A review of: Atmabodha: Self-Knowledge (2003), Vivekacudamani: The Crest Jewel of Discernment (2006), and Drgdrsyaviveka: Discernment between Atman and non-Atman (2008) with translations and commentaries by Raphael (Ashram Vidya Order). Aurea Vidya Foundation, Inc. New York, N.Y. www.vidya-ashramvidyaorder.org
There is a growing interest among contemporary spiritual seekers in non-duality teachings and teachers. This new expression of non-dual teachings proposes to bypass the mind and conceptual thinking of the seeker through a “direct-path” to spiritual realization, which is available in the here and now and should not require long periods of study or training. It is especially suited to Westerners who tend to approach spiritual development intellectually and who may come to this work with an already well-developed (or over-developed) mentality that serves to perpetuate their sense of spiritual alienation. Non-dual teachers utilize a combination of silence, teachings, and dialectical inquiry to help their students transcend self-limiting conceptualizations and habits of mind, breaking these bonds to reveal an already existing self-nature that shines forth free from doubt and restlessness.
Most contemporary non-dual teachers themselves had teachers from India who were steeped in ancient non-dual teachings, which have a well-developed pedagogy and literature, primarily from the “Advaita-Vedanta” school of philosophy founded by Adi Sankara (788-820). It may therefore be of interest to contemporary non-dual students to sample some of this traditional literature – which has enriched non-dual traditions for over one thousand years – to see what it has to say about the nature of illusion, reality, and self. Such inquiry would not be for the purpose of utilizing an already over-developed conceptual mind, or to approach these teachings intellectually, but rather, to partake of traditional literature that uses the same method of dialectical inquiry that is popular with contemporary non-dual teachers in their individual interactions with students. The dialectical approach used by many of today’s non-dual teachers in fact mirrors the logic and pedagogy of traditional Advaita Vedanta texts, which are designed to undermine underlying assumptions about self, world and reality that keep the student trapped within a limited and unsatisfying world-view. Thus their efficaciousness is through a process of “undoing” rather than through a strengthening of the alienated “doing” self.
Three important Advaita Vedanta texts attributed to Sankara have recently been published in English, with commentaries and explanations. The author is Raphael, a teacher, founder of the Ashram Vidya order, writer, and translator, who has published over fifteen books in Italian on the subject of the non-dual tradition, including original works, and translations with commentaries, along with numerous other books on ancient Western traditions.
These three texts: Atmabodha, Drgdrsyaviveka and Vivekacudamani are already available in numerous other English translations. Thus, one can justifiably ask: what distinguishes Raphael’s translations and commentaries from these others? There are a number of reasons that Raphael’s work is noteworthy. First, as a native Westerner, he writes in a manner that approachable and accessible, unlike many of the Indian-born translators of these texts whose language is conceptual and dense. Second, Raphael makes frequent references to modern scientific thought, utilizing it to effectively illustrate traditional Advaita ideas, along with references to kindred spiritual traditions, including Platonism, Alchemy and other Western traditions. Thus, these books are accessible, contemporary, enjoyable to read, and place the subject matter in a larger context. Most importantly, Raphael himself is the product of a lifetime of studying and living these ideas. As a result his translations and commentaries are a result of “lived experience” and thus serve to provide a vision of the text “from the inside.” In Raphael’s terms, they are “realizative” and function with the intended purpose of the original Sanskrit texts to transform the mentality of the reader. Rather than being theoretical presentations, they are “operative” – serving as a stimulus to realization just as dialectical conversation with a contemporary non-dual teacher might serve to erode false assumptions that veil an underlying ever-shining self. This non-dual approach has also been termed “Asparsa Yoga” or the “Yoga of Non-Touch” because in unity, there is no “other” that can be “touched.”
Atma-Bodha or “Self-Knowledge” (92 pages) is a brief presentation explaining the nature of the self (Atma), why our contact with it has been lost, and how it can be regained. The more lengthy Drigdrisyaviveka or “Discernment between Atman and non-Atman” (147 pages) presents a rational method of discrimination through which the true self, the observer-witness or atman, can be separated/distinguished from the non-self world of experience with which it has incorrectly identified, along with additional Vedantic teachings about the nature of reality. The Vivekacudamani or “The Crest Jewel of Discrimination” (323 pages) is in the form of a dialogue between an Advaita master and a student, with the master answering the student’s questions about the nature of ignorance, self and reality. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Advaita Vedanta and is more extensive than the first two, thus it would be of interest for those interested in a more in-depth presentation. All three books have an excellent glossary with definitions of critical terms and an English transliteration of the Sanskrit text. Drigdrisyaviveka also has an excellent bibliography of (primarily English) books and texts on the Advaita Vedanta. Readers who enjoy these books may also find value in Raphael’s other books on non-duality available in English translation. These include: Tat Tvam Asi (The Way of Fire According to Asparsa Vada), At the Source of Life (Questions and Answers about the Ultimate Reality), Mandukya Upanisad (with the verses of Gaudapada and commentary by Raphael), and The Pathway of Non-Duality.
The non-dual timeless (Brahman) is unchanging, existing within us as our inner being (Atman). Some may experience this “untouchable truth” on occasion in “glimpses” while a few may permanently know it to be their true nature. Knowledge-Truth – what Raphael calls the “Tradition” or the “Doctrine” – is also beyond time and space but has a temporal expression in different historical periods. Those who are interested in non-duality may find value in contacting – through these books – the form that it is currently expressing itself through in Raphael – a form that is well suited to current times and mentalities.
Micha-El (Alan Berkowitz), May, 2010.
