ESSENCE OF VEDANTA.

By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

ae Pubhenag bY,ne

The Yoga-Vedanta Forest University

P.O Sivananda Nagar,
Rishikesh Himalayas
1958

Price ] [ Rs. 5
 Published by
Sri SWAMI CHIDANANDA
for
The Yoga-Vedanta Forest Unrvers ity

—Kirst Edition - 1958

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE

DIVINE LIFE SRUST SOCIETY

Printed

out of the magnanimous donation of

SRI RAM AVATAR SHARMA, and SRI RR. TIWARI
of the Gwahor Branch of
The Divine Life Society

At
The Y V. Forest University Press,
P.O. Sivanandanagar,
 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
This is a pricless jewel from the diadem of Sivananda
Laterature.

Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj js, unhke many other

Vedantins, is a practical Vedantin This glorious characte-
ristic runs through all his writings. This wonderful scrip-
ture bears witness to it,

We are confident that Students of Vedanta, and seekers

after Truth who have chosen the path of Jnana, will find in
this volume a great practical guide to Self-realhsation.

P.O. Sivanandanagar
Ist May, 1958, Publishers
The Donors

GWALIOR BRANCH OF THE D.L.S.

The Gwalior Branch of DL.S was started with only five
miembers in the year 1951 Sri RR Tiwan was the founder-
president and Sri RS. Verma IAS (at present Collector at
Jhabua) the Secretary The in.t.al difficulty m spreading the
message of the DLS was only short-lived The Grace of
the Gurudev was manifestly helpful The Branch got freely
estallished within a few months. On every Sunday—without
any “reak— a short programme of two hours of Kurtans,
medit tion, Gita or Ramayana reading, Arati and Bhog’ is
always maintained The membership consists of about 100
persons of whom forty membets are quite regular to attend
the meetings The society also celebrates without fail, on
a grand scale, the birthday of the Gurudev.,

SRI RAMA AVATAR SHARMA

Sri Rama Avatar Sharma comes off a very renowned
and tich family of Brahmins of Morar Gwalhor He is a
big contractor of this place He is much interested in the
ancient Hindu culture and always tries to uplift it. He has
to his credit good study of Ram-Charit-Manas and Gita. He
is @ very good Sankirtamst His devotional Kirtan touches
the imnermost chord
of hearts He is very humorous and
popular He is president of the DLS. Branch, Gwalior for
‘he last two consecutive years. He 1s always philanthropic
ind generous hearted,
 THE DONOR

Sri Ram Avatar Sharma

President, Divine Life Society, Gwalior
 SRI R.R. TIWARI
Sri Ram Rup Tiwari, MA., LLUB, 1s a distinguished Law-
yer, a saint and a savant He is a great Vedantic scholar,
and an Anubhavi-Jnani He was an Advocate of the Supreme
Court and Madhya Bharat High Court, a Professor of Law,
and a Member of the Planning Board, Madhya Bharat. After
retiring from active service at the Bar, he has settled down
at the Sivananda Ashram, dedicating himself whole-heartedly
to selfless service, study and Sadhana,
 VEDANTIC SANKIRTAN
(Thars: Sunaja)

Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman
Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahman

Ekameva Adwiteeya Brahman

Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahman

Tat Twam Asi, Tat Twam Asi; Tat Twam Asi

That Thou art, That Thou art, That Thou art

Iam That I am, I am That Iam, I am That I am.

511 Swami Sivananda

 SIVANANDA’S CONTRIBUTION
TO INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
(Soe PC. Diwanjt, Retd. Fudge, Bombay)
Out of the six systems of philosophy which admit the
authoritativeness of the Veda to a greater or less extent there
are only two, namely the Vedanta and the Yoga, which attract
the largest number of serious students from amongst the
aspirants for spiritual advancement in this country Of them
the doctrine of the Vedanta as systematically expounded in
the Samrika Sutra has been interpreted by the common-
taries of various philosophical and theological schools in di-
verse ways which Fave given mse to the Kevaladvaita, \isish-
tadvaita and other Vadas, which have reference to differing
views as to the nature of the ultimate reality sought to be
established thereby But the one thought which has heen
found in all the ages to appeal to the largest number of
intelligent aspirants is the first, whose exponent was the
fist Sankaracharya He being the earliest of the scholars
to make a comprehensive effort to establish harmony between
the three great recognised sources of the Vedanta doctrine
namely the ten Upanishads of the Vedic age, the Bhagavad-
gita. of the Epic age and the Saririka Sutra of the Darshana
(systematic exposition) age, some holes were picked in his
line of reasomng’s by the exponents of the other schools
particularly, Ramanuja and Madhva. They had met with
suitable rejounders from amongst the followers of Sankara’s
earlier interpreters of the two schools of Suresvara and
Vachaspati. The last of those who faithfully mterpreted San-
kara’s dicta in the Parimala, a gloss on the Sariraka Sutra
and comnased an independent treatise a digest, embodying

Vu
the result of a study of the arguments of ail the writers
of the Kevaladvaita school, named Siddhantaleshasamgraha
was Appayya MPukshit, a South Indian scholar, who died at
Banaras 1n 1660 at the ripe age of 72 years The revered
Swami Sivananda is, by bitth, a scion of the same Dikshit
family now a Sannyasin of the Ananda order, which 1s one
of the ten orders founded by Sankara and also a faithful
exponent of his Kevaladvaita Vada.
Next, philosophy is studied in India not as an imntellec-
tual pastime but as furnishing a reliable gute to the reali-
sation of the true nature of the Self and to the determination
of the right attitude to be adopted towards the non-selves,
in which class fall not only the objects of the external world
but also the sheaths enveloping the Self, such as the physical
body, the vital parts, mind, etc According to the Vedanta
doctrine one must practise “Nididhyasana” (meditation or
constant musing) of the quintessence of the Vedanta teach-
ing contained in one of the “Mahavakyas” (great sentences)
—the most often-quoted one out of which is that contamed
in the Chandogya Upanishad of the Samaveda namely, Tat-
twamas.” (Thou art That), meaning that you are identical
with the reality, Brahman Thus, besides the knowledge
derived from an external source such as a Guru or a scrip-
ture and reflection over its méaning, meditation on the truth
contained therein forms part of the means for the Self-reali-
sation The human mind has however a natural tendency
to brood over the non-Selves Some of the Upanishad sages
had therefore hit upon the expedient of the constant repet-'
taon of the monosyllable Om, eealled the “Udgitha” or “Pra-
nava”’ and reflection over its meaning as the pure Brahman
or the Self taken as an erfttre umt and as the aualified

Vij
Brahman in its three aspects ef the presiding deities of the
cosmic processes of the creation, sustenance and destruction
or the qualified self in its three aspects of the Vaisvanara,
Taljasa and Prajna, the individual soul in the states of waking,
dreaming and sleeping The said process of meditation it-
self led in the Upanishad age to the state of “Samadhy” (per-
fect composure or self-integration) in the case of espirants
of a very high order if they lived in solitude and observed
celibacy and in the case of others when 1t was further aided
by the “Upasana” of the “Udgitha” That was an age in
which hfe being simple there were few causes of mental dis-
traction so much so that some Kshatriyas could attain Siddhi
even without outward renunciation Gradually however hfe
began to be more and more complex with the result that the
task of concentrating on one object continuously for some time
began to be found difficult Th.s led to the invention of other
devices as the means for Lee jing the vagrant minds under
control, Some of these we1e exclusively mental while others
were mised mintal and phytival ones Such devises when
systematised by experience acqu'red the names of the different
species of Yoga which have reference to the principal means
employed for the attainment of the goal, the realisation of
true nature of the Self which 1s identical in essence with the
overself, the Paramatman, who transcends the lmitations of
space, time and causation and is also the mner ruler of all
beings Such realisation puts an end to all mental worries,
which are the result of a false sense of the identification of
the Self with the non-selves and a false sense of values which
results from the ignorance of the fact that the universe of
which we become conscious @s consisting of diverse entities
when we are in the states of yagking and dreaming .s also m

vy
essence the same as the Self within us, and brings in its
train feelings of joy, contentment, perfect peace of mind etc
As however so long as the connection of the soul with the
body and the senses becomes revived on return to the state
of waking the overself or the self feeling itself as extended in
space and time and acting in the world of causation takes pos-
session of the body, senses and mind, becomes inspired with
the disinterested desire to make as much contribution as one
can, with the powers at one’s command through the said puri-
fied body, senses and mind, to the uplift of the other beings
with whom one comes in contact, to the same high spiritual
level as oneself, so that the ideal of the realisation of the
sole existence of the unconditioned self even in the state of
waking when the operation of the mind and the senses is not
suspended may be attained. Towards the fulfilment of that
objective, the Yogi has to remain engaged in diverse activities
at diverse levels in the outside world but unlike those engaged
in gelfish activities he not only meets with no obstacles but on
the contrary meets with several inconceivable facilities in res-
pect of men, money and materials to the extent to which the
objective conceived by him 1s in consonance with the prepared-
ness of his field of action. Nor does such activity create any
fresh bonds for him because it 1s individual egoism which 1s the
cause of bondage and that he had cast off once for all before
the desire was implanted in his mind The universal consci-
ousness, which did that, sees to it that he 1s only guided by
intuition as inspired by it and not by individual desires, pas-
sions and prejudices, although continuing to have connection
with a human body and remeans indifierent to the results
of his acts whether they are o# are not the same as humanly
conceived. However even though guided by intuition and

wy
remaining imdifferent to the results of his efforts he must,
since he has to work on human material and accomplish a
purpose in the world of physical forms, have settled views
on the philosophical problems arising from the present-day
conditions in the world of concrete reahty which the leading
thinkers of his age have been trying to solve by the use of
their intellfgence and evolve a technique which all those
who are prepared to accept his guidance can understand,
assimilate and act up to It is easily understandable that
although the Self which every embodied soul can realise is
the same immutable one at all tumes the post-realisation acti-
vity of every Jivanmukta cannot have been moulded in the
same pattern because such activity of each such soul must
to a greater or less extent be determined by the knowledge of
the empirical world gathered and assimilated by traiming and
experience in the anti-realisation period of his life, the pro-
blem or problems to be tackled by each of them cannot be
the same and the method of tackling it or them must be
adapted to the temperaments of the kind of people to be dealt
with and the prevalent conditions of hfe in each age
Now all those who have come into touch with Swami
Sivananda the Kulapati: of the Ashram at Ananda Kutur,
feel convinced that his mind must have been unintermuittently
occupied with thoughts and plans mtuitively conceived for the
uplift of the souls of those whom he deems worthy of being
helped by him to come up to the same level as his own in
the best and as far as possible the easiest and quickest manner
possible, regardless of the fact whether they do or do not come
into physical touch with him, that he has not only carefully
studied but also entered comptetely mto the spirit of all the
principal works on the Vedanéa philosophy so as to be able

41
to interpret them correctly in a sample non-technical language
which even the novices can follow without such effort and
above all he being of the view that mere theoretical know-
ledge is an intellectual pastime or a means for earning one’s
livehhood, has acquired such a mastery over all the different
species of Yoga practice as to be able to act as a very
useful guide to the Sadhakas of all grades of spiritual deve-
lopment at all the stages in their progress towards their goal
Im any course of Yogic discipline, and warn them against
possible pitfalls in their onward march. He 1 known to be
doing that in diverse ways
In the first place, he has by the continued practice of
the post-realisation course of Yoga acquired the powers to
receive and transmit messages by telepathy, which are effec-
trve in the case of those disciples of his who surrender them-
selves completely to him for guidance along the spiritual
path

Secondly, he has such an inexhaustible fund of energy

that he is never tired of contributing articles on diverse
topics of practical utility in the pursuit of the ideal by the
readers of the English and Hindi journals edited from his
Ashram by some of his Sannyas: disciples under his supervision
and also by those of other journals devoted to philosophical
and religious subjects edited from other places by other per-
sens and of writing books, big and small, calculated to assist
their readers in understanding the Vedanta doctrine consi-
dered from various angles of vision, ancient and modern and
in both its aspects theoretical and practical These books
ho presents very lhberally to those whom he believes to be
worthy of such kindness and generosity
Thirdly he solves the doubts of and gives instructions by
correspondence to those who address letters to him for those
purposes from any parts of the world
Fourthly, although he has a numbe1 of well-trained dis-
e'‘ples who can and do train n@w-comers who take up their
abode in the Ashram either permanently or temporarily for
being trained in any species ef Sadhana an in the practice

x1
of the art of leading a divine hfe he himself pays personal
attention to all and sundry and supervises the work entrusted
to each such disciple and whenever found necessary gives
personal guidance and furnishes an excellent example of what
ig meant by leading a divine life The work of the Yoga-
Vedanta Forest University, which he has founded has been
placed on a systematic basis and all its extra-curricular acti-
vities are given sufficient pubheity through its weekly jounal
which 1s published very regularly The aim of introducing
such activities seems to be the double one of giving opportuni-
ties to the eminent visitors to the mstitution to come into
personal touch with the teachers and pupils at the university
and to the latter groups to the trend of thought of the persons
outside the orthodox Hindu fold Some of the casual visitors
also seek interviews with the Swamiji He gives them freely
and causes the reports thereof to be published in the univer-
sity weekly for the knowledge of its readers residing out-
side Rishikesh
Fifthly, although he himself is a firm believer in the truth
of the Vedanta teaching as expounded by Sankara and in the
efficacy of the mcans recommended by him for the realisation
of that truth namely Dhyana Yr2a, he not only does not dss-
courage those who have an admuration for any other system
of thought and an inclination to pursue any other means for
the realisation of truth but tries to interpret all the others
in such a way as to bring about a harmony between them
and the others from the practical poimt of view Moreover
he impresses upon the minds of his followers that the path
of knowledge 1s required to be supplemented by that of action,
done without an eye to the acquisition of any material benefit’
out of it, m the shape of disinterested service to the diseased
and disabled human beings belhleving it to be a service ren-
dered to the Almighty and that while doing so the attitude
of mind to he adopted should be one of gratefulness to Fim
for giving that opportunity and not one of conferrmg an obh-
gation on the needy individuals. Dhyana Yoga is a part of
Jnana Yoga, But aspirants are not temperamentally or con-
stitutionally fitted to be able to be engaged im contemplation
without any previous preparation The Swami therefore
All
advises the supplementation ef that Yoga by some physical
or mental exercises, such as Asana, Pranayama and Pratya-
hara and even some Mudras (special physical devices) which
form part of Hatha Yoga, in order that the mind can he
brought under control by first acquiring control over the vital
breath and the nervous system, and to others he advises be-
ing engaged in the process of repetition of some short or
long Vaidic or Pauranic Mantras which when done with
reflection on the meanings of the Mantras enables one to stop
the operation of the sub-conscious mind which 1s responsible
for causing distraction when one tries to be engaged in medi-
tation This combination of the different species of Yoga he
calls the Yoga of synthesis
Lastly, for some years past he has organised the perform-
ance at his Ashram of what 1s designated as the “‘Viswashanti
Yajna,” a sacrifice performed by some devotees who have
dedicated their remaining lives to the selfless service of huma-
nity, so that a reign of peace may be established in the un1-
verse as a whole
The revered Swami Sivananda thus makes a solid contri-
bution to the development of Indian philosophy on new lines
suited to the requirements of the modern age, in which the
duty of man is deemed not to end with securing the salvation
of one’s individual soul but to extend to rendermg the best
possible help to others as well in getting relief from physical
suffering and thereby enabling to make the best possible use
they can of thew hves on this planet for their own salvation,
and in which the duty of securing the welfare of society 18
not deemed to be confined to the governing bodies but to,
extend to the members of the society, because the former
share their nights also with them May the Almighty con-
tinue to confer on him energy and enthusiasm for many more
years in order to enable him to give the benefit of his know-
ledge and experience to many more persons all over this
earth than he has been able to do so far personally and through
his trained disciples sent abread for doing the same beneficent
work in other countries
 THE PATH OF VEDANTA
(Srz Swaen: S:vananda)
What is the highest end of man? All are agreed that
the one aim man has in all his actions is to attain happiness.
The highest end of man must, therefore, be the attamment of
eternal happiness This can be #ad in the Self only. The pleasure
that is derived from contact with objects 1s illusory and
momentary It is mixed with. pain, anmeties, fear and sin.
Perfect security and full peace cannot be had in the
world, because this is a relative plane, All objects are con-
ditioned in time, space and causation They are perishable.
Where then can you look for full security and perfect peace?
You can find this in the immortal self He is an embodi-
ment of peace. He is beyond time, space and causation.
A really learned man 1s one who ponders over the ques-
tions: “Who am I? What is this Universe? What j; Atma
or Soul or Brahman? What is the relation between the
individual soul and the Supreme Soul? What is the goal?
How to reach the goal of hfe? Whence have I come?
Whither will I go? These questions naturally arise m the
mind of every man at one stage of his hfe or the other.
A worldly man kuls himself by clinging to things unreal.
That man who does not atruggle to attain Self-realisation .
although he possesses knowledge of the scriptures human
body, youth, energy and other conveniences verily commuts
suicide. His'lot 1s very miserable What greater fool is
there than this man who neglects to reach the goal of life?
Moksha is the highest benefit. It is obtained through the
knowledge of Self Jnana is the benefit which one gets in
the interval. Just as plantain fruit is the highest benefit
which one gets and the leaves etc. are the Avantara-prayo-
jana m the imterval before the getting of fruit, so also
Moksha is the highest benefit and Jnana is Avantara-prayo-
jana, Jnana is only the means to attain the highest Bliss,
To attain Jnana you must have one-pointedness of mind It
comes through Upasana Upasana comes through purity of
heart (Chitta-Suddhi) Chxtta-Suddhi comes through Nish-

OV
kamya Karma Yoga To do Nishkamya Karma, you should
have the Indriyas under control. The Indriyas can be con-
trolled through Viveka and Vairagya
The Self or Atman is encased within the five sheaths.
When one gradually develops his divine nature, these sheaths
gradually wear away His consciousness passes from the
lower to the highest planes He realises more and more
freedom and bliss of the Self Huis will becomes pure, strong
and irresistible He 1s above to control the senses and the
mind by his strong will power which 1s nothing but soul-
force
The one Atman appears to be many, as one sun appears
to be riany in various pots of water Many suns are false,
They are mere reflections only “ So also the many Jivas are
illusory ‘The one sun alone is real Even so, one Brahman
alone 13 real.
Tnie is fleeting The night is wasted in sleep and plea-
sure The day 1s wasted in idle talk, amassing money, and
mainteiance of the family. Days, months and years are
rolling away Hairs have become grey Teeth have fallen.
Yet you are attached to the perishable objects through Moha.
Tell, how long will you be slaves of fleeting things of the
world? How long will you respect the same sensual enjoy~
ment? How long will you worship mammon? When will
you find time to meditate on the Lord and to do virtuous
actions? Open your eyes now. Wake up from the deep
slumbe" of profound mertia Regain the lost Divinity Thou
art Divine Thou art True Thou art Soul. Realise this
and be free.
 TOWARDS PERFECTION
( Siz Swami Sivananda)
It 18 the need for the co-ordination of our thoughts with
the higher life, the communion of our ideas with higher ideals,
that 1s behind our love for spiritual values, our interest in
religious matters, our desire for holy association and studies
This noble purpose consists in our aspiration for moving to-
wards a higher hfe which transcends and comprehends what-
ever we normally experience im the material plane

It is the aspiration to grow, to evolve, to direct oneselt

to a transcendental ideal which is at once real at the time of
its experience It goes without saying, that we have a back-
ground of our thoughts which decides our motives, and that
background determines the nature of our aspiration. It
determines the nature of the goal to which our aspiration
directs us.
To put it concisely, we have a consciousness of the difte-
rence between the nature of our present condition and the
nature of the ideal which we have before us This cons-
clousness of the distinction between the two levels of hfe has
arisen in us on account of various factors. Purvapunya or
the results of the mentorious deeds which we have done in
previous births 1s one of the factors which has caused the
rise of this consciousness in us, the consciousness of the
existence of a higher life and the madequacy of the present
life.
DISCRIMINATION AND DISPASSION
This we call in a technical term Viveka, a dissatisfaction
with the superficial experience that we have in the material

XVI
level and a glimpse indistinct though it may be of the presence
of the higher life Together with this consciousness of the
presence of the higher ideal, this aspiration for hving the
higher life, a distaste 1s cicated in us, however temporary or
unsubstantial for what 1s incongruous with the nature of that
higher ideal We call this distaste, Vairagya or dispassion.
An intense passion for the Real, a burning aspiration to
realise the ultimately existent Being, includes the withdrawal
of the natural consciousness of the visible objects of this
wotld Viveka and Vairagya come together The one is the
natural concomitant of the other We have made an uncon-
scious analysis of experience with our minds which has caused
the 11se of Viveka When this analysis becomes conscious,
it becomes a direct step in Sadhana.

An unconscious spiritual urge is felt as the result of con-

scious meritorious deeds which we have done in our past
hves We meght have had some spiritual awareness in our
previous lives also, and we might have thought over the pro-
blems of hfe and aspired for a solution The present life 1s
only a continuation of the past life It is not a new life that
we are leading now abruptly with a fresh beginning, but it
is the continuation of a series It is just one rung in the
ladder of evolution

CONSCIOUS ANALYSIS

The purpose of the spiritual aspirant, therefore, 1s to

make this unconscious analysis a conscious one The con-«
scious analysis begins with the perception and experience of
what 1s immediately presented to us, We understand what
it is that is immediately brought before our senses. We take
for granted the reality of what our senses perceive, We see

XV hi
 this physical world, We see our own selves as situated here
‘as contents of this world We are parts of this cosmos, this
universe, this world
It does not require much time for you to understand that
you are in the midst of others, because that perception which
you have of yourself 1s immediate, non-relational This know-
ledge does not stand in need of any external proof. ‘The
proof of the existence of an object outside is direct sense-
perception. You say, “Here is a person sitting before me”,
because you see him directly, perceive him and observe him
through your senses which carry great authenticity

Our present life is based on sense-perception We are

said to live, therefore, in a sense-world, a world that is pre-
sented to us by our senses We do not question the authenti-
city of the experience that is brought to us by the senses,
because we have identified to such an extent our conscious-
ness with the form of the perception in which the objects in
this world are presented to us or with which they come to us,
to our consciousness This is the basis of all philosophical
and spiritual analysis, the analysis of the experiencing con-
sciousness.

The common man with his commonsense takes for granted

the vahdity of his experience in this world I see this world
Well; here is the object The world is here, and I have to
make use of 1t I have to live in the world by adjusting and
adapting myself to the environments, so that I may fulfil
the purpose which is in my mind, as the ideal to be reahsed
Different people have different conceptions of the ideal of
life But this is gross perception which’ takes the sense-
world as ultimately real It 1s the lowest form of perception

XIX
that we have, because it is the perception of the gross phy-
sical universe of which our body is a part, a content

SPIRITUAL ASPIRATION

The spiritual aspirant is endowed with a special higher

consciousness of the existence of something absolutely real
which 1s above this experience which we receive through our
senses This aspiration for the Real is ingrained in the con-
sciousness of the spiritual aspirant, only it gets imtensified
when he approaches the Guru, a spiritual preceptor, and re-
ceives the higher initiation from him but it 1s present there
in him even before he approaches the Guru Else, he would
not have had the inclination to go to the spiritual Guru at all

He feels the need for a Wigher knowledge He feels the

need for his being guided by a spiritual teacher. That means
that he has already had within himself the mse of this con-
sciousness of a trans-empirical life It is in the seed state,
Jt has to come to the state of a spiout, a plant and a tree
later on, through the grace of the spiritual teacher, and
through the grace of God
Now with this aspiration, with this consciousness of the
existence of a higher spnitual ideal, the aspirant begins his
analysis in the hght of the teachings of the Guru. It is the
spiritual teacher who guides him in the process of this analy-
sis. What is the form which ths analysis takes? It is the
analysis of his own self because the one object which is said
to have doubtless existence is one’s own self
One may doubt anything in this world, but one cannot
doubt about one’s existence, All philosophical speculation, all
aspiration, all endeavour, begin with this consciousness of the
existence of one’s self But here comes the distinction between
the awareness which a spiritual aspirant has in regard to
his existence and the one which the ordinery man has m revard
t> himself
PHRCEPTLON
The objects which are seen in the world are considered by
the common man to be existing outside his body and senses,
and he feels that a copy, as it were, of the objects 1s expeui-
enced by him in his mimd The object itself does not enter
his eye or the ear, but there 1s a transmission of vibration
from that object, which his consciousness becomes aware of,
which becomes a content of his consciousness and on account
of which he happens to know the existence of the physical
object
It is only the spiritual aspnant endowed with a higher
discrimination that can question the vahdity of this form
of experience You see a person But how do you do this?
You may say that because you have got eyes An aspirant
will not be satisfied with that answei, if only he has that
higher intellect, because he wishes to know what actually is
the process by which he 1s enabled to be aware of another’s
existence Onc may say that there is a vibration, as it were,
emanating from the object outside and becoming a content of
one’s consciousness, but one must go deeper into these pro-
blems, for even the possibility of such a vibration has to be
explained
You see so many objects in the world, so many forms but
how are you to be sure of their existence? No one puts
this question to himself, because he 1s already certam as to
the nature of experience It 1s only the spiritual aspirant
who doubts this situation Is 1 true that one has a con-
sciousness of real existence ?

