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.

 

 

Live Session Tomorrow on Nirvana Shatakam - Part 6

 Live Session Tomorrow on Nirvana Shatakam - Part 6 

https://youtu.be/eLlpElblGBM

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 32

At the right time, when the Guru feels that the disciple is ripe, i.e. he has attained the required Chitta Shuddhi and Chitta Ekagrata, the latter is asked to adjust his method of worshipping God in the following way.  

The disciple is required to shift from Sakaara - Saguna, i.e. worship of God with form and attributes, to Nirakaara - Nirguna, i.e. worship of the formless and attribute less God. 

The idea is to shift from the grosser to the subtler, from the body to the mind. The disciple gets trained gradually to go more within himself. He does so through the following five stages: 

i) Traditional Puja: This consists in making offerings of ghee, ringing bells and playing instruments, observing the form of the Lord’s murti, reciting prayers, etc. These together require the use of the hands, eyes, ears and the mind. This is the first stage of worship. 

ii) Omitting the Hands: Retaining all items except the Havan and the instruments, the hands become quite free. Only the eyes, ears and mind are now engaged. 

iii) Omitting the Eyes: Then the form also is taken away, while the chanting of the Mantra continues. Now only the ears and mind are needed. 

iv) Omitting the Ears: The Mantra is replaced by Om, which is first aloud, then whispered and finally chanted mentally.  

All external distractions are now removed. The Sadhana shifts completely into the mind. Even the Om-chanting is dropped by gradually reducing its duration. 

v) Omitting the Mind: When this is mastered over a good length of time, the Guru prescribes the highest form of Vedantic worship where there is no prop for the mind to lean on and the mind itself dissolves. The disciple gets completely absorbed in his inner Self. 

All this, verily, is Brahman, from which all things emerge, are sustained and in to which they dissolve. Therefore, being tranquil one should meditate on it, says Chandhogya Upanishad.  

Yajnavalkya declares in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad  that this shining, the immortal person who is in this earth in reference to one's self, is this shining immortal person who is in the body is Self, the immortal, the Brahman, the all. 

Brahman is the source of manifestation of effulgence of the essence and the diverse forms. Animate manifestation do not discriminate but respond to their senses and intuition inanimate one does not respond in the absence of sensation, as we know it, though within them the essence exists, concealed within and changing the external form.  

The human being, among all the animate and inanimate manifestations, being endowed with sense of discrimination, enabling him to distinguish the internal essence from the external form, can aim to reach out to the goal.  

Therefore Sankara writes in Vivekachudamani that human life as important in spiritual evolution pointing out that:- 

·     rare is the human birth for creatures, 

·     rarer is the birth as a male, 

·     rarer still is attaining Brahmin hood, 

·   still rare is being born a Brahmin and following knowledge of vedic scriptures, and 

·     rare, indeed, is being a man of Wisdom. 

·     Even thereafter, to have sense of discrimination for the self and non-self, awareness of Brahman and deliverance is not possible to be attained even in crores of lives.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad points out that the object to which mind gets attached to, to that object the subtle self goes together with the deed. 

Bhagwad Gita points out that whatever resolve he has at the time of departing from his body, such one be becomes his inclination. Therefore, Krishna further recommends the seeker to fix the mind on him, be attuned to him, adore him, revere him; thus having disciplined himself, with him as the goal to him alone the seeker shall come. 

For Sankara, the uncompromising purpose of Wisdom is being supremely established in awareness of the Self. A person who is luminous in receptivity and reflective and meditative in Mind finds fulfillment in his purpose laid out by him because the non-luminous person, being obscure his vision becomes one with unresolved purpose in life and suffers. 

Therefore, Wisdom of Brahman should be the prime purpose and enterprise of a person which sense of discrimination between the eternal and the transient –“Nitya - Anitya viveka”. 

Swami says,  

“How can one contemplate on God with an invisible form? What is the use of such contemplation? Divinity is the very life breath that can be perceived and heard. How can one recognize and experience the sound of this Divine breath?  

The Upanishads have given the names of "Brahman" and "Atma" for this invisible Divine breath in human beings. The body is living, as long as the life breath emanates from the body. Mind is made up of sankalpa (resolution) and vikalpa (negation or dissolution). This is the Vishnu Principle. What is the root cause for this Brahma Principle? That which attracts the sound (shabda). 

The all pervading sound of the sruthis is constantly in us, with us and is part of us. When you hear the sound of the mantras, you feel very happy, even though you are not able to understand their meanings. There may be several meanings for the words in these mantras. But, the very sound emerging from the chanting of these manthras will make you happy. 

In order to understand the nature of Divinity (Paramatma), we must engage our mind in the contemplation of the Transcendental Principle (Para tattwa). "

 

(Extract from Divine Discourse 12/10/2002)

 

Love.