Jnana Yoga / Amrita Gita ~ Swami Sivananda

Jnana Yoga 

extract from the book AMRITA GITA By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

There is an Atman or soul independent of body and mind. This soul is immortal, unchanging and infinite. Realise this Atman and be free. 

This Atman is Satchidananda (Existence-Absolute, Consciousness-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute). It exists in the past, present and future. So it is Sat. It is pure or Absolute Consciousness without any thought. So it is Chit. It is absolute Bliss. So it is Ananda. 

The unreal body perishes, but the Atman or the indweller is Immortal. So, you should not grieve when anyone dies. In essence everyone is Immortal Atman. 

This Atman cannot be hurt by anyone. It is subtle, all-pervading. It is the Innermost Self of all. 

This Atman is birthless, deathless, changeless. When the body is killed, He is not killed. Therefore grieve not, lament not, regret not. Be always cheerful. 

Fire cannot burn this Atman, sword cannot pierce this Atman, bomb cannot destroy this Atman, machine-guns cannot kill this Atman. 

This Atman is eternal, immovable, secondless, self-existent, self-centred. Therefore, knowing this to be such, thou shouldst not grieve, when your father, mother, son, wife or relative dies. 

This perishable body will certainly pass away. Indweller can never perish. Thou art the immortal soul. Therefore, over the inevitable thou shalt not grieve. 

Brahman or Atman is beyond the reach of the mind and speech. He is beyond logic, reason, mental process, science. He must be realised through meditation. 

You cannot deny or doubt your existence. You always feel that you exist. This existence is Atman or your own Self. The knower of the doubt or denier always exists. That knower is your own Atman. 

In dream you are distinct from the physical body. In deep sleep, you are distinct from the body and the mind. You enjoy peace and bliss in deep sleep. This proves that you are neither body nor mind, but you are All-Blissful Soul. 

There is only one Reality or Truth. That is Brahman or Atman. All appearances are unreal. They are the effects of Maya, the illusory power of Brahman. 

Behold the one Immortal Atman in all names and forms. This alone is correct perception. 

Ignorance is the cause for pain and sorrow. Annihilate this ignorance through Brahma Jnana. All miseries will come to an end. 

This Atman is beyond time, space, causation. Time, space, causation are mental creation. 

Just as snake is superimposed on the rope, this world, and the body are superimposed on Brahman. 

Bring a light, the snake vanishes; rope alone remains. Attain Illumination, this world and this body vanish. Atman alone remains. That Atman thou art. Tat Tvam Asi. 

I-ness and mine-ness, agency and enjoyership bind you to the Samsara. Destroy these notions. Identify yourself with the Atman which is non-doer, non-enjoyer. You will attain Immortality and eternal Bliss. 

Sensual pleasure is only pain. It is momentary mental excitement, momentary sensation of flesh, momentary itching and scratching of the senses. You can have eternal bliss in your own Inner Atman alone. 

Enquire ‘Who am I?’ Deny or sublate the limiting adjuncts (body, mind, etc.); know the Self and be free. 

Constantly think of the Immortal, all-pervading Atman. Give up thinking of body. You will attain Self-realisation. 

You are ever free. You are already free. Moksha is not a thing to be attained. You will have to know that you are Atman, that you are free. 

Destroy the Vasanas, subtle desires, and Trishnas, cravings. This will lead to the annihilation of the mind. Destruction of the mind will lead to the attainment of Brahma Jnana or wisdom of the Self. 

This world is illusory. Brahman alone is real. You are identical with Brahman. Realise this and be free. 

The liberated sage is ever blissful. He rests in his own Satchidananda Svaroopa. He is free from egoism, lust, hatred, greed, anger and the pairs of opposites. He has equal vision and balanced mind. He is Brahman Himself. 

OM is the symbol of Brahman. OM is your real name. Meditate on Om with Bhava and its meaning. You will attain Self-realisation. 

“I am the All-pervading, Immortal Soul. I am Pure Consciousness. I am Satchidananda Svaroopa. I am witness or Sakshi.”—These are the formulas for constant meditation and assertion. 

Equip yourself with the Four Means. Hear the Srutis, reflect and meditate. You will attain Self-realisation. 