XXL
 SUBJECT-OBJECT RELATION
Now, take for granted that you are having a consciqus-
ness of real things. How do you know these to be real
things? The obvious answer is. through the senses What
is the connection that the senses have with the objects out-
side? Nobody seems to know this, because there appears
to
be no relation at all, no contact between the sense organs and
the objects outside. eo

If there is no sense-contact at all, how can you be aware

of your existence here? You may see a person several feet
apart from you, and you are aware of his existence, without
your coming in contact with him in any way You may say
that hght waves travel from you and contact the retina of
the other person’s eyes That is true, but the object 1s not
brought and kept in your eyes The object 1s outside Even
to have an image of the object in your consciousness, you
must have some kind of rntrmsic relation with that object,
No one will think for a moment that it 1s possible to have
contact with an external object without involving in that con-
tact a subtle relation, whatever the nature of that relation
be It is true that we have some kind of contact with the
external wo1ld, though it may not always be a physical con-
tact There is a kind of relation which is intelhgible in its
nature Otherwise the object cannot become a content ot

your intelligent nature.

You know that objects which have dissimilar characteritics

cannot commuingle each other and become one For example,
a rod of steel cannot be mixed with milk, for the two are pos-
sessed of dissimilar characteristics. Water and milk get
mixed with each other, because they have a simular character.

AXLI
What 1s the nature of your consciousness which becomes aware e
of the presence of the objects outside? It 1s spiritual
It appeais to be etheiial, peivasive, otherwise it cannot
comprehend the object outside, and if you. spiitual nature,
the intelligent nature, should be awaie of the existence ot
the object outside, there should be something in the object
which is similar to the consciousness that you have in you
In other words, there should be a spiritual element in the
object that you see outside

CONNECTING LINK
If you deny the existence of any spuuitual element in the |
object perceived, you must admit that my consciousness, too,
1s physical in nature That means your physical bemg is
coming in contact with the physical object You ate not
physically i contact with whom you see at all, and yet
you aie aware of his presence It is a non-physical 1elation
that enables you to be awaie of the other’s existence. IT
has to be accepted that there is a non-physical relation in
knowledge This non-physical relation is psychological, emp1-
Lically, but ultimately spiritual
Even from the empirical viewpoint, we have to define the
wold ‘psychological’, What 1s meant by ‘psychological rela-
tion’? You may say‘ ‘mental relation’ And what is the
nature of the mind? Is it physical? If it is physical, it
should be ment, and it cannot be then conscious of the existence
ot the world outside The mind should be endowed with an
intelugent nature
Here we are concerned only with the intelligent nature
of the peison, for all perception trefers to an intelhgencée.
This intelugence 1s .esponsible for the perception of the world

XXL11
 outside The mtelligent nature should be present in the object
also; else your intelhgent nature cannot be in contact with it
and vou mar not be aware of the existence of the outside
\ orld.
Now the question would arise: Takmg tor granted tiat
there 1s a spimtual or itelhgent element in the outside
object also, where is the need for positing a relation between
the seer and the seen? The need is felt when we become
aware of the fact that perception 1s impossible without a
relation, and if perception is a fact relation is a fact, and it
relation is a fact, it must be mtelligent, spiritual

When we see objects in the world we understand that

there seems to be a spiritual relation between the experiencer
and the expenmenced But what is this relation? Does it
belong to only a few or to all, or does it not belong to anybody
at all? Now, if it does not belong to anyone, it must be
hanging, as it were, loosely mm space And if it 1s thus hang-
ing’ loosely, 1t will not be im contact either with one or with

another So a third relation has to be brought in to connect

that relation with oneself, the subject It means then that
the spiritual relation between one and another 1s not: dis-
connected from one or from the other, but it 1s homogeneous
with both It 1s in oneself, it 1s m another, and it 1s between
both Otherwise there would be no objective consciousness

Now, this explanation of the nature of perception gives

a clue to the understanding of the nature of the whole world
itself, because the world consists of experiencers and objects
that are experienced, and nothing but these two, and if the
relation between these two 1s a spiritual one, then there is &
spiritual relation subsisting everywhere in the world. In other
words, there is a Spirit present everywhere in the world.

AXIV
Without it, experience 1s impossible. This analysis is made
in the ‘walang state There is a spirtual consciousness pre-
sent in everybody and if 1s not limited to the semse-organs.
yecause the sense-organs are there even in that state ot dream,
when they do noc function, and one Is aware or one’s eXs-
tence even then
INDEPENDENT PRINCIPLE
That means to say that consciousness which is the per-
ceiver and experiencer, is an undependent principle, different
from these fleshy organs which are seen outside. There 1s
What 1s called ‘blank-look’. The eyes will be open, but one
will not see anything. In Shambhay1 Mudra it is possible for
one to withdraw one’s consciousness from the external ob-
jects and yet keep the eyes open. It 1s found here that con-
sciousness 1s different from the eyes The experience is diff-
erent from the organs through the instrumentality of which
he perceives and experiences external objects
Now, this explanation holds good in the state of dream
also, because as far as the structure of experience 1s concer-
ned, there is no difference between waking and dream,
though there is difference in the quahty thereof, because one
has a purified, clear consciousness in the waking state, and
there 1s a dull hazy consciousness in the dreaming state
Apart from this fact, the structure 1s the same. There are
space, time and objects in dream. There is the difference
between the seer and the seen, Every blessed thing that one
experiences in the waking state 1s experienced in the dream
also.
So the question of the relation between the seer and the
seen which has been answered in relation to the waking’ state
is appheable to dream state also. There is a spiritual entity,

SXV
if at all one can call it an entity, which 1s existent everywhei-
in the universe, in all objects, in seer and in seen, in the
waking as well as the dreaming state How many states
does one experience daily? One would find that everybody
is either waking, dreaming o1 sleeping In what other state
can one be? Swoon or insensibihty is not a special stale
of consciousness It 1s said to be a state midway between
waking and death If one understands the nature of the three
states of experience, one will have answered a very great
question of hfe itself

CONTINUITY OF EXISTENCE

What is hfe? This question can be answered by answer-

ing the question relating to the three states of consciousness.
When one undeistands the nature of the three states, one
would have understood all forms of experience The waking
life manifests the Eternal Spirit in its phases. So does dream.
which is simular to waking experience in form Now, what
happens in the state of sleep? In sleep one has no awarec-
ness at all There is neither the seer nor are thee ohect:
seen It is a blank, static, ett, darkness—nothing but this.
But “one exists in deep sleep One knows this because one
wakes up the next morning and becomes aware of one’s
previous experience We aire aware of the survival of the
same individuahty When I wake up and say, ‘Yesterday lL
slept, today I am aware of it,” I do not forget the continuity
of my personality
It means, therefore, that I existed in the state of deep
sleep One more question is left to be answered—the pro-
blem of the nature of experience in deep sleep We have
earlier examined that when we are awake, we are mm @ Spiri-
tual world , when we are in dream, we are again in a spiri-

XXXVI
tual world, because experience is impossible without the exis-
tence of a cosmic spiritual connection Does this spintual
being exist durmg deep sleep? We do not know We have
no consciousness at all, then But when we wake up from
sleep, do we remember sleep? Yes Now what is remem-
brance? Remembrance always follows an experience We
have a memory of what we have experienced previously
If there were no experience at all, there would be no memory.
Memory always should be preceded by experience, and
there is no experience unless it is attained with consciousness.
One does not have ‘unconscious’ experience If there is ex-
perience there must be consciousness attending it If there were
no experience, there would have no memory Therefore, there
must be experience even in sleep But what is the reason for
one’s inability to experience one’s consciousness during sleep?
This mability to experience one’s conscious existence durmg
sleep 1s a factor which can be known and temoved only by
the practice of Yoga

This is the fundamental principle, the teaching of all

Yogas, the removal of the obstructing principle, something
covering the consciousness which does not allow one to have
any experience at all The obstructing element is called
Avalana, nescience, ignorance and the presence of this 1gno-
rance it is that makes one incapable of any kind of experience
wn deep sleep But it is sure that there ought to have been
a@ consciousness, only on account of the presence of this
Avarana one does not have the opportunity to verify it du-
ring sleep The presence of spiritual element m all the three
states becomes, however, an established fact

INSTRUMENT OF PERCEPTION

The ignorance in deep sleep state 1s conceded There is

ad

aa

XRVI1
no clearness of consciousness in dream state Therefore, one
can understand why one 1s not aware of the Self in these
states but whv ir onc ignotant of the Seif In the weking
state also? It can he forically concluded that there would
we a spirituai entity everywhere im the world, out this logical
knowledge 1s not sufficient Though this analysis has brougnt
about this conclusion, one does not have any direct know-
ledge of 11.
Why is it so? The reason is this We perceive this
world through the mind and the senses The mind and the
senses are the instruments of our knowledge, Without these
instruments we cannot experience anything in this world.
And every instrument has got a make up, a structure, @
form The mind also has a form. The senses also are made
up in certaim forms certain shapes Everything has got 4
manner of functioning There 1s a small example to ulustrate
the conditioning of knowledge

Keep a lense before your eye Let it be convex or con-

eave, but not plain glass When you look at the object ont-
side through the lens you see a distortion of the objects ‘You
do not see the object properly, because the lens plays a part
im your perception The constitution of the lens is respon-
sible for the perception of a distorted form outside If itis a
plain glass, you will see the object as it 1s So there is any
kind of @ special construction of the instrument through
which you see, the nature of the object will be very much
influenced by the constitution of the instrument
The constitution of the mind and the senses very much
influences the nature of the object that one experiences out-
side One can know another as an existing being only in
so far as that existence 1s a content of one’s mental cons-
i

XXVIII
clousness To the extent the mind allows one to have a
consciousness of one’s existence, one can know another More
than that one cannot know The mind has a constitution, a
special make-up What is that constitution? It can know
things only in space and time and relate one object to another
object in a casual series We see that one thing is caused
by another thing This is account of the categories of space,
time and causation These three are the characteristics of
the frame-work of our mental perception
CORRECTION OF ERROR IN PERCEPTION
We cannot know anything without presummeg that objects
exist in space and time Shut your eyes and think of an
object It is in space It is in time It is one among’ the
many objects. It is outside of you These ideas come even
if you shut all the senses This is the cause of man’s lmited
perception The mind is forced to experience things only in
a particular way This particular, specialised constitution of
the mind and senses is limiting our perception We have to
polish the lens of this mind and make it clear, a plain glass,
so that there may be correct perception of the object outside
Why should one experience objects only in space and
time? If there is a spiritual relation between the subject and
the object, why is not one allowed to see it? Because of the
intervention of space and time Time and space are great
factors in creating a chasm between one and another. So
there is an error in perception. One innnermost intelhgence
and consciouness tells us that there is a unitary prmeiple
pervading the world without which perception 1s impossible,
but our sense-perception does not admit it There is a divi-
sion for the senses That division is caused by a peculiar
make-up of the mind

XXIX
 It is by the process of Yoga that one has to transcend
these limitations imposed upon one by space and time, and
by the forms of the mind itself The mahbility of the mind
to perceive things as they are 1s caused by the intervention
Of space and time in perception Yoga gives the technique
to polish the mind, make it very clean and allow in it a clear
reflection, an image of things as they are, objects in their
true essence. The real perception of real objects can be had
therefore, only when the instrument is perfected The in-
strument is the mind, which works with the aid of the senses
Yoga, therefore, is a technique of training this mind, polisn-
ing this mstrument to perfection
Patanjah, the author of Raja Yoga, in his second Sutra
says, Yogaschittavritti-mrodha Yoga is the process of the
inhibition of the functions of the mind-stuff. 1e.,frying up of
the raw material of the psychological organs. The mind,
the intellect, the principle of egoism, the sub-conscious mind,
all these are included in what is called the mind-stuff
And
this 1s to be purified This purification of the mind-stuff is
the first and th last thing that has to be done in the practice
of Yoga This purification is really the cessation of the mind
as the mind: it is its destruction

In the state of Shuddha Sattwa, which 1s purity in itself,

the mind becomes absolutely transparent, and then there
is clear perception of things Now we have a jaundiced
perception of things. We do not see things in their true
colour. The true colour of things 1s spimtual But now we
see their disjomed existence When the mind-stuff 1s pumr-
fied, there will be the perception of unity, for then there
18 no need for us to take the help of a hmuted instrument ot
perception. Then the difference between the seer and the
seen will not be hindering knowledge ODnvision is caused
by the intervention of space and trme
is When the defect
removed, the spatio-temporal relation will not be there at all
Then there will be an immediate commumion of the object
and the spiritual essence of the subject

AIM OF YOGA

After the cessation of the mind, there is the estabhsh-

ment of the Self in itself, The real Self is the all-pervading
being. We have to be established im that spiritual Beng
which is the ultimate relation among things here That is
the aum of Yoga And this is the aim not only of the Yoga,
which Pdtanjali described in his Sutras, but the aim of all
Yogas In truth, there 1s one Yoga, and not many Yogas.
The many names which we give to Yoga are with reference
to the various temperaments which individuals possess
When we look at Yoga from one point of view it appears
to go by the name of Karma Yoga, from another pomt of
view it 1s Bhakti Yoga, from a third point of view it 1s Jnana
Yoga The names differ in accordance with the form in
which Yoga presents itself before us
We look at Yoga from our own standpoint, from the stand-
point of the make-up of our minds, and our practice of Yoga
is based on perception of the constitution of our minds. That
means to say, our perception is identicalin one sense with
the constitution of the mind. So with that instrument alone
we look at Yoga A person who has got an active tempera-
ment,takes to the Yoga of Action It 1s meditation on the
spiritual reahty through action Yoga may also be medita-
tion through love of God, or it may be meditation through
will (Raja Yoga), or 1t may be meditation through wisdom
(Jnana Yoga) But all Yogas are processes of meditation,

AAX!
meditation on the ultrmate spiritual reahty whith 1s every-
where, without which we cannot exist, without which we can-
not think Nothing is possible without its existence,
A direct, ummediate, non-instrumental experience of that
Reality 1s the goal of Yoga You can, therefore, practise
any Yoga suited to your temperament, and all these will lead
to the same goal You will also find that an advancement
along any particular path of Yoga involves a parallel ad-
‘vancement along all other paths also There is no one-sided-
ness or lop-sidedness in Yoga One cannot be a Karma
Yogin alone to the exclusion of all other Yogas Impossible,
Yoga 1s not movement to any partial aspect of being, but to
the total bemng itself So there should be a transformation
or discipline of the total being through Yoga
INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT
One should practise Purna Yoga All sides of our per-
sonality should be disciplined, transmuted and sublimated We
are active, emotional, psychic, and mtellectual All these as-
pects in us have to be trained properly Otherwise what wll
happen® There will be a revolt of that particular side which
has been neglected in favour of certain others If you neg-
lect emotion, 1t wul rebel against intellect If intellect
alone 1s taken as the predominant aspect, there will be the
revolt of emotion against 1t There should therefore be com-
plete transformation of our personality through the practice
of the Yoga of Synthesis It is synthesis of the essential
elements of all Yoras It is therefore, a march of the total
being of the individual to Godhead, the flight of the alone
to the Alone, as Plato put it

Alone you have to fly to the Alone. Of course, you will

have help from the teacher in the beginning, but afterwards,

XXX
xt will be an independent fight to the Eternal As the great
law-giver, Manu, said, you are born alone You will go
alone You will take nothing from this world, and, there-
fore, even when you live here, you are alone Remember, O
man, your social relationships are only temporary ‘They are
only aids in exhausting certain Karmas, nothing but these.
This experience of social hfe which we have in this world is
a stage in our development to Eternal Life It is a particular
stage in the evolution of our individual being to Godhead. So
you must make an all-round effort, not a one-sided effort.
You should not lean to any one particular side <A simulta-
neous discipline of all the aspects must be there.

In this process of spiritual advancement, you will be

greatly helped by the spiritual teacher, who hes got a direct
knowledge of the nature of the spiritual path The spiritual
path 1s super-sensible It cannot be seen without eyes It
cannot be even heard of properly, because it is connected with
Spiritual Realty. Even to get trainmg in any particular
branch of learning im this world you require a teacher, be-
cause you have no experience regarding the subject, More
dificult 1s the spiritual subject, the subject of Yoga. The
Yogi attempts to merge his personality im the cosmic, spiri-
tual being, which is existent everywhere eternally. It is not
gomg to be achieved in the future, because without its exis-
tence, even our present existence would be impossible

OUR RELATION WITH REALITY

The universe has been existing since a€ons and it 1s g0-
ing to exist for many mulions of years, whereas the percep-
tion of this world by individuals is varying. This apparently
perpetual existence of the universe makes us believe that the

XXXIH
spiritual bemg must be eternal. If it has a beginning and ar
end, it will be the basis of eternal experience Brahman must
be eternal Then alone can there be justification for our eter-
nal aspiration for perfection. We have a yearning to be per-
fect; nobody wishes to be imperfect in any way. There is a
longing to become complete in every way, in knowledge,
power and experience of happiness Everybody wants to,
have the utmost possible knowledge, the greatest power and
consequently, the greatest freedom and happiness.
We want to exist for ever Who wants to die? There
is a desire in every one to live for ever, eternally, all have a
dread of death One wants to be the most intelligent being,
filled with cosmic consciousness, and wants to be fully free
unrestricted by the things of this world We want unlimited
bliss We have an aspiration for Satchidananda. We want
to have an eternal experience of existence—absolute, an eter-
mal experience and absolute knowledge, absolute bliss and
absolute power We want everything complete and infinite.
And according to the analysis that we have made, infinite
bliss or infinite knowledge would be impossible unless we in-
timately relate ourselves with the spintual being, with the
Infinite. In other words we must become the Infinite,

To know the Infinite is to become the Infinite, and we

cannot know It through the senses ‘For the moment we
look at 1t through the senses, it would appear like the world.
After all what 1s this world? This world itself 1s God God
13 not somewhere outside the world. But He is not seen,
not recognised He 1s recognised in a wrong way. We think
He is the body, He is the matter, He 1s space, He 1s time,
He 1s the gross world No. This is not correct perception.
fluman perception does not correspond to Reality. Realty
consists m the experience of Chat, know edge uncontracted
This is the only thing that is eternal, and when it is objecti-
fied and looked at through the mind and the senses, it be-
comes the physical universe.
So, the purpose of Yoga is to withdraw the mind trom
objective perception and centre it in Chit It is the resting
of the seer in his own Self Now, in this world the consci-
ousness is in a state of tension. It 1s moving outside in search
of pleasure It has to be brought back from this fruitless
quest and made to rest in itself Only when it rests in itself
there 1s experience of pleasure Pleasure is not the result ot
contact of a person with an object. It is the result of the
cessation of desire As long as a desired object 1s not pos-
sessed, there 1s unrest, but when the desire 1s quenched,
there 1s happiness Happiness has not come from the object
It has come from the extinction of the particular form of
the mind which was moving outside in search of peace There-
fore, bliss 1s in the heart of consciousness. It is everywhere,
because without it no perception 1s possible.

YOGA IN DAILY LIFE

Thus the process by which we endeavour to unite our-
selves with that eternal spiritual being for the sake of expe-
riencing eternal bliss m Yoga. Yoga is the goal as well as
the process It means joming or uniting the individual with
the Supreme, or according to another etymological meaning,
it means meditation. Yoga 1s- meditation, and also union
oi the soul with Godhead When it is taken m the sense ot
the means, it is meditation, and when it is taken in the sense
of the goal, 1t 18 absorption in Godhead And to attain this
goal we practise meditation. Yoga can be practised im one’s
daily life, It 1s possible for one to be a Yogi every moment

SHY
of one’s life, if only one understands the technique of Yoga.
It is possible, as Krishna has said, for one to be a Yop
every moment of one’s life, whatever be the action that he
may be doing Every act can be turned into Yoga, (Karma
Yoga),every feeling into Yoga (Bhakti Yoga) and every
volition into Yoga (Raja Yoga) and every thought into Yoga
(Jnana Yoga). Whatever you feel, or understand, or will,
or do, can be converted into a step in the practice of Yoga.

How? It can be done only by giving it the magical touch

of the consciousness of the presence of the Eternal in all
things. Karma Yoga is the worship of the Supreme Being
in the form of action. It is service done to the Eternal
through our lhmited limbs, organs Every act tiat we do
volitionally or intellectually, can be converted into Yoga. When
tke process of ratiocination is made the instrument in the
practice of Yoga, it becomes Jnana Yoga, which is peculiar
method of directly coming into contact with the Eternal in
its essential nature of Knowledge. And all other Yogas are
aids to the realisation of this eternal consciousness itself,

What is our duty in this hfe? All our duties, the so-
called duties, are aids to the fulfilment of the supreme duty
of Self-realisation, the realisation of the existence of the
Supreme Bemg in our own Self. The existence of that Beng
in other persons cannot be realised unless it becomes a part
and parcel of experiencing consciousness If you objectify
that external being, you see it in the frame-work of external
beings Then it becomes a physical body. So, one should
have an experience of the Eternal im oneself in order that its
Spiritual realisation can be possible. And that experience in
pur Self becomes vast like the ocean, an infinite expanse of

AXKV |
consciousness It overflows with the knowledge of the Su-
preme. In other words, there is no difference between one’s
essential nature and the essential nature of the Divine Being.
PERFECT ART OF LIFE
With this meditation you have to act m this world
There should be no despondency at any moment in your lfe.
This is an important thing which every aspirant should re-
member No grief should be felt at any time, because the
moment you are disturbed, upset or grieved, you must under-
stand that you have not properly grasped the technique of
Yoga. For, 1f you have properly understood the technique
of Yoga, you will know how to transform every situation into
Yoga. Ignorance is the cause of pain We cannot be in a
state of pain or sorrow if we have a proper conception of
Yoga Yoga is not confined to a group of people m the
world Yoga is the art of life, the science of hfe. Who does
not want hfe? Everybody wants to live and know the art
of living correctly, wisely, at its highest and the best. That
is called Yoga
Everybody can be a Yogi at some stage of lite Yoga
is not confined to monks and Bhikshus alone, hving in caves,
at is the art of hving an intelligent, perfect life. Anyone
who is a Yogi lives a happy and perfect life, and a person
who is not at all in any stage of Yoga is a miserable being.
He suffers in this world. By ‘Yoga’ I do not mean here the
ultimate Realisation, but the process of attaimment. It 1s
any step taken towards the realisation of that end Of
course, to the best of your ability you must act You must not
be slack in your meditation All your knowledge and power
you must put in a state of equilibrium There should he
equilibrium and dexterity, both together Yogah karmasu

XXXV11
 tkausalam, Yoga is equilibrium of mind. Yoga is skill of
dexterity in action
You be adept in action. What is the meaning of
must
being an adept? You must fulfil your duty, be active in such
a way that you are not disturbed by any thing in this world
and you are ever m tune with the Absolute. That 1s dexte-
rity m action. This dexterity 1s the consequence of an equi-
hbrated mmd Samatwam Yoga uchyate. So the two prac-
tices should go together—internal tranquillity of mind and
external ability to transform every action into Yoga. Only
he who has understood this techmique can be a real aspirant.
He alone can tread the path to the Spirit, without undergoing
any difficulty and there will be no difficulty if there is direct
guidance from the Guru
The ancient teachers have stressed that a spiritual aspi-
rant should undergo training for at least twelve years under
a@ spiritual teacher Only then can there he real progress,
because the correct technique of Yoga can be taught only
by the Guru After understanding, one should practise Sra-
vana, Manana and Nididhyasana, There is first hearing the
nature of Truth from the Guru and then contemplation and
meditation This meditation should go on every moment of
our life, Meditation should not be confined only to a parti-
cular part of the day It is not enough if one carries on
meditation for a part of the day, and then absolutely forgets
if at other times, Hise, there will be a fall. Here comes
the umportance of Karma Yoga.
YOGA OF ACTION .
You should not make a sharp distinction between medi«
tation and Karma Yoga. Otherwise, you will find it very
difficult to act inthe wé¥ld. But if you transform every
*

XXXVUi
 action by the power of meditation, then you will find there
will be no difficulty in hving in the world a peaceful and
happy life Life will be a happy process of spiritual pro-
gress if the power of meditation gives strength to the action
that you do. Action 1s an external expression, an outward
manifestation of an internal aspiration or realisation. I have
used the two words: aspiration and realisdtion. Karma Yoga
is the external expression of an aspiration or a realisation.
In the case of Siddha Purushas it is the mamfestation of an
internal realisation, but in the Sadhakas it is the manifesta-
tion of an mternal aspiration.
‘ In the case of the Siddhas, there 1s no question of self-
transformation or self-purification Every action that they
do is cosmic process It 1s not indiyidual action done through
the limbs It is a universal movement, which is an end in
itself The Karma Yoga of the Sadhaka is a means to such
a state of cosmic realisation The aim of the Sadhaka is,
therefore, to become a cosmic being, to be a Purushottama,
the Lord of the Universe, pervading the whole universe. This
is the goal of all processes of Yoga. I want to stress the
point that Yoga is not something queer; extraordinary or
other-worldly It 1s the most useful, most necessary thing,
because it is the art of the perfect hfe. Remember this, It
is the art of lving wisely and it is the technique of the
realisation of the supreme bliss and hbeatitude,
This is the goal of hfe. This you have to remember at
all times of your life, and you should try your best to put
this into practice every day, every moment, as long as you
Bre conscious living beings Supterutthaya suptyantam
Brahmaikam pravichintyatam. <A great sage has said. “Re-
member God alone, the Supreme Being alone, throughout the

SKRIX
day.” Do not forget this. The moment you get up from tne
bed m the morning you must start thinking of God, and this
thinking must be there till you are overpowered by sleep
Every action that you do should be charged with your re-
membrance of God This is the technique, of Yoga. This
should be learned under a spiritual teacher and then one must
enter into deep meditation for the sake of the supreme
Realisation.
 THE SEVEN STATES OF AJNANA
(Sr: Swawit Stvananda)
The seven states of Ajnana are. Bindu-Jagrat, Jagrat,
Mahajagrat, Jagrat-Swapna, Swapna, Swapna-Jagrat and Su-
shupti

