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" Gnosis in its proper form is never realized by that poor
" thing who attaches himself to the world, to the pride
" of learning, or to the preservation of his body."
Thus gnosis is, no doubt, the true principal means of Videha- mukti; ' destruction of latent desire' and 'dissolution of mind* are only subordinate means (of Videhamukti) being mediated by gnosis.The culmination of knowledge is when the identification with the Self totally replaces the identification with the body (See Upadesa Sahasri, 4.5). On the attainment of this culmination, the knot of the heart is cut off, all doubts are destroyed and all latent impressions are annihilated (Mund.Up. 2.2.8).Men born to Life of the Lower Self do not understand the distinction between action and inaction, nor do they know purity, polite- ness, or truth. They maintain that there is no truth, no foundation of things, that the world rests not upon any divine Intelligence,These three Vasanak then, world, learning, and life though apparently thought agreeable by the uninformed should entirely be given up by those who have acquired discri- mination ; for, they obstruct the rise of knowledge, in those who are seekers of knowledge, and interfere with the condition of gnosis acquired by the accomplished. Hence the Smrti:" The mind of the knower is no mind at all, for, his mind is called Satva.*'" That continuous mental attitude " wherein runs the unbroken flow of consciousness, " ' I am Brahmin? devoid of all tinge of egoism, is " called Samprajndta-Samadhi (conscious trance), the " ripened condition of Meditation.As fire burns more bright with every fresh addition of sacred fuel and clarified butter, and as on the material being burnt up it burns at first a degree lower than before, and continues gradually to burn, lower and lower ; so, indeed, does the mind taught the way of ' intercepted transformation ' become more and more con- firmed in the habit, and acquire unbroken steadiness.wherein seeing "Self with Self (in all things whatever) it loses itself " in the bliss of Self.Then he knows that absolute bliss, "which is revealed only in the light of supreme in- " telligence (Buddhi), being beyond the senses ; and " experiencing this nothing moves him away from it. " Having found it, he looks down upon all gain what- " ever and howsoever large; even crushing evil or misery "shakes him not from his position. Know this as the"true Yoga which is characterised by the absence of " all touch of evil ; this should, by all means, be * " practised with hearty untiring resolution."Though thus realization of Self is ever undisturbed and by nature eternal, application to the practice of 'interception' is useful in that it prevents modification ( of the mind ) into the not-Self. It has, therefore, been said : " Fix the mind in the Self and think of nothing besides.""That bliss which is experienced by- the mind purified of " all dross from the practice of trance and fixed in " Atman cannot be described in words, it is understood "by the inner sense alone."If the mind immersed in the bliss of Brahman, during trance, should some time go out for the pleasure of enjoying such bliss or from causes such as heat, cold, mosquitos and the like, it should at once be turned into the fixity of trance ; So fast should it be identified with Brahman. The means to this end is constant application to interception (of the modifications of the mind). This identi- fication is rendered clear in the words ' when the mind rises above Lethargy and Distraction ' etc. The words * which has 137 too character and which has nothing to do with study of any kind' refer to the absence of Cupidity and Taste respectively, ^he mind free of Lethargy, Distraction, Cupidity and Taste, becomes undisturbedly fixed in Brahman." That is the highest (superior) wherein, from being the purusha, there is entire cessation of any the least desire for the gunah"* Constant practice of conscious- trance leads to discrimination of Purusha, from Pradkana which is all the three gunah in a state of equilibrium ; and this discrimination leads to realization of the Purusha. The highest non-attachment consists in complete absence of desire for each and all of the three gunah and their effects, after this realization. Patanjali refers to the degrees of rapidity in the attainment of ecstatic trance, from degress in the nature of this non-attachment thus: " It is nearest to those whose feeling is most ardent."f The * Oh. I. Aph. XVI. f Ch. I. Aph. XXI. There are two readings of this aphorism " Tivra- samvegdnamdsannah samddhildbhah ; and Tivrasamvegondmdsannah etc., The former is here adopted for obvious reasons: the point of the aphorism being only to show the way of approach to Samddhi, and not to define the nature of samvega." ardent " feeling referred to here is the feeling of non- attachment. Yoginah again are of three kinds according to the degrees of this ardentness of feeling, to wit those whose feeling is mild, those whose feeling is moderate, and those whose feeling is excessive ; it has been said :* "A further distinction arises on account of mild, moderate, and excessive." Mild, moderate, excessive refer to the degrees of ardentness ; and these lead sooner to the result in the order they are here mentioned. The best Yoginah such as Janaka and Prahlada belong to the class of excessively ardent practitioners, for they can at a moment's thought throw themselves into the condi- tion of ecstatic trance. Uddalaka and others of the inferior sort belong to the class of mildly ardent practitioners, for they can find the cdndition of trance only after considerable attempt at reflection. The same test may apply to other prac- titioners as well. The excessively ardent Yogin finds that " position of firmness " which is ecstatic trance (unconscious- trance) ; and there being no possibility of ' break,' his rnind is entirely dissolved. Destruction of vdsand being thus con- firmed from dissolution of mind, Jivanmukti is placed within firm grasp of such Yogin.The liberated great souls " having the all-pervading dkdsa for their body live in " that condition which is beyond all misery, 'in no " relation whatever with matter, all uniform, full of " bliss and joy, free from Rajas and Tamas, being " without the least touch of mind, for ever dissolved."" The first stage is Ardour, the second Contemplation, the " third Attenuation, the fourth Pacification, the fifth " Indifference, the sixth Oblivion and the seventh " Transcendence.The desire accompanied with deep "sense of non-attachment, coming from repentence " for one's ignorance and leading to study of philosophy " and company of the wise is the first stage called "Ardour.The second Contemplation consists of 150 " that constant flow of good thoughts born of philoso- " phy, company of the wise, non-attachment and " repeated application. The daily wearing away, to "almost imperceptible thinness, of the deep attach- " ment to objects of sense, under force of Ardour and "Contemplation, leads to the third stage called " Attenuation.When from constant application to> " these three stages the mind, being emptied of all that " belongs to the objective, finds complete rest in the " pure bliss of saitva, the fourth stage called Pacifica- <: tion dawns upon the ascetic.That condition which " results from carefully going over these four stages " and which being void of all contact with the object- " ive is all wondrous sattva is called Indifference. " The total absence of all objects, external as well a* " internal, from sight, in consequence of accomplishing " the five preceding stages, and the resulting fusion " of the objective in the subjective, as also the state of " being called to action from the desire of others, is all "collectively described as the sixth stage called " Oblivion.When these six stages are passed, and "when all sense of separateness is at end, the "condition of Self-realization which results is the " seventh stage called Transcendence."The first three stages mentioned here are only the means of gnosis and are therefore not included in Brakma-mdycS proper ; for in them a sense even of pseudo-reality attaches- itself to separateness. These three are therefore assigned to. the waking condition. It has been said : " These three stages oh Rama ! belong to the waking con- " dition, for the world is seen as it is, through the " sense of separateness, only in that condition."One who has gained the condition of unconscious-trance tas the mind existing only in the state of hazy potential im- pressions of mental experience ; it has, therefore, no power to call up castles-in-the-air or create external objects of any kind whatever. Such a mind is * empty ' within and without like the jar lying in space. It is all ''full ' within and without like the jar filled with water and placed in the ocean, because it is immersed in the uniform ones-ness of Brahman, all self-illumined thought and bliss. The ascetic in the seventh .stage of Transcendence knows -no break (of his ecstatic trance) either of himself or from the desire of any one else. It has been said " this mortal habitat etc."" The highest penance consists in steadying the mind and " senses to a point ; this is the best of all religious " practices, it is the highest religion."Having gained this " pleasant calm within from the conviction ' I have " no touch with the objective ' the Yogin may remain " in the world or shut himself up in meditation, " Both, oh Rama ! are equally good if the fire of "desire is entirely cooled down within, for this " internal calm is the result of endless penance."The Lord manifests himself not even in such knowers of the Essence as are not real ascetics, for, their mind is constantly occupied with activity tending to the objective." He is oonstantly free from the cause of doubt, " false knowledge and illusion." " Doubt " is the thought whether Atman is doer and suffer- er or not ? * False knowledge ' is knowledge that the body is the 176 self. Both these refer to the doer ; the ' illusion ' here referred to has connection with objects of enjoyment, and this illusions manifold as explained in that verse of the Bhagvad-Gitd which sa^s " give up all imaginings " etc.The cause of this illusion viz.. Ignorance, is fourfold : " Ignorance ( avidya ) is taking the non-eternal, impure,. evil and non-dtma?i, to be eternal, pure, good and dtman "says an aphorism* of Patanjali. The first is believing mountains, streams, and the like which are im- permanent, to be permanent ; the second consists in mistaking for quite pure the impure body of wife, child and the like ; the third arises from regarding husbandry, commerce, and the like as good though they are really all evil ; the fourth is taking the body of wife child and the rest which is only subordinate to self and entirely false, to be one's real self from confounding the phy- sical sheath (of food) with the self beyond it. The cause of these /#., 'doubt* and the rest, is ignorance and impressions born of ignorance which cover the essence of the Unit Brahman, This ignorance of the Paramakamsa-SiSCQkic is destroyed with know- ledge of the import of the great Texts ; and impressions of igno- rance are done away with by the practice of Yoga.Ascetics firm in the knowledge of self repair not to sacred streams all nothing but mere water, nor to Gods and their images, all stone and mortar. The God of the twice-born is Fire, the God of the Silent one is his heart ; poor intelects find their God in Idols ; the even-eyed enlightened one sees God everywhere. Those who have not the eye for knowledge perceive not tbe swayer of men pervading every nook and corner of the universe, alt quiet and peace ; like the blind who cannot see the fall blaze of the Sun.
