(SEVEN DESCENDING STEPS OF IGNORANCE)
After a detailed account on the play and control of the mind, sage Vasishta explains the seven states of ignorance, Saptapadām and also the seven states of ascent to wisdom, Saptabhūmikām. The first seven attempts are to clearly define the path to be avoided and the next seven are ascending paths to be nurtured leading one to the attainment of liberation from the shackles of life. It should not be literally taken as the stges one has to pursue to attain libeation. It is purely a guide or a marker to show where a sadhaka stands in his path of sadhana.
- EDITOR
LET US NOW GO INTO DETAILS AS TO WHAT SAGE Vasishta says on seven descending steps of ignorance or ajnaana.
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु राम यथातथम्,
अज्ञानभूः सप्तपदा ज्ञभूः सप्तपदैव हि.
ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi śr̥ṇu rāma yathātatham,
ajñānabhūḥ saptapadā jñabhūḥ saptapadaiva hi.
(Sl.3-9-89)
He is now giving a model. ajnaana can be considered in seven steps. Similarly jnaana can also be considered in seven steps. This is a famous chapter in Yogavasishta which most of the people quote. Jnana till moksha is considered in seven steps. Similarly ajnaana can also be conceived in seven layers.
पदान्तराणि असंख्यानि भवन्ति अन्योन्यमेतयोः,
एते प्रतिपदं बद्धमूले स्वं फलतः फलम्.
padāntarāṇi asaṁkhyāni bhavanti anyōnyamētayōḥ,
ētē pratipadaṁ baddhamūlē svaṁ phalataḥ phalam.
(Y.V.3-9-90)
bhavanti anyōnyamētayōḥ - There can be any number of steps till the end point. A mile is having 8 furlongs. This is not final. A furlong can be divided into yards, feet, etc. padāntarāṇi asaṁkhyāni – In between levels or grades, there can be many sub divisions. We often go by definitions and get caught in the definitions. For example, gunas are divided into three main divisions. But, Satva guna itself can further be sub divided into three levels. There is Ga (gandhaara) in music scale which can be sub divided in to slightly higher and lower levels in the scale. There is no rigidity in these sub divisions.
There is no sanctity that mahattatwa and avyaakruta are the only necessary steps between buddhi and swaroopa. Bhagavad-Gita has jumped one level while discussing these steps. In Kathopanishad also, while giving hints for sadhana one such step is jumped. It is only a matter of convenience. While considering spandana we can have any number of subdivisions. We have to see how they are helpful for a saadhaka. Importance is to be given in sadhana moving from coarser to finer and then still finer. Attention should always be as to how to reach softer states. Moving from regions of severity to softer and softer states should be the common theme for all sadhakas. You can work out this principle with any path of your choice.
ētē pratipadaṁ baddhamūlē svaṁ phalataḥ phalam – The steps are there to guide you to the end point.
The God you worship may not exist at all. Assuming that he exists, he may not give you or grant you any favours. In spite of this, Bhaktibhaawa works since you surrender your planning and scheming and pourusha. All your pourusha stops once you say that He will take care of you. Then nirmalata, serenity sets in the chitta, mind. So nirmalata is the target and the end point also. So bhakti is a wonderful tool. Whether one permits this or is outside its concept is of no concern to a saadhaka. For a student pursuing a Ph.D programme such dedication is necessary. But for a saadhaka it is a very easy method. So all the paths take you to the goal and give you the same result.
स्वरूप अवस्थितिः मुक्तिः तद्भ्रंशः अहन्त्ववेदनम्,
एतत्संक्षिप्य तत्प्रोक्तं तत् ज्ञात्वा ज्ञत्वलक्षणम्
svarūpa avasthitiḥ muktiḥ tadbhraṁśōhantvavēdanam,
ētatsaṁkṣipya tatprōktaṁ tat jñātva jñatvalakṣaṇam.
(Sl.3-9-91)
He starts showing the steps of avidya.
Zero avidya is swaroopa avasthiti - that is liberation - that is mukti. tadbhraṁśaḥ - A slip or tilt from that state or a fall from that is ahantvavēdanam. To me ahantva (which is Mahat-Tatva) is a state where I cannot say that I am in a particular place. This is the first symptom of localization. This is a special placement in the antariksha. I can never say that I am there. I can say that I am here (Shastriji pointing to his head) as I am thinking here. My prana is working in this region of space.