In Bindu Jagrat the conception of ‘I’ and ‘he’ and ‘mine’

and ‘thine’ 1s very feeble

In Jagrat, the conception of ‘J’ and ‘he’ and ‘mine’ and

‘thine’ is slightly marked.
Then the third state, Mahajagrat is mduced, when, after
repeated births, the conceptions of the heterogeneity of man
and the universe do concrete in the individual The concep-
tion of ‘I’ and ‘he’ and ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ is very marked.
The fourth state 1s Jagrat-Swapna Jagrat-Swapna is
that state in which the mind holds undisputed sovereignty
over the things of the world in the Jagrat state and revels
in dehght in them. This Swapna state is enjoyed in the
Jagrat or waking state and 1s of various kinds through the
experience of various delusions such as the musconceptions
of water in a mirage, silver in the mother of pearl, two moons
and others Manorajyya or building castles in the air comes
under this category.
The fifth state is pure Swapna. One experiences vari-
ous sorts of dreams The individual remembers them in his
normal Jagrat state
The sixth state is Swapna-Jagrat im which one in the
waking state, in trying to recollect things long past has that

xLi
Swapna-consciousness, which makes the past things to be
clearly in recollection now, not as in Swapna, but as mm the
Jagrat state.
The seventh state is Sushupti or deep sleep state. The
individual enjoys the peace of deep sleep.
 AS | KNOW THE MASTER
(Sr RR Tiwari, MA.,L LB.
Advocate, Supreme Courtof India)
It is a great pleasure to me to offer a few words of
devotional appreciation to Swami Sivanandaj. on his birth-
day
It is a decade since I am meeting Swamiji and have
remained at his Ashram for months together. His hfe 1s
pregnant with his teaching. He hves in strict conformity
with his teachings He preaches love, non-injury to others,
compassion, service and I find that love, and compassion
flows from his hfe hke a clean water from a spring He 1s
always doing service to others in various ways by providing
shelter, food, and other necessities of life in his Ashram, by
rendering great medical assistance to the needed and by dis-
semination of knowledge, and Bhakti as a spiritual food to
the humanitty at large. He is always busy in the service of
others and hardly devotes any time for his personal service.
Fis main preaching in short is “Be good and do good” I
find him to be an ocean of goodness He 1s goodness incar-
nate From all sides of his lufe goodness is pouring out on
all without distinction of caste and colour. One feels eleva-
ted by his side. How sweetly he hails everybody and how
kindly he replies all questions and looks towards the com-
fort of others is beyond description This can only be felt
by his personal touch. He 1s blissful and he partakes his
bliss with all. His smile is invaluable. The happiness which
one gets by his holy and pious smile cannot be purchased

xLili
by any amount of money. He 1s highly entertaming. He has
the rarest art to speak at the mght time and to speak the
most appropriate things He intuitively smells the need of
others, diagnises the evil accurately and applies the remedy
with cent-percent correctness.
He has a wonderful capacity for thought-reading even
from afar and often transmits thoughts without wmting. I
had once a personal experience I wanted a reply on certain
points from the master and I was wonder-struck to find his
letter coverimg all the points on the third day of my wishing
so. He seems to possess many spiritual powers, but he never
makes a display thereof but occasionally one finds the appli-
cation of those powers in personal relation with him
He has a wonderful personahty and an aura of medita-
tive briluance shines on his face. One can look to his face
to find always that is mner Vritt: 1s down deep at the
source of Brahman. Whule sitting and domg work, I am.
amazed to notice that he 1s poised always on the unchange-
able Atma. The working of his individuality does not inter-
fere in the least with his constant Self-realisation hke an
expert motor-driver, who though engages himself in conver-
sation while his hands and feet work automatically m driving
the car He 1s always m Sahaja Samadhi. While sittmg
with him, I feel easy to engage myself im meditation of the
Absolute |
He 1s free, but he is captivated by love. He is regular
in all his daily work, but he forsakes the regularity by contact
of pure love Once while sittmg in the office with him, I
marked that a lady-devotee came from far off She must
have visualised and made mental preparations for the time
of meeting Swamiji Wher she arrived and saw Swamy,

xLiv
she was drowned in love for him, took hold of his feet,
waist and what not She would not leave Swamy although
it was the time for Swamiji to leave the office A devotee
of Swamy. who was also sitting there, humorously remarked
“Swamiji you are now captivated”
Swami smiled blissfully and said “God is the great
juggler and I am his assistant” Swamiji was bound to love
and was late in leaving the office. Such is his response for
love and Bhakti. He forsakes the rigour of smiles like God
in dealing with his devotees.
I offer my choicest love and devotion at the feet of
the master on his birthday and pray the Almighty to bestow
on him innumerable birthdays and sound health With humble
prostrations.

xLy
 A PRAYER
O Sage of the Holy Abode of Sivananda Nagar, thou
who art ever resplendent with the Bhss, Infinity and Beati-
tude, make me dwell always at your Lotus-like Feet Let me
gather © Sage, Thy divine Sweetness, thy Wisdom and Cheer-
fulness from the passmg flow-outs of Thy streaming glances
and rippling smiles Let me sing O Sage, thy immortal songs,
such as.

“Chidananda Chidananda Chidananda, Hun

Har Hal me Almast Satchidananda Hun”
“Nothing exists
Nothing belongs to me;
I am neither mind nor body
The Eternal Self I am”

These songs from thy Holy Pen, have always thrown open
the doors of my heart, to the invading Bhss of the Absolute.
Not unoften my heart flies towards thy divme Feet. May I
always dwell in thy kingdom, O Sage!
—RR. Tiwari, MALLB,
Advocate Supreme Court and
MB. High Court,
Prof. of Law,
Member M.B Planning Board
> Lashkar,
{Gwahor).

xLvi
 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA®#
(Sr2 Swami Stvananda)
Oman! Thou art in essence and reality the all-pervading,
imperishable Atman Just as the house in which you are
temporarily encased, the body with which you identity your-
self, on account of ignorance, is entirely different from you.
Identification with this body 1s the root cause for bondage
and human miseries and all kinds of suffermgs Do not become
a salve to this body It must obey your orders at all times
and under all conditions, and not you, its orders ‘You must
be prepared to give up this body or dedicate it to a very just
and noble cause Practise self-denial, self-abnegation and
self-sacrifice.
Never entertain Moha or special affection for this body.
Treat this body as your servant and as an instrument in your
hands You, the Atman, are entirely different from this
physical body, which 1s made up of the five elements and
which is subject to decay and destruction
Understand the glory, splendour and power of the Self
which is at the back of your mind, thought, will and memory;
understand the magnificence and xummortal nature of that
hidden interpenetrating indwelling Essence Know that this
Self is the storehouse for all knowledge, bliss, power, beauty,
peace and joy Feel that the sun, the moon and the stars do
their respective functions at your command
Feel that the air moves, rain showers, fire burns, rivers
flow, sun shines, stars glitter and Indira, Agni: and Yama do
their respective functions at your bidding. Thou art the
glory of glories, Sun of suns, Light of lights, Holy of holies,
Divinity of divinities, God of gods, Emperor of emperors
Thou art Truth. Thou art eternal Brahman
An attitude of friendliness or enmity 1s a mental crea-
tion. The real enemy or friend is not outside. It is the
feeling or imagination within. An intimate frend of long
standing becomes a deadly enemy within a second. One hot
or harsh word changes the situation completely within the
twinkling of an eye

*“SARVA HITHA KARI’ March 58,

ET PERE NE eeprmsemmene
me el ta neal reat ieieeaten iim aaaaadatieeetnaelieammmmemeeinamemindieien anibamaieaibieenten nndinemaniinnedidneandthcadetaasinn ainrkinithe anaetememmniaante heanishatitinemeendibdnaaaienanssdemeianentnetarieemmmmtetis tcieeeeceine anaemic deiiaet ol
 A human being erroneously identifies himself with his
body and wrongly imagines that he 1s a little Jive with httle
power and httle knowledge This is his human Bhava or
athitude. This should be changed into Brahma Bhava by
changing the angle of vision and mode of thinking. Think
you are Brahman. Think you are Pure, all-Pervading intel-
ligence, hght and consciousness. Think you are Immortal,
Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnuipresent
Practise self-examination for ten minutes every day be-
fore you retire to bad Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Think of all actions, good and bad, that you did durmg the
course of the day Think of all mistakes you have commit-
ted consciously or unconsciously, At the start, you may not
be able to find out many mistakes in your actions, because
you are not in the habit of doing so, but by daily regular
and systematic practice, you will be able to visualise clearly
the actions and mistakes of the day Even an hour will
not he sufficient to review your actions. The mind becomes
more subtle and sharp by the practice of introspection
Stick to the spiritual path at all costs Apply yourself
diligently Waste not even a single precious minute, as
life is short and time is fleeting That “tomorrow” will never
come.
Now or never, Stand up with the firm resolve “I will
become @ Yogi in this very birth and this very moment”
Gird up your loms. Do rigid and constant Sadhana Walk
along the path of Yoga in the footsteps of the realised sages
uf the past
It is a well known fact that any number of zeros have
no intrinsic value unless a number is placed before them.
Hiven so, the wealth of all the three worlds is nothing, if you
do not lead a spiritual hfe, 1f you do not try to acquire the
spiritual wealth, if you do not strive for Self-realization.
You will have to live m the soul or the Self within. You
will have to add Atma to the life here That is the reason
why Lord Jesus sald, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you” Everyone of you is a power in yourself. ‘You
can influence others, radiate joy and peace to miulhons and
mullions of people, far and near, and elevate people even from
@ long distance, if you liye in the Soul,
 INTRODUCTION
Life on earth is a gradual process of unfolding of the
Divine Consciousness which man essentially is It is to set
one’s own individuality in tune with the working of the Eter-
nal Nature, to harmonise oneself with the Plemtude of Beng
The earth is the arena where we expand the finite into the
Infimte The purpose of hfe here is to hve the existence
of the Absolute Brahman' A hfe dedicated to this supreme
End is the one of an earnest Seeker through Vedanta
In the misery of the transient world the ignorant man
dies every moment of his life He is whirled round im the
storm of life’s turmoil; he 1s tormented by the imagmary
substanceless appearances of the universe. Tons of the loads
of life seem to be pressed upon his weak shoulders and he sits
forlorn crying He is gripped by fear, desires, worries and
anxieties Everything flows, today it 1s and the next moment
jt is not. Man has mistaken the love of hfe for the eternal
joy of existence The sorrow of phenomenal hfe is rooted
in the clinging to relational living fed by the musbehef in
separative independence and multiple permanence of beings.
The joy of the immensity of eternal life is partaken of by
eutting the root of the tree of life with the axe of wisdom
acquired through spiritual renunciation and meditation.
Meditation is the crowning edifice of spiritual practices,
That is to be started the moment you start studying this
book. Lay the foundation now and build the walls with
assiduity of will Equip yourself with the Sadhana-Chatu-
shtaya Put on the armour of ethical disciphne and moral
excellence. Load the gun of the intellect with the explosive of
wisdom and shoot the dark demon of ignorance which is the
cause of untold suffering.

iL,
 Life in the Highest Divinity implies the transcending of
the conditions that are inconsistent with Its natural and
essential characteristic The Divine Attainment is the rea-
ization of the Integrity of Life as a whole and, hence, hfe
as an earth--bound individual which 1s based on devotion to
negativity and falsehood cannot go hand in hand with the
plenitude of the Real A thorough-going abandonment of
the clinging to multiple realities has to be cast off before
the region of Truth 1s stepped into. This abandonment consists
in the renunciation of thoughts, destruction of the ego, an-
nulment of the lower self, annihilation of the sense of separa-
teness, emptying and cleansing the heart of its passions
and desires in order to exist as the Transcendent-Divinity'
When thought is renounced, one exists as Awareness-Supreme,
when the ego is destroyed, the Realization of the Truth takes
place, when the lower self is annulled, one exists as the Im-
mortal Self’ when this sense of separateness is annihilated,
one beholds the Hssence of Existence, the One Reality every-
where, when the heart 1s emptied and cleansed, one is filled
with the Pure Delight of the Bhuma-Hxperience.
Amritasya Putrah! For your own Eternal Good, live
this hfe of the true seeker of the Final Beatitude, the joyous
hving of Eternal Feliaty' Come, come! O Bold ones! Delay
is perennial perdition Tomorrow will never come. Hurry
up, soon' Tarry not! Practise thi You will get installed
in the empire of the Spirit The Truth shall dawn Know-
ledge shall follow The Sun of Joy shall ris¢é Bhss-rays
shall be radiated You become That. The intelligence gets
fixed on the spotless Light of Truth, when nothing remains
save the simple Truth in all its nakedness and pnstine
purity, when the mind majestically walks into the stainless

L
supreme fathomless depth of silence untouched by the cease-
less din and bustle of the phenomenal world Objective con-
sciousness gets melted in the menstruum of Eternal Peace.
The passionate love for hfe 1s dissolved in the Immortal The
tenacious clinging to the egoistic self 1s merged in the dazzl-
ing luminous waters of the everlasting ocean of Existence.
The Divine Bemg, the Vast Expanse is revealed, the ultimate
extreme of the Reahty, beyond the beyonds, the one Supreme
Goal of hfe is reached and realised. The thinker hails as
the Thought The individual self is annulled and all is for-
gotten in the majesty of the Great All Brahmasamstho
Amritattwameti—one established in Brahman attains Immor-
tahty This is the Essence of Vedanta
 ON EDUCATION
The learning of schools and colleges is dark and learned

nonsense.
Swami Sivananda
 YOUR DRAWING
Covered with skin and har, filled inside with flesh, bones,
blood and excreta, such a living corpse is loved by the infatua

ted man as his darling, only so long as he has not attained

God-realisation or the vision of Truth

Swam Sirvananda
 A PRAYER
May our speech recite the glories of the Lord and our
ears listen to discourses of the Lord, our hands do His work,
and cleansing of the temple, and our minds be centred on
His feet and remembrance thereof; our heads prostrate to
His feet and our eyes behold His wonderful form, our palate
taste the Tulsi leaves, our feet perambulate round the temple
Swam Sivananda
 MY PRAYER
May I be of some use to the suffering humanity, a refuge
of the helpless, a-guide to the seekers, a doctor to the sick,
a solace to the distressed, a friend to the afflicted, a lamp to
those who need light, a prop to those who walk with faltering
steps and a boat to those who wish to cioss this ocean of
Samsara
Swann Srwananda
 SCIENCE AND REALITY
Science 1s not in contact with the Ultimate Reality It

does not aim at the Immutable Truth It 1s a partial and

abstract kind of knowledge It 1s not concerned with any-
thing ultimate

Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature,

Swami Swananda
 SAVE THYSELF
Nobody can save you You are your own saviour.

Swam. Sivananda
 THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
Divine Life Society stands for universal brotherhood
Divine Life Society stands for integrity, for action in har-
mony with thought and feehng The Divine Life Society
stands for helping those who suffer The Divine Life Society
stands for wisdom, wlumunation, Self-realsation, selfless ser-
vice, cosmic love, goodness, kindness and compassion,

Swami Sivananda
 SAINT : GOD’S IMAGE
(Sv: Swamt Sivananda)
1. A saint 1s God incarnate.
2 <A saint is one who identifies his soul with the Uni-
versal Soul
3 <A saint sees the whole world as the projection of
his own soul
4 A Sage sees unity in diversity He becomes one with
the whole world
5 The actions done by a saint are like the roasted
grains which cannot sprout in the best of soil
6 <A saint is free from the past Karmas and the present
Karmas.
7. A saint 1s careless of his physical state He takes
no thought of his body
8. Service of the saints is the door which leads to
Bhakti
ft
 CONTENTS
Chapter I

HINTS ON VEDANTIC. SADHANA

The Nature of Truth or Brahman

What is Jnana Yoga’?
The Path of the Vedantic Aspirant
Philosophy 14
Annihilation of the Ego 18
Internal Sadhana 19
Obstacles in the Path 26
hy
wW
eR
fo
ON Wisdom and Realisation 27

Chapter II

VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS
Introduction 33
Sat Vidya 34
Bhuma Vidya 34
Maitrey1l Vidya 25
Shandilya
moh Vidya 36
Dahara Vidya 37
Vaishwanara Vidya 38
Udgita Vidya Panchagni Vidya 38
Udgita Vidya 39
mo
ms
a©0 Purusha Vidya 40
Paryanka Vidya 41
Akshara Vidya 42
Samvarga Vidya 43
Madhu Vidya 43
ftFH
bt
bt
bher
2
FD
tet Prana Vidya 45
15, Upakoshala Vidya 45
16 Akshi Vidya 46
17 Antaraditya Vidya 46
18 Aditya Vidya 47
19 Satyakama Vidya AT
20 Akasha Vidya 48
21 Bhrigu-Varun: Vidya 49
22 Anandamaya Vidya 49
23 Ushasta-Kahola Vidya 50
24 Uddalaka-Arun Vidya 51
25 Swetaketu Vidya 52
26 Jyotisham Jyotir-Vidya 52
27 Satya-Jnana-Ananta Vidya 53
28 Shodasakala Vidya 53
Conclusion 53
Chapter Il
SIVANANDA VIDYA
Khanda I Nature of Brahman 65
Khanda II Contradictions Reconciled 69
Khanda III. Vision of a Sage and a Worldly Man 75
Khanda IV. Superimposition (Adhyasa) rus
Khanda V. Happiness is in Atma only 79
mw2wy
oO Khanda VI One Brahman is Both Maternal and
Efficient Cause 81
Khanda VIT Brahman is Unattached 83
oy Khanda, VIII Qualifications of an Aspirant 86
Khanda IX Kaivalyam 91
Khanda X. Method of Meditation 93
Chapter IV
THE WAY OF MEDITATION
SECTION I
Withdrawal from Multiplicity 97

Lxi
 Fitness for Wisdom 99
- Guide to Meditation 101
SECTION II
Unity 106
Subtle and most Subtle 109
Remove the Colouring of the Mind 111
Samegraha Vedanta Prakaranam 113
Tat Twam Asi 118
Equal Vision 120
DB
wo
eR
1APGlory of Pranava 122
Chapter V
THE GREAT REALITY AND ITS NATURE
js The Struggle for the Infinite 127
Waking Experience is as False as Dream
Experience 134
Anvaya-Vyatireka 143

Chapter VI
UPANISHAD SADHANA
Upanishad Sadhana 153
The Message of the Upanishads 163
Upanishads on Food 174
Chapter VII
CATEGORIES IN VEDANTA
Introduction 185
Categories in Vedanta 186
Chapter VIII
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN VEDANTA
Vedanta Test for Forest University Students 197

Lxii
 Chapter IX

THE SIX KHYATIS

Introduction 213
Satkhyati 215
Akhyati 217
Anyathakhyati 219
Atmakhyati 221
Asatkhyti 223
NH Amrvachaneeya
ant
Fw Khyati 225

Chapter X
Vedanta in Daily Life 233
Chapter XI
Worldly Man, Wake Up 249

Chapter XII

Dictionary of Vedantic Terms 303

Chapter XITI
STORIES AND FORMULAE
Prince or Fisherman $23
The Distant Inheritance 325
Formulae for Nirguna Meditation 328

Chapter XIV
Sri Rama Gita 339
Philosophy of Proverbs 331
The Parable of the Millionaire’s Son S87
The Human Machine $30

Lxin
 CHAPTER ONE
HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA
 The Nature of Truth or Brahman

1. Truth is simple, it is made to appear complex

by the distractive intellect. The sublimest things
are always the most simple.
2 Truthalone triumphs, not falsehood.
3. Truth can never be defeated by untruth. Truth
shall always win victory over untruth When the
path of Truth is trodden, everything else also is
done. When the root is watered, all the branches are
automatically watered.
4, The path of Truth is a precipitous one. It is
slippery and all that is disagreeable Hard it is to
tread that, difficult a path it is. Giants among spiritual
men walk over it to the city of Perfection
5. The Absolute is All. Truthis Absolute. You
are That. This is the essence of spiritual teaching.
6. Truth is utterly public It cannot be hidden
even if one would try to do so. Truth persists and
is expressed even in the extreme of untruth. The
extreme of Truth is the Absolute Untruth is a
shadow of Truth. The world is untruth and: ‘the
Absolute is Truth The world is represented by sex
and ego; the Absolute is represented by the
Noumenal Gnostic Being.
7. His head shall break who acts againat Truth
and practises untruth. Truthia Being Untrath is
non-being, a mere a naught.
8. Truth is not expreseed even by Existence-
Consciousness-Joy | It ig. only the nearest relative
 4 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
of Truth. But Truth is even greater, grander,
mightier, truer !
9. All is well with him whose heart is turned
towards the Truth. No disease, physical or mental
can assault him.
10. The mover towards the Truth is mighty,
lives long, knows everything and is ever delighted,
for he is nearing the Almighty Existence-Conscious-
neea-Bliss|
li. Even to talk of Truth and think of Truth
Taises one to the height of immense satisfaction.
What could be the experience of Its Realization|
12. Trath is; untruth is not; hence itis wrong
even to say that Truth is Ong, for Truth is Existence
Itself and is meither one mor not-one. Truth is
Absoluteness.
i3. The Absolute beffles the mind of even the
greatest scholar Iteludes the grasp of even the
mightiest intellect. It is experienced as Pure Cons-
, tonsness, where intellect dies, scholarship perishes
aad the entire being itself is completely lost in it.
éAll is lost, and all ig found |
U4. Air cushes into where thereis vacuum. The
‘Absolute rushes into where there 18 no ego.
15. No time is necessary for the Absolute to
*gefenl Itself. In the flash of a moment, like a stroks
sebtightiing, the world will merge into Pure Being.
16. When will the Absolute-Experience take
piace -Cannbdt-he -said. It may be just immediately
'iagw:or millions of bisths afterwards. Hence ‘one
 6 . ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
lt is the Highest Perfectiou of Eternal, Immortal, Real
Life |!
20. The Highest Reality is Sat-Chit-Ananda
where there is not even the slightest tinge of act.-
vity. That iswhy those who go near It become
inactive,
21. Reality is the Perfected Embodiment of
Existence, Knowledge, Power and Bliss. These four
are only the aspects of the One being which is
Indivisible and changeless. These different aspects
of Existence cannot be separated even asthe Sun's
flames, heat and luminosity cannot be distinguished.
22. Truth is Eternity, Infinity and Absoluteness,
Intelligence, Consciousness and wisdom, beauty,
love and joy | Sringara-Rasa, Madhura-Bhava, or the
erotic taste of the world is a shadow of the Supreme
Reality of lowing beauty and bliss. Aesthetic enjoy-
mentis a reflection of Brahmananda or Absolute
Bliss.
43, Infinity, Eternity, Immortality and Absolute-
néss are the characteristics of the Limitless Exis-:
tence-Knowledge-Bliss !
24. All that appears here as the extensive
manifold world is the One Uniform Reality existing
in this form! As the bright light of the Sun appears
as tantalising mirages, so does the One Light of
Consciousness appear as many To appear like this,
_ is the very nature of the Reality. These mountains,
these rivers, this earth, this vast ether—all these
are nothing but the One Pure Undying Spirit! Just
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 7
agan uneven mirror pre:ents an usly and corru-
gated reflection of the face, so does this One Mass
of Eternal Existence appearas many due to wrong
imagination ! All the things of this world are really
the One Whole Indivisible Being! The One Ether
of Consciousness appears as the concrete many!
All this is One, Partless, Divisionless, Beginning-
lesa Endless, Absolute, Brahman! The origin, the
growth, the enjoyment and the involution of the
world, are entire illusion! The network cf the
worlds is Brahman! The ten directions are
Brahman! Time, space things, activities, cause,
effect, actor, birth, death, existence, all are
Brahman [tself appearing in Brahman by the
powers of Brahman! The world 1s the dazzling
of Consciousness ! All that is seen below, here,
upwards or crosswords, all that exists in the many
creatures or within a straw, is Brahman only!
There is nothing but That !
25 The Supreme Truth is Oneness! Separate-
ness is for devotion Manifoldness is not true. There
is only One Infinite, Eternal, Nameless and Forme-
less Essence or Principle, in reality, which is
Existence.Knowledge-Blise, and That I am!
26. The essence ofthe Truth of Existence is
Beauty, Love and Bliss.

What is Jnana- Yoga?

27. Jnans Yoga is cessation from thinking of

particulars, annihilation of the feeling of separate-.
 8 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
ness or individuality, existing as One and Unified
with All.
28. Yoga is the dissolution of thought in Eternal
Awareness, Pure Consciousness without objectifi-
eation, Knowing without thinking, merging finitude
in infinity.
29. Yoga is the transformation of the eqo-sense
consisting of thinking, feeling, willing, understan-
ding, determining and arrogating, into Infinite
Consciousness.
30. Yoga is wnion or indentification with the
Eésence of Absolute Existence.
31. Yogais intense affirmation of or profound
Meditation on the Absoluteness of Being.
32. Yoga is of four types: (1) Service sand
séli-sacrifice, (2) devotion and self-surrender,
(3) concentration and meditation, and (4) discrimi-
nation and wisdom.

The Path of the Vedantic Aspirant

33. Do notimitate the Jivanmuktas; you ars
still a Sadhaka. Vasishtha had a wife, but he was
a born Siddha. Janaka ruled the kingdom after
severe Tapas and realisation of Truth. Krishna lived
a princely life but He was One with the Infinite.
You are not eXpected to behave like them. You
must do Sadhane
34. Do nof think that you are very wise and
b)

that you ‘have uiderstood ‘everything: you know

mote ;AP HNHT: Fok aie dwavived. Those i.
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 9
an ocean yet, and you have not tasted even a fyll
drop!
35. Every breath of yours flows towards untruth:
you live in the mire of falsehood and repeat “Truth
alone triumphs!" Can you deceive Reality ?
Therefore, be true to yourself.
36 Ocrooked heart! You think one thing, speak
another thing, and do a third thing. Do you want
God? O, how bold you are to claim the Seat of
Bliss! De not cheat yourself; be straightforward.
37. These so-called active spirited people of
the world who work for material gains and carnal
pleasures are the most deluded creatures They have
forgotten their Real Self. Sages pity these people
who are engaged in the external play of life.
38. Those who think that they are doing injustice
to the world through their Self-realisation, have not
yet gone above the credulity of childhood For, they
do not know that the Self which is Absolute includes
fis whole universe, and is far beyond that.
* '39. The world can be saved only by those who
have already saved themselves. A prisoner cannot
liberate other prisoners. Therefore perfect yourself,
save yourself,
40 li He begins to give with His Infinite Hands,
Row much will you be abie to receive with your two
hands ? And if He begins to take away with His
Infinite Hands, how much will you hide away fiom
Him with your two hands ?
 10 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA .
41. If the aspirant takes one step neazer to It,
It will come in a hundred leaps and bounds nearer to
him Such is the nature of the Eternal Being. For
every bit of action that 1s done for Its sake, you
receive a millionfold in return! This fact is beauti-
fully illustrated 1n the workings of Bhagavan Sri
Krishna for the good of His devotees.

