Tattva Bodha is one of the foundational Vedantic texts. Attributed to the 8th century visionary Adi Shankaracharya, it serves as the ideal introduction to Vedanta, neatly and concisely outlining most of the key concepts and terminology.
This version is based upon several translations and has been designed for clarity and ease of reading. I have omitted all but the most essential Sanskrit and rendered it in clear English. A commentary shall follow at some stage (James already has a great one up at shiningworld.com). In the meantime, I hope you find it of interest.
Invocation
Salutations to the Eternal Self! With eternal gratitude and reverence to the Vedantic lineage of teachers, Tattva Bodha, “Knowledge of Truth”, is shared for the benefit of all sincere seekers of liberation.
A Qualified Mind
1.0. What are the fourfold mental qualifications?
The fourfold mental qualifications are the ability to discriminate between the permanent and impermanent, dispassion towards sense objects and worldly seeking and attainment, the six qualities of inner wealth, and the burning desire for liberation.
1.1 What is meant by discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent?
This discrimination is the conviction that the Eternal Self alone is permanent and all else is impermanent.
1.2 What is dispassion?
Dispassion means freedom from attachment to sensory enjoyment and to the fruits of all desires, actions and attainment.
1.3 What are the six qualities of inner wealth?
They are control of the mind, control of the senses, withdrawal of the mind, forbearance, faith and the ability to concentrate the mind.
1.3. a. The ability to control or master the mind is a prerequisite for all seekers.
1.3. b. The ability to control or master the external sense organs is also necessary.
1.3. c. Withdrawal of the mind includes the strict observance of one’s own duty towards oneself, one’s family, community and religion while keeping universal values (dharma).
1.3. d. Forbearance is the ability to endure the dualities of life, such as the pleasant and unpleasant, heat and cold, joy and sorrow.
1.3. e. The seeker also must have faith in both the teacher and the teaching pending the result of enquiry.
1.3. f. Single-pointedness of mind is the ability to concentrate the mind at will.
1.4 Finally, intense desire for liberation is essential to the success of the student.
1.5 Upon cultivation of these qualities of mind, the seeker is qualified and ready for enquiry into the nature of Reality.
Enquiry Into the Nature of Reality
2.1 What is enquiry into the nature of Reality?
It is the firm conviction that the Self alone is Real and all else is unreal. This knowledge of what is Real (the Self) and what is unreal (the not-Self) is the essence of enquiry into the nature of Reality.
2.2 What is the Self?
The Self is That which exists beyond the gross, subtle and causal bodies, beyond the five sheaths, is the witness of the three states of consciousness and of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. It remains changeless and exists before and after time.
The Three Bodies
3.0 What are the three bodies?
The three bodies are the gross body, subtle body and causal body.
3.1 What is the gross body?
The gross [physical] body is that which is made up of the five elements having undergone the process of grossification (panchikarana). It is born of the good actions (karma) of the past, is the vehicle by which one gains experience in the world, both pleasurable and painful, and is subject to the six modifications; to exist, be born, to grow, mature, decay and to die. That is the gross body.
3.2 What is the subtle body?
The subtle body is that which is made up of the five elements which have not undergone the process of grossification. It is born of the good actions (karma) of the past and is an instrument for subtle experience. It consists of seventeen components: five sense organs, five organs of action, the five pranas or physiological functions, the mind and the intellect.
3.3 What is the causal body?
The causal body is inexplicable, beginningless, of the nature of ignorance, that which causes the two bodies (gross and subtle) to come into being, the source of Self-ignorance and free from duality.
The Sense Organs
4.0 What are the five sense organs of perception?
4.1 The five sense organs of perception are the ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose.
4.2 The organs of perception evolve out of the properties of the five material elements; space for the ears, air for the skin, sun for the eyes, water for the tongue, and earth for the nose.
4.3 The functions of the organs of perception are cognition of sound for the ears, cognition of touch for the skin, cognition of form for the eyes, cognition of taste for the tongue and cognition of smell for the nose.
5.0 What are the five sense organs of action?
5.1 The five organs of action are speech, hands, legs, anus and the genitals.
5.2 The organs of action are associated with the properties of the five elements: fire for speech, air for the hands, space for the feet, water for the genitals and earth for the anus.
