Self cannot be known through study of scriptures or through intellect..or hearing learned discourses..
The Self can be attained only by the one who the Self chooses.
Verily, unto them the Self reveals itself.
Self cannot be won by the one who doesnt desist from unrighteous ways, practises not self discipline, still not his mind, controls not his senses and practises not meditation.
self ..wise realise it as formless within te midst of forms, changeless in the midst of change ..omnipresent and supreme..they go beyond sorrow.
.......
The Mind should be controlled till it dissolves in the heart.
Anything else is but a waste of time..a concoction of Untruth.
......
If he fails to realise bramha before his death...he has to put on a physical body again
..but he reveals himself to the one whose heart is made pure with meditation and self restraint
when 5 senses stilled, when the mind is stilled, when the intellect is stilled, that is considered to be the highest state by the wise.
Yoga is this state of complete stillness .... in which one enters the unitive state ...never to become seperate again.
If one is not established in this state, the sense of Unity will come and go.
.. ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E46EH0WgqEw
vivekchudmani ..Ramana
Dnyana only through Vichara or steady Enquiry
seek favour of a guru.
vichara..s, m, n.
3 shariras diff. from Self.
due to ignorance, sense of Self foisted on them
= bondage
shravan..hearing
peeling of 3 sheaths..not I...with Enquiry 'who am I'...manana
install M firmly in heart...aham bramhasmi..atmanusandhanam...niddhidhyasana
= constancy in Self
=bhakti, yoga, dhana
= churning the curd to draw forth the butter
....constancy in the Self
...fire is kindled ..by constancy in Self, unswerving....NS generated..natural or changeless trance..
= direct percepn of bramha
limitless bliss. this is self relasn
cutting of hridaya granthi...bonds severed...karmas burnt
...jivan mukta
.... .,,,,,
Who Am I?
world seen..self not seen.
substratum rope snake
apart from thoughts no independent entity called mind
m out of S ..world appears
..m develops skill to stay in S
..all will appear as form of shiva
other than enquiry no other means to still M
breath...manonigraha..not mano nasha
elephant chain hold..naama
then self enquiry ill become easy.
As medn on Self progresses...thoughts will be destroyed.
desire/hatred to be avoided.
as long as there are impressions of objects in M..Enquiry to be practised.
as thoughts arise..destroy them then and there....place of origin ..through Enquiry.
resorts to contemplation of Self..un intermittently (- withoout break)
.until Self is gained...that alone would do.
enemies within the fortress..then continue to sally forth.
destroy as they emerge..then fortress in our hands.
self = that where there is absolutely no I thought
Self = I = God = Shiva = everything
The Best:
Remaining constantly in the Self = no other thoughts other than Self
God/guru will only show way..not affect release.
Inorder to quieten the mind..one only has to enquire within oneself what one's Self is.
How could this search be done in books?
One should know one's Self with one's own eye of Wisdom.
self within 5 sheaths
self by discarding 5 sheaths
at one point...forget all what one has learnt.
Inward turned M enjoys Bliss.
M of the one who knows bramha..never leaves the truth.
remaining quiet = wisdom insight.
desirelesness = wisdom
desirelesness = refraining from turning mind towards an object
wisdom = appearance of no object.
not seeking anything other than Self = detachment or desirelesness.
not leaving Self = wisdom
Enquiry = retaining M in Self
realising one's real nature = release
.... ......................
Mundaka Up.
Bowstring of meditation...and the Lord the target...hitting the target ..be one with him.
One behind the many...and stop all vain talk.
Meditate upon Him on the mantra.
When you realise that you are the Self, you transcend the duality of Life..
And enter into the Unitive state
The lord shines in the heart of all..wise forget themselves in the Self.
The Self is their joy, the lord is their rest
By truth, meditation and Self control..one can enter this state of Joy
and see the Self shinning in the Pure Heart
Truth is victorious ..never untruth
Truth is the way the goal of life
Beyond the senses is he...but not beyond a mind stilled by meditation...not beyond a pure heart stilled from the sway of the senses.
,,desiring nothing in the physical world..they have become one with the lord.
Self reveals himself to the one who longs for the Self
Not by the weak, not by the earnest, not by the ones who practise wrong disciplines can the self be realised.
Self reveals himself to the one who practises right disciplines.
summit of wisdom by steep path of renunciation.
flowing river lost in the sea...the illumined sage lost in the Self
The flowing river has become the Self
The illumined sage has become the Self
Those who know the Self, become the Self
..freed from the fetters of seperateness..they attain to immortality.
......
Only the one pointed mind attains the state of unity.
those who see multiplicity must wander on from death to death
Thumb sized being in the heart, the ruler supreme.
...
I am of the nature of the non dual
..........
The bright world attained only by those who are pure and true.
,,..
strangers in an unfamiliar country ..walking day by day...bramha hidden
..deep sleep...but never find it...carried away by what is false
self hidden in lotus of heart.
those who see it in all creatures go day by day
..established in peace they rise above body consciousness...to the supreme light of the Self
..those who know this live day after day in heaven ..in this very life
only pure and self controlled can find this world of bramha
O mind meditate on the eternal bramha..remember the deeds of the past
in their depths of meditation, the sages saw the lord that dwells in all creatures.
deep in the hearts of all, he dwells
seperate existence until he realises his identity with the supreme whole.
Those who perceive him in all creatures are released from the cycle of birth, death
.........
Conscious spirit, unconscious matter, maya..when all 3 seen as one ,
the Self reveals his universal form ..
and serves as the instrument of the divine will.
............
Meditate on him...be absorbed in him ...wake up from the dream of seperateness.
May we realise in our consciousness..there is no other way to conquer death.
lord shiva is my refuge
They alone attain samadhi who have mastered their senses
Bramha cannot be gained by those enmeshed in life's duality
..He gives Himself through His infinite grace
To those who pierce this duality, whose hearts are given to the lord of love ..He gives Himself through His infinite grace.
Practise meditation. Stop all vain talk. Highest state beyond reach of thought for it lies beyond all duality.
Mastery of Mind leads to Wisdom.
Om repeat till reverberates in your heart.
self lies like butter in milk
churn Mind through meditation.
.. ...
paramhansa up
He knows he is neither B nor M
for he has found his unitive state
entering into the unitive state , he attains the goal of evolution..truly..he attains the goal of evolution.
......
Advaita bodha deepika
only stillness of mind can dissolve sansara
stilness of mind = dnyana, nothing different
no libn without this stillness of mind
bliss of libn only by wiping out sansara ...yv
sankhya to make mind still
s, m ,n
only this can make mind still
alternative is yoga
K...both are same
ability to distinguish real from unreal
discernment , viveka can arise only in a purified mind
...that bramha alone real...everything else false.
Vairagya...understanding that the world is essentially faulty.
Enquiry not for the unqualified .. 4 requisites..mind controlled
Self realised only by one's acute discernment.
...enquiry remains the same for both.
enquiry = process of Awakening
... ....
2553 When Purity Real Begins
For them that in Yogic Way stand,
Purity in Cranium top begins;
They who are sunk in pit of lust
Will Purity's goal reach not;
Only those who have sent Muladhara Fire
Up into Central Nadi of Sushumna
Will see Purity Real;
Others cannot.
......
2554 Lord is Real Pure
He is crystal pure, He is fire pure,
He emanates rays of Purity;
Where His source is, they know not,
They who know the Source,
Themselves,
Crystal pure and fire pure become.
2557 Renounce Karma and Be Liberated
They know not evil fruits
Karma brings,
They choose not to find Jnana
For liberation from Karma;
"Renounce Karma and be liberated"
--This Vedic teaching they know not;
They who wallow in Karma
Will never the Rich Harvest reap.
They seek not the Holy One;
Indulging in frivolous talk, they wander;
2562 They Seek Him Not--The Witless Ones
Continuous as thread within lotus stalk
Is Param within;
Yet they seek Him not there;
But wander about everywhere;
Though the Way to reach Him shown
They see it not;
Fools are they;
They roam about,
Only evil destiny action to reach.
2565 Men of Evil Fate do not Practise Devotion
Even if men of Tapas great,
With gracious looks entreat
The men of Evil Fate
Do not holy Dharana practise
They indulge in angry speech always;
All, all, their intractable Karma,
Themselves have they to undergo.
37 VISWA-KRASAM (TOTAL ABSORPTION)
2587: Absolute Union
Even as shadow disappears with body,
Even as bubble returns into water,
Even as flame of camphor leaves traces none,
So is it when Jiva into Param unites.
2595: When Jiva Becomes Radiant
By holy instructions are impurities rid;
Jiva shines unto gold in fire purified;
Having been of impurities rid,
If Jiva constant thinks of Siva,
Then he becomes a Radiant Flame,
That has passions burnt away.
When thus He in your thoughts abides,
Meditate on Him day and night;
Then will He in cranium above appear;
And if you give up falsehood and fleshly desires,
The Lord in truth reveals to you.
In the thoughts of those,
Who have desires abnegated, is He,
.... ......
abd
now that you have gained direct knowledge by Enquiry..practise medn
why?
bramha cannot be realised without medn
4-5. To those who are fitted (by all) their sins having been
burnt off by austerities (practised) in several past births, their
minds made pure, their intellects discriminating the real from
the unreal, themselves indifferent to the pleasures of either this
or the other world, their minds and senses under control,
passions held down, actions given up as a worthless burden,
faith firm and minds tranquil, eagerly seeking release from
bondage, this work — SRI ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA —
is presented in twelve short chapters.
Disciple: Bitten by the cruel serpent of painful samsara, I am dazed and I suffer. Master, pray save me from this burning hell and kindly tell me how I can be free.
13-17. M.: Well said, my Son! You are intelligent and well disciplined. There is no need to prove your competence to be a disciple. Your words clearly show that you are fit. Now look here, my child!
M.: In a discourse between a master and a student, although the sage teaches that there is only the non-dual Reality the ignorant man thinks “What can be non-dual Reality? No. It cannot be.” As a result of beginningless veiling, though taught, the teaching is disregarded and the old ideas persist. Such indifference is the first aspect of veiling.
29-30. Next, with the help of sacred books and gracious masters he unaccountably but sincerely believes in the non dual Real, yet he cannot probe deep but remains superficial and says “The Reality does not shine forth.”
This illusion that It does not shine forth, is the second aspect of veiling.
31-32. D.: What is Projection?
M.:Though he is the unchanging, formless, Supreme, Blissful, non-dual Self, the man thinks of himself as the body with hands and legs, the doer and experiencer; objectively sees this man and that man, this thing and that thing, and is deluded. This delusion of perceiving the external universe on the non-dual Reality enveloped by it, is Projection. This is Superimposition.
33. D.: What is Superimposition?
M.: To mistake something which is, for something which is not — like a rope for a snake, a post for a thief, and mirage for water. The appearance of a false thing on a real is superimposition.
40-41. This maya which is dependent on the unrelated Knowledge-Bliss-Reality, has the two aspects of veiling and projection (avarna and vikshepa);
by the former it hides its own substratum from view, and by the latter the unmanifest
maya is made manifest as mind. This then sports with its
latencies which amounts to projecting this universe with all
the names and forms.
At the time Brahman (the substratum of all the powers of Maya), joins the power of thinking, this power manifests as mind. Thus Maya so long dormant suddenly starts forth as mind from the Supreme Brahman, the common source of all. Then this mind fashions all the universe. So says Vasishta.
51. D.: What is the nature of this mind which forms the power of projection of Maya?
M.:To recollect ideas or latencies is its nature. It has latencies as its content and appears in the witnessing consciousness in two modes — “I” and “This”.