There is no continuity at all in the world. Every object in the universe is undergoing expansion into nothingness and localistion into somethingness. Since this make and break is too fast, that it loses the continuity. A sub minimal softening has not even begun in many of us. We may have conquered the arishadvarga. That is the starting point for decomposition. Then the universe ceases to end. Praana ceases to be. Let us not worry much about these things.
I was explaining _ahantva _- The attitude, “to know” is localization. That is the subtlest state of mind, the sprouting stage of buddhi. Vishaalata or expansiveness of mine has been now turned into minding. This means localisation has set in. Minding can be done at some point.This is ahantvavēdanam. This is in a very subtle version. Ahankaara, etc are later diluted versions. This is the prerequisite for formation of later course of steps. I have to narrow my vision, that means, narrow my ‘I’-ness to enable me to cognise a thing observed. This is called focussing. Focussing, means narrowing down of your wider version. This is ahantva-vedana. Brahman does not have that quality. If this localisation is smashed I become the akaasha. The entire creation is the performance of that power or shakti or force by which multi detailed universe is produced.. But it is the same process of minding – to know, to take notice of.
ētatsaṁkṣipya tatprōktaṁ tat jñātva jñatvalakṣaṇam: I have condensed the whole thing and have said this. If you can note this you are in jñātva, you are in swarooapa. You note the difference between the process of individualization whether it is on the object or myself. If the object is nothing and mere focusing then, I can call it my ‘Self’. If the object is a book or flower, then it is only an object. That is all. But the process is common. I can narrow in to a flower or narrow in to nothingness. If I narrow into an object it is ahantva-vedana. This understanding is jñātva jñatvalakṣaṇam. If you can catch this point then watching automatically gets dropped. But, it is to be noted that, if you try to watch swaroopa, then swroopa is gone, since you have come to watching phase which is ahantva-vedana. This is the last subtlety in the sadhana. Mind has this dosha with a tendency to know and hence indulges in watching. When watching stops it is svaroopa. An excellent sloka of kenopanishad brings in clarity.
यन्मनसा न मनुते एनाहुर्मनो मतम्,
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते.
yanmanasā na manutē ēnāhurmanō matam,
tadēva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nēdaṁ yadidamupāsatē.
(Kena.Upa.1-6)
What cannot be conceived or cognized by the mind is svaroopa. What is it? Whatever you are before you start functioning or conceiving. It is the power by which mind functions. That is Brahman. Brahman cannot be worshipped or meditated by mind. Vishaalata or expansiveness got lost when the mind starts seeing. All indriya vyapaaraas, activities are just matters of focusing. All the activities of sense organs are doing in a specialized respective way. Non doing is therefore Brahman.
Being established in Self or svaroopa is mukti. The sprouting of ‘I’ ness is a slip from the svaroopa. The divisioning of knower and the knowing that happens is ‘I’ resulting in creation of this jagat. The centre which sees is aham and the object that is seen is idam. This division is _bhramsha. _If one is set in the undivided pre-state, causal state or unmodified state it is mukti. Vastu grahana, catching the details or objects is bhramsha and it is an ayaasasthana, tiring phase. You may question what is so big about remaining in swaroopa. Shastra shows us the futility of remaining in dvaitabodha, duality, by mirroring our own suffering experiences. Unless we have the experience of swaroopa we will not be able to understand the uselessness of karma. Even working and involving without emotion also is ayaasasthana as it is labeling and seeing process. Without the help of shaastra it is not possible to get to a state of decomposing.
We have got the definition of mukti as well as swaroopa. It is surmised that the act of coming to the ‘I’ phase is a fall from swroopa. The absence of ’I’ is swaroopa. The path towards svaroopa or the destruction of ‘I’ through a thinning or softening process over a period can never be sudden. Severely concerned centre is becoming casual itself. Through softening the density of ‘I’ gets reduced whereas his existence gets increased resulting in ‘I’ getting merged in anantata, infinity or eternity. This is the only way we should take it. When the density is reduced or becomes less the volume automatically increases. I have given you in two lines everything about Vedanta.
