Sleep vs Samadhi

In Viveka Choodamani verse 408,  Bhagwan Adi Shankara talks about the root of the universe being the mind and dissolving the mind is the only option to avoid the pluralism of outside world.  Sw. Chinmayananda wonderfully explains it as below  

"The mind turned outwards and gushing out is chitta. The manifestation of the world is from chitta only. If you want pure bliss and beatitude of Brahman,  you have to end this world. In order to do so,  quieten the mind in the contemplation of the supreme self which is your inner most core. Sit down and consciously withdraw your mind as though in sleep and experience that stage where there is no object , emotion or thoughts.   That conscious sleep is called Samadhi.   

In real sleep, there is no perception of the outer world, and hence no mis-apprehension, there is nevertheless a binding non-apprehension.  When you consciously sleep, there is no bon-apprehension either , only a complete apprehension of Reality.     

Wow.  Excellent analysis from Gurudev.

Hari Om.

Shivakara and shavakara

Namaste.  In verse 397 of Viveka Choodamani,  Sri Adi Shankara very poetically refers to the framework of BMI which is perishable as 'Shavakara' (matter that is lifeless) compared to 'Shivakara' which means the embodiment of auspiciousness and is the supreme immovable substratum in us that is non-dual, everlasting Truth.    It is a wonderful poetic reference to these words of 'Shavakara' and 'Shivakara' which may sound similar but poles apart in concept and meaning.  Sw. Chinmayananda adds further to this explanation saying that if we identify ourselves with the Body, Mind, Intellect (BMI), we suffer due to the sorrows of five pain-ridden stages of birth, growth, disease, decay and death physically as well as the attachments, ego from the mind and intellect layers.  Whereas then associated with the unchangable supreme Brahman (Shivakara), we are liberated from all sufferings.

Hari Om.

Viveka Choodamani Verses: 388 & 389

Have been reading the past few weeks, on the jewels from Adi Shankara from his book Viveka Choodamani.  It is an amazing compendium on the essence of spirituality and needs deeper thinking and analysis (mananam).  

In verses 388 & 389, Adi Shankara explains very clearly and in simple words that Self is the ‘Tri-murtis’ and all Devatas that Self is everywhere (all directions). 

The verse 388 says that Self is the Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, which depicts the forces of creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe.  It also says other powers such as Indra, Varuna etc. that symbolize nature is also the universal Self.  Everything in this cosmos is Self and nothing exists except the Self.  It goes as below.

स्वयं ब्रह्मा स्वयं विष्णुः स्वयमिन्द्रः स्वयं शिवः । 
स्वयं विश्वमिदं सर्वं स्वस्मादन्यन्न किंचन ॥ ३८८ ॥

svayaṃ brahmā svayaṃ viṣṇuḥ svayamindraḥ svayaṃ śivaḥ | 
svayaṃ viśvamidaṃ sarvaṃ svasmādanyanna kiṃcana || 388 ||

The next verse (389) is more powerful in its meaning.  Sri Shankara here says that Self is inside and outside as well as in all the directions.

अन्तः स्वयं चापि बहिः स्वयं च
स्वयं पुरस्तात्स्वयमेव पश्चात् । 
स्वयं ह्यावाच्यां स्वयमप्युदीच्यां
तथोपरिष्टात्स्वयमप्यधस्तात् ॥ ३८९ ॥

antaḥ svayaṃ cāpi bahiḥ svayaṃ ca
svayaṃ purastātsvayameva paścāt |
svayaṃ hyāvācyāṃ svayamapyudīcyāṃ
tathopariṣṭātsvayamapyadhastāt || 389 ||

Typically we understand the directions as four – N, E, W, S, but our scriptures indicate space ‘above’ and ‘below’ too as the other dimensions of the directions.  So Self is in all the directions as well as inside us too.

Hari Om.

