Upadesa Saram - Post 9

Verse 7

आज्यधारया स्रोतसा समम् |

सरलचिन्तनंविरलतःपरम्||

ājyadhārayā srotasā samam |

saralacintanaṁviralataḥparam ||

Like a stream of ghee or the even current of a river, Continuous contemplation is superior to that which is intermittent. 

Meditation or Dhyana is a function that takes place entirely in the mind. The proper definition of meditation is that it is a single thought-flow or stream directed to the Divine within. To grasp clearly what meditation is, the Maharshi gives us two similes. When we understand the similes, we will surely come to know more about what meditation is. 

The 2 Similes: Flow of Ghee and Flow of Water: 

Each simile has something to contribute towards the understanding of meditation, and each one also has some disadvantages in doing so fully. Together, they combine well to fully represent the true practice of meditation. 

i) Aajya Dhaarayaa: “Flow of Ghee”. [Oil could also have been used here in place of the ghee without affecting the meaning, but ghee has the advantage of having holy connotations, as it is used in all rituals and havans.] 

When melted ghee flows from one container to another, the special characteristic we note is that the stream is continuous, unbroken. The stream may become very thin, but it will not break up. 

That describes beautifully the steadiness with which the single thought has to be sustained during meditation. 

The single thought must be maintained unbroken by any interruptions to it. Success in meditation is measured by the duration one can maintain such a single-pointed state of mind. 

ii) Srotasaa Samam: “Flow of River”. 
In this simile, the medium chosen is water. Water has a very low viscosity. Its flow therefore has a spontaneity about it, which is missed in the flow of ghee. 

Meditation is very much a spontaneous process. There is a sense of enjoyment, lightness, freshness and coolness about it that is captured well in the flow of water in a river. 

How ever, 

The disadvantage of the “ghee simile” when applied to meditation is that the viscosity of ghee being quite high, there is a difficulty in the flow of the ghee. This viscosity indicates  attachment that a meditator may develop  to the process of  meditation itself. This attachment makes the process slower.

The disadvantage of water is that its flow is not steady as ghee. It flows noisily; splashing and spluttering along the way; and breaks up in continuity when it arrives at a waterfall, becoming a spray of fine water drops like rain. That is, the meditator may lose focus and concentration, swaying away, like the discontinuity in the river flow.

Meditation must combine the advantages in both simile.

So, the emphasis here by Sri Ramana is, 

·       Let the meditation be uninterrupted like the flow of Ghee, but without the viscosity of Ghee, that is, the meditator should not get attached to the process of meditation.

·       Let the meditation be like the river but without the unsteadiness, interruption and the noise of the river flow.

From the above, it is clear that Ramana says, effortless meditation, uninterrupted like a ghee and spontaneous like water. 

When a person begins the practice of meditation, he is unlikely to be successful at it at first go. There will be many breaks in his concentration, in his power to hold the single thought of the nature of God for longer than a few seconds. 

There was an anecdote that used to be recounted by the saint, Sadasiva Brahmendra. He used to say, “In case one desires to get Samadhi at one shot, it is like the one who sent his son to study the 4 Vedas. On the 5th day, when his son had not yet returned, he reasoned thus, ‘He has gone to study the 4 Vedas. It is already the fifth day, why has he not returned?’ 

There can be no such rush in Sadhana. It has to be continuous, steady and without losing hopes.

Thus the broken or interrupted Dhyana is natural for the beginner, and not to be looked down upon. Sadhana takes time and great effort.

The aspirant must realize that the nature of mind is to jump from one thought to another and therefore, in the beginning, when he puts the mind to meditation, it is unnatural for the mind to focus on a single object, God and therefore, being put to some unnatural process, the mind is bound to retaliate and try not to focus on the object of meditation.

It is only with much effort and practice that he can succeed to increase the duration of holding the thought for longer periods. 

As the author has been conveying in recent messages, getting convinced about the Goal in Spiritual Sadhana and accordingly, developing the Conviction to pursue sadhana in spite of interruption, in spite of obstacles, is very much required for a sincere spiritual aspirant.

Love.