Part 3

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DEVOTEE AND THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

 

The Bhakta pours out his devotion, molds his behavior in every

respect in accordance with the will of God. In turn, he finds that

God is pleased with him, and this, his conviction, takes him nearer

to God and his love and friendship with Him grow richer and richer.

The process of surrendering to the will of God in every respect

results in His blessings.

One who is blessed by God is a blissful soul. Being at peace with

himself, he looks at the objects of enjoyment with perfect

indifference. He is content with whatever he has and is glad to see

others happy. If a person believes that he is blessed by God and is

still unhappy, it is better if he give up this delusion and strive

for the coveted Grace with sincerity and honesty.

Divine plenitude and favor is not judged by the objects of sense, but

by the internal contentment. This verily is the blessing of God.

 

THE UNITIVE LIFE

 

Him have I seen now whom I so earnestly desired to see, I met myself.

The meeting requires an extremely difficult and elaborate preparation.

I pined to see the most beloved one. It was impossible to do without

it, I was sure to die if I were not to do it. Even with the innermost

sincerity of my whole being I was not able to get at it, and the

situation was unbearable. Yet with love and determination, eagerness

and courage, I started on my journey. I had to get through different

stages and places in the undertaking.

Being quite deft, it would not allow me cognition, at first. But lo,

I saw it today, I was sure, but the very next moment I felt perhaps

it was not it. Whenever I saw it I was intent on observing it keenly,

but not knowing its nature with certitude, could not decide either

way. I could not be sure that it was my Beloved, the center of my

being. Being an adept in the art of make-up, it dodged me with a

quick change of form ere I could arrive at a conclusion. These were

the visions of various Incarnations of Rishis and Saints, internal

visions in the process of Dhyana and Dharana, and external ones of

the waking state eventual to the siddhis, such as the power of

prophecy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and the power to cure normally

incurable diseases, etc. Some were eager to serve me, to have faith

in me and to honor me, and this led me to believe that I had seen it

for certain; it is here its skill in make-up lies. It is so deft in

the art of changing the form, quality and knowledge, that the

intellect does not know where it stands, let alone the penetration

through its nature. But, what is this miracle? Wonder of wonders! The

flash, curiously glistening, majestic splendor! But where is it? It

disappeared in a flicker before I could apprehend it. No, nothing

could be known about what happened to me or to the lightning. I could

not say whether the extremely swift flash and the means of my

reconnaisance were one and the same or different. In the glow of the

flashing miracle the whole of the cosmic array is experienced

directly. The contact is immensely interesting. The flash experience

makes one feel it should be as spicy forever; this is the

characteristic feeling of the cosmic experience. But in the very

attempt to arrest the glowing flash for a basic understanding, one

loses it.

It is extremely difficult to get at the root of the cosmic energy,

that perfect adept in assuming an infinite variety of forms. The

consciousness to be apprehended and the power of concentration are

one and the same. Being polymorphous by nature, it cannot be pinned

down to any definite form or name or place, as for instance, the

internal experiences of the Dhyana yogin. In the first instance, the

attention of the meditator is silence in excelsis, this is

transformed into light, the light assumes the form of space, the

space in turn changes into movement. This is transmitted into air,

and the air into fire, the fire changes into water, and the water

into earth. Lastly, the earth evolves into the world of organic and

inorganic things. The water from the rain takes the form of the

juices in the grains and vegetables, which essences supply

nourishment and energy. This energy takes the form of knowledge,

courage, valor, cunning, etc. The limbless process goes on. Neither

form, name, nor quality is enduring. Nothing is permanent or

determinate.

The felt experience of the spiritually enlightened is difficult to

negotiate with. This may mean either that it is beyond our capacity

to get at, or it is beyond reach; yet one must go on with

concentration. The identity of the "I" as the miracle in the process

of the dazzling glitter, and the "ego" of the empirical consciousness

prior to the experience, must be firmly established in Dhyana Yoga

(meditation). Is the spiritually saturated soul the same as the

experience or is it even beyond that? There is no duality to the

experience one has in the process of Dhyana Yoga. At the enlightened

stage even the sense organs are involved in the meditation of the

spiritual adept, for the sense organs and the five elements are one

and the same at the core. The material elements, subtle matter and

consciousness, the three qualities, Satva, Rajas and Tamas, and the

three sources of knowledge, perception, inference and testimony were

seen, are being seen, and lo! They are not there.

The characteristics of origination, sustenance and destruction come

under Dhyana Yoga itself. The activity of Prakriti in all its forms,

manifest and unmanifest, and the consciousness of Purusha are also

included in it. In the Dhyana Yoga process the eight chakras are

activated simultaneously and are experienced as such. All these, in a

single, unitive experience, I constitute the contemplation.