42. Sadhana is practised in order to attain the

Goal], the object or the Ideal The object is sought
because it allays misery and showers peace and bliss.
The Absolute or the Brahman, the [nfinite Light, the
One Goal of all, is Itself Eternal Peace and Immortal
Bliss. That is why It is the True Ideal that is to be
realised by each and every being There is nothing
else to be achieved either in this life or the other.
Tf That 18 gained everything is gained; 1f That is lost,
everything is lost. That Supreme Being is Truth,
God, Infinite, and everything that you may conceive
of, Thatis What exists and That merely IS.

43. Sadhana is a conscious effort exercised for

the achievement of an unattained goal or object.
Spiritual Sadhana is a conscious mental effort direct.
ed towards the realisation and experience of the
Absolute Reality. Such a spiritual effort is called
“Yoga" in Sanskrit,

44, How clean you

keep your house when you
invite the ruler of your State! How much more
elean and pure should your haart be, O man if
, you wish the Immortal Lord to enter into you.
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 1i
45. It is not necessary that a spiritual giant
should have a muscular body. The greatest Jnani
may also be a tubercular patient. There 1s no con-
tradiction between the two.

46 Gold has to pass through fire before becom-

ing brilliant and lusfrous. An aspirant has to pass
through untold suffering before becoming the abso-
lutely Great.
47 One has to tend the cow with care by dirty-
ing his body with mud and the refuses of the cow, in
order to taste the sweet milk. The aspirant has to
undergo extreme pains in order to realise the joy of
the Spirit.
48 Fearis non-existent in Being. The spiritual
aspirant is bolder than a scldier, bolder than a_ lion,
bolder than a giant! In truth, he is the source of
all courage an dstrength.
49. The spiritual aspirant is never helpless.
The entire existence is supporting him in his
orduous struggle, for heis searching for something
which is true to all One may dislike a cartain thing
of the world, but Truth can be hated by none!

50 Ifall the fourteeen worlds were to face him

in battle, the spiritual aspirant would couat them for
a straw! For heis the Immortal Spirit, the ruler of
the heaven and earth, and the universes at large.
51 The road tothe excellent Bliss is clothed
with piercing thorns. The road passes through a
lonely dense forest haunted by terrific tigers. It is
12 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
protected by impregnable forts, and gaurded by
multihooded diabolic cobras The road 1s hard to
tread; the Bliss difficult to attain The sincere
spiritual aspirant is one who has become immune
from all afflictions and terrors. No weapon that is
cast against him shall prosper. No thought directed
against him shall ever fare well.

52. The Guru's contradictory statements and

insultive words area challenge anda test for the
disciple. The Guru sees whether the disciple 1s
tempted and upset. The intelligent disciple should
“know how to act under such circumstances.

53. Never try to hide the bitter truth with a

eweet lic. Ba straightforward even if a sword ia to
pass through your heart! Cling tothe naked Truth !
li you try to save your “little’’ self by hiding a
fact, the ‘highest’ Self will never be reached. Even
if your throat is about to be cut, remember that this
sweet world of name and fame is only a shadow,
and that Truth is Brahman, and nothing else!

54, Maya will sit in your brain and intellect

itself. Beware of her snares! Do not try to protect
your ego. For the sake of Truth, you must be
prepared even to cast off this body atany time For
what purpose are you here, on this earth, if not for
drowning yourself in the flood of the Infinite
Existence? You must get yourself buried in God!
Then only you shalllive! You gain by losing. You
live -by dying.
 HINTS‘ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 13
55. All these fourteen worlds with all their
inhabitants and riches, beauty and grandeur, )oy
and happiness cannot be an adequate price for the
Jewel of Self-Realization,
56. The aspirant has to cast off the sheaths,
tear the veils and pierce illusion in order to enter
the Absolute. The Realization of the Absolute is
the fine delicious fruit existing at the top of a
terribly thorny tree.
57. A person who has once tasted even a little
of the Bliss of spiritual meditation cannot give it up
even for the sake of all heaven and earth put
together!
53. Oman full of craving! When you intensely
desire for anything, try your Lest to desize for
everything and not morely one thing. Do not
exclude anything from your object of love. Let All
be yours. For yours is this All,
59. “When the mind grapples withia great and
intricate problem, it makes its advances, it secures
its positions step by step with but little realization
of the gains ithas made, until suddenly, with an
effect of abrupt illumination, it realises its victory."
So.is the case with Spiritual Experience in the
practice of Yoga. :
60. A dense cave darkened ‘by the thick gloom
of ages of aunless nights does not require anytime
to be lighted up when the sun pierces its inner-
most parts. Itis instantaneously brightened to the
fullest extent immediately when. the, aun's rays
 14 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
enter it in spite of its being dark for ages togethar
The terrible. delusion and the vilest ignorance of
manis erased out in toto by a flash of Supreme
Intelligence attended with Bliss!
61. Sire! Do you, in your meditation, read
others’ minds? Whatdo you mean! When we enter
into the very root of life and existence, where is the
question of reading different minds? In deep pro-
found meditation you exist as the Absolute Essence
Itself. Do you think this foolish mind will persist
even there? You go beyond the mental state and
live in the Glorious Truth!
Philosophy
62. A thing is only a force whirling in a patticu-
lar direction One being is separated from the other
due tothe difference in the method of whirling of the
Universal Force Man is different from a tree because
the twoare different processes of the movement of
the Eternal Force or Energy This energy is imperish~
able eternal !When two beings have a slightly similar
movement of these forces or electrons or atoms, they
become friends; when they are identical in move-
ment they merge into one another and form One
Being. The whole universe is only a diverse move-
ment of the One Energy. When the whirling of this
Force becomes in a common way then the whole
world collapses into Eternal Existence.
63. The whole universe is a gradual, systematic
and progressive process of the Self-realization of
the Absolute. This is one view, The whole universe
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA is
isa dreamy and illusory misrepresentation of the
Indivisible Homogeneous Absolute. This is another
view. The former view leads to the more advanced
latter view The former is an intellectual judgment,
the latter is the intuitional experience The first
view is beginning of knowledge, the second one is
the end of wisdom

64. ‘The whole universe is the Para-Brahman":

this is the heart of the Adwaita Metaphysics. The
world itself is not an illusion, for the world is
Brahman, but the diverse conception of the world is
an illusion, for diversity is not ultimate.
65. The world is the appearance of Sat or Truth.
The world itself is Truth misrepresented.

66. Ignorance makes Existence appear ag non-

existence (death), Consciousness as unconsciousness
(nescience),and Bliss as misery (pain). It makes
a phantom appear as the reality, foolishness as
knowledge, and pain as joy!

67. We better love a scientific explanation than

a dogmatic assertion of facts. The formeris like
feeding a person with the necessary daily dishes
and allowing him to grow stronger and wiser; the
latter would be like stuffing his belly with tons of
food-stuffs at once in order to give him energy. For
example, ‘everything is Brahman‘ is a dogmatic
assertion and is not intelligible, or, we may say, is
‘evendangerous A scientific explanation of it will
kelp in divinising humanity and the world.
 16 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
68. Idealism is of three kinds; Subjective,
Objective and Absolute. The first one says that the
whole universe is an imagination of the individual
mind or subjective consciousness , The second one
says that the universe is an imagination of the
Cosmic Mind or God, the objective reality. The
third one says that the universe is an appearance
of the Absolute which includes as well as transcends
the subject and the object. Naturally the first
theory necessitates self effort of the individual, the
sevond grace of God and the third mere automatism
or wisdom, which is neither self-effort of the indivi-
dual nor grace of God. The Karma-Yogins will like
the first theory, the Bhaktas the second and the
Jnanis the third. The third is the view of the extreme
Advaita Vedanta.
69. The worldis ruled byideas Thought is the
beginning of practice. Thought begets actian.
20. The individual entities of the universe are
steps in the ladder of progress towards Brahman-
realization.
71. Rigorgus discipline of the mind through
Abhyaga and Vairagya constitutes the method of
attaining freedam and happiness. Real Freedom
which man so much hankers after is not derived from
ithe ego-gense! Man‘s present conception of freedom
ip a total misconception and utter wrong. He simply
knows that he should be free, but he does not kapw
where lies,happiness. He wants,to be happy hut he
‘doesnot know where happiness lies. He wanta.to
live for ever, but he.does apt knowhow ta do ao.
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 1Z
He wants to know everything but he does not know’
how to get knowledge This is the reflection of'
Existence-Knowledge-Bliss, that man wants to live,
wants to know, and wants tobe happy. Who does
not want this ? All striving of the world is to live,
know and enjoy. Butthe source ofthis great gah
is life, consciousness and joy. Man is essentially
Satchidananda. He impotently struggles to get This
without knowing It. His present state is a pitiable
fallfrom the Glory of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.
If we want to do anything in this world, it is because
we cannot live without being the Absolute We aill,
—nay, even the unconscious beings—are ignorantly
striving to attain the Immortal State of Satchidananda,
whether we know It or not Even a dry leaf flies only
towards this Infinite Every breath thai flows, every
thought that is projected, every word spoken, and
even every action done, 1s towards the installation of
ourselves in the State of Existence-Knowledge~
Bliss, for we are That only in reality. This is achiev-
ed through spiritual discipline, which is actioz
against the ordinary current of the world, against
pleasure and enjoyment, against indulgence and
sleep, against attraction for the multifarious, against
everything that gives us pleasure here.

72. Do you think that death is an evil? Why do

you say that blessed people only escaped death?
On. the other hand the blessed men would have
reached the Eternal quickly, while the deluded mor-
tals are still clinging te their bodies. Deathis only
a ohange of Consciousness. Itis neither good nor
i8 ESSENCE O VEDANTA
bad Itis a stage inprocess of evolution towards
Eternity !
73. None can tread the higher path without
fulfilling the requirements of the lower The grosser
manifestations have to be complied with their
demands before reaching the Metaphysical Being.
74. Each higher degree of truth 1s more concrete
and inclusive than the lower one, and therefore
Bliss which is Absolute is the most inclusive of all.
45, The head and the heart of man represent th2
aspects of the eternal realities of Knowledge and
Bliss Knowledge includes Power, wherever Know
ledge is, there Power also must be
76. Male, Purusha, Atma, Brahman, Siva, signify
Knowledge Female, Prakriti, Manas, Maya, Sakti,
signify Power. When Knowledge and Power combine
together and merge into one another there is the|
manifestation of Bliss! Power is only the other half
and an appearance of Knowledge and as long as
these two separate themselves, there is imperfection
and pain,
iz, Power is a relative necessity. It is not
Absolute Hence it is excluded from the conception
of the Absolute which is mere Being. Consciousness-_
Joy |
Amnihilation of the Ego
78. Negate your ego; deny your separateness ;
efface yourself , suffer pains and sacrifice pleasures.
29. Deny the wants of thy self, it asks for many
a@qup of poison. It is a moth that falls into fixe
thinking it is pleasant. It is a child that, walks into,
the well
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 19
80 Humble thyself, annihilate thyself, if you
wish to LIVE |
81. Shame upon the man of mere dry intellect !
He cannot avoid crookedness and cunningness. He
is a self-deceiver and a husband of everlasting
misery. He is far away from the Real. He has
married sin
82 Throw away your learning, O basket of
vanity! Give away everything that is dear and
behold the Light within.
83. The ego bursts into Infinity or sinks into
nothingness These are the two paths by which the
ego loses itself in toto.
84. Realisation of the Supreme State can come
only if one 1s sincere and earnest in practical
Sadhana. The lesser the connection with the ego
and the greater the detachment from objective con-
sciousness, the quicker the Realisation of the
Absolute.
85. The more the wce-eense ig pressed down,
the nearer we are to the Eternal. The annihilated
ego is taken place of by the revelation of the
Absolute Reality.
Internal Sadhana
86. The more you give up the world, the {fullez
you ‘become and the nearer you are to Absolute
Freedom.
. 87. The Self alone is dear. If anything else is
dear, it shall quickly perish without doubt.
88. If you wish to see everything, pluck out. the
eyes of consciousness. If you wish to move every-
25 “ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Where; break the legs of consciousness If you want
to seize everything, cut off the hands of conscious-
ness If you wish to become everything, kill the
consciousness. If you wish to become Immortal,
murder the consciousness, with the axe of wisdom.
When you get the whole, you do not cling to the part.
89. Cling passionately to the Infinite Being, you
will be in want of nothing, you shall be filled upto
the brim
90. Shut all the doors of the senses; sit in the
room of the heart, meditate onthe Glorious Truth.
Drown yourself and dissolve yourself in the Ocean
of that Truth,
91, The nearer we approach the Truth the happier
we become, for the Essential Nature of Truth is
Positive, Absolute Bliss
92. Love for the particular has to be set aside
and love for the Infinite Whole has to be cherished.
The Joy of the Completeness of Being cannot be
partaken of in a,semblance of it appearing to reflect
ina point of space. Attachment to particulars makes
us men bereft of intelligence; love for the Absolute
makes ua drink the Immortal Essence, after which
there is no more sorrow, no more crying.
93 The child will not stop wailing and shedding
tears until it sucks its mother's breast. So also,
© Joy of my Soul! I cannot stop shedding tears of
sorrow in this desert of burning sands, until I taste
thy milk of Immortal Sweetness ,
~ €4, Victory is won not by might and prowess
but by truth, compassion, piety and righteousness.
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA ai.
95. Sattwa is light and Purity, Rajas is activity
and passion, Tamas is darkness and inertua.
96 An exhibition of one’s abilities brings
physical comforts through objective contact, thick.
ens the ego and strengthens the sense of indivi.
duality These comforts act as a powerful hindrance
for the higher aspirations of the soul. Therefore,
one should use the wisdom he possesses for the
purpose of inner meditations and spiritual attainments
and never for external pursuits in the world Fie
upon that wisdom which 1s used for bringing plea-
sures to the ego! Thatis true wisdom which opens
the door of Immortal Life |
97. Our ability, our greatness, our name and
fame, our different desires and ambitions are to be
spread in the world of the Eternal Absolute, not in
this world of mortals. not even in the world of gods !
Such temptations are to he checked and transformed
into a force that reveals the Inner Essence of Life t
98. Itis pity to see those people who, before
entering into the depths of the Spirit, think that
they are born for helping the world. They think
that they can bring heaven to earth before raising
the consciousness to higher states. They have no,
yearning for Wisdom. They have gone astray.
99 Service that is “self-less’‘ brings men nearer
to Unity and the greatest service is the truly ‘self.
less’ but “Self-ful“ unification of the soul into the
One Mass of Consciousness.
100. One body can be served by another body,
One mind can serve another mind. Butone Atman
22 ?
ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
cannot serve another Atman, for Atman is one
lithe Atman realises the common Being of all with
its Self, that is the greatest service an individual
would do. If this soul melts into the universal Soul,
that is the greatest service this person would do to
the world ! Self-realization is service, prayer, worship
and all that is good! Nothing else!
101. One has to wear the armour of wisdom
while walking through the battle-field of life. He has
to protect himself with the shield of discrimination
and cut the enemy of ignorance with the sword of
experience.
102. The head and the heart must meet together
before the Realization of the Absolute Truth.
The whole man has to be transformed, not merely
an aspect of him.
103. The greatest insult received before
respectable gentlemen is the beginning of perfection
The greatest pain and sorrow and grief is the begin-
ning of saintliness. |
104. One must try to get more insults.
Even if people think that he is a good man, he
should tryto make them feel that he isa rougue,
and thus get tid of theirlove for him. The whole
world should oppose him. Then only he will
prosper. The whole world should desert him and
‘kick him aside. No earthly happiness can bring
‘true Realization. All should hate him. Then only
his soul will be disciplined. There should be no
belp from the world of the mortals. |
105. Let people pour shame upon one's face.
 HINTS NO VEDANTIC SADHANA 23
But one should st -k te the real Tie should sti-k
to the Highes' Ve.cutie Idea: *ve onthe edge of
the doom
106. The length oftime taken by an in.lividual
to possess a desired object is proportional to the
wntensity of the individual's feeling of iden-
tification with the Infinite Absolute. The individual
which feels that three-fourth of the entire
existence is 118 own self and that one-fourth
is not its being realises an object quicker than
the individual that feels that only half of the
entire existence 13 its self People who feel that
their own individual bodies are their self and
that everything else of the universe is different from
them can never liva a happy I:fa The happiest
peison, thus, isthe one who has lost his personality
in the realisation of the Fact that the entire existence
is his own being and that there 1s nothing second
to him He is the Immortal, the Powerful, the
Blissful, the Ocean of True-Wisdom !
107. Brahmabhavana is the individual effort on
the partof the subjective ego in order to realise
the State of Brahmanubhava or Absolute Experience,
the dissolution of the self in the Eternal, the Pure,
the Perfect, the Omniscient, the Free, the All-know-
ing, the All-pervading, the All-powerful, the Peace-
ful, the Blessed, the Non-dual, the Mass of the One
Undivided Essence of Existénce-Knowledge-Bliss,
the Absolute which is this All; there is nothing
diverse here |
108. Stop, O mind, thy planningd! Enough,
24 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
enough ofthy cravings for the body and for the
intellect. Make good of every minute that is at
thy disposal. Time is a rat that slowly cuts the
thread of life. It may break at any moment.
Believe not that you will be living to enjoy the
objects of life. Death may lay his icy hands on this
body and shatter it at any time. Cherish not
objects of the world. Wish not for glory in life.
Plan not to immortalise thy name in the world, lest
thou wilt be immortalising it in vacuum. Speak
not to people, lest thou wilt be speaking to the
skies. Beat not space thinking it is a drum.
Stop imagining. Stop scheming.

109. Finite pleasure and Infinite Satisfaction

cannot be had at one and the same time. Where
one is the other is not. The mortal and the Im-
mortal are utter contradictions

110. To say “I am the Infinite’ is not Abhimana.

To feel “I am the Eternal'’ is not ego. Such an
Abhimana oregoism is necessary for the Highest
Realization.
111. Sire! Can you tell me how to attain
Perfect Peace? Shut all the doors and windows and
sleep in the innermost chamber!
112. The true philosopher's mind is like a
shining crystal. It is able ta grasp at once the
nature of the Reality, The moment sucha person
sits for meditation, his mind will fly into the depths
of being. He will not experience any tossing of
mind or any disturbing factor, for, his mind has been
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 28
already purified by the hre of philosophical
thinking. ;
113 One should have either a. sharp intellect
to grasp the metaphysical truths, or intense faith
and devotion for the One Reality. If both of these
qualities are lacking ina person, he cannot tread
the spiritual path.
114. In Jnana-Sadhana (Vedanta or Adwaita)
there is no such thing as ’’Meditation on an Object."
There is only intellectual analysis, introspection
and positive understanding which has its object
in the destruction of the ego and annihilation of the
intellect itself. It starts with the intellect and ends
with the destruction of the same, which gives way to
Experience, immediate and direct, transcending the
subject-object-relation Thereis no such thing as
Omkara or anything of the sort in Jnana-Sadhana or
Metaphysical Practice There is no manipulation af
word or sound in actual Adwaitism. There is only
grappling with the Essence of Existence through
reason or ratiocination
115 The pronunciation of the word “OM"™ in.
cludes all the processes of sound-production and
word-formation. Hence this word-symbol is said to
be the highest form of expression of Sound and is
the basis of all speech, even the Vedas! All words
and all janguages are, thus, produced from the
eternal "OM".
116. The highest freedom has its greatest tax,
the fullest experience demands the costliest price
for it. The dearest and the most beautiful of the
26 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
world has to be surrounded and the sweetest oban-
doned for the sake of the joy of the Soul.
117. The most precious object of our love turns
to be the price demanded by the Immortal Shop-
keeper for our buying the bliss of Eternity and
Infinity. Our very self, our very separate existent
has to be parted with for obtaining the Joy of the
Immortal Spirit !
118. Loveis spoiled when 1t is directed towards
an object that is defined by space. Love only the
Limitless or the Infinite.
' 119. Let there be that terrible yearing for Self-
Integration, that blazing fire of love forthe Bhuma !
Then only you are saved |
Obstacles in the Path
120. Even a slight tinge of earthlinese makes
one unfit for the Realisation of the Absolute " No
doubt the earth itself is the Absolute, but our attitude
towards the earth is not of the nature of the Absolute.
121. Name, power, wealth and sex are the four
doors to the fort of self-degeneration and imprison- |
ment. These four are to be carefully abandoned.
122. Passion is the instinctive urge for externa-
lization through self-preservation and self-multipli-
cation. It is the diversifying power which is directly
opposite to the force that moves towards the Integ-
ration of Being,
123, There ig a sudden revolt of the natural
physical consciousness against all endeavour to
reach the Absolute Reality. The ‘rebellion is 80
" wacontrollabte that realisation seems to be well. nigh
impossible, for a -weak aspirant.
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 27
124. People complain of disturbances and failures
in meditation due to the impurity and grossness of
their minds A thorough study and understanding of
the natural laws and truths of life is absolutely
necessary before venturing to start meditation on the
Real Essence of existence Without such necessary
equipments, one is liable to be lost in the dark
dungeon of ignorance. |
Wisdom and Realization

125. There is but One Immortal bottomless and

limitless, surfaceless and shoreless Ocean of Indivi
sible Consciousness-Bliss-Mass, laughing with the
joyous eternal waters of dazzling, brilliant, luminous
Light and divine Nectarine Sweetness roaring with
the Infinite thundering sound of never-ending
Omkara-Nada, ever calm and peaceful and silent and
blessed and dashing within Itself with mountain-like
waves of unbounded Delight inthe majestic gran-
deur of the Essence of Absolute Existence! There
is nothing but That! Thus is the Meditation !
126. Absolute Experience is a state of Self.
absorption and not self-expression, for the latter
necessitates change and action, which is ‘self-
limitation. :
127. None is excluded from Absolute-Realization.
One realises today, one tomorrow. But all must
realise That one day or other. There is no selection
for Liberation. All are the Absolute eternally.
128 There are many wiseacres, but few are wise,
He is aman of wisdom who is ever in a state of
28 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA t

half-sleep, having drunk deep the wine of the essence

of life. Glory be tohim! We are his servants |
129. Aman of knowledge cannot express all that
he knows at one and the same time. He expresses
only that part of 1t which is excited by the contact
of an external agent.
130. Many times Jivanmuktas put ona nasty appea-
rance and act like men gone out of their brain. They
sometimes behave in a very unpleasant manner
which will annoy any manon earth They will live
like fools just to get rid of the love which the world
may develop towards them. They hide their real
nature and move like intoxicated drunkards. These
are the great men ofthe earth; not those who are
clever in social manners and like kings and emperors.
He who is gone to the Truth cannot behave in a
manner which is favourable to the fashions of the
ignorant world! Such really great men are many on
earth, but the world knows them not due to
delusion, and considers only those as great who show
a few juggler's tricks before its blinded eyes. The
realis ever hidden and unseen, Only the unreal
appears before us, and alas! we are cheated by it !
131. You cannot judge aSage by his words or
actions. He will bean ordinary loafer outside but
a Jadabharata or a Suka-Maharshi inside.
132. For the sage everything is aplay! But he
never feels anything at heart except that Everything
is One |
133. A person of Absolute Consciousness uncon-
_sciously attracts that part of Existence where lies his
 HINTS ON VEDANTIC SADHANA 29
object of desire. At once, like a flash of lightning,
the things needed by him flow to him like rivers into
the ocean, for he 1s their very Self The man of Wis-
dom does without acting, enjoys without wishing. He
need not command anybody, for, he already is the
Self of the one whom he may wish to command. He
cannot instruct, order, perceive or even be conscious
of anything else, for he is the essential being of.
everything that he many try to deal with. Even the
gods cannot obstruct him from doing anything, for,
he 1s the inner reality of even the gods. The mountains
should shake and the earth should crumble into
thousand fragments 1f he so wishes, for he is the self
of even the mountains andthe earth. If he shuts
his eyes, the sun will become dark If he breathes,
all beings will live If he so desires, the whole
universe will become non-existent If he so wills
the rivers shall flow, the fire burn and the trees
blossom with flowers. If he sO “desires the entire
universe shall now experience the State of the
Eternal andthe Immortal. Such is the glory of an
embodiment of Wisdom of the Truth.
134 The might ofthought andthe strength of
feeling melt into the glory of Experience-Whole.
The finite is dead and the Infinite is born the very
same moment. The birth of Day and the death of
Night are simultaneous.
135. The greatest men are sve who are lost
in Selfi-Consciousness Such men are too near to
God to be able to do any spectacular action. There-
fore they are unknown to the world.
 30 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
136 The vision of Godis the awareness of the
essence of one's own being. God is the essence
of even the Satan. He is the source of even the
worst evil He fills Himself inside and outside and
there is nothing which He is not.
137. The devotee of the Eternal is lost in the
Consciousness of God, plunges into the Ocean
of Bliss He takesa bath in the sea of Nectars.
He drinks deep the essence of Immortality. He
attains the Source, the Root of the Universe !
138. Obeloved of my heart! Immortal Joy!
Where art Thou ? How can I live without Thee ?
It is very long since I left Thee. Coma, come|
[am very restless without Thee !
139. “Lam all"; this is the beginning of Truth-
experience. Silent Be-ness isits highest flight.
140. ‘There 18 no paper on which to write the
Nature of Truth. There is nopen which can dare
to write It. There is no person living who can
expiess It. It merely Is everything that is, and there
ends the matter Every effort to express It's Nature
is'trying to kill Its Greatness. JI am That Great
Being! Iam That Great Being! I am here, I ‘am
_ there; ‘Of Tam this, Iam that'! I am the Greatest,
the Best, and again the Greatest! ' My Glory knows
no bounds! [am the most Blessed, the Immortal
the Great |,
 CHAPTER TWO
VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS
 INTRODUCTION
The Vidyas or mystic meditations on Brahman are
described in the Upanishads, mainly the Chhandogya
and the Brihadaranyaka. These are discussed in
detail in the third Pada of the third Adhyaya of the
Brahma-Sutras These Vidyas are helpful in medita-
tion both on the Saguna Brahman and on the Nirguna
Brahman too There are, according to the Brahma-
Sutras, three kinds of meditation: Nirguna, Saguna
and Pratika—Unconditioned or Attributeless, Condi-
tioned or Qualified and Symbolical or Idolatrous,
Many of the Vidyas abound in qualitative and relative
conceptions of the Highest Self. But, in spite of
this limitation, these Vidyas can be utilised even for
Nirguna Meditation provided the meditator con-
ceives of the absolute aspect of the descriptions given
therein and avoids all dual and gradatory differentia-
tions. Even then, some Vidyas like the Brahma Vidya,
the Maitrayi Vidya etc. are highly useful even for
Ahamgraha Upasana and Nirguna Dhyana of the
Vedantins Meditation must be practised only on one
Vidya suitable to the temperament of the meditator.
The fruit of these meditations is Atyantika-Sukha or
absolute happiness, free from the pain of birth, life
and death in Samsara. Here are described some of
these important Vidyas enunciated in the Vedantic
Upanishads. These Vidyas cannot be meditated
upon without being directly initiated by a Guru
(Teacher), They are very complex and hard to-under-
stand for oneself without a guide. .
34 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
1. Sat-Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad,
VI 2 1&2, where Uddalaka instructs Swetaketu
on the nature of Existence

