Svetasvathara Upanishad – 6

 Chapter 2 (Mantras 8 to 12) 

Mantra 2-8

trirunnatam sthapya samam sariram hrdindriyani manasa samnivesya I

brahmodupena pratareta vidvan srotamsi sarvani bhayavahani II 2.8 II

The wise man should hold his body in a straight posture, with the chest, throat and head erect, turn his senses, with the help of the mind, toward the heart and by means of the raft of Brahman cross the fearful currents of the river of life (samsara).

            Upanishad speaks about the practice of yoga from this Mantra. The first thing is to keep the upper three parts of the body, the head, neck and chest erect and straight.  Though meditation is a mental process the mind can be controlled better in an erect posture.  Bhagavad Gita (6-13) also gives this instruction to hold the trunk, head and neck straight and steady.  This step is called ‘Asana’ in Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga.  Then, by using the mind to control senses, thoughts should be directed toward the heart which is believed to be the abode of Brahman and held there through the chanting of OM and meditation on Brahman as OM, described here as the raft of Brahman.  The process of checking the out-going tendencies and turning them inward is called ‘Pratyahara’ in Ashtanga yoga. Fixing the mind on OM and meditating on it as Brahman, helps one to realise Brahman, thereby crossing the frightening currents of samsara.

Mantra 2-9

pranan prapidyeha sa yuktaceshtah kshine prane nasikayochchvasita I

dushtasvayuktamiva vahamenam vidvan mano dharayetapramattah II 2.9 II

The wise person, controlling the senses with an effort and regulating the activities in the body should also control his breath with great care, releasing the breath when he feels exhausted. Then he should restrain the mind without any distraction, like the charioteer restraining the restive horses.

            Pranayama or the control of the breath by regulating inhaling (puraka), exhaling (rechaka) and withholding of breath (kumbaka) in-between, which helps to steady the mind in the contemplation of Brahman, is elaborated in this Mantra. Pranayama is not the goal but a means of controlling the mind, which is difficult to control like the controlling of wind as per Arjuna’s confession in Gita (6-34).  In this Mantra it is compared to the restless horses attached to a chariot to show one cannot reach the goal, if mind is not firmly controlled and properly directed.  This has to be done along with control of senses and regulating the activities.  In Bhagavad Gita (6-17), Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: “Yoga becomes a destroyer of sorrow for one who is regulated in diet and recreation, regulated in performing actions and regulated in sleep and wakefulness”.  Pranayama is also explained in Bhagavad Gita (5-28) as: ‘With the senses, mind and intellect always controlled, shutting out all external contacts, fixing the gaze between eyebrows, equalising the incoming and outgoing breaths that move through the nostrils---“.  

Mantra 2-10

same suchau sarkaravahnivaluka- vivarjite sabdajalasrayadibhih I

mano'nukule na tu cakshupidane guhanivatasrayane prayojayet II 2.10 II

Yoga should be practiced in a place which is level, pure and free from pebbles, gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of crowds or of river or lake and free from strong winds; or it can be a place like a cave.  It should be a place which is pleasing to the mind and not repulsive to the sight.

            The importance of physical surroundings is highlighted in this Mantra. A congenial place and ambience is always recommended for Yogic practices in various scriptures. A convenient location without external disturbances caused by noise, fire, human traffic etc., and also pleasing to the eye is recommended to help concentration of mind and still the senses. With regard to the seat and surroundings Bhagavad Gita (6-11) states: “Having firmly established his seat in a clean place free from dirt and other impurities, neither too high nor too low, and made of cloth, skin and kusa-grass, placed successively one below the other;”

Mantra 2-11

niharadhumarkanalanilanam khadyotavidyutsphatikasasinam I

etani rupani purahsarani brahmany abhivyaktikarani yoge II 2.11 II

Forms that appear like snow, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-fly, lightning, crystal and moon, precede the experience of Brahman in practice of yoga..
            Certain visions which the seeker experiences as the forerunners to the revelation of Brahman in the path of yoga are described in this Mantra.  Some may even get siddhis as described in the third chapter of Patanjali Yoga sutras. Sri Ramakrishna’s first mystic experience in meditation was a flow of overwhelming light from Mother Goddess reaching him. The siddhis and visions by themselves are not the final goal which is the transcendental Bliss of union with Brahman, but are only indicators that one is making progress in the yogic path.

Mantra 2-12

prthvyaptejo'nilakhe samutthite panchatmake yogagune pravrtte I

na tasya rogo na jara na mrtyuh praptasya yogagnimayam sariram II 2.12 II

When the fivefold perception of yoga, arising from (concentrating the mind on) earth, water, light, air and ether, have appeared to the yogi, then he has become possessed of a body purified by the fire of yoga, and he will not be touched by disease, old age or death (death is at will).

