Wednesday, August 21, 2013

MEDITATION - SEARCH FOR INNER SELF

Mundakopanishad – Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati 5th April, 2013 – Chinmaya Mission Delhi.

Source:
Two birds on the same Tree 

There are two birds on the same tree. One bird eats fruits and another bird just looks at the other bird, he does not eat fruits. This beautiful picture is of our own personality. Our body is like tree and Jiva is one bird and Ishvara is another bird. In fact there is only one bird but appearing like two, just as when we stand in front of the mirror, we appear like two. One is the real person and another is his image. Jiva has misunderstanding and he considers himself as the doer, performs various types of actions and experiences the different types of fruits of actions. Once in a while, by the grace of God, by the Satsang when Jiva sit silently and looks within, he comes to see that his own higher Self is free from all bondage. His higher Self is supremely peaceful, pure and when he sees his inner Self, he also becomes free from all sorrows and pain. This happens in the state of meditation. 

We have to follow the path shown by the scriptures. First we have to purify our mind, make ourselves fit with proper knowledge and then meditate and recognize our own higher Self. What we think of ourselves now is not the real Self. It is just a false notion created by thoughts and emotions. Jiva is just and image but we have identified with that image so much that we feel we are that image. Through meditation we have to recognize our own real Self. Just like the river dissolves in the ocean, the little self has to dissolve in the higher Self. 

प्रणो ह्येष यः सर्वभूतैर्विभाति विजानन् विद्वान् भवते नातिवादी ।
आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिः क्रियावा- नेष ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः ॥४॥

All pervading Brahman is indicated here as Prana - life, that resides in all beings. Supreme Reality is not confined to any place but it is all pervading. It is subtler than the subtlest and existing everywhere. Everything is Brahman alone but appearing like something else. Brahman is present everywhere as life, consciousness, existence everywhere. Wise seeker recognises Brahman as his own Self by following the right path shown by teacher. 

Have you seen people under hypnotism? They can do anything that they are told to do when they are hypnotized. They can be told to become a child and cry and they cry like babies. That is the power of our mind. Our mind is very powerful. It makes us experience that which is not real. We experience all sorts of illusions, delusions, confusions because of mind. We have to transcend this power through our Sadhana. We have to overcome this power. Our mind is expression of mighty power of Supreme Reality’s Maya. At the cosmic level Maya is creating illusion of this world and at the individual level same Maya is like our mind creating various types of illusions. We can overcome illusion through Sadhana. We have to surrender to our higher Self in meditation to overcome Maya. We transcend our own mind and come to know ourselves as we are. 

When a wise person comes to know his higher Self, thereafter he becomes silent. The lesser knowledge we have, the more argument we have. We argue with ourselves, with others. It is like a fifth grade child argues with Albert Einstein. Albert Einstein cannot explain theory of relativity to a child completely. He will have to use the language which will be understood by that child. Similarly, there are foolish people who talk too much and argue. When we come to recognize our higher Self, we become silent. There is nothing to say much. Bhagvan Ramana Maharshi used to say that a person, who is diving deep in the well to retrieve some object, should keep his mouth shut once he is in water. If he opens his mouth, he will get drowned. Similarly, one who comes to realize one’s own higher Self, becomes silent. There is no need to argue. Whatever one says, it is okay. Great Masters reveal the secret of Supreme Truth only to a ripe and sincere student otherwise they remain silent.

Someone asked Gautam Buddha, ‘what is the nature of God?’ Gautam Buddha remained silent. 

These great Masters, enlightened beings constantly revel in themselves. They play in their own Self. At the same time they are also very active in expressing their love, sharing knowledge with the world around. Tapovanji Maharaj was active; Pujya Gurudev was also very active in their own ways. Shankaracharyaji was active and was spreading the message to the whole world. At the same time revel in their own Self, which is the Self of all beings. Scriptures say that such Masters are the greatest among the knower of Brahman. 

We gain the theoretical knowledge about Self but only when we meditate, we come to recognize our own Self as we are, directly. It is like food, one can gain lot of knowledge about food through cook-books. All the knowledge of cooking gained from the book is useful when one actually cooks and prepares delicious food shown in the book. Similarly, all the theoretical knowledge given in scriptures about Self should culminate in realizing our own Self through Sadhana. 

