Experience of Self Realization

[silence]

For those Jnana Yogis, whose aim is only liberation from samsara and who are not keen on Self Realizatioon, there is
the other easy way of escape by meditation on the Heart at the time of death.

Sir, could you please explain this?

[Subramanian.R]

Dear silence,

Some do not want self realization but only get out of the sufferings of family/worldly life. But even those people, if they
meditate at the time of death, will be liberated, though that was not the aim of their life. Sri Bhagavan has said: Even,
if you do not want Self Realization, It will be thrust on you if you meditate on God or Self.

Arunachala Siva.       

[silence]

Dear sir, thanks for the explanation. But what of prarabhda karma? Will it make us return to the world? Also meditating in the heart ... is it the same as who am I inquiry? I am asking because my main concern is only getting out of samsara, but I am afraid hidden desires may force me to return to this world.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Silence,

After the Videha Kaivalyam (moksha at the time of leaving the body) where is the question of prarabdha etc.,

Arunacahala Siva. 

[Nagaraj]

Sri silence,

see this verse 38 from Ulladu Naarpadu:

If we are the doers of deeds, we should reap the fruits they yield. But when we question, ‘Who am I, the doer of this deed?’ and realize the Self, the sense of agency is lost and the three karmas slip away. And Eternal is this Liberation. (Book of K. Swaminathan)

If we are the doer of actions (karmas) which are like seeds, we shall experience the resulting fruits. (But) when one knows oneself by enquiring ‘Who is the doer of actions?’ (in other words) ‘Who am I?’, the sense of doership (kartritva) will disappear and (hence) all the three karmas (agamya, sanchita and prarabdha) will slip away (since the ego, the doer of the actions and the experiencer of their fruits, will no longer exist). This (the resulting state which is devoid of the ego and which is consequently devoid of the bondage of karma) indeed is the state of liberation, (which is eternal that is, which is our ever-existing and natural state)

Note: The word ‘oneself’ (tanai) in the clause ‘when one knows oneself’ may here be taken to mean either the ego or the real Self, for if the ego (the doer) is known it will be found to be non-existent, while if the real self is known it will be found to be the sole existence. In either case, both the sense of doership (kartritva) and the sense of experiencership (bhoktritva) – which are the two faces of the one ego, like the two sides of one piece of paper – will necessarily cease to exist.

The three karmas referred to in this verse are (1) agamya karma, that is, the actions that the individual newly performs in this life through his face of doership, (2) sanchita karma, that is, all the results of his past agamya karmas which are now stored up and which are yet to be experienced by him, and (3) Prarabdha karma, that is, the portion of the results of his past agamya karmas which God has selected from his sanchita and ordained for him to experience in this lifetime through his face of experienceship. (Book of Michael James)

ॐ

[Subramanian.R]

Dear silence,

Yes. As Nagaraj said it has been described in Ulladu Narpadu Verse 38.

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

(From the Technique of Maha Yoga)

3. Guru - continues.....

When Sage Thayumanavar was ripe, a teacher appeared before him, and they were together for a short time. When up to
the time of parting he was not given any upadesa and was importuning him while leaving, the Guru said, 'Keep quiet' -
Summa Iru. The disciple considered it as his upadesa, and practiced keeping quiet, meaning mental quiescence. Anyone else 
would have taken the parting words as said in disgust to an importunate man. But in ripe Thayumanavar, it acted differently,
and he took those words as real upadesa and practiced mental quiescence and became a great Sage.

Again certain ripe souls had the necessary upadesa in their previous birth and left their sadhana incomplete, start from where
they left off and complete their sadhana, without the aid of a personal Guru and obtain liberation.

Others again who in their previous lives have attained the maturity to look upon their Inner Self as their Guru and were getting
their instructions therefrom needed no outer Guru and recognized their Inner Self as their Guru from start. During their sadhana
in the deep stillness of thought-free consciousness, the Inner Voice speaks and guides them.  This also occurs in mature sadhakas
when they lose personal contact with their guru for any reason and they do not go about searching for a new Guru.

Sri Bhagavan has also told an American devotee: The Guru is not outside you as you seem to think. He is inside you and is in fact
the Self. Recognize this truth. Seek within and you find him there.

With the progress of sadhana in this Maha Yoga, one naturally develops the habit of looking upon the Inner Self as the Guru.

*****

Arunachala Siva.   

[Subramanian.R]

(from The Technique of Maha Yoga.)

