What is Sat Chit Ananda ?

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Dec 27, 2007.

  1. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Our scriptures say, Sat chit ananda is our very nature.

    Let us examine what a man seeks in his life.
    They are
    Sat, the Existence
    Chit, the Knowledge
    Ananda, the Fullness

    Sat – There is an innate desire in every man to perpetuate his existence, to live a day longer. Every man wants to protect himself to remain alive.
    The whole pharmaceutical industry thrives on this innate desire of man. So Sat is the love for life or immortality or existence.

    Chit - Love for knowledge is a kind of desire and leads everybody to different pursuits.
    We cannot stand ignorance. The media is an industry which thrives on this desire. We can manage without breakfast in the morning, but not without newspaper !

    Ananda – Third pursuit is to gain happiness. Everybody has a basic desire to be happy.

    By saying that a man is searching for sat, chit, ananda, we mean that he wants to get rid of mortality, ignorance and unhappiness. That is because they are unnatural and we do not like them.
    This indicates sat, chit ananda is the nature of every human being. That is what I am !
    Another name of satchitananda is amrtam or immortality. The ocean is the most natural state of the river because after reaching the ocean, the river has nowhere to go. The same way we love deep sleep because it is a state of happiness without effort.
    We cannot attain immortality by progeny or wealth. So Vedanta questions, is it a valid desire? It is natural to me and hence it is my birth right. So we seek security, wealth, fame etc to seek immortality. But are they not limited things ? My desire is valid, but the method I try to fulfill the same is not proper.
    I am seeking absolute knowledge through my poor little candle-like intellect.
    I seek knowledge through my mind which is incomplete. I am seeking absolute happiness, again an impossible task. Thus the instruments I am employing are so small and so insignificant that they cannot attain immortality for me.
    Now Vedanta comes to our help. In order to attain immortality, the whole vision of life,
    The attitude towards life must change.
    The Veda says
    ParaeNa nakam nihitham guhaayaam
    The immortality is hidden in a cave. It is hidden in the cave of my heart. I myself am the immortal one and therefore if I am seeking it outside, I can never find it. I should have been seeking it inside me, not outside. So I realise the worldly things cannot attain it for me. Hence sruti quotes
    Brarhma sathyam Jagan mithyaa
    Jagat mitya means the world is unreal ! We shudder when we hear this ! It only means what appears to me as real, is in fact not real because it cannot give me immortality !

    The same way, happiness appears to come from the objects, in reality it only comes from myself. It is like the dog chewing a dry bone thinking there is blood in it. But he enjoys the very bloods that comes from the wounds made in his mouth by the bone.

    Knowledge must create the right attitude towards the world.

    Thus we come to the most beautiful and the most fantasic way of relating ourselves to the world. Mitya means that it does not serve the purpose it seems to promise to serve but it does serve some other purpose. An artificial fruit is an object of adoration and appreciation, but is not real. Knowing the real nature of the artificial fruit, I relate to it differently. We become more mature by knowing the real nature of the thing. Our own inner self satchitananda is our natural state and real self. It takes a lot of maturity to understand this !

    Love,
    Chithra.
     
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  2. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra,
    Definetly that is what we seek
    to live a day longer, desire for knowledge, and to gain happiness;
    So that is our very nature.
    Thank god you have explained so well what is our true nature and why
    we do not like what is unnatural to them.
    It is true that we search for something where it is not and forget to see
    where it is. Like the man who was searching for a key under a light because there
    was light there; Forgot to search where he dropped it though, even it was darkness;
    It seems to make sense when we read. so unfortunate that after sometime I tend to forget and get caught in our daily living and everything that goes with it;
    Thanks for explaining so well..
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2007
  3. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dearest AC,
    Such an understanding FB so soon, amazes me ! You have understood the concept and "hit the nail on the head" !
    I think, all my efforts, to make this concept as clear as possible in my way of explaining, has been worth the time & trouble !
    I cannot thank you enough, AC.
    Love,
    La C.
     
  4. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    hi chithmam

    A timely topic for me..I was just recollecting few incidents, which hurt..and was thinking.and then here comes this topic...