Thou art not this perishable body. Thou art not this changing mind. Thou art all-pervading, immortal, infinite, changeless Soul or Atman. Realise this and roam about happily. 

Watch the breath. It sings Soham, ‘So’ during inhalation and ‘Ham’, during exhalation. It reminds you ‘I am He’. Meditate on ‘Soham’ and attain Self-realisation. 

‘I am body. I act. I enjoy. She is my wife. He is my son. This is mine.’—This is bondage. ‘I am Immortal Soul. I am non-actor, non-enjoyer. She is my soul. Nothing is mine.’—This is freedom. 

THUS ENDS JNANA YOGA OR 

THE YOGA OF THE WISDOM OF THE SELF

Essence of Jnana Yoga II / ~ Swami Sivananda

 Essence of Jnana Yoga II

by Swami Sivananda

The aim of Jnana Yoga is the destruction of the notion of duality and the establishment of the unity of the individual self  (Atman) with the Supreme Self (Brahman).

What is Ajnana (ignorance, avidya)? To identify oneself with the illusory vehicles such as body, mind, Prana, senses, etc., is Ajnana. To say: I am the doer, I am the enjoyer, I am a Brahmin, I am a Brahmachari, this is mine, he is my son, is Ajnana. What is Jnana (Knowledge)? Abheda Darshanam Jnanam. To know Brahman as one's own Self is Jnana. To see: I am Brahman, I am pure, all-pervading consciousness, I am non-doer, I am non-enjoyer, I am always the silent witness, is Jnana. To behold the one Self everywhere is Jnana.

The Brahman, the Supreme Self is neither the doer of actions nor the enjoyer of the fruits of actions. The creation, preservation and destruction of the world is not due to Him. They are due to the action of Maya or Avidya which is the Lord's own energy that manifests itself as the world-process or Samsara.

Just as there appear to be three kinds of space, viz., absolute space, space as limited by a jar and space as reflected in the water that is in the jar, so also there are three kinds of Chaitanya (intelligence), viz., Absolute Chaitanya (Para Brahman), Chaitanya reflected in Maya (Isvara) and Chaitanya reflected in Avidya (Jiva). The notion of the doer which is the function of intelligence as reflected in the Buddhi (intellect) together with the notion of Jiva (the individual soul) is superimposed on the limitless, pure Brahman, the silent witness, by the foolish.

The illustration of space Absolute, space as limited by a jar and space as reflected in the jar is given to convey the idea that in reality Brahman is one but appears or expresses to be threefold owing to Maya.

The reflection of the intelligence is an erroneous belief or notion. It is due to Anadi Avidya (beginningless ignorance). Brahman is without limitations. Limitation is a super-imposition (Adhyasa or Kalpana) on Him.

The unity of the Supreme Self with the reflected self (Jiva) is established through the saying or the great sentence of the Upanishads, Thou art That (Tat Tvam Asi). When this Knowledge of the identity of the two selves arises through the great saying (Mahavakya), Thou art That, then Avidya (ignorance) with all its offshoots and the world problems are destroyed. Thus there is no doubt at all.

Self-realisation or direct intuitive perception of the Supreme Self is necessary for attaining perfection or freedom. Mere study of scriptures even through hundreds of births will not confer the final emancipation.

Maya is also called Prakriti, Prarabdha, Avyaktam. It is said to be neither existence nor non-existence. It is neither Sat (Real) nor Asat (Unreal). It is indescribable (Anirvachaniya). It is Sat-Asat-Vilakshana, Anadi Bhavarupa Anirvachaniya.

For a liberated sage (Jivanmukta), there is neither joy nor sorrow, neither birth nor death. He has crossed the ocean of Samsara or worldly course of life and reached the other shore of fearlessness and immortality. He has become Brahman himself. Brahmavit Brahmaiva Bhavati. The Knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. This is the emphatic declaration of the Srutis or Upanishads.  

The aim of Jnana Yoga is the destruction of the notion of duality and the establishment of the unity of the individual self with the Supreme Self.

This is a compendium of all the Vedanta. This is a great purifier and destroyer of all sins. This is a great secret. He who attains Self-realisation is worshipped by all gods. He attains the status which even Yogis cannot attain.