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् ।
अन्तःशरीरे ज्योतिर्मयो हि शुभ्रो यं पश्यन्ति यतयः क्षीणदोषाः ॥५॥

Four important Sadhana are mentioned here – Satya – truthfulness, Tapas – austerity, Samyak Gyana – proper knowledge, Brahmacharyena – self-control.
Another important word is Nityam – constant practice.

Satya – truthfulness. We have to be truthful at the level of our speech, actions, emotions, thinking, relationships. We have to be truthful at every level. When we are truthful, our body, mind, senses and intellect get integrated. It becomes easy for us to meditate when they are integrated. When we lie, our personality gets split. Mind, senses, intellect are not integrated in a person who does not speak truth. If they are not tuned then it is not possible to proceed in our Sadhana at all. Satya is very important. One should speak the truth, one should speak it pleasantly and one should it for the welfare of everyone. The essence of Dharma is Satya. The essence of Ramayana is ‘Prana Jai Par Vachana Na Jai, Raghukula Rit Sada Chali Ayi.’ Whatever we have spoken, we have to respect our word and follow it. If Satyam goes away from our life then relations get spoiled. If there is no truth in our speech then it loses its power. Our thinking and feelings are useless if there is not reality in it. 

Truthfulness should be followed Nityam – always.

When we meditate, our own mind and intellect guide us. We listen to the instructions of our own intellect when we meditate. We will not listen to the instructions if the intellect is not truthful. 

Atman is my own Self but as though it is lost because of my ignorance and delusion and distractions of mind. It is like a person who has his spects on his head and looking for it everywhere. 

Tapas – various types of austerities are mentioned in our scriptures but the highest austerity is in concentration. Focus, concentration of our mind and intellect on one point is called Tapas. To be able to focus our attention on point is called Tapas. Even when we chant the name of Lord, not only we should chant but our feelings and thoughts are also engaged in chanting Lord’s name. Valmiki Rishi chanted name of Lord Rama intensely and with great focus and concentration, he did not realize that ants made a big anthill around his body. That focus is called Tapas. There is small opening in our heart and we have to enter through that opening through meditation. 

Samyak Gyana – Proper knowledge. We should learn about our own Self and about its nature from the scriptures. Scriptures give us indicators about the Self. They give us proper knowledge and we can gain proper understanding. This is subtle subject and requires thorough study. Shravan – listening, Manana – constantly contemplating and ascertaining about our own Self. It takes long time. Scriptures are like mirror. If we want to see our face, we have to take help of mirror. However good eyes you may have but without mirror you can’t see your face. Proper wisdom helps us to recognize our own Self.

Brahmacharya – Self-control. Brahmacharya is to restrain our senses from over indulgence. 

With this four-fold practice, one will be able to proceed on the path and recognize supreme Self.

Self is seen by those great seekers who put forth efforts in right direction. They come to realize their own Self, which is self-luminous, extremely pure, deep within their own heart. If we follow the four-fold path of Satya, Tapas, Samyak Gyana and Brahmacharya, we will also be able to recognize our own Self deep within the heart.

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः ।
येनाऽऽक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परमं निधानम् ॥६॥

Satyameva Jayate – this is very famous line. Satya alone wins, falsehood does not win. Even when we see falsehood winning, it is winning in the name of Satya. Even when a person lies, he has to say that he is telling the truth. 

Truthfulness is associated with Ahimsa. Patanjali Rishi made it more clear by mentioning Ahimsa before Satyam. Satyam is completely truthful when it is associated with Ahimsa and welfare of everyone. 

We will be able to attain our goal when we walk on this path with truthfulness deeply engraved in our heart. 

This is cosmic law. It may appear that we are getting something out of nothing but we are losing somewhere else. There are no free lunches available in this world. We have to pay for it. Nothing comes free in this world, you have to pay. If gross is not paid for what we take then something subtler is taken away. 

This path towards Supreme is laid down by Satyam. One cannot be a liar, cannot have a disintegrated personality and then follow this path. All other values become fruitful, complete based on Satyam. Goodness, kindness, generosity, service all these values should have truthfulness as the base. Every value becomes valuable when it is based on truthfulness. All good values are derived from ultimate Reality. It is natural that as our mind becomes more Sattvic, good values rise in us. Negative values are seen in a Tamasic mind. 

As we drop Tamoguna and Rajoguna rises then our values become slightly better. As we move towards Sattvaguna, good values start rising more and more. Goodness is the very nature of the Self. Good values come out in its full glory when they are not blocked by Rajoguna and Tamoguna. In the same way, if we proactively, sincerely cultivate good values, we move towards our own Self. 