            The five-fold perception refers to the yoga practice mentioned in Patanjali Yoga sutras (1-35) of steadying the mind through fixing attention on one of the senses of perception.  By means of these meditations the whole personality becomes subtle and the mind becomes steady, for it is no longer attracted by outward objects. He throws off his physical body into the fire of yoga and takes up a new individuality, as it were, purer than the previous. As the yogi understands that his physical body is a combination of the five elements and is matter that is subject to degeneration and change and that his real Self is separate from them and indestructible and changeless; he does not feel affected by disease, old age and has no fear of death.

---------------------------------

Aparokshanubhuthi – 9

Nitidyasanam - 1 

Verse 100

Tripanchanganyato vaksye purvoktasya hi labdhaye I

Taischa sarvaih sada karyam nididhyasanameva tu II

Now for the attainment of the aforesaid (knowledge) I shall expound the fifteen steps by the help of which one should practice Nitidyasanam (Vedantic meditation) at all times.

Verse 101

Nityabhyasadrte praptirna bhavetsacchidatmanah I

Tasmadbrahma nididhyasejjijnasuh sreyase chiram II

The Athma that is absolute Existence and Knowledge cannot be realized without constant practice. So one seeking Self-knowledge should practice Nitidyasanam on Brahman for long (to attain the desired goal).

The nature of Self-knowledge that a seeker must have as goal of life has been outlined earlier in verses 24 to 28.  Now in the ensuing verses the means of its attainment is to be discussed. In the ensuing verses fifteen steps will be given with the help of which one should practice the Vedantic meditation, Nitidyasanam, for the total absorption and internalisation of what has been learnt from the guru, through Sravanam and consolidated and made doubt-free through Mananam.  Nitidyasanam should be practiced constantly for a long time without being discouraged by initial setbcks.

Verse 102

Yamo hi niyamastyago maunaṃ desascha kalatha I

Asanam mulabandhascha dehasamyam cha drksthitih II

Verse 103

Pranasamyamanam chaiva pratyaharascha dharana I

Athmadhyanam samadhischa proktanyangani vai kramat II

In these two verses Sri Sankara enumerates the 15 steps in order as described below: -

1)  Yama, the control of the senses.

2. Niyama, the control of the mind.

3. Tyaga, renunciation.

4. Maunam, silence.

5. Desa, space i.e. place.

6. Kalatha, meaning time.

7. Asanam, posture.

8. Mulabandha, meaning locking the root

9. Deha-samyam, holding steady the body.

10.Dṛk-sthiti, steadiness of the gaze or vision.

11.Prana-samyamanam, i.e. pranayama.

12.Pratyahara, withdrawal of the mind.

13.Dharana, focusing the mind, concentration.

14.Athma Dhyanam, contemplation on the Self (involves effort).

15.Samadhi, total absorption without effort.

These fifteen steps include the eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali with a reorientation of their meaning as can be seen from the explanation given in the ensuing verses. Sri Sankara’s definitions are for the advanced student of Vedanta for whom Nitidyasanam involves constantly remembering Brahman all the time either consciously or in the sub-conscious mind.

Verse 104

Sarvam brahmeti vijnanadindriyagramasamyamah I

Yamo'yamiti samprokto'bhyasaniyo muhurmuhuh II

The restraint of all senses by means of such knowledge as “All this is Brahman” is rightly called as Yama, which should be practiced again and again.

Yama of Yoga sastra contains five things.  They are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha, i.e. non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and absence of greed or hoarding.  Here Sri Sankara defines Yama as the withdrawal of sense organs from sense-objects with the knowledge that everything is Brahman i.e. falsification of sense objects with the knowledge that they are mithya and restraining sense-organs with this knowledge.

Verse 105

Sajatiyapravahascha vijatiyatiraskrtih I

Niyamo hi paranando niyamatkriyate budhaih II

The continuous flow of only one kind of thought, to the exclusion of all other thoughts is called Niyama, which is verily the supreme bliss and is regularly practiced by the wise.

Niyama of Yoga sastra contains five things i.e. Saucha, Santushtah, Tapas, Swadhyaya and Ishwara-Pranidhana, i.e. cleanliness, contentment, austerity, regular scriptural study, and surrender to the Lord.  Here Sri Sankara defines Niyama as the continuous thinking of only the Jiva-Brahma-Ikyam with thoughts such as “This Athma is Brahman” and “I am Brahman” to the exclusion of all other thoughts. 

