'Identification and Detailed Elucidation' of Sri Bhagawan's Teachings by Sri Swaamigal

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13 Sri Bhagawan's main teaching was 'Self-Enquiry'. This had the following

steps;-

(i) As and when a thought arises in us, to turn the attention from the object

to the thinker and to do this, if necessary, to inwardly raise the question,

'For whom is this

thought ?' (if the question is so raised, the automatic rising of the answer

from within, 'for me', will now be seen to turn the attention to the thinker),

AND

(ii) once the attention is turned to the thinker, to turn the attention to the

source of the thought and to do this, if necessary, to inwardly raise the

question, 'Who am I ?' (if the attention is turned to the thinker, the thought

will be seen to subside and disappear).

 

14 Sri Bhagawan further clarified through the 10th verse of the book with the

title, 'Upadesa Undhiyaar',

 

[(A) the first 15 verses of which set out in lucid terms the Glorious

Teachings of Lord Shivaa in Thaaru Vanaa (Forest) to the householder brahmins,-

(a) who had the 'egoistic conviction' that mere performance of the 'rites'

according to the Vedic injunctions, propitiating the celestials alone would

yield the results of their 'rites', and

(b) who did not take into cognisance, the 'Absolute Will' of Ishwaraa, as the

" Sole Grantor and Allotter/Withholder/Nullifier " of the accrued 'fruits' of all

kinds of 'actions', including the Vedic rites, AND

(B) the next and the remaining 15 verses embodied the Glorious Teachings of

Sri Bhagawan Himself]

 

the relevant clarificatory Teaching of Lord Shivaa that-

'To contract and abide at the source from which (ego) arose (through

Self-Enquiry),

that is 'action', and 'devotion',

that is 'union' and 'knowledge'.

 

15 But, for those who,-

(a) could not, or

(b) for any reason, were

(i) not willing to, or

(ii) not inclined to,

follow the 'Direct' method of 'Self-Enquiry', and

were instead too heavily inclined on account of their 'overpowering' accumulated

tendencies in the Path of Devotion,

(a) either to 'meditate' on the Name and Form of any Personal God,

(b) or to chant the Name of any Personal God,

Sri Bhagawan threw a new light on their 'Devotional Meditation or Chanting'.

 

16 Sri Bhagawan used to 'Suggest and Guide' such aspirants and seekers, that

they must keep their attention strictly on,-

(a) the 'source' from which the 'formulation of the Name and Form of the

Personal God' proceeded, or as the case may be,

(b) the 'source' from which the 'Sound of the Chant' of the Name of the

Personal God originated,

in their 'meditating' or 'chanting' personal mental consciousness. This was so

clearly elucidated at a great length by Sri Swaamigal, for the first time, for

the benefit of the whole of Humanity. This type of devotional meditation and

chanting may be styled as, 'Japa-Jnana Yogaa'

 

17 Further, Sri Bhagawan used to point out for the benefit of those who were

willing to but who could not readily and easily follow the method of

'Self-Enquiry' on account of both,-

(a) the natural 'outgoing' tendencies ingrained in their minds, and

(b) of the absence or paucity of sufficiently deep-rooted impressions, in

seeking and abiding at the 'origin and source' of their 'ego',

that a mere chanting of the word, 'I-I' also will lead the 'ego' to its

'source', the Supreme Self. This was so clearly enunciated by Sri Swaamigal,

again for the first time, for the benefit of the whole of Humanity. This type

of chanting of 'I-I' was named by Sri Swaamigal as 'Jnana-Japa (m) Yogaa'.

 

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