Recognizing True Self - Understanding Metaphysics of Advaita-Vedanta through the Cinema-Screen Analogy

While not an expert in Vedanta, I endeavor to share my limited comprehension of Vedantic Ontology and metaphysics. Drawing inspiration from Shri Ramana Maharshi's analogy of the Cinema Screen, I attempt to elucidate the nature of the true self, also known as Brahman. This analogy serves as a guiding metaphor to aid individuals in grasping the profound concepts inherent in Vedantic philosophy.

Imagine a cinematic screen onto which characters, including the hero of the film named Joel, are projected from a transcendent source of light. However, the source has forgotten its intrinsic nature and identifies solely with Joel, believing itself to be born and destined to cease with Joel's narrative. It experiences emotions based on Joel's circumstances in the film.

Joel is grappling with a deep sense of restlessness, always seeking self-worth, and pleasure from the external world, and grappling with a fear of death, amidst the constraints of the destiny of the plot of the film. In his quest, he meets a Vedantic Yogi who becomes his guide. Together, they embark on a journey to break free from the limitations imposed by the identity tied to name and form. Through the practice of self-inquiry, they explore the path to understanding Joel's true self, the source, aiming to rise above the cycle of cinematic samsara.

In this article, we play the role of Joel, entangled in the movies of our own lives. Throughout this cinematic journey, we dedicate our lives to pursuing recognition, pleasure, power, and accomplishments. We navigate the challenges of our destinies, all the while comparing ourselves to the other characters in our life's film, till the day comes when we die, and this film ends.

Fortunate is the individual who doesn't overlook the profound phenomenon of life. Instead, they question its metaphysics, seeking to understand their true essence and discover the path to transcend the suffering inherent in this samsara existence.

Stage 1: Neti Neti - Am I the character Joel?

Joel begins to question its identity, negating aspects tied to Joel's mind-body complex—birth, mortality, change, being an object of knowledge, or a spatial entity. To recognize Joel's true essence, he poses the following criteria to himself, aiming to recognize the principle beyond the realms of mind, body, name, and form.

• What is born is not me - The film begins, and the character comes into existence within time and space.
• What will die is not me - The film will conclude, and the character will cease to exist within time and space.
• What changes is not me - The character undergoes physical and mental changes, aging and evolving as the plot unfolds over time.
• What is known is not me - The character is recognized as an object of knowledge within time and space.
• What moves is not me - The character moves across the screen in space.

After negating all the possible transient phenomenon, Joel recognizes itself as the SCREEN which is eternal, changeless, unborn awareness that witnesses all events on the screen. The screen acknowledges it is not Joel or any content of its film, but the witness to Joel's experiences and the entire movie. The screen, falsely identifying itself as Joel, disidentifies with the mind-body complex and acknowledges its true essence as witness or consciousness.

I am the eternal screen, and not the character Joel or the content of the film - Joels Realization

In our life, it is through the 3D screen of awareness or consciousness that serves as the backdrop for the animation of the mind-body. This screen like awareness illuminates the person and his world. The body, the mind, the sky, the buildings around us—everything is illuminated by this unchanging screen of awareness or consciousness. With this profound experiential realization, the person transcends identification with the name-form-made mind-body complex. It comes to understand that it is the unborn, formless, eternal principle of consciousness, and not the forms that it illumines.

Implication of this realization is, Joels' true essential self is every present - changeless - NOW (essence of time).

Stage 2: I am Nothing, Yet Everything - I am the all-pervasive consciousness

In the initial stage of self-realization, Joel comes to understand that he is not Joel (body-mind complex), the character, but rather, he is the witnessing screen. Initially absorbed in the objects of the film, the screen couldn't recognize itself due to the superimposition of Joel's life movie. Now, it dis-identifies itself, seeing distinctly from Joel and the content of its film. It may come to a conclusion, that spatially it is only the screen behind Joels character, i.e consciousness residing in the limited body, and not the other parts of the screen that extend beyond the character Joels body.

However, with deeper self-inquiry, The screen comprehends that it is not a separate witness isolated from Joel or the film. It realizes its seamless presence throughout the entire projection, understanding that it is superimposed with every character and object on the screen. The knower and the known are not virtually distinct—the screen and the pixels of light forming Joel's picture in the film are superimposed and not isolated. Every character, the sun, and moon in the film are essentially nothing but the screen. Does Joel or the building project in the film have any form apart from the screen? Although the screen is not the film, the film projected is inseparably the screen.