Being 'Alone'

Namaste.  I have been reading on the wonderful and insightful book of 'VivekaChoodamani' by Bhagawan Adi Shankara.  There are many many verses that requires deep thinking and analysis ('mananam') in the book given by Sri Shankara in his inimitable style. For normal humans like us who have been battling the materialistic way of life,  these 'gems of discriminating intelligence' (Viveka Choodamani)  would have been impossible to grasp, if it were not deciphered and explained in common man's language and examples,  as done by Gurudev Sw. Chinmayananda.  My humble Pranaams to such great and divine masters.

One of the many verses in VivekaChoodamani where Sri. Shankara provides direct instruction to the reader on the preparatory steps ‘yogic meditation’ is below:

"Yogasya pratamadwaaram vangnirodhoaprigrahaha

Niraasha ch nireeha cha nithyamekanthaseelatha" 

In this verse explained beautifully by Gurudev, Sri Shankara instructs the Vedantic student the steps to control the sense-organs and the restless mind.

Yogasya Prtamadwaaram :  The first gateway to enter the portals of 'Yoga' life is

Vangnirodha:  Control of speech

Aparigrahaha: Non acceptance of possessions (materialistic)

Niraasha: Without keeping any expectations on the fruits of the actions

Nireesha:  Giving up all ego-centric activities;

Nityam Ekanthaseelatha: living 'alone' concentrated on the Brahman

The last step above is very significant and kind of confusing to normal folks. As Gurudev says,  there is a difference between being 'lonely' and being 'alone'.  Being 'lonely' is remaining in a physical sense with no other living beings around; where as being 'alone' is to remain mentally concentrated on the Supreme in-spite of the surroundings.  Alone is not in the surroundings, but it is in one's own attitude within the bosom; to remain with all attention ('eka-antham') fixed upon that one Unique Supreme Power (USP).  Think!

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha, Hari Om.

It is all movie projections !

A movie is nothing but a powerful light projected onto a white screen through a colorful film.  Whatever is depicted in the film is shown in the screen. For the viewers in the dark hall,  the screen projections are their world at that time. If the scene is a calm picturesque village where all are happy, the world is happy.  If it is a scary scene, the world is dangerous etc.   However when the viewers take a break and realize all those are projections only, their perceptions of the world also changes.  They realize it has always been projections only.  The powerful light is the Unique Supreme Power (USP - Consciousness, Brahman) that is beaming all the time.  The film is our BMI (Body-Mind-Intellect) projections  of the world outside.  Remove that film (BMI projections) and you see only the single source of powerful light (Consciousness) that is visible everywhere (screen).  What remains at that time is Consciousness only.  Where the equipment is removed, the objects that are perceived through the equipment are also removed.   

Just as in the above example, Bhagawan Adi Shankara in Vivekachoodamani says "In that sense, the scriptures say that the Atman , the Self in you is Brahman, the Reality behind the whole universe."

Hari Om.

Be at a higher plane!

Our scriptures say that the world is only a 'Maya' due to the illusion of plurality which is unreal.  Behind the plurality, there is one single unchanged substratum which is the Brahman. Plurality is only the projection of BMI (body, mind and intellect).  In deep sleep, the BMI is temporarily shut down so there is no plurality.  However it is all ignorance during deep sleep, so no realization at that time.  The real Brahma Jnanam is the awareness (self-realization) with BMI active and working.

It is like making a journey to reach a certain place.  If travelling via road or rail, there is progress in the journey, but it is not smooth.  There will be movements, jerks, stops etc, that is felt on the trip.  If we are to avoid that, we need to be at a higher level.  If we travel at a higher level than the ground - for instance, by a helicopter, the journey will be a little more smoother than by road or rail.   If we go still higher - say a jumbo jet 747 plane at a much higher altitude,  it will be way smoother and faster.  We will not even realize the distance covered though we are progressing at a high speed. There may be turbulence once a while, but that is to make us aware of our constraints and continue our efforts for a smooth ride.

In the same thought,  let us raise ourselves to a higher plane of consciousness above the BMI layers - we will not feel the plurality and changes and our life path will be much smoother.

Hari Om.