The nature of Jivanmukti
Bondage is the experience of pleasure and pain resulting from man looking upon himself as the performer of actions and the enjoyer of the fruits thereof. Because of this bondage one is not able to experience the Bliss which is natural to him. The cessation of this bondage is Jivanmukti or liberation in life
The Br. Up. says, "When all the desires that are in his heart fall off entirely, the mortal becomes immortal and attains Brahman here (in this body) itself" (4.4.7). In another Sruti it is said, "Though with eyes, he is, as it were, without eyes; though with ears, he is, as it were, without ears; though with mind, he is, as it were, without mind; and though with life, he is, as it were, without life".
In Samprajnata Samadhi there is the distinction of meditator, object of meditation and the act of meditation (known as Triputi). In the Samadhi which is spoken of here, which is called Asamprajnata Samadhi, these distinctions cease.
The constant practice of meditation on the Self is necessary to safeguard against inadvertently slipping down from the spiritual level reached, even for a person who has brought all his senses under control.
The means for the attainment of realization, such as control of the mind and senses and meditation on the Self have to be deliberately practiced by the aspirant for liberation, but these become the intrinsic characteristics of the realized person.
The condition of being firmly established in the knowledge of the Self, wherein all sense of separateness is obliterated by the uninterrupted flow of the light of the Self, is called Jivanmukti or liberation in life.
Bhagavadbhaktah -The True Devotee of God
He should never, in spite of his sympathy for others, utter even a word about the worldly concerns of his pupils, but should always remain absorbed in meditation.
He should avoid all talk other than about Brahman.
Meditation is unimpeded when one is alone
The Smriti says that the religious mendicant should remain alone, because if there are two or more there is a possibility of talk among themselves on subjects such as politics or about the alms received by each. He should not give any blessing to any one because that will create distractions in his mind because of thoughts about what each person wants to have.
Another Smriti says that knowledge can never be attained by one whose mind is concerned with the things of the world or with mere bookish learning or the preservation of one's body.
Sage Narada has said in Narada-pancha-ratra, 4.2.23 that the all-pervading Lord Vishnu should be treasured up in memory and not forgotten even for a moment;
all injunctions and prohibitions are subservient to this.
A crowded place is unsuitable for meditation and so the Yogi should avoid it and seek solitude.
Ativarnaasramin - One who is beyond the pale of the four Varnas and Ashramas The Ati varna asramin is described in the fifth chapter of the section on liberation in the Suta Samhita. He is the teacher of disciples belonging to all the four Ashramas. He never becomes the disciple of any one else. He is the Teacher of teachers. There is none in the world equal or superior to him. He is one who has realized the supreme Truth. He is all Bliss and is the witness of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. He has attained the firm conviction that Varna and Ashrama are imaginary super-impositions on the body, brought about by Maayaa and that he, being the pure Atma, has no connection with them.
He knows from the Upanishads that the whole universe functions in the mere presence of the Atma which is identical with himself, just as human beings perform all their activities with the help of the light of the sun, while the sun itself is not at all involved in their activities. Just as various ornaments made of gold are nothing but gold, the universe of multifarious names and forms projected by Maayaa is nothing but Brahman.
Having realized that he is the Self, he is beyond all the duties enjoined for the four Ashramas. Thus it is conclusively established in the Srutis that Jivanmukti is a reality.
Chapter-2
On the obliteration of latent impressions (Vaasanaas)
The means to Jivanmukti are knowledge of the Reality, the dissolution of the mind and the obliteration of latent impressions. All these three have to be practiced simultaneously to get the result. It is only by prolonged practice of these three that the knot of the heart can be cut. The world appears to us to be real because of having been experienced in innumerable past births
The knowledge of the Reality and the dissolution of the mind are also mutually related as cause and effect. 'Knowledge of the Reality' means the conviction to the effect, "All this is verily the Atman. The phenomenal world of forms, tastes and the like is illusory, it has no real existence". As long as such a conviction has not been attained, forms, tastes and the like will continue to be looked upon as real and the mind will continue to undergo corresponding modifications. And as long as such mental modifications continue, the conviction that Brahman alone is real will not take root.
"Reflecting on 'That', speaking about 'That', instructing one another about 'That', this is considered by the wise to be single-minded dedication and the practice of the knowledge.
