Sadhana Panchakam - Post 38

By reversing the process that created the Vasanas, we can start destroying them. It requires at least the same effort, if not more, to destroy Vasanas as it did to produce them.

This process is called Nididhyasana. 

Step 21 captures the positive part of this process: i.e. planting the single Vasana of Aham Brahma Asmi or the thought “I am Brahman”, which is a pure Sattwic Vasana, and therefore highly desirable.

The ultimate goal of every fragment is to merge with the complete, whole and entirety of Brahman from which it had become originally differentiated. 

Eastern rivers flow towards the sea on the eastern side, even as the western rivers flow towards the west, merging from the sea to the sea, not being aware in that state that 'I am this river' and 'I am the other', even so all the creatures have come from Being do not know that 'we have come forth from the Being', even as the fragment of manifestation which has come forth the whole does not know it has come from the whole, the essence.

Even as the flowing rivers disappear in the ocean casting their shape, even so the man of Wisdom, freed from name and form attains the divine Purusha (or Brahman), greater than the great. 

Even as in the ocean the separate rivers do not realize that they are different from one another, even so when they becomes again the distinct rivers they do not realize that they have come to be from the one ocean. This inalienable relationship between the fragment and the whole should be clearly understood.

Since human life is consequent to Divine Intent, creation having become the manifest reflection of the primary essence, the manifest fragments should endeavor to participate in that Divine Intent performing actions as the instrument of divine Intent and Purpose. 

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, when Ushata Chakrayana remarked that Self has been explained by him as one might say, ‘this is a cow’, ‘this is a horse’. To which Yajnavalkya remarks that self cannot be explained further because one cannot see the Seer of seeing, cannot hear the Hearer of hearing, cannot think the Thinker of thinking, cannot understand the Understander of understanding he asks him to the Self which is imperishable when all things, all else is perishable. Thus, the self within all beings is that which Brahman is. 

Krishna too said in Bhagavad Gita that abiding within everything that is created, Brahman energizes, illumines and makes every creation to perform as ordained. In doing so He conceals His Presence through the power of Maya, confusing the human mind. 

How Does “Aham Brahmaasmi” Work?

We have said that Doubts arise in an environment of mental impurity. Lack of purity belie the presence of anger, lust, greed, jealousy, hatred and delusion. If these were not present, doubts would not arise, and mere Sravana would suffice to awaken us into the state of illumination! This is something to think about.

However, in practice totally pure souls are very rare in this world. We don’t have to feel bad when negative thoughts arise. Spiritual life is, after all, a gradual evolution. We will get there when the moment is ripe. The negative thoughts simply draw our attention to the immediate problem that we need to deal with in our Sadhana.  

Forming the New Habit of “Aham Brahmasmi”

The solution lies in replacing the body-idea with a new idea – “I am Brahman”,

i)   for a sufficiently long time;

ii)  continuously, without a break;

iii) with devotion and conscientiousness;

iv)  with concerted effort (Abhyasa); and

iv) with the right intention accompanying the whole process.

This is called Nididhyasana. 

 

Love.