Type 2
4 In popular culture
5 References

Further concepts:

Lucidity:

A false awakening may occur following an ordinary dream or following a lucid dream (one in which the dreamer has been aware of dreaming). Particularly if the false awakening follows a lucid dream, the false awakening may turn into a "pre-lucid dream", that is, one in which the dreamer may start to wonder if they are really awake and may or may not come to the correct conclusion. In a study by Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett, 2,000 dreams from 200 subjects were examined and it was found that false awakenings and lucidity were significantly more likely to occur within the same dream or within different dreams of the same night. False awakenings often preceded lucidity as a cue, but they could also follow the realization of lucidity, often losing it in the process.


Continuum:

Another type of false awakening is a continuum. In a continuum, the subject falls asleep in real life, but in the dream following, the brain simulates the subject as though they were still awake. At times the individual can perform actions unknowingly. The movie A Nightmare on Elm Street popularized this phenomenon. This phenomenon can be related to that of sleep-walking or carrying out actions in a state of unconsciousness.


Symptoms of a false awakening:

Realism and unrealism:

Certain aspects of life may be dramatized, or out of place in false awakenings. Things may seem wrong: details, like the painting on a wall, not being able to talk or difficulty reading (purportedly reading in lucid dreams is often difficult or impossible,[3]) or, oddly, normal types of foods gone missing. In some experiences, the subject's senses are heightened, or changed.

Repetition:

Because the mind still dreams after a false awakening, there may be more than one false awakening in a single dream. Subjects may dream they wake up, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, and so on; suddenly awake again in bed (still in a dream), begin morning rituals again, awaken again, and so forth. The philosopher Bertrand Russell claimed to have experienced "about a hundred" false awakenings in succession while coming around from a general anesthetic.

Types of false awakening:

Celia Green suggested a distinction should be made between two types of false awakening:

Type 1:

Type 1 is the more common, in which the dreamer seems to wake up, but not necessarily in realistic surroundings, that is, not in their own bedroom. A pre-lucid dream may ensue. More commonly, dreamers will believe they have awakened, and then either wake up for real in their own bed or "fall back asleep" in the dream.

A common false awakening is a "late for work" scenario. A person may "wake up" in a typical room, with most things looking normal, and realize he or she overslept and missed the start time at work or school. Clocks, if found in the dream, will show time indicating that fact. The resulting panic is often strong enough to jar the person awake for real (much like from a nightmare). Another common example is when a person usually goes to the bathroom when woken up. The person may be 'false awakened' that he/she thought he/she went to the bathroom but in reality they were still asleep.


Type 2:

The type 2 false awakening seems to be considerably less common. Green characterized it as follows:

The subject appears to wake up in a realistic manner, but to an atmosphere of suspense.[...] His surroundings may at first appear normal, and he may gradually become aware of something uncanny in the atmosphere, and perhaps of unwonted [unusual] sounds and movements. Or he may "awake" immediately to a "stressed" and "stormy" atmosphere. In either case, the end result would appear to be characterized by feelings of suspense, excitement or apprehension.

Charles McCreery drew attention to the similarity between this description and the description by the German psychopathologist Karl Jaspers (1923) of the so-called "primary delusionary experience" (a general feeling that precedes more specific delusory belief).

Jaspers wrote:

Patients feel uncanny and that there is something suspicious afoot. Everything gets a new meaning. The environment is somehow different—not to a gross degree—perception is unaltered in itself but there is some change which envelops everything with a subtle, pervasive and strangely uncertain light.[...] Something seems in the air which the patient cannot account for, a distrustful, uncomfortable, uncanny tension invades him.[7]

McCreery suggests this phenomenological similarity is not coincidental, and results from the idea that both phenomena, the Type 2 false awakening and the primary delusionary experience, are phenomena of sleep. He suggests that the primary delusionary experience, like other phenomena of psychosis such as hallucinations and secondary or specific delusions, represents an intrusion into waking consciousness of processes associated with stage 1 sleep. It is suggested that the reason for these intrusions is that the psychotic subject is in a state of hyper-arousal, a state that can lead to what Ian Oswald called "micro-sleeps" in waking life.

Subjects may also experience sleep paralysis.

In popular culture:

False awakenings are sometimes used as a device in literature, and especially films, to increase "shock" effects by inducing a feeling of calm in the viewer following something disturbing.

A Calvin and Hobbes strip involved Calvin waking up from a dream, then stepping outside his door only to find it is an abyss, where he wakes up again, and repeats it, only to actually wake up and be incredibly frightened about leaving the house.

A twist at the end of the horror film Dead of Night (1945) is an early example of a re-occurring false awakening.

A scene in the "Lisa's Rival" episode of The Simpsons sees Lisa faint after a Saxophone battle for First Chair with her rival. She awakens and is informed she "made it", believing she made First Chair, in which Mr Largo responds with "No, you regained consciousness. Alison got First Chair." Lisa wakes up a second time, concluding the former experience was a dream, and the same events as the dream follow, in addition with "and believe me, this is not a dream!"

The film Waking Life deals with dreaming, lucid dreaming and false awakening.

The film Vanilla Sky begins with the main character having a Type 2 false awakening, achieved cinematically with "empty city" effects.

The Twilight Zone episode "Shadow Play" involved a man having a dream in which he is sentenced to die, with the various roles (judge, jury foreman, attorney, fellow inmates, etc.) being played by people from his past. At the moment he is executed, the dream re-starts, with the characters shuffled. The episode was part of the original series, and re-made as part of the 1985–89 revival.

In the first volume of Neil Gaiman's graphic novel Sandman, the newly freed Morpheus, lord of Dreams, punishes his captor, Alexander Burgess, with endless false awakening nightmares.

In Joan Baez's "The Dream Song", the lyrics discuss a dream-within-a-dream resulting from her apparent awakening. The lyrics end "When I really woke I was frozen in between; I didn't know who I was, it was a dream inside a dream; It's all a dream."

In the film Inception the dream-within-a-dream and the false awakening are central to the plot.

The Rugrats episode "In The Dreamtime" features Chuckie experiencing a false awakening.

The plot of the South Park episode "City on the Edge of Forever" is revealed to be a dream within a dream for Stan Marsh; he undergoes a false awakening as Cartman within his own dream.

In Hugo the main character has a nightmare involving a train accident that he caused. When he awakens he finds that the key is still in its place; however, he has become a machine like all the clocks around him. Reality sets back in when he finally awakens to the real world.