Verse 106

Tyagah prapancharupasya chidatmatvavalokanat I

Tyago hi mahatam pujyah sadyo mokshamayo yatah II

The abandonment of the illusory universe by realizing it as the all-conscious Athma is the real renunciation honoured by the great, since it is of nature of immediate liberation.

Sri Sankara explains renunciation as internal renunciation through wisdom i.e. through the knowledge of Athma which results in the renunciation of anathma. It is when one realizes Athma everywhere and thus covets nothing, that one is said to have true renunciation.  This internal renunciation is compulsory for Liberation while external renunciation is an optional means. 

Verse 107

Yasmadvacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha I

Yanmaunam yogibhirgamyam tadbhavetsarvada budhah II

The wise should always be one with the silence wherefrom words together with the mind turn back without reaching it, but which is attainable by Yogis.

Verse 108

Vacho yasmannivartante tadvaktum kena sakyate I

Prapancho yadi vaktavyah so'pi sabdavivarjitah II

Verse 109

Iti va tadbhavenmaunam satham sahajasamjnitam I

Gira maunam tu balanam prayuktam brahmavadibhih II

Who can describe That (i.e. Brahman) whence words turn away? (So silence is inevitable while describing Brahman).  Or if the world is to be described, even that is beyond words.  This, to give an alternate definition, may also be termed as silence known among the sages as congenital.  The observance of silence by restraining speech, on the other hand, is ordained by the teachers of Brahman for the ignorant. 

Sri Sankara gives three meanings for Mounam, the Silence.

i) Brahman: Verse 107 begins with the highest experience of Silence that is equal to Brahman. The Jnani in oneness with Brahman or the Self, finds no words to describe his experience of Non-duality. His words, as it were, “turn away” from such an experience. He is anchored in total silence even in the midst of great activity. This ‘Silence’ of Brahman is achieved by Jnanis only. 

ii) Wisdom: The description of the world is found to be beyond words as it cannot be called Sat, since it disappears in sleep and it cannot be also called Asat since it is very much there in waking state and so it is anirvachaniya, inexpressible and beyond words.  This limitation of words is called ‘Silence’ and this ‘Silence’ is understood by Jnanis only.  This is stated in verse 108.

iii) Verbal: In verse 109, as a means to attain the Jnani’s silence, actual physical restraint of the tongue is to be practiced by ajjnani sadhakas, who are called “children” in this verse. Restraint of tongue means not to speak, and observe silence.  This, as a practice, draws one gradually towards the Self. This verbal silence is called Maunam. 

Verse 110

Aadavante cha madhye cha jano yasminna vidyate I

Yenedam satatam vyaptam sa deso vijanah smrtah II

That solitude is known as space, wherein the universe does not exist in the beginning, end or middle, but whereby it is pervaded at all times. 

Here Brahman alone is indicated as “Desa” i.e. space for Brahman alone is solitary as It admits of no second one at any time.   Sri Sankara prescribes learning to see space as a simile for the solitude of Brahman as one of the steps in personalising the Self-knowledge through Nitidyasanam. Further a Jnani does not go after solitude and silence. Wherever he is he enjoys both in that place unlike the ajjnani sadhaka who runs from place to place seeking both or either.

Verse 111

Kalanat sarvabhutanaṃ brahmadinam nimeshatah I

Kalasabdena nirdishto hyakhandanandako'dvayaḥ II

The non-dual (Brahman) that is bliss indivisible is denoted by the word “Time” since it brings into existence, in the twinkling of an eye, all beings from Brahma onwards. 

Brahman being srishti-sthithi-laya karanam is itself called here “Kala” i.e. time. Time exists because of Brahman as there is no ‘Time’ without Consciousness.  Brahman is ever anywhere as ‘Time’ and so all times are appropriate and auspicious for Nitidyasanam.  ‘Akhanda’ negates internal division and ‘Advaya’ external division. So Brahman is there ever, as Time, free from inter and intra, division.

(The discussion on Nitidyasanam will continue in the next blog.)

----------------------

Kathopanishad – 8

Valli 6

Nachiketas’ question to Lord Yama was “Is there life after death?  If so what survives the body after death?’  Lord Yama has so far analyzed and answered the question from various angles that “Athma, the eternal principle, which is one’s real Self, survives death. Indeed death is for the body part of anathma only.  The other part of anathma, the life energy, moves to another body depending upon karma phala and upasana phala.  This too shall dissolve into its elements when the Jiva realizes the true Self, Athma, and its identity with the one undivided unbroken cosmic supreme, Brahman.”  Since death is not for one’s true Self, one should be able to shed the fear of death while living, which is one of the main benefits of BrahmaVidya.  So towards this end, Yama gives some more illustrations and rounds up his instructions on BrahmaVidya, with preparatory disciplines and benefits in this final Valli.