5.3 The function of speech is to communicate, that of the hands is to grasp, that of the legs is movement, of the anus is elimination and of the genitals is procreation.
The Three States of Consciousness
6.0 What are the three states of consciousness?
The three states of consciousness are waking, dream and deep sleep.
6.2 What is the waking state?
The waking state is that state of experience in which sense objects such as sound are perceived through the sense organs such as the ears. The Self, identified with the gross body in the waking state is termed “vishwa”, the “waker”.
6.3 What is the dream state?
The dream state is the subtle world projected while in sleep from the impressions gathered in the waking state. The Self, identified with the subtle body in this dream state is termed “taijasa”, the “shining one”.
6.4 What is the deep sleep state?
The deep sleep state is the state about which one can only say, “I had no knowledge of anything; I simply enjoyed a good sleep”. The Self, identified with the causal body in the deep sleep state is termed “prajna”, meaning “almost enlightened”.
The Five Sheaths
7.0 What are the five sheaths?
The five sheaths are the food sheath, the vital air sheath, the mental sheath, the intellect sheath and the bliss sheath.
7.1 What is the food sheath?
The food sheath is that which is created from the essence of food and which merges into the earth. It is also termed the gross body.
7.2 What is the vital air sheath?
The five physiological functions (breathing, the evacuation of waste, the circulation of blood and nourishment to the cells, digestion and assimilation and the body’s ability to reject unwanted objects) and the five organs of action (speech, hands, legs, anus and genitals) together constitute the vital air sheath.
7.3 What is the mental sheath?
The mind and the five organs of perception (ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose) together constitute the mental sheath.
7.4 What is the intellect sheath?
The intellect and the five organs of perception together constitute the intellectual sheath. Together, the vital air sheath, mental sheath and intellectual sheath comprise the subtle body.
7.5 What is the bliss sheath?
Correlating with the deep sleep state and thus ignorance, the bliss sheath relates to the the causal body, is of impure nature and, through the association with desired objects, is experienced as the bliss of the Self.
Beyond the Five Sheaths
7.6 My possessions—whether my house, my bracelet, or my clothing—may belong to me but, clearly, that which belongs to me must be OTHER than “me”, the knower of those things. In the same way, while the five sheaths may seemingly belong to me—“my body”, “my mind”, “my intellect” and “my ignorance”—they must clearly be OTHER than “me”, the knower. Therefore, the Self must be other than the aggregates of the five sheaths.
The Nature of the Self
8.0 What, then, is the Self?
The Self is of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.
8.1 What is Existence?
That which remains unchanged in the three periods of time (past, present and future) is Existence.
8.2 What is Consciousness?
Consciousness is of the nature of absolute Knowledge.
8.3 What is Bliss?
Bliss is of the nature of limitless wholeness.
8.4 Thus, one should know oneself to be of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.
The Universe and Maya
9.0 Now we shall explain the nature of the phenomenal universe.
9.1 Maya comprises the three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas and exists depending upon Brahman [the Self].
9.2 From this maya, space was born. From space, air. From air, fire. From fire, water. From water, earth.
9.3 From these five great elements, out of the sattvic aspect of space, the organ of hearing, the ear, evolved. From the Sattvic aspect of air, the organ of touch, the skin, evolved. From the sattvic aspect of fire, the organ of sight, the eyes, evolved. From the Sattvic aspect of water, the organ of taste, the tongue, evolved. From the sattvic aspect of earth, the organ of smell, the nose, evolved.
9.4 From the total sattvic aspect of these five elements, the inner instruments of the mind, intellect, ego and memory are formed.
9.5 The mind is of the nature of indecision. The intellect is of the nature of decision. The ego has the notion of doership. Memory is of the nature of thinking or recollection.
9.7 Among these five elements, from the rajas aspect of space, the organ of speech is formed. From the rajas aspect of air, the organs of grasping, the hands, are formed. From the rajas aspect of fire, the organ of locomotion, the legs, are formed. From the rajas aspect of water, the organ of procreation, the genitals, are formed. From the rajas aspect of earth, the organ of excretion, the anus, is formed.