D.: What are these modes?
M.: They are the concept “I” and the concepts “this”, “that”, etc.
M.: The power of multiplicity is the ‘this’ mode whose nature is to be imagining ‘this’ and ‘that’. In the Ether of Consciousness it recollects the millions of latencies, as ‘this’ and ‘that’. Being stirred up by these latencies, the jiva though itself the Ether of consciousness, now manifests as the individual body etc., the external worlds and the diversities.
To know witness and bramha to be one ...is the fruit of knowledge.
At the time Brahman (the substratum of all the powers of Maya), joins the power of thinking, this power manifests as mind. Thus Maya so long dormant suddenly starts forth as mind from the Supreme Brahman, the common source of all. Then this mind fashions all the universe. So says Vasishta.
51. D.: What is the nature of this mind which forms the power of projection of Maya?
M.:To recollect ideas or latencies is its nature. It has latencies as its content and appears in the witnessing consciousness in two modes — “I” and “This”.
D.: What are these modes?
M.: They are the concept “I” and the concepts “this”, “that”, etc.
M.: The power of multiplicity is the ‘this’ mode whose nature is to be imagining ‘this’ and ‘that’. In the Ether of Consciousness it recollects the millions of latencies, as ‘this’ and ‘that’. Being stirred up by these latencies, the jiva though itself the Ether of consciousness, now manifests as the individual body etc., the external worlds and the diversities.
To know witness and bramha to be one ...is the fruit of knowledge.
ADB
The four stages of Mukti — Salokya, Samipya, Sarupya and Sayujya, meaning equality in rank, condition or power and final identity
.....M.: Their aim is to make the student purify his mind by
his own efforts such as good actions, austerities and devotion.
To coax him, these are said to yield him pleasures. Being
themselves insentient, these cannot of their own accord yield
fruits. So an all-powerful Isvara is said to dispense the fruits of
actions. That is how an Isvara appears on the scene. Later the
scriptures say that the jiva, Isvara and the jagrat (world) are all
equally false
...In this way the scriptures have made it clear that Isvara, the jiva and the jagat are all illusory
...In this way the scriptures have made it clear that Isvara, the jiva and the jagat are all illusory
44-46. D.: How can Maya be compared to a mother burnt
down to ashes by her daughter?
M.: In the process of enquiry, Maya becomes more and
more transparent and turns into Knowledge. Knowledge is thus
born of Maya, and is therefore said to be the daughter of Maya.
Maya so long flourishing on non-enquiry comes to its last days
on enquiry. Just as a crab brings forth its young only to die
itself, so also in the last days of enquiry Maya brings forth
Knowledge for its own undoing. Immediately the daughter,
Knowledge, burns her down to ashes.
D.: How can the progeny kill the parent?
M.: In a bamboo forest, the bamboos move in the wind, rub against one another and produce fire which burns down the parent trees. So also Knowledge born of Maya burns Maya to ashes. Maya remains only in name like a hare’s horn. Therefore the sages declare it non existent. Moreover, the very name implies its unreality. The names are Avidya and Maya.
M.: In a bamboo forest, the bamboos move in the wind, rub against one another and produce fire which burns down the parent trees. So also Knowledge born of Maya burns Maya to ashes. Maya remains only in name like a hare’s horn. Therefore the sages declare it non existent. Moreover, the very name implies its unreality. The names are Avidya and Maya.
Thus that it fruitlessly vanishes into nothing is its ‘fruit’.
D.: How is Knowledge said to be false?
M.: The fire from the friction of the trees burns them down and then dies out; the clearing nut carries down the impurities of water and itself settles down with them. Similarly this Knowledge destroys Ignorance and itself perishes. Since it is also finally resolved, the ‘fruit’ of Maya can be only unreal
M.: The fire from the friction of the trees burns them down and then dies out; the clearing nut carries down the impurities of water and itself settles down with them. Similarly this Knowledge destroys Ignorance and itself perishes. Since it is also finally resolved, the ‘fruit’ of Maya can be only unreal
50-52. D.: Should Knowledge also vanish in the end, how
can samsara, the effect of Ignorance, be eradicated?
M.: Samsara, the effect of Ignorance, is unreal like
Knowledge. One unreality can be undone by another unreality.
......As the
appearance and disappearance of rope snake are equally false,
so are also bondage and release in Brahman.
54-55. To conclude, the Supreme Truth is only the non dual Brahman. All else is false and does not exist at any time.
The srutis support it saying “Nothing is created or destroyed;
there is no bondage or deliverance; no one is bound or desirous
of release; there is no aspirant, no practiser and no one liberated.
This is the Supreme Truth.” Removal of Superimposition thus
consists in the knowledge of non-dual Reality, Pure Being,
beyond Maya and its effects. Its realisation is Liberation while
alive in the body (Jivanmukti)
17. D.: Now that samsara has fallen to the lot of the Self, how can it be got rid of?
M.: With complete stillness of mind, samsara will disappear root and branch. Otherwise there will be no end to samsara, even in millions of aeons
18. D.: Cannot samsara be got rid of by any means other than making the mind still?
M.: Absolutely by no other means; neither the Vedas, nor the shastras nor austerities, nor karma, nor vows, nor gifts, nor recital of scriptures of mystic formulae (mantras), nor worship, nor anything else, can undo the samsara.
Only stillness of mind can accomplish the end and nothing else
19. D.: The scriptures declare that only Knowledge can do it. How then do you say that stillness of the mind puts an end to samsara?
M.: What is variously described as Knowledge, Liberation, etc., in the scriptures, is but stillness of mind.
D.: Has any one said so before? 20-27.
M.: Sri Vasishta had said: When by practice the mind stands still, all illusions of samsara disappear, root and branch. Just as when the ocean of milk was churned for its
nectar, it was all rough, but became still and clear after the churn (viz., mount Mandara) was taken out, so also the mind becoming still, the samsara falls to eternal rest
D.: How can the mind be brought to stillness?
M.: By dispassion, abandoning all that is dear to oneself, one can by one’s efforts accomplish the task with ease. Without this peace of mind, Liberation is impossible.
Only when the
whole objective world is wiped out clean by a mind disillusioned
as a consequence of discerning knowledge that all that is not
Brahman is objective and unreal, the Supreme Bliss will result.
Otherwise in the absence of peace of mind, however much an
ignorant man may struggle and creep on in the deep abyss of
the shastras, he cannot gain Liberation
Only that mind which by practice of yoga, having lost all its latencies, has become pure and still like a lamp in a dome well protected from breeze, is said to be dead.
This death of mind is the highest fulfilment.
The final conclusion of all the Vedas is that Liberation is nothing but mind stilled.
For Liberation nothing can avail, not wealth, relatives, friends, karma consisting of movements of the limbs, pilgrimage to sacred places, baths in sacred waters, life in celestial regions, austerities however severe, or anything but a still mind.
In similar strain many sacred books teach that Liberation consists in doing away with the mind. In several passages in the Yoga Vasishta, the same idea is repeated, that the Bliss of Liberation can be reached only by wiping out the mind, which is the root cause of samsara, and thus of all misery
28. In this way to kill the mind by a knowledge of the sacred teaching, reasoning and one’s own experience, is to undo the samsara.
How else can the miserable round of births and deaths be brought to a standstill? And how can freedom result from it? Never.
Unless the dreamer awakes, the dream does not come to an end nor the fright of being face to face with a tiger
in the dream. Similarly unless the mind is disillusioned, the agony of samsara will not cease. Only the mind must be made still. This is the fulfilment of life.
29-30. D.: How can the mind be made still?
M.: Only by Sankhya.
Sankhya is the process of enquiry coupled with knowledge.
The realised sages declare that the mind has its root in non-enquiry and perishes by an informed enquiry
D.: Please explain this process.
M.: This consists of sravana, manana, nididhyasana and samadhi, i.e., hearing, reasoning, meditation and Blissful Peace, as mentioned in the scriptures. Only this can make the mind still
31-32. There is also an alternative. It is said to be yoga.
D.: What is yoga?
M.: Meditation on Pure Being free from qualities.
D.: Where is this alternative mentioned and how?
M.: In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Sri Bhagavan Krishna has said: What is gained by Sankhya can also be gained by yoga. Only he who knows that the result of the two processes is the same, can be called a realised sage
35. D.: Who is fit for the path of enquiry (Sankhya)?
M.: Only a fully qualified seeker is fit, for he can succeed in it and not others.
36-37. D.: What are the sadhanas or requisites for this process?
M.: The knowers say that the sadhanas consist of
1 an ability to discern the real from the unreal,
2 no desire for pleasures here or hereafter,
3 cessation of activities (karma)
4 keen desire to be liberated.
Not qualified with all these four qualities, however hard one may try, one cannot succeed in enquiry. Therefore this fourfold sadhana is the sine qua non for enquiry.
38. To begin with, a knowledge of the distinctive characteristics of these sadhanas is necessary. As already pointed out, these distinctive characteristics are of the categories
cause, nature, effect, limit and fruit. These are now described.
39-44. Discernment (viveka) can arise only in a purified mind.
Its ‘nature’ is the conviction gained by the help of sacred teachings that only Brahman is real and all else false.
Always to remember this truth is its ‘effect’.
Its end (avadhi) is to be settled unwavering in the truth that only Brahman is and all else is unreal.
Desirelessness (vairagya) is the result of the outlook that the world is essentially faulty.
Its ‘nature’ is to renounce the world and have no desire for anything in it.
Its ‘effect’ is to turn away in disgust from all enjoyments as from vomit.
It ends (avadhi) in treatment with contempt of all pleasures, earthly or heavenly, as if they were vomit or burning fire or hell.
Cessation of activities (uparati) can be the outcome of the eight fold yoga (astangayoga), namely, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, i.e., self restraint, discipline, steady posture, control of breath, control of senses, mind collected to truth, meditation and peace. Its ‘nature’ consists in restraining the mind. Its ‘effect’ is to cease from worldly activities.
It ends (avadhi) in forgetfulness of the world as if in sleep, owing to the ending of activities. Desire to be liberated (mumukshutva) begins with the association with realised sages. Its ‘nature’ is the yearning for liberation. Its ‘effect’ is to stay with one’s master. It ends (avadhi) in giving up all study of shastras and performance of religious rites. When these have reached their limits as mentioned above, the sadhanas are said to be perfect.
45-47. Should only one or more of these sadhanas be perfect but not all of them, the person will after Death gain celestial regions. If all of them are perfect, they together quickly make the person thoroughly capable of enquiry into the Self. Only when all the sadhanas are perfect is enquiry possible; otherwise, not. Even if one of them remains undeveloped, it obstructs enquiry
48-49. Dispassion, etc., remaining undeveloped, discernment, though perfect, cannot by itself remove the obstacles, to enquiry into the Self. You see how many are well read in Vedanta Shastra. They must all possess this virtue, but they have not cultivated the others, dispassion etc. Therefore they cannot undertake the enquiry into the Self. This fact makes it plain that discernment unattended by dispassion etc., cannot avail
50-51. D.: How is it that even scholars in Vedanta have not succeeded in the pursuit of enquiry?
M.: Though they always study Vedanta and give lessons to others yet in the absence of desirelessness they do not practise what they have learnt
D.: And what do they do otherwise?
M.: Like a parrot they reproduce the Vedantic jargon but do not put the teachings into practice.
D.: What does Vedanta teach?