This Valli starts with the comparison of Jagat to an inverted peepul tree which has its root upwards in Brahman, in Mantra 1, which comparison Lord Krishna also employs in Bhagavad Gita (15-1).  That means, like a genealogical tree which flows downward from the family head, here the whole Jagat has its origin in Brahman and Brahman is the Jagat karanam.   Further a tree appears inverted in its reflection in water.  So it can also be inferred that the Jagat, like reflection, is only apparently real, a projection through Maya, and not absolutely Real.  This is the samsara tree to which we get attached.  Though it appears deeply rooted, it can be cut easily with the axe of detachment as Lord Krishna points out in Gita 15-3, and then you reach the root, which is eternal, Real and Pure and is the resting place of all the worlds and beyond which there is nothing else.  This Brahman is the answer to Nachiketas’ rephrased question, “what is it that transcends Time, Gunas and cause and effect”.  All the forces are under its control only.  This is one’s real Self.  This can be realized clearly like one’s reflection in the mirror, only in the human body, where various sadhanas for realization of Self are possible. When one attains and is established in this knowledge of Self, discriminating Athma from anathma, one is lifted to the highest state of Brahman even when alive.  At this state, in whatever environment one is placed or in whatever work one is engaged in, one is always conscious that one’s Self is separate from and superior to changing body and senses. He does not mentally identify himself with his body and senses and so is untouched and unaffected by fear and sorrow. 

Mantras 6, 7 and 8 outline sadhanas for realization of Brahman.  These are only restatement of the ideas spelled out earlier. They are repeated to emphasize their importance.  One step is to remember constantly that the sense organs are only the product of Pancha Bhuthas and these Pancha Bhuthas have all their origin in Brahman and Brahman as Consciousness is the real Self.  So Self as karana is not affected by the sorrows of the senses.  Armed with this jnanam the realized person does not feel affected by sorrows.  Second step remembered is that of pancha kosa viveka, the discrimination that the Self, as sakshi Chaitanyam, is beyond the pancha kosas and all the modifications and changes are limited to kosas only. This frees one from fear of death, decay, disease etc.  To negate the five kosas and to recognize the apparent blankness that one arrives at on negation as the state of one’s true Self, the formless Brahman that cannot be objectified, a sharp, subtle intellect is required.  To see your eye, you need a functioning eye and a good mirror. In the case of Athmajnanam, the mirror is Guru Sastra upadesa and functioning eye is the sharp, subtle intellect. 

In Mantras 10 & 11, Lord Yama talks of Samadhi stage of ashtanga yoga, wherein one focuses the mind, for a length of time, on a form or on an idea, as one of the important sadhanas for becoming Brahmanishta.  When this focusing is done on Saguna Isvara, before sravanam it is called upasana.  This gives one Chiththa Ekagratha, which helps one in getting established in Brahmajnanam.  If upasana is not done before sravanam it has to be done as Nithidyasanam after mananam to get fixed in the acquired knowledge and make it as one’s own. In Nithidyasanam, the Samadhi state is reached by meditating on the Mahavakhyas.  This state is called ‘Yoga’ by Lord Yama.  Yoga is not for acquiring Jnanam, but to get fixed in the acquired jnanam.   This stage is to be reached in respect of acquired doubt-free Brahmajnanam, to become Brahmanishta.   In the yoga stage also sadhanas should continue as in this state one is subject to lapse into previous samsara state, if one is not alert and watchful.  When the state of yoga happens spontaneously without any effort on the part of the meditator and the triputi of meditator, meditation and the idea of Jiva Brahma Ikyam merge into the idea of Ikyam only, then and only then, one becomes fixed in the knowledge and can be called Brahmanishta.

In Mantras 12 & 13, Lord Yama talks of sraddha in the words of sastras and in guru upadesa as an important preparatory discipline to get this jnanam.  This idea Lord Krishna also conveys in Gita (4-39) as “Sraddhavan labhathe Jnanam (He who has Sraddha only gains Jnanam)”. One must have initially the faith as ‘Brahma asthi (Brahman is)’, to get later the jnanam as ‘Brahma asmi (Brahman I am)’.  Further this knowledge is not prathyaksham or paroksham that can be attained through the senses, but only experienced by oneself as aparoksham, directly, for Brahman is not an external object but one’s own real Self.  When one realizes one’s true Self, then one attains fullness in mind.  All desires are rooted in one’s need for fulfillment. When this need is not felt, binding desires seeking fulfillment in objects, people and environs also leave this person.  After that whatever desires that person has, are only non-binding preferences. Binding desires that arise from ignorance of one’s fullness give rise to karma and karma phala that bind a person and so are called knots. When ignorance goes these knots also fall off and one becomes free of the fears of Yoga and Kshema, acquisition and maintenance, in respect of external objects and relations as well as of one’s own anathma of body and mind.  This state of total fearlessness is called immortality in Mantra 15, in which Lord Yama’s instructions on Athma come to an end.