“In the beginning O son, this was mere Existence,

one only withont a second Regarding this, some
others say~—at first this was mere non-existence, one
alone without a second From that non-existence
proceeds existence But verily, O son, how ean this
.be ? How can existence come from non-existence ?
Hence, O son, this was existence only in the begin-
ning, one alone without a second.°
From non-existence existence cannot come out,
for, even non-existence 1s an existence, a being As
regards the sentence in the Taittirsyopanishad which
says that existence came from non-existence, it 1s
explained that here non-existence refers to the state
of Avyaktam where the manifold world does not exist
and from which the existence of the world is evolved.
Meditation on Sat-Vidya enables one to assert ths
reality of the Sat aspect of the Absolute whose
essential nature is Chit and Ananda. In continuation
of this Uddalaka asserts the great dictum of
identity,—Tat Twam Asi-—~"That thou art.**

2. Bhuma Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogya Upanishad,
Vil. 24, where Sanatkumara instructs Narada on the
mature of the Unconditioned Infinite Plenum or the
Fullness of Being
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 35
“Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else,
understands nothing else,—that is called the Infinite
Plenum But where one sees something else, hears
something else, understands something else,—that
is called the little finite That which is Infinite
is Immortal, and that which is finite is mortal."
This is perhaps the greatest ofall the Upanisha-
dic Vidyas, forit sums up the entire result of all
philosophies and Vedantic enquiries. It treats of
the most exalted Absolute State of unlimited bliss
and immortal life after attaining which one returns
not mortal existence In continuation of this,
Sanatkumara mentions that the Infinite, the Self, the
“T’* are all identical and that this One Being alone
is the Truth The knower of this Vidya becomes the
Self-Emperor and exists as the Infinite whole.
3. Maitreyi Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Brihadaranyakopanishad,
II 4 and IV. 5. Sage Yajnavalkya instructs his
Brahmavadini wife, Maitreyi, on the nature of tha
Highest Self.
"“O Dear not for the love of this all, this all is
dear, but for the love of the Self, this all is dear.
This Atma (Self), O Maitreyi, is to be seen, heard of
reflected upon and meditated upon. O dear, through
the seeing of hearing of reflecting upon and know-
ledge of this Self, all this becomes known. Where there
is duality as it were, there one sees the other, smells
the other hears the other, speaks to the other, thinks
of the other, understands the other. But where one's
36 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Seli alone exists everywhere, then through what can
one see what, through what can one smell what,
through what can one hear what, through
what can one speak to what, through what can one
think of what, through what can one understand
what? Through what can one understand that by
which everything else 1s understood? O dear,
through what can one understand the understander.

The Bhuma Vidya and the Maitrey1 Vidya form

the culmination of the entire philosophy of the
Upanishads, The Absolute Reality ig affirmed and
declared in boldest terms inthese two Vidyas The
non-existence othe illusory nature of the world.
phenomenon and the truth of the One Indivisible
Essence is asserted- When cause and effect are
different from one another there arises the concept
of duality When cause and effect are blended into
one, everything becomes One without a second.
These two Vidyas are useful for the highest Advai-
tic Meditation on the unconditioned Absolute.

4. Shandilya Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,

Hil, 1.. This Vidya 1s ascribed to the sage Shendilya.
‘Verily all this is Brahman; Tranquil, one must
worship itas that from which this comes forth, as
that into which this will be dissolved, as that in
which this lives. This, the Soul of mine within the
heart, ig Brahman, Into Him I shall enter on
departing hence.”
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS £7
This Vidya further extends its form of meditation
by ccnceiving ofthe Self as smaller than an atom
and bigger than the universe, containing all works
desires, mind, life, odours, tastes, as being unspea-
king and unconcerned, etc. Thus the Vidya is suited
to Saguna Meditation, though by divesting it of such
particular attributes it may be used for Nirguna
Adwaita Meditation also.

5. Dahara Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,

VIII. 1.
“This abode the small lotus that is here within
this city of Brahman, and the small space within
that lotus- whatas there within this space, that is to
be searched out, that certainly is to be known Verily,
as extensive as the external Akasha, is this eternal
Akasha. Within it are contained the heaven and the
earth, both fire and wind, both sun and moon, lightn-
ing and stars, both what exists here and what does
not exist; everything here is contained within it."
This is one of the greatest of the Vidyas. The
all-pervading and all inclusive nature of the Self is
stressed upon in this Vidya. [n this meditation, the
meditator feels the whole universe as his Self and
excludes nothing from the One Self. This Vidya
further explains the identity of the external and the
internal, the objective and the subjective, the macro-
cosmic and the microcosmic, the universal and the
individual, Brahman and Atman.
38 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
6. Vaishwanara Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,
V 12to0 18. Asvapati Kaikeya describes the Vais-
wanara Vidya to Uddalaka and five other seekers
after knowledge of the Vaiswarana Self.

“Tits head is heaven, its eye Surya, its breath

Vayu, its trunk Akasha, the Apas its bladder, its feet
the earth, its breast the sacrificial altar, its hand the
sacrificial grass, 1ts heart the Gathapatya fire, its
mind the Anvaharyapachaua fire (Dakshinagni), its
yhouth the Ahavaniya fire.“

Thus the Vaiswamara Self is described as pervad,

ing the three worlds. The attainment of excellence.
effected through this Vidya is proportional to the
extensiveness or the inclusiveness of the concep-
tion of the body of the Vaiswarana Self that is
meditated upon, A limited conception wil] bring
limited results and a wider conception will bring
greater results, and an absolute conception will
bring immediate salvation.

7. Panchagni Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,

V.3to 10, and Brihadaranyakopanishad VI. 2, and
also in Kaushitaki briefly. In thia Vidya of five fires
five acts of the universe are conceived of as sacri-
fices with their fire, fuel, smoke, flame, coals, and
sparks. Thus are the respective sacrifices repre-
sented:
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 39
Fire Fuel Smoke Flame Coals Sparks
i Heaven. Sun. Light-rays. Day. Moon. Stars.
2 Rain- Wind. Mist. Lightning. Thunder- Hail.
cloud. bolt stones,
3 Earth. Year. Space, Night. Quar- Intermediate
ters. Quarters,
4Man Speech. Prna. Tongue. Eyes, Ear.
5 Woman ;

The soul on its journey from heaven to be born

agaiin a body has to pass through these five fires
in order to acquire its fresh body. Fire disintegrates
as well as integrates the body, it destroys and
creates the body during ceath and birth respectively.
The soul acquires new and new bodies as it descends
and ascends through these tires Each time the soul
takes a body in each of these five planes an Agni-
hotra is performed in order to get a body in each
world. The organs of the body in their relation to
the soul are here the officiating priests of the
Agnihotra sacrifices. Each preceeding sacrificiad
oblation kas the succeeding one produced as the
food. One who has got the knowledge of the fires
ascends to Saguna Brahman through the Devayana
Path. |

8. Udgitha Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,
I, II.
“OM ! Thus one should meditate on the Udgitha,
for, one sings the loud chant with OM! The essence
-of all things isthe earth. The essence of earth ip
40 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
water. The essence of waier is plants. The essence
of plants is the person. The essence of the person
is speech. The essence of speech is the Rik (hymn).
Theessence of Rik is Sama. The essence of Sama
is Udgitha. This is the best essence of all essences,
the highest, the supreme, the eighth, the Udgitha."'
This meditation on Udgitha-OMkarais one of the
best methods of Upanishadic Sadhana. OM is the
supreme essence of Shabda or Sound, and Sound
is the source of the entire universe. Hence OM is
all the three worlds, past, present, and future and
even what is beyond the threefold time. During
chanting and meditation on Udgitha-OMkara the
processes of sound as determined by the Sama-Veda
and explained in the Chhandogyopanishad have to
be adhered to. QMis the highest symbol of Brah.
man, the Shabda-Brahman, from which proceed the
Vedas and the worlds. This meditation can be used
both for Saguna and Nirguna Realizations.

9. Purusha Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,

III. 16. Here a Person is deacribed as a sacrifice.
"Verily, a person is a sacrifice. His first twenty.
four years are the morning oblation, the next forty-
four years are the midday oblation, the third
forty-eight years (i.e. until the age of 116) are the
third oblation.”
‘One who knows this Vidya lives for 116 years
without sickness or disease. The Upanishad says
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 41
that Mahidasa Aitareya who knew this Vidya said,
“Oh ! Why do you afflict me with sickness? I cannot
be destroyed by thee’ And he lived for 116 years
Even so any one who knows this.
The details of this Vidya are given inthe Mantras
ito Zot the sixteenth section of this Prapathaka.
This is a method of meditation on one's own life as
a sacrifice in order to live a healthy long life.

The first part of the life is devoted to study, the

second to household life and the third to spintual
practices. The universalisation of one's conception
of life leads to immediate liberaticn.

10. Paryanka Vidya

This Vidya occurs inthe Kaushitaki Upanishad,
I This describes the Vidyacalled Paryanka or the
couch of Hiranyagarbha or Brahma Chitra Gargyayani
instructs Uddalaka and Swetaketu on this beautiful
Vidya.
“The soul, when it becomes desireless, passes
beyond the moon Then it goes to the world of
lightning. Then the Guru meets him. To him the
disciple should say, “I am thyself. Then he is
allowed to move further Then the soul passes
through worlds of Agni, Vayu, Varuna, Indra, Praja-
pati and lastly Brahma. In the last world, the world
of Hiranyagarbha, there in the centre of the Hall is
seated on hig couch Brahma. And to Him he should
say, ‘youare everything, and I am yourself’, and then
he is allowed in and meets Brahma,”
42 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Before Brahma is reached the soul passes through
various stages of consciousness which are described
in detail in the Upanishads. .The throne of Brahma
called Vichakshana in the Hall called Vibhu-Pramita
is described as of immeasurable radiance and splen-
dour. One who reaches this, becomes filled with
infinite power and glory Inthe Brahma-Sutras it is
said that one who goesto this place gets even the
power of creating, preserving and destroying the
worlds if he gets in tune with the one who is seated
on the throne. This meditation leads to faguna-
Brahman.

11. Akshara Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Brihadaranyakopanishad

Ill. 8. Yajnavalkya ‘instructs Gargi on the Akshara-
Vidya or the knowledge of the Imperishable Being,
‘That, O Gargi, Brahmanas call the Imperishable.
Itis not coarse, not fine, not short, not long, not
glowing, not adhesive. not shadowy not dark not
airy, not space, not sticky, odourless, tasteless, with.
out eye, without ear, without voice, without wind,
without energy, without breath, without mouth,
without measure, without inside, without outside.
It eats nothing No one eats it."

This Vidyais the corollary of the neti-ne'i method

of Vedantic Meditation. All phenomer Jit: and
relatedness are denied their validity and aft=: : aqat-
ing every conceptual attribute, what remains is That
which is,the Eternal, Akshara.
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 43
12. Samvarga Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogya Upanishad,
IV. 2, 3. Sage Raikva initiates Janashruti on this
Vidya.
"Cosmically, Vayu is the ultimatum ofall. Fire,
Sun, Moon, Parjanya, merge into Vayu only Indi-
vidually, Prana is the ultimatum of all. In sleep,
speech, eye, ear, mind merge into Prana only.
Vayu and Prana are the two Samvargas or absorbants
Farth, water, and fire merge in Vayu."
This is one of the most important Vidyas which
elucidates the supremacy ofthe Pranaorthe Vital
Air both in its cosmical and individual aspects.
The atonement of the Prana and the Vayu enables
one to reach the Maha-Prana or Hiranyagarbha, the
Life-Principle of the universe. This process of
Meditation on the Life-Principle lies through the
harmonising of the Prana and concentration on the
unity of the phychic beings of the individual and the
universe It is told in this Vidya that denying food
to a guest at the door is denying food to the Cosmic
Life-Principle for it exists in all equally To one
who knows this, all this world comes to light and he
becomes the cosmic consumer of food, the Hiranya-
garbha.
13. Madhu Vidya

This Vidya occursin the Chhandogyopanishad,

III 1ltoll. .
"Verily, the Sunis the honey ofthe gods. The
esocrbeam for itis the Sky. The atmospher eis the
44 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
honey-comb. The light-rays
are the eggs The
eastern rays are the eastern honey-cells The
Rig verses are the bees. Rigveda is the flower
Honey is produced thus:
“The Rig-verses, brooded upon the Rigveda.
From it, when it had been brooded upon, thera was
produced as its essence, splendour, brightness,
power, vigour, and food It flowed forth. It rested
in the sun. That is the red appearance of the Sun."
The sunis described here in this Vidya as mo-
tionless and remaining alone with neither rising not
getting. From the stand-point of the Sun the sky is
desetibed as a cross-beam of the honey-comb
because the three worlds are like eggs, the higher
expanding beyond the lower, and from the second
world (atmosphere) which is between the sun and
the earth, the third world would appear like a cross.
beam. The sun is the honey or the Self of the
second world, even as the Soul is the honey of the
body. The Devas or the gods have this honey which
they do not drink but are satisfied at the mere sight
of it. The metaphorical meditation onthe Sun as
the honey implies the meditation on the world-soul
which is the centre of the worlds andthe planes of
consciousness existing externalto it. This medi-
tation leads to Saguna Brahman and to reach the
Nirguna Brahman one has to transcend the central
essence of the sun where Brahman is ce'd to be
with his Mayaic eplendour. One who kusws this
Widya,—to him the sun does never set. Itis always
day forhim, the Light of the essential Soul The
 ViDYAS IN UPANISHADS 45
Upanishad says that the whole earth its with
treasures is nothing before this Vidya.

14. Prana Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogycpanishad,

I, 11, and Kaushitaki Upanishad, II, LI.
“Verily, all beings here enter into Prana and
depart from 11."
In this Kaushitak: Upanishad Pranais called the
Paryanka of Brahma with indescribable splendour.
And here Prana is identified with Brahman itself
Prana is Mukhya, the most supreme Mind 1s its
messenger, ear its door -keepr, speech the true
woman, the wife of Prana, the deity of deities. The
meditator should rise to the meditation Brahman
from this Mukhya-Prana, which is the starting point
of superphysical life-
15. Unakosala Vidya
This Vidya occursin the Cchandogyopanishad,
IV. 10-15. Upakosala, the disciple of Satyakama
Jabala is instructed on this Vidya by the three hres.
“Prana is Brahman. Happiness is Brahman.
Etheris Brahman. Happiness and Ether are one.”
The Garhapatya, Dakshinagn1 and Ahavaniya fires
instruct Upako alaon their being the Purushas in
the sun, moon and lightning respeetively. Those
who meditata upon these pass beyond the world of
Agni to which the soul passing through the Deva-
yna is led by the Amanava Purusha. Collective
46 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Akasha which reflect the bliss of Brahman The
mediator on these three goes beyond earth, fire,
food, sun, water quarters, stars, moon, breath, space
sky, lightning, which are the bedies of the fires, and
reaches the Centre of Joy through the Devayana
Path when these are conceived of as subjective and
not objective.

16. Akshi Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhendogyopanishad,
IV. 15 Satyakama instructs Upakosala
‘That person who 1s seen in the sye,—Heis the
Self That 1s Immortal, Fearless That 1s Brhman.
Ifany one pours ghee or water on that, it passes
away.’
Here meditation in an internel process and rot
objective Hence sacrificial oblations with ghee,
water, etc are fruitless in this case The meditation
is not on the eye but the Purusha within it which 1s
the essential Soul functioning in the waking
condition. A meditator on this goes beyond the
waking state and isledto the Saquna Brahman Tha
knower of this Vidya acquires all thatis excellent
and becomes effulgent. One who reaches this
Brahman returns not to mortal coil,
17. Antaraditya Vidya

This Vidya occursinthe Brihadaranyakopanishad,

V52
“This Sun is the same as that Real. The person
who is there tn that orb and the Person who is here
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 47
in the right eye,—these two abide in each other
Through his rays that one abides in this one;
through his vital airs this one in that. When one is
about to quit the body, he sees that pure orb The
rays do not come to him again “’
This is the counterpart of the Akshi Vidya, the
Cosmic representation of the same, through the
combination of which two the meditation becomes
complete or integral; and there is effected the
conscious revelation of the Real through the merging
together of the subjective and the objective manifes-
tations of the Purusha.

18. Aditya Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogya Upani-
shad,I 6 6 7.
“Sais tne white shinning of the sun. Ama is the
dark, the ultra-black This is Sama That golden
person who is seen within the sun has a golden
moustache and golden hair and is golden even to
the finger-nail tips His eyes are even as Kapisa-
lotus. His Name is ‘the High’. He is above all evil
and sin’ He who knows this goes beyond all evil.“
One who realises the Aditya-Purusha through
this Vidya goes above sin and reaches Saguna
Brahman. The golden Purushe within the Sun is the
shining Self adorned with attributes and hence the
Highest Brah nan itself conceived of qualitatively.
19. Satyakama Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Cchandogyopanishad,
1V 4-9. Sage Haridrumata's disciple, Satyakama
4B ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Jabala is instructed by a Bull, Fire, a Swam and a
Bird
“The four quarters are the first Pada of Brahman
called ‘shining’ The earth, the atmosphere, the sky,
the ocean, are the second Pada of Brahman called
‘Endless' Fire, Sun, Moon, Lightning, are the
third Pada of Brahman called ‘Dazzling’ The breath,
the eye, the ear, the mind, are the fourth Pada of
Brahman called “‘Having-Abode “
This Vidya makes one shining, endless, dazzling
and with an abode or support The meditator reaches
the Saguna Brahman by passing beyond the quarters
and raching the Whole consisting of four quarters
through gradual transcending of the Padas in the
process of meditation on the symbols that represent
the manifestations of the one Brahman.
20. Akasha Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,
iL. 9, 1-2.

‘Verily, all things here arise out of space. They

disappear back into space, for space alone is greatex
than all these, It is the great goal. This is the most
excellent Udgitha. This is endless, The most excellent
belongs to him, the most excellent worlds does he
win, who, knowing it thus, meditates on the most ex-
cellent Udgitha.” "Verily, what is called space is the
accomplisher of name and form That within which
they are is Brahman. Thatis Immortal. That ie the
Self Ishall attain the abode and assembly-hall of
Prajapat..”*
 VIBYAS IN UPANISHADS 49
Akasha is the highest of all Tattwas and is the
qreat receptacle Vayu is the great consumer. The
Akasha is Udgitha for sound is the Tanmatra of
Akasha. Space or ether is the producer of the name-
and-form-world and Brahman is beyond the two.
This Brahman is Saguna Brahman. Ether is the
higheat and subtlest principle and hence nearest to
Brahman.

21. Bhrigu-Varuni Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Taittiriyopanishad, third
Valli.
“He realised that Blise ia Brahman. From Bliss,
indeed, are all beings ‘born, in Blise, when born, they
liye, into Bliss, in the end, they enter.”
Whoever transcends the five Koshas and realises
that Bliss is Brahman gets established in Brahman.
He becomes great in splendour, great in Knowledge
qreat in fame,--one who knows this.
This Vidya aims at the innermost seat of Bliss, on
aamall part of which other creatures are living
22, Anandamaya Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Talttriyopanishad,
second Valli, eighth Anuvaka.
"The bliss ofone good youth well versed in the
Vedsa, firm, strong, healthy, quick, to whom the
whole earth with all its wealth belongs, is one kind
of bliss. Hundredfold and hundredfold greater in
bligs‘in the oxder of succession are the states of
Manuahya-Gandharvas, Deva-Gandharvas, Pitris.
50 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Ajanaja-Devas, Karma-Devas, Devas, Indra, Brihas-
pati, Prajapati Brahman."
The bliss of Brahman is not to be considered as
equal to a result mathematically arrived at by
multiplying human joy by many hundredfolds but
it is the Bliss that is indescribable and infinite, the
eternal the only existence. Every time it is asserted
that the Veda-Knower enjoys all these degrees of
Bliss provided he is untainted by desire and passion.

23 Ushasta-Kahola Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Brihadaranyakopnishad,
III, 4. 5. Rishi Yajnavalkya instructs Ushasta and
Kahola.
“He (Brahman) is your Soul), which is in all things.
breathes in with your breathing in is the Soul of
yours, which is in all things. He who breathes out
with your breathing out is the Soul of yours, which
is in all things. He who breathes about with your
breathing about is the Soul of yours, which is in all
things. He who breathes up with your breathing up
is the Soul of yours, which is in all things. He is
your Soul which isin allthings You cannot see the
Seer of'sesing. You cannot hear the Hearer of
hearing. You cannot think the Thinker of thinking.
You cannot understand the Understander of under-
standing. Heis your Soul, which is in all things.
Everything else than Him is wretched."
“He who is beyond hunger and thirst, beyond
sorrow and delusion, beyond old age and death,
knowing Him who is the Soul, Brahmanag renoynce
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 51
the desire for sons, desire for wealth, desire for
worlds, and live the life of mendicants Leta Brah-
mana, therefore, become disgusted with learning and
desire to live like a child When he has become
disgusted both with the childlike state and learning,
then he becomes silent When he has become dis.
gusted both with the silent (Mouna) state and the non-
silent (Amauna) state, then he becomes a Brahmana.”
In both of these meditations the Self is to be
meditated upon as identical with Brahman.

24. WUddalaka-Aruni Vidya

This Vidya occurs in the Brihadaranyakopanishad,
Tl. 7. Yajnavalkya instructs Uddalaka Aruni.

