Ajativada

The Sanskrit term Ajativada can be translated as "non-creation". Ajativada is one of several alternately-held creation theories in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. According to Advaita Vedanta, the world of appearances is considered an unreal, and not to "absolutely existent". The idea that the unreal world was not created is called Ajativada, or non-creation. The concept implies that searching for a source of the origin of the world in a Creator is futile. Advaitins translate the concept of Ajativada with the phrase: "nothing ever happened" or: "Not even the appearance of creation exists". That is to say, not even the unreality' of the world "exists". (Where does the world go in deep sleep,turiya, nirvikalpa samadhi and nirvikalpa sahaja samadhi/meditation).

Philosophers and interpretations

Philosophers such as Y K Menon for example, said that Sankara said that the goal is attainment of oneness with Sat-Cit-Ananda, or Being, Consciousness, Bliss. These are actually qualities, according to Ramana Maharshi, and therefore attributes and still within illusion. In other words not NirGuna Brahman,(or ultimate transcendental, indescribable 'Beyond', but still Saguna Brahman, ( or being or 'Consciousness' associated with 'manifestation'. According to some, the realisation of Saguna Brahman and NirGuna is simultaneous, unless the person is a Bhakta/Devotee of some 'God Figure' and a believer in form. Another term for Ajativada could be Para-Advaita,(not to be confused with other paradvaita term), comprising the fourth level of Vedanta, above Dvaita, Visishtadvaita, and Advaita; Being duality, partial duality and non duality respectively and finally above non duality. This takes the philosophy a step further than Adi Sankara does, as he stops short of heavily expounding Para-Advaita/Ajata. Although Sankara's teachings lead to this logical conclusion, and probably were not highlighted, as Sankara was trying to refute Buddhism,(Gautama Buddha), at the time and similar philosophy would not be dwelt on. This leads to the conclusion that on the Pralaya or Dissolution of the Universe, it is the Saguna Brahman concept that 're-manifests' the universe, and not Nirguna Brahman. This is due to the seeds of manifestation being still in subtle form or in potentiality, in the case of Maha-Pralaya or Great Dissolution of material and subtle. Of course, bearing in mind that Saguna Brahman is ultimately an illusion that never ever happened. NirGuna Brahman being or 'Non Being' the only Truth. This can be compared in Vedantic Meditation to Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi, or temporary realisation and Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi or permanent Moksha..( A person doing Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which actually does not require one to by an expert in cryptic philosophy, which tends to be lost in clever words; Is at the temporary stage. Also most realised persons or muktas were not schooled that well in philosophy at all).

Three (Ontological) Orders of Reality, according to Advaita

1.The transcendental or the Pāramārthika level, in which Brahman is the only reality and nothing else;

2.The empirical/objective or the Vyāvahārika level, in which both Jiva (living beings or individual souls) and Isvara are empirically real. Here, the material world has empirical (transactional) reality, not absolute reality, since it is dependent on Brahman.

3.The apparent or the Prātibhāsika level, which is subjective,like illusion of a snake over a rope or a dream. Ajativada takes it to a more clear level....

Opinions and sayings of Philosophers and Sages.

According to the eighthcentury Advaitin Gaudapada, and his Mandukya Karika, an independent treatise based on the Mandukya Upanishad, Ajativada means that causality is internally incoherent and entails the belief that Atman is eternally unborn.. Adi Shankara wrote the following, in verse 426 of his work Viveka Chudamani (The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination'),Mohini M Chaterjee, The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, 1932.On account of constant absorption in Brahman, freed from the sense of reality of external objects, only seemingly enjoying them when offered by others, like a sleepy baby, perceiving the world as that seen in a dream and recognising it only now and then, such a man is indeed rare. He is the enjoyer of the fruits of untold merit and is truly held blessed and revered on earth.. This is about as close as one get to a description of the state of a Mukta, totally absorbed permanently..or realised one. A Mukta has realised Ajativada.

The twentieth-century Sage Ramana Maharshi was an articulate adherent to the concept of ajativada. On Sri Ramana's view, ajativada or non-creation is a part of the highest form of consciousness that can be attained. Sri Ramana described three consecutive steps, each of which corresponds to a different understanding of reality:

1. That somebody or some god created the world
2. That the world arises simultaneously with our perception of it

1. Finally, ajativada, that the world never happened at all. ('Be as you are'.The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi..David Godman..Arakana.London and New York...1986). Sadhu Om, a chronicler and devotee of Ramana wrote, 'At times Sri Ramana Maharshi used to reveal some information which was not given by the scriptures and Puranas such as: how, in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna began His teachings with the doctrines of Ajata and Advaita, but then condescendingly came down to various stages of Dvaita, and how He carefully used words which, though suited to Arjuna's limited grasping power, also gives room for well-ripened aspirants to discover, even now, the motive behind those words.

This is supported by the great Sage Nisargadatta Maharaj, who indicated the following;

1.That individuals begin with first believing they are making things happen;

2.Then realising things are in fact happening to them;

3. Then finally that nothing is happening at all ('I am That', Acorn Press. N.C. 1999).

Also the Buddhist Meditation of vipassana, or observing the rise and fall of created or compounded things and the development of insight, is an indication of the unreality of the so called 'creation'. One finds similar messages at the centre of the teachings of the Sufis, like Din Attar, Ibn Arabi, Jalala'din Rumi, Al Hussein Ibn Al-Mansour, Hadrat Muinudin Chisti, Al-Hallaj and many other mystics Christian and otherwise, such as Kabir, Guru Nanak, St John of the Cross, St Theresa de Avila and many more, most of whom were really considered out of the mainsteam, by their peers.

Glossary of Sanskrit Terms used in this article

.

• Atman = the individual being, identical with Brahman
• Jiva=Individual being
• Advaita= Non-dual
• Dvaita = dual
• Visishtadvaita = Non-dual with distinction
• Ajativada =non creation,
• Bhakta =Devotee,
• Brahman = Pure Consciousness.
• Saguna Brahman = Brahman along with Maya, as Creator of the Universe
• Mukta = a free/realised person.
• Nirguna Brahman= Pure Consciousness
• Nirvikalpa Samadhi = where subject-object division is not there
• Sat-Cit-Ananda= Existence-Consciousness-Limitlessness,
• Pralaya=Dissolution or resolving of the Universe,
• Maha-Pralaya = Dissolution of the material and subtle universe,
• Para = Above/beyond,
• Vedanta= The concluding portions of the Vedas, the teachings of the Upanishads,
• Turiya = Fourth State
• Sahaja = natural meditation,
• Sakshin - Witness,
• Jiva= The individual,
• Mukti = Freedom, liberation
• Manas = Mind, one of the four faculties of the antahkarana(the other three being buddhi, cittam and ahamkara)
• Vasanas = past impressions ofthe mind.

Further reading

• Creation theories in Advaita Vedanta
• Swami Atmananda website
• Sri Ramana Maharshi website
• Gaudapada on Mandukya Upanishad
• Nisargadatta Maharaj website

References

• I am That Acorn Press. N.C., 1999
• David Godman, Be as you are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi Arakana.London and New York, 1986
• Mohini M Chatterji, Viveka-Cudamani, Adyar, Chennai, 1973

'Vipassana Meditation', as taught by S.N. Goenka..William Hart.Harper and Row..1987..San Francisco.USA.