In Mantra 16, Lord Yama gives the phala of NachiketaYajna that was given as second boon.  If this NachiketaYajna is done with Virat upasana as a combination of yajna and upasana, one will go to Brahma Loka after death where he can get krama mukthi, by getting BrahmaVidya there.  In Mantra 17, he repeats his teachings in a capsule form; Brahman as eternal, pure Athma indwells every jiva, and can be recognized as thumb sized Purusha through pancha kosa viveka by a subtle intellect but the process is as delicate and difficult as separating the pith from the thin sharp Munja grass.  Upanishad ends with the Mantra18 which declares that Nachiketas after absorbing the teaching of Lord Yama along with the process of Yoga in its totality, became free from impurities and death with the realization of Brahman and also affirms that anyone else too, who seeks  to know the Self  in the same way as Nachiketas, will also realise Brahman. 

Acknowledgement

While concluding the series of blogs on Kathopanishad I wish to record my deep debt of gratitude to the speeches and writings on this subject, of:

1)    Swami Paramarthananda

2)    Swami Gurubhakthananda

-----------------------------------------

Meditation

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s Sivarathri talk 2019)

Meditation is a mental conditioning programme. The primary purpose of meditation is to develop the skill to control the mind which is a powerful instrument. An instrument is an instrument only when it is under one’s command. The capacity to control the mind is called manonigraha. All forms of spiritual practices require that mind functions as one’s instrument under one’s control.  We can classify all forms of meditation into five types as follows:

1. Relaxation meditation. – This is for relaxing the mind in particular and relaxing all the other parts of the body as well.  This can be also called as de-stressing meditation.

2. Focussing meditation – This is for developing mind’s ability to focus on any subject, material or spiritual, for a length of time

3. Expansion meditation - in this meditation one learns to expand the mind to visualize the totality of creation.  This can be called also as Viswarupa dhyanam, as the Universe is meditated upon as the form of the Lord.

4. Value meditation – In this meditation one tries to bring about a total inner transformation by changing the thought pattern.  This is also called Transformation meditation

5. Vedantic meditation –  This is for for internalizing the acquired Athma Jnanam, removing the viparitha bhavana. This meditation is called Nitidyasanam and is practiced after acquiring doubt-free Jnanam through Sravanam and Mananam.

Whatever be the form of meditation, success in meditation is dependant on mind management. Mind being a subtle organ it is not easy to control it.  Arjuna in chapter 6 of Gita which deals with Vedantic meditation complains to Lord Krishna with these words

“Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi balavad dridham I

Tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram.II 34II

The mind is restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. O Krishna! I consider it as difficult to control as to control the wind.

Lord Krishna while replying agreed with him and added “Abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha grihyate.( Arjuna, it is brought under control through practice and dispassion)”. Through the practice of karma yoga one acquires dispassion. To practice mind management one should understand the mind. Mind is flow of thoughts and mind management can be interpreted as thought management.   One’s thoughts can be classified in two groups

1.     Voluntary thoughts – thoughts which are deliberate and will-backed

2.     Involuntary thoughts – thoughts that occur without one’s intention, which are not will-backed

.

The process of meditation involves two steps

1.     Displacement of involuntary thoughts at will

2.     Maintenanace of voluntary thoughts for a considerable length of time of our choice.

Sri Ramana Maharishi in his Upadesa saar (verse 9) says that wandering thoughts of mind can be controlled through pranayama.

Vaayurodhanaath leeyathe manahI

Jaala pakshivad rodhasaadhanamII

By control of breath, the thoughts in the wandering mind subside. This is like a fluttering bird being trapped in a cage.

By regulating the breath, the mind becomes like a caged bird – it cannot wander.  According to scriptures prana is born out of the rajo guna of panchabhuthas and mind is born out of the satva guna of panchabhuthas. So they are linked together like the branches of a tree.  Sri Ramana Maharishi says that since both are connected to each other, if you regulate one the other automatically gets regulated. So through pranayama one regulates the breath directly and the mind indirectly. And In Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali maharishi, pranayama is given as one of the eight limbs and this step is before Dhyana, which is another name for meditation.