Meditation, consciousness, experience, are all but a single unity.

Dhyana Yoga is the supreme activity of life. Concentration is the

central thing in experience.

The transformation of Dhyana Yoga into Mama [sic] Yoga is a difficult

process. In the consummation of this process alone is the Atman

cognized with certitude. As long as Dhyana Yoga is not completely

transformed into Jnana Yoga, so long there is no Self knowledge. The

test of Dhyana is knowledge, then follows the duality of knowledge

and the Atman. In the experiential knowledge, there is a race between

knowledge as Self and Self as Self. But in deep samadhi there is an

understanding between contemplation and the Self. This results in the

realization of bliss. The bliss is transformed into supreme beatitude

and the self is absorbed in the supreme Spirit. Knowledge to itself,

contemplation into itself, the primal Maya, God, the Absolute state

and the original throb are all a single whole of Self-experience. The

ever cherished and desired Being is realized here.

Prior to this, in the process of the attainment of the siddhis

incidental to Dhyana Yoga, there ooze forth experiences in the form

of arts, love, and memories of past lives in different regions such

as Patala, Swarga and Kailas. In some cases one has a taste of

different siddhis and Avatars and of a series of meetings with others

in different regions. There are experiences of being the Brahma of

Satya region, Shiva of Kailas, and Vishnu of Vaikunth from time

immemorial. Again, there are different phases of the yogin's

feelings, the best and the worst, and the endless panoramas, not

pleasant nor enduring; and the inevitable adjuncts of Dhyana Yoga

must go on until it is transformed into Jnana Yoga; i.e., the

transition from the Samprajuata (silent mind in meditation) to the

Asamprajuata (altered state of consciousness, silent and alert mind)

state of samadhi. Until then there is no Self-realization. But, on

the other hand, if in the process of this transition the nature of

this phase of Dhyana Yoga be known, Self-realization is automatic.

All the experiences and visions arising out of Dhyana Yoga are

transitory. In the contemplation, there is an infinite variety of

phases and forms, and none of them is lasting. Whatever is taken to

be helpful and great and determinate vanishes in an instant and a new

form takes its place to yield place to the next. That knowledge from

which all the varieties issue forth in experiences, such as earth,

water, fire, air, ether, and their various specifications, is itself

unstable. Starting from meditation, the contemplating soul, having

experienced a taste of previous lives, is further transformed into

the primal Maya, primordial energy, and Godhead, and even into the

characteristics of the supreme Self by the power of meditation, and

all this for a trice, and it disappears. It is here that it is called

Kala, the final liquidation of individuality. It is here that the

separation from itself is compensated for, and finds itself with

spiritual certitude, never to be lost again. The imperishable,

indissoluble, eternal Paramatman shines forth with perfection beyond

the reach of empirical experience.

 

KNOW WHAT ?

 

The continuous process of getting to know the environment goes on

from the birth of the "I" consciousness. Though the "I" consciousness

is automatic, hence effortless, one has to learn to do various

things; one also must learn about one's own person and its care. Some

things are mastered of necessity, and of one's liking; others which

are not essential must also be learnt.

In the process of conscious learning, over and above the world of

things, we are told we must also learn of the things beyond the

world; but before trying to know the things beyond, we must know the

controller and support of the universe called God, so that other

things may be known with His help.

Who is God and how is He to be propitiated? We are told that this is

to be achieved by forming friendship with saintly persons and by

regularly and devoutly carrying out their instructions; but then, we

are told, it is a matter of rare good fortune that one comes across

such a saintly soul, and when one comes across such a person, by rare

good fortune, the saintly soul tells us, "You yourself are God. Think

of Him alone, meditate on His being. Do not engage yourself in

thinking of anybody else."

For a while I used to deal with various matters and perform

activities such as knowing and learning with the idea that I was a

human being, born of the "I" consciousness; next I started meditating

on myself as God in order to know myself. Now I know that I am the

knower of whatever I remember, perceive, or feel; hence, ignoring all

that is remembered, perceived, or felt, I contemplate on the nature

of the knower.

I am sitting in a secluded place where none can see me, with my eyes

half closed. Whatever I remember, perceive, feel or experience comes

into being from within myself. My meditation is my torch and what I

see is its light, all that I see and remember is just the light of my

meditation.

Now I do not feel the necessity to meditate anymore, for the nature

of meditation is such that it is spontaneous. In its process, it

gives rise to innumerable forms and names and qualities....and what

have I got to do with it all?

Now I am convinced beyond doubt that this meditation of mine is born

of God; and the world of things is the product of my meditation only.

The cyclic process of origination, sustenance and destruction is the

very core of the world's being. However more I may try to know, the

same process must repeat. My inquisitiveness has come to an end.

 

 

(continued)