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.

 

YT - JDW - Niravana Shatakam - Part 7

Sairam All,

We have although come to the conclusion of the Nirvana Shatakam Series but it marks the beginning of the journey for all of you. It is time for you to transcend all three bodies, transcend them and discover the Cosmic Dance of Shiva. 

It is a clarion call like all other Masters of the yore, to all the sincere seekers to delve upon the one and only Truth about who you actually are. Be the cub (you sadhakas) who was entangled in Avidya, Avarna and Vikshepa, sought help from the Lion King (Acharya) to believe in a Lion's roar (Paroksha Jnana) and was able to reveal to itself its true Self (Aparoksha Anubhuti). What follows later is the state of BEING... it just happens where there is nothing at all but only absolute CONSCIOUSNESS...

Drench yourself in the nectarine perennial flow of this assurance to reveal for yourself the Existence, Conciousness and thereby the bliss.

https://youtu.be/7nTOMIQtxhI

Love.

Live Session Tomorrow on Nirvana Shatakam - Part 7

 

https://youtu.be/DQc1bDysh0s

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 37

The Rationale of the Upanishads

This Step in Manana advises the Vedantic student to stick to Vedic logic. It is not that the student is forbidden from using his intellect. On the contrary, he is encouraged to establish firm ground for Vedantic principles. For that reason alone is enquiry given so much importance. However, the student is advised to do so using the rationale approved by the Srutis, which is not prone to perversion. 

Vedic rationale discriminates between the Real and the unreal. That is its special feature. There are uses of logic where this fact is totally ignored, as in the academic fields.

The seeker of Truth is solely concerned with discriminating Truth from Falsity.

  

An Example of Vedic Rationale

 

To establish a relationship between any two things, the common principle between them is sought. To relate two ornaments, the common material is gold. A steel bowl and a glass plate may be related by their common function in the kitchen. 

If there is nothing in common, one may go to the atomic level and see them both as atoms. The atheistic schools go further. They ask What about a vacuum having no atoms? Thus Space or emptiness is taken as the common factor. Space is God for these philosophers.

In this way, the limited vision of the Truth determines the relationship. The Vedantin takes the enquiry to the Absolute level. The Vedantin goes to the highest and deepest level of enquiry. 

He finds that even Space is part of creation and rests upon the substratum of Sat or Existence. Thus he takes the Absolute or Sat, to be the common factor for all things in the universe. Brahman, the Absolute, is defined as Existence Absolute in Vedanta.

The above rationale adopted by Vedanta gives rise to some novel definitions to these two important spiritual principles:

1. Defining Loyalty: Vedanta see Loyalty as that quality by which one is not deflected from one’s enquiry by limited standpoints. This does not mean narrow mindedness.

We simply stick to the Upanishads firmly, and practice what they ask of us. Vedantins remain loyal to the highest viewpoint possible. 

2. Defining Faith: In the light of this approach, Faith is firm adherence to the Upanishads, knowing that they will always lead us to the ultimate Truth consistently.

Sankara says that scriptures furnish knowledge of the spheres which are beyond one's sensory perception, only directing attention and revealing which are the things desirable and which are not, thereby establishing a relationship between goals and means to attain them. 

 

Swami writes in Upanishadvahini,

 

“Liberation from the consequences of ignorance can be secured only by spiritual knowledge (jnana). The Upanishads themselves declare,

By knowledge alone can freedom be won (Jnaanaath eva thu kaivalyam).

The Vedas are reputed to be “three-sectioned”, the three sections being spiritual wisdom (jnana), contemplation or worship (upasana), and dedicated activity (karma). These three are also found in the Upanishads; they provide the basis for the non-dualist (a-dwaitha), qualified non-dualist (visishta-adwaitha), and dualist (dwaitha) systems of philosophy.

The word Upanishad denotes the study and practice of the innate truth, Brahma-vidya denotes the supremacy of spiritual contemplation, and Yoga-sastra denotes the mental churning that brings success.