M.: The Vedanta teaches a man to know that all but the non-dual Brahman is laden with misery, therefore to leave off all desires for enjoyment, to be free from love or hate, thoroughly to cut the knot of the ego appearing as ‘I’, you,
he, this, that, mine and yours, to rid himself of the notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, to live unconcerned with the pairs of opposites as heat and cold, pain and pleasure, etc., to remain fixed in the perfect knowledge of the equality of all and making no distinction of any kind, never to be aware of anything but Brahman, and always to be experiencing the Bliss of the nondual Self.
Though Vedanta is read and well understood, if dispassion is not practised, the desire for pleasures will not fade away. There is no dislike for pleasing things and the desire for them cannot leave the person. Because desire is not checked, love, anger, etc., the ego or the ‘false-I’ in the obnoxious body, the sense of possession represented by ‘I’ or ‘mine’ of things agreeable to the body, the pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, and false values, will not disappear. However well read one may be, unless the teachings are put into practice, one is not really learned. Only like a parrot the man will be repeating that Brahman alone is real and all else is false.
D.: Why should he be so?
M.: The knowers say that like a dog delighting in offal, this man also delights in external pleasures. Though always busy with Vedanta, reading and teaching it, he is no better than a mean dog
...............No doubt a study of Vedanta makes one discerning. But if this is not accompanied by dispassion etc., it is useless and does not lead to enquiry.
D.: Have there been men with these three qualities who did not take to enquiry into the Self?
M.: Yes. Dispassion is implied in all austerities; the mind too remains one pointed for tapasvis; yet they cannot enquire into the Self.
D.: What do they do then?
M.: Averse to external pursuits, with their minds concentrated, they will always remain austere in animated suspense like that of deep sleep, but not enquire into the Self. As an instance in point, the Ramayana says of Sarabhanga rishi that after all his tapasya he went to heaven.
D.: Does not heaven form part of the fruits of enquiry?
M.: No. Enquiry must end in Liberation, and this is freedom from repeated births and deaths which does not admit of transit from one region to another. Sarabhanga’s case indicates that he could not and did not enquire into the Self. Therefore all the four qualifications are essential for enquiry.
60-61. A simple desire to be liberated unaccompanied by the other three qualities will not be enough. By an intense desire for liberation a man may take to enquiry but if otherwise unqualified, he must fail in his attempt. His case will be like that of a lame man wistfully yearning for honey in a honey comb high up on a tree; he cannot reach it and must remain unhappy. Or, the seeker may approach a master, surrender to him and profit by his guidance.
63-69. D.: In conclusion who are fit for enquiry into the Self?
M.: Only those who have all the four requisite qualities in full, are fit, and not others, whether versed in Vedas and shastras or otherwise highly accomplished, nor practisers of severe austerities, nor those strictly observing the religious rites or vows or reciting mantras, nor worshippers of any kind, nor those giving away large gifts, nor wandering pilgrims etc. Just as the Vedic rites are not for the non-regenerate so also enquiry is not for the unqualified.
.................The sruti says: “The one whose mind is in equipoise, senses controlled, whose activities have ceased and who possesses fortitude” is fit for this. From this it follows that others are not competent but only those who are possessing the four fold virtues
...............M.: Nonsense! No Shastra is required to know the Self. Does any one look into the Shastra for the Self? Surely not
....................the Self is to be realised and not to be talked about.
.............................M.: Although spontaneously and directly the Vedanta teaches the Supreme Truth, “That thou art” meaning that the inmost being of the individual is Brahman, yet enquiry is the only sure means of Self realisation. Sastric knowledge is not enough, for it can only be indirect. Only the experience resulting from the enquiry of the Self can be direct knowledge.
89-90. Vasishta also has said to the same effect. Shastra, Guru and upadesa are all traditional and do not straightway make the seeker directly realise the Self.
The purity of the seeker’s mind is the sole means for realisation and not shastra nor the guru.
The self can be realised by one’s own acute discernment and by no other means. All shastras agree on this point.
91. From this it is clear that except by enquiry, the Self can never be realised, not even by learning Vedanta.
93. M.: In the body, senses etc., the concept “I” persists. With a one pointed mind turned inwards to look out for this “I” or the Self, which is the inmost Being within the five sheaths, is the enquiry into the Self.
To seek elsewhere outside the body by an oral recital of Vedanta Shastra or a critical study of its words, cannot be called enquiry into the Self which can only be a thorough investigation into the true nature of the Self by a keen mind.
D.: How can it be realised?
M.: By the mind to examine the nature of the five sheaths,
by experience to determine them,
then to discard each of them step by step “this is not the Self — this is not the Self”,
and by mind thus grown subtle to look for the Self
and realise It as the witnessing Consciousness
lying beyond the five sheaths — forms the whole process.
The Self cannot be seen without.
It is overspread by and lies hidden in the five sheaths.
In order to find It, the intellect must be made to turn inwards and search within,
not to look for It in the shastras.
Will any man in his senses search in a forest for a thing lost in his home?
The search must be in the place where the thing lies hidden.
In the same way, the Self covered over by the five sheaths must be looked for within them and not among the shastras. The shastras are not the place for It.
102-108. It must now be obvious that the make up of the best qualified seeker consists in dispassion, resulting from discernment of the real from the unreal, so that he discards all enjoyments here and hereafter as if they were poison or vomit or blazing fire,
retires from all activities to remain quiet like a man in deep sleep,
but finding himself unable to remain so owing to unbearable pains, physical and mental,
as if the hair of his head had caught fire and was burning,
he cannot feel happy nor bear the agony even a minute longer and burns in anguish feeling
“When shall I be free? How and by what means can I be liberated?”
For the best seeker all the qualifications must be full up to the above said category “limit” (avadhi).
For the next in scale, the good seeker, the qualifications are developed only to the “effect” stage; for the middling, only to the “nature” stage; and for the lowest, only to their “cause” stage. These stages determine the success of the seeker’s efforts.
4 categories:
limit,effect,nature,cause
109. Immediate success attends the efforts of the best qualified; some time elapses before the next in grade succeeds; a longer time is required for the middling; and only a prolonged and steady practice can enable the low-grade seeker to succeed.
110-112. Their perplexity of minds does not allow the last two grades of seekers to take to enquiry.
Their minds are more readily composed by yoga, which is more suited to them than enquiry.
The first two grades of seekers readily profit by enquiry which is more suited to them than yoga.
113-114. In Dhyana Deepika, Sri Vidyaranyaswami has said: “The path of enquiry cannot lead to success to the seekers whose minds are confused. To bring down the false notion of their minds, yoga is necessary.
The minds of those who are fully qualified, are not confused but remain one pointed;
only the veiling power of Ignorance still hides the Self from them; they await only awakening.
Enquiry is the process of awakening; therefore it best suits them.”
115-118. Yoga can be successful only after a long, steady, earnest, diligent and cautious practice without needless strain.
D.: Why should one be so heedful about it?
M.: When the attempt is made to fix the mind in the Self, it gets restive and drags the man through the senses to the objects.
However resolute and learned the man may be, his mind remains wayward, strong, mulish, and hard to restrain.
Wanton by nature, it cannot remain steady for a moment;
it must run here, there and everywhere;
now it dwells in the nether regions and in a trice it flies up in the sky;
it moves in all the directions of the compass; and it is capricious like a monkey.
It is hard to fix it. To do so, one must be heedful
119-121. In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asked Sri Bhagavan: ‘O Krishna! Is not the mind always capricious, disturbing to the man and too strong to be checked? It is easier to hold the air in the fist than to control the mind’. In the Yoga Vasishta,
Sri Rama asked Vasishta: ‘O master! Is it not impossible to control the mind? One may sooner drink up the oceans or lift up Mt. Meru or swallow flaming fire than control the mind.’ From the words of Rama and Arjuna, and our own experience, there can be no doubt that it is exceedingly difficult to control the mind however able and heroic one may be
122-124. D.: Control of mind being so difficult, how can yoga be practised at all?
M.: By dint of practice and dispassion, the mind can be brought under control. The same has been said by Sri Bhagavan to Arjuna and by Vasishta to Sri Rama.
Sri Krishna said : “O Son of Kunti! There is no doubt that the mind is wayward and difficult to control. Nevertheless by dint of practice and dispassion it can be controlled.”
Vasishta said: “O Rama, though the mind is hard to control yet it must be subdued by dispassion and effort even at the
cost of wringing your hands, clenching your teeth
and holding down the senses and limbs; it must be accomplished by will power.”
Therefore intense effort is necessary for the purpose.
125-127. The honey bee of the mind ever living in the lotus of the heart turns away from the sweet honey of unequalled Bliss of the Heart lotus, and desirous of honey bitter with misery, collected outside as sound, touch, form, taste and smell, always flies out through the senses. Though by dispassion the senses are forcibly closed and the mind shut in, yet remaining within, it will be thinking of the present or recollecting the past or building castles in the air.
D.: How can even its subtle activities be checked and itself completely subdued?
M.: Checking its external activities and confining it within, this bee of the mind must be made to be drunk with the honey of the Heart lotus, i.e., the Bliss of the Self.
128. D.: Please explain this yoga.
M.: With an intense desire for Liberation, reaching a Guru, hearing from him the non-dual Brahman shining forth as BeingKnowledge-Bliss of the Self,
understanding It though indirectly yet as clearly as one understands Vishnu etc.,
turning the mind one pointedly to this Brahman,
without taking to enquiry by reflection (manana)
always meditating on the non-dual Self of Being-Knowledge-Bliss, attributeless and undifferentiated, is called yoga.
By its practice the mind becomes tranquil and can gradually go to samadhi.
In samadhi it will experience the Supreme Bliss.
129-130. D.: Has any other said so before?
M.: Yes. Sri Bhagavan has said: The yogi who, controlling the mind, always turns it upon the Self, becomes perfectly calm, and ultimately gains Me i.e., the Bliss of Liberation.
The mind of the yogi who always practises yoga, will be steady like a flame protected from the breeze and without movement will pass into samadhi.
D.: What is this enquiry?
M.: After hearing from the Guru about the nature of the Self which in the shastras is spoken of as Brahman or Being-Knowledge-Bliss,
to gain a clear indirect knowledge, then according to upadesa and by intelligent reasoning to enquire and find out the Self which is Pure Knowledge,
and the nonself which is objective and insentient like the ego, to discern and sift them, then directly to experience them as different from each other,
later on, by meditation to extinguish all that is objective, and to absorb into the Self the residual mind left over as non-dual, ends in the direct experience of Supreme Bliss.
Here it has been described in brief, but the shastras deal with it elaborately.
134. This chapter on Sadhana has dealt with these two means, Enquiry and Yoga, for making the mind still. According to his merits an intelligent seeker should practise either of them.
135. This Chapter is meant for the earnest student in order that he may study carefully and analyse his qualifications to ascertain what he already has and what more are wanted. After properly equipping himself he can find out which of these two methods suits him and then practise it till success.
.....chp 3 ends..
chp 4
1. In the foregoing chapter we had seen that yoga is suited to the lower grade of seekers and enquiry to the higher. In this chapter we shall consider the path of enquiry which effortlessly leads to Knowledge of Brahman.
2-4. D.: What is this path of enquiry?
M.: From the shastras it is well known to consist of sravana, manana, nidhidhyasana and samadhi i.e., hearing the Truth, reflection, meditation and Blissful Peace. The Vedas themselves declare it to be so. “My dear, the Self must be heard from the master, reflected and meditated upon.” In another place it is said that in Blissful Peace the Self must be realised. The same idea has been repeated by Sri Sankaracharya in his Vakyavrtti, namely that
until the meaning of the sacred text “I am Brahman” is realised in all its true significance, one must be practising sravana etc.
