168. Adhyaasavada, Theory Of Superimposition………!

Vedanta talks about a word Adhyaasa. The exact equivalent for this word in English could be superimposition or projection though both fail to convey the essential meaning. Or in a sentence it could be explained as illusory appearance of object seen elsewhere that is equated to the object that is now seen in other words wrong recollection. 

A person having a stroll with a friend on the beach happens to find a shinning silver object. But he does not want his friend to know that he has seen it he continues the walk with him. After he has parted with his friend he runs back to the place where he had seen the object and then he digs his hand into the sand and tries to take out the object. Once the object is out he finds it to be a Oyster shell with a coat resembling silver. Until he dug out that object and found it to be an ordinary shell he was in an intention that it was some silver article and he could sell and make good money. The period from when he set his eye on the shinning object to the time when he came to know that it was a shell, he has this adhyaasa in his mind. This is superimposition. 

Though the thought in the persons mind had change the ordinary shell to silver object, the shell had not undergone any change it stayed the same. Give this example Sri Sri Sankara places his views that, although there is superimposition of one thing on another, there is not even an iota of change in terms of good or bad qualities on the reality. The inference of this statement is that the Self that is a part of Brahman does not undergo any of the changes, nor does it experience any of the joys and sorrows, of the body, mind and organs that are non-Self which are superimposed on it. 

Further Sri Sri Sankara illustrates that there are two kinds of Adhyasa. If a shell is mistaken for silver, silver alone is seen. The existence of the shell is not known at all. Here the silver is said to be superimposed on the shell. This is Swarupa Adhyaasa. The second kind of superimposition is when a Spatika (crystal) Linga appears to be green when kept on a green cloth. Here both the crystal and the green cloth are present, and the greenness of the cloth is attributed to the crystal also. This is Samsarga Adhyaasa. 

Ironically both the kind of superimposition can be found mutually on the Self (Atma) and Non-Self (Body, Mind, Intellect). Due to the superimposition of the Non-Self on the Self, the existence of the Self is veiled, and the Non-Self is recognized. Just as we saw above silver alone was visible not the shell, this is Swarupa Adhyaasa. Further due to the superimposition of the Self on the Non-Self, the Chaitanya (Consciousness) aspects of the Self is credited to the body, mind and organs which are Achetana (Lifeless). Just as we saw above the green cloth making the crystal look green, this is Samsarga Adhyaasa. 

Every individual who identifies with the Body, Mind and the Intellect is a victim of these two superimposition. This is the root cause of all sufferings. Realization of the Truth that “I” am not the Body, Mind and Intellect but the Self which is beyond all sufferings, pairs of opposites, success and failures is Knowledge. This knowledge is available in abundance in Upanishads.