The Quintessence of Vedanta - The Internal Nature of Samadhi

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The "Sarva Vedanta Siddhanta Sara Sangrah" by Acharya Sankara is a

compendium and a precise restatement of all that has been thought of and

 

set down about the Self from a purely philosophical view point. The

compendium contains 1006 Sanskrit verses. The translation of these

verses was originally by Swami Tattwananda and later revised by Swami

Jagadananda of the Ramakrishna Mission with a view to make it simpler

for the general public. Verses 827 to 865 discuss the internal

nature of

Samadhi.

 

--

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

 

The Internal Nature of Samadhi

 

827. In relative concentration, there is the knowledge of Brahman. In

deep sleep there is the ignorance of Brahman. But deep 'concentration

at the absolute plane differs from both these levels of consciousness.

(In the relative concentration, there is the knowledge that one is a

knower of Brahman and it is mixed with the ego consciousness. In deep

sleep however there is no ego consciousness and therefore there is no

knowledge. That is why absolute concentration differs from both those

levels of consciousness.)

 

828. An aspirant after liberation should therefore practice in mind

both these aspects of samadhi, the savikalpa ' and nirvilkalpa, and he

should continue the practice until all wrong ideas have been utterly

effaced.

 

829. When all the wrong ideas have come to an end there are no more

obstacles to the attainment of the highest knowledge. In this way it is

that bliss eternal is realized.

 

830. There are two varieties of savikalpa samadhi one type of it is in

association with the consciousness of the body. The other is in

association with the maxims of the sruri. I shall now explain them to

you in this, order, listen attentively:

 

831. The first type of savikalpa samadhi is that which is blended with

the objects of knowledge. There are faint traces of one's ego

consciousness such as the idea of 'I and mine', as also the impression

of' one's likes and dislikes.

 

832. There is at the same time a realization of the Atman as the

unchanging witness, who alone is the seer and the perceiver of the ‘me’

consciousness, and of one's likes

and dislikes.

 

833. One should identify oneself with the Atman, the seer, who does not

take part in any kind of activity, by thinking, 'I am the witness of

the likes and dislikes; they are the objects of my knowledge'.

 

834. It is in this way that one comes to identify oneself with the

witnessing consciousness, and merge in that consciousness all that which

one conceives within oneself, such as one's likes and dislikes.

 

835. One knows oneself thus: "I '' am neither the body, nor the vital

force, nor the sense organ, nor the ego, nor the mind, nor the

intellect, for I am within all these; I am the eternal inmost

witnessing consciousness, who is the seer of the changing phenomena,

and I am other than all of them."

 

836. " I am the eternal inmost witness of the functioning of the organ

of speech, the vital force, and the intellect. I am the seer of all the

modifications that take place in the intellect, as well as of all that

which the eye Sees and the ear bears.

 

837. I am neither fat nor lean neither a child, nor a youth nor an old

person. I am neither a one-eyed person, nor a dumb one, nor I am a

eunuch. The inmost witnessing consciousness-that I am.

 

838. "I neither come nor go; I do not kill any one; nor do I cause

any one to be killed. I am neither a doer, nor an employer, nor a

speaker, nor an experiencer. I am neither happy, nor miserable for I

am none other the eternal inmost witnessing consciousness. (He who is

free from the notion of egoism, whose intelligence is not affected by

good or evil, though he kills these people, he kills not, nor is he

bound by action. Gita, XVIII. 17)

 

839. "I am neither a yogi, nor the reverse of it; I am neither angry,

nor lustful, nor greedy; I am not bound by anything, nor am I free of

anything. I am none other than the eternal, innermost witnessing

consciousness.”

 

840. The fact, is that the Atman is not conscious of anything either

within it or outside of it, either one at a time or both simultaneously,

nor is the Atman non-consciousness. Therefore, I am neither a hearer

nor a thinker; nor a knower of anything; I am the eternal, inmost

witnessing consciousness.

 

841. I am not limited either by body or the sense organs or the

intellect. Virtue and sin affect me not in the least. Old age and death,

hunger and thirst, grief and delusion -- all these are far from me. I

am none other than pure consciousness, the ever-free.

 

842. I am neither the hands nor the feet, neither the organ of speech

nor the eyes, neither the vital force nor the mind, nor the intellect.

Like unto the universal space, I am that which is all pervading, the

unchanging pure consciousness.

 

843. The knower of Brahman who knows the Atman in this manner merges all

the objects of knowledge that are experienced by him in the

consciousness of the Atman. It is in this way that he frees himself

from all sides for they are but the products of delusion. ( When the

spiritual 'aspirant’ realizes the all pervading Brahman as his own Self,

his ignorance is destroyed, his doubts vanish, and the results of his

actions become inoperative – Mundaka 11. 2. 9.)

 

844. Therefore the word ‘Mukti' comes to mean freedom from the bondage

of ignorance. In itself it means the awareness of the Atman: and this

may be realized only by means of samadhi, or deep concentration.