All forms of spiritual practice require that a sadhaka should develop manonigraha and keep the mind under one’s control and this is achieved through meditation.  All such meditations entertain thoughts centering on Bhagawan to the exclusion of all other thoughts. Manasa puja, manasa parayanam and manasa japa are all various forms of meditation only.  While in Puja, the whole routine is meditated upon, a sthuthi and a mantra are meditated upon in parayanam and Japa respectively. 

. 

The importance of Japa can be seen from Lord Krishna’s words in Gita (10-25) “Yajnaanaam japayajno’smi (Among Yajnas I am Japa Yajna)”.  In Japa dhyana a Mantra on Ishta Devata is chosen for chanting.  Sandilya states in Sandilya Upanishad, "The Vaikhari Japa (loud pronunciation) gives the reward as stated in the Vedas; while the Upamsu Japa (whispering or humming which cannot be heard by any one) gives a reward a thousand times more than the Vaikhari; the Manasic Japa gives a reward a crore of times more than the Vaikhari".  Sri Ramana Maharishi also observes in Upadesa Saar(verse 6) that Japa Dhyanam is superior to the other two in achieving manonigraha; “Chittajam japa dhyaanam uttamam (best of all is silent, mental japa).  Nama and Rupa are inseparable. So when one thinks of the name of Lord in Japa, His form comes before the mental eye and vice versa, when the chanting is done mindfully and not mechanically.  So when one does Japa of Om Namasivaya or Om namo Narayana, or Hare Rama etc., the form of Siva or Vishnu or Rama will come before one’s mind. One focusses on the form at start and shifts the focus to Mantra itself slowly.  Mantra by itself is powerful as it represents Divine power manifesting in sound body.  So the chanting itself is beneficial and doing it as Manasa Japa empowers one with manonigraha and also endows one with Divine Grace, thus helping one in receiving the Jnanam, retaining the Jnanam and reaping the benefit of Jnanam. Japa Dhyanam is done after Pranayama as thoughts get displaced in Pranayama and they can be replaced with the Mantra of one’s choice in Japa Dhyanam.  With the mind control skills developed in Japa Dhyanam one can achieve manonigraha effortlessly and stay absorbed in the Mantra, and this will lead to Samadhi state, the climax of meditation.

-----------------------

Purity in Life

(adapted from a lecture of Swami Paramarthananda)

Purity is referred to as soucham or Suddhi in Sanskrit. Purity, internal and external, is emphasised in our scriptures. For instance in Ashtanga yoga, soucham is emphasized as one of the five disciplines of Niyama. along with santosha, svadyaya, tapas and Isvara pranidhanam.  Also it is mentioned in Bhagavad Gita as a DaiviSampath in Chapter 16 and also as a requirement for Jnanam in Chapter 13. All Vedic rituals start with aachamaneeyam, which is meant for internal purification. So Purity has been part of Vedic culture and is elaborately discussed at five different levels in our scriptures.  They are, in the increasing order of subtlety: 1) Desa suddhi, 2) Anna suddhi, 3) Deha suddhi, 4) Vak suddhi and 5) Manas suddhi.  

Desa suddhi:  Here the word ‘Desa’ refers to the place one lives i. When one keeps the environs and the house clean, the country also will be clean.  Today in India we have sadly fallen in this regard and the “Swatcch Bharat” campaign started by the Prime Minister Mr. Modi is an earnest step to restore it to its ancient glory in this regard.

Anna suddhi:  Chandogya Upanishad points out that the food we eat has three layers; sthula amsa, madhyama amsa and sukshuma amsa. Sthula amsa caters to taste that is purged as waste; madhyama amsa caters  to physical nourishment and the sukshma amsa caters to our sukshma sareera and thereby to our mind, our personality and character.  So we should take the food that contributes to our mental health as well by helping to build up a satvic personality that aids spiritual progress.  Scriptures not only mention about the type of food but also about the one who cooks the food and also one who serves, the source of food, from where it comes, and says all of them contribute to the sukshma amsa of the food one takes.  Since all these things cannot be controlled always, one should offer the food to the Lord physically or mentally before eating to purify it.  Further for Anna suddi one is advised to use cow’s ghee in one’s food.

Deha suddhi: Deha suddhi means cleanliness of the body.  This needs no elaboration as modern medical science places emphasis on personal hygiene and cleanliness.  An instance in this regard is the insistence on hand-washing before and after visiting a medical ward in the hospital.  Our sages in ancient times were carrying a kamandalu all the time for this purpose.  Taking castor oil regularly in olden days was to maintain deha suddhi by purging the toxic waste from the stomach.  Pranayama is considered as a wonderful practice for cleaning the inner physiological system of nadis.

