FromPath of Ramana part 1:
However, since the knot of attachment is the basic one, until and unless the destruction of attachment (abhimana) is effected, by knowing self, even when the knot of bondage to the nerves is temporarily removed in sleep, swoon, death or by the use of anesthetics, the knot of attachment remains unaffected in the form of tendencies (vasanas), which constitute the causal body, and, hence rebirths are inescapable.
Sam notes:
What are the vasanas :
Im a body is a vasana
This world is real is a vasana
interactions with this illusory world is a vasana
I and Mine is a vasana.
amritanubhava in marathi
https://www.transliteral.org/pages/z70718095622/view
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upanishads 1 of 3
30:53
The Self is realised in a higher state of Consciousness when you have broken through the wrong identification that you are the body subject to birth and death. To be the Self is to go beyond death.
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Ramdas Swami:
12 years 13 koti times Ram naam, standing in cold water.
did develop 'kapha' due to the tapascharya..and bad health.
Had darshan of Ram at age of 11. at 24, he was enlightened.
Gagangiri maharaj:
Did sadhana in river water. fish ate both legs. kaya kalpa lived 102 years.
Shiva balayogi:
Gangarin snake bite. Meditating 12 hours a day = Tapa.
Had arthritis, diabetes, Was on dialysis.
Ramana Maharshi:
No body consciousness. magots in knees. Arthritis, cancer..refused amputation of hand that lead to death.
As a kid, lost in meditation to the point unaware of body consciousness....unkempt, 3 months no shower. Achieved realisation within 3 years.
Swamiji:
agni sadhana, hands legs. donated skin three times, ekanatavas etc.
Narada bhakti Sutra:
sutra 9
tasmin ananyata tadvirodhishudasinta cha (udasinta) (virodhishu)
Once bhakti is attained..becomes indifferent to everything else that is opposed to being in bhakti.
bhakti is all there is.
10
anyashrayanam tyagonyanata (ashrayanam take refuge)
..does not seek refuge in anything else but in bhakti
12
bhavatu nishchaya gargyadhurdhva rakshanam
firm belief that bhakti shall protect.
13
anyatha paatityashankaya (paatitya fall down shankaya doubt)
otherwise one is likely to fall down
or digress from the path of bhakti.
18
Aatmaratya virodheneti shandilyaha (avirodhena freedom from obstruction)
Bhakti is removal of all hurdles, all obstruction to the realization of the Self
19 ...tadavismarne paramvyakulteti
..offering all ones's actions to the deity failing which he feels extremely distressed.
32,33
33...asmaatsaiva grahya mumukshabhihi
mere sight of food doesn't satisfy hunger...therefore bhakti = the only way..for those who seek liberation from life and death.
34 how to achieve bhakti?
35 tatu vishaya tyagatsaga tyagaacha (tatt that tu and , reject objects of desire...sanga association cha and)
reject sense of gratification from objects of desire and association with them.
36 avyavrutta bhajanat (ceaselessly, uninterrupted)
bhakti is ceaseless adoration/worship/remembrance
37
in this world, hearing and chanting the name of god is bhakti
38
However primarily bhakti is a result of mercy of great souls or mere mercy of vishnu.
39 association of great souls not easily possible
40...acquired by mercy of vishnu
41 no diff bet guru/god
42 tadeva sadhyatam tadeva sadhyatam
bhakti alone is worth striving for.
43 duhsanga sarvatha eva tyajyaha
bad association , one that takes you away from bhakti is to COMPLETELY given up.
44 desire cause of ruin
45 waves small then big ocean...ball bounces down to pataaal
46 kastarti kastarti maya...nirmama ..free of the feeling of ownership
47 yo vivivkta sthanam sevata...yogakshemam..gives up the idea, concept of security, well being.
48...nirdvandvo bhavati...conflictless
49 kevalam exclusively avichinna uninterrupted anuragam love
obtains exclusive and uninterrupted love of vishnu
50 sa tarati sa tarati sa lokanstarayati
51 anirvachaniyam premaswarupam
indescribable..bhakti is indescribable and takes the form of love.
52 mukasvadanavat
53 prakshyate kvapiprapte
sometimes it is revealed to one who deserves it
54 guna rahitam kamana rahitam prati kshana vardhamanam
avichinnam sukshmataram=most subtle anubhav rupam
55 tat praapya (having obtained bhakti) tadev avalokayati (sees) tadev shrunoti tadev bhashyati (speak of)
tadev chintayati thinks
56 there is a gauni bhakti gauni = secondary, lower from of bhakti. aarta call of distress etc.
gauni tridha gunabheda..tridha threesfold
57 each later state to be considered better than the previous state
58 anyasmat more than anything else saulabhyam ease of obtaining bhaktau =bhakti
bhavasagar of maya crossed more easily than anything else by bhakti
59 bhakti its own authority validity
60 bhakti = peace and supreme ecstacy
61 Having surrendered oneself..need not worry about losses of world
nivedita having surrendered
63
stri dhana naastikam charitram na shravaniyam
64
Give up pride, deceit etc
65
After having offered everything to Vishnu one must offer kama, krodha,
tasvim evam karaniyam
towards him alone should be done
66
tri rupa bhanga nitya dasya kanta love bhajan atmakam consisting of
having broken the hold of 3 gunas, ...one must act perpetually in servitude as a lover singing the praises of Vishnu.
67 bhakta ekantino mukhyaha
the bhakta is exclusive, the one and the only
68 kantha avrodh block rom goose bumps ashrubhi tears lapmanaha converse pavayanti purify
70 tanmayaha
The bhaktas are entirely filled with Him (Vishnu)
73 yatastadiyaha
No difference between them because they all belong to Vishnu.
74 vadona avalambhyaha
75 debate ...doesnt lead to any conclusion..waste of time
77 pratikshamane waiting for tyakte give up
sukha dukkha labha aadi tyakte
pratikshamane kshana ardham api=even vyartham na neyam=should not be wasted.