4. GRACE:

Sri Bhagavan once said, 'What is Grace? It is a function of God.' Like rays of the Sun, Grace is always functioning.  There is not a
moment when it is not. But it is dependent on the receptivity of the individual to partake of it. What contributes to the receptivity
of Grace in the individual? It is Suddha Chittam (pure mind), caused by several factors namely, love for fellow human beings, and sympathy
to human suffering, resulting in charitable acts to the extent possible, pilgrimages, bath in holy waters, worship of God by singing
praise of Him, japa, pranayama, meditation etc,, Like a schoolboy moving from a lower to a higher class, by qualifying himself for it,
this chitta suddhi of varying nature, develops the spirituality of the individual, step by step, and Grace aids him by guiding him. Grace is
very manifest, when there is sraddha (earnestness). With increase in bhakti, japa, and meditation, the individual becomes very
receptive to Grace. He experiences it and attributes every good, material and spiritual, to this overwhelming Grace. This in turn,
induces absolute surrender and immediate rejection of any thought of conscious planning.

One engrossed in worldliness is impervious to Grace.

concluded.

Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

(From the Technique of Maha Yoga.)

5. PRAYER:

Devotees are of two kinds, namely, saguna upasaka (devotees of God with form), and nirguna upasaka (devotees of God without
form). Their devotion is termed  annya bhakti (devotion to God external to oneself) and an-annya bhakti (devotion to God not
external to oneself) respectively. Saguna Upasana must precede nirguna upasana. The individual is not generally ripe enough
straightaway to get into nirguna upasana. Constant repetition of praises or stotras of the chosen God which enrapture him,
and remembrance of such god by frequent or constant appropriate japa are successively steps leading to anannya bhakti.

Prayer is always resorted to by Saguna Upasakas. India is studded with temples, the deities of which have been famous from
ancient times for the grant of boons to devotees. Tirupati (Balaji), Pazhani, Madurai, Chidambaram and Rameswaram in South
India and numerous other places in the country attract devotees all the year round where vows are taken and solemnly fulfilled.
Even today prayers of the devotees of these deities are granted in a measure more than desired or anticipated.

With the maturity in Saguna Upasana, the individual is automatically led into the Nirguna Upasana stage. With the cultivation\
of the worship of the Inner Self by meditation and later by the intensity of such meditation, communion with the Inner Self is
established. Prayer, thereafter, seems superfluous for everything is done in the fullest measure for the sadhaka unasked.

Lord Krishna says, 'I take over the interest and welfare of those who worship me as their Inner Self.' (BG IX. 22).  Though
there is a deeper meaning for the verse, the above is sufficient here.

If any attempt is made by the nirguna upasaka in his advanced stage, to pray for anything for himself or his dear ones,.
he is foiled in his attempt. For just then the mind stands stock still, unable to formulate one word of prayer. When this
frustration is experienced two or three times his prayer resolves into, 'Oh Lord! Let Thy will be done.'

*****

Arunachala Siva.
     
         
   

[Subramanian.R]

(From The Technique of Maha Yoga)

6. SLEEP:

Sleep is sometimes considered as an obstacle to Sadhana. While a Sadhaka should not avoid sleep totally, he can
gradually reduce the period to four or five hours daily, without detriment to his health or sadhana. If his activities
are totally taken away by circumstances or age, the normal period of six to eight hours or nine in the night and wakes
up at six, he should start waking up at five and then after a month, at four and so on till the maximum of four or five
hours is obtained utilizing the morning hours for meditation, when, one being fresh from sleep, with the mind and body
rested and the world, outside quite still, it is very conducive to sadhana.

Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna said that bhogis (debauchees), rogis (the sick) and yogis (sadhakas) don't sleep in the night.
Remaining four or five hours of sleep daily, one is condensing the full deep sleep period and feels none the worse for it
and getting up after the period a feeling of satiation just as one feels after a full meal. Occasionally when the system does
want sleep,it is better to let nature have its way. Anyhow utilizing a good part of still night for sadhana, the progress is very
good and the sadhaka feels greatly encouraged by the result. Indeed, every improvement in one's sadhana and every spiritual
experience are noticeable mainly in the early morning meditation.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva,.   

[Subramanian.R]

6. SLEEP:

continues....

Sleep can be used with great advantage by earnest aspirants for their sadhana either in Bhakti or Jnana Yoga. Just fifteen
minutes prior to sleeping in his bed, if he keeps japa mantra or any verse in praise of his Ishta Devata and goes to sleep,
with it in his lips, his subconscious mind takes it up and keeps repeating it throughout sleep, and he wakes up with the japa
or verse on his lips.

Similarly if the aspirant keeps repeating, 'Who am I?' with his mind on the Self, he is effortlessly aiding his sadhana. And those
in dhyana marga, if they with bhavana keep repeating, 'The all pervading Atma is myself alone,' will find it to their advantage.
Of course, in the last two cases sleep period will be a sort of trance or a mixture of wakefulness and sleep: but the sadhaka
will be none the worse for it. Indeed, the sweetness of mind on waking up will be such that he would like to cultivate the
practice.

concluded.

Arunachala Siva,     

[Subramanian.R]

(From the Technique of Maha Yoga.)