Vak suddhi:  This is considered an important purity as words have immense influence in raising emotions, good and bad and so one should exercise control to avoid mechanical and impulsive talk and adopt quality control of words coming out of one's mouth.   Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (17-15) gives four quality parameters in this regard which are; anudvegakaram or verbal ahimsa, satyam, priya and hitam. We shall now see these four in a little more detail. Verbal ahimsa implies that your words do not cause hurt to anybody.  Satyam is speaking truth preferring silence to hurting truth. Priya means one’s manner of communication, the tone of communication, the facial expression during communication, the body language during the communication are all soft and gentle while communicating with words. Hitam means one’s talk is beneficial to others and to oneself.  If one adopts this yardstick, one will not indulge in gossip-mongering or slander-mongering.  The Vak shuddi is considered as extremely important for one’s own well-being as well as the well-being of the surrounding.

Manas Suddhi: This is the most important of the five and the basis of the other four and the most difficult to practice.  In chapter 17 of Bhagavad Gita healthy thoughts are given under daivi sampath and unhealthy thoughts are discussed as asuri sampath.  One key field in this respect is raga-dwesha and their management is an important part of Manas suddhi.  We should here clearly understand that raga-dwesha cannot be completely eliminated and they can only be controlled.  If not controlled we will be affected by emotional disturbance when our raga-dwesha is violated in a situation, as happening of external situations is not under our control.  When we let the emotional disturbance to stay in the mind without nipping it in bud it causes stress and emotional slavery which becomes serious as one’s physical health gets affected that in turn affects adversely the mental health.  The emotional disturbance can be handled through three methods.  The first one is Viveka.  Exercise discrimination to curb emotional disturbance at the early stage remembering the harmful effects of letting it deteriorate to emotional slavery. The second is Sankalpa, resolve to nip the emotional disturbance in the bud and repeat this resolve regularly until it becomes an ingrained habit.  Third is Prathipaksha Bhavana, nurturing positive thoughts in the mind to counter the stress and to prevent mind sinking into emotional dependence especially when thoughts of anger, fear, hate and worry invade the mind, by countering with positive opposite thoughts and avoiding fast hasty reaction.  Having sincere bhakthi and replacing world-dependance with God-dependance helps to develop this prathipaksha bhavana.  To be in satsangha and have some sat purushas as models helps in the practice of prathipaksha bhavana.    This way one can keep the raga-dwesha at non-toxic levels that will give one Manas suddhi.

One lives a pure life socially and personally when one practices with diligence these five suddhis i.e. Desa Suddhi, Anna suddhi, Deha suddhi, Vak suddhi and Manas suddhi. 

---------------------------------

Three great powers of the mind

(adapted from Swami Sarvapriyananda’s leture)

One of the three great powers of mind is the power of concentration or the power of focus. According to Swami Vivekananda the difference between an ordinary person and a great person is the degree of concentration one can bring to the job on hand.  The great person has greater focus on the work at hand and this focus when it is total is called ‘Flow’ by positive psychologists.   Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  (pronounced as ‘mehigh cheeksendmehigh’) describes the mental state of flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."  It is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. This focused absorption is what is achieved in Dhyana and when prolonged leads to the Samadhi state, as we can see now.

In Ashtanga Yoga Dhyana, the uninterrupted focus is achieved through a process of steps starting from mental and moral disciplines outlined in Yama and Niyama.  These help to keep one on the path of Dharma, and staying on the path of dharma there are less distractions for the mind as compared to otherwise.  It is all the more important today where we are in the midst of an epidemic of distractions sparked by the latest smart phones and where it has become a habit to look into the phone for messages or latest updates in various fields all day long even in the midst of other activities, not to mention waking up in its face and going to bed with it.  Yama and Niyama are followed by Asana which brings physical discipline.  Staying quiet in a place also limits the field of distractions for the mind. Next step is Pranayama and control of breadth is a shorter way to control mind as Maharishi Ramana states in verse no. 11 of Upadesa saar “Through breath-control, the movement of the mind is contained, just as a bird is restrained when caught in a net.”  Pratyahara, withdrawl of the wandering senses, the next step leads to Dharana, focussing on a single object or chant.  This focus maintained continually for some time is called Dhyana. Dhyana, effortlessly achieved with ease and at will, helps one to achieve Samadhi.

Scientifically it is stated that our mind is capable of processing at the same time 150 bytes of information. In Samadhi state all the 150 bytes are concentrated on the object of meditation. But ordinarily only a fewer bytes are focussed on the object at hand.  The greater the number of bytes one is able to focus on the work on hand the greater degree of concentration one achieves in the work on hand.   But the effect this power has on an individual depends on the object of focus.  If the object of focus is on the positive values of life then greater the focus, the better the quality of life one enjoys. The greater is one’s misery when the object of focus is on the negative values of lie.  So to use this power to one’s advancement and happiness in life:

1)    Be focussed on whatever you do, cutting off the distractions from other sources.