79 sarvada always sarvabhavena nishchintayaha bhagwan eva bhajaniyaha.
Without a shred of doubt Vishnu must be worshipped with all the bhava that one possesses.
80 sa kirtyamanaha glorified shigrham quickly eva indeed avirbhavati reveals/appears anubhavayati=comes to realisation/experience
82 eleven forms of bhakti
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Ramana imp points
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrk4TbOXBZ8&list=PLNcKRMLMcyzbYxM_zt786175aBzyLi8f8&index=8
The highest goal of man is to enquire who am i.
If a human doesnt try to do this he lives in vain
One must be ready to sacrifice everything for the truth
Know that you are really the infinite being, the Self
Divine Grace is essential for realization.
it is only given to those who strive hard and ceaselessly on the path towards freedom
the cause of your misery is not in the life outside you, it is in you as the ego.
The ego must die, must vanish along with the inherent vasanas.
The ego falls crestfallen when one enquires who am i and enters the heart
The very purpose of Self Enquiry is to focus the entire mind at its source.
Merging into the source of ego, which is the fullness of Consciousness, and abiding there, is realisation
there must be untiring effort to go inward all the time until the Self is realized.
one who seeks his real Self will not be afraid of any obstacle.
bC is wrong I . give up bC
The thought i am the body is ignorance. Direct your attention only to remove this ignorance.
M alone cause of bondage and release
Success in turning the M inward is achieved by practice and dispassion. it comes only gradually.
2 methods enquiry and devotion. one leads to another
A devotee concentrate on god.
Seeker (dnyana marga) seeks the Self.
practice equally difficult for both
attachment=bondage
Attachment disappears with the elimination of the ego.
Renunciation = realization.
Renunciation = giving up ego
if you renounce and give up everything, what remains is realization.
The Self is like the Pearl
To find it you must dive deep
into the Silence
Deeper and deeper ..until it is reached.
silence is the speech of the self.
Silence is Truth, bliss, Peace
Hence, Silence = Self
Perfect peace is of the Self.
if one's mind has peace, the whole world will appear peaceful.
Your duty is to be and not be this or that.
The method is summarized in 'be Still'
what does Stillness mean?
it means destroy yourself.
because of every name and form is cause of trouble.
by remaining in contact with realized sages, the man gradually loses the ignorance.
The Guru's grace works automatically and spontaneously.
The point to be grasped is this:
The heart means the core of one's being.
Reality is only one and that is the Self.
All the rest is phenomena, in it, of it, by it.
The Self which is consciousness is alone real. Nothing else is.
Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature.
Existence or Consciousness is the only reality.
The Bliss of the Self is always with you.
...and you will find it for yourself if you seek it earnestly.
Happiness is our real nature.
it does'nt depend on achievement/ possessions.
To be ones' own Self = Samadhi.
The state in which the unbroken experience of ecb is attained by the still Mind, alone is samadhi.
One's own reality which shines within everyone as the heart, is itself the ocean of unalloyed Bliss.
The power of a dnyani's Self Realisn is more powerful than all occult powers.
Siddhi is to know and realize that which is ever real.
Other siddhis are mere dream siddhis.
Self Abidance is alone a miracle.
The other miracles are like dreams.
Rebirth is due to vasanas which are binding.
But they are destroyed in the one of Self realsn.
Forgetfulness of the Real nature = real death.
Remembrance of it, it is the true birth.
There is neither past, nor future.
Yet even the present is mere imagination.
No thought will go in vain.
Each person will get results according to his thoughts.
Freewill and destiny are ever existent.
Destiny is the result of past action.
complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny.
whether you achieve this effacement through Self Equiry or Bhakti.
Absolute consciousness which is Self Awareness destroys the ego and bestows self liberation.
Love itself is god.
The experience of Self is only love
seeing only love, hearing only love, feeling only love, tasting only love, smelling only Love,
which is Bliss.
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until one is able to regulate connection between mind and senses,
...one cannot become a yogi.
Prana carries out the function of connection and disconnection.
hence, the importance of 'Pranayama."
pinning down the mind to a point = 'dharana'
eg adnya kendra
if this pinning down for long time = 'dhyan'
Meditator, object of medn, medn ...trikuti disappears = 'samadhi'.
after he is able to achieve samadhi through corporeal means,
..then he should try it through 'incorporeal' means.
Only when M has passed through these various stages and got rid of the impurities (of trs)
...it can comprehend the Self,
which is the finest of the finest,
with no form or attribute.
Through dharana and Dhyana, mind gains strength and rises into the prolonged state of samadhi.
when M has become one with the Self,
as the camphor becomes one with the fire,
or the salt becomes one with water,
all distinctions, between meditator, object of medn , medn disappear
....and the Self begins to shine by itself.
This samadhi
= asampradnyata (yoga)
= nirvikalpa (vedanta)
he alone is the real yogi, who has transcended the 3 mental states trs
and reaches the supreme state of self abidance
possible for qualified in 1 leap
for others pranayama, pratyahara etc.
Bramha is the ultimate truth.
one who has accepted that, has accepted everything.
one who knows it, knows everything.
one who has gained it, has gained everything
But nobody knows that bramha or desires to know it.
nobody seems to possess that purity and fineness of M which makes one desire to attain bramha.
few people aim to achieve it, the supreme bliss
if people fail to achieve it, it is on account of maya.
but there are certain hidden, abstract truths which even inference cannot reach upto.
One can reach them only through one's firm faith in the mahatmas and shastras.
Without faith, it is impossible to ascertain those great truths.
Without ascertaining them it is impossible to take practical steps to reach them.
How can I define the greatness of the faith that is at the root of all prosperity, here and here after?
How can I describe the uniqueness of the faith that renders the most difficult penances, most easy.
