On YouTube
न संदेह न संशय || आचार्य प्रशांत, ऋभुगीता पर (2014)
7.2K views
5 years ago
Ribhu Gita
Brahman
Maya
Neti-Neti
Doubt
Truth
Non-duality
Description

Acharya Prashant explains verses from the Ribhu Gita, focusing on two primary statements. The first is "Sarvam nasti, na sanshayah," which means "Everything is not, there is no doubt." The second is "Sarvam Brahma, na sanshayah," meaning "Everything is Brahman, there is no doubt." He clarifies that these are two distinct statements. The path of life is one of negation, the path of 'not this, not this' (Neti-Neti), but its culmination is a positive understanding. If one gets stuck only in negation, the journey is incomplete. Life cannot be lived solely in the state of 'Sarvam nasti' (everything is not). Acharya Prashant elaborates that the statement "Sarvam nasti" itself contains a contradiction: 'Sarvam' implies a multiplicity, while 'nasti' negates it. He cautions against thinking that the Ribhu Gita only negates or cuts away illusion. Its purpose is to establish the Truth. The removal of illusion and the revelation of Truth are simultaneous events, much like how the sun shines as soon as the clouds disperse. One cannot say the clouds are gone but the sun is not yet visible. If one remains stuck in the idea that 'everything is not,' life becomes dry and burdensome. This is the state described by Kabir Saheb as "Maya mili na Ram" (Neither illusion was attained, nor the Lord). To illustrate the difference between the two perspectives, Acharya Prashant uses the example of grass. From the viewpoint of "Sarvam nasti," the grass is nothing, and so am I, which could justify violence. However, from the perspective of "Sarvam Brahma," the same grass becomes worthy of worship. Spirituality, he asserts, is not a negation of life but its fulfillment, a message to live life completely. He compares the effect of mantras to a madman who has lost his memory and doesn't even know the word for water but still feels thirst. If he is given water, his thirst is quenched, even without understanding how. Similarly, these great sayings (mahavakyas) may not be intellectually understood, but something within testifies to their truth because they speak of our fundamental nature.