Read the part I: Essence of Jnana Yoga I

Source: http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=684&format=html

The seven stages of God-realisation ~ Swami Krishnananda

The seven stages of God-realisation

The person who has realised God is called a God-realised soul. 

There are seven stages of God-realisation. These seven stages are mentioned in one way in the sutras of Patanjali, and in another way in the Yoga Vasishtha – especially the Yoga Vasishtha.

The first stage :"I want God only"

When a person is free from all desires to which ordinary people are accustomed, and thinks in the mind, "I want God only. My desire is to have God. I don't have a desire for anything else," this thought itself can be regarded as the first state or step towards God. You need not call it God-realisation; but nevertheless, it is a great thing even to be convinced that you want only that. Easily one cannot think like that; most people have got all kinds of ideas. But if you are convinced that this is the only thing that you want, it is the first step that you have taken towards God-realisation. I am mentioning something in the language of the Yoga Vasishtha. It is called subhechcha in Sanskrit: the desire to do the good thing, and the only thing being love of God, is the first step.

The second stage is vicharana.

You do not merely think, but you start analysing into the ways and means of moving still further: "How can I go? What steps am I taking? What are the sadhanas?" Going on thinking like this, going to Gurus and reading scriptures so that your mind becomes active in that direction is the second stage.

The third stage is tanumanasi

The third stage is that the mind is almost detaching itself from all objects. It is called tanumanasi. Tanu means thin, thread-like. The mind becomes thread-like in the third stage. It is as if it is breaking.

The fourth is sattvapatti

The fourth is the actual spiritual condition. The first three are the stages of a seeker, a sadhaka. The last four are the stages of an actual realised person. The fourth state is called sattvapatti which means the light of the cosmos will start flashing in your mind, like lightning. You see lightning flashes when there is a cloudy and rainy atmosphere. Like that you will feel lightning flashes, illuminations, etc., from inside. That is the fourth state, sattvapatti.

The fifth state is asamsakti

The fifth state is asamsakti. You will have no desire even to see a thing, let alone desire. Even the eyes do not have any interest in seeing things; the ears have no desire to hear anything; the nose has no desire to smell; the tongue has no desire to taste; the hands have no desire to touch. Even the desire to be conscious of the existence of something outside goes. This is called asamsakti, the fifth state.

The sixth is padartha-bhavana. 

The sixth is padartha-bhavana. You will begin to see matter itself shining like gold. Now it is all brick and mortar, iron and all kinds of things. It will all look like gold afterwards – shining. They will not look like material objects, but as if one thing only is pervading everywhere, as if the whole world is made up of gold – something like that. Now you see mountains, trees, people, things, but later everything will look like ornaments, like one gold. The True Reality will be seen at that time.

The seventh stage is the unity of the knower and known

The last stage is that you will actually merge into it. You will also become that very gold, and there will be no distinction between the knower of it and that which is known. These are the stages of God-realisation. There are differences, but in the last state there is no difference. You will merge into it.

The Goal of Vedanta ~ Swami Sivananda

The Goal of Vedanta

The goal or aim of life is self-realization;
it confers immortality, highest bliss,
knowledge, and supreme peace.

Fixing the mind on the source or inner self (Atman), and getting it absorbed there,
is the highest yajna (worship),
the highest charity,
the highest karma (action),
the highest bhakti (devotion),
the highest yoga or knowledge.

Now the little self-arrogating 'I' vanishes.

Just as the river joins the ocean, the little self becomes one with the ocean of bliss.

With the disappearance of the little illusory 'I' comes the disappearance of 'you', 'he', 'this', 'that', time, space and causation, 'mine' and thine', the pairs of opposites, the ideas of Jiva (Soul), Ishvara (God), Prakrti (Nature), etc. the whole world presents itself as Atman.

This grand vision, this magnanimous samadhi (super-consciousness), is Atmadarshan (vision of the ultimate reality), which is beyond description.

Many have attained this vision - why not you also?
Apply diligently right now in its achievement.

YOU ARE THE CREATOR OF YOUR DESTINY ~ Atman Nityananda

YOU ARE THE CREATOR OF YOUR DESTINY

The mind becomes that which contemplate upon steadily. By feeling what we contemplate upon we accelerate the process.

It is only a matter of constant practice and time.

