It Is Not That

Sri Adi Shankaracharya's oft-repeated statement "neti, neti", Not That, Not That is very difficult for us to understand. Any thing you see, touch, hear, smell or, even what you experience with senses, buddhi and manas are not real. This Upanishad statement was put as neti principle in Shankara's works. What do we mean by neti, not that? It is very simple. We as mortals can use our limited intellect, mind, and senses to understand what what the senses report to us via mind and intellect. These are only gross material objects that fit into fours states of matter- solid, liquid, gas, and semi-fluid. However, there are several stages during which matter has gradually attained these states. Those subtle and subtler states like sound, vibration, and physical, chemical or biological changes can never be understood without yoga and touch of a guru. These subtler aspects belong to the field of spirit, not matter. The scientists can, at best, give us the tiniest indivisible aspect of matter, but can never reveal the spirit, chaitanya, that is hidden in matter. Thus, Sri Shankara said, whatever you see with our senses and analyse with your buddhi is 'not that'. But, it is very important to note that a deeper and deeper understanding will ultimately lead us to the state of oneness- the preceptor and the perceived obtained through perception are one. This is the Rishi, devata and the Chhandas ultimately becomes 'samhita'. Everything is ultimately jnyan (chit/consciousness. Jnyan only exists and nothing else! Everybody here on earth is just an insignificant aspect of that Totality (Purnam), However, nobody will ever realize that "part is also full". That is aham brahmasmi. This is what Sage Aruni Uddalaka asked his son Shvetaketu to realize- tat tvam asi | "thou art That!