‘Wind, O Gautama, is the thread that ties together

this world and the other world and all things. There.
fore, O Gautama, they say of a deceased person, ‘his
limbs become untied (because the Prana-Vayu has
departed)*.*’
“He who dwells in all beings, and yet, who is
other than all beings, who controls all beings from
within,—He is your Soul, the Inner Ruler, the
Immortal,” ‘There is no other seer but He, there is
no other hearer but He, there is no other thinker but
He, there is no other understander but He; He is your
Soul, the Inner Ruler, the Immoztal! All else than
Him is wretched."
In this Vidya meditation is to ba practised on the
absolute identity of the Self and Brahman which is
32 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
25. Swetaketu Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Chhandogyopanishad,
VI. 8. Uddalaka instructs Swetaketu on the identity
of the Atman and the Brahman
“That which is the finest Essence, the whole uni-
verse has That as its Self. Thatisthe Reality. That
ig the Atma. That thou art, O Swetaketu !‘*
This is called the Abheda-Bodha-Vakya or the
Brahma-Upadesha-Vakya which asserts the one Unity
of Existence, the Unity of the subjective Self and the
Infinite Brahman. This 1s understood through its
tight and direct meaning or Lakshyartha which con-
veys the truth of one’s being the Highest Brahman
Itself. The Lakshyarthas of That’ and ‘Thou" are
"Brahman” and the “Kutastha-Chaitanya’’ and the
word “Art signifies the oneness of these two fo m3
of Pura Consciousness.
26. Jyotisham Jyotir- Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Brihadaranyakopanishad,
IV. 16.
This ta the Vidya of the Light of Lights.
"That bafote which the year revolves with its
days,—That the Davas worship as the Light of Lights
and Life Immortal.”
Here the meditater is to contemplate on Brahman
as the Light of Lights, the Brilliant, Dazzling
Consciousness. Thereby the meditator, helng
alrsady the Light of Consctéusness, becomes the
light of the Brahman-Conscioutnoss.
 VIDYAS IN UPANISHADS 5%
27. Satya-Inana-Asanta Vidya .— -
Thie Vidya occurs in the Taittiryopanishad, H.-4.
“Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, Infinity." ~
This is the Swarupa-Lakshana or the essential
nature of Brahman. “Infinity is Bliss,“ ‘ Brahman iz
Consciousness-Bliss"—these are tha declarations of
the Chhandogya and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads
regarding the nature of Brahman. Hence Truth-
Knowledge-Infinity means Existence-Knowledge-
Bliss or Satchidananda.
28. Shodashakata Vidya
This Vidya occurs in the Prashna Upanishad, yi 4,5.
‘He (Purusha) created Prana; from Prana, faith,
space, wind, light, water, earth Gensectccniy.
mind, food; from food virility, austerity, Mantras,
sacrifice, the worlds; and in the worlds, name
(individuality), As these flowing rivers that tend to-
wards the ocean disappear, their names and forms are
destroyed, and it is called simply “the ocean,"—even
so of this seer these sixteen parte that tend towards
the Parson, on reaching the Person, disappear, their
names and forms destroyed, and it is called simply
‘tha Person.” That One exists without paris,
Immortal |” :
This ia a meditation on the process of the highest
Salvation of the self through merging inthe highest
Imperishable Purusha, whereby the meditator ass
immediate Liberation.
Conclusion
84 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Real, from darkness to Light, from mortality to
Immortality. They lead the soul from the Moola-
Ajnana to ,the Highest: Brahman either through
Krama-Mukti or Sadyo-Mukti. Sri Sankaracharya says
in his Brahma Sutra-Bhashya that even those who go
to Saguna-Brahman (through Vidya-Upasanas) will
ultimately go to Nirguna-Brahman :
“It is a set'led matter that those who through
Perfect Knowledge have dispelled all mental darkness
and are devoted to the Eternally perfect Nirvana do
not return. And as those also who rely on the
knowledge of the Saguna-Brahman in the end have
recourge to that Nirvana, it follows that they also do
not return.” (Brahma-Sutra-Bhashya: FV, 4. 22).
 CHAPTER THREE
SIVANANDA-VIDYA
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA
Khanda I
Nuture of Brahman :

Om ! Brahman or Siva or the Impersonal Absolute

is the Source and Substratum for the world of pheno-
mena, He is the Source of the Vedas. From
Him this world proceeds In Himitlives. In Him
it gets dissolved He is Eternal, Self-existent, Self-
luminous and Self-contained Heis all Full. He is
beyond Time, Space and Causation. He is birthless,
deathless, and decayless.
Khanda II
Contradictions Reconciled

He moves and move3 not He moves in His mani-

feasted or Saguna Aspect He moves not in His
Transcendental Aspect. He is smaller than the
smallest and greater than the greatest. He is smaller
than the smallest because He is the Soul of even the
ant, the mustard and the atom, and He is extremely
subtle. He is greater than the greatest because He
is the Soul of this entire universe and extends
beyond this universe also, and He is Infinite. He is
nearer than the nearest and farther than the farthest.
He is nearer to the thirsty aspirants, but He is farther
to those who are worldly-minded He is nearer than
the nearest because Heis the Inner Soul of every-
thing. He is farther than the farthest because He is
Infinite, He is beyond the reach of mind and the
88 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
by people of gross mind and outgoing senees. But
He can be attained by that aspirant who is endowed
with subtle, sharp, one-pointed intellect (Manasaiva-
anudrashtavyam), and whois equipped with the four
means, and the grace and the instructions of a
Brahma-Srotri, Brahna-Nishtha Guru, on Tat-Twam-
Asi-Mabavakya.
Khanda III
Vision of a Sage and a Worldly Man
Brahman is the only Reality. He is the only
Living Truth. The liherated Sage or Jivanmukta
beholds Brahman only everywhere. There is no
world for him in the three periods of time But the
ignorant man sees only the five elements and the
forms The world of names and forms only is real for
him. He denies Brahman altogether.
Khanda IV
Superimposition ( Adhyasa )
The man who moves in a desert in the noon sees
mirage at some distance and mustakes it for water.
He runs there to drink water butis disappointed. The
rays of the sun fall on the bed of sand and generate
the mirage. The mirage appears as a sheet of water,
and deludes man. Even so tha worldly man beholds
the five elements and their combinations, 1.e, names
and forms, on account of ignorance or Avidya.
Avidya hides the real and makes the unreal appear
as real
In the twilight a man mistakes a rope fora snake,
gets frightened and cries. When a friend brings a
 SIVANANDA.VIDYA 59
light his fear vanishes He sees arope only. Even
so a worldly man mistakes the impure, perishable
body for the Pure, Imperishable Atma and suffers in
diverse ways on account of this erroneous notion or
sup2rimposition (Adhyasa) caused by Avidya. When
the Avidya is destroyed through Brahma-Jnana or
Knowledge of the eternal through initiation into the
Significance of ‘Tat-Twam-Asi‘“ Mahavakya by the
Preceptor or Brahma-Vidya Guru, he becomes identi-
cal with the Supreme Soul. The world of names and
forms vanishes in toto. He sees Brahman only. All
his fears terminate.
Khanda V
Happiness Is in Atma Only
The feeling of pleasure is an internal feeling,
There is no pleasure in physical objects, though they
excite pleasure in man. Sensual pleasuse is onlya
reflection of the Bliss of the Atma. When a desire
is gratified, the mind moves towards the Atma and
rests in Atma for a very short time, and the man ex-
periences pleasure Atma or Brahman only is the
embodiment of Bliss (Ananda-Swaroopa). Atma is full
of Bliss (Anandamaya). Atma is a mass of Bliss
(Ananda-Ghana)

Khanda Vi
One Brahman is Both Material and Efficient Cause

Brahman is both the material and the efficient

cause of this universe (Abhinna Nimitta Upadana
Karana). He is the fictitzoug material cause (Vivarta
60 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Upadana Karana). He somehow appears as this uni-
verse through Maya, without Himself being affected
in the least, by names and forms. This is a Mystery.
This is Indescribable.
Khanda VII
Brahman is Unattached
Just as the crystal is not affected by the coloured
objects, though it reflects them, just as the sun is
not affected by the defects of the eye and other
objects, just as etheris not affected by reason of its
subtlety, so seated everywhere in the bedy, this
Atma is not affected.

Khanda Vill
Qualifications of an Aspirant
He who is equipped with the four means, who
has purified his heart through selfless service (Nish-
kama-Karma-Yoya), service of Guru, Japa, Kirtana
and Upasana, whois calm, dispassionate, reflective, —
discriminative, fearless, straightforward, humble,
large-hearted, compassionate, generous, truthful,
pure, and who is free from pride, egoism, arrogance,
will realise this Mysterious, Indescribable, Un-
thinkable, Brahman or the Imperishable.

Khanda [X
Kaivalyam
Kaivalya-Mukti or Final Emancipation can be
attained through Knowledge of Brahman. Krama-
Mukti is attained through Bhakti,
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 61

Muktiis nota thing to be achieved or attained.

It is already there. You will have to know that
you are free, by removing the veil of Ignorance.

Khanda X
Method of Meditation

I am all-Blissful Siva-OM! I am Immortal Brahman

OM! I am i Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute
(Satchidananda-Swaroopoham)-OM! I am Infinite
(Ananta)-OM! I am Eternal (Nitya)- OM! Iam
ever Pure (Shuddha)-OM! I am Parfect (Siddha)-
OM! Iam ever Free (Mukta) - OM!
Iam Unattached (Asanga)-OM! I am Witness
(Sakshi)-OM! I am Non-doer (Akarta)-OM! I am
Non-enjoyer (Abhokta)-OM! Iam not this Prana -
OM! Satchidananda-Swaroopoham-OM |!
This is the Quintessence of Kevala Adwaita
Vedanta or Absolute Monism.
Thus ends the glorious Sivananda-Vidya! OM!

SIVANANDA-VIDYA
(Commentary)
Introduction

The Science of Knewledge of the Reality is the

King of all sciences'-Rajavidya‘' as the Gita terms it.
It is the Kingly Secret - 'Rajaquhya’-the best and
the end of all sciences. Itisthe only real science
in the strictest sense of the term; all others are
62 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
mere semblance of science. It is the rational
way of entering into the Ultimate Truth, the
Original Cause of things This is the one aim of the
ontological (Brahma-Tattwa) researches made since
many a generation of Seers and Sages.
Vedanta or Brahmavidya is the crest-jewel of all
schools of philosophical thought which preaches
the Unity of Existence, or Oneness of Conscious-
ness. It proclaims that all these innumerable beings
are in Essence one and the same, that ‘there is no
such thing as diversity'' (Brith, Up IV 4 19), that
“all this is Brahman‘' (Cch Up III. 14 1) It thrills
and widens the heart, brightens the intellect, and
makes one experience the Absolute Being, the Only
Reality. One does not feelthat heis different from
other, that he is an individual at all by himself
andfeels that there is nothing except “his own
Being’. Onedoes not, after the Realisation of the
Eternal Truth, experience this manifold universe
of names and forms, of pairs of opposites. He does
not even appearto be moved by external changes
of talke and actions. One does not, having adhered
to the practical principles of Wisdom (Jnana), feel
that anything at all is serious in this world,
that anything whatsoever is of any importance, that
anything at all can cause any substantial effect in
the appearance of this phantom of phenomena
Having been established in the glorious Seat of
Knowledge of the Self (Atma or Brahman), one
has not got to experience the misery of ‘Samsara’,
one becomes completely divinised in nature!
~
 SIVANANDA.-VIDYA 63
Goodness of heart andintelligence of brain which
the whole world considers as a marvellous posses-
sion is superseded by tha Divaoity of Absolute
Consciousness through direct intuitional cognition
of the Universal Soul !
Anger, hatred, and the like, fade away into an
airy nothing, desire, attachment and delusion
vanish like goblins experienced in dreams; likes
and dislikes become fictitious expressions, on the
Ambrosia of Wisdom being tasted at least once!
There remains nothing more to be known. Actions,
emotions and willings become impotent of produc-
ing any binding effect, the great illusory dramatic
jugglery of lifein the world becomes a fairy tale in
the city of the clouds on the Spiritual Spark of
Wisdom having been shot out into practical experi.
ence. Every trouble, every disappointment, every
depression or the other side of it appearing to arise
ia the mind, becomes known to be simply an appea-
rance ofthe sport of Maya in the theatre of the
" universe, every act and movement an exhibition of
individual ignorance! One does not become a victim
to the luring call of the senses, one is abla to
discriminate that all objects of sense-enjoyment are
nothing but the one or thea other aspect of appear-
ance in the Absolute Consciousness.
Brahma-Jnana leads to the Glory of Moksha. The
Mundaka Upanishad extols the Bliss of Salvatzon in
the following words “Who know that Supreme
State of Brahman, founded on which the whole world
shines radiantly, who, being without desire, worship
64 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
that Purusha, who are wise, they pass beyond the
seed of rebirth here Ofhim whose desire 1s satis-
fied, whois a perfected soul, all desires even here
on earth vanish away Attaining Him, the Seers who
are satisfied with Knowledge who aie perfected souls,
free from passion, tranquil—attaining Him who is
the universally onmipresent, those wise, devout souls
enter into the All Itself. They who have ascertained
the meaning ofthe Vedanta-Knowledge, Ascstics
with purified natures through the application of
renunciation (Sannyasa-Yoga), they in the State of
Brahman at the end of time are all liberated beyond
death Gone are the fifteen parts (of the microcosm)
according totheir station even all the sense-organs
in their corresponding divinities! One's deeds and the
self that consists of understanding, all become unified
in the Supreme Imperishable As the flowing rivers in
the ocean disappear, quitting name and form, so the
Knower, being liberated from name and form, goes
unto the Supreme Purusha, higher than the high He
who knows that Supreme Brahman becomes Brahman
Itself, In his family no one ignorant of Brahman
arises. He crosses over sorrow He crosses over sin.
Liberated from the knots of the heart, he becomes
Immortall’' (Mundaka Upanishad-III.2)
Thus isthe Glory of the Wisdom of the Reality.
Here do we find expressed in its complete form the
Knowledge of the Infinite ‘Bhooma’ or 'Brahman' in
the glorious sentences of the ‘Sivananda-Vidya', the
Science of the Blessed, the Infinite Brahman!
 SIVANANDA.-VIDYA 65

khanda I

Nature of Brahman

Brahman is Siva or Blessed, Auspicious The

Mandukya Upanishad calls Brahman as ‘‘Santam,
Sivam, Adwaitam'’ (Mand. Up VII) Brahman 1s
‘Santa’ or peacelul, ‘Siva’ or Blessed (auspicious),
‘Adwaita’‘ or Non-Dual The word ‘Siva‘ is indicative
of the Tranquillity of which Brahman is the embod-
mentin Fullness ‘’Brimh" is to expand into Infinity,
and the word ‘'Brahman" is indicative of Complete-
ness, Perfection Infinity, Eternity, and Absolute-
ness of Being which 1s of the Nature of Intelligence
and Bliss, wherein all Power is hidden |!
Brahman is the Source and Substratum, the Basis
for all the play of phenomenal relativity. Justas the
Sun is the Controller and the Basis for all the busi-
ness of life in the world andalso the Support of the
mirages appearing in deserts, just as the Ocean is the
_ Support of the many waves rolling on it, just as the
' glowing lamp is the Support of the light scattered
around it, just as the burning flame of fireisthe
Support of the sparks flung around it, just as the
moon is the Support of the beams surging from if,
just as the great Ether is the’ Support of the ether in
jar, etc, just as the dreamer is the Support of all the
objects of his dream in the mind, sois Brahman the
Prop or Support of the sport of Illusion as the diverse
appearance of the universe. ‘Who controls the earth
from within—He 1s thy Soul, the Inner Controller,
the Immortal.” (Boh Up. Hl - 7, 3).
65 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Brahman is the Impersonal Absolute, ‘“Amoortam"
(Brih Up II-3 1), only One without a second, ‘’Eka-
meva Adwiteeyam™" (‘Chh Up. VI-2 1), the ONLY
EXISTENCE, “Ekam Sat (Rig Veda I-164. 46).

Brahman is the Source of the Vedas. "Asya

Mahato Bhootasya Nishwasitametad Yadrigvedo
Yajurvedah Samavedotharvaangirasah’’ (Brih Up. [-
4.10) ‘'From this Great Being has been breathed
forth that which is Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda,
and the Atharvaangirasa'’—thus says the Brihad-
aranyaka Upanishad Vedais the Shabda-Brahma or
the first evolute Veda is Infinite—‘’Anantaa Vai
Vedah''—there is no end for Vedas because they are
the expositions of the Nature and Glory of Brahman
which is Infinite, Endless ‘"'Vid'' 1s "to knew",
"Veda" is ‘Knowledge’ of the Absolute Brahman,
through the “Sravana’ or ‘ hearing'' of whose Eternal
truths from a Brahma-Nishtha Guru, and meditation
on those truths, one is rendered fit to realise that
Absolute Braman The first evolute was the great
Sound or Nada‘ of "Omkara‘ from which all other
principles evolved subsequently. From "‘OM" the
Vedas came forth through the medium of Brahman.
"OM", thus, is the quintessence of the Vedas and
represents Brahman in ithe bast conceivable way.
"OM" includes everything here,—'’’OM''—this sylla-
ble is this whole world.......the past, the present
and the future—everything 1s the word OM |..... . .for
truly, everything here is Brahman."' (Mandukya
Up 1,12). “OM" is the Support for Meditation on
Brahman, The loud chant of "OM" swallows up the
 SIVANANDA.-VIDYA 67
whole universe in one's consciousness and asserts
the Non-dual Brahman alone the Absolute Being.
From Him this world proceeds. “Janmaadyasya
Yatah‘' (Brahmasutras - 1.1.2). This Sutra of the
Uttara-Mimamsa says that ‘‘the origin, etc, of this
is from Whom", 16, the origin, preservation, and
destruction of this universe isdue to Brahman only.
Brahman projects the universe just as tke Sun pro-
jects the mirage sustains the world just as the mirage
is sustained Sat noon and dissolves the universe in
the end just as the mirage is absorbed at the time of
sun-set All the creatures, all the worlds are created
orrather projected by Brahman from the Body of
Brahman, and the same Brahman is sustained by
Brahman and the very Brahman 1s dissolved or
destroyed by Brahman into Brahman, All this is
merely aplay or DivineJugglery All the creatures
breathe and livein Brahman, they move and have
their being in Brahman for Brahman alone is all this
that appears, and there is nothing whatsoever, other
than that one Essence existing everywhere at all
times ‘He created this whole world, whatever
there is here Having created it, he entered into it.
Having entered it, he became both tha real and the
unreal, both the defined and the undefined, both
the based and the non-based, both the conscious
andthe unconscious. He became whatever there ig
here. (Taitt Up If-6) ‘That, whence beings here
are born, that by which whenborn, they live, that
into which on deceasing they enter.......... That ig
Brahman’, (Taitt. Up. IIT 1.1)
68 ESSENCE O VEDANTA
Brahman is Eternal, Nitya, Ever-lasting Brahman
alone is the entire Existence and hence Brahman
cannot be destroyed The Actor, action and the
thing acted are all Brahman in one Brahman
cannot change, for the very consciousness of the
process of change 1s Brahman. Brahman is single,
Non-Dual andsois Self-Existent There is nothing
for Brahman to depend upon Brahman is Absolute,
All-in-All! ‘Tat Satyam“-That is Existence (Cch
Up. VI-16.3), “Existence alone was in the beginning”
(Chh. Up. VI-2-1) Brahman is Self-luminous, or Chit.
Chit is Intelligence or Consciousness The very
Nature of Brahman is Absolute Consciousness, Pure
Awareness Supreme, the Light of Knowledge. It
shines by Itself, without any external agency, for it
is the Sele Existence, and the Source of all Light,
all Consciousness | It 1s Self-contained, Full Perfect
and Blissful it is the embodiment of Perfection
and Joy without decay. Brahman is Full, the ‘Bhooma’
(Chh. Up VII-23), the unconditioned, ‘That is Full,
thisis full From the Full, the full does proceed.
Withdrawing the full from the Ful], even Full then
Itself remains’ (Brih. Up V-1.1)
Time, Space and Causation are only appearances of
Brahman in the Being of Brahman, and hence have no
separate existence by themselves. Brahman is both
Transcendent and Immanent. Brahman includes
everything, and yet 1s beyond everything. Brahman
is Indescribable Greatness and Glory! It is birthless,
deathless and decayless. for all changes are fused
into Its Supreme Being and there is nothing which It
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 69
ig not. Changes like birth and death are only relative
terms and have no meaning in the Absolute point of
view Time, Space and Causation also are only rela-
tive terms expresaing unreal things to the ignorant
people, and when the Light of Wisdom dawns, there
is no world there is no duality and change, there is
the Non-Dual Brahman alone in Its own Glory! “All
this world is the dazzling of Consciousness" (Yoga
vasishtha VI b 213.18) Hence Brahman cannot be
attributed with any quality, change oraction. Verily,
that great, unborn, Soul, undecaying, undying
immortal, fearless, is Brahman" (Brih Up. IV-4 25).

Khanda II
Contradictions Reconciled
“Tadejati, Tannaijati’ (Isa Up V). “It moves and
moves not‘ Brahman is all Full, Absolufe and
Spaceless and hence does not move Movement is
possible only when thereis space for purpose of
change and action. But the Spaceless and the Time-
less Completeness of Brahman cannot move, for
motion is only Brahman appearing. But in the
manifested aspect, where there is individuation,
there is the possibility of motion and action, appea-
rance of powerand separateness. In this aspect Brah-
man appears as the Lord of the universe and apparent-
ly separates Himself from the State of Absoluteness
of Being and moves. But inthe State of Tzuth, He
ie Santam, Sivam, Adwaitam, and moves not.
“Anoraneeyan Mahato Maheeyan" (Katha Up II.
20). “Heis smaller thanthe smallest and greater
70 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
than the greatest’. Even the smallest thing occupies
2 portion of space and every speck of space is aglow
with the presence of the Imperishable Brahman, for
there 1s no spacein all the three periods of time
where Brahman is not. Even the smallest thing
cannot but exist, and Existence is Brahman. Brahman
is axtremely subtle, for It pervades andis immanent
in everything for everything is Brahman! The Sruti
says: "Heis Brahma, Heis Indra, He is Prajapati,
He is all gods, (He is) all these five elements . ......-
all this 1¢ guided by Consciousness, is based on
Consciousness. The world is guided by Conscious-
ness. Consciousness is its basis Consciousness is
Brahman."
Brahman 1s Infinite, for It pervades all and is the
being of all. It is greaterthan the greatest because
the greatest 1s only a part-manifestation of it A
thing is greatest only in the relative phenomenal
‘sense and it is not greatest from the point of view of
Brahman which transcends everything. The Rigveda
says, ‘Having covered up all the world, It stretches
ten cubits above’. This is only to show that Brah-
man pervades and covers up all that is here and is
beyond everything. Brahman is the Great Expansion
andis the Entirety of Being. Hence there cannot
be anything greater than Brahman which 1s the
greatest, the All,
Brahman is nearer than the nearest and farther
than the farthest of things. ‘'Taddoore Tadvantike"
(Isa Up. V). The thirsty aspirant feels the presence
of Brahman alone in his own being and hence to
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA re
him Brahman is not only the nearest but is his very
existence itself. ‘Ayamatma Brahma" (Ait. Up.
IlI-3) “This Selfis Brahman“. Brahman is the Self
of everything. Hence it is the nearest
Brahman is farther to those who are worldly-mind.
ed. Worldly persons perceive only physical bodies
and cannot cognise the presence of the All-pervading
Essence. They doubt the existence ofthe super-
physical being and search for that Great Being in
the external world This leads to atheism inthem,
and soit is equal to Its being far, far from their reach.
They get births after births and roll in the meshes
of Samsara due to gross ignorance ofthe Nature of
the Absolute Brahman. They remain in that state of
misery until the dawn of Wisdom of the Self. The
farness of Brahman is indicated by Its Infiniteness
Brahman is Illimitable, Indivisible, and hence, to
express in relative word, is farther than the farthest,
“Brahman is Truth, Intelligence, Infinity’’ (Taitt. Up.
If-1).
Brahman cannot be comprehended through the
mind and the senses. The mind and the senses have
atendency to objectification and losing conscious-
ness of the subjective existence. Existence is an
absolute identity of the subjective and the objective
states of Consciousness in one, an indivisible one-
ness ofthe cogniser and the cognised, together with
cognition. The One Existence, ina mysterious way,
divides Itself apparently as the cogniser, cognition
and the congised, but so long as there 18 this apparent
diffierence of perception, etc, there is no hope of
72 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Liberation frem bondage. Unconscious identity
{asin deep sleep) is ofno use for the purpose of
Salvation. There should be a conscious Unity or
Absoluteness of Existence, and this consciousness
ia that of Moksha or Liberation, though, in the case
of certain special beings, there may be the sense
of “being” or ''Self-consciousness*‘ This ig the
‘ase with the great beings, Brahma, Vishnu
aud Siva, with prefect Avataras like Krishna and
‘gages like Vasishtha, who do not loss consciousness
of their identity with Brahman in any Condition. They
‘are, therefore, not bound beings hike men and oather
ereatures whodo not possess consciousnesss of such
‘'anidentity The minds and the senses of the bound
‘ones run outward being extrovert in nature, and
hence are incapable of experiencing Brahman, the
Subjective Infinity. Brahman cannot be percsived
by the outgoing gross mind. When there is cessation
from objectification, there is Realisation of Brahman-
Consciousness and Bliss! Brahman cannot be “per-
ceived’ but can only be “expsrienced ‘* Itis not an
object of cegnition. That is why the mind and the
senses which are the instruments of perception do
not hold good in the Realisation of Brahman. “Not
by speech, not by mind, not by sight can He be
apprehended" (Katha Up. VI. 12).
But a pure beart with a subtle intellect can under-
stand Brahman. ‘‘By the mind, indeed, is this to be
attained.” (Katha Up IV 11). The faculty of reason-
ing through the subtle intellect has got very close
affinities with the Essential Inner Nature "“Vijnanam
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 73
Brahmeti Vyajanat' (Taitt. Up. III. 5). “The intellect
was known to be Brahman.’ The intellect is a form
of the power of mentation itself, only witha different
name, having a different function to perform, but it
must not be forgotten that the intellect is the subtle
aspect of the otherwise gress power of cogitation.
It is subtler than the gross mind, subtler than
amotions and movements in the physical plane of
life. That is why ‘Jnana’ paves the way for a very
quick process of realising the Truth, better than the
other aspects of the mind namely, action and
emotion. But this is not a common rule, and on tha
other hand, Jnana is a special gift to a being acquired
through strenuous efforte since births innumerable.
But subtler and truer as it is than all phenomenal
experiences, ‘Jnana’ is the direct Intuition of the
Absolute, where reasoning has no worth whatever,
which is the opening out of the Soul to its real
Nature from its Jivahood. ‘Jnana’ thus, is the bold
and independent method of realising the Absolute
thrcugh ratiocination and discrimination! Yoga that
wants nothing whatscever, that wants not even to
move in the slightest manner, having realised the
futility of all that seems to exist, 1s attained through
the practice of the four means; Discrimination,
Renunciation, Tranquillity, Self-restraint, Cessation
from activity, Fortitude, Faith, Concentration and
intense longing for Liberation from bondage. The
Fnan: does not act, does not pray, but affirms his own
Absolute Being, Intelligence and Bliss, having found
no meaning in anything that happens here, This
74 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Strength to affirm the Reality comas only to one who
is purified in heart and will, and not to one who 1s
passionate and greedy, egoistic and proud! Without
proper preparation for this kind of practice, one
should feel he 1s walking along the edge of a sharp
gword or a razor, if he dares to affirm the Reality !
Only chivalrous aspirants with a purified heart, with
universal vision of equanimity towards all beings,
with perfect dispassion for things of this and the
other world, with a strong will, can dare to step into
the Path of Wisdom- Meditation (Jnana Yoga) Others
have to weep afterwards if they iqnorantly try to
practise Jnana-Ycga without first getting established
in Viveka, Vairagya, Shadsampat and Mumukshutwa.

