Substance of the aphorisms of Sivagnana Bodham

GENERAL SECTION

Aphorism I:    Existence of Primal Being, the purpose of creation and the existence of the evil principle, Anava.

The world, which is conceived as He, She and It, undergoes three changes, Appearance, sustenance and dissolution. So it is an entity, having an efficient cause that makes it appear. It should appear from the Agent if dissolution, so as to become free from impurity, tge principle of individuation. Hence logicians will say tha the Agents of dissolution (alone) is the Primal Being.

Aphorism II :    Existence of the acquired bonds maya and karma ; the nature of Primal Being as the agent of five cosmic functions. Existence of the consciousness-force fo the Supreme.

    The primal Being is non-separable from the selves, being one with them, different from them and causing them to move so that they may undergo deaths and births ceaselessly, experiencing the fruits of their two deeds. Thus the primal Being is inimplicit union with Its consciousness-force, which moves the world.

Aphorism III : Existence of the selves.

    As it negates itself, as it speaks of my boy, as it knows the functions of the five senses, as it knows of the happenings in the dream when the senses are inactive, as it has no experience or activity in sleep and sound sleep, as it becomes consious when caused to know, there exits a self in the body, an instrument constituted by the effects of maya.

    Of the eight theories seven are expounded in the third aphorism and the eight in the fourth Aphorism by the concessional clause. The seven theories are that the self is an entity, it is other than the gross-body, five senses,subtle-body,vital ari, the Primal Being and the totality of all these elements. The eight one is that it is other than the inner sensoria.

    Aphorism IV :    State of Ionelines (Kevela), the special and general natures of Innate Impurity (Sahaja mala or Anava), general nature of the self.

    Though the self is not one of the inner faculties, being devoid of awareness, it is associated with them like a king with his ministers, and has five states of consciousness.

   Aphorism V :    State of Association (Sakala): the nature of acquired bonds included in Tirodana.

    Though the skin, mouth, eye, nose (and ear) perceive their objects only through the will of the self, yet they cannot objectify the self. In the same manner, the selves are conscious of their objects only through the grace of the Supreme, though they are not aware of the Supreme. They are active like the iron-filings in the mere presence of the magnet. Like the magnet the Supreme causes changes in other principles, it itself remaining changeless and unchangeable.

    Aphorism VI :    State of purity : the special nature if the Primal Being.

    If He be the object of knowledge, He is Asat (changeable) ; if He be unknowable, He is non-existent. So the great who take their constant stand on their spiritual experience say that He is neither; but is Siva-sat, (cit-sat,spiritual reality), for the reason that He is unknowable by pasa and pasu Jnanas but knowable by Siva-Jnana, wisdom granted by divine grace.

SPECIAL SECTION             

    Aphorism VII :    Special nature of the self.

    As in the presence of Sat (unchangeable and unchanging) all all are not existent objectively, Sat cannot see things. Asat has no intelligence and cannot know. So the self, which is neither sat nor Asat, knows both, with both, having its being in both the categories.

    (In the state of bondage, the self knows the world, through the worldly instruments, being inseparable from the world ; in freedom it knows the Supreme, through its Light of Grace, identifying itself with the Supreme).

    Aphorism VIII : Realizing the self's true nature through Light of Grace.

    When the Primal Being appears as the master because of the meritorious practices of the self and enlightens it, 'Thou hast lost consciousness of thy true nature, being brought up in company with the savage senses,' the self leaves their company and immediately reaches Hara's feet.

    (Some perfected selves attain perfection at the listening of the words of the master itself : other reach perfection only by steps : the steps follow :)

        Aphorism IX :    Contemplation of the words of the master.

    Let the self by spiritual vision discover in its own self the Lord, who cannot be known either to the imperfect consciousness of the self or to its consciousness aroused by the bondage. When the self abandons the world of evolutes of Maya as a quckly passing mirage, the light of grace rises like a coolshade. To keep the spiritual vision intact : it woll ponder the Letters five in the manner prescribed.

    (The prescription implied in the aphorism is that the bondage should be abandoned and the Lord should be meditated on in itself through the light of grace : hence the letters five reduce to three Sivaya or yavasi.).

        Aphorism X :    Release of bonds-experiencing the state of grace.

    If the self identifies with the Supreme even as the Supreme has done so in the state of bondage, and abides in His sevice, impurity along with the maya and powerful kanma passes away.

    Aphorism XI :    State of union.

    Even like the self that sees by making the eye see, the Supreme sees and makes the self see. So in unforgetting love, the self reaches the feet of Hara.

    Aphorism XII :    The habit if the released selves.

    The released self washes away the Impurity that prevents it from reaching the feet of the Supreme which are like the blown red lotus flower, keeps in the company of the released selves that love the Lord, and worships as Hara Himself the habit of those who abound in devotion after ridding of delusion and His shrine.