5-7. In Chitra Deepika, Sri Vidyaranyaswami has said that enquiry is the means of knowledge and it consists in hearing the Truth, reflection and meditation; only the state of blissful Peace of awareness in which Brahman alone exists and nothing else, is the true “nature” of Knowledge;
the non-revival of the knot of the ego parading as “I” which has been lost once for all, is its “effect”;
always to remain fixed as ‘I am the Supreme Self’ just as strongly, unequivocally and unerringly as the heretofore ignorant identification “I am the body” is its end;
liberation is its fruit.
From this it follows that only hearing etc. is the enquiry into the Self.
8-10. To hear the Supreme Truth, reflect and meditate on it, and to remain in Samadhi form together the enquiry into the Self.
They have for their cause (Hetu) the aforesaid four sadhanas, namely,
discernment,
desirelessness,
tranquillity and
desire to be liberated.
Which of these is essential for which part of enquiry will be mentioned in its appropriate place. Here we shall deal with sravana.
M.: Sravana consists in ascertaining, by means of the six proofs considered together, that the Vedas aim at the non-dual Brahman only
11-12. To analyse sravana under the five categories:-
1 Intense desire to be liberated gives rise to it;
2 always to be hearing of the non-dual Brahman is its nature;
3 the complete removal of that aspect of the veiling power of Ignorance which says, “It (Brahman) does not exist” is its effect;
4 non recurrence of this veiling power is its limit;
5 a firm indirect knowledge is its fruit.
..Similarly the knowledge gained by sravana can remain only indirect and is not directly experienced.
Sravana must therefore end in directly experienced knowledge.
M.: Not so. It is true that the sacred text reveals the Truth, “That thou art”. Still direct knowledge does not result merely by hearing it. In the absence of enquiry into the Self, knowledge cannot become direct. In order to have this indirect knowledge directly experienced, it is necessary to reflect on it
77. Here ends the chapter on sravana. The student who reads this carefully will gain indirect knowledge. In order to experience directly, he will seek to know the nature of manana or reflection.
..........chp 4 ends.................
chp 5 manana
1. D.: Master, on hearing it from you, the nature of the Self is now clear to me, but the knowledge remains only indirect. Kindly instruct me in reflection, by practising which the darkness of Ignorance now hiding the Self may vanish and direct experience result.
2. M.: Always to direct the thought with subtle reasoning upon the non-dual Self that is now known indirectly, is called reflection.
3-4. D.: Please tell me its ‘cause’, ‘nature’, ‘effect’, ‘limit’ and ‘fruit’.
M.: Discernment of the real from the unreal is its ‘cause’;
enquiry into the Truth of the non-dual Self is its ‘nature’;
to tear off that veiling aspect of Ignorance which makes one say “It does not shine forth” is its ‘effect’;
the non recrudescence of this veiling is its ‘limit’;
and direct experience is its ‘fruit’.
So say the sages
5. D.: Why is discernment said to be its ‘cause’?
M.: Only he who, by discernment of the real from the unreal has acquired indirect knowledge, is fit to seek by enquiry the direct knowledge of experience. No other can succeed in the search for it.
6. D.: Why should not the Desire for Liberation be the ‘cause’ of reflection?
M.: A mere desire to be Liberated cannot make a man fit for enquiry into the Self. Without sravana one cannot have even an indirect knowledge. How can one succeed in one’s enquiry?
Only after knowing the nature of the Self, should one proceed to seek It.
Ignorant of Its true nature, how can one investigate the Self? Simple desire to be liberated will not suffice
7. D.: Should not this desire lead to enquiry? With the rise of this desire the man will begin to hear about the nature of the Self and gain indirect knowledge which must enable him to undertake the enquiry.
M.: This amounts to saying that the seeker possesses discernment. He is not only desirous of Liberation but also discerning in intellect. With sravana comes this faculty of intellectual discernment of the real from the unreal, or the Self from the non-self. This is called indirect knowledge. The shastras say that only he who possesses indirect knowledge can discern the real or the Self from the unreal or the non-self, and is fit for enquiry into the Self. Therefore discernment is the sine qua non for enquiry.
D.: How can they be said not to be desirous of Liberation?
M.: Inasmuch as they engage in austerities without taking to sravana etc., which is the only gateway to Liberation, the absence of desire for Liberation is inferred
D.: No. They too can be desirous of being Liberated.
M.: If so, they must give up their austerities, always remain with a master and engage themselves in hearing of the Self.
If it be said that they have already done sravana also, then since they have gained indirect knowledge, they should be engaged in reflection. Not having done sravana, though endowed with desirelessness and tranquillity, they are incapable of discerning the real from the unreal and therefore unfit for enquiry into the Self. Desirelessness etc. can only be aids to this enquiry but not its chief causes.
Discernment of the real from the unreal is the only chief cause.
13-14. D.: Can the Self not be realised by austerities accompanied by desirelesness and tranquillity, without enquiry?
M.: No. By non-enquiry the Self has been lost sight of; to regain It enquiry is needed.
In its absence how can even crores of austerities restore the sight?
Always to enquire into the Self is the only remedy for the blindness of the ignorant whose mental eye has been bedimmed by the darkness of non-enquiry spreading its veil.
Unless by the eye of knowledge gained through enquiry, the Self cannot be realised
15-16. D.: What is this enquiry into the Self?
M.: With one-pointed intellect to seek within the five sheaths the Self which is shining forth as “I” in the body, senses etc., considering “who is this Self?, where is It? and how is It?”, is the nature of the enquiry into the Self.
With subtle intellect the enquiry into the Reality, namely the Self within the unreal sheaths must always be pursued.
.................................
Degree of absence of thoughts is a measure of your progress towards self realisation.
..................obstacles are thoughts.
progress is measured by removal of obstacles.
...Self is always realised.
.............................................. ..
Be still means destroy yourself...because any form or shape is the source of trouble.
..redirecting attention from objects to the thinker. (who am i?)
....
nitya/anitya viveka
karta/akarta viveka
.......
Self? M.: Non-recrudescence of the darkness of Ignorance is said to be the “limit” of reflection. Therefore one should continue the practice until this darkness of Ignorance does not recur.
D.: How can it be?
M.: Transcending all, the Self has nothing in common with worldly things or activities;
It transcends the void also;
hence the experience is unique and unearthly.
A fear may then arise “Can this be the Self?
It cannot be — Should this be the Self, how can I be such a void?”
Even after realising the impartite Self, there is no confidence in one’s own experience;
it is regarded as impossible and a great doubt arises.
The sense of impossibility gives rise to doubt. But repeated reflection removes this sense of impossibility.
So it is said by Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras: Aavi]a Ask < d< pdu =at e .\ On account of the repeated instruction (by the scriptures), (it is) necessary repeatedly (to hear of, reflect and meditate on the Self).
25. D.: What is the “fruit” of such reflection?
M.: By continued practice, the veiling is destroyed; with its destruction, the sense of impossibility of the Self shining forth all alone disappears; with its disappearance all obstacles are at an end and then direct experience results as clearly and surely as an apple in the palm of your hand. This is the “fruit”.
26. D.: What is this direct experience?
M.: Just as one can clearly distinguish the sun from the cloud hiding it, so also when one can distinguish the Self from the ego, it is direct experience. This is the ‘fruit’ of reflection.
.. By your intellect made subtle, find and realise the Self.
D.: Though unreal, this Ignorance flourished on the non-enquiry of the individual. Just as one’s non-enquiry hides the rope from view and presents it as a snake, so also non-enquiry into the Self hides It from being seen and this is called the veiling aspect of beginningless Ignorance.
Now that the Self is realised, the so-called veiling is nowhere to be seen. Lo, the Self is here and now found to be the ever-shining witness! Wonder of Wonders! Like an apple in my hand I have now clearly realised the Self. Now Lord, Master, fortunately by your grace I am blessed; my task is finished!
To know the witness and Brahman to be one is the ‘fruit’ of knowledge
...chp 5 ends...........
chp 6 Vasana-kshaya (entire chapter)
THE ANNIHILATION OF LATENCIES TENDENCIES
1. This chapter succeeds the five earlier ones on superimposition, its withdrawal, the requisites of the seeker, hearing, and reflection. To the disciple who after reflecting on the Self has gained direct knowledge, the master further says as follows
2. Wise son, the shastras have nothing more to teach you; you have finished them. Henceforth you must meditate on the Self.
The scriptures say: ‘Dear! the Self must be heard of, reflected and meditated upon’.
Having finished reflection, you must proceed with meditation.
Now give up the shastras.
3-6. D.: Is it proper to give them up?
M.: Yes, it is proper.
Now that by enquiry you have known what need be known, you can unhesitatingly give them up.
D.: But the shastras say that to the last moment of death, one should not give them up.
M.: Their purpose is to teach the truth. After it is gained, of what further use can they be? A further study will be so much waste of time and labour.
Therefore leave them aside. Take to unbroken meditation.
D.: Is this statement supported by scriptures?
M.: Yes.
D.: How?
M.: They say: After repeatedly hearing from the master about the Self, reflecting on It and directly knowing It, the seeker should give up the shastras, even as the pole used to stir up the corpse in the burning ground is finally consigned to the burning fire of the corpse.
From a study of the shastras, let the seeker of Liberation gather an indirect knowledge of the Self and put it into practice by reflecting on It until by experiencing It a direct knowledge is gained;
later like a gatherer of grains who takes the grain and rejects the chaff,
let him leave the shastras aside.
The man desirous of liberation should make use of shastras only to gain knowledge of the Self and then proceed to reflect on It; he should not be simply talking vedanta, nor even be thinking of it.
For talk results only in so much strain on speech, similarly thinking on the mind, no useful purpose can be served by either.
Therefore only know just what need be known and give up tiresome study.
Controlling his speech and mind, a sensible seeker should always engage in meditation.
This is the teaching of the shastras.
7. Wise son, now that you have known what need be known from them, you should efface the impressions left by your studies.
D.: What constitutes these impressions?
M.: It is the inclination of the mind always to study vedantic literature, to understand the meaning of the texts, to commit them to memory and constantly be thinking of them.
Since this inclination obstructs meditation, a wise man must overcome it with every effort.
Next, the latencies connected with the world (lokavasana) must be eliminated.
8. D.: What are these latencies?
M.: To think, this is my country, this is my family pedigree and this is the tradition. Should any one praise or censure any of these, the reactions of the mind denote the latencies connected with the world. Give them up. Later on, give up the latencies connected with the body also (dehavasana).
9-13. D.: What are they?
M.: To think oneself to be of such and such age, young or old and desire the full span of life with health, strength and good looks. Generally thoughts pertaining to the body indicate these latencies.
Ambition in the world and love for body distract the mind and prevent meditation on Brahman.
Since all objects are ephemeral, they must be eschewed. Then the latencies connected with enjoyments (bhogavasana) must be given up.
D.: What are these?
M.: These are made up of thoughts like: this is good and I must have it; this is not so and let it leave me; now I have gained so much and let me gain more, and so on.
D.: How can this be overcome?
M.: By looking with disgust upon all enjoyments as on vomit or excreta and developing dispassion for them, this can be overcome.
Dispassion is the only remedy for this mad craving. After this, the mind must be cleared of the six passions, namely, lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.
D.: How can this be done?
M.: By (maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha) friendship with the holy, compassion for the afflicted, rejoicing in the joy of the virtuous and being indifferent to the shortcomings of the sinful.
Next must be effaced the latencies connected with the objects of the senses (vishayavasana) such as sound etc. These latencies are the running of the senses such as hearing etc., after their objects.
D.: How can these latencies be effaced?