The most important factors of our evolution are the associations and relations we keep and the impressions and thoughts we permit to enter in our mind.

If you constantly think about the defects of others you will develop these defects.

If you constantly think about the virtues of others you will develop these virtues.

So If you contemplate constantly on peace your mind will become peaceful. If you contemplate on courage you will develop courage. If you contemplate on confidence you will develop self-confidence etc..

If you constantly think of God with love you become God.

READ ALSO:
Meditation on Mahavakhyas By Swami Sivananda
TAT TVAM ASI / 'That you are' ~ Atman Nityananda

 

Introspection / What it is and what it does by Swami Sivananda

Introspection /  What it is and what it does

by Swami Sivananda

The self-existent Brahman created the mind and senses with outgoing tendencies. The mind has a pernicious habit of externalisation from time immemorial. So you behold the external universe and not the internal Self. It is the Vikshepa-Sakti or Maya (The power of Maya that projects the Universe and causes movement and superimposition) that draws you out. From your childhood, you are taught to look to the external world and not to the internal, psychic world. You have entirely lost the faculty of introspection. 

To have a comprehensive understanding of what is going on in the inner 'mental factory', a Suddha Buddhi (pure reason) and subtle intellect with power of introspection is needed. You will have to turn the mind inside, then concentrate all its powers and throw them upon the mind itself, in order that it may know its own nature and analyse itself.

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

In introspection, the mind itself is the subject of study. A portion of the mind studies the remaining portion of the mind. The higher mind studies the lower mind. Introspection is apperception (Conscious perception with full awareness).  

Just as you watch the work done by a coolie, a portion of the mind watches the movements of the rest of the mind. If you are one with the mind, if you identify yourself with the mind, you cannot know your defects. If you are a Sakshi or silent witness of the mind and if you practise introspection, you can know your various defects.

By a careful watch, many defects are detected and removed by suitable Sadhana. Enter a quiet room. Enter into silence daily for about fifteen minutes, morning and evening. Introspect. Watch the mind carefully. The mind will be doing either thinking, planning, feeling, knowing or willing. You will have to find out through subjective introspection what the mind is exactly doing at a particular time. To go through this practice, you must have Antarmukha Vritti (A state in which the mind is turned inwards and is withdrawn from objects), a subjective mind and a subtle Buddhi. Buddhi can be rendered subtle by study of philosophical books, Satsanga, control of Indriyas (Dama) and Sattvic food. The constant utterance of holy Names of God as Hari, OM, Narayana, Rama, Siva purifies the mind-stuff and helps make the mind introspective (Antarmukha).

How To Practise Introspection

You are the best judge of your mind. Introspect by living alone in solitude or retiring into a calm room for an hour. You must sit quiet in a solitary room alone, with closed eyes and watch the activities of the mind. You will then know your defects and weaknesses very clearly.

You should afterwards feel the necessity of removing them. Then your Svabhava should agree to change. You must know the right method to remove the defect. You must apply the method constantly. Then only improvement will set in. Constant application of the Sadhana is an indispensable requisite. 

You must watch the improvement every now and then, say, once a week, a fortnight or a month. You will have to keep a record of your progress (spiritual daily diary). You must watch carefully whether you are progressing in the spiritual path, whether you remain stationary or retrograding, whether the mind is distracted or concentrated. If it is distracted, you must remove the distracting causes one by one with patience and vigilance by suitable methods. If one method fails to bring about the desired results, you will have to combine two methods (the Yogic methods and Vichara).

Remember the triplet, viz., self-analysis, self-reliance, self-determination. It will be of immense use in your spiritual Sadhana. Analyse your self through introspection. Find out the nature of your Vrittis (Mind's modifications). Find out what Guna (quality) is predominating at a particular moment, whether it is Sattva, Rajas or Tamas. How long can the mind be absolutely fixed on your Lakshya (point of meditation)-either God, Brahman, idea or object, whether internal or external? How long can the mind be fixed on the object, rose and rose alone to the exclusion of all other objects-whether two seconds or two minutes or five minutes or half an hour? This is self-analysis. Rely on your self alone. You are your own redeemer and saviour. Nobody can give you Moksha (Liberation).  