 

845. It is neither by the dress that a person wears, nor by, the

language. that he speaks, that any one can attain liberation.

Liberation lies in being establislied in the Atman, which is at once

indivisible and conscious. It is only by giving up all ideas of 'I

and mine’ in as much as they belong to the adjuncts or the upadhis,

and by being established in the Atman, that one might realize it.

 

846. It is only knowledge that destroys ignorance and knowledge alone

confers liberation. That is why. liberation, cannot be attained by the

mere performance of rituals even though they should be repeated millions

of times.

 

847. It is Only the knowledge of the Self-effulgent Brahman that can

destroy all the bonds. When all, the klesas are destroyed, the cycle of

birth and death comes to an end. That is what the sruti says. (The

klesas are Ignorance, egoism, attachment, Jealousy, ardent expectation

and the like. All of them are sources of discord. 'With the knowledge

of God, all fetters fall off. Wlth the waning of ignorance, birth and

death cease. Going beyond the consciousness of the body by meditating on

Him, one reaches the third stage viz. the universal lordship. All his

desires are satisfied; and he becomes one without a second. Swat. 1.

2.)

 

848. It is the absence of the possibility of rebirth that constitutes

liberation; and by the destruction of klesas, all such possibilities are

put an end to. That is why, the aspirant after liberation should be ever

devoted to the Atman.

 

849. The klesas constitute the sources rebirth: for they are the subtle

forms of desire. When the klesas become parched in the fire of the-

knowledge of the Atman, they can no longer be a source of rebirth,

 

850. Just as the seeds that have been parched in fire lose their Power

of germination, so also the klesas which have their origin in thought

lose all their potency when once the knowledge of the Atman has been

attained.

 

 

851. Therefore, let the aspirant after knowledge pursue it with devotion

and diligence, so that be might be able to overcome all desires and

dispel all wrong ideas as to the nature of the Atman.

 

852. To one who is devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, the observance

of rituals is of no use. The reason for it is that the observance of

rituals and the devotion to knowledge cannot co-exist.

 

853, There is considerable incompatibility between knowledge and rituals

in as much a their natures are entirely antithetical. It is only he who

regards himself as the agent of action that can perform the rituals. But

the nature of knowledge is altogether different and it dispels all such

ideas.

 

854. All the wrong ideas beginning with the idea of regarding one's

physical body

eradicated, by knowledge. 'It is only as long as one is ignorant of the

Atman that rituals have a place. But the knowledge of the Atman

destroys both ignorance and the love of rituals.

 

855. How is it possible for one to perform rituals while engaged in

the pursuit of knowledge, in as much as they are incompatible? It is as

impossible as that light and darkness should coexist.

 

856. No one can keep one’s eyes open and closed at the same time. It is

equally impossible to combine knowledge and rituals. Can one who is

looking eastwards see what is the west? Is it ever possible for one

whose mind is directed towards the innermost Atman to take part in

external activities?

 

857. A man of renunciation, who is solely intent upon. the pursuit of

knowledge, has nothing to gain from the. sastras which enjoin the

observance of rituals. He observes no ritual other than the pursuit of

knowledge; that alone is his sandhya; that alone is his all in all and

there is nothing else.

 

858. The removal of all the impurities. which the intellect has posited

upon the Atman constitutes his bath. It is only in this way that he may

purify himself, and

not by resorting to the use of earth and water.

 

859. By putting his mind in its real nature, he performs all the Vedic

duties that are enjoined upon him. When the instruments of knowledge

and action, such as the karmendriyas, and the jnanendriyas as well as

the mind are all unreal, anything that

may be achieved by means of them must be equally unreal.

 

860. When one is established in one's real nature and has excluded from

one's mind the phenomena of the world, that constitutes the performance

of sandhya, the observance of religious duties, the offering of gifts

and even the taking of one's food.

 

861. To one whose heart is pure and who has renounced one's all, there

is no other spiritual discipline necessary. It would be enough if one

should seek and realize the nature of the supreme Reality.

 

862. Therefore, let the man ot renunciation who is devoted to knowledge

give upall other actions and rituals. Let him be ever absorbed and be

established in the supreme Atman.

 

863. He who desires to attain the goal of yoga and has not yet attained

it, must necessarily perform his obligatory duties. The learned however

are of the opinion that such a course is not incumbent upon him who has

attained the goal. ( For a devotee who wishes to attain to yoga, action

is said to be the means. For the same devotee when he has attained to

yoga, quiescence is said to be the means. Gita VI, 3.)

 

864. The aspirant after liberation who has attained the goal of yoga

becomes unfit to perform the rituals, even though they happen to be of a

minor nature. He is as sure to fall as one who tries to climb up a palm

tree while his mind is wandering elsewhere.

 

865. The perfected person is the wise one who has attained the goal of

yoga. He has achieved all that which has to be achieved. His mind is

not turned towards external objects nor can he perform actions in the

external world. Such is the nature of savikalpa samadhi, considered in

association with the objects of knowledge.