M.: By a practice of the six-fold discipline consisting of sama, dama, uparati, titiksha, samadhana and sraddha,
withdrawing the mind from going outwards, controlling the senses, not thinking of the objects of the senses, forbearance, fixing the mind on the Reality and faith.
Next all latencies connected with mutual attachments must be overcome. 14-15. D.: What are they?
M.: Though the senses are restrained, yet the mind always thinks of objects: ‘there is that; there is this; it is such and such; it is this-wise or otherwise’ and so on.
Because of brooding over objects, the mind gets attached to them, this constant brooding is called the latency connected with mental attachment.
D.: How can this be checked?
M.: By practising uparati which means desisting from all thoughts after concluding by proper reasoning that they are only fruitless daydreams.
16. When in the right manner, all this has been accomplished, the greatest evil-doer, namely the latency connected with wrong identity must be put an end to, even with great effort.
17. D.: What is this latency connected with wrong identity? (viparita vasana)
M.: Owing to beginningless Ignorance the non-Self is mistaken for the Self as ‘I am the body’ from time immemorial, this Ignorance is hardy and can be ended only by the practice of Brahman.
18-20. D.: What is this practice?
M.: It consists in discarding the body, senses etc., as being non-Self and always remembering that ‘I am Brahman’,
remaining as consciousness witnessing the insentient sheaths.
Meditating on Brahman in solitude,
speaking of or teaching only Brahman in the company of others,
not to speak or think of anything but It,
but always one-pointedly to think of Brahman, is the practice.
So say the wise.
By this, transcend the ego and then proceed to eliminate the idea of ‘mine’.
21-22. D.: What is the nature of this idea?
M.: It consists in the single concept of ‘mine’ in relation to the body or whatever pertains to it, such as name, form, clothing, caste, conduct or professions of life.
D.: How does this go away?
M.: By a steadfast meditation on the Reality.
D.: How?
M.: Always to be aware that the body etc., its interests and effects, enjoyments, activities etc., are only figments of ignorance on pure knowledge i.e., the Self, that like the appearance of silver on nacre, ornaments in gold, water in mirage, blueness in the sky or waves in water, all but the Self are only false presentations or illusory modes of the Self. In reality there is nothing but our ‘Self’. Next the sense of differentiation (bheda vasana) must go.
23-25. D.: What is this sense of differentiation?
M.: It consists in ideas like: “I am the witness of this; all that is seen is only insentient and illusory; here is the world; these are the individuals; this one is the disciple and the other, the master; this is Isvara, and so on.” This must go by a practice of non-duality. This practice is to remain non-dual, solid Being Knowledge-Bliss, untainted and free from thoughts of reality or unreality, ignorance or its illusory effects, and internal or external differentiation. This is accomplished by a constant practice of modeless (nirvikalpa) samadhi. Here remains the experience of Brahman only. After leaving the sense of differentiation far behind, the attachment to non-duality must later be given up.
26-27. D.: How is this to be done?
M.: Even this state must finally pass into untellable and unthinkable Reality absolutely free from modes and even non-duality. The Bliss of Liberation is only this and nothing more. When the mind is cleared of all latent impurities, it remains untainted, crystal-clear so that it cannot be said to exist or not to exist and it becomes one with Reality, transcending speech and thought. This unmoded, untainted fixity of the mind is known as Realisation or Liberation while alive.
28. Though direct knowledge of the Self has been gained, yet until this Realisation ensues, to be liberated while alive one should always meditate on Brahman with proper control of mind and senses.
Thus ends this chapter.
.......................chp 6 ends ...........
chp 7 sakshatkara
1. In the foregoing chapter it was said that direct knowledge must first be gained and then the latent tendencies of the mind wiped out so that Brahman may be realised. Now Realisation is dealt with. The master says: Wise son, now that you have gained direct knowledge by enquiry into the Self, you should proceed with meditation.
2. D.: Master, now that I have gained direct knowledge by enquiry and my task is finished why should I meditate further and to what end?
3-4. M.: Though by reflection, direct knowledge of the Self has been gained,
Brahman cannot be realised without meditation.
In order to experience ‘I am Brahman’ you must practise meditation
..Without completely losing one’s individuality one cannot be Brahman.
Therefore to realise Brahman, the loss of the individuality is a sine qua non.
... Similarly, constantly meditating on Brahma, the seeker loses his original nature and becomes himself Bramha. This is the realisation of Brahman.
26-27. D.: In brief what is Realisation?
M.: To destroy the mind in its form-aspect functioning as the limiting adjunct to the individual, to recover the pure mind in its formless aspect whose nature is only Being-KnowledgeBliss and to experience ‘I am Brahman’ is Realisation.
D.: Is this view supported by others as well?
M.: Yes. Sri Sankaracharya has said: ‘Just as in the ignorant state, unmindful of the identity of the Self with Brahman, one truly believes oneself to be the body, so also after knowing to be free from the illusion of the body being the Self, and becoming unaware of the body, undoubtingly and unmistakably always to experience the Self as the Being-Knowledge-Bliss identical with Brahman is called Realisation’. ‘To be fixed as the Real Self is Realisation’, say the sages
28. D.: Who says it and where?
29. M.: Vasishta has said in Yoga Vasishta: ‘Just as the mind in a stone remains quiet and without any mode, so also like the interior of the stone to remain without any mode and thought free, but not in slumber nor aware of duality, is to be fixed as the Real Self’.
30-31. Therefore without effacing the form-aspect of the mind and remaining fixed as the true Self, how can anyone realise ‘I am Brahman’? It cannot be. Briefly put, one should
still the mind to destroy one’s individuality and thus remain fixed as the Real Self of Being-Knowledge-Bliss, so that in accordance with the text ‘I am Brahman’ one can realise Brahman. On the other hand, on the strength of the direct knowledge of Brahman to say ‘I am Brahman’ is as silly as a poor beggar on seeing the king declaring himself to be the king. Not to claim by words but to be fixed as the Real Self and know ‘I am Brahman’ is Realisation of Brahman
M.: Experience implies delusion; without the one, the other cannot be.
Unless there is an object, no experience is possible.
All objective knowledge is delusion.
There is no duality in Brahman.
Certainly all names and forms are by ignorance superimposed on Brahman.
Therefore the experiencer must be ignorant only and not a sage.
Having already enquired into the nature of things and known them to be illusory names and forms born of ignorance, the sage remains fixed as Brahman and knows all to be only Brahman.
Who is to enjoy what? No one and nothing. Therefore there is no past karma left nor present enjoyments nor any activity for the wise one.
52. Here ends the Chapter on Realisation. Diligently studying and understanding this, the seeker will kill the mind which is the limiting adjunct that causes individuality to manifest and ever live as Brahman only
.....chp 7 ends...
chp 8 manonasha
1. In the previous chapter, having taught the realisation of the non-dual Brahman, the master now treats of the extinction of the mind as the sole means of realising Brahman.
3-4. M.: To give up the mind is very easy, as easy as crushing a delicate flower, or removing a hair from butter or winking your eyes. Doubt it not. For a self-possessed resolute seeker not bewitched by the senses, but by strong dispassion grown indifferent to external objects, there cannot be the least difficulty in giving up the mind.
D.: How is it so easy?
M.: The question of difficulty arises only if there is a mind to leave off. Truly speaking, there is no mind. When told ‘There is a ghost here’ an ignorant child is deluded into believing the existence of the non-existent ghost, and is subject to fear, misery and troubles, similarly in the untainted Brahman by fancying things that are not, as this and that, a false entity known as the mind arises seemingly real, functioning as this and that, and proving uncontrollable and mighty to the unwary, whereas to the self-possessed, discerning seeker who knows its nature, it is easy to relinquish. Only a fool ignorant of its nature says it is most difficult.
5-10. D.: What is the nature of mind?
M.: To think this and that. In the absence of thought, there can be no mind. On the thoughts being extinguished the mind will remain only in name like the horn of a hare; it will vanish as a non-entity like a barren woman’s son, or a hare’s horn, or a flower in the sky. This is also mentioned in the Yoga Vasishta.
M.: Thought is the index of the mind. When a thought arises mind is inferred. In the absence of thought, there can be no mind. Therefore mind is nothing but thought. Thought is itself mind
D.: What is ‘thought’?
M.: ‘Thought’ is imagination. The thought-free state is Bliss Supreme (Sivasvarupa). Thoughts are of two kinds; the recalling of things experienced and unexperienced
M.: Though for the ignorant it is difficult, for the discerning few it is very easy. Never think of anything but the unbroken unique Brahman.
By a long practice of this, you will easily forget the non-self.
It cannot be difficult to remain still without thinking anything. Let not thoughts arise in the mind; always think of Brahman.
In this way all worldly thoughts will vanish and thought of Brahman alone will remain.
When this becomes steady, forget even this, and without thinking ‘I am Brahman’, be the very Brahman. This cannot be difficult to practise
40. Now my wise son, follow this advice; cease thinking of anything but Brahman. By this practice your mind will be extinct; you will forget all and remain as pure Brahman.
41. He who studies this chapter and follows the instructions contained therein, will soon be Brahman Itself!
.................
xxx
Only that mind which by practice of yoga, having lost all its latencies, has become pure and still like a lamp in a dome well protected from breeze, is said to be dead.
This death of mind is the highest fulfilment.
The final conclusion of all the Vedas is that Liberation is nothing but mind stilled.
For Liberation nothing can avail, not wealth, relatives, friends, karma consisting of movements of the limbs, pilgrimage to sacred places, baths in sacred waters, life in celestial regions, austerities however severe, or anything but a still mind.
In similar strain many sacred books teach that Liberation consists in doing away with the mind. In several passages in the Yoga Vasishta, the same idea is repeated, that the Bliss of Liberation can be reached only by wiping out the mind, which is the root cause of samsara, and thus of all misery
28. In this way to kill the mind by a knowledge of the sacred teaching, reasoning and one’s own experience, is to undo the samsara.
How else can the miserable round of births and deaths be brought to a standstill? And how can freedom result from it? Never.
Unless the dreamer awakes, the dream does not come to an end nor the fright of being face to face with a tiger
in the dream. Similarly unless the mind is disillusioned, the agony of samsara will not cease. Only the mind must be made still. This is the fulfilment of life.
29-30. D.: How can the mind be made still?
M.: Only by Sankhya.
Sankhya is the process of enquiry coupled with knowledge.
The realised sages declare that the mind has its root in non-enquiry and perishes by an informed enquiry
D.: Please explain this process.
M.: This consists of sravana, manana, nididhyasana and samadhi, i.e., hearing, reasoning, meditation and Blissful Peace, as mentioned in the scriptures. Only this can make the mind still
31-32. There is also an alternative. It is said to be yoga.
D.: What is yoga?
M.: Meditation on Pure Being free from qualities.
D.: Where is this alternative mentioned and how?
M.: In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Sri Bhagavan Krishna has said: What is gained by Sankhya can also be gained by yoga. Only he who knows that the result of the two processes is the same, can be called a realised sage
35. D.: Who is fit for the path of enquiry (Sankhya)?
M.: Only a fully qualified seeker is fit, for he can succeed in it and not others.
36-37. D.: What are the sadhanas or requisites for this process?
M.: The knowers say that the sadhanas consist of
1 an ability to discern the real from the unreal,
2 no desire for pleasures here or hereafter,
3 cessation of activities (karma)
4 keen desire to be liberated.
Not qualified with all these four qualities, however hard one may try, one cannot succeed in enquiry. Therefore this fourfold sadhana is the sine qua non for enquiry.
38. To begin with, a knowledge of the distinctive characteristics of these sadhanas is necessary. As already pointed out, these distinctive characteristics are of the categories
cause, nature, effect, limit and fruit. These are now described.
