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Abhyasa

(Practice)

 

Devotee: What is the method of practice?

 

Maharshi: As the Self of a person who tries to attain Self-realization is not

different from him and there is nothing other than or superior to him to be

attained by him, Self-realization being only the realization of one's own

nature, the seeker of liberation realizes without doubts or misconceptions his

real nature by distinguishing the eternal from the transient, and never swerves

from his natural state. This is known as the practice of knowledge. This is the

enquiry leading to Self-realization.

 

D. Can this path of enquiry be followed by all aspirants?

 

M. This is suitable only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different

methods according to the state of their minds.

 

D. What are the other methods?

 

M. They are stuti, japa, dhyana, yoga, jnana, etc.

 

Stuti is singing the praises of the Lord with a feeling of great devotion. Japa

is uttering the names of the gods or sacred mantras like Om either mentally or

verbally.

 

Dhyana: When one is in dhyana the mind does not contact the objects of the

senses, and when it is in contact with the objects it is not in dhyana.

Therefore those who are in this state can observe the vagaries of the mind then

and there and by stopping the mind from thinking and fix it in dhyana.

Perfection in dhyara is the state of abiding in the Self.

 

Yoga: The source of breath is the same as that of the mind, therefore the

subsidence of either leads to that of the other. The practice of stilling the

mind through breath control is called yoga.

 

Fixing the mind on psychic centres such as the sahasrara (lit. the thousand

petalled lotus) yogis can remain any length of time without awareness of their

bodies. As long as this state continues they appear to be immersed in some kind

of joy. But when the mind emerges (becomes active again) it resumes its worldly

thoughts. It is therefore necessary to train it with the help of practices like

dhyana whenever it becomes externalised. It will then attain a state in which

there is neither subsidence nor emergence.

 

Jnana is stilling the mind and realizing the Self through the constant practice

of dhyana or enquiry (vichara). The extinction of the mind is the state in which

there is cessation of all efforts. Those who are established in this spontaneous

effortless state have realized their true nature, the Self. The term 'silence'

(mouna) and inaction refer to this state alone.

 

All practices are followed only with the object of concentrating the mind. As

all the mental activities like remembering, forgetting, desiring, hating,

attracting, discarding, etc., are modifications of the mind they cannot be one's

true state. Simple changeless being is one's true nature. Therefore to know the

truth of one's being and to be it, is known as release from bondage and the

destruction of the knot (granthi nasam). Until this state of tranquility of mind

is firmly attained the practice of unswerving abidance in the Self and keeping

the mind unsoiled by various thoughts is essential for an aspirant.

Those who follow the path of enquiry realize that the mind which remains at the

end of the enquiry is Brahman. Those who practice meditation realize that the

mind which remains at the end of the meditation is the object of their

meditation. As the result is the same in either case it is the duty of aspirants

to practise continuously either of these methods till the goal is reached.

* * * *

 

D. Why do thoughts of many objects arise in the mind even when there is no

contact with external objects?

 

M. All such thoughts are due to latent tendencies. They appear only to the

individual consciousness (jiva) which has forgotten its real nature and become

externalized. When particular things are perceived, the enquiry 'Who is it that

sees them?' should be made; they will then disappear at once.

 

D. Since the Self is free from the notion of knowledge and ignorance how can it

be said to pervade the entire body in the shape of sentience or to impart

sentience to the senses?

 

M. Wise men say that there is a connection between the source of the various

psychic nerves and the Self, that this is the knot of the heart, that the

connection between the sentient and the insentient will exist until this is cut

asunder with the aid of true knowledge, that just as the subtle and invisible

force of electricity travels through wires and does many wonderful things, so

the Force of the Self also travels through the psychic nerves and pervading the

entire body, imparts sentience to the senses, and that if this knot is cut the

Self will remain as it always is without any attributes.

 

D. What is dhyana (meditation)?

 

M. It is abiding as one's Self without swerving in any way from one's real

nature and without feeling that one is meditating. As one is not in the least

conscious of the different states (waking, dreaming etc.) in this condition, the

sleep here is also regarded as dhyana.

 

The excellence of the practice (sadhana) lies in not giving room for even a

single mental concept (vritti).

 

D. What are the rules of conduct which an aspirant should follow?

 

M. Moderation in food, moderation in sleep and moderation in speech.

* * * *

 

M. In the question 'Who am I?' by 'I' is meant the ego. Trying to trace it and

find its source, we see it has no separate existence but merges in the real 'I'.

 

D. Should I go on asking 'Who am I?' without answering? Who asks whom? What is

'I', the Self or the ego?

 

M. In the enquiry 'Who am I?' the 'I' is the ego. The question really means,

what is the source or origin of this ego?

* * * *

 

M. Yes, any puja is good! 'Om Ram' or any other name will do. The point is to

keep away all other thoughts except the one thought of Om or Ram or God. All

mantras or japa helps that.

 

The mind turned inwards is the Self, turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all

the world. But the mind does not exist apart from the Self, i.e., it has no

independent existence. The self exists without the mind, but never the mind

without the Self.

 

D. When we enquire within 'Who am I?' who enquires?

 

M. It is the ego. It is only that which makes the vichara also. The Self has no

vichara. That which makes the enquiry is the ego. The 'I' about which the

enquiry is made is also the ego. As a result of the enquiry the ego ceases to

exist and only the Self is found to exist.

 

M. Everything we see is changing, always changing. There must be something

unchanging as the basis and source of all this. It is the Self

 

from NM club

 

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