When attachment and aversion are reduced to the minimum as a result of the realization of the unreality of the objective world there arises a new sense of happiness. This is called 'Brahma-abhyaasa' or the practice of Brahman. This is the means of effacing the latent impressions
Amritabindu Up. says that the mind alone is the cause of bondage as well as of liberation. A mind attached to objects of sense causes bondage and when free from attachment the very same mind is the cause of liberation. The seeker after liberation should therefore keep his mind free from attachment. The mind, devoid of attachment to sense objects, becomes free from all modifications and comes to rest in the heart. The mind should be prevented from attaining modifications (caused by desires, likes, dislikes, anger, and the like) till its dissolution in the heart. This is knowledge and also liberation.
To sum up, obliteration of latent impressions and dissolution of the mind are the principal causes of Jivanmukti, while knowledge is the principal cause of Videhamukti.
Here Swami Vidyaranya says that Videhamukti is attained at the very moment in which knowledge arises, because when all bonds, which are all due to ignorance, are destroyed by knowledge, they can never come into being again.
Nowadays men rush in quest of Self-knowledge, out of sheer curiosity, without going through the preliminary stage of upaasanaa.
Therefore sattva is the residual native form of the mind of an enlightened person, since he has got rid of rajas and tamas. Such a mind is one-pointed, being free from rajas which is the cause of fickleness. It is also very subtle, being free from tamas which is the cause of the gross forms assumed by the not-self. Such a mind is fit to receive enlightenment.
Svami Vidyaranya explains that normally one can realize Brahman only after the acquisition of the four preliminary requisites, namely, discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral, detachment, the six qualities starting with control of the mind, and yearning for liberation
Acharya Sankara says in Upadesa Sahasri,12.13 that only a person who has given up the egoism that he is a knower of Brahman is a real knower of the Self and not others.
In Naishkarmyasiddhi, 1.75, Sureshvaracharya says, "Identification with the body which is due to demoniac delusion is not possible for an enlightened person. If even an enlightened person has such delusion then Brahman-realization would be of no use"
As stated by the Lord in Bhagavadgita, 2.60, 67, the turbulent senses carry away the mind of even a wise man striving for perfection. If the mind yields to the senses, its discrimination is carried away, just as a gale carries away a ship". So one should restrain all the senses and fix the mind on the Lord as the supreme goal. The wisdom of a person who has brought his senses under control becomes steady.
Realizing that all the insentient objects in this universe are only manifestations of pure consciousness (Brahman),one should fix the mind only on pure consciousness. Just as a goldsmith, when buying an old bracelet of gold, fixes his mind only on the weight and the colour of the gold and not on the form of the bracelet or its beauty, the seeker should fix his mind only on pure consciousness while seeing the various objects in the world. The effort in this regard should be kept up until the consciousness of the phenomenal objects is obliterated and the consciousness of Brahman becomes as natural as breathing.
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N o n -a tta chmen t is of tw o kin ds sha rp a n d sh a rp er ; th eformer lea ds to the re n u n cia tion proper to the con dition o f the kn ticna ka , w hich bein g ripen ed develop s ( the sa n nyds z ' n ) i n to the ba lad da ka . Sha rper n o n -a tta chmen t ma k es the s a n nydsi n a laa msa , a n d this ripen s in to the con dition of the p a r a ma iz a msa , the rea l pa th to d irect self-rea liza tion .
I n other w ords , this mea n s tha t he w h o, boun d up in this ma teria l body o f flesh a n d blood, p a sses out o f it w ithout fi n din g o ut h is ow n proper w orld, tha t is to sa y, wi thout ha vin g the full con scious n ess ‘I a m Bra hma n , ’ is n ot a ble to en joy tha t w orld ; tha t is to sa y, is n ot a ble ever to befree from sorrow , d elusion , a n d other evils , bein g a s it w ere dea d to tha t which is ever free from these evils , o n a ccoun t o f the k n ow ledge of tha t w orld, v ia , P a r a mdtma n , bein g held ba ck from h im by the in terven in g veil of a v z ' a ’ g/ d (ign ora n ce)
“ Fin din g the w orld en tirely w orthless , a n d feelin g the “ supremest se n se o f n on —a tta chmen t within themselves , “ seekers a fter the Essen ce ren oun ce the w orld even before
i ‘ma rr ia gef
A s w hen hun g er is gn a w in g w ith a ll its might n o a ction o th er ' th a n ea tin g recommen ds ” itself to the min d, even a mome n t ’ s dela y becomes a n noyin g ly in tolera ble, so w he n deep disgust becomes settled towa rd s a ction s a n d their results birth a n d dea th , a n d stron g desire propels to study, etc the rea l desire for kn o wledg e h a s a rise n . A n d this lea ds to ren un cia tion -of-the-seeker
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