The grace and instructions of a Brahma-Srotriya

and Brahma-Nishtha Guru is important for starting
the Practice of Wisdom Meditations The Guru
should initiate the aspirant into the highest mystery
of Existence, namely, the identity of the subjective
consciousness with the Objective or the Absolute,
through instruction of the great sentence of Identity
enunciated in the Chhandogya Upanishad, “Tat Twam
Asi,“ "That thou art,’ declaring that Brahman and
Atman are One in Essence ‘For the seke of this
Knowledge let him go, fuelin hand, to a Spiritual
Teacher who is learned in the scriptures and esta-
blished on Brahman‘ (Mund Up I 2-12) “Acharya.
van Purusho Veda‘’ (Chha. Up VI 142) “One witha
Preceptor knows the Truth of Brahman. "Sucha
knowing Teacher, to one who has approached pro-
perly, whose thought is tranquillised, who haa
 SIVANANDA VIDYA 75
reached peace, teaches in its very truth that Know-
ledge of Brahman whereby one kaows the Imperish-
able, the Purushe, the Reality. (‘‘Mund. Up.I 2-13)
“Know that (Knowledge) by long prostration, by
question and service; tha wise who have realised
the Truth will instruct thee in that Knowledge"
(Bhag. Gita IV-34), Thus do the Srutis and the Smritis
declare the importance of getting initiated by an
able Guru or Spiritual Preceptor into the Truth of
Brahma Jnana Without it, the aspirant is likely to
be misled in the advanced stages of Sadhana, and he
is therefore prone to downfall This fact is well
illustrated in the fourteenth Kbhanda of the Sixth
chapter of the Chhandogya Upanishad. The iastruc-
tions of an experienced Person guide the aspirant
along the precipitous path to Final Liberation.

Khanda III
The Vision cf a Sage and Worldly Mian.
Brahman alone is the Reality. ‘Sarvam Brahma,‘
“All this {that appears) 1s Brahman’ (Chh. Up.
Ili. 14. 1). Aliso, ‘Brahman, the Immortal is bsfore,
Brahman behind, to right and to left, stretched forth
below and above, Brahman, indeed, is this whole
world, this widest extent’'(Mund Up [1.2 11). Tha
Liberated Sages seas Brahman only everywhere, for
“everything is Brahman‘ (Mand Up IT) He does not
perceive the manifold world in all the three periods
oftime Even Time and space vanish from his ex-
perience. He experiences only the Infinite Bliss fo
Brahman Partiteness or divisibility of the One
76 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Existence is realised to be unreal by the wise
knower, “Ekam Sad Vipraa Bahudhaa Vadanti"
(Rigveda), ‘‘The One Truth, the wise diversely speak
of’ “All is Brahman alone, the Singla,‘’ says
Dattatreya in his Avadhoota-Gita, “I do not perceive
anything else! I am the Imporsonal Formless Abso-
lute. I am all-pervading in my very essential
Nature!" All this is mere “Satchidananda‘ or Exis-
tence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute That is the Only
Reality. All else is false,is a mere phentasmagoria
arisen in the mind! Thisis the truth The Libsiated
Sage, the Jivanmukta experiences this Infinite Joy
and is no more bound by Karma or Maya
But the worldly man, the Jiva attached to intense
objectification, stuck up to gross sensuality and acti-
vity, perceives only the physical world and the physi-
cal body bereft of Spiritual Consciousnees. Thereby
he gets himself bound to werld-cycles and suffers
from the bondage of Samsara He dogs not know how to
get permanent Bliss The names and forms which are .
only false appearances are taken to be absolutely
real, and thus the man of Pravritti or external orjec-
tive vision rolls in the miserable mire of delusion and
attachment Heis caught by the force of attraction
repulsion and he becomes a slaveto the passiozs of
the world! These worldly forces bind manto delu-
ded indulgences in sensual objects which give moa-
mentary delusive pleasure to his nervous sichings,
and act as a great bar to Absolute Independence He
is compelled by forces of objectivity to deny the
existence of Brahman altugather and thus fall deaper
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 77
and deeper into the abyss of Ignorance and suffering.
Knowledge of Brahman, therefore, is the only potent
medicina for the disease of ignorance,

Khanda IV
Superimposition (Adhyasa)
Adhyasa or superimposition is mistaking one
thing fer another through delusion The mirage in
the desert is a common phenomenon experienced by
many a traveller in deserts The murage presents
not only the falxe presence of water but also build-
ings meadows and mansions with cattle grazing in it
This kind of appearance has deceived not a few, who
through ignorance of the unreality of the murage-
water, run after 1t, taking 1t for a reality and get dis-
appointed in their pursuit They then realise that
what appeared to be a big reservoir of water and an
oasis is only a dazzling of sun's rays on the bed of
hot sand, aad not real water er place of recreation
In a similar manner, the ignorant and the childish do
not realise that this multifarious world with count-
less creatures, mobile and immobile, living therein
(consciously and unconsciously), innumerable
objects of attraction and manifold sceneries, is only
an appearance, a dazzling as 1t were, of the Light of
Absolute Consciousness reflected through Maya ort
the Great Divine Ulusion! Man searches after plea-
sure, runs after the varigated objects that he per-
ceives inthis world, runs after son, gold, women,
land, name, fame, learning and beauty! He fattens
his ego through anger generated by extreme longing
78 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
for objects cf the senses, infatuated lowe or deluded
attachment for objects of indulgence; This 1s
because man takes this world and its contents to be
real just as the traveller in the deserts takes the
mirage to be real. Wise men with deep Spirntual
Experience realise the utter falsity of this great uni-
verse of diverse appearances, know it as a mere
appearance of the Supreme Brahman in Its Infinite
Glory ard do not run after the objects of the world,
just as the experienced traveller who had enough
experience of the mirage in the degart, fully knows
later on that what appears is only the dazzling of the
Sun's rays on the bed of sand, and does not once
more run after the mirage thinking it is a real
meadow with a tank full of good water. The names
and forms which this world is made up of are only
as real as the mirage in the desert; there is only
Asti, Bhat, Priya or Satchidananda in reality! Igqno-
rance of the true nature of this existence leada to
greai misery, but a knowledge of the fact that all
this world and its centents form only the Being of
Brahman, the Sat Chid-Ananda, liberates one from
the bordcege of birth and death, grief and delusion !
This phenomenon ig also analogized by the misery
and suffering caused by mistaking a rope for a snake
intwiligkt. The man treads upon a rope lying on
the way at twilight and immediately jumps in fear
thinking 1f 18 a poisonous snake, His heart throbs
rapidly and he cries outin fear But when a friend
of bis brings a light if is found to be not a
snake but only a rope. Then ail his fears vanish,
 SIVANANDA- VIDYA 79
he becomes once again happy. In the same
manner, this entire existence, which is only Brahman
in reality, 15 wrongly perceived to be diverse
and divided Tha objects of this world are
not really true by themselves, their truth les
inthe fact that they are only Brahman in essence.
Man suffers in this world because he mistakes the
unreal manifold phenomena projected out by Illusion
to be real existence. The light shown by the Guru
or the Spiritual Teacher helps the aspirant to know
that what he perceives is not really a diverse world,
but the Indivisible Brahman in Its Infinite Glory
appearing! The Guru initiates the spiritual aapirant
into the mystery of the Absolute Reality, namely,
the “Abheda Bodha-Vakya" of “'“Tat-Twam-Agi,"
“That thou art,". and thus the aspirantis enabled to
meditate on the Great Truth! Then all his fears
terminate, he is immersed once for allin Eternal
Joy |!He practises Manana and Nididhyasana and
experiences the Blissful Nature of Brahman which
isthe One Undivided Essence of Consciousness!
The world of names and forms does not exist,

Khanda V
Happiness is in Atma only
The feeling of pleasure experienced by the senses
and the ego does not lie in the objects of perception
It isa reflection ofthe Bliss of the Atma inside.
The Jiva projects the power of objectification called
the mind and perceives the diverse world outside
It searches for its prey inthe external world and
 SIVANANDA.- VIDYA Bi
Fullness. There is Perfection, ThereisJoy. There
is Bliss | Brahman or Atma is the Fullness of Intell:-
gence-Bliss, the very being and embodiment of it !

Khanda Vi
Brahman is both Material and Efficient Cause

Brahman 1s the only Reality. There is no

substance out of which Brahman can create the
world, because there is nothing which is not Brahman.
If Brahman should create a world, he cannot but
project Himself out asa differentiated entity. So
Brahman becomes the material cause of the world.
But the agent who shapes and works out the world
is Brahman Himself. So Brahma is the Efficient
Cause of the world. But Brahman alone is appear-
ing as the world and there is no separate existence
called wcerld. So Brahman becomes the fictitious
cause of the world. The problem of creationisa
very complicated one andthe Upanishads speak of
it variously. At a place the Upanishad says that
the world comes out of Brahman as thread comea
out {from the mouth of a spider, as trees emerge ont
from the earth as hair grows onthe human body!
(Mund. Up I. 1.7!:. This would perhaps suggest
that the world is areal creation of Brahman, that
there isa real change inthe Body of Brahman, and
that at least in form the world is distinct from
Brahman. But at another place the, Upanishad saya
that there is nothing diverse here (Brh. Up. IV, 4,
19), that allthis is Brahman (Mand. Up. If) Here it
is clear that there isno real creation, but itis only
82 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
an appearance, a Vivarta. The creation of the world
by Brahman is compared to the creation, of a mirage
by the sun, which 19 not areal creation but only a
false appearance The Yoga-vasishtha says that the
world 1s not a creation I:ke a thread from the spider's
mouth or a tree from the earth, by only like a dream
created by the mind, and the mirage created by the
gun. The worldis only a dazzling of Ccnsciousness
and not an actual projection out of Brahman. Projec-
tion necessitates change, but Brahman 1s changeless
Brahman is actionless, and Hence He cannot be the
Efficient Cause also. Brahman is Indivisible and
hence He cannot be the Material Cause. Brahman
is only the apparent Cause or the Vivarta Karana
just as the sun is the cause of the mirage in the
desert. Divine Sages like Dattatreya and undaunted
knowers hke Goudapada contend that there is no
world at all, that thereis no such thing as creation,
that allis Brahman only appearing in Its own Glory!
This seems to be the most perfect view of all, since
it solves ail problems of life and puts an end to all
logic and argumentation. There is no more doubt.
It 1s the highest Truth and the most difficult to
understand for the worldly man. Suck a noble decla-
ration of the Reality can be grasped only by advanced
and well-purified aspirants and not by a novice in
the spiritual path.

Brahman is not affected by the appearance of the

world, just as the sun 1s not affected by the
appearance ofthe mirage orthe defect of the eye.
 SIVANANDA.-VIDYA 3
The question of efficient and material causes is only
inthe preliminary stages of spiritual Sadhana and
in the advanced stages tha curiosity to kaow the
problem of création vanishes, for one realises that
Brahman alone ia all, that there is nothiag actually
created Everythingis only an appearance, and not
a matter for the purpose of cause and etiact. The
relative plane presents a great and unsolvable
problem of creation, preservation aad destruction
of the world, of Karma, Effort, Grace, Dastiny, and
the like, but the wise knower does not find any
meaning in such a theory atall. To him there is no
such thing as creation, there is only the Glory of
Brahman, the Great, the Infinite the Eternal, the
Blise of Consciousness! Such a Knowledoea is not
easy to obtain, it comes through the passage of time
—"Kalenatmani Vindati'’ (Gita, IV 38). Everybody
should strive his utmost to obtain that Great Know-
ledge, it is the only thing dear to all. the Goal of all
faiths and all religions !

Khanda VII
Brahman is Unattached

This Nature of Brahman is already explained in

the previous Khanda. Brahman is not attached to
creating, preserving and destroying the world just
as aman is attached to sustaining ard beautifying
his body. Itis argued to ceztain philosophars that
cieation is due tothe remnant of Jivas left even
after dissolution of the world, whose KRarmas have
mot yet fiuetified into experience, and that the
 th,

84 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
collective force of their Karmas tends to creating a
world for another tims, for purpose of their objective
experiences. This istrus only with respsctto the
grosser Jivas. Brahman is not depsadent on Karma,
He is unattached! Karma is only a creation of the
mind and carries no meaning by itself. A peison
who meditates on the Indivisible Brahman perceives
no such thing as the law of Karma. The Law of cause
and effect, Karma and bondage is only a network of
delusion inthe realmofMaya lithe sun is attached
to and suffers from the existence of the mirage in
the desert, then, Brahman also would be affected by
and attached to the existence of the world! The
world is Brahman only shining Hence there is no
question of Brahman's being attached to anything.
There is nothing existent, other than Brahman, hence
there isno meaning in Brahman's being attached
Brahman is not an egoistic entity and therefore there
1g not even the possibility of its being attached io
anego. Man, if not attached tothe objects of the
external world, may be attached io his owa body;
and evenif he has renounced the attachment for
his physical body, he may very likaly be attached to
his ego, the Ahamkara Tattwa which keeps up his
individuality in tact. The working of the ego can-
not be cognised or understood easily, foritia the
very being of the individual personality But Brah-
manis Existence itself and not an ego It there.
fore, cannot be attached. Brahman is the Absolute.
It is also possible to content that creation is due
to the remnant of the Karmas in the remaining Jivas
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 85
for, after all, it ismot impossible to think that Brah-
man is the collective homogeneous bsing and cons-
cicusness of innumerable appearances of egos.
It is also questioned whether the Entirety of Being
is not thus affected by Illusion! For, Salvation is
only individual, te which particular liberated ago,
the Infinite Existence is revealed as it really is, and
not a whole-sale Emancipation for all the countless
Jivas living. For, then, creation would have an end,
which 1s netthe case, really. Creation is begin-
ningless andendless This is clear proofto show
that coming, being and vanishing are simultaneous
and all these can happen at one and the same point
in space. This mystery can be grasped only by
subtle a-d pure intellects, through the knowledge of
which, thera 1s an instantanesus cessation from
activity, and there is Illimitable Joy which the mind
and the senses know not. Such as those wh») are
able to comprehend the meaning of this secret of
existence are really fit to practise Vedantic Medita-
tions. Others havea only to grope in darkness in
spite of erudilionand vast scriptural study It is
not all among philosophic students that can
understand the subtle truth of existence, and
progress in Wisdom-Meditations without obstruc,
tion. To realiss the Planum or fullness of Existence
oae has to struggle very earnestly too.

The Atma in the individual body is identical with

Brahmas or the Supreme Soul projecting the uni-
verse at large. The identity of the individual and
the cosmos and the identity of the Atma with
86 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Brahman is very well illustrated in the Yogavasistha.
Each individual is a cogmos to further smaller
individuals living init andeach Atma is Brahman
only immanent in eyerything. The idea of individual
and the ccsmos is only due to difference in the
power of cognition latent in every living being.
A big tree which stretches above man's head up to
hundreds of feet appears to be a tiny piece of grass
when looked at from a far off high mountain or hill
So whatis the real nature of the tree? When you
look at a mountain from hundreds of miles away you
think you can easily scale across the mountain with
one step above it. Butitis some miles high truth.
The eye is always deceptive. Similar is the mind.
It deceives the individual continuously until the
dawn of Knowledge. To man the worldisa very
large body and real existence. But to smaller or-
ganisms living in his body heis himself avery big
cosmos, In this manner, the Yogavasishtha says
there are worlds. within worlds adinfinitum.
Hence it is clear that the individual and
cosmos are only in conceplion that being is
really indivisible and homogeneous, and _ that
in truth they are one and the same only
bearing two names empiricaliy. It is proved there-
fore as corollary that Atmais identical with Brahman
and go Atma is also unattached and is existent every
where, though mysterious phenomenon in Brahman
Itself appears as many.
Khanda VIII. - Qualifications of an Aspirant
The necessity for the four means of Sadhana was
 SIVANANDA.VIDYA 87
sxplained in Khanda ll The aspirant should realise
the ultimate unity of the paths of selfless service,
devotion, Yoga and Jnana. A person who hates any
methedis not really wise All paths ars different
of real Knowledge When there is real understanding
all paths are found to be ons. The wise man does
not find any meaning in the differance among names
and actions The whole world of names, forms and
actions 1s an intimate Unity for the wise Knower.
“Brahmaitadhi Sarvani Namani Roopani Karmani
Bibbarti’ (Brih Up 1-6, 1-3), “Brahman alone puts on
various names, forms and actions."
The following sentences af the Upanishads extol
Karma Yoga "Even doing desds here, one should
desire to live a hundred years, thus on thee, not
otherewise than this, the deed doses not adhere on
man.” (Isa Up. II) One should give (in charity) with
faith’’, etc. (Taitt. Up I. ii 2)
Thus Bhaktiis oxtclled in the Upanishads: ‘‘He
whom the Self choesesz, by him the Selif can be
gained" (Katha U p. 11.23) “Through the grace of
the Lord one beholds the glory of the Self" (Katha
Up TI 20). “With a golden vessel the Real's face
is covered over. That Thou, O Pushan, uncover for
one whose law is tha Real to see’ (Isa Up. XV).
"For the sake of Knowledge. let him go to a Spuiritual
Teacher’ (Mund. Up. 1.228) “Let him obtain
Immortality through singing......... Stotra’' etc. (Coh.
U p I1.22.2).
Yoga also is extolled in the Upanishads ‘The
firm contro] of the sanza3 they regard as Yoga”
 88 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
(Katha Up. VI.1:) “Speak the Truth....o....practise
Virtue...neglect not the study of the Vedas (Yama,
Niyama)", ete. (Taitt. Up. Lliii). “There are a
hundred and one channels of the heart, One of
these passes up to the crown ofthe head. Going up
by it, one goes to Immortality’' (Cch. Up VIII.6.6).
Then the highest Jnana is declared in the Upa-
nishads: ‘'By the Lord is all this enveloped" (Isa Up.
I). “Brahman is this All‘’ (Mand. Up II, Mund.
Up. 122.11) ‘‘Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, In-
finity’’ (Taitt. UpIli). “Whoever knows ‘I am
Brahman‘ becomes this All‘ (Brih Up. 1 4.10). ‘Veri-
ly, all this is Brahman'(Cch.Up. IJ1.141)). "Thou
art That''(Cch Up. VI.16 3), etc.
Hence it is clear that selfless service for the
removal of impurity and purification of the heart,
service of Guru‘ Japa, Kirtana, Upasana for removal
of distraction in the mind and making it tranquil,
dispassion, reflection, enquiry, etc., for purpose of
attaining Knowledge have to be practised. The
eternal words of the Srutis are not lop-sided
because they speak of the Supreme Truth which is
Ideal Porfection. The Upanishads are intutional
’ revelations and hence, do not fall short of the all-
round approach that may be tried by various kinds
of temperaments towards the realisation of the
Ultimate Goal of life, which is an embodiment of all
things here, an aggregate of all selves, the All-
inclusive Brahman! The various virtues enumerated
in the thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavadgita as
real Wisdom have to be very carefully cultivated if
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA &&
one would wish to have purificatian of the hea-t and
dawn of Wisdom thereby. fer the gseke of Kaif.
Realisation,

All virtues pave the way to realisation but ace

not ends by themselvs. One should not, therefore,
attach himself too much to certain kirds of
habits like the se called Vairagya ard hat:ag
of the world Lop sided development tends to
downfall and misery Virtues like love, com-
passion, mercy, kindness, dispission are all
preliminary requisites and not the ultimate ends
of life. A man attached to renunciation has no
time to think of the sublime truths of existence and
hence wastes his life in false meditation on renun-
ciation. Attachment to unreal things leans to
spiritual downfall inthe long run. Just as athorn
stuck inthe legis removed by another thorn and
then both the thorns are thrown cut, evil qualities
have to be removed by virtuous qualities like love,
dispassion, and renunciation, but both hava to be
renounced in course of tims. Sri Dattatreya says
in his Avadhoota Gita that at first the world
should be renounced, and then the subtle desire has
to he renounced aid finally the idea of renunciation
itself has to be renounced, “Renounce renunciation”
says the Yoqgavasishtha too. Even forces like mercy,
love, compassion and Vairagya are only forces of
objectivity in the realm of Maya and will bind one
to rebirth when not nutlised with discrimination.
One should not get attached to such objective
force3, though apparently they seem to be superior
90 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
virtuous qualities. Virtue and vice are creations
ofthe mind and are not real entities Goodness
differs from man to man, from place to place, from
time to time, and from one condition to another
condition. Eternal Bliss is not a fruit of one-sided
development, it is attained through a Unification
of everythig here through balance and equanimity,
through all-inclusivenesg and positive affirmation
of Absoluteness. After all every quality is an
objective force and has to be finally renounced.
Allthe qualities should get fusedin the realm of
the Absolute and the wise man stands tranqul,
without any change whatsoever. Goodness, renun-
Ciation and indifference to external modifications
are only an outward sign of inward Wisdom and
do not constitute wisdom by themselves. Renun-
ciation and other virtues should be involuntary and
unconscious qualities and not qualities forced upon
the self against 1ts modifications, The desire or ths
taste for objects should be unknownto man. Then
he is said to be established in the Great! A brahmin
does not cara to think about meat and wine, and it
is not the effest of forced renunciation. It is the
very nature of the brahminto pay indifference to
meatand wine. Similar should be tks attitude of
the wise man towards the world Ho has not to brush
aside ths world from his vision, ha has simply to for-
gat that there is any such thing as the world. This
is trne wisdom

To know the the real meaningof Spiritual Sadhana

is not poss.ble forthe majority of the aspirants. Galy
 SIVANANDA-VIDYA 91
afew blessed persons grasp the true meaning and
purpose of renunciation, virtue, penance, goodness,
intelligence, etc. Marvellous is the Spiritual Pathi
Mysterious are its ways! Only fortunate souls can
understand what real Spirituality is! Only highly
advanced souls know the meaning of it.

Khanda IX.
Kaivalyam.
Kaivalyam or Moksha is the G.al of life. Itis
Absolute Independence, full of Bliss without decay.
In Kaivalya-Mukti or Final Emancipation there is
only the Glory of Existence-knowledge-Bliss, there
is Absoluteness of Being. Thereis noteven such
thing Powerreally, for Power implies separatenneas
and objectivity which is a limitation. Perfection is
attained only in Absolute Independence, which is
attainable through the knowledge of the Supreme
Brahman, the only Real Existence, This is attained
-either through ‘Sadyo Mukti‘ or ‘K:amaMukti’. sadyo-
muktiis Immediate Salvation whereas Kramamukti
is progressive Salvation. Sadycmukti Is attained
only by Jnanis but Upasakas and Bhaktas attain the
same through KramaMukti. <A Jnani realises that
there is nothing here except Brahuan everywhere
and hence his Pranas do not depart to any place, for
place does not exist for the Jnani. Atl is Indivisible
Saichidananda and hencs where ie spaca to move?
Therefore, there is no departure anywhere. The
Bribadaranyaka Upanishad says: ‘He who is without
desize, who is freed from desire whose desire is
G2 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
satisfied, whose desire is the Self,—his Pranas
(breaths) do not depart. He being Brahman
Itself, becomes Brahman‘’ (Bnh Up IV.4 6)
“They (Pranas) are gathered together right there
«the breaths do not go out from the dead
man (Joani)'' (Brih Up III.2.11) This is the glori-
ous way of Sadyomukti or Immediate Emancipation.
The jnani does not perceive any object and hen¢e
becomes Brahman instantaneously.
But in the case of the qipasaka performing
worships and meditations and the Bhakta performing
austerities for the purpose of purification aud trying
to get higher worlds, the Srutis declare: “They
who practise austerity and faith in the forest, the
peaceful knowers who live on alms, depart passion-
less through the door of the sun to where is that
Immortal Person, the Imperishable Spirit'' (Mund.
Up 1211) They go to Brahmaloka and then
attain Faivalya Mukti The Bhakta loves an objeciive
Being, the blissful region of his Ishta, the immortal
region of his favourite God, or something which 1s
highly superphysical Buta Jnoani does no! desire
for any such thing, for, to him, the seat of Immorta-
lity 19 here and now, which 1s the All
Mukiti:zs nota thing to be attained somewhere
outside Tt is notfar away to be obtained after
much search and enquiry It 1s the very being
of everything and everything is That
oaly "Thou art That''(Cch up vi 16 3) 12 the
eternal Truth All this 1s Brahmanin the three
Period: of tima Thsre ia no such thing as bondags
 SIVANANDA.-VIDYA 93
wt
-

and suffering Thisis the Truth But one has toke

conscious of this fact This, empirically, is called
Liberation Allare Brahman only in reality But
none knows that he is Brehman To know that is
Final Emancipation Liberation is not getting some-
thing whichis not here at hand, itis only a ‘’Sslf-
Realisation’, i.e, knowing the Self fully asit really
is. Thisis done through the removal cof uncons-
ciousness or Ajnana which event takes place through
the passage of time in the form of personal exertion,
external aid, or automatic illumination through exha-
usticn of past Karmas.
Khanda X
Method of Meditation

There are, according tothe Yogavasishtha, three

kinds of Wisdom Meditations. The first thing is
called ‘Brahmabhavana' or feeling that everything
-s Brahman, that there is no such thing as ‘other than
Brahman’, that Brahman alone exists, and so, that
one 1s the Immortal Brahman, the Infinite Existence.
The second method is ‘Padartha-bhavana-tyaga‘ or
renunciation of the idea that things which we see
are mere material objects, ie., affirmation of the fact
that what seem to be physical wozlda and bodies are
really the Supreme Scul, the Brahman alone appear-
ing and hence that one is Brahman Itself. The third
is ‘Kevala-bhava’ or feeling that the subject is
identical with the object, that there is no such thing
as subject and object, that the individual 1s identical
with the Supreme, a.d hence that oneis the Abso-
94 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
lute Independent Brahman. Here is explained the
method of meditation through Brahmabhavana which
is the most advanced sort of meditation, superior to
all others.
“Tam the all-blissful blessed Siva or Brahman.
Tam the source of the graat Omkaranada. I am
Immortal, for Iam everything, this All! I cannot
die for Iam Timeless and Spaceless. [am Brahman,
the Infinite. Iamthe Absolute Existsence, which
is of the very Nature of Supreme Awareness (Con-
sciousness), the Indivisibie Mass of Bliss, the One
Essence, without beginning, middle or end. Iam
Eternal, pure perfect, Free and Unattached! I alone
exist everywhere at all times. All is myself, lam
the All. There is nothing except myself. I am
Brahman which is Absolute Intelligence. There is
enly one Being which is neither individual nor
cosmic. But is Absolute. There is only ore In-
finity of Bliss and Knowledge without objecttifica-
tion, consciousness without thought. Iam perfect
Bliss-Absolute.
This Meditation will lead to Absolute Realisation
of the Supreme Brahman. This is the quintessence of
the Kevala-Adwaita-Vedanta or Brahma-Vidya. This
isthe Absolute Truth. This is all. This is everything.
Kveryone should try to attain this. Peace be to All!
Thus ends the glorious Siva-Viddya or the sciences
ofthe Supreme Brahman! OM |!
 CHAPTER FOUR
THE WAY OF MEDITATION
 Section I

WITHDRAWAL FROM MULTIPLICITY

Self-restraint is the opposite of self-expressicn.