You will have to tread the spiritual path step by step. Books and Gurus can show the path and guide you. This is self-reliance. Make a strong self-determination, "I will realise God. I will have Atma-Sakshatkara (Realisation of Atman, direct experience of the absolute Being) or Brahmanubhava (Self-realisation; God-realisation; Absolute experience) this very moment and not in the uncertain future." This is self-determination.

Wordlings have no time to think over even for a few minutes the life-problems, the mystery of life, etc. They get up in the morning. Their minds usually run to the special objects of enjoyment on account of Raga (Attachment, desire). Their mental energies are poured forth in the usual grooves and avenues-in thoughts of body, thoughts of eating and dressing, thoughts of wife, children, friends and also thoughts of office-work and business; and thus, the day is over. The same routine follows day after day, week after week. Years roll on and life is wasted. It is highly lamentable, indeed!

Only he who does Manana (reflection) and introspection through Antarmukha Vritti can change his worldly nature. In him only the idea of Brahman can get permanently lodged.

Discrimination of the Mahavakyas by Swami Krishananda

Discrimination of the Mahavakyas 
(the great statements of Upanishads)

extract from the book The Philosophy of the Panchadasi

by Swami Krishnananda

Swami Krishnananda

There are four Mahavakyas, or great statements in the Upanishads, which have a profound significance as pointers to Reality. They are: (1) Prajnanam Brahma – Consciousness is Brahman; (2) Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahman: (3) Tat Tvam Asi – That Thou Art; (4) Ayam Atma Brahma – This Self is Brahman.

These Mahavakyas convey the essential teaching of the Upanishads, namely, Reality is one, and the individual is essentially identical with it.
  

‘ Prajnanam Brahma’  / ‘Consciousness is Brahman’  /Aitareya Upanishad

In the sentence, ‘ Prajnanam Brahma’ or Consciousness is Brahman, a definition of Reality is given. The best definition of Brahman would be to give expression to its supra-essential essence, and not to describe it with reference to accidental attributes, such as creatorship etc. That which is ultimately responsible for all our sensory activities, as seeing, hearing, etc., is Consciousness. Though Consciousness does not directly see or hear, it is impossible to have these sensory operations without it. Hence it should be considered as the final meaning of our mental and physical activities. Brahman is that which is Absolute, fills all space, is complete in itself, to which there is no second, and which is continuously present in everything, from the creator down to the lowest of matter. It, being everywhere, is also in each and every individual. This is the meaning of Prajnanam Brahma occurring in the Aitareya Upanishad. 

‘Aham Brahmasmi,’ /  ‘I Am Brahman’ /  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

In the sentence, ‘Aham Brahmasmi,’ or I am Brahman, the ‘I’ is that which is the One Witnessing Consciousness, standing apart form even the intellect, different from the ego-principle, and shining through every act of thinking, feeling, etc. This Witness-Consciousness, being the same in all, is universal, and cannot be distinguished from Brahman, which is the Absolute. Hence the essential ‘I’ which is full, super-rational and resplendent, should be the same as Brahman. This is not the identification of the limited individual ‘I’ with Brahman, but it is the Universal Substratum of individuality that is asserted to be what it is. The copula ‘am’ does not signify any empirical relation between two entities, but affirms the non-duality of essence. This dictum is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

‘ Tat Tvam Asi’  / ‘That Thou Art’ /  Chhandogya Upanishad

In the Chhandogya Upanishad occurs the Mahavakya, ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ or ‘That thou art’. Sage Uddalaka mentions this nine times, while instructing his disciple Svetaketu in the nature of Reality. That which is one alone without a second, without name and form, and which existed before creation, as well as after creation, as pure Existence alone, is what is referred to as Tat or That, in this sentence. The term Tvam stands for that which is in the innermost recesses of the student or the aspirant, but which is transcendent to the intellect, mind, senses, etc., and is the real ‘I’ of the student addressed in the teaching. The union of Tat and Tvam is by the term Asi or are. That Reality is remote is a misconception, which is removed by the instruction that it is within one’s own self. The erroneous notion that the Self is limited is dispelled by the instruction that it is the same as Reality. 

‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ /  ‘This Self is Brahman’ / Mandukya Upanishad

The Mahavakya, ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ or ‘This Self is Brahman’, occurs in the Mandukya Upanishad. ‘ Ayam’ means ‘this’, and here ‘thisness’ refers to the self-luminous and non-mediate nature of the Self, which is internal to everything, from the Ahamkara or ego down to the physical body. This Self is Brahman, which is the substance out of which all things are really made. That which is everywhere, is also within us, and what is within us is everywhere. This is called ‘Brahman’, because it is plenum, fills all space, expands into all existence, and is vast beyond all measure of perception or knowledge. On account of self-luminosity, non-relativity and universality, Atman and Brahman are the same. This identification of the Self with Absolute is not any act of bringing together two differing natures, but is an affirmation that absoluteness or universality includes everything, and there is nothing outside it.

SOURCE: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/panch/panch_05.html

Is Self-experience possible for the mind, whose nature is constant change? ~ Sri Ramana MAharshi

Is Self-experience possible for the mind, whose nature is constant change?

RAMANA MAHARSHI: Since sattva-guna (the constituent of prakriti which makes for purity, intelligence, etc.) is the nature of mind, and since the mind is pure and undefiled like ether, what is called mind is, in truth, of the nature of knowledge. When it stays in that natural (i.e. pure) state, it has not even the name 'mind'. It is only the erroneous knowledge which mistakes one for another that is called mind.

What was (originally) the pure sattva mind, of the nature of pure knowledge, forgets its knowledge-nature on account of nescience, gets transformed into the world under the influence of tamo-guna (i.e. the constituent of prakriti which makes for dullness, inertness, etc.), being under the influence of rajo-guna (i.e. the constituent of prakriti which makes for activity, passions, etc.), imagines "I am the body, etc.; the world is real", it acquires the consequent merit and demerit through attachment, aversion, etc., and, through the residual impressions (vasanas) thereof, attains birth and death.

But the mind, which has got rid of its defilement (sin) through action without attachment performed in many past lives, listens to the teaching of scripture from a true guru, reflects on its meaning, and meditates in order to gain the natural state of the mental mode of the form of the Self, i.e. of the form 'I am Brahman' which is the result of the continued contemplation of Brahman. Thus will be removed the mind's transformation into the world in the aspect of tamo-guna, and its roving therein in the aspect of rajo-guna. When this removal takes place the mind becomes subtle and unmoving.

It is only by the mind that is impure and is under the influence of rajas and tamas that Reality (i.e. the Self) which is very subtle and unchanging cannot be experienced; just as a piece of fine silk cloth cannot be stitched with a heavy crowbar, or as the details of subtle objects cannot be distinguished by the light of a lamp flame that flickers in the wind.

But in the pure mind that has been rendered subtle and unmoving by the meditation described above, the Self-bliss (i.e. Brahman) will become manifest.

As without mind there cannot be experience, it is possible for the purified mind endowed with the extremely subtle mode (vritti) to experience the Self-bliss, by remaining in that form (i.e. in the form of Brahman). Then, that one's self is of the nature of Brahman will be clearly experienced. 

extract from the book self_enquiry.pdf

Jnana Yoga ~ Amma

Jnana Yoga ~ Amma
“Jnana is intellectual knowledge while vijnana is transcending the intellect, negating even that as untrue, and affirming pure experience alone as the Supreme Truth.”

“It is hard to become established in jnana without devotion. With gravel alone we cannot build anything; we need to add cement as well, and make concrete. We cannot build the steps leading to God without adding the binding quality of love.”

Question: “Does Amma have the opinion that the different names and forms of gods and goddesses are real?”

Amma: “What Mother would like to say is that names and forms are needed for people like us with the kind of mental calibre that exists today. It will help our spiritual growth. Do not say that ours is the best path and all other paths are wrong. If a person’s choice is tea, have it, fine and good. Let those who do not like tea drink coffee, lemonade or plain water. Why should we bother our heads about people’s personal preferences? Why should we say that tea alone is good and all other drinks, bad? The purpose is to quench the thirst. Therefore, whether it is meditation on the Supreme with attributes or the Supreme without attributes, the goal is to attain perfect mental peace in any circumstance. Give up all such doubts about gods and goddesses and do your sadhana.