Screen and the Film, are not separate, everything that is projected on the screen, is essentially the screen - I am the all-pervasive eternal consciousness through/ on which / in which the person and his personal world, including stars, sun, and moon are illumined. There is no actual sun, moon or building on the screen, it is just an reconstructed image, made up of light reflected on the screen.

In our day-to-day life, it's the all-pervasive awareness in which the body is felt, the mind is observed, thoughts and emotions are perceived, and tall buildings are illuminated. Awareness or Knowing Consciousness is not limited inside the body, but its all pervasive like ether, in which this body, mind, sun, moon, buildings get illumined. A lifeless body cannot perceive the bright sun, indicating the awareness that illumines the miles away sun, as sun.

The implication of this experiential realization is, Screen of Consciousness is spatially all pervasive.

“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, Love is knowing I am everything, and between the two my life moves.”

―Nisargadatta Maharaj

This realization implies that Joel's essential and true self transcends the confines of the physical body; it is all-encompassing, extending throughout space, embodying the very essence of spatial existence.

Stage 3: Beyond Conscious Awareness - 'Am I even the witness?'

Joel's initial realization is that he is not the character in the movie, but rather, his true self is the unchanging all pervasive substratum or background of the witnessing screen upon which the film unfolds. This Awareness is all pervasive and unchanging, essentially the ever present in the HERE AND NOW. This realization suggests that Joel's essential true self is still confined to the dimensions of time and space; though, it is boundless and formless.

However, through deeper self-inquiry, the screen realizes that its ability to project or witness or know the film is reflection of a source beyond itself. That source is beyond time-space-knowing dimension. It is neither limited to point in space nor all pervasive in space, it is neither in present moment nor in future, it is altogether beyond the constructs of time-space.

Gradually, the screen recognizes that it is a witness to the film due to the projection of source light, that reflects on the screen, creating a phenomenon of witness-film (subject-object duality). Initially, the true self was perceived as the all-pervasive and unchanging Screen. However, the screen now recognizes the existence of a more fundamental substrate (prior to consciousness) upon which the witness resides or is illuminated.

Without this light, neither the screen nor the film can be illuminated. This principle is prior to time-space dimension. In essence, the Absolute Brahman or True Self is beyond conscious awareness and the triads of knowing-ness, knower, and known.

Characters emerge on the screen of consciousness during waking and dream states, disappearing in deep sleep. The Absolute Substratum, like the light of the projector, reflects on the screen of the mind as a conscious witness, manifesting as waking and dream states—awareness of oneself and others.

“In reality, nothing happens. Onto the screen of the mind, destiny forever projects its pictures, memories of former projections, and thus illusion constantly renews itself. The pictures come and go – light intercepted by ignorance. See the light and disregard the picture.”

— Nisargadatta Maharaj

In deep sleep, the screen gets rolled up, does not reflect the light of the absolute self, and consequently, there is no film—neither the screen illuminated. There is no Joel, nor the witness to the character Joel. There is no sense of here and now. This is analogous to the absence of experiential awareness during deep sleep. Yet, the absolute eternal principle of is always present, existing as the eternal, immortal, and unborn principle. This implies that the essence of Joel, is even beyond the witness or conscious awareness.

The screen, symbolizing consciousness (Chidabhasa - Vijnanamaya Kosha), is expansive when projecting the cinematic sky in waking and dream states, yet singular, non-spatial, and non-temporal in deep sleep (in absence of the screen).

Ultimately, the seeker realizes that the journey of self-realization involves recognizing its true nature—an ever-present awareness that illumines the film of life, intricately reflecting the Light of the Absolute Brahman, transcending the constraints of time, space, and objects. It is beyond time-space, mind-body, name-form and the triads of knowing, knower and known. It exists in all the 3 states of consciousness - Waking, Dreaming and Dream-less sleep.

"The Witness is the reflection of the Absolute in the mind. When the mind becomes still, the reflection is clear and undistorted." - - Nisargadatta Maharaj

At any given point in time and space, at any given experience of Joel in the film, joel, being witnessed by the screen, is reflecting the light of Brahman, imparting is-ness or sense of presence.

Joel Experiences Home, Eternal Freedom

While Joel undergoes the phases of body, mind, and various situations during the film experience, he realizes that his true essence is devoid of any becoming. It has no future; nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. This essence is inherently and eternally free, always having been so. The death of Joel holds no significance for this timeless principle. Joel, akin to the screen, consistently reflects the serene principle of Brahman, which illuminates the screen upon which the film is projected. This experiential freedom, while the Film is on, is called Jeevan-Mukti.