What is the fundamental activity that is required? What is the basic thing to be known? It is just one’s real reality. The Upanishads describe the various stages and modes of this search.

The name Upanishad is full of significance. Upa-ni means the process of studying with steadfastness (nish- ta); shath means the attainment of the Ultimate Reality. The name Upa-ni-shath arose for these reasons. 

The Upanishads do not only teach the principles of knowledge of the supreme Reality (Atma-vidya), they also instruct the practical means of realization. They point out not only the duties and obligations one has to bear but also tell us the acts to be done and those to be avoided.”

Seer is the one who has experienced Wisdom of Supreme divinity without the assistance of the sensory organs. 

Guru is one who having perfect receptivity, reflection and meditation, is enlightened to the mystery concealed in the vedic hymns, teaches clarifying the doubts and removing their ignorance. 

Clarification of doubts, sharing the warmth and illumination of their Wisdom rather than assertion of their own perceptions, has been the sign of the upanishadic intellectuals or later day commentators. 

Krishna too advises Arjuna to seek through humility, inquiry and service the Wisdom of That One from the men of Wisdom. 

Mundaka Upanishad recommends the aspirant to approach Guru in due form, with tranquil mind so that the Guru may instruct him the Wisdom of Brahman, by which one would be aware of the Immutable Purusha. 

Guru is one who offers wisdom to everyone who approached him and not the one who gathers followers to accept his interpretation of the Wisdom, who, even while expressing his personal and individual perception, encourages others to have their own personal and individual experiences. 

He removes the impediments on their Path as a guide, as a sign post or stirs his indwelling energy becoming the stick which prods, stirs and stirs like a stick, used to kindle the fire. While the Path is pointed out, the Path has to be traversed by the sadhaka.

  

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 36

In the present context of Mananam, the services of the intellect are called for. At its best, the intellect is indispensable as a tool of enquiry. 

However, the play of Nature goes on in it as in all other human instruments. Argumentativeness is its number one drawback.

Our intellect, left to revel in intellectual gymnastics, will want to venture into and savor the thrills of intriguing logic, as we find in Nyaya. At this point in Sadhana, the seeker is being asked to beware of going on an intellectual “high”.

The warning given here is to avoid Dustarka or “wicked concepts”, to recognize them and steer clear of them, however tempting they may be to the intellect. The aspirant should steer clear of all “Intellectual Politics”.

THE POORVAPAKSHIN & THE SIDDHAANTIN

A debate is always between two people, namely, the Poorvapakshin who stands for the Opponent, and the Siddhaantin who stands for the Exponent. These two terms, if looked at etymologically, reveal a side of Vedanta that is not so easily known in the West, and rare to find in the West.

i) Poorvapakshin: literally this means “the earlier viewpoint”, Poorvapakshee.

ii) Siddhaantin: literally this means “the final perfect viewpoint”, Siddhaantee.

The very word meaning indicates the large-heartedness of Vedanta. The words do not really stand for opponent or exponent. 

In Vedanta no view is seen as an opposing view. If it is not fully informed, it is considered only to be an earlier view, a view that is temporarily held in the absence of further knowledge. Once more knowledge is gathered and taken into account, one shifts his viewpoint, until with complete knowledge he arrives at the perfect (siddha), final (antah) viewpoint.

There is no personal claim to any viewpoint. Vedanta never speaks of ‘my’ view and ‘your’ view. The viewpoint does not belong to any person, it belongs to the landscape, the ground we are standing on. Where a person stands in relation to the Truth is the view he sees. He cannot help seeing that view only. 

If he rises a little higher,his view changes to another one. If he gets to the top of the mountain, his view is “final and perfect”.

TYPES OF PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATES

Two people, A & B, can get together with the following three types of intentions in holding a philosophical discussion:

i) VAADA: “Both persons desire to know the truth.” A & B have an open mind which has not formed any fixed opinion on the matter. Both have a Sattvic interest in the Truth.

ii) JALPA: “Both persons intend to destroy the other’s position and establish their own position.” A & B have each decided their standpoint. Each one tries to prove the other one wrong. The aim of the discussion is Rajasic – to gain victory over the other.

iii) VITHANDA: “One person intends only to destroy the other’s position without having a view of his own.” Person A merely aims to disprove B’s position, whatever that may be. The aim is simply to destroy. This is a Tamasic stance, useful to none.

The essence of the step dealt in today's post was incidentally given in the last session on Nirvana Shatakam (NS-6) which is also posted in blog. He said, “Do not judge/do not criticize any one’s path”.

We all have taken up Spiritual Sadhana with one goal- Self Realization.

Self-realization or discovering SELF within happens when Ego (avidya) is uprooted.

So, wherever one faces a situation where, the other person is not talking correctly on Spiritual path/essence, at best, we can put forth the correct aspect (In Vedanta, as it is clarified, there is no “ your” view or “ my view”. There is only one view.) 

If the other person is not receptive, then we, who have taken up this path to eliminate/conquer our ego, should never end up arguing with the other person. Any Argument comes forth from one and only aspect, our ego, which pushes to fight/ argue and establish to the other person that “I AM RIGHT” and “YOU ARE WRONG”.

We face a downfall when we take up such arguments and then we have to restart our sadhana from a lower level all over again.

One who contributes only sound and not the light should be shunned, as impediment on the Path to Perfection. Because such one is fundamentalist without awareness of the fundamentals, accepting interpretations of Brahman than experiencing Brahman.  Those who are enamored by Knowledge lose sight of the Wisdom which is goal. 

Sankara says that one who is intent on Wisdom of Brahman should not be confused or confounded by conditioned Knowledge of the conceited nor by the facile arguments of the perverted people. 

Arguments do not necessarily lead to enlightenment; they exhibit poverty of intelligence rather than promise of Wisdom. 

Arguments often lead one to assert and refuse to consider that every proposition could possible also have different perception. It is said that some are clever only at exposition while others have the ability to practice what they learn; the hand carries food to the mouth but it is only the tongue that tastes it.

Sadhaka’s mind should be broad and vision expansive, without the restraint of traditional dos and don’ts. His mind should be receptive since that is one of the important avenues for enlightenment, says Adi Sankara. 

It is to be observed that even after communicating Wisdom more secret than all secrets, Sri Krishna leaves it to Arjuna to pursue the Path on his own. 

Even the fully manifested Divinity allows individual to choose the Path to be followed, not the orthodox and argumentative one.

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 35

Surrender or Faith in the scriptures is the vital element that is added into Mananam by this step. The path necessarily involves a combination of Effort and Surrender.

This Step comes as a warning sign for the serious spiritual aspirant: “Do not take the Upanishads lightly. Be serious about your search for God, especially from here onwards.” 

Combination of Effort & Surrender

The head and the heart must unite in our quest for the Truth. Both are necessary – deep inner intellectual reflection as well as surrender of the heart to the Divine.

i) If surrender is absent, then the effort is likely to become egoistic; the ego in our effort can poison it. So effort has to be balanced by surrender. 

ii) If effort is absent, one’s surrender becomes vain and unworthy, almost slavish. In surrender without effort, we run the risk of being driven by emotion or sentiment, and there lies the danger – that is what Fanaticism is made of. 

Main goal in spiritual sadhana is to transcend our ego. It is in the context that Effort and Surrender must go together in perfect alignment.

We start putting in all-out efforts / Purushartha in Sadhana and if surrender is lacking, the belief that "I am doing sadhana", where, ‘I’ refers to our ego, that belief itself may take us away from our goal to transcend our ego.

And, we cannot sit quiet, giving up all efforts, saying that we have surrendered to God and He shall take us to the goal of realization. 

The saying "Do your best and leave the rest" applies as much or in fact, applies most in Sadhana. We have to do out very best as far as spiritual sadhana and rest in total surrender, allowing Lord to take over and guide us and elevate us in our path to reach and merge with Him.

On this spiritual path we are restricted only by the subtlety and sharpness of our Intellect, and the intensity and stability of our Faith. Faith, going hand in hand with the intellect, is the only way open for us. 

Faith could arise due to the authority and reverence in which we hold the scriptures, or it could be due even to the authority of a Guru whom we love and in whose words we trust. This initial basis of faith is vital, for it keeps us focused on the pursuit of the Goal. 

When well-nurtured, faith grows and grows with time. As from seed to tree, so also from faith to conviction. Given the water of logic and the sunlight of enquiry, faith begins to experience change. 

The ultimate test of faith is actual Discovery. A series of experiences, each one taking us closer and closer to the Goal, marks the route to the ultimate Experience.  

In this process of transforming faith into conviction and culminating it in Discovery, we have a perfect picture of what the purpose of Vedantic Sadhana is. 

Veda is Wisdom, the supra-sensory experiences, the seer being the one who ‘sees’ or ‘hears’ the resonance of OM, the eternal sound in extra-ordinary moments of enlightenment. Vedic hymns represent the expressions of those experiences without any human effort in composition.  

Wisdom of Vedanta and renunciation, ascetics of purified nature, dwell in silence of the forests at the end of their lives in the supreme immortal world of Brahman.  

Sankara clarifies that with Mind purified by scriptures, enlightened teachers and restraint of the senses aid realization of the self. Scriptures remain neutral like sun light, but do not reveal truth. It is necessary that one should study vedic scriptures as the means for realization of Brahman, and not only reading them. 

Swami says, 

“From the principle of Brahman emerged Akasha (ether). From Akasha, Vayu (air) originated. From Vayu, Agni (fire) emerged. From Agni, Jala (water) emerged. From Jala came Prithvi (earth). From Prithivi, Oshadhi (vegetation) emerged. Oshadhis gave rise to Annam (food) and man is born out of food. 

Thus, you can see that man and Brahman are intimately related. On this basis, Lord Krishna declared:

 “Mamaivamso Jeevaloke Jeevabhuta Sanathana” (the eternal atma in all beings is a part of My Being). Without the principle of Brahman, nothing can exist, be it ether, air, fire, water, earth, vegetation or food.”

 

(SSS- Volume 33)

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 34

 

The “Head” of the Vedas: 

The word Shirah means “head”. Shrutih Shirah means “the Head of the Vedas”. 

If spiritual life, being the highest pursuit in life, requires the highest effort, then Mananam is that part of spiritual life that requires the highest intellectual effort. 

After listening to the Upanishads, I may understand very clearly what Vedanta says. However, the understanding is not complete until what Vedanta reveals becomes my own vision. 

The following examples enumerate that on one hand, I may be clear about the position of Vedanta, but on the other hand, what it says is not totally understood and assimilated by me: 

·       I don’t have any doubt that Vedanta says I am limitless. But, I still question how isit possible that I am limitless? 

·       I understand, that Vedanta talks about equation between I and Isvara, the cause of the universe. But, how can I be the cause of the universe? 

·     I know that Vedanta reveals that freedom (mokhsa) is gained only through knowledge, but I consider some statement of a saint who says that liberation is attained through devotion to Isvara to be equally true. 

·       I recognize that Vedanta talks about the self to be limitless, but I am unable to refute the contention of some philosopher, who claims that the reality is nothing but emptiness or a void. 

If I cannot refute different contentions or reconcile different positions, then my knowledge is still shaky and vague. 

Therefore reasoning to remove all these different kinds of doubts is employed by the teacher extensively. 

During the teaching, many doubts discussed by the teacher are raised either by the Upanishad or the commentator of the Upanishad.  

New doubts belonging to a contemporary thinking of scientists, philosophers which did not exist in past are brought by the teacher and answered. 

Only when all doubts are discussed and resolved by the above methods, the knowledge becomes clear and free from any vagueness. 

Regarding this effort (mananam - reflecting upon what has been heard from preceptor/read from Upanishads), the following points help us to see what it entails. 

1. Focus of Thoughts: A magnifying glass brings to a focal point the sunrays falling on it, so that the rays can actually set a piece of paper alight. Our mind and intellect must also be so focused that the thought rays get intensified to achieve greater results. 

2. Deep Enquiry: Our enquiry should always penetrate from the outermost level to the innermost level. It is at the inner core that we start seeing the identity. On the surface level there are many differences. 

3. Correct Means: The correct means of knowledge must be used to obtain knowledge. This is covered in Sravanam, but has to be kept in mind in Mananam to get more clarity.  

4. Unattended Doubts: An unattended doubt is like having a toothache - it will go on haunting us. We cannot afford to be casual in this matter, but need to attend to every doubt in a meticulous and thorough manner. 

5. Perfect Preparation: Wisdom may come in a flash, in an inspired moment, but the preparation for it takes time. Preparation means doing all the Sadhana correctly, in the right sequence and to the point of perfection. 

6. Merciless Manana: The Manana has to be “merciless”, like hunting down terrorists. To allow a single terrorist to slip through our fingers is too many.  

The enquiry must be so merciless, that we must be prepared to have our most comforting ideas shattered to pieces. We need an intellect that is fearless and sharp – a scorching searchlight!

7. Piercing Honesty: Piercing honesty is required on this path of enquiry. At the end of enquiry, we must be logically convinced of the Truth. If I am not the body, then logically I cannot die. Can I feel this?

If I am limitless, can I be indifferent to being called either “an ignorant fool” or “a man of vast knowledge”? Both these belong to a limited state.

Brihadaranyaaka Upanishad submits that of the three instruments, Mind was the principal one, Vak and Praana following thereafter which Brahman provided for himself for his effulgence, the same are also intended for human beings on their Path to Perfection. 

It is the Mind that hears, desires, discriminates, doubts, becomes receptive and non-receptive, resolute and irresolute, defiled, intangible, feared – all these are but the Mind.  

Therefore, even when one touches the back, the Mind knows it.  

Vak is nothing but the vehicle through which one communicates what one has desired. Prana is the energy which gives effect to what the Mind had desired and what the Vak had communicated.   

Therefore it is said that one be receptive, reflective and meditative in mind before one expresses what one has been receptive, reflective and meditative, so that finally it may be put in action, through the power of the Prana. 

One must first be receptive of knowledge of the Self from a qualified preceptor and from scriptures, then the knowledge should be reflected through reasoning and diligently mediated upon.  

Only when these three are enjoined only then would the Self truly realized and the unity with Brahman will be established, not by merely hearing about the Self. 

The proposition which vedanta considers as foundation are not to be only remembered, recollected and repeated mechanically but on them one should be receptive, reflective and meditative, since they represent what the seers had ‘seen’ ‘heard’ in their enlightened awareness, without any human effort. They are self–evident self-established and self-proved revelation of the Divine Intent without human ingenuity.  

Sankara explains that the Universal Self and the Individual Self are essentially same, the appearance as distinct existence as two, being the result of ignorance in Mind. He cautions one not to be tranquilized by the rhythmic sound of the mantras, but reflect on them after understanding the meaning. Not recitation but disciplined awareness is what is needed to lead the Sadhaka to one to experience the resplendent Lord. 

As the author has repeatedly pointed out in various talks / posts, once a spiritual aspirant is thoroughly convinced, beyond any doubt, beyond any wavering thoughts about the goal and the process for attaining the goal as taught by his Guru / by scripture, the battle is half won at that juncture itself.  

More often, this “reflecting upon what has been taught” is missing in spiritual sadhana, getting 100% convinced about the goal is missing in spiritual sadhana and with the result, Mumukshatva is not lit up to the fullest extent. 

With the result, the next process, Nidhidhyasana, meditating and contemplating on the single Upanishad revelation (SELF), lacks intensity, the required inner experience is not attained and sadhana does not bear the desired fruit. 

In fact the root cause for the problem is that a spiritual aspirant, giving importance to spiritual sessions, gives equal importance to worldly pursuits and objective pleasure and with the result, "he is not able to convince himself about the conviction required on believing, confirming and then getting convinced about contemplating on that about which he is convinced". 

So, most often, Sadhana starts and stops with Sravanam. 

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 33

 
The Guru’s higher teaching is contained in the “Upanishadic declarations”. The highest spiritual knowledge is imparted. Listening to it is given a special term – Sravanam. 

We shall now focus just on this most important step in which knowledge is conveyed by the Guru. The above practice of going within oneself through the chanting of AUM is needed to prepare the student for the theoretical knowledge of the nature of that which is deepest within each one of us – the innermost Self. Explanations of the Self can only be meaningful to us when our minds have turned within. That is why we said practice, in this case, comes before theory.  

Vaakyam: These are the Upanishadic declarations, also called Mahavakyas. They are highly revered as the Truth itself. Every Upanishad has a Mahavakya around which the teaching is based. The Mahavakya will always be that which pinpoints the Goal of Vedantic Sadhana, namely Jiva Brahma Aikya. 

For compactness, one Mahavakya is selected from each of the four Vedas. Thus from several hundred Mahavakyas, four main ones are selected. The Four Mahavakyas are considered as the quintessence of Vedanta. 

For the student, “Tat Twam Asi” is the foremost of the Mahavakyas. The disciple is instructed to discover his identity with the Supreme Universal Consciousness. Detailed analyses have been written on the three words that compose it. The Guru takes the disciple through an intricate logical analysis of the statement “Tat Twam Asi”.  

The following reference texts especially deal with the Mahavakyas: 

1. Vedanta Sara – by Sadananda Yogindra details the analysis of “Tat Twam Asi”; 

2. Vakya Vritti – by Sri Adi Shankaracharya also details “Tat Twam Asi”; 

3. Advaita Makaranda – by Sri Lakshmidhara Kavi. This is an elaborate Samskrit commentary called which logically explains all the finer principles of Vedanta. 

4. Panchadasi – by Sri Swami Vidyaranya, deals with all 4 Mahavakyas. 

5. Maneesha Panchakam – by Sri Adi Shankaracharya also deals with all 4 Mahavakyas. 

What is Sravanam? 

The first thing to understand about Sravanam is that it is a very specific knowledge. 

Sravanam is receiving the Guru’s precious teaching as one body of knowledge, presented systematically as a complete topic, to be thoroughly grasped with full attention.   

That is why, in many sessions/satsangh, author requests the audience to listen with razor sharp intellect and with undivided attention. The intake of the disciple when he listens to his Acharya’s talk at the first instance stays with him forever.  

The disciple is given the full picture of what is involved in the spiritual quest which he is about to embark upon. He is given the necessary theoretical understanding, so that he can then follow it up with further practice of meditation.  

In Sravanam, he gets to know exactly what is required of him in his inner Sadhana. 

Jiva Brahma Aikya – “The Individual is Identical to Brahman.” 

This is the ultimate understanding that the student is expected to arrive at. This understanding can only arise in one who is qualified for Sravanam as described above. 

The essential teaching in Sravanam is the identity of one’s Self with the universal Self. The Jiva or individual being is really nothing less than the Universal Reality called Brahman. The student thoroughly grasps this knowledge.  

He can then confidently begin serious meditational practices that will lead him to realize his divine Identity. 

When this understanding takes place, Sravanam is considered done. The student can then proceed further with his Sadhana. 

The Procedure Followed in Sravanam 

The Guru may or may not follow any formal procedure. He may convey the teaching at a series of formal lectures or he may convey it informally by any other means. He may also choose a bit of both. Why is this so? It is because the knowledge does not come from him personally, but from God Himself.  

The disciple should be attentive to the message when it comes and listen intently, for the Guru may not repeat them again. He may select a quiet, peaceful setting or he may convey it in the midst of daily duties. The disciple has to be very attentive and catch the words of the Master whenever and wherever he sees it fit to convey them. 

Importance of Full Attention 

Sravanam is such an important part of spiritual Sadhana that much preparation is needed just to attune the disciple to listen attentively to the Guru’s teaching. He has to give his whole attention.  

The Guru has to assure himself that the disciple’s mind is unwavering; that his words are taken to heart; that the seeds of knowledge are being sown on fertile soil and not on barren rock. 

One should be receptive to the supreme scriptural statements not because they have been spoken by persons whom traditionally people have accepted with awe and respect, but because they have expressed their perception arising out of their subjective experience.   

Samaakarnyataam: this is a strong verb used to indicate the intensity of “listening”. The word carries the following components in its meaning: 

i) The act of listening. This is obvious. 

ii) The attention given to it by the disciple. 

iii) The concentration of the intellect to grasp its meaning. 

iv) The intention or purpose of what is to be done by obtaining such knowledge. 

v) The faith with which the student receives the knowledge. 

(Sahana vavatu chanting with which the communication starts from Guru's side and the disciple receives, that chanting is invoking the grace of God / Supreme essence to ensure all the 5 points listed above).  

When such is the quality of the hearing, the whole being is present at the occasion. It can be likened to a hearing in a Court-of-Law. Alertness comes naturally to the student who has been well-prepared for this step. 

What one needs is to be “shraddha vaan”, totally receptive with an unconditioned Mind without being dogmatic, self-opinionated, free from the influence of the Knowledge -information, thoughts, memories, teachings, beliefs, faiths ingrained historically in one’s consciousness, making Mind restrain the modifications arising therein – “chitta vritti nirodha” (Patanjala Yoga). Because only when the five (organs of senses) together with knowledge and mind cease (their activities) and the intelligence itself does not stir, only then there is to come about Supreme goal. 

What Does Sravanam Achieve? 

In Sanskrit, there is a phrase Pramaana Gata Sandeha, which means “doubts pertaining to the means of knowledge”. When all doubts connected with the Pramana or means of knowledge are removed, Sravana’s job is said to have been done. 

The highest Pramana used for knowledge of the Self is Shabda Pramana or scriptural authority. Then comes Anumana or reasoning, and then Pratyaksha or sense perception. 

The knowledge conveyed during Sravana can be divided into 5 distinct stages. At each stage the primary Pramana will change. The stages are as follows: 

1. Upasadana – (Pratyaksha) the preparatory stage or aligning oneself to the Guru. 

2. Karana – (Anumana) learning about all the causal factors leading to the human birth; 

3. Jnana – (Anumana) knowledge of the five sheaths that make up our constitution; 

4. Vedanta Tattwa – (Shabda) knowledge of the Reality or Supreme Self; and finally 

5. Mahavakya – (Shabda) knowledge dealing with the identity of Jiva with Brahman. 

Seers, saints and seekers have been benefited by them having said that the objective perceived by them in Veda, which is variously spread out in vedic hymns are to be followed by the seekers.  

Having been enlightened and satisfied with that knowledge, the seers, free of passion and tranquil in mind have seen the omnipotent self on all sides and with concentrated mind entered in to Self.  

The seers too who have ascertained the mystery of the hymns contained in upanishads, with pure mind and renunciation, ever dwelling in and being one with Brahman would at the end of their physical life be liberated, declares Mundaka Upanishad. 

Then at that point of time, one becomes undistracted, Mind becomes one-pointed like the blade of grass.  

Love.