The latter tends towards Pravritt: or life in the
varigated Samsara, and the former leads to the
Highest Integration through Nivritti or stepping
back to Truth. The creative diversifying power 1s
turned inand sublimated into the spiritual splen-
dour. The withdrawal from multiplicity and
centring oneself in Unity is effected through
self-restraint which is the austere transformation
of the creative objective force into the conscious
Power that causes the blossoming of the sense
of individual finitude into the expanse of objectleas
consciousness Variety is the meaning of mani-
festation. Every individual force is a copy of the
limitless creative force and the natural tendency
of this energy is to move towards the creation af
multiplicity. This is the reason why the control of
the action of creativity is found to be difficult in
the case of those who are tied to individual physi.
cality. An individual finds it hard to properly
direct the cosmic habit unless he takes recourse to
process of Spiritual Realization. A spiritual Sadhaka
goes to the source of this objectified erergy and
compel the force to diffuse itself in the semes
Ground-Noumenon. A person who has let looses
the flow of the creative force gets entangled in the
process of multiple-creation and ever remains away
from the knowledge of the Non-Dual Truth of his
93 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
Eternal Seif This is the ioo0t background of the
universal eth.ca that self-control is imperative {oa
seeker after the Absolute Reality
Theee who have discriminatively grasped the
epixitual character cf human iife refrain from the
instinctive practice of selfi-multipleation and
devote themselves to the glorious task of directing
the potential energy to conszious contemplation
on the Spiritual Ideal through tha iziple transforma.
tion of the active emotional and intellectual aspects
of the general human nature Such integrated
parsons possess a mighty power of undeistanding,
analysis and meditation The Cchandogya Upanishad
says that when purity and Sattwa are increased,
there 1s a generation of immense memory which
paves the w.y to the shatterina open of the knot of
self. The most intricate technic of the art of
Self realization is mastered by the genius of an
austere who has learnt to expand his formative
power into the plenitude of limitless life. Such
austere spiritual beings glow with the lustrous
spiritual strength which handles with ease even the
most formidable of the diversifying forces of nature.
Fear is unknown to them and their divinised
energy is centred in ths Self to he utilised in trans-
cending the realm of the ego-sanse. They establish
themselves in the unbroken vow of leaping over
phenomenon into the Heart of Existence. Such is
the giory of self-restraint! :
The control cf the objective instincts is the
preparation for world-renunciation in the quest of
 WITHDRAWAL FROM MULTIPLICITY 93
the Ultimate Essence. An abadonment of earthly
nature effected by a distaste for particularities
js what marks the character of a true austere
Sadhbaka Heshould not enter the household, for,
his path leads to Unity and not to the creative social
activity. Alone and unfriended should he carry on
the duty of Self-integration through unceasing
selflessness and remebrance of the Divine Ideal.
Selflesa service polishes the self and rubs the ego
and thus renders the person fitfor the higher life
of Dhyana ard Brahma-Chintana. A cutting off
from acquaintance with relatives is necessary, fer,
Nivritti-Marga does not allow of any transient
connections.

FITNESS FOR WISDOM

One who is fit for receiving Wisdom of the Self
shall receive it ‘in due time’ Self effort and
passage of time work simultansculsy and one
cannot be distinguished {irom the other, for Frovi-
dence and Personal exertion cannot be separated
as they both work simultaneously and aze inter-
dependent. Rather, these ara only two names for
one and the same force of action.
Sri Sankaracharya had already exhorted that
ene has to undergo the disciplinary sisses of
Viveka, Vairagya, Sama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha,
Sraddha, Samadhana, and Mumukshutva hefoze
getting initiated into the mystery of Existence.
One should not be initiated into the Truth of the
Absolute unless he is foucd 121. d2 -loped in all
100 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
these qualities. Nowadays, generally we fird that
aspirants do not have a strong desire for Liberation.
They may have a ray of Viveka and Vairagya of a
mild variety. But it is very cifficult to find an
aspirant who cares for nothing but final Emancipa-
tion, who treats the whole world and its contents
as mere straw, who meditates incessantly upon
how to attain Salvation from embodied existence.
It is not easy to understand the meaning of Libera-
tion How canit be possible for raw men of the
world to realise the nullity of earthly existence
and of worldly activities ? Even advanced
aspirants sometimes have got a strong desire for
doing something wonderful in this woild, something
_which none has dune before. Such people cannot
have a real desire for Iiberation. And snch
people are unfit for receiving Brahma Vidya It1s
only the Uttama-Adhikari, the best qualified, who
cares for nothing, who is totally indilfferant to the
ways of the world, who is ever silent and serene due
to the dawn of proper knowledge, who is ever the
game among the diverse men of the world, who is
undisturbed by the distracted activity of the world,
who is calm and peaceful, who has withdrawn him-
self from the bustle of life, who cares not for
either death or life, who is unmindful of what is
happening in the world, who is careless towards
either this or that, that is really fit to receive
the Ultimate wisdom of the Absolute! Even if
there is the slightest desire lurking inside other than
forthe Realization of the Absolute, that man will
 WITHDRAWAL FROM MULTIFLICITY 101
not be able to comprehend the true import of the
Vedantic instruction by the Spiritual Teacher
(Preceptor) He will have thousand doubts and
distractions in the mind which will entirely pull bim
down from Vedantic Meditation. A person should
desire for nothing else, than the Realisation of
Brahman There should be no other thought thro.
ughout the day than of the way of attaining Self-reali.
gation. Every thought, every speech, every action,
nay, every breath of the person should illustrate the
method of Realising the Absolute. Sucha person
is fit to receive Vedantic Wisdom.

GUIDE TO MEDITATION

Meditation is the contring of the force of thoucht

on the highest conception of the ideal to he
attained. Hence meditation starts with a belief in
the realtiy of a dual existence, for, without such a
faith in duality, meditation lapses into a statis of the
faculty of thinking and contemplation becomes im-
possible. Meditation starts with duality and ends in
the Glorious Consciousness of the Unity of Lite
A belief inthe degrees of truth and reality in
being is neceesitated by the fact that the whole
universe is a gradual materialisation of the Highest
Brahman Itself. A completely transcendent being
unconnected with the meditator is impossible to be
reached. Truth is immanent too. The object of
m@ditation is very closely connected with the
meditator aad exists as his very essence and henecs
the possibility of the realisation of the Infinite The
102 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
wcsid 1s to be made use of asastepinthe ladder of
ascent to the Glory of Transcendsnial Spiritual
Perfection

The espirazt 18, thus, lead to the obvious fact

that the existing forces of nature are to be made
friends with and utilised as helps in spiritual
Meditation One cannot easily deny the differences
existing among the hard earth, the liquid water, the
hot fire, the blowing wind and the empty space,
so leng as one 18 conscious of his relational
individuality The changes of weather, the degrees
of intelligence in men, the respective demands
of the varicus sheaths of embodied conscious-
ness, exert.ion, feeling, will, the passions, the joys,
the sorrows and ills of life point to the difference
that exists in the process of Truth-Manifestation The
Brahvran Coes not manifest itself equally in all
things .¢ manitests greatly in Divine Beings, in In-
carnations and in Sages, less in ordinary human
beings, lesser stillim inanimate beings. A complete
knowledge of the scheme and the methods of the
working of Nature will accelerate the process of the
Realisation of the Brahman-Consciousness through
intensified Meditation

Tops oi mountains, sombre cloudy weather and

places near vast exparses of water generate and
attract aimcsphkeric slectricity and, hence, are best
suited for Med.tation as thay add to the energy pro
duced during powerful Meditation Vast expanse
of soeace also halos Maditation Cramped places
 WITHDRAWAL FROM MULTIPLICITY i03
obstruet the consciousness of expanded existence
and are not helpful to conscious expansion.

The Uttarakhanda is the region where sages and

divinites lived and meditated and is, therefore, the
best place suited for Meditation. The sacred Ganga
ana the Himalayas diffuse the most exalted spiritual
currents helpful for Spiritual Meditation. The land
above Haridwara (the Gateway to the Land of Har:)
extending upto the high Himalayan Peaks is the
most blessed lasd meant for Meditation. Sages medi-
tated in this region and have left undying spiritual
vibrations.
Facing the North or the East is best suited for
Meditation. There is a powarful magnetic force in
Northern direction. All blessedness is in the Nor-
thern direciion.
From 12 Midnight to 4 am., the time is best
suited for Meditation, There ig absolute calmness,
coolness, peace and an integrating vibration at that
time Darkness makes existence appear as a One
Whols Being, whereas light compels one to perceive
the multiplicity of the world. Sunlight, or very
bright artilicial lights like patromaz light (gas light)
etc, are not good for Meditation, forthey distract
the mind very much Dark places are most useful {for
Meditation. Moonlight also 13 useful for Meditation
During Meditation powarful electric current is
produced in the body Hi, while meditating, the hands
aod legs are strstched out, the current generated 18
lost into the air threugh th- tips of fingers and toes.
104 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
One should lock tha fingers or be touching the
knees and sit in Padma, Siddha Sukha or Swastika
Asana, so that the current may be circulating in the
body itself
The earth has got the power of absorbing and
draining avay elactric energy. Hence, during Medi-
tation, one should sit on tiger skin or daer-skin to
evoid this mishap and to ganerate more energy.

No concentration 1s possible when the spinal

column is bant bacause, thereby the flow of the
current of Prana is obstructed Hence one should sit
erect for Maeditarion.

One should have either enlightened intelligence

ortenacious faith If both of these are lacking ina
parson, he cannot gain concentration on the Reality.

Except in very rar3 cases, no Meditation on the

Reality 1s possible without first deriving help from
the direct company of an advanced spiritual per-
gonage The exact techn:c of attuning the self with
the Infinite cannot be known except through the
company of an experienced saint or sage. Study of
books may stimulate activity buf the strength to
fight with evil comes only through association with
men of wisdom.

The most dreadful enemies of Meditation are Lust

and Anger. These two shall destroy at one fit even
very vast energy accumulated through long practice.
Hence ons should ba extremely circumspect about
these two negative forces
 WITHDRAWAL FROM MULTIPLICITY 195
When the syes and the ears are shai, the whole
world is shut out from one's expsrieace Souad and
Colour constitute the whole universe When they
are not, nothing is.
Indifference to external happenings is tha graa-
test treasure of the Meditator. He ehould not worry
whether the world goes on happily or is otherwise.
The Meditator should consider his individual
personality as a mere insignificant nothing. He
should be ever contemplating on the Infnite Fullness.
Desire for nothing but the Infinite alone. This ig
the greatest of all instructions.
 Section II
UNITY
"Ekam Sad Viprsh Bahudha Vadanthi’. Truth is
One: Sages call it variously. As this Truth is
Anirvachaniya as it is beyond the reach of the
senses and mind, 11 is capable of direct realisation
through Aparoksha-anubhuti only. When this
transcendental experience is attempted to be
describedin words: when theInfinitsis attempted
to be brought within the comprehension of the
finite mind or intellect; when the Indescribable is
attempted to be described in words, only aray or
rather a shadow of the Real is conveyed. Various
have been the methods of approach of the Seers,
and, therefore, though the Perception of Reality has
been the same in all cases, the nearest approach to
Reality (which alone they have been able to) encom.
passed in words has been different.
Yat, the Vedic Seers have, one and all daclared
in the most unambiguous terms the Universality of
Truth. "Sarvam Hyetat Brahma’ “All this is Brahman“
(Mandukya Upanishads) ‘Sarvam khalu Idam Brahma
“All this is indeed Brahman’. (Cchandogya
Upanishads). Throughout the Upanishads the one
distinct note that rings is that of unity. The entire
Universe from Brahma down to a blade of grags, as
also the apparenily lifeless immobile inanimate
objects is pervaded, guided, and supported by
Consciousness: Consciousness is their basis . this
Consciousness is Brahman. (Aitareyopanishad).
Sage Uddalaka, while-- instructing his son
Swetaketu on That ' knowing which all else becomes
 UNITY L107
known", also points cut ihe same Truth “ “That
which is the subtle escence of evs-_yikins, is
Reality the Atmaa: Thou art Tist (Cchandegya
Upanishad). The Marcdukya Upaniaheds rejo:ss:
"Byam Atma Brahma’ Th.s Atraan is Brahman.
Using a different terminology, the first Mantra of
Isavasya Upanishad, asserts Isavasyam [dam Sarvam
“All this is enveloped by the Lord’. Again, Eko
Devah Sarva Bhuteshu Gudhah; Sarvavyapi Sarva
Bhuthantharatma.’’ God is One; He 12 hidden in all
beings. He Pervades all. Heis the Inner Atman of
all beings (Sweteswatara Upanishad).
Wherever we turn in the Sacred Books of India,
we are confronted with this one [ruth. ‘'All this is
strung in Me asthe thread-beads on a thread and
the game thread tied into knots acting as the beads,
and the same thread holding the knote together, and
appearing at first sight to be different from the
beads. (Chapter VII. 7. Gita) says Lerd Krishna to
_ Arjuna in the course of His Immortal song. Again,
after describing His Divine Vibhutis, the Lord sums
up the ideaina few words, ‘' But, of what avail is a
knowledge of all these details to thee? I support
(pervade as esgence) the whole Univarse with one
part of my real being’ (Chapter X—42) “That
which is the seed (inner essence) of all beings is
Myseli® (Chapter X. 39) When Arjuna has the
beautific Vison of the Lord, he, too, describes Him
as pervading everything (XI, 20) The Lord charac-
terises a Yogayukta as one who sees ail beings in
the Self, and the Self in all beings, (VJ. 29)I do not
108 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
persih (Cease to exist) for One who sess Ms every-
where, and sees everything in Me; not dees he
perish for Me.“ (VI. 30). Similarly, he is a Mahatma
who sees everything in as Vasudeva. (VII. 19).
Truth is One. Unity is life. Diversity or the
perception of many diversifed beings here is
falsehood. It leads to disharmony, dissension and
ruin.
If this Unity or Truth is the reality of our being,
why then do we not realise It? Itis, saysthe Lord
in the Gita, on account of the Supreme One being
veiled by His own Yogamaya (VII. 25) The deluded,
whose wisdom has been taken away by this Maya,
who have thus embraced the demonaic nature of
ignorancsa, do not, therefors, adora Him. (VII.15)
This Maya is charactersised by Satwa, Rajas and
Tamas, which are the forces that sustain the world.
Like Brahman Maya, too, is Anirvachaniya—
indescribable. Suffice it to say that She (Maya) has
Avarana Shakti (veiling pewer) which prevents a
perception of Truth and Vikshepa Shakti (projecting
power) which is the cause of this universe, and the
individual eqo. It is this little eqo, the ‘I’ which
identifies the Jiva with the five Koshas: identifying
his Self with the body, man thinks that he 1s distinct
personality, and gets attached to his son, wife wealth,
property, etc.; identifying with the Pranamaya
Kosha, he thinks “I am hungry etc; identifying
with the Manomaya Kosha he regards himself asa
thinker and thinks ‘Iam angry“, etc identifying
‘wilh the Vijananmaya Kosha, he thinks: “I am
 UNITY 109
happy". These distinctions are foreign to the Atman
which is All-pervading Pure Sat-Chit-Ananda. The
Jivais deluded into the perception of the multiple
on account of this separatist tendency of the ego
which builds its own prison-house and distinguishes
itseli from its own reflections in other speciss of
creation, which divine, particularise and multiply
the One into the Many. This is the cause of all the
misery bondage and endless suffering. One who
transcends this Maya enjoys the Bliss of the realis-
taion of the Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman, that Bhuma
which is the only Happiness (Cchandogya
Upanishad)
How is thia state to be attained? By crossing
over this Maya through resorting to him. (Gita VII
14) Constant meditation on the one Reality destroys
ignorance, with the destruction of ignorance; the
individualistic ego vanishaes and a direct perception
or realisation of the One is obtained. Thatis the
end, aim and goal of every human being; towards that
goal is the entire universe (all the objects both ani-
mate and inanimate) moving Eventually this multi-
plicit will evolve again into that Unity. ‘“‘Kalena
Atmani Vindati’ (Gita) All that we can do, and ought
to do is to hasten that evolution in our individual
cases by Yogabhyasa by constant meditation on that
Unity, by realising that Unity and putting that Unity
into our every-day life.
SUBTLE 4ND MOST SUBTLE
Water 1s more subtle than earth. Earth is only a
modilication of water Earth is born of water. Earth
 i110 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
gats dissolved in water during Pralaya or dissolu-
tion. As water is more subtle than earth, it pervades
the esrth. Ifyou pour atumbler of water on the
earth itis absorbed by the earth at once.
Fire is more subtle than water. Watar is born of
fire. When the weather is hot you get perspiration.
Water gets dissolved in the fire during Pralaya.
Put some water ina copper vessel over the fire.
It kecomes very hot ina short time. It boils. If you
put your finger in the boiling water, it is burnt.
Itis not the mature of water to burn your finger.
But the fire pervaded the water on account of its
subtlety and rendered it hot. It pervaded the earth
also. The copper vessel is only a modification of
earth. It rendered the vessal also hot.
Air is more subtle than fire. Fire is born of air.
Fire gets dissolved in air during Pralaya. Whenever
there is movement or motion of air, there ia heat.
When you start the fire you fanit. The subtle air
pervades the fire and causes a big conflagaration.
More subfle than airis Akasa The other four
elements are rooted in Akasa. Akasa pervades air,
fire water and earth. °
More subtle than Akasa are Time and Mind. More
subtle than mindis Parama Atma or the supreme
Soul. ‘Greater (subtler) than the senses is the
mind, greater or subtler than the mind ig intellect,
but what is greater or subiler than the intellect
igs He or the Supreme
This Atma or Brahman is the source for all the
elements, mind, etc. Ti is At: Sukeshma (moat
 UNITY 11i
eubtle) It is all pervading, interpenetrating and
Indwelling
Without and within all beings, immovable and
algo movable, by reason of His subtisty imperce-
tible: at hand and far away is That.
This Atman is hidden in all beings, but does not
shine forth but the subtle seers of Truth realise
the Atman through their subtle and sharp pointed
pure intellect.
Atanu Sukshman Prachodayat—May that bodiless,
subtle enlighten.

REMOVE THE COLOURING OF THE MIND

In days of yora there were very able dyers in
Marwar or Rajaputana They would give seven
colours to the saree or clothes of ladies. After
washing the cloth one colour will fade away.
Another colour will ahine. After some washing a
third colour will manifest in the cloth, them a
fourth colour and so on. Even so the mind is
coloured when it associates with the different
objects of the world. When the mind is Sattvie,
it has white colour when 1t is Rajasic, it is tinged
with red colour, when itis Tamasic it has a black
colour.
The mind plays with the five senses of perception
and gets experiences in the waking state. The
impressions are lodged in the causal body or Karana
Sarira Ajanana or causal body is like a black sheet
ofcloth. In it are contained the Samskaras of all
your previous births.
12 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
The mind is ever rotating like a wheel. It
receives the different cense impressions through the
avenues ofthe senses
In tLe dream state the doors or windows of the
senses are shui. The mindremains alone and playa.
It isthe subject anditis the object. It projects
warioug sorts of cbjects, like mountains. rivers,
gardeas, chariots, cars etc, from its own body from
the material collscted during the waking state.
It manufactures curious mixtures and marvellous
combinations. Somstimes the experences of the
previous births which are lodged in the causal body
flash out during the dreaming state.

Remove the colouring of the mind through medi-

tation on Atman. Do not allow the mind to run into
the sensual groovas. Fortily yourself by developing
the Vijranamaya Kosha or intellect through Vichara
or enquiry of Brahman, reflection and contempla-
tion. The Vijnana Maya Kosha will serve the purpose
of astrong fortress It will not allow the sense
impressions to be Jodged in the causal body It
will not allow the impressions of the causal body
to come out. It will serve a double purpose.
You will be free from dreams through meditation
on the Supreme Being or Brahman when the
colouring of the mind has been removed.
Brahma Jnanis or Sagea have no dreams.
May you ail attain the Turiya or the fourth
state of eternal bliss which transcends the three
states of waking, drea'n and deep sleep!
 SAMGRAHA VEDANTA PRAKARANSM
(‘Sri Sadasivendra Saraswat. Avadhoota:

I bow down to the Divine Guru, Ramakrishna

Yogindra, who 1s of the nature of Satchidananda, all.
intelligence and an eye-witness to all the attributes
or Vrittis of the mind.
I salute him who is the esseace of Vedanta. and is
Himself of the nature of Brahman and who has drunk
the nectar of the Brahma Sutra.
I prostrate to him again who 1s one with Brahman
and whose whole body is merged in the ocean of
Eternal Bliss
A Satguru who was great and righteous, addressed
a disciple who was yearning for the knowledges of
the Self, on the subject of Tattwa Jnana
In this universe which is of the nature of
Brahmanda there are seven veils (Avaranas). Therein
is the city of nine gates and in the indestructible sky
thereof, there are the two beings, the Supreme and
the indestructible. Oreis the Uttama Purusha and
the other is the Akshara Pursha Of these two thse
Suprem being is of the nature of. Eternal, pure, all-
wise, free Eternal Bliss. He is all-full, and non-dual
and of the nature of a Matra. The indestructible or
Akshara Purusha being deluded of his own Swaroopa
and becaussa of the veil of Viksehpa (tossing of the
mind) is always accompanied by Maya. Guving birth
to three sons, Pramatra, Pramana and Prameya and
with Ahamkar (the idea of ‘I‘noss as minister and
114 ESSENCE OF VEDANTA
with all the twenty four Tattvas as the members of
the family, he ic entbroned in the nine-gated city
and during all the .hree states of Jagrat, Swapna and
Sushupti reigning supreme in the right eye, the
throat and the heart: ragpectively, enjoys the inner
subtle world threugh its 14 sense organs (5 Gyana
Indriyas, 5 Karma Indriyas, Manas, Chitta, Buddhi
and Ahamkar) The threes obstacles in the form of
Vitteshana, Dareshana and Putreshana and the six
enemies, lust anger, greed etc, give rise to the
idea of mineness and thineness in women, son and
wealth and with Vikshep as ths better half take away
the wealth of Sadhana Chatusthaya. He is then a prey
to all attachments of ‘Iam the doer, Iam the enjoyer'
and bscomes poor and empty and bsing burnt by the
three fires of Adhibhootha, Adhidaiva and Adhyatma
and being led astray by the wind of hopsfulness and
being enveloped by the snow of attachment to the
body, being attacked by the fevers of Panchakosha
(5 sheaths) and being fallen in state of deep sleep
of sensual enjoyments and being deluded by the
idea of This is to bs given up and this is to be taken
up, with such confusion in the mind, having
thought of the past virtuous deeds, and by doing
acts of righteousness he thinks of attaining the goal.
Now therefore, I give you some hints to get rid
of these afflictions Hsearken attentively. Having
finished the necessary Anushtan of Mantra Japa and
by taking recourse to disinterested and selfless work
and by giving up the idea of doership and by con-
secrating all your work to the Lord, if you are
 SAMGRAHA VEDANTA PRAKARANAM 175
successful in your attemyp!, then taking recourse to
this path, and by doing work disinta-astedly without
the idea of fruit and by sacrificing every thing to
the Lord and taking recourss to Bhakti, if you take
shelter at the lotus-fset of Satquru Ramakrishnandra-
inthe form of Dakshiramurthi, the great and the
kind, who is of the nature of Supreme Soul, ever in
the posa of Nirvikalpa Samadhi: under ths banian
tree of Nididhyasan in the Siddhasan of Sravan and
Manan, at the bank of the great river—the grace of
the Lord, and having given him all the twelve
prostrations, you should approach him thus. “Oh Sir,
in pity lost by doubtings tossed, thoughts distracted,
turned to these, the guide I revereace most thatI
may counsel lsarn: Therefore, protect me, protect
me, in avery humble manner
Then the All-knowing Satguru Swami asks “Who
“are you? What has brought you here® What are
you here for? Then the Akshara Purusha(the Japa )
having approached him prays: ‘God Sir, take away
all my pains of poverty and crown me with the king-
dom of Atmasamrajya and make me free.‘
Then having looked at the Akshara Purusha (the
Japa) the Gure says: ‘'O dear child, you have for-
gotten your real Swarosp Thou art the nature of
Eternal pure, wise, free, Uttamapurusha. But because
you are unaware of your owe Swaroop and your own
mame "Akshara Purusha‘'’ this poverty and pain
exist. These are imaginary and not real.
Ifitas not so, where do they come from? Why
they do appear at ail.