The great Rishis have walked on this path of truthfulness; they were free of all their desires. Supreme abode of Satya is attained by Rishis who walked on the path of Satya. Following goodness, we attain the abode of goodness, who is God. 

बृहच्च तद् दिव्यमचिन्त्यरूपं सूक्ष्माच्च तत् सूक्ष्मतरं विभाति ।
दूरात् सुदूरे तदिहान्तिके च पश्यन्त्विहैव निहितं गुहायाम् ॥७॥

Supreme Brahman is vast, all pervading. It is divine. Brahman is most difficult to comprehend. Our intellect and mind is so small that it cannot grasp vast Brahman. It is in different dimension altogether. For example, we see a small sapling which will grow into a big tree and bear many fruits. But looking at the sapling you cannot imagine how big it will grow and how many fruits it will bear. We can be the Self but we cannot comprehend Brahman. In the state of meditation, intellect and mind becomes silent and in that silence we come to recognize ourselves as we are. 

Someone ask Ramana Maharshi that I want to know God. Maharshi said, you be still and know that you are God. 

Self is subtler than the subtlest. Shankaracharyaji writes in his commentary that Brahman is subtler than Akash. Space is in everything. But Brhman is there inside space also. It is very subtle but appears like everything. 

For example, ink has tremendous potential. You can write volumes of scriptures with ink. You can crate characters, drama action with the ink but you will not find any character or drama or action in the ink filled in bottle. One ink appears in many different forms. Similarly, one Brahman appears like many. 

Brahman is further than the farthest. Shankaracharaji writes that those who are not qualified and those who have not purified their minds, Brahman is far away for them. It is very difficult for them to attain. Those who are ready and fit, Brahman is nearer than the nearest. It is very close. It is our own Self. There can nothing be closer than our own Self. Everything other than Self is far away. 

Self resides in hearts of all the living beings as their own Self. 

न चक्षुषा गृह्यते नापि वाचा नान्यैर्देवैस्तपसा कर्मण वा ।
ज्ञानप्रसादेन विशुद्धसत्त्वस्ततस्तु तं पश्यते निष्कलं ध्यायमानः ॥८||

We cannot grasp Self with our eyes. One who is seeing through eyes is the Self. We can’t see the Self with eyes. The very fact that we can see, it proves that there is seer. That seer is the Self. Self cannot be described by our speech, it can only be indicated. It cannot be defined. Speech cannot express it. It cannot be grasped by other senses. Just by concentration alone, we cannot recognize the Self. We cannot attain Self by performing different types of actions of the world. 

How can we know the Self?

That Self which is free from all divisions, which is complete, that pure Self one can see, recognize by meditation. But that meditation should be presided by extremely pure chitta. Chitta should be pure by the grace of knowledge. Pure mind means mind that is free from all negative qualities like anger, jealousy, greed, passion. It also means that mind should be absolutely silent but alert and awake.

Mind has different layers. The deepest layer is called Chitta. As the mind starts becoming more and more pure, the purity descends and chitta becomes pure. The topmost layer of mind can become pure through action done with proper attitude. The inner layer is purified with love, Bhakti. Deeper layer is purified with knowledge. Contemplation on the knowledge given in scriptures about Self purifies Chitta at deeper level. 

There is no greater purifier in this world than knowledge. Right understanding of our Self with conviction is the right knowledge. Knowledge should be complete and with conviction. 

For example, before taking up the journey to moon, scientists draw the entire journey on paper clearly and then they put it in action. We can understand the nature of Self by studying the scriptures and we will be convinced about it. The more convinced we are, the mind becomes more pure. 

Mind is impure because it is searching for Self. It is like a child is looking for mother. He gets lost in the party and looks for mother. Then suddenly he notices mother sitting in a corner so he is now convinced. Though he has not reached to his mother but he is convinced that she is there and becomes quiet. 

Similarly, our mind is in search of happiness and peace. We are searching our own Self. Through scriptures we come to know that what we are looking for is within. When mind becomes silent then meditation becomes easy. What we are looking for is HERE. What we are looking for is NOW. Then the mind becomes silent. When I am happy HERE and NOW then nobody can disturb me. Realized Master is happy HERE and NOW. 

Meditation happens in completely pure Chitta and purity comes with grace of 

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