Joel, having found home, having ceased to accumulate new karmas or desire to take up on new roles for upcoming films, maintains a state of equanimity. After the conclusion of the current film, the source remains unchanged. The duality between the screen and the film comes to an end, which is akin to the concept of Moksha, called as Videh-Mukti.

Summary

Let's conceptualize the steps of self-realization using the metaphor of a film:

1. Identification with Character (Egoic State):

- The journey begins with identification with the character in the film, representing the egoic state.

- The individual perceives themselves solely through the lens of their personal narrative and experiences.

2. Introduction of Self-Inquiry (Awakening):

- Suffering in the plot of the film prompts the character to question the nature of identity and existence.

- This marks the beginning of self-inquiry, prompting a shift in awareness.

3. Recognition of the Screen (Witnessing Consciousness):

- Through Self Inquiry (Neti-Neti) ,the character realizes it is not limited to the role it plays in the film but is, in fact, the witnessing screen.

- Awareness expands beyond the character's confines to encompass the broader screen of consciousness.

4. Disidentification with Character (Disentanglement):

- The character disidentifies from the scripted role and begins to observe the narrative without complete attachment.

- The screen starts to disentangle itself from the character's storyline.

5. Awareness Beyond Film (Transcendence):

- Screen comprehends that the ability to project or witness (know) the film arises from a source beyond the screen.

- Transcendence occurs as awareness expands beyond the boundaries of the film (Joels mind-body) and screen (Witnessing Consciousness).

6. Absence in Deep Sleep (Non-Experiential State - Beyond Time-Space):

- Exploring the absence of the Screen-film duality during deep sleep, paralleling the absence of experiential awareness in that state.

- Recognizing that even in this absence, the eternal principle remains present.

7. Subject-Object Unity (Brahman Realization):

- Understanding that both the subject (screen- knower) and the object (film-the known character in time and space) emerge and submerge in the substratum of Brahman.

-The pinnacle of the journey is reached in a state of Samadhi—a profound realization where the screen ceases to be merely a witness or knower of Joel.

-The screen becomes an object, and just reflects of the source light that illumines it—the Absolute Source, Brahman.

- Realizing the underlying unity of all aspects of the filmic experience.

8. Integration and Embodied Awareness:

-In this profound realization, Joel, the screen, and all passing phenomena in the film recognize their transient nature, while reflecting the eternal principle of Brahman.

-Joel, the character in the movie, gradually diminishes his fear of mortality as he comes to the profound realization that he was never truly born in the first place.

-Similarly, Joel's pursuit of pleasure and esteem from other characters in the movie gradually subsides. This shift occurs as he comprehends the illusory nature of these phenomena, recognizing that they hold no inherent reality apart from the unchanging source reflected on the screen.

-Once Joel recognizes his true source, the desire for the show to continue diminishes. He realizes that he transcends the limitations of the name-form-based body-mind character within the film of the material world, understanding the cyclic nature of samsara.

This conceptualization uses the film metaphor to illustrate the stages of self-realization, from identification with the character to the profound understanding of the underlying unity of consciousness.

Film-Screen Illusion Ends - The Moksha

Recognizing one's eternal essence fosters a liberation from the anxieties and cravings tied to the transient aspects of the material world. In this realization, a significant transformation occurs, and the individual sheds the inclination to associate with temporary facets of existence, like the physical body with its assigned identity. It's akin to returning home, where all of one's yearnings find fulfillment upon reunion with the source or the realization of becoming the source itself. This change in viewpoint culminates in liberation, referred to as moksha, emancipating the individual from the deceptive veils of illusory personal identity and cycle of samsara.

Limitation of the Analogy

It is crucial to recognize that the cinematic screen analogy serves merely as an illustrative tool and does not directly elucidate the absolute truth. Rather, it offers a broad framework for conceptualizing the absolute, albeit in a simplified manner.

References

Sri Ramanasramam. (n.d.). Welcome to Sri Ramana Maharshi's Ashram. Sri Ramanasramam. https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/

Bing. (n.d.). Bing Image Search. Microsoft. https://www.bing.com/images/create

Nisargadatta Maharaj. (n.d.). Nisargadatta Maharaj - Teachings and Quotes. Nisargadatta.net . https://www.nisargadatta.net/