Essence
of Jnana yoga, taken from SS Vahini and posted in an earlier post is taken up
in this post.
Extract from Swami’s
writing on the path of Jnana
• “In
the vast ocean of ISNESS, or truth (sath),
all objects are but drops, in a jnana yogi’s view.
• Wisdom-yogis
also yearn to merge in the centre, the core of reality, away from the tangle of
apparent diversity.
• They
exert themselves to become the Truth, not only to become aware of it. Of
course, as soon as they are aware of it, they become it.
• They
see and experience only one unbroken, unchallenged stream of
bliss-consciousness.
• They
realize that the power and energy that vitalize the tiniest of the tiny and the
vastest of the vast is the same divine Principle.
• They
see all elements — earth, fire, water, wind, and sky — as the divine itself and
all beings — humanity, beast, bird, and worm — as emanations from God and
therefore fully divine.
• It
is not enough if the intellect nods approval and is able to prove that Godhead
is all. The belief must penetrate and prompt every moment of living and every
act of the believer.
• Faith
must enliven and enthuse every thought, word, and deed. The self must be soaked
in the nectar of the spiritual wisdom.
• The
Vedas were not spoken by humans or composed by men and women. They were heard
and recorded by sages and transmitted by guru to pupil for generations by word
of mouth.
• The
guru recited, and the pupil listened and recited just as the guru did, with the
same care and correctitude.
• Vid,
the root from which the word Veda is derived, means “to know”. When knowledge
began, the Vedas manifested. Sages (rishis)
visualized and announced them. They are the “seers of mantras”.
• The
Jnana-kanda is called the end of the
Vedas (Vedanta), the goal, the
finale. It is enshrined in the Upanishads.”
Swami Sivananda writes on this path, thus:-
All-pervading
ocean of Light I am OM OM OM
Infinity I
am OM OM OM
All-pervading
infinite Light I am OM OM OM
Vyapaka
Paripoorna Jyotirmaya Brahman I am OM OM OM
Omnipotent
I am OM OM OM
Omniscient
I am OM OM OM
All Bliss
I am OM OM OM
Satchidananda
I am OM OM OM
All purity
I am OM OM OM
All glory
I am OM OM OM
All Upadhis
(limiting adjuncts such as body, mind, etc.,) will be sublated. All Granthis (knots of heart, viz., Avidya, Kama and Karma –
ignorance, desire, and action) will be cut asunder.
The thin veil, Avarana, will be pierced. The Pancha
Kosha Adhyasa (superimposition) will be removed. You will rest doubtless in
Satchidananda state. You will get
highest Knowledge, highest Bliss, highest Realization and highest end of life.
‘Brahma Vit Brahmaiva Bhavati’. You
will become Suddha Satchidananda Vyapaka
Paripoorna Brahman. Nasti Atra
Samsayah’, there is no doubt of that.
There is no difficulty at all in Atma-Darshan, in Self-Realization. You
can have this within the twinkling of an eye as Raja Janaka had, before you can
squeeze a flower with fingers, within the time taken for a grain to fall when
rolled over a pot. You must do earnest, constant and intense practice. You are
bound to succeed in two or three years.
No flowery talk or verbosity can make a man Brahman. It is constant, intense,
earnest Sadhana and Sadhana alone can give a man direct Aparoksha Brahmic realization (Svanubhava
or Sakshatkara) wherein he sees Brahman just as he sees the solid white
wall in front of him and feels Brahman,
just as he feels the table behind him. Practice, practice, practice and become
established in Brahman.”
Love.