They firmly believed that the the gain of all the world was no compensation foe the loss of one's soul.
They were never satisfied with anything else less than realisation.
They found contentment only in the enjoyment of long periods of samadhi.
Thus it is clear that it is the Inner Spirit that is at the root of all beauty.
I am that spirit which shines unsurpassed.
A man's highest state is the Dnyana samadhi in which he enjoys total identification with that spirit.
But at last rising above all such perishable, though immediately pleasant things, their thoughtful mind turns towards that one and only one object of Perfect Bliss, which transcends all attributes and actions, and which is limited by neither time nor Space.
..on hearing his glories, M melts ...flows Uninterruptedly towards the Almighty = bhakti.
Abidance in Brahman is the unbroken flow of mental moulds informed by Brahman. When the mind is engaged in a state of samadhi, how can the concept of body and other objects extraneous to the Atman arise in it ? Concept of the Atman and concept of the non-Atman cannot exist in the mind at the same moment. How can there be activities connected with the body, etc., in the absence of a strong attachment to such objects ? As the enlightened ones abiding in Jnana are beyond the reach of activities, sanyasa comes to them quite spontaneously. The advocates of sanyasa, therefore, argue that during the stage of preparatory practice, sanyasa in the form of the renunciation of action is indispensable ; in the stage of attainment it becomes natural ; that Karma and Jnana cannot therefore exist in the same person at the same time ; that the Karma of Janaka, Vidura, etc., was merely the reflection of it and that only worldlings obsessed with the idea of sense enjoyment oppose the idea of sanyasa. It is hardly worth stating that Buddhism too insists upon monasticism and solitude as indispensable devices for preventing the perpetual flow of the senses • and the mind towards sensuous pleasures and for weening them to the quiet performance of spiritual duties and that the wide prevalence of monasticism in Buddhistic countries like Tibet is the result of such lAKE MANASA 1 267 insistence. Bnddhism firmly believes that the house- holder’s life is false and sinful. Practical-minded men have often asked in the past and still continue to ask. “ Of what use to this world full of action, sustained by action and propelled by action, are the sanyasins who have renounced the world and its activities to live immersed in samadhi and bhajan 1 To this question, the sanyasins’ answer is quite simple. Their very state of non-action is in itself a mighty blessing to the world. More than all the learned disquisitions of erudite scholars, more than all their profound treatises, the Nirvikalpa Samadhi of a sanyasin touches the heart of humanity and elevates it to a higher plane. Their desireless non-action does greater good to the world than the swiftest and the most frantic activities of the revolu- tionaries. What is more, sanyasa is mightier than armies and is boundless as the sea.
The real difference between a jnani and an ajnani in their attitude to suffer- ing is to be found in the Jnana's serenity which remains unruffled in the face of pain and sorrow. It is born out of the conviction that worldly existence is illusory and the soul alone is eternal.
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Man is like a caged lion. He cannot get out of the limitations of the senses. He does not recollect
how he has fallen from a high state of freedom into abject slavery Every book of religion refers to man’s sad fall Religious texts and teachers of religion may differ widely on other points but they are all agreed that man has fallen into a low state and his paramount duty is to understand his degradation and reclaim himself from that state. So long as man, however learned, remains in this bondage of illusion, there is hardly any difference between him and the meanest worm God has given them both power to know and power to do. Both remain attached to bodily senses , both seek worldly pleasures and suffer greatly Man can hardly consider himself superior to other creatures so long as he fads to use his Reason properly for breaking the bondage he IS in If It only serves to bind himself faster to the world, if it gives only sorrow and servitude, how can It make man superior to other animals i Every- where around us we find people who are bound down to the body and who inexorably pursue the illusive pleasures of the senses, under the belief “ I am this body” If this is what Reason does, who can fail to say that Reason is the cause of greater bondage and greater sorrow 7 This IS the state of the people who pride themselves upon being gifted with Reason and steeped in learning For every little pleasure that Reason brings, there is a lot of suffering in store But from what I have stated here fet no man jump to the conclusion that I hold human life and Reason responsible for all man’s suffering The sasiras esteem them as the result of great good deeds With Reason man has great things to achieve Properly utilised, it is the chief requisite for breaking the illusory bondage and realizing
God. But the mere possession of it cannot make man worthier than other creatures. It ennobles man to the extent it serves to achieve the main purpose of human life, namely, the conquest of Maya.
Action is the natural order of the world. The life-force continues to stir all living bodies at all times. There is no state of inaction. A desireless, peaceful state of existence where the distinction between the Knower and the Known disappears, is difiicult to
attain, wherever man may be. That distinction fades away only when man has crossed the stream of action which shows itself in the activities of the physical senses and which produces pleasure and pain. But crossing the stream means the complete conquest of Illusion and Illusion is certainly very difficult to over- come,Even in holy places like Badrikashram it is not easy to reach that stage, of Supreme Bliss, where all distinctions disappear, where all activity ceases. There may be a few great souls who enjoy the state of Samadhi but even their minds and senses arc not beyond the reach of the mighty Illusion. One may ascend to the highest peak of the Himalayas ; but unless one is exceptionally fortunate and possesses tireless industry, deep faith, true know- ledge and the highest degree of detachment, one cannot overcome Illusion completely and reach that final blissful state of merger with the Supreme.