The seer is synonymous with seeing. When, seeing does not take place that is Swaroopa. Be causual inside or soft inside. Practice this day and night.
Bulk of you can be in the diffused way or resting when you are focusing. Then it does not become a burden. Earlier my entireness was put on the job. Now in the expanded state, a little bit of focusing is there at some point because of the training I have gained. When it comes to sadhana, we need to diffuse the moment minding sets in. Catch this non focusing aspect and hold on to it. That is your Jnatwalakshana or moolalakshana of the seer.
शुद्धसन्मात्र संवित्तेः स्वरूपान्न चलंति ये,
रागद्वेषादयो भावास्तेषां नाज्ञत्वसंभवः.
śuddhasanmātra saṁvittēḥ svarūpānna calaṁti yē,
rāgadvēṣādayō bhāvāstēṣāṁ nājñatvasaṁbhavaḥ.
(Sl.3-9-92)
śuddhasanmātra saṁvittēḥ svarūpānna calaṁti yē – To whom this mereness or non focussing has become steady or those who do not get disturbed from svaroopa they do not fall from that state. He will never be an ajnaani. Raga and dvesha, attraction and repulsion do not bind him.
Who so ever steadily positions himself in that state, for such a person there is no appearance of raaga or dwesha. If the moola or origin is handled, the others are automatically handled. When an upsurge of energy, that is released, hits the knot of ajnachakra it gets deflected. It moves to different indriyas and gives rise to any number of problems including ill health. When expansion takes place at that chakra any amount of upsurge in energy gets distributed into infinity. For such a person, how can there be raga and dvesha. In fact the forces of tamas and rajas get melted and dissolved in satva. Tackling focusing amounts to directly cutting the root and hence conquering the life.
यत् स्वरूप परिभ्रंशः चेत्यार्थचितिमज्जनम्,
एतस्मात् अपरो मोहो न भूतो न भविष्यति.
yat svarūpa paribhraṁśaḥ cētyārthacitimajjanam,
ētasmāt aparō mōhō na bhūtō na bhaviṣyati.
(Sl.3-9-93)
Cit becoming cētya is known as svarūpa paribhraṁśaḥ. When chit starts to see objects then it is cētya. Cit becomes cētya on its own. Reminds one of the Upanishad mantra - tadeva anupravishat. That is the theme here. In one section of Vedanta it is said that if I see an object it amounts to creation. But, the object is already there and hence how that is created? In a more subtle way or in a cleverer way I can say that the moment I see the object I become that. That is, I vibrate in resonance. But, the object is already there. Focussing mechanism or localizing mechanism is involved in creation. In mukti or liberation de-localisation or diffusing mechanism is involved. In creation the fastness is brought in. In the path to upashanti or tranquility slowness is brought in.
अर्थादर्थान्तरं चित्ते याति मध्ये तु या स्थितिः,
निरस्तमननाकारा स्वरूपस्थितिं उच्यते.
arthādarthāntaraṁ cittē yāti madhyē tu yā sthitiḥ.
nirastamananākārā svarūpasthitiṁ ucyatē.
(Sl.3-9-94)
ardhāt arthāntaraṁ cittē yāti madhyē tu yā sthitiḥ. – The state between two objects of grasping in the mind is nirastamananākārā – if there will be nothing or no object to focus upon.svarūpasthitiṁ ucyatē – that is recognised or verily called svaroopa sthiti. It is the state of chintanarahitya, absence of thoughts or a-sankalpa sthiti, absence of desires.You have invited one picture. Then you are inviting another picture. Between the two what was the mind? After the elimination of one picture and before the arrival of the next picture what were you? That is Swaroopa or Self. Between one thought and another thought there is a silent gap. You do the inquiry there. That gap is Swaroopa. When you tone down the chetyonmukhata the gap becomes very soft.
The transition point or kumbhana after inhalation and before exhalation or kumbhana after exhalation and before inhalation is Svaroopa.
In language of time it is difficult to catch because thoughts are coming very fast to fill the gap. When nadhaanya sets in, one can be in the gap which is akaashatva, amanaskata sankalparaahitya, svaroopa, Brahman., If the crystallizing step or grossification of thought is discouraged or undone, then you are reaching Brahman. Then it is the pre state of mind. It is aananda because there is no toiling there..There is no picking of details. Gaudapaada’s famous statement can be remembered.
