Nothing Exists

Summary

In this transcript, the speaker delves into the philosophical concepts of Ajata Vada and Vivarta Vada, explaining their nuanced differences. Ajata Vada suggests that nothing truly exists or even appears to exist, while Vivarta Vada acknowledges the world's appearance, despite its lack of ultimate reality. The speaker explores these ideas within the context of meditation, discussing how from an infinite or divine perspective, there is no subject-object duality. They also clarify how these teachings relate to ordinary experiences of pure awareness, where manifestation or appearance dissolves.

Takeaways

• 🧘‍♂️ The speaker introduced two Sanskrit terms: Ajata Vada and Vivarta Vada, rarely used but relevant for those familiar with classical Advaita tradition.
• 🪷 Ajata Vada suggests that nothing exists or even seems to exist, meaning nothing stands out from the infinite background of being with its own independent existence.
• 🌍 Vivarta Vada posits that while nothing truly exists, the world seems to exist, and this appearance is the level on which most high-level teachings are based.
• 🌀 The speaker acknowledges the challenge of reconciling the idea that nothing appears to exist with our everyday experience of a world full of appearances.
• 🔄 The infinite, being all-encompassing, cannot separate itself to know itself or anything else as an object because doing so would require a subject-object division, which is impossible for the infinite.
• 🫥 From the infinite's point of view, not only is there nothing other than itself, but it also cannot experience even the appearance of something else, as this requires a finite perspective.
• 🔕 Ajata Vada, being the highest level of teaching, cannot be articulated, as it represents a state of pure silence and no manifestation.
• ⛰️ The teachings shared here, which admit the appearance of a world, are considered one step down from Ajata Vada, as they start from our undeniable experience of the world and separate self.
• 💡 The concept of the 'blind spot' refers to the awareness of being without manifestation, aligning with the speaker's guided meditations.
• ✨ While Ajata Vada may seem obscure, it fundamentally reflects the ordinary experience of pure awareness, despite its philosophical complexities.

Q & A

What is Aata Vada and Vivat Vada?

Aata Vada is the contention that nothing exists or even seems to exist, while Vivat Vada acknowledges that nothing exists but the world seems to exist.

Why does the speaker rarely use Sanskrit terms?

The speaker rarely uses Sanskrit terms because they want to relate more directly to their audience, though they occasionally use them to reference classical Advaita traditions.

What is the significance of Aata Vada?

Aata Vada represents the idea that nothing exists or even appears to exist, emphasizing a perspective that contradicts everyday experience.

What is the contradiction addressed in the meditation?

The contradiction is between the highest point of view, where nothing even appears to exist, and our everyday experience, where the world seems real and present.

How does the infinite relate to the subject-object relationship?

The infinite cannot experience a subject-object relationship because dividing into subject and object imposes limitations on both, which contradicts the nature of the infinite.

Why does the infinite not experience manifestation?

The infinite cannot experience manifestation or even the appearance of manifestation because it cannot separate itself from itself to view anything as an object.

What level of teachings corresponds to Vivat Vada?

Vivat Vada corresponds to the highest teachings that acknowledge the appearance of the world, even though the world may not be ultimately real.

What is meant by 'the top of the mountain' in teachings?

'The top of the mountain' refers to the highest understanding in teachings, which admits that while the world seems to exist, it ultimately does not.

What does the term 'blind spot' refer to in this context?

The 'blind spot' refers to the experience of pure awareness without the appearance of any manifestation, which is described as luminous darkness.

Why are Sanskrit terms considered 'fancy' for English speakers?

Sanskrit terms are considered 'fancy' for English speakers because they carry philosophical weight and may seem obscure or complex compared to everyday language.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Concept of Ajata Vada and Vivarta Vada

In this paragraph, the speaker introduces two Sanskrit terms: Ajata Vada and Vivarta Vada, connecting them to classical Advaita philosophy. Ajata Vada suggests that nothing exists or even appears to exist, while Vivarta Vada holds that although nothing truly exists, the world seems to exist. The speaker explains that most teachings align with Vivarta Vada, where reality appears to be present even if it’s questioned, and yesterday's meditation touched on this contradiction. The speaker reflects on how the infinite nature of being means that nothing exists independently, yet our experience seems to contradict this philosophical notion.

05:01

🌍 Appearance of the World in Teachings

The speaker continues to elaborate on the seeming contradiction between the infinite nature of being and our experience of the world. They explain that most teachings admit the appearance of a world because it is an undeniable part of our experience, even if that appearance is questioned. The discussion shifts to how the speaker guides listeners to the experience of being during meditations, where the world of multiplicity seems to disappear, aligning with higher teachings that don’t focus on the manifestation of the world. However, the philosophical viewpoint (Ajata Vada) claims that even the appearance of the world is illusory, which creates tension with everyday experience.

Keywords

💡Ajata Vada

Ajata Vada is a Sanskrit term meaning 'the doctrine of non-creation.' It suggests that nothing exists, not even the appearance of the world. In the video, this concept is highlighted as a rare philosophy that goes beyond typical teachings, asserting that nothing, including the world, ever appears or exists independently. It is seen as a viewpoint from the highest, infinite perspective.

💡Vivarta Vada

Vivarta Vada refers to the philosophical position that while nothing truly exists, the world appears to exist. This doctrine addresses the seeming contradiction between the perception of the world and the realization that it has no independent existence. It is mentioned as the level where most high-level teachings occur, and is used to reconcile the difference between experience and the ultimate truth.

💡Infinite Consciousness

Infinite Consciousness refers to the all-encompassing awareness or God's infinite being, which is said to be the only true reality. In the video, the speaker explains that all appearances, including the world, are manifestations or expressions of this Infinite Consciousness, even though they lack independent existence. The term ties into the central theme of how we perceive reality versus the ultimate infinite viewpoint.

💡Appearance

The term 'appearance' in the video refers to the phenomena we perceive in our daily life, such as the world and objects around us. The speaker contrasts appearance with reality, noting that while things appear to exist, from the highest point of view, they do not have independent existence. This distinction is key to understanding both Ajata Vada and Vivarta Vada.

💡Subject-object relationship

The subject-object relationship describes the duality where the 'subject' is the observer and the 'object' is what is observed. In the video, the speaker explains that Infinite Consciousness cannot experience anything in a subject-object relationship because it is not finite—it is whole and indivisible. This philosophical point supports the idea that Infinite Consciousness cannot experience anything other than itself.

💡Manifestation

Manifestation refers to the appearance of the world or objects as perceived from the finite perspective. In the video, the term is used to explain the distinction between what seems to appear in our experience and what truly exists. From the point of view of Infinite Consciousness, there is no manifestation or appearance of the world, which aligns with the Ajata Vada perspective.

💡Finite point of view

The finite point of view refers to the limited perspective of individual beings, as opposed to the infinite viewpoint of Consciousness. The speaker explains that from our finite, localized perspective, the world appears real, but from the infinite perspective, no such appearances exist. This concept is important for understanding why the world seems to exist despite philosophical teachings that deny its reality.

💡Blind spot

The blind spot is described as the state of pure awareness where there is no manifestation or appearance of objects or the world. It is the experience of being without any objects of perception, which the speaker refers to as a core aspect of meditation. The speaker associates this experience with Ajata Vada, where nothing even appears to exist.

💡Teaching

In the context of the video, teaching refers to the philosophical or spiritual instruction aimed at helping individuals understand the nature of reality. The speaker notes that there are no teachings at the Ajata Vada level, because it is beyond words or concepts. Most teachings take place at the Vivarta Vada level, where the appearance of the world is acknowledged but its independent existence is denied.

💡God's infinite being

God's infinite being refers to the concept of an all-encompassing divine existence, which is synonymous with Infinite Consciousness. The speaker explains that nothing can exist independently from God's infinite being, and that what we perceive as the world is merely an appearance within this infinite being. The video explores how this concept challenges our everyday experience of the world.

Highlights

Introduction of the terms 'AATA Vada' and 'Vivat Vada' during the meditation session.

'AATA Vada' represents the concept that nothing exists or even seems to exist.

'Vivat Vada' acknowledges that nothing exists in reality, but the world does seem to exist at a certain level.

The idea that from the highest point of view, nothing exists independently of God's infinite being.

AATA Vada is rarely discussed because it suggests that not only nothing exists, but nothing even appears to exist.

The challenge of reconciling the notion that nothing appears to exist with our current experience.

The infinite cannot separate itself to know itself as an object in a subject-object relationship.

From the infinite's perspective, no manifestation or even the appearance of manifestation is possible.

Finite perspectives allow the appearance of a world, even if the reality of that appearance is questioned.

Most teachings occur at the 'Vivat Vada' level, acknowledging the appearance of the world.

The 'AATA Vada' level of teaching is considered so high that it is beyond any formal teachings.

The highest teachings recognize the appearance of a world because that is our undeniable experience.

The 'blind spot' refers to the experience of pure awareness of being, where no manifestation is perceived.

The experience of the 'blind spot' in meditation takes one back to a place of pure being, beyond manifestations.

Although 'AATA Vada' has a complex name, the experience it describes is the simple awareness of being.

Transcripts

in yesterday's

meditation you introduced a concept with

a very fancy

name could you say the name because I

don't remember it AATA Vada and vivat

Vada I very rarely use Sanskrit terms as

you know but I wanted to because I

wanted to relate what I'm saying to some

of you I know who have studied the

classical advit tradition but yeah AATA

Vada and vivat Vada the aada is a very

um a concept that we very rarely hear

about it's the the contention

that nothing

exists or even seems to

exist

whereas you understand when I say

nothing exists nothing really stands out

from the background of being with its

own independent existence

at jat nothing exists or even seems to

exist whereas vat in reality nothing

exists but the world does seem to exist

and that is the level on which that most

teachings or the the highest teachings

usually take

place so when you say that the first

thing you said well that's what

yesterday's meditation

and to an extent this morning's

meditation but particularly yesterday's

meditation was I was trying

to I was trying trying to somehow make

sense of this of what seems to be a

complete contradiction with our

experience how can one say that from the

highest point of view not only that

nothing exists that that that makes

sense nothing nothing stands out from

God's infinite being with its own

independent existence I

think most if not all of us understand

that that that is not a denial of

appearances okay this is all an

appearance but what is it an appearance

of infinite Consciousness or God's

infinite being I think we're we're okay

with that but then to suggest that

nothing even appears well no that I mean

what are we experiencing now H how can

one say that from the highest point of

view nothing even appears to exist when

that obviously contradicts our current

experience so do we say that uh God

the WR writer of the manduk youan

mahashi the Buddha they were all wrong

no so how can we make sense of this

statement so that's why I tried to

suggest

that from the from the in from the

infinite point of view and if the

infinite is all there really is then its

point of view must be the only real

point of view from its point of view as

we we

saw with the conversation with Susanna

and this morning and yesterday the

infinite

cannot cannot separate itself from

itself and know itself or indeed

anything as an object it cannot stand

apart from

itself and know anything it cannot know

in subject object relationship

because soon as we divide into a subject

object relationship both the subject and

the object must be limited the subject

is limited and the object that it knows

is limited but the infinite can't cease

being the infinite and become something

finite so from its point of view it

cannot that not only can there not be

anything other than itself but it cannot

experience even the appearance of

anything other than itself because to

experience appear an appearance one must

do so from a finite point of view so in

its pure experience of itself there is

no manifestation or even the appearance

of any

manifestation whereas from our finite

limited localized points of view there

is most definitely the appearance of a

world even if we then question the

reality of that appearance as we do here

now there are no teachings to my

knowledge that speak at the ajata

level they were just those teachings

were just remains they're not they

couldn't be teachings there's no there's

nothing to teach that that that would

just be silence so the highest teachings

that we know of the the top of the-

mountain teachings are actually one step

down from

AATA the highest teachings

the teachings that for instance that

that we share

here admit that there is the appearance

of a world why because that is our

undeniable experience so we start with

the way experience seems to be I seem to

be a separate self localized in and

limited to the body and there does seem

to be a world outside of myself made out

of something other than myself so that's

that's where we

start it it's in terms of teaching it's

the highest teaching although there is

this understanding that is off the top

of the mountain which is never spoken of

because it's it's

um it's Out Of

Reach in a

way so what I don't understand

rert isn't the A J

level what you help us experience every

single time you take us back to that

place during the

exercise that's true yes cuz whenever

you ask us like go to the experience of

being yes and we report back what we

experience we do not experience 10

thousand things that's right that that's

the level we go to yes so that that's

the um that's the blind spot but isn't

that just the core of the teaching why

is it some sort of

obscure fancy mancy name when it's just

the all all Sanskrit names are fancy

comp for English speaking people it it's

um it it it's

because

um because it's not only referring to

the experience that we have the

experience of the blind spot in which

there is no manifestation it it's it's

also a

philosophy that says that that doesn't

even admit the appearance of a world so

you're right as as an experience it's

the very ordinary experience of the

awareness of being but it's the

philosophy that accompanies it that that

is um seems to conflict with our

everyday experience but but you're right

the the actual experience of the the

absence of manifestation or even the the

appearance of that manifestation is what

I was speaking of this morning the blind

spot just the pure awareness of being

luminous Darkness absolutely yes so as

long as I just go back there I'm not

missing out on any F not no not missing

anything stuff no no not not at all

thank you r