    It means that his true nature is happiness and bliss. Any diversion from this gives him sorrow, grief etc
    When we see and feel Existence-Consciousness-Bliss on the same plane, each complementing and fulfilling the others, we can say that we live in satchitanadam..

    It is like the coffee, a perfect blend of milk,sugar and decoction gives you a great one...the same way understanding the three and able to differentiate the three helps in self-realisation..and it is the first step towards sat-chit-anadam...

    Last but not least....No anandam is available anywhere..it is inside us, and nobody can make us feel happy or sad..it is a state that we create for ourselves..

    Hope I have understood it well...and if have made mistakes,please correct me...
     
  5. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shan,
    The FBs from AC & you come like a flash ofl ightning, once I post on Thursdays.
    All that I say is Thankyou God.
    Each topic is so time consuming for me to put in simple words, but I am amply rewarded.
    My teacher says-do not say "I am happy"; train yourself to say "I am happiness". !
    You have understood it well, Shan, I am very happy.
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
  6. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra,

    Another beautiful explanation of Sat chit ananda.

    I suppose these three are in turn, aspects of Bramhan---> existence of God, within us...or the non-duality.
    God and universe..and in turn, man, being one. I feel that the basic teachings of the Hindu vedanta seems to be telling us constantly that we need not seek for any comfort in outside materials. Everything is within us..atma? If we can shut out the outside world..which in turn is a maya, we may be able to look at the kern of truth which resides within us!
    May be I am wrong, may be I am trying to simplyfy things to understand, but that's how I am perceiving it.
    However, this is only 'knowing'....one has to feel that knowledge somewhat before one can attain that all evading Ananda!
    Although very true, sounds very difficult to do :) I have a loooooong long way to go.

    L, Kamla
     
  7. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamla,
    Thanks a ton !
    You are very right when you say
    I feel that the basic teachings of the Hindu vedanta seems to be telling us constantly that we need not seek for any comfort in outside materials. Everything is within us..atma?

    Vedanta dins it that
    I am forever only the expeiencer (atma) & can never be the experienced object (the world).
    This is also said as
    The subject can never become the object.
    Yet another way of putting it is
    I can never see my own eyes - I cannot talk to myself in my own telephone etc.

    Understanding will "evolve" in due course, Kamla. Do not bother too much about how
    loooooong long

    Love,
    Chithra.
     
  8. Vysan

    Vysan Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Chitvish,

    This is a great topic.... Even before I start, let me apologise, if anywhere I ask stupid questions.... My aim is to understand things.... So, please do not mistake me...

    Satchitananda means to desire live long, gain knowledge to be happy.... Happiness is a state of our mind... For being happy you dont need knowledge.... The more the desire you have, you are never going to be happy....

    First let me take desire to live long.... The moment you have the desire to live long... your happiness goes off.... you think of all the various health issues... and keep worrying....

    The more you gain knowledge.... then only your rational mind works... All your faiths and beliefs are gone... You will be trying to rationalise even the pettiest of petty things... So, Gone with the wind your happiness...

    When you are happy, that is a blissfull state... Your mind sets in peace....

    When you have the first two, the third becomes difficult to attain.... For reaching the third, why do you need the first two?????...

    There are few more stupid questions.... Will wait and understand and then ask those questions....

    Thanx for patiently reading, in advance....
     
  9. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Veda,
    I am very happy that you do take time to read these posts, analyse the contents & ask me questions. You write
    The more you gain knowledge.... then only your rational mind works
    Here the knowledge referred to is Atma jnanam - not the worldly jnanam. The knowledge is
    Tat tvam asi - I am that
    This is the mahavakyam & the one line which conveys advaita in a gist.
    Once you accept it, rational thinking is taken care of by that.
    You reach a state when nothing bothers you because you are blissful - the two examples, I can think of are Mahaperiyaval & Ramana maharishi.
    This is our natural state since it brings an end to all conflicts.
    You are welcome to ask me - just remember, I will explain to the extent I have understood, Veda !
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
  10. vidhi

    vidhi Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Chith

    A nice topic. Happiness comes from inside us and we seek it outside always. I think we are tuned that way. I think to understand and experience the real happiness will really take many janmams for us. I liked the dog chewing bone example. How very true it is? You have explained it very well.

    Love
    vidhi
     

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