9.8 From the total rajas aspect of these five elements, the five vital airs, the pranas, are formed.
9.9 From the tamas aspect of these five elements, the grossified five elements are born. This is called the process of panchikarana, or the grossification of subtle elements into matter. The tamas aspect of each of the five elements divides into two equal parts. One half of each remains intact. The other half divides into four equal parts. To the intact half of one element, one-eighth portion from each of the other elements gets joined.
9.10 Thus, from these five grossified elements, the gross body is formed.
The Relationship Between the Individual and God
10.0 The microcosm and the macrocosm, man and God, exist in total unity.
10.1 The reflected consciousness of the Self (Brahman), which identifies with the gross and subtle bodies, is called an individual, or “jiva”. This jiva considers God (Ishwara) to be essentially separate and different to him or herself.
10.2 The Self, when conditioned by ignorance (avidya) at the microcosmic level, is called the jiva, or individual. The Self, when conditioned by maya, at a macrocosmic level, is called God, or Ishwara. The difference is due to the differing adjuncts.
10.3 As long as the notion that the individual and the Lord are essentially different remains, there can be no redemption from samsara, the cycle of worldly suffering and rebirth. Therefore, the notion that man and God are separate and essentially different must be removed.
Enquiry Into the Statement “I Am That”
11.1 The jiva is endowed with ego and its knowledge is limited, whereas Ishwara is without ego and is omniscient.
11.2 Given these seemingly contradictory characteristics, how can the two share the same essential identity, as stated in the great Upanishadic statement “I Am That”?
11.3 There can be no doubt. The literal meaning of the word “I”, in this case, is the one identified with the gross and subtle bodies. The implied meaning of the word “I” is pure Consciousness which is free from all conditionings and which can be appreciated in the state of deep meditation.
11.4 The literal meaning of the word “That” is God, which is endowed with omniscience and all-knowledge. The implied meaning of the word “That” is pure Consciousness which is free from all conditionings.
11.5 Therefore, there is no contradiction regarding the essential oneness between the individual and God from the standpoint of pure Consciousness.
The Self-Realised Soul
12.1 By the words of Vedanta and the guidance of the teacher, those who come to realise the Truth of the divinity and unity of all beings, are liberated while living.
12.2 What can be said about such a soul? Most people cling to limiting beliefs such as “I am a man or woman”, “I am a body and mind”, “I am a certain age and of a certain profession”.
12.3 The liberated, however, whose understanding is transformed by the Knowledge of Truth, has negated such false identities and ascertained that “I am free from attachment to form, for I am of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, being the effulgent, self-shining light dwelling in the heart of all beings.”
12.4 By this direct knowledge, “I am Brahman—I am the Self alone”, one is no longer bound by karma.
Action, Karma and Freedom
13.1 With regard to karma, there are three types: agami, sanchita and prararbdha.
13.2 The results of actions, good or bad, performed by the body of a Self-Realised person after the dawn of Self-Knowledge, is known as agami, or future, karma.
13.3 The results of actions, good or bad, performed in previous births which are in seed form and which give rise to endless rounds of future births, are called sanchita, or accumulated, karma.
13.4 Having generated the present body, the past actions which are fructifying in this present lifetime, both good and bad, are called prarabdha, or current, karma.
13.5 For the Self-Realised, sanchita karma is destroyed by the firm knowledge that “I am Brahman alone.”
13.6 For the Self-Realised, agami karma is also destroyed by Self-Knowledge and the liberated is not affected by it any more than the lotus leaf is affected by water upon it.
13.7 Those who praise, serve and support the wise, receive the fruits of their good actions. Those who criticise, hate or cause pain to the wise, receive the fruits of any bad actions.
The Results of Self-Knowledge
13.8 The knower of the Self, having crossed the ocean of samsara, attains complete wholeness and freedom. The scriptures affirm that the knower of the Self goes beyond all sorrow. Whatever happens in the remainder of their bodily lifetime, he or she is liberated and freed from all karma.
13.9 Here ends the Tattva Bodha, Knowledge of Truth.
Om Tat Sat.