निवृत्तस्य अप्रवृत्तस्य निश्चला हि तदा स्थितिः,
विषयः स हि बुद्धानां तत्साम्यमजमद्वयम्.
nivr̥ttasya apravr̥ttasya niścalā hi tadā sthitiḥ,
viṣayaḥ sa hi buddhānāṁ tatsāmyamajamadvayam.
(Ma Upa., Gau.Ka.4-80)
Chitta will be without any movement between two thoughts. What is so big about it? That is the transacting region of all yogis and jnanis. All jnaanis hover around that place and remain in the advaya stage. This is a mahaavaakya for saadhana. One has to constantly look out for the gap between two thoughts. Every saadhaka’s goal should be that.
We always go to that mood to know about an object. That mood is a prerequisite to the grasping of things. Every indriya vyapara or activities of sense organs are possible if the inside goes to that attention mood. The eyes start attending, the ears start listening, etc. This mood is a pre requisite for us to grasp these thoughts. All those details are got only when you pay one pointed attention to that particular property. On the same lines we proceed to know Brahman also. But it is a big NO, as it is your parama moola svarooppa. Hence this method of knowing is futile. Brahman is the cause for all your activities including your attention mood or minding process. It is quite natural that we go for searching that swaroopa. This is the biggest knot we have to untie. In the case of swaroopa that is not possible. But we get a doubt.
When we think of Brahman as a primordial swaroopa or state, then this method cannot be applied because your minding happens due to that swaroopa only. We always defined Brahman as a kaaranasthana, the causal state
One can argue as to why Brahman cannot be known through minding. In that case minding becomes paramasthana. If we posit that minding itself is the parama-sthana there should not be any other state prior to that and we should be minding all the time without a break. But shastra says that it is not correct since one is not in the minding state always. There are many times when one stops minding and capturing details. One has to do examination to see if the non seeing or non listening state is present or not. The example is nidra, sleep. Here, there is no seer, no attendee and no seeing. If we did not have the proof of nidra it would have been impossible to posit moolastithi by logic. Otherwise one would have thrown away the shastra. The entire essence is here. Brahman cannot be got by search done through the mind - yan manasa na manute, etc.
In minding we have the specifics of time and space. As long as you have this, there could be many minding states. It has a locus. You are minding your system here. She is minding her system there! Once you get a locus in the expanding state, the minding starts functioning. The state which one does not get into specialisation should be more fundamental. So we have got the evidence that there is a no minding state. Anything that has not picked up specialisation must be more fundamental. Physics also agrees and argues in this direction.
One cannot be minding always. Your own experience shows that minding is a taxing phase, efforting state. Whereas, a no mind state is a peaceful state, anandasthana, vishraantisthana, madhurasthana. Why do we come back to minding again when we are in that peaceful state? The best answer is that we take more time for the pressure to build up in the state of vistaarata or expansive state to come to that state. For a jnaani who is always in the peaceful state the tool is let go or udaaseenabhawa and non attachment to mundane things, but still participating in all the activities.
Why does not the minding go to the less minding state than the peaceful state? This is because of our conditioning and abhyaasabala, force of habit. That means, we have not learnt the art breaking that aperture when we stretch ourselves. When you are in a specified speed, stretch does not happen is the main point of discussion. The capability of the individual system has to be taken into account for this type of problem. You can do minding in the soft way. At that point, the advising mind is also at the same speed. Once you develop udaaseena-bhaawa the barrier can be broken. So, a trick like japa for a short period to cut down the forces that might have developed is needed to get the required stretch. If you want to be in peaceful state without expenditure, it is through naidhaanya. I take the route of slowing down the breath. Any route which cuts down speed and helps one to go towards shanti is fine.
योन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचं इमाम् प्रसुप्तां
सन्जीवयत्यखिल शक्ति धरस्स्वधाम्ना
अन्यांश्च हस्त चरण श्रवण त्वगाधीन्
प्राणान् नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यं.
yōntaḥ praviśya mama vācaṁ imām prasuptāṁ
sanjīvayatyakhila śakti dharassvadhