Live Session Tomorrow on Moksha Gita - Part 3

 

https://youtu.be/jtnVLFhY7Gk

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 52

In One's spiritual journey, the processes of Sravana, Manana, Nididhyasana and Savikalpa Samadhi come to their culmination in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. 

The thick fog of doubt and delusion that surrounds the Self lifts up, and the aspirant beholds the rarest of all visions – he sees himself to be one with the luminous Sun of Supreme Consciousness. 

This is the crest-jewel among all human experiences. We reach the long-cherished Goal of all spiritual endeavor.

Beloved Friends, God-Experience is our topic now onwards.

The man of realization stands as an Emperor before all the forces of Nature which once danced all around him.

He is now Master of those forces that are the genesis of Creation. All its question marks have been dissolved. 

The pinnacle of perfection of this human birth is the experience of the unity of the Self. The ultimate Goal has become a certainty, as real as clutching a fruit in the palm of one’s hand.

Now, to the next sutra/verse.

 

Poorna-Atma: This word refers to the state which transcends all these limitations.

What are these limitations which every human being is subject to? They are two of them:

i)         Desha, or spatial limitation.

ii)        Vastu, or object limitation.

iii)     Kala, or time limitation; this leads to Anubhava, or an experience limitation.

 

Su-Sameekshyataam: Sage Sankaracharya uses the double prefix here. To translate it as “Realize and see” does not do it justice. The prefixes Su and Sam, are very significant.

They contain an appreciation of all the great effort that was taken in the 34 previous Steps, which made this Step of Self-realization possible.

The word pays tribute to all the prior stages in which the hard work was done to make Samadhi possible. What an unusual expression of gratitude – the very processes of Sadhana are given pride of place in the accomplishment! 

Such is the attitude ingrained in the Indian tradition of Vedanta. From every breath of Vedanta oozes out the precious feeling of gratitude. Gratitude is the string that runs through all the steps of Sadhana, and binds them into a beautiful garland worthy of being offered to the Divine!

In a human mind, thinking begins with one thought, leading to other associate or related thoughts arising therein weaving their own chain of thoughts, turning mind to scraps and fragments of unruly, disordered and undisciplined aggregation of thoughts. 

The awareness of the spiritual mind comes out sudden and instantaneous, like the flash of lightening or winking of the eye as said in Upanishads.

Spiritual awareness is never partial, it is all at once in comprehensive dimension or nothing at all. Upanishads declare that when It shines, everything else shines in its illumination.

The Self is the supreme goal, the supreme treasure, the supreme world, the supreme Bliss, on the particles of this Bliss, other creatures live. 

When all desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then does the mortal becomes immortal, then he attains Brahman here itself (in this life). 

Sankara’s insistence that one should perceive the entirety of the subtle Self is a suggestion to be cultivated here and now and not later. 

Hindu philosophy, though conceives a series of births and deaths, yet encourages traversing the path though ‘sharp as the edge of a razor and hard to cross and difficult to tread’ is the Path, one is encouraged to take the first step, even though in the words of Krishna, the mind (and the resolve) is covered as fire is covered by smoke, as mirror by dust and an embryo by the womb, one should venture abandoning all desires born of will, without exception, restraining from all sides the mind from all senses, let him gain little by little tranquility through restraint and steadiness, fixing mind on the self within, and not thinking on anything else. 

On this path no effort is ever lost, no obstacles prevail. Even a little righteousness will save one from great fear. Therefore, one should engage oneself in this endeavor without hesitation.

 

Swami Sivananda writes on how a Jivanmukhta experiences the all-pervading SELF,

 

“A Jnani identifies himself with the all-pervading Brahman and uses his mind and body as His instruments for Vyavahara (worldly activities); an Ajnani identifies himself with his body. There have been cases of Jivanmuktas like Raja Janaka who attained Jnana and who utilized mind and body in this manner for the well-being of the humanity at large.

Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were ever resting on Brahman even when they were ruling their kingdoms. They were ever very conscious of their essential Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahmic nature, even though they assumed human forms. They utilized their minds and bodies as their instruments when they were doing various activities.

Even this world does not disappear as absolutely as is supposed in Jivanmukti state. Empirical world, in fact, ceases to exist. But this does not mean annihilation. It merely means that existence changes its form and color, as it were, for the Absolute. It is empirical existence and not all-existence which vanishes. Existence-Reality remains, but its limited forms vanish. 

Externality has to go; spatial and temporal views of things must go; causal determination of one thing by another must go; many-ness and oneness must go. This is inevitable. But the universe with all its reality will not go even for the liberated soul. It will merely change its form, meaning and significance.. 

Nothing will disappear except a false view, a limited horizon, erroneous idea and a circumscribed vision. Fact, Reality, Existence, however, will remain as fundamental as ever; but the viewpoint will change.”

 

Swami writes in Upanishad Vahini in His commentary on Isavasya Upanishad,

 

“The ignorant can never grasp the fact of Atmic immanence. Those who are conscious can see things and feel their presence. Those who have lost awareness will search for the lost jewels, even though they actually wear them at the moment. 

Though one may know all things, one conceives the Atma as existing in some unapproach- able, unreachable place on account of loss of consciousness. 

But the wise person, who is aware, sees the Atma in all beings and sees all beings as Atma. The wise person sees all beings as the same and perceives no distinction or difference. So, the wise person saves themself from duality.”

 

Love.

 

Sadhana Panchakam - Post 51

 

This step is the counterpart of the above step. It deals with the internal environment needed for Savikalpa Samadhi Sadhana. 

In practice, this means a quiet mind; a well - controlled mind, one that is obedient to a higher power seated within the heart, whom we call the Supreme Lord. This condition is more essential than the external one of Solitude. 

Author has quoted Sri Ramana’s precious words of wisdom on “Silence” in many satsangh / blog posts.

In Essence, Ramana stresses on the inner silence, the silence of mind, as most important, more than the outer silence of speech and silence of body (actions).

 

 

Swami says,

 

“Meditation is a function of the inner man. It involves deep subjective quietude, the emptying of the mind and the filling oneself with the light that emerges from the Divine spark within."

 

Even in the midst of a busy city, one could be in ‘Solitude’ if one keeps focussed on his own Sadhana, and does not allow his mind to run outside. The rarified atmosphere of one’s mind is sufficient solitude. There is no more need to rely on an external solitude.

Quietness of mind is an internal factor; solitude is its external counterpart. The two support and complement each other. Each one has its own contribution to make, in taking us forward towards the Goal. Both are necessary. 

The internal factor is more essential. The quiet life in solitude helps to deepen the quietness of our mind; at the same time the quietness in our mind makes us capable of living in solitude, that is, the quietness in the mind makes solitude itself possible.

 

Swami Sivananda writes on control of mind thus:

 

“Mind is so framed that it runs to extremes. Through Sadhana or spiritual practice, it should be brought to a balanced state (Samata). It is one-sided by its very nature. It is through mental drill or training that integral development must be achieved.

Make a vigorous and earnest search within. Do not trust the mind and the Indriyas. They are your enemies. Women and wealth are your bitter foes. These are two great evils.

Mind exercises its sovereignty over man through the force of attachment, craving, Samskara and Vasana (tendency, latent desire, will to possess and enjoy, world-desire). It does various tricks. When you once know its ways, it lurks like a thief. It will no longer trouble you.

In controlling the mind, you have to do seven things: 

(1) You must get rid of all desires, Vasanas and Trishnas. 

(2) You must control your emotions. You must control the temper so that you may feel no anger or impatience. 

(3) You must control the mind itself so that the thought may always be calm and unruffled. 

(4) You must control the nerves through the mind so that they may be as little irritable as possible. 

(5) You must give up Abhimana. Abhimana strengthens the mind. It is the seed of the mind. When you have become a Nirabhimani, how can criticisms, taunts and censure affect you? 

(6) You must destroy all attachments ruthlessly. 

(7) You must give up all hopes and prejudices.

The following will bring you peace of mind undoubtedly. (1) Avoid the company of evil persons. (2) Live alone. (3) Reduce your wants. (4) Do not argue. Arguing creates sense of hostility. It is a sheer waste of energy. (5) Do not compare yourself with others. (6) Do not lend your ears for public criticism. (7) Give up the idea of name and fame.”

 

According to Patanjali Maharshi, Maitri (friendship between equals), Karuna (mercy towards inferiors), Mudita (complacency towards superiors), Upeksha (indifference towards rogues), will bring about Chittaprasada or peace of mind.

You should, through your higher Sattvic mind, avoid the mind which runs in the direction of objects and, progressing higher up, should, without any despondency of heart, accumulate wealth of Tapasya for acquiring that imperishable Supreme Seat (Parama Pada). 

Like an emperor who brings under his sway all kings on earth, the fluctuating mind should be brought under the perfect control of the non-fluctuating mind and then, the latter reaches its own state which is the Supreme One.”

  

 Love.