Vedantic meditation on Athma

(Athma Bodha 8)

Vedantic meditation, Nitidyasanam, is for assimilation and internalisation of Athma Jnanam of Jeeva Brahma Ikyam acquired through Sravanam and consolidated error-free through Mananam. It is a process of deconditioning the mind that has been associating ‘I’ with the body-mind complex by letting the Vedantic Jnanam of identity of ‘I’ as Brahman sink into subconscious neutralising the habitual vasanas and getting firmly established in the advaitic jnanam all the time. Vedantic Jnanam resides in one as information only without the transformation of the personality and this is achieved through the removal of habitual identifications, habitual worries, and habitual fears of insecurity which is always there deep inside. Nitidyasanam is meditation on meditator, Self, and helps replacing the word Athma and Brahman with Aham, ‘I’. In sravanam, one hears about Athma as a third party, while in Nitidyasanam one meditates on athma as ‘aham’.  “I am not anathma”; “I am not touched by the properties of anathma”; “I am not affected by the activities of anathma” is a line of thought pattern in meditation. After assimilation of Athma Jnanam, the instinctive exclamation of ‘What?’ changes quickly to the indifference of ‘so What?’ when one encounters bad and unpleasant news and this is described as FIR reduction by Swami Paramarthananda, three letters F,I,R, standing for:

F – Frequency of negative reaction

I – Intensity of negative reaction

R – Recovery period from the after effect

This process of meditation is described in verse 38 and let us see this verse first before seeing the 6 verses from 32 to 37 wherein the thought patterns for meditation are discussed.

Verse 38

Viviktadesa aaseeno viraago vijitendriyah I

Bhaavayet ekamaatmaanam tam anantam ananyadheeh II

Sitting in a solitary place, freeing the mind from desires and controlling the senses, meditate with unswerving attention on the Athma which is One without a second.

Nitidhyasanam is where the full benefits of efforts of all earlier Sadhanas are imbibed as the richness of the Self-experience. This verse describes the procedure for Nitidyasanam as follows: One should sit in a solitary place with a mind free from desires and with sense organs under control, and meditate fixing his attention unwavering on the Athma that is infinite and one without a second.  In Gita Chapter 6, Lord Krishna discusses the Vedantic meditation wherein he states:

A Yogi should always try to concentrate his mind in meditation, remaining alone in solitude, with the mind and body controlled, without any desires and without any possessions. (6-10)

Lord Krishna goes on to describe the place and the seat as well. The place must be clean as an untidy and dirty place itself serves as a cause for mental disturbance. The seat must not be too high or too low as a high seat induces a sense of insecurity and a low seat may cause body-pain. A three layer seat is prescribed, with Kush grass, deer kin and a piece of cloth constituting the three layers. Besides being firm and soft, this seat offers protection against cold, heat and dampness. Lord then goes on to describe the posture conducive to gain and retain concentration. The meditator should keep the head, neck and the spinal column vertical to the horizontal seat so that the vertebral column is completely erect and he should be seated relaxed without moving the body in any direction. He should not look around and his gaze should be kept in the direction of the tip of the nose. After talking about external disciplines concerning body i.e. place, time, seat, and posture, Lord proceeds to expound the internal disciplines dealing with mind and intellect. He should have inner peace that comes with firm fixation of mind in the present, with no regrets for the past and no anxiety for the future. He should observe steadfastly Brahmacharya, which means not only celibacy but also self-control in all fields of sense-stimulations and sense-gratifications.

The assertions in the previous six verses, 32 to 37, are purely to assist one in meditation and are aids to meditation. Nitidyasanam is not a thought free meditation. The thoughts are in the first person taking over the qualities of Brahman on oneself. When these thoughts are deliberately practiced, Vedantic vasana is created in the subconscious mind.  It will push out all samsara vasana and all traumas, guilt and complexes. If sanga is the problem the meditation must aim at making him asangah. If feeling of apurnathvam is creating problem, meditation must focus on the purnathvam of Self. From the examples given by Sri Sankara in these verses one can choose according to one's needs. There is nothing to discuss in these verses, 32 to 37, as all these ideas are repetition in a different form of the facts discussed earlier.

Verse 32

Dehaanyatvat na me janma jara kaarsya layaadayah I

Sabdaadi vishayaih sango nireendriyatayaa na cha.II

I am other than the body and so I am free from changes such as birth, wrinkling, senility, death, etc. I have no association with the sense objects such as sound and taste, for I am without the sense-organs.

Successful meditation on these lines will enable one to get over attachment to the body and sense objects. As explained earlier, the process of discrimination is taking place by confirming one by one that 'I' is ‘not this’. First it is confirmed that, 'I' is not body or organs. By getting detachment from the body and sense-organs as one’s Self, one is able to get mentally detached from the ills and woes of body and sense-organs.

Vere 33

Amanastwaat na me dukha raaga dwesha bhayaadayah I

Apraano hi amanaassubhra ityaadi srutisaasanaat II

I am other than the mind and hence, I am free from sorrow, attachment, malice and fear.  Upanishads declare “He (the Self) is without breath, and without mind, Pure, etc,”

This line of meditation is to get detached from considering Anthakarana and Prana as Self. The thought pattern followed in meditation in this verse is ''I am not the mind and hence I am not having sorrow, attachment, malice and fear. Mind only experiences happiness and sorrow.  Upanishads also declare that Athma, my Self, is pure without mind and breath”

Verse 34

Nirguno Nishkriyo Nityo Nirvikalpo Niranjanah I

Nirvikaaro Niraakaaro Nitya Muktosmi Nirmalah.II

I am without attributes and actions, eternal, without any desire and thought, without any dirt, changeless, formless, ever liberated and ever-pure.

This line of meditation is to to get rooted in the features of Athma as one’s own. The qualities of Athma are listed and declared as one’s own. They are; Nirguna, without attributes; Nishkriya, without actions; Nithya, eternal; Nirvikalpa, without any desire or thought; Niranjana, without any dirt of vasana; Nirvikara, without any change; Nirakara, without form; Nithyamuktha, ever liberated; and Nirmala, pure without any impurity of mala

Verse 35

Aham akaasavath sarvam bahir antargato achyutah I

Sadaa sarva samas suddho nissango nirmalo achalahII

Like the space I fill all things within and without. I am changeless and the same in all and also pure, unattached, stainless and motionless at all times.

Space is one close to Athma in its features. So here one meditates ''I am like the space (Akasa). I fill all things within and without. I am changeless and the same in all. I am Pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.''

Verse 36

Nitya suddha vimuktaikam akhanda anandam advayamI

Satyam Jnanam Anantam yatparam Brahma Ahameva tat II

I am verily that Supreme Brahman which is eternal, pure and free; which is One, indivisible and non-dual; and which is of the nature of Truth-Knowledge-infinite.

Here another fact about Athma that has Its identity with Brahman who is of the nature of Sathyam, Jnanam and Anantham and is One without a second, is declared in first person. 

Verse 37

Evam nirantara abhyasta Brahmaivaasmeeti vaasanaa I

Harati avidya vikshepaan rogaaniva rasaayanam.II

The impression “I am Brahman" thus created by constant reflection destroys ignorance, and the agitation caused by it, just as medicine (rasayana) destroys disease.

Here the positive assertion of one’s Brahmathvam is the theme for meditation. The Brahmakara vritti created in intense meditation on “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)” over a period of time destroys ignorance (avidhya) and the agitation(vikshepa) caused by ignorance just as medicine destroys disease.

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