2)    Hold to that focus to that point of absorption in the object of concentration.

3)    Hold on that way for extended stretches of time.

4)    Focus only on positive values of life.

This brings us to the second important power of mind, the power of making decision

Second great power of mind is the power of making decision on what to do, what to speak and what to think.  They include the opposites as well i.e. what not to do, what not to speak and what not to think.  This power one has all the time and one exercises it all the time when he does not act out of instinct of habit but engages in self-conscious activity.  As Swami Vivekananda has pointed out all that is great and excellent including power and glory will come to one rising to self-conscious activity all the time.  The conscious action should be not only in respect of others but even in respect of oneself.  Another important point to note is the conscious action in respect of thought, word and action should embrace Dharma to uplift a person.  In Mahabharata Duryodhana once told Lord Krishna, “ Jaanami dharmam, na cha me pravrittihi: Janaami adharmam, na cha me nivrittihi”  i.e. “ I know what is Dharma, but I cannot follow it;  I know what is adharma, but I cannot stay away from it”   When one acts self-consciously in an unrighteous way,  he is driving himself towards his downfall. On the other hand we have the example of Arjuna, who surrenders to Lord Krishna seeking advice and says at the end of advice in Gita “karishye vachanam thava” i.e. “I will act as per your advice”   Arjuna was here willing to be guided by the Lord. Even psycho-analysis and medicine can help only if one is willing to be changed. So one should remember for making the best use of the power:

!) Words are subtler than action; thoughts are more subtler than words.   So take care of your thoughts and be self-conscious to entertain positive thoughts only

2) Deciding consciously what not to do is as important as deciding consciously what to do

Swami Vivekananda said that all that is great and excellent in human life will come if one knows what to speak, what words to employ and what action to perform and acts accordingly.  So not only our actions be self-conscious, the guiding motive must also be righteousness and positive thoughts. 

That brings us to the third great power of mind, Power of selflessness.  Thinking unselfish thoughts, speaking unselfish words and doing unselfish action makes one a good person.   Further unselfishness and spirituality go together. Swami Ranganathananda says that  when he closes his  eyes in meditation, he feels peace flowing in him and when he opens his eyes, his attitude is one of ‘what can I do for others meaning community’.  We should not feel other way i.e. with eyes closed in meditation, letting all agitations and problems surface and when eyes are open to have the attitude of ‘what I can get from the world’.  Get should change to give; it can be in money, time or service.  In a school a teacher once told the students “No class today. Let us all go to the theatre to watch a movie”.  The boys gladly followed the teacher. After returning to class, the teacher gave them each a sheet of paper and asked the students to evaluate their happiness on watching the movie in the scale of 1 to 10. Next week also this exercise was repeated but this time the visit was to a children’s home where they distributed, books, toys, clothes and sweets to the poor children housed there.  After returning to the class now also they evaluated their happiness of being with the children and helping them.  Six weeks later the teacher asked the students to recollect their experience and evaluate the happiness felt then separately for the two visits.  It was found that while the scores were now lower for the visit to movies, the scores for the visit to the children’s home was almost the same or even higher. Then the teacher used the comparison of scores to show them how the happiness derived in giving and helping others i.e. from selfless activity lasts much much longer than the happiness derived from personal entertainment i.e selfish activity..  No doubt one feels happy when entertaining oneself or enjoying a pleasure but the happiness is all more when one helps others and instills happiness in their lives. Swami Vivekananda gave as the ideal to the monks the motto “Athmanasthu mokshartham, Jagat hitaya cha.” i.e. “For the liberation of oneself, For the welfare of the world” and laid as much emphasis on “Love thy neighbor” as on “Love thy God”.  Advaita Vedanta does not subscribe to individual soul being separate and unique. Soul is only one for all and is in essence  Brahman, the Supreme.  So Vivekananda says to be selfish is immoral and he emphasized that each individual should work not only for their individual liberation but also at the same time for the uplift of the less privileged fellow men as well.  The interest and care one takes in working for the welfare of under-privileged and downtrodden in the community must be no less than the interest and care he takes in working for his liberation.  In practice one effort helps the other.

The above three great powers of the mind can be harnessed to promote the feeling of personal happiness and well-being in an individual all the time; if one thinks, speaks and acts self-consciously, engaging oneself in all activities one hundred percent, eschewing selfishness and entertaining positive emotions only.  

------------------------