39-44. Discernment (viveka) can arise only in a purified mind.
Its ‘nature’ is the conviction gained by the help of sacred teachings that only Brahman is real and all else false.
Always to remember this truth is its ‘effect’.
Its end (avadhi) is to be settled unwavering in the truth that only Brahman is and all else is unreal.
Desirelessness (vairagya) is the result of the outlook that the world is essentially faulty.
Its ‘nature’ is to renounce the world and have no desire for anything in it.
Its ‘effect’ is to turn away in disgust from all enjoyments as from vomit.
It ends (avadhi) in treatment with contempt of all pleasures, earthly or heavenly, as if they were vomit or burning fire or hell.
Cessation of activities (uparati) can be the outcome of the eight fold yoga (astangayoga), namely, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, i.e., self restraint, discipline, steady posture, control of breath, control of senses, mind collected to truth, meditation and peace. Its ‘nature’ consists in restraining the mind. Its ‘effect’ is to cease from worldly activities.
It ends (avadhi) in forgetfulness of the world as if in sleep, owing to the ending of activities. Desire to be liberated (mumukshutva) begins with the association with realised sages. Its ‘nature’ is the yearning for liberation. Its ‘effect’ is to stay with one’s master. It ends (avadhi) in giving up all study of shastras and performance of religious rites. When these have reached their limits as mentioned above, the sadhanas are said to be perfect.
45-47. Should only one or more of these sadhanas be perfect but not all of them, the person will after Death gain celestial regions. If all of them are perfect, they together quickly make the person thoroughly capable of enquiry into the Self. Only when all the sadhanas are perfect is enquiry possible; otherwise, not. Even if one of them remains undeveloped, it obstructs enquiry
48-49. Dispassion, etc., remaining undeveloped, discernment, though perfect, cannot by itself remove the obstacles, to enquiry into the Self. You see how many are well read in Vedanta Shastra. They must all possess this virtue, but they have not cultivated the others, dispassion etc. Therefore they cannot undertake the enquiry into the Self. This fact makes it plain that discernment unattended by dispassion etc., cannot avail
50-51. D.: How is it that even scholars in Vedanta have not succeeded in the pursuit of enquiry?
M.: Though they always study Vedanta and give lessons to others yet in the absence of desirelessness they do not practise what they have learnt
D.: And what do they do otherwise?
M.: Like a parrot they reproduce the Vedantic jargon but do not put the teachings into practice.
D.: What does Vedanta teach?
M.: The Vedanta teaches a man to know that all but the non-dual Brahman is laden with misery, therefore to leave off all desires for enjoyment, to be free from love or hate, thoroughly to cut the knot of the ego appearing as ‘I’, you,
he, this, that, mine and yours, to rid himself of the notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, to live unconcerned with the pairs of opposites as heat and cold, pain and pleasure, etc., to remain fixed in the perfect knowledge of the equality of all and making no distinction of any kind, never to be aware of anything but Brahman, and always to be experiencing the Bliss of the nondual Self.
Though Vedanta is read and well understood, if dispassion is not practised, the desire for pleasures will not fade away. There is no dislike for pleasing things and the desire for them cannot leave the person. Because desire is not checked, love, anger, etc., the ego or the ‘false-I’ in the obnoxious body, the sense of possession represented by ‘I’ or ‘mine’ of things agreeable to the body, the pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, and false values, will not disappear. However well read one may be, unless the teachings are put into practice, one is not really learned. Only like a parrot the man will be repeating that Brahman alone is real and all else is false.
D.: Why should he be so?
M.: The knowers say that like a dog delighting in offal, this man also delights in external pleasures. Though always busy with Vedanta, reading and teaching it, he is no better than a mean dog
...............No doubt a study of Vedanta makes one discerning. But if this is not accompanied by dispassion etc., it is useless and does not lead to enquiry.
D.: Have there been men with these three qualities who did not take to enquiry into the Self?
M.: Yes. Dispassion is implied in all austerities; the mind too remains one pointed for tapasvis; yet they cannot enquire into the Self.
D.: What do they do then?
M.: Averse to external pursuits, with their minds concentrated, they will always remain austere in animated suspense like that of deep sleep, but not enquire into the Self. As an instance in point, the Ramayana says of Sarabhanga rishi that after all his tapasya he went to heaven.
D.: Does not heaven form part of the fruits of enquiry?
M.: No. Enquiry must end in Liberation, and this is freedom from repeated births and deaths which does not admit of transit from one region to another. Sarabhanga’s case indicates that he could not and did not enquire into the Self. Therefore all the four qualifications are essential for enquiry.
60-61. A simple desire to be liberated unaccompanied by the other three qualities will not be enough. By an intense desire for liberation a man may take to enquiry but if otherwise unqualified, he must fail in his attempt. His case will be like that of a lame man wistfully yearning for honey in a honey comb high up on a tree; he cannot reach it and must remain unhappy. Or, the seeker may approach a master, surrender to him and profit by his guidance.
63-69. D.: In conclusion who are fit for enquiry into the Self?
M.: Only those who have all the four requisite qualities in full, are fit, and not others, whether versed in Vedas and shastras or otherwise highly accomplished, nor practisers of severe austerities, nor those strictly observing the religious rites or vows or reciting mantras, nor worshippers of any kind, nor those giving away large gifts, nor wandering pilgrims etc. Just as the Vedic rites are not for the non-regenerate so also enquiry is not for the unqualified.
.................The sruti says: “The one whose mind is in equipoise, senses controlled, whose activities have ceased and who possesses fortitude” is fit for this. From this it follows that others are not competent but only those who are possessing the four fold virtues
...............M.: Nonsense! No Shastra is required to know the Self. Does any one look into the Shastra for the Self? Surely not
....................the Self is to be realised and not to be talked about.
.............................M.: Although spontaneously and directly the Vedanta teaches the Supreme Truth, “That thou art” meaning that the inmost being of the individual is Brahman, yet enquiry is the only sure means of Self realisation. Sastric knowledge is not enough, for it can only be indirect. Only the experience resulting from the enquiry of the Self can be direct knowledge.
89-90. Vasishta also has said to the same effect. Shastra, Guru and upadesa are all traditional and do not straightway make the seeker directly realise the Self.
The purity of the seeker’s mind is the sole means for realisation and not shastra nor the guru.
The self can be realised by one’s own acute discernment and by no other means. All shastras agree on this point.
91. From this it is clear that except by enquiry, the Self can never be realised, not even by learning Vedanta.
93. M.: In the body, senses etc., the concept “I” persists. With a one pointed mind turned inwards to look out for this “I” or the Self, which is the inmost Being within the five sheaths, is the enquiry into the Self.
To seek elsewhere outside the body by an oral recital of Vedanta Shastra or a critical study of its words, cannot be called enquiry into the Self which can only be a thorough investigation into the true nature of the Self by a keen mind.
D.: How can it be realised?
M.: By the mind to examine the nature of the five sheaths,
by experience to determine them,
then to discard each of them step by step “this is not the Self — this is not the Self”,
and by mind thus grown subtle to look for the Self
and realise It as the witnessing Consciousness
lying beyond the five sheaths — forms the whole process.
The Self cannot be seen without.
It is overspread by and lies hidden in the five sheaths.
In order to find It, the intellect must be made to turn inwards and search within,
not to look for It in the shastras.
Will any man in his senses search in a forest for a thing lost in his home?
The search must be in the place where the thing lies hidden.
In the same way, the Self covered over by the five sheaths must be looked for within them and not among the shastras. The shastras are not the place for It.
102-108. It must now be obvious that the make up of the best qualified seeker consists in dispassion, resulting from discernment of the real from the unreal, so that he discards all enjoyments here and hereafter as if they were poison or vomit or blazing fire,
retires from all activities to remain quiet like a man in deep sleep,
but finding himself unable to remain so owing to unbearable pains, physical and mental,
as if the hair of his head had caught fire and was burning,
he cannot feel happy nor bear the agony even a minute longer and burns in anguish feeling
“When shall I be free? How and by what means can I be liberated?”
For the best seeker all the qualifications must be full up to the above said category “limit” (avadhi).
For the next in scale, the good seeker, the qualifications are developed only to the “effect” stage; for the middling, only to the “nature” stage; and for the lowest, only to their “cause” stage. These stages determine the success of the seeker’s efforts.
4 categories:
limit,effect,nature,cause
109. Immediate success attends the efforts of the best qualified; some time elapses before the next in grade succeeds; a longer time is required for the middling; and only a prolonged and steady practice can enable the low-grade seeker to succeed.
110-112. Their perplexity of minds does not allow the last two grades of seekers to take to enquiry.
Their minds are more readily composed by yoga, which is more suited to them than enquiry.
The first two grades of seekers readily profit by enquiry which is more suited to them than yoga.
113-114. In Dhyana Deepika, Sri Vidyaranyaswami has said: “The path of enquiry cannot lead to success to the seekers whose minds are confused. To bring down the false notion of their minds, yoga is necessary.
The minds of those who are fully qualified, are not confused but remain one pointed;
only the veiling power of Ignorance still hides the Self from them; they await only awakening.
Enquiry is the process of awakening; therefore it best suits them.”
115-118. Yoga can be successful only after a long, steady, earnest, diligent and cautious practice without needless strain.
D.: Why should one be so heedful about it?
M.: When the attempt is made to fix the mind in the Self, it gets restive and drags the man through the senses to the objects.
However resolute and learned the man may be, his mind remains wayward, strong, mulish, and hard to restrain.
Wanton by nature, it cannot remain steady for a moment;
it must run here, there and everywhere;
now it dwells in the nether regions and in a trice it flies up in the sky;
it moves in all the directions of the compass; and it is capricious like a monkey.
It is hard to fix it. To do so, one must be heedful
119-121. In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asked Sri Bhagavan: ‘O Krishna! Is not the mind always capricious, disturbing to the man and too strong to be checked? It is easier to hold the air in the fist than to control the mind’. In the Yoga Vasishta,
Sri Rama asked Vasishta: ‘O master! Is it not impossible to control the mind? One may sooner drink up the oceans or lift up Mt. Meru or swallow flaming fire than control the mind.’ From the words of Rama and Arjuna, and our own experience, there can be no doubt that it is exceedingly difficult to control the mind however able and heroic one may be
122-124. D.: Control of mind being so difficult, how can yoga be practised at all?
M.: By dint of practice and dispassion, the mind can be brought under control. The same has been said by Sri Bhagavan to Arjuna and by Vasishta to Sri Rama.
Sri Krishna said : “O Son of Kunti! There is no doubt that the mind is wayward and difficult to control. Nevertheless by dint of practice and dispassion it can be controlled.”
Vasishta said: “O Rama, though the mind is hard to control yet it must be subdued by dispassion and effort even at the
cost of wringing your hands, clenching your teeth
and holding down the senses and limbs; it must be accomplished by will power.”
Therefore intense effort is necessary for the purpose.
125-127. The honey bee of the mind ever living in the lotus of the heart turns away from the sweet honey of unequalled Bliss of the Heart lotus, and desirous of honey bitter with misery, collected outside as sound, touch, form, taste and smell, always flies out through the senses. Though by dispassion the senses are forcibly closed and the mind shut in, yet remaining within, it will be thinking of the present or recollecting the past or building castles in the air.
D.: How can even its subtle activities be checked and itself completely subdued?
M.: Checking its external activities and confining it within, this bee of the mind must be made to be drunk with the honey of the Heart lotus, i.e., the Bliss of the Self.
128. D.: Please explain this yoga.
M.: With an intense desire for Liberation, reaching a Guru, hearing from him the non-dual Brahman shining forth as BeingKnowledge-Bliss of the Self,
understanding It though indirectly yet as clearly as one understands Vishnu etc.,
turning the mind one pointedly to this Brahman,
without taking to enquiry by reflection (manana)
always meditating on the non-dual Self of Being-Knowledge-Bliss, attributeless and undifferentiated, is called yoga.
By its practice the mind becomes tranquil and can gradually go to samadhi.
In samadhi it will experience the Supreme Bliss.
129-130. D.: Has any other said so before?
M.: Yes. Sri Bhagavan has said: The yogi who, controlling the mind, always turns it upon the Self, becomes perfectly calm, and ultimately gains Me i.e., the Bliss of Liberation.
The mind of the yogi who always practises yoga, will be steady like a flame protected from the breeze and without movement will pass into samadhi.
D.: What is this enquiry?
M.: After hearing from the Guru about the nature of the Self which in the shastras is spoken of as Brahman or Being-Knowledge-Bliss,
to gain a clear indirect knowledge, then according to upadesa and by intelligent reasoning to enquire and find out the Self which is Pure Knowledge,
and the nonself which is objective and insentient like the ego, to discern and sift them, then directly to experience them as different from each other,
later on, by meditation to extinguish all that is objective, and to absorb into the Self the residual mind left over as non-dual, ends in the direct experience of Supreme Bliss.
Here it has been described in brief, but the shastras deal with it elaborately.
134. This chapter on Sadhana has dealt with these two means, Enquiry and Yoga, for making the mind still. According to his merits an intelligent seeker should practise either of them.
135. This Chapter is meant for the earnest student in order that he may study carefully and analyse his qualifications to ascertain what he already has and what more are wanted. After properly equipping himself he can find out which of these two methods suits him and then practise it till success.
.....chp 3 ends..
chp 4
1. In the foregoing chapter we had seen that yoga is suited to the lower grade of seekers and enquiry to the higher. In this chapter we shall consider the path of enquiry which effortlessly leads to Knowledge of Brahman.
2-4. D.: What is this path of enquiry?
M.: From the shastras it is well known to consist of sravana, manana, nidhidhyasana and samadhi i.e., hearing the Truth, reflection, meditation and Blissful Peace. The Vedas themselves declare it to be so. “My dear, the Self must be heard from the master, reflected and meditated upon.” In another place it is said that in Blissful Peace the Self must be realised. The same idea has been repeated by Sri Sankaracharya in his Vakyavrtti, namely that
until the meaning of the sacred text “I am Brahman” is realised in all its true significance, one must be practising sravana etc.
5-7. In Chitra Deepika, Sri Vidyaranyaswami has said that enquiry is the means of knowledge and it consists in hearing the Truth, reflection and meditation; only the state of blissful Peace of awareness in which Brahman alone exists and nothing else, is the true “nature” of Knowledge;
the non-revival of the knot of the ego parading as “I” which has been lost once for all, is its “effect”;
always to remain fixed as ‘I am the Supreme Self’ just as strongly, unequivocally and unerringly as the heretofore ignorant identification “I am the body” is its end;
liberation is its fruit.
From this it follows that only hearing etc. is the enquiry into the Self.
8-10. To hear the Supreme Truth, reflect and meditate on it, and to remain in Samadhi form together the enquiry into the Self.
They have for their cause (Hetu) the aforesaid four sadhanas, namely,
discernment,
desirelessness,
tranquillity and
desire to be liberated.
Which of these is essential for which part of enquiry will be mentioned in its appropriate place. Here we shall deal with sravana.
M.: Sravana consists in ascertaining, by means of the six proofs considered together, that the Vedas aim at the non-dual Brahman only
11-12. To analyse sravana under the five categories:-
1 Intense desire to be liberated gives rise to it;
2 always to be hearing of the non-dual Brahman is its nature;
3 the complete removal of that aspect of the veiling power of Ignorance which says, “It (Brahman) does not exist” is its effect;
4 non recurrence of this veiling power is its limit;
5 a firm indirect knowledge is its fruit.
..Similarly the knowledge gained by sravana can remain only indirect and is not directly experienced.
Sravana must therefore end in directly experienced knowledge.
M.: Not so. It is true that the sacred text reveals the Truth, “That thou art”. Still direct knowledge does not result merely by hearing it. In the absence of enquiry into the Self, knowledge cannot become direct. In order to have this indirect knowledge directly experienced, it is necessary to reflect on it
77. Here ends the chapter on sravana. The student who reads this carefully will gain indirect knowledge. In order to experience directly, he will seek to know the nature of manana or reflection.
..........chp 4 ends.................
chp 5 manana
1. D.: Master, on hearing it from you, the nature of the Self is now clear to me, but the knowledge remains only indirect. Kindly instruct me in reflection, by practising which the darkness of Ignorance now hiding the Self may vanish and direct experience result.
2. M.: Always to direct the thought with subtle reasoning upon the non-dual Self that is now known indirectly, is called reflection.
3-4. D.: Please tell me its ‘cause’, ‘nature’, ‘effect’, ‘limit’ and ‘fruit’.
M.: Discernment of the real from the unreal is its ‘cause’;
enquiry into the Truth of the non-dual Self is its ‘nature’;
to tear off that veiling aspect of Ignorance which makes one say “It does not shine forth” is its ‘effect’;
the non recrudescence of this veiling is its ‘limit’;
and direct experience is its ‘fruit’.
So say the sages
5. D.: Why is discernment said to be its ‘cause’?
M.: Only he who, by discernment of the real from the unreal has acquired indirect knowledge, is fit to seek by enquiry the direct knowledge of experience. No other can succeed in the search for it.
6. D.: Why should not the Desire for Liberation be the ‘cause’ of reflection?
M.: A mere desire to be Liberated cannot make a man fit for enquiry into the Self. Without sravana one cannot have even an indirect knowledge. How can one succeed in one’s enquiry?
Only after knowing the nature of the Self, should one proceed to seek It.
Ignorant of Its true nature, how can one investigate the Self? Simple desire to be liberated will not suffice
7. D.: Should not this desire lead to enquiry? With the rise of this desire the man will begin to hear about the nature of the Self and gain indirect knowledge which must enable him to undertake the enquiry.
M.: This amounts to saying that the seeker possesses discernment. He is not only desirous of Liberation but also discerning in intellect. With sravana comes this faculty of intellectual discernment of the real from the unreal, or the Self from the non-self. This is called indirect knowledge. The shastras say that only he who possesses indirect knowledge can discern the real or the Self from the unreal or the non-self, and is fit for enquiry into the Self. Therefore discernment is the sine qua non for enquiry.
D.: How can they be said not to be desirous of Liberation?
M.: Inasmuch as they engage in austerities without taking to sravana etc., which is the only gateway to Liberation, the absence of desire for Liberation is inferred
D.: No. They too can be desirous of being Liberated.
M.: If so, they must give up their austerities, always remain with a master and engage themselves in hearing of the Self.
If it be said that they have already done sravana also, then since they have gained indirect knowledge, they should be engaged in reflection. Not having done sravana, though endowed with desirelessness and tranquillity, they are incapable of discerning the real from the unreal and therefore unfit for enquiry into the Self. Desirelessness etc. can only be aids to this enquiry but not its chief causes.
Discernment of the real from the unreal is the only chief cause.
13-14. D.: Can the Self not be realised by austerities accompanied by desirelesness and tranquillity, without enquiry?
M.: No. By non-enquiry the Self has been lost sight of; to regain It enquiry is needed.
In its absence how can even crores of austerities restore the sight?
Always to enquire into the Self is the only remedy for the blindness of the ignorant whose mental eye has been bedimmed by the darkness of non-enquiry spreading its veil.
Unless by the eye of knowledge gained through enquiry, the Self cannot be realised
15-16. D.: What is this enquiry into the Self?
M.: With one-pointed intellect to seek within the five sheaths the Self which is shining forth as “I” in the body, senses etc., considering “who is this Self?, where is It? and how is It?”, is the nature of the enquiry into the Self.
With subtle intellect the enquiry into the Reality, namely the Self within the unreal sheaths must always be pursued.
.................................
Degree of absence of thoughts is a measure of your progress towards self realisation.
..................obstacles are thoughts.
progress is measured by removal of obstacles.
...Self is always realised.
.............................................. ..
Be still means destroy yourself...because any form or shape is the source of trouble.
..redirecting attention from objects to the thinker. (who am i?)
....
nitya/anitya viveka
karta/akarta viveka
.......
Self? M.: Non-recrudescence of the darkness of Ignorance is said to be the “limit” of reflection. Therefore one should continue the practice until this darkness of Ignorance does not recur.
D.: How can it be?
M.: Transcending all, the Self has nothing in common with worldly things or activities;
It transcends the void also;
hence the experience is unique and unearthly.
A fear may then arise “Can this be the Self?
It cannot be — Should this be the Self, how can I be such a void?”
Even after realising the impartite Self, there is no confidence in one’s own experience;
it is regarded as impossible and a great doubt arises.
The sense of impossibility gives rise to doubt. But repeated reflection removes this sense of impossibility.
So it is said by Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras: Aavi]a Ask < d< pdu =at e .\ On account of the repeated instruction (by the scriptures), (it is) necessary repeatedly (to hear of, reflect and meditate on the Self).
25. D.: What is the “fruit” of such reflection?
M.: By continued practice, the veiling is destroyed; with its destruction, the sense of impossibility of the Self shining forth all alone disappears; with its disappearance all obstacles are at an end and then direct experience results as clearly and surely as an apple in the palm of your hand. This is the “fruit”.
26. D.: What is this direct experience?
M.: Just as one can clearly distinguish the sun from the cloud hiding it, so also when one can distinguish the Self from the ego, it is direct experience. This is the ‘fruit’ of reflection.
.. By your intellect made subtle, find and realise the Self.
D.: Though unreal, this Ignorance flourished on the non-enquiry of the individual. Just as one’s non-enquiry hides the rope from view and presents it as a snake, so also non-enquiry into the Self hides It from being seen and this is called the veiling aspect of beginningless Ignorance.
Now that the Self is realised, the so-called veiling is nowhere to be seen. Lo, the Self is here and now found to be the ever-shining witness! Wonder of Wonders! Like an apple in my hand I have now clearly realised the Self. Now Lord, Master, fortunately by your grace I am blessed; my task is finished!
To know the witness and Brahman to be one is the ‘fruit’ of knowledge
...chp 5 ends...........
chp 6 Vasana-kshaya (entire chapter)
THE ANNIHILATION OF LATENCIES TENDENCIES
1. This chapter succeeds the five earlier ones on superimposition, its withdrawal, the requisites of the seeker, hearing, and reflection. To the disciple who after reflecting on the Self has gained direct knowledge, the master further says as follows
2. Wise son, the shastras have nothing more to teach you; you have finished them. Henceforth you must meditate on the Self.
The scriptures say: ‘Dear! the Self must be heard of, reflected and meditated upon’.
Having finished reflection, you must proceed with meditation.
Now give up the shastras.
3-6. D.: Is it proper to give them up?
M.: Yes, it is proper.
Now that by enquiry you have known what need be known, you can unhesitatingly give them up.
D.: But the shastras say that to the last moment of death, one should not give them up.
M.: Their purpose is to teach the truth. After it is gained, of what further use can they be? A further study will be so much waste of time and labour.
Therefore leave them aside. Take to unbroken meditation.
D.: Is this statement supported by scriptures?
M.: Yes.
D.: How?
M.: They say: After repeatedly hearing from the master about the Self, reflecting on It and directly knowing It, the seeker should give up the shastras, even as the pole used to stir up the corpse in the burning ground is finally consigned to the burning fire of the corpse.
From a study of the shastras, let the seeker of Liberation gather an indirect knowledge of the Self and put it into practice by reflecting on It until by experiencing It a direct knowledge is gained;
later like a gatherer of grains who takes the grain and rejects the chaff,
let him leave the shastras aside.
The man desirous of liberation should make use of shastras only to gain knowledge of the Self and then proceed to reflect on It; he should not be simply talking vedanta, nor even be thinking of it.
For talk results only in so much strain on speech, similarly thinking on the mind, no useful purpose can be served by either.
Therefore only know just what need be known and give up tiresome study.
Controlling his speech and mind, a sensible seeker should always engage in meditation.
This is the teaching of the shastras.
7. Wise son, now that you have known what need be known from them, you should efface the impressions left by your studies.
D.: What constitutes these impressions?
M.: It is the inclination of the mind always to study vedantic literature, to understand the meaning of the texts, to commit them to memory and constantly be thinking of them.
Since this inclination obstructs meditation, a wise man must overcome it with every effort.
Next, the latencies connected with the world (lokavasana) must be eliminated.
8. D.: What are these latencies?
M.: To think, this is my country, this is my family pedigree and this is the tradition. Should any one praise or censure any of these, the reactions of the mind denote the latencies connected with the world. Give them up. Later on, give up the latencies connected with the body also (dehavasana).
9-13. D.: What are they?
M.: To think oneself to be of such and such age, young or old and desire the full span of life with health, strength and good looks. Generally thoughts pertaining to the body indicate these latencies.
Ambition in the world and love for body distract the mind and prevent meditation on Brahman.
Since all objects are ephemeral, they must be eschewed. Then the latencies connected with enjoyments (bhogavasana) must be given up.
D.: What are these?
M.: These are made up of thoughts like: this is good and I must have it; this is not so and let it leave me; now I have gained so much and let me gain more, and so on.
D.: How can this be overcome?
M.: By looking with disgust upon all enjoyments as on vomit or excreta and developing dispassion for them, this can be overcome.
Dispassion is the only remedy for this mad craving. After this, the mind must be cleared of the six passions, namely, lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.
D.: How can this be done?
M.: By (maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha) friendship with the holy, compassion for the afflicted, rejoicing in the joy of the virtuous and being indifferent to the shortcomings of the sinful.
Next must be effaced the latencies connected with the objects of the senses (vishayavasana) such as sound etc. These latencies are the running of the senses such as hearing etc., after their objects.
D.: How can these latencies be effaced?
M.: By a practice of the six-fold discipline consisting of sama, dama, uparati, titiksha, samadhana and sraddha,
withdrawing the mind from going outwards, controlling the senses, not thinking of the objects of the senses, forbearance, fixing the mind on the Reality and faith.
Next all latencies connected with mutual attachments must be overcome. 14-15. D.: What are they?
M.: Though the senses are restrained, yet the mind always thinks of objects: ‘there is that; there is this; it is such and such; it is this-wise or otherwise’ and so on.
Because of brooding over objects, the mind gets attached to them, this constant brooding is called the latency connected with mental attachment.
D.: How can this be checked?
M.: By practising uparati which means desisting from all thoughts after concluding by proper reasoning that they are only fruitless daydreams.
16. When in the right manner, all this has been accomplished, the greatest evil-doer, namely the latency connected with wrong identity must be put an end to, even with great effort.
17. D.: What is this latency connected with wrong identity? (viparita vasana)
M.: Owing to beginningless Ignorance the non-Self is mistaken for the Self as ‘I am the body’ from time immemorial, this Ignorance is hardy and can be ended only by the practice of Brahman.
18-20. D.: What is this practice?
M.: It consists in discarding the body, senses etc., as being non-Self and always remembering that ‘I am Brahman’,
remaining as consciousness witnessing the insentient sheaths.
Meditating on Brahman in solitude,
speaking of or teaching only Brahman in the company of others,
not to speak or think of anything but It,
but always one-pointedly to think of Brahman, is the practice.
So say the wise.
By this, transcend the ego and then proceed to eliminate the idea of ‘mine’.
21-22. D.: What is the nature of this idea?
M.: It consists in the single concept of ‘mine’ in relation to the body or whatever pertains to it, such as name, form, clothing, caste, conduct or professions of life.
D.: How does this go away?
M.: By a steadfast meditation on the Reality.
D.: How?
M.: Always to be aware that the body etc., its interests and effects, enjoyments, activities etc., are only figments of ignorance on pure knowledge i.e., the Self, that like the appearance of silver on nacre, ornaments in gold, water in mirage, blueness in the sky or waves in water, all but the Self are only false presentations or illusory modes of the Self. In reality there is nothing but our ‘Self’. Next the sense of differentiation (bheda vasana) must go.
23-25. D.: What is this sense of differentiation?
M.: It consists in ideas like: “I am the witness of this; all that is seen is only insentient and illusory; here is the world; these are the individuals; this one is the disciple and the other, the master; this is Isvara, and so on.” This must go by a practice of non-duality. This practice is to remain non-dual, solid Being Knowledge-Bliss, untainted and free from thoughts of reality or unreality, ignorance or its illusory effects, and internal or external differentiation. This is accomplished by a constant practice of modeless (nirvikalpa) samadhi. Here remains the experience of Brahman only. After leaving the sense of differentiation far behind, the attachment to non-duality must later be given up.
26-27. D.: How is this to be done?
M.: Even this state must finally pass into untellable and unthinkable Reality absolutely free from modes and even non-duality. The Bliss of Liberation is only this and nothing more. When the mind is cleared of all latent impurities, it remains untainted, crystal-clear so that it cannot be said to exist or not to exist and it becomes one with Reality, transcending speech and thought. This unmoded, untainted fixity of the mind is known as Realisation or Liberation while alive.
28. Though direct knowledge of the Self has been gained, yet until this Realisation ensues, to be liberated while alive one should always meditate on Brahman with proper control of mind and senses.
Thus ends this chapter.
.......................chp 6 ends ...........
chp 7 sakshatkara
1. In the foregoing chapter it was said that direct knowledge must first be gained and then the latent tendencies of the mind wiped out so that Brahman may be realised. Now Realisation is dealt with. The master says: Wise son, now that you have gained direct knowledge by enquiry into the Self, you should proceed with meditation.
2. D.: Master, now that I have gained direct knowledge by enquiry and my task is finished why should I meditate further and to what end?
3-4. M.: Though by reflection, direct knowledge of the Self has been gained,
Brahman cannot be realised without meditation.
In order to experience ‘I am Brahman’ you must practise meditation
..Without completely losing one’s individuality one cannot be Brahman.
Therefore to realise Brahman, the loss of the individuality is a sine qua non.
... Similarly, constantly meditating on Brahma, the seeker loses his original nature and becomes himself Bramha. This is the realisation of Brahman.
26-27. D.: In brief what is Realisation?
M.: To destroy the mind in its form-aspect functioning as the limiting adjunct to the individual, to recover the pure mind in its formless aspect whose nature is only Being-KnowledgeBliss and to experience ‘I am Brahman’ is Realisation.
D.: Is this view supported by others as well?
M.: Yes. Sri Sankaracharya has said: ‘Just as in the ignorant state, unmindful of the identity of the Self with Brahman, one truly believes oneself to be the body, so also after knowing to be free from the illusion of the body being the Self, and becoming unaware of the body, undoubtingly and unmistakably always to experience the Self as the Being-Knowledge-Bliss identical with Brahman is called Realisation’. ‘To be fixed as the Real Self is Realisation’, say the sages
28. D.: Who says it and where?
29. M.: Vasishta has said in Yoga Vasishta: ‘Just as the mind in a stone remains quiet and without any mode, so also like the interior of the stone to remain without any mode and thought free, but not in slumber nor aware of duality, is to be fixed as the Real Self’.
30-31. Therefore without effacing the form-aspect of the mind and remaining fixed as the true Self, how can anyone realise ‘I am Brahman’? It cannot be. Briefly put, one should
still the mind to destroy one’s individuality and thus remain fixed as the Real Self of Being-Knowledge-Bliss, so that in accordance with the text ‘I am Brahman’ one can realise Brahman. On the other hand, on the strength of the direct knowledge of Brahman to say ‘I am Brahman’ is as silly as a poor beggar on seeing the king declaring himself to be the king. Not to claim by words but to be fixed as the Real Self and know ‘I am Brahman’ is Realisation of Brahman
M.: Experience implies delusion; without the one, the other cannot be.
Unless there is an object, no experience is possible.
All objective knowledge is delusion.
There is no duality in Brahman.
Certainly all names and forms are by ignorance superimposed on Brahman.
Therefore the experiencer must be ignorant only and not a sage.
Having already enquired into the nature of things and known them to be illusory names and forms born of ignorance, the sage remains fixed as Brahman and knows all to be only Brahman.
Who is to enjoy what? No one and nothing. Therefore there is no past karma left nor present enjoyments nor any activity for the wise one.
52. Here ends the Chapter on Realisation. Diligently studying and understanding this, the seeker will kill the mind which is the limiting adjunct that causes individuality to manifest and ever live as Brahman only
.....chp 7 ends...
chp 8 manonasha
1. In the previous chapter, having taught the realisation of the non-dual Brahman, the master now treats of the extinction of the mind as the sole means of realising Brahman.
3-4. M.: To give up the mind is very easy, as easy as crushing a delicate flower, or removing a hair from butter or winking your eyes. Doubt it not. For a self-possessed resolute seeker not bewitched by the senses, but by strong dispassion grown indifferent to external objects, there cannot be the least difficulty in giving up the mind.
D.: How is it so easy?
M.: The question of difficulty arises only if there is a mind to leave off. Truly speaking, there is no mind. When told ‘There is a ghost here’ an ignorant child is deluded into believing the existence of the non-existent ghost, and is subject to fear, misery and troubles, similarly in the untainted Brahman by fancying things that are not, as this and that, a false entity known as the mind arises seemingly real, functioning as this and that, and proving uncontrollable and mighty to the unwary, whereas to the self-possessed, discerning seeker who knows its nature, it is easy to relinquish. Only a fool ignorant of its nature says it is most difficult.
5-10. D.: What is the nature of mind?
M.: To think this and that. In the absence of thought, there can be no mind. On the thoughts being extinguished the mind will remain only in name like the horn of a hare; it will vanish as a non-entity like a barren woman’s son, or a hare’s horn, or a flower in the sky. This is also mentioned in the Yoga Vasishta.
M.: Thought is the index of the mind. When a thought arises mind is inferred. In the absence of thought, there can be no mind. Therefore mind is nothing but thought. Thought is itself mind
D.: What is ‘thought’?
M.: ‘Thought’ is imagination. The thought-free state is Bliss Supreme (Sivasvarupa). Thoughts are of two kinds; the recalling of things experienced and unexperienced
M.: Though for the ignorant it is difficult, for the discerning few it is very easy. Never think of anything but the unbroken unique Brahman.
By a long practice of this, you will easily forget the non-self.
It cannot be difficult to remain still without thinking anything. Let not thoughts arise in the mind; always think of Brahman.
In this way all worldly thoughts will vanish and thought of Brahman alone will remain.
When this becomes steady, forget even this, and without thinking ‘I am Brahman’, be the very Brahman. This cannot be difficult to practise
40. Now my wise son, follow this advice; cease thinking of anything but Brahman. By this practice your mind will be extinct; you will forget all and remain as pure Brahman.
41. He who studies this chapter and follows the instructions contained therein, will soon be Brahman Itself!
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