“Look children, Amma knows very well that all names and forms are limited and that God is nameless, formless and attributeless. Still, the sweet and blissful feeling that one gains from singing the glories of the Lord is an incomparable and inexpressible experience.

“All the names and forms, whatever they are, are only creations of the mind for one who has gone beyond the mind. But this is not the case for one who has not reached the state of perfection. He or she may say that all names and forms are unreal and that Brahman alone is true and real. However, if they have not experienced perfection, it is meaningless to go around declaring the unreality of forms.

“Everything is Brahman, that is right. But have you realised That? It is like a blind person saying that there is light everywhere. Why do you talk unnecessarily about some thing that you have no idea about at all? You constantly experience the world and its objects, but you talk about something which you have never experienced.

“Advaita (non-duality) is the state in which there is only One. It is the state in which you spontaneously see everyone as being the same as your own Self. It is not something you talk about; it is a state to be experienced.”

“When we worship Rama, Krishna or Christ, we adore the eternal ideals which manifest through Them. If they were mere individuals, nobody would have worshipped Them. When they are worshipped, a true seeker is not adoring a limited individual but the same all-pervading cosmic intelligence which you believe is the only Truth.

“For a person who has gone beyond maya (transitory world of names and forms), everything is Brahman since he or she constantly experiences It. But for a person who lives in maya it is not so. He or she has everything around them. Thus, he or she must put forth a deliberate attempt to come out of it. He or she should try to convince themselves that the world and the pleasure-giving objects are flickering and dreamlike.”

Comment: “There is no Rama or Krishna”

Amma: “Everyone ultimately reaches the same place, but you need an upadhi (limiting factor) for doing sadhana. How can you say there is no Rama or Krishna? Even if you don’t see Ochira on a map of India, can you say there is no place called Ochira? Our sense of Advaita is just limited to our words. It is not possible to bring it into our experience without devotion.”

SOURCE: http://www.amritapuri.org/6757/spiritual-paths.aum

What is the enemy of Wisdom? ~ Bhagavad Gita

What is the enemy of Wisdom? 

extract from  Bhagavad Gita, Chapter III

Arjuna said:

36 O descendant of Vṛṣṇi (Krishna) by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

The Blessed Lord said:

37. It is desire, it is anger (anger is a modification of desire) born of the quality of Rajas, which is the great sin that devours everything; know this is the foe in this world.

38. As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the amnion, so is Atman enveloped by desire.

39. Thus, the wisdom (man's pure consciousness-Atman) is enveloped by this eternal enemy of the wise, the insatiable (never satisfied) fire of desire!

40. The senses, the manas (mind) and the buddhi (intellect-intelligence) are said to be its seat; through these it deludes the embodied by veiling his wisdom (man's pure consciousness -Atman).

41. Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, controlling the senses first, do thou kill this sinful thing (desire), the destroyer of jnana* (indirect knowledge) and Vijnana** (direct knowledge, Self-realisation)!

COMMENTARY:

jnana*: theoretical knowledge of Atman obtained by the study of sacred texts and the masters).

Vijnana**: knowledge of direct experience of what one has been taught, Self-realization.

42. They say that the senses¹ are superior to the body; superior to the senses is the manas² (mind); superior to the mind is the buddhi³ (intellect- intelligence); and one who is superior even to the buddhi is He—the Self⁴ (pure consciousness, Atman).

COMMENTARY:

senses¹: are superior to body because the body functions and interacts with the world through the senses. Without senses the body would be like dead.

manas²: the manas (mind) is superior to senses because the manas controls, coordinates and directs the senses.

buddhi³ : the buddhi (intellect- intelligence) is superior to manas because it is intelligent, has the capacity to observe consciously, discern, judge, reason, understand, and decide the action. It has the capacity to control the manas.

He—the Self⁴: The Self or Atman is pure consciousness; Consciousness reflects on buddhi and makes it sentient, intelligent and conscious.

43. Thus, knowing Him (Atman, consciousness) who is superior to the buddhi and restraining (or control) the self by the Self*, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer!

COMMENTARY: 

 the self by the Self*: self with small s’, means the lower self, what we consider as our self. Self with capital S’, means the higher Self, the Atman or (Consciousness).

Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion, who does constant and intense Sadhana, can conquer it quite easily.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third discourse entitled:

“The Yoga of Action”

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