7. JAPA:

In the spiritual path, whether devotion or Jnana, the potency of Japa and of its aid are very great and no aspirant can afford
to get on with his sadhana without its aid as a support. In all religions, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic and Hindu, the aspirants
have been noticed to be rolling their beads even while walking so that they may not break the continuity of their Japa.

Valmiki, a hunter, became a highway robber and a murderer. Sage Narada, diving his purva punya, wanted to initiate him in
Rama Nama Japa. Being a great sinner in his current life, he could not even pronounce 'Rama'. Since he was used to 'mara',
'mara' meaning kill, Narada asked him to repeat 'mara', 'mara' which when continuously uttered became Rama, Rama.
The robber was so intense in his repetition that he lost body consciousness for years and an anthill grew covering him. He
got Self Realization, became a great Sage and a great poet, and the author of the original Sanskrit Ramayana in verses.
Authors of subsequent Ramayanas in other languages, took their material from this original book.

Thyaga Brahman, the saint-musician of South India born in 1759, repeated Rama mantra several crores of times, became a poet
and strung his poems to music. He lived on alms while going round the streets singing songs on Rama. He was much venerated.
He attained Self Realization only by Japa. The Lord to prove his greatness to the world made him touch a dead body over which
the relatives were wailing and the dead person was revived. This occurred during his pilgrimage to Tirupati.

Swami Ramadas of Kanhangad attained Self Realization, purely by repetition of Rama Nama.

continued.....

Arunachala Siva 
           

[Subramanian.R]

7. Japa:

continues.....

Repetition of the name of the chosen deity when regularly practiced for an hour in the morning and in the evening for a couple
of months makes the person do it unconsciously even while at work and at odd  moments. Later he gets a vision of the deity   
of his japa. Encouraged by this, he becomes more devoted to the mantra and keeps continuously uttering it. Later he unwittingly
concentrates on the repetition i.e. hearing the mental articulation with the mental ear. This makes the mind merge in the source
of the utterance, the Heart.  Thus from the path of devotion he is unwittingly led to the path of Jnana.

About 1946, Mr. and Mrs. Khanna of Kanpur with their children ranging from two to seventeen years, were living for nearly three
months near the Asramam, coming to the Hall, mornings and evenings daily. At the time of parting Mrs. Khanna asked Sri Bhagavan
what she should do in the spiritual path with so much on her hands pointing to the children. Sri Bhagavan benignly instructed her,
'Repeat "I", "I", "I" all the time, even while at work and read the pamphlet Who am I? once a day. That is enough." How simple
an instruction to understand, how easy to follow and how profound in effect when followed. Repetition of "I", "I" when at work
keeps thoughts away. When free from work the repetition makes the mind involuntarily go to the source of "I", where the mind
rests. The mind thus gradually gets extinct, and Self Realization results. In the beginning, while reading 'Who am I?' the person
understands the superficial meaning, but with the progress of repetition resulting in meditation and spiritual unfoldment, the deeper
meaning of the substance of the book gets clearer and helps the Sadhakas.

Similarly, with the repetition of Who am I?. Sri Bhagavan says of all the japas, Wh0 am I? is the best. (Talks 72).

contd.,

Arunachala Siva. 
                 

[Subramanian.R]

(From the Technique of Maha Yoga.)

7. Japa:

Swami Ramadas says Japa should not be mere lip work, but every atom of the whole body must throb with it. Saint Tukaram
used to utter Ram Nam  always, even while answering calls of nature. When a Brahmin priest saw this and scolded him for this,
he stopped the repetition. Immediately every pore of his body started uttering it and caused a din. Such must be the intensity
of Japa.

Incidentally, busy persons after retirement from occupation, confronted with emptiness of life become mental wrecks. To occupy
their time, they take to radio listening, newspapers, politics, and so on. Some even take to reading religious books and writing
articles for journals, etc., and yet they find a voidness in their life which they are not able to figure out. If people, even in their
late forties take to japa sadhana, for half an hour daily, in the mornings and evenings, they would, by the time they retire, have
reached a stage when they will be anxiously looking forward to the day of retirement, so that they may fully occupy themselves
in this japa sadhana. Even starting after retirement if a person resolutely employs his time in japa, he would be leading a good
spiritual life and would at least set an example to the family and those that come in contact with him.

sub chapter - concluded.

Arunachala Siva.       

[Subramanian.R]

8. Maha Yoga:

In Maha Yoga, the individual feels he has got out of his primal state of oneness with the Self and wants to regain his natural
state. What is this original or natural state? It is the egoless thought-free state of bliss. We have a glimpse of its experience
during sleep, when we feel the blissful state, for in that state we are free from thoughts. And what is our present state? It is
the state of ajnana or ignorance, full of ego sense and mental vrittis (thought forms). These thought waves, pleasant and unpleasant,
cause us ultimate misery and continued samsara, the cycle  of births and deaths. What are these thought waves and how are
they caused and how are they overcome? The thought waves are due to vasanas.

*****

Arunachala Siva.