A mmd cannot qualify itself for the realiza- tion of Truth except through the worship of both the gross and the subtle Beginners in spiritual practice sometimes try to grapple with the Abstract straightaway and they invanably fail To concentrate the mmd upon Brahman, one must begm with worship So, for people who are only imperfectly qualified to enter into meditation, pious descnption of the objects of worship hke stone or earth or idol, are not without use If Bhaktas advise their disciples to meditate upon
Salagram or Snalmgani or some such stone, as if it were God, Yogis advise their followers to concentrate their minds upon mbhi chakra (the navel wheel), Hndayapmnlankam(fiie\olas of the heart), Nasikagram (tip of the nose), Jihwagram (tip of the tongue), Bliroomaclltyam (centre of the brows), etc , and followers of the Upamshads direct their pupils to worship “ aima ” (physical body). Prana (air) and various other materialistic things Why do they do so ’’ They do so because all of them agree that without first gaming a certain degree of concentration by fixing the mind upon physical objects, it is difficult for people to focus their minds upon the abstract Brahman Constant supposition by itself cannot make a thing real There ts nothing absurd in worshipping some- thing unreal for the improvement of the mind When a man has realized the eternal Truth by distinguishing between the true and the untrue with the help of concrete objects, he may no longer requite that mode of worship, but until such realization, the substitution of the unreal for the Real, is not undesirable or pur- poseless If that IS so, tlie detailed description of some image, holy place or beautiful thing, which is suitable for the worship of gross-minded people and which will help towards the purification and concen- tration of their minds, cannot be open to censure, though, from one point of view, the description may appear to be that of a purely imaginary thing, as unreal as the child of a barren woman If it serves seekers after Truth to some extent in tlieir quest, my effort in writing these pieces of description shall I not be in vain I know Truth is that endless luminous iiKnowledge transcending the three gunas and action know 1 am That and am supremely happy in that
Knowledge. I believe whatever I do, whether I read or write, eat or breathe, play or ramble, or remain in a state of mental concentration (samadhi) is for the good of my brethren.
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It is a pity many people in this country are misled by an overwhelming desire to follow the Yoga system, seek to see divine sights and hear divine sounds under the impression that it is the end and aim of human life, even though they hardly
possess even a rudimentary knowledge of the yoga system
Certainly Yoga is one of the higher methods of realizing God It is far supenor to iSafcn-worship It is also true that, in certam cases, men are able to know truth only through cultivating yoga, even though they might have previously spent years in study and medita- tion But the yoga must be of the correct type ema- nating from the Upamshads and handed down by the great rishis It mist be learnt from true teachersThe world should know how dangerous it is to expen- ment with Rechaka, Pooraka, etc , without first studying carefully their basic prmciples, their nature and results from a real master of yoga Some people are under the impression that yoga consists simply of the several steps of Pranayama, such as Rechakam, Poorakam, etc. Some other consider acts hke ffeti and Dhouti to be yoga Yet others mistake it for the vision of stars or of the sun and the moon within If a person succeeds in raising himself howsoever httle from his seat he is deemed to have attained the very hnut of yoga. None of these is yoga Even if one is able to do all this, he may be no Yogi Even if be fails to do any of these, he may still be a yogi
Then what is yoga "> What 'is the true nature of the yoga dealt wiUi in the sastras and regarded by the wise as helpful m the effort to (realize God ? Yoga IS defined as “ That is, it consists in attammg complete control over the vacilla- tions of the restless mind The process mvolves eight steps mt, fintn, antm, mvnum, UcUi^k , uiyw, am and tiHlfit First, one should master m, film and
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First, one should master tr, and
STRH. Then proceed with HWIIMIH. Pranayama means the conquest of prana by practising Rechakam, Poora- kam and Kumbbakam afept afit ’aratpqttnihTfwfh^^: siFlTOTit: (Yoga Sutra). The Sutra describes the nature of Pranayama which one may attempt after attaining mastery over the asanas. Drawing in the air deeply (inhaling) is called Pooraka ; letting it out gradually (exhaling) is known as Rechaka. The complete stoppage of breathing (neither inhaling nor exhaling) is designated as Kumbhakam and that is the most important part of Pranayama. Not only the Hatha. Yogis but the Rajayogis also accept Pranayama as an essential element of yoga.
The "5” (ha) sound stands for the Prana known as Surya “s” (tha) signifies Apana which is called chandra. The union of the two is called yoga. From this description of Hatha yoga given by its principal exponent, Gorakshanatha, it is clear that the particular type of yoga stops with the attainment of health, lasting youthfulness, vitality and longevity. Physical health, however important, is only physical health. However long a tree might live, it is no more than a tree. Rajayoga, therefore, accepts pranayama merely as a means to an end, namely, control of the mind.Pranayama should be practised slowly and with great care.Prana is like the lion : to tame him into a cat is a difficult task, indeed. If one succeeds in doing so, he of course reaps great benefits ; if he fails, he may have to face dangerous consequences. The man who conquers the individual prana by regular andatient practice, simultaneously conquers the collective prana All one’s physical and mental powers proceed from one’s individual prana , similarly all the acts of the Universe originate with the collective prana Thus hy conquering the individual pram the yogis conquer the collective as well In fact, collective prana and individual prana are not two different entities but one and the same So the devotees of the yoga philosophy claim enthusiastically that a yogi who has effected the complete conquest of the individual prana will have the sun and the moon at his beck and call, because he has obtained control over the collective prana However, we need not examine the vahdity of these claims here as they relate simply to the realm of possibilities
After the conquest of prana one should practise Pratyahara Pratyaliara is the technical term for withdrawing the mind from the pursuit of the senses Ordinanly, the mind is flowing out through the clefts in the surrounding rocks A sound is produced some- where near us , we hear it, whether we like it or not Somebody comes , we notice the arrival whether we like to do so or not Thus, irrespective of our likes and dislikes, we are being continually attracted by sights and sounds And our mind, enslaved by the senses, is engaged in a relentless pursuit of them If we do not check this lamentable vagrant tendency, our mind cannot turn inward and fix itself upon anything It IS a well-known fact that we become aware of external things onfy when the sense organs, the senses and the mind come into contact with them If one’s mind and one’s senses do not come into touch with each other, no knowledge results Until we are able to control the sense organs, the senses and the mind
which are all separate but which become one empirically and keep them in their proper places we shall have to remain slaves to our senses and it will be impossible for us to concentrate our mind upon any one object. And therefore it is plain, one cannot become a yogi ‘ until one is able to regulate the connection and the disconnection of the mind and the senses. As it is the prana that carries on the processes of connection and 1 disconnection irrespective of one’s will, one shall be ■able to withdraw the mind from the senses, on one’s I developing the control of prana by the practice of pranayama.
Once a man has developed his power of Pratya- hara, he must proceed gradually to dharana, dhyanOy ^amadhU etc. These are the ’Tn’TTjfTO: (Subject of imagination) of the mind. To begin with, one must try to concentrate upon physical objects. From the contemplation of the physical, one can pass on to the spiritual. There is great variety among the objects of contemplation according to the varying tastes of the practitioners. The lotuses of the mooladhara and the shining “ lights ” are some of the favourite concrete aids to contemplation. The Bhaktas generally prefer the divine forms of Vishnu, Siva, etc. In fact, every object helping to check the constant wave-like movements of the mind, and enabling the mind to flow out like a single stream, ,is good enough. This pinning down of the mind according to one’s tastes, to spiritual or physical objects such as an imaginary bright light in the heart or between the eyebrows or on top of the head or on Vishnu, Siva or Devi, is called dharana. If this control of mental activity is continued for a long time it is called' d/iynwa. The state in which the distinction between meditation and
meditator disappears, and the object of meditation alone shines, is called samadhi. Samadhi lasts longer than dhyana. When a man has succeeded in attaining 'dharana, dhyana and samadhi mth the help of corporeal means, his next effort must be to reach these states through incorporeal means. According to the Yoga prakriya (yoga dialectics) the Panchatanmatras, Ahan- karam, Mahattatvam and Pradhanam are such incor- poreal objects ; according to the Vedanlk school of thought they are Adhyalmika prana, Adhidaivika prana and the mind, “ Only when the mind has passed through these various stages and got rid of the impu- rities of Rajas and Tomas, it can comprehend the Self which is the finest of the fine, with no form or attribute. Through the dharana and dhyana the mind gains strength and rises into the prolonged state of Samadhi. When mind has become one with the Self, as the camphor becomes one with the fire, or the salt becomes one with the water, all distinctions between the meditator, the meditation and the meditated dis- appear and the Self begins to shine by Itself. This last and highest state of mind is called by the Yogis as Asamprajnala ; it is called Nirvikalpa by the Vedantins. .This state of samadhi raises a sadhaka (trainee) to a siddha and a layman to a yogi. He alone is the real yogi who has transcended the three mental states, Thamasa, Rajasa and Salvika and reached that supreme state of self-abidance. Nobody else deserves that name. Others in their ignorance, only confuse the ends and means, ft is therefore the supreme duty of a student of yoga to understand the real nature of yoga and pursue it enthusiastically and whole-heartedly. “utiil a)iiiti — is a well-known principle of yoga. There are several stages in the practice ofyoga. One must proceed step by step from the lower to the higher stage. But if, by God’s grace, one has already transcended some of these stages, one can, of course proceed directly to the next stage. If a man has attained dharana without practising pranayama and pratyahara in this life, he need not waste his time or energy practising those earlier exercises. Similarly, if his mind, in its innate purity, can readily concentrate upon the abstract, he need not court corporeal aid. So every one must examine one’s mental equipment and proceed higher and higher as it may be possible in each individual case. The science of Yoga acknow- ledges Asamprajiiala as its highest goal. It recognises him who has reached that state as the supreme yogi. It also admits that there is nothing illogical if qualified persons reach the goal at one leap, while persons less qualified have to reach it by the regular practice of Pranayama, Pratyahara, etc. 'Brahman is the ultimate Truth. He who has accepted It has accepted everything ; who knows It knows everything ; who has gained It has gained everything.But nobody knows that Brahman, nor desires to know It.Nobody seems to possess that purity and fineness of mind which makes one desire to attain Brahman.People are engaged in the relentless pursuit of ephemeral and limited worldly pleasures. To get at those flimsy joys and to preserve them they waste the precious human life. They appear inordi- nately proud of such possessions. Alas ! even man is not his own. Then how can these external things become his possessions ? All these pleasures arebut the infinitesimal part of the bliss of Brahman Few indeed are the people who aim at that supreme BlissIf people fail to perceive their ultimate goal, it IS all on account of MayaNow and at all times, here and everywhere, the delusive power of Maya functions unchecked There seems to be no limit to her powers127
With constant practice one can conquer lust, greed, etc., in course of time. Only, a temporary lull in the passions should not be taken for total conquest or annihilation. It hardly requires to be stressed here that the acceptance of sanyasa before one has conquered his desires and acquired perfect control over mind and body, is sinful and will easily prove a passport to hell. It is necessary that the sanyasim of the present and the future should learn this lesson from the experience of their predecessors.
The fact is, a scmyasin experiences only bliss, at all places and at all times. Even in what others consider as sorrow, he finds jo/. Pain as well as pleasure is Brahman and, therefore the same. All this world of joy and sorrow is superimposed upon Brahman. If that is so, joy and sorrow, man and woman, mountain and serpent, sea and city are all forms of Bliss which is Brahman.
If there are some so-called learned men, who, in the pride of their learning, pooh-pooh the idea of a world other than the ground thereof, they do so out of their ignorance and we need not mind them.The truth is, people whose studies and speculations are confined only to the four grosser elements have no right to speak of the shadowy things beyond the reach of the elements and the senses.
It will be ridiculous if they begin to meddle with abstract matters which transcend the senses and baffle mechanical experimentation and verification.
In the determination of abstract things what really counts is the fearless cogitation of the philosophers who have seen Truth face to face and who base their ideas upon their own direct experiences and inferences.Even in ancient times men were not wanting in this land who contradicted the theory that the world is essentially its ground. Was not the theory of Pancbakhyati (the five theories of error) well-known to the Vedantic Scholars of India 7 Thoughtful people ' will never be prepared to recognise this amorphous world of ceaseless change as the ultimate reality.132But there are certam hidden, abstract truths which even inference cannot reach up to One can reach them only through one’s firm faith in the mahatmas and the SastrasWithout faith it is impossi- ble to ascertain those great truths and without ascer- taining them it IS impossible to take practical steps to reach them.How can I define the greatness of the faith that is at the root of all prosperity here and hereafter? How can I describe the skill and the uniqueness of the faith that renders the most difficult penances most easy ''
133
There is no doubt regarding the partiality of our ancient rishis for solitude. They never neglected their souls for the enjoyment of worldly
imp-
pleasures. They firmly believed that the gain of all the world was no compensation for the loss of one’s soul. They were never satisfied with anything less than realization. Unlike the people of our generation they never stopped with words. They found content- ment only in the enjoyment of long periods of Samadhi. They never considered the fall of the human body as a “ condition precedent ” to the enjoyment of perfect spiritual bliss. Such bliss could be enjoyed in the state of Samadhi even before the soul had freed itself from the body. “ O my husband, my sister is already a mother ; why don’t I become one ? ” asks the wife reproachfully. “ My dear, so long as I live, you won’t have a child ; but when I am gone, you will certainly bear children ” replies the eunuch. If a woman cannot bear children while her husband is alive, how can she have them after his death ? The reply merely indicates the pitiable impotency of the man, Our ancients liken to the eunuch of the story the theoretical jnanis who fail to find spiritual peace and comfort in the present life and look forward to actual experience in another. There is nothing improbable about our peace-loving rishis resorting to the congenial heights of the Himalayas for the practice of Samadhi.
142
Between the mood into which a cultured mind enters on a sight so beautiful and the Nirvikalpa Samadhi a Vedantin experiences, there is not much of a difference If a world differentiated by name, form, etc , and characterised by love and hate, pleasure and pain, etc , and variegated by concep- tions of friend and foe, wife and children, etc , and complicated by the differences of the learned and the Ignorant, master and servant, man and woman, and so on, IS absent in a state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi, a world of such differences has no place m the beautiful realm of Nature either That is why the wise ones regard "the intuition of nature as the contents of Samadhi
145
Thus it is clear that it is the inner spirit that is at the root of all beauty. I am that spirit which ever shines unsurpassed. A man’s highest state is the Jnanasamadhi in which he enjoys total identification with that spirit. Compared with that state, all action and in-action are petty and insignificant. Yet, forced by inherited tendencies, even enlightened ones are drawn by God into the vortex of worldly activity. When an enlightened one is awakened by God from
that high state of Samadhi in which there is absolutely no consciouness of the body and the senses, and when the body and the senses begin to function again, the person still continues to enjoy the stale of Atma samadhi. In spite of such activity the enlightened one does not swerve from the state of Atma samadhi.
For long, our ancestors, the Arya rishis were preoccupied with the worship of Indra, Surya, Agni, and other gods of Nature, singing hymns of praise to them, making them olferings of the Soma juice, etc., hankering after heaven as their reward. But at last, rising above all such perishable, though immediately pleasant, things, their thoughtful minds turned towards that One and only Object of perfect Bliss, which transcends all attributes and action, and which is limited by neither Time nor Space. Then they realized, by thought as well as direct experience, that there can be no two Truths and Truth is necessarily and always One. God, whose form is the Vedas, rcvc.Ticd that Truth to their uncontaminated minds. It is the deep, personal experience of such great rishis that finds utterance through the Vedic dicta such as "tnd rpprra
151That Truth proclaimed by the Arya rishis, became the haven of all subsequent thinkers. Realizing this supreme goal, seekers of moksha used to attain un- surpassed peace and supreme satisfaction.
To set our feet on the icy ground became almost impossible. True indeed is the Sasiric view that even for those who have attained monistic knowledge, advaila is possible only in feeling and not action. Heat and cold, pleasure and pain, milk and poison, fire and water are all Brahman, one can feel them all as self, but even for the staunchest advaiti it is impossible to treat them as one and the same for practical purposes. Even the true knowers cannot lie on the bare cold ground during a snowfall, as they do in the gentle warmth of the Sun ; they cannot swallow poison as they drink milk ; they cannot plunge into fire as they do into water, even though they are convinced, beyond all doubt, that they are all Brahman. Worldly existence is on the physical plane. The body is the same in the case of the Knower and in the case of the Ignorant. So there is not much of a difference between them physically. On the attainment of True Knowledge, one develops powers like physical and mental control and endurance but even then one can not alter the innate nature of snow and fire, wind and rain. It being so, there is no reason why people should wonder if we, common mortals, suffered severely on account of the attack of cold, etc.
160
"Arise, Awake ; And understand the Supreme Coal" (Kathopanis/iad) " O Men, lying immersed in the sleep of ignorance from time without beginning, arise, awake from this sleep of illusion. Seek and find noble teachers and learn directly from them the truth about the Soul.” Like a loving mother, the Shruti admonishes us tenderly to wake up from the terrible sleep of ignorance which is the source of all sorrows and calamities, that
?
IS, to eradicate ignorance completely The Snili also assures ns that the only means of destroying ignorance IS the attainment of the knowledge of the Self So It IS clear there is no other road to salvation To the mansion of Moksha there is no entrance except through Jnana. Bhaku and Yoga lead man to the door of Jnana and not directly to the Home of Salvation The darkness of ignorance lifts only on the rise of the sun, Jnana, not on the appearance of the stars like Bhaku
So says the Swethaswathara Sruti If only one
can fold the sky like a piece of parchment, can he
cross the sea of worldly sorrows without the knowledge
of the Supreme Soul It is the view of all the Sruus
that there is no vessel to ferry man across the ocean of
worldlmess except Jmsm But then, what is this
Jnana 1 Jnana means the full and firm realisation of
the Self— a realization beyond all doubt, change,
contradiction Neither the control of breath or mind,
nor the performance of Nishkama karma, neither
devotion to the gods, nor the performance of penances
like Knchlira and CImndrayana, nor yet pilgnmaging is
Jnana , it is all ajnana Whatever is related to egoism
is ajnana , when the I consciousness ends, it is Jnana
Moiy does this Jnana ongioats ? How doss a mart
who identifies himself with the body and thinks “ I
am rich, I am happy ” or “ I am poor, I am unhappy ”,
turn away from this immoral worldly life and enter
that life of the Soul with the thought, “ I am Brahman,
the bodyless, ageless, deatliless Bliss ” '> Enquiry into
Truth, carried on with the help of holy men, is the chief means of attaining true knowledge. All the great teachers of the past unanimously hold Sanyasa, which means the renunciation of all action, to be an essential element of spiritual contemplation. Nevertheless, in- dilTerence to worldly pleasures, control of body and mind, eagerness to attain salvation, places and time without distractions and other factors are necessary to an intensive search after Truth. Without these, mind can hardly become calm and pointed enough to attain Truth. If a man enters upon a life of thought with all these necessary equipments, he will certainly reach the state of Jnaiia before long. Jnam is the result of contemplation ; it annihilates all ajnam. jUntil one reaches the climax of Jnana one cannot be said to have attained true firmness of mind or fulfilied one’s purpose of life.
The extinction of worldly desires and the enjoy- ment of spiritual peace ate the result of one’s devotion to Jnana, A jnam enjoys Brahmananda or supreme bliss without interruption, not after death but in this life itself. It is beyond words to define Brahmananda, but it can be experieneed by the knowers of Brahman, By tasting a particle of salt, one can infer the taste of a mountain of salt. Similarly, from the enjoyment of worldly pleasures which are but the infinitesimal part of Brahmananda, common people can guess at the greatness of Brahmananda itself. The mind that gets abated on accouiA tS "dte dusiit *io erijoy ■uoi'id'iy pleasures, gets calm and Salrik as a result of such enjoyment and in that Salrik state of mind Brahmananda is experienced in howsoever small a measure. Thus what is called worldly pleasure also is Brahmananda. Vyasa and other learned men hold that there is no
pleasure except Brahmananda Even as we speak severally of pot-space {Ghatakasa\ Mutt-space {Mattct- kasa), etc , the same joy is spoken of differently accord- ing to differences of touch, hearing, etc Worldhness transforms the unlimited, insuperable, eternal Brahma- mnda, into something limited, superable, destructible How can those great ones who enjoy uninterrupted Brahmananda, and are ever content, hanker after the fleeting pleasures of the world '> Brahmananda is unrelated to worldly things , it depends solely on Self realization So it is in no way affected by the pains of acquisition, etc If anybody still argues that there can be no joy except through the expenence of earthly pleasures, he should be classed with the owl that avers there is light only in the night and not in day time 'It deserves to be specially mentioned that the state of knowledge which is the sole source of everlasting peace can be attained only by right thinking and not merely by dhyana or samadhiSome do mistake them for jnana They are under the impression that the practice of dhvana is the be all and end all of existence and that a man who practises dhyana for half an hour or an hour daily has completed his spiritual duty and so he is free to do anything after- wards They are labouring under the mistake that a person who reaches the state of Nirnkalpa Samadhi for a minute or two, has attained his goal and that he has already reached sahat/an even wide aive 7t is only when we examine whether this man of Nirnkalpa Samadhi has attained an unwavering state of spiritual devotion, that is a devotion beyond doubt, that we realize the hollowness of his Jnan mukli It may briefly be said that this class of people are the unfortu-nates who have not been able to understand clearly the cause, the nature and the result of jmna and dhyam through association with real mahatmasDbyana and Samadiu may be regarded as co- operative factors contnbuhng to the perfecbon of Jnana , but they are neither Jnana nor the cause of JiianaOne may attain that exalted state of jnana where one finds oneself m everything and everything in oneself, only through cultivating detachment and Vedantio thinkingNeither Halo samadhi nor Jada samadhi can take him to that goal where one experiences eternal contentment170" The peacock never attains the speed of the swan Even so a householder can hardly attain the greatness of sanyasms who pass their days in devotion in the solitudes of forests ” so says a Buddhist book“ If a woman enters our Ashram we will hack her to pieces with a sword so declared a Tibetan Lamato me once. The lama was probably exaggerating, yet his words point to their deep seated desire not to get mixed up with worldly affairs which tend to cause violent mental agitations.176Many are the people who are so misled The truth IS, the greatest siddhi is but of the earth , the greatest siddlia is yet a worldling. He still remains a slave to passions In the universe who is a greater siddha than Hiranyagarbha 1 Except those who have detached themselves completely from the world, who possess the talent of wise and careful thought, none can hope to understand Brahma Vidya, even mdirectly, that IS, even intellectuallyAssociation with the good intoxicates people as much as the intercourse with the wicked and so crowds of people flocked to my residence at the regular hour, day after day, eager to imbibe the true knowledge Society of the good is like nectar, sweet and beneficent to man. That is why ancient rishis like Vasishta and modem rishis like Guru Nanak have paid un- stinted tributes to satsanga The company of virtuous people turns the wicked into the good, the sinful into the blessed It clears off the trammels of bondage and sets slaves free It makes the sad happy.But with all this, satsanga is yet infenor to samahila bhava (samadhi bhava?) (firm concentration on God) because the former is only a means to the latter which is our main objectiveSpiritual truth is extremely difBcult to comprehend. It is only very rarely wc come across people who ardently desire to leam it ; it is still more rare to find people who are entitled to teach it. Except from well qualified teachers none can understand it pro- perly. He who seeks to learn it from quacks may be subjected to an endless series of calamities ; it is a case of the blind leading the blind. Neither reaches the goal. It therefore follows that those who desire true knowledge should secure the help of those who have attained it themselves. Let no man think, j‘ Of what use is to me an acharya ? By means of my own intelligence I will obtain the knowledge of the jsoul Truly, up to this moment, no man has 'attained Truth except with the help of a true giim land a study of the works on spiritual science. None jean trust to his native intelligence alone to take him Ito the supreme goal. You can buy any number ofphilosophical books in the market, but the books by themselves will not help you realize the Self.Unlike the things of the objective world, spiritual truths cannot be perceived by one’s senses or even by mere intellect and therefore, only those disciples who possess the necessary qualifications and who, having learned the Truth from noble preceptors, constantlymeditate upon it, realize the Truth.The atman is the basis of all universe and its controller ; yet, it is free, pure, changeless, inactive. It has no gunas (attributes) and no shape.' It is beyond the power of words to describe. It is self-luminous. He who perceives this truth directly and without doubt crosses the sea of samsara and attains salvation. No more does he return to this miserable existence of births and deaths, sorrows and sufferings. What is commonly spoken of as “ I ” in relation to everybody is directly known to all in its general form ; but in its particular shape it remains unknown. “I am the free, immortal and blissful spirit ” is a realization that seldom comes to men.179God has created human beings with their minds turned naturally outward, that is, towards the pheno- menal world. The mind of course is open to imagi- nings and doubts. Hence it is really difiicult for man to withdraw the mind and the senses from their worldly preoccupations and find God in himself. Out of thousands but one controls the mind and senses through Vairagya and the earnest desire to secure salvation, turns the mind inward and finds satisfecthm in the realization of the souL The true man is he who resists the temptations of the senses, overcom-f their irresistible attractions, and realizes Truth. Th' roan who fails to trti&c this He for the seareh Truth or at least for the zegnisition of thoseim-which will ultimately lead him to Truth, is really wasting his precious chance. Nothing is more regretta- ble, than wasting human life m eating, sleeping, fearing, mating, etc., like brutes. Tlie people who, enslaved by the senses, spend their time coveting this and that, subject themselves to death — that is, they continue to be chained down to the cycle of births and deaths. But those heroic souls that have con- quered their minds and their senses, know how fleeting worldly pleasures are and therefore they give them up. Tliey aim only at immortality, they live for it ; they exert themselves ceaselessly to reach it. The sole means of salvation is the true knowledge of the one and only Soul It may be called diflerently as Jnana or Iswara according to the diffcrent ways of looking at It, but It is the same chaitanya. This knowledge is the true knowledge. It can be gained by a proper study of the Upanishads.The knowledge of difference consists in conceiving of as many souls as there arc bodies and regarding the individual soul as different from the universal soul. This knowledge is unreal ; it cannot render one immortal (and therefore incapable of conferring immortality)On the practical plane we may speak of “ You ” and “ I ” but in reality there is no plurality of the soul.Those who are not fully qualified to realize in themselves the supreme soul, should worship the pranata. They must constantly pronounce it “ Om, Om, Om ”.The weak-minded should pronounce it loud and long like the tolling of a bell.People with stronger minds must pronounce it more slowly. At the same time they must try to concentrate on Nirgun Brahman.Those who are unable to do so may concentrate their minds upon the “ Om ” sound itself.Sam...to summarize...ekta = sureme.if not possible ie if still dweliing in plurality, thenpranata.for dull...om raidly like bell gongfor sharper...om slowly ...concentrate on 'nirguna Bramha"This exercise of Pranava upasana gradually produces the knowledge of the soulYoga which controls the senses and the mind also helps to reahze the soul The soul. The Atman, is what enables the body, the senses, the mind and the intellect to function We are the soul The soul is Brahman The world is the soul In truth nothing exists apart from the soulIndifference to worldly plea- sures is the chief requisite for spiritual advancementI therefore pray you, kindly teach me the way to see Truth and escape from the bondage of illusions.183My dear, labour not t'lunder the delusion that cxter..al things are the source iof happiness. Give up all attachment and cling to Vairagya. Indeed, even now you are rich in Vairagya ; yet, I tell you all this only to strengthen your spirit of Vairagya : Withdraw your mind from all transient, terrestrial concerns, give it peace and practise concen- tration, so that you can sec God as clearly and as directly as I see you.The method:O Maitreyi, perceive your soul by hearing, thinking and meditating. He who aims at realizing the soul must, first of all, withthe help of the Mahatmas who have realized Italready and suitable books understand to some extent the nature of the soul. From then he may learn that soul is one without a second ; that It is omnipresent ; that It is the same sotil that manifests itself as jiva (in all living bodies ; that It itself is Brahman, the ultimate cause of the universe. Then he must con- vince himself of this truth by independent reasoning. Once he has done that he must meditate upon it intensely and without break. The process is called \Nididhyasan. In the course of such concentrated, devout meditations the mind merges with the soul and in that state of samadhi he perceives It directly. The numberless doubts which assailed him before now resolve themselves completely. Is there a soul different from the body ? If there is, does it possess any attributes or functions? or is it pure without attributes ? If it is without attributes, does it differ from body to body ? or is it one and the same ? Such doubts and the illusory idea that “lam this body ” ingrained in us in the course of several lives, now melt into thin air.the jnani rises to the exalted I state of jivanmukli where he realizes beyond all doubt i“ I am the soul, pure and blissful — the One without a second. That is the ultimate goal of man. For him there is no gain greater than the realization of the soul — ^no greater pleasure to enjoy — no higher duty to perform. Self-abidance is the paramount duty, paramount joy, paramount gain. It is the supremeknowledge, O Maitreyi,self abidance is the sole means of attaining immortality : so, if you aim at immortality, spare no effort towards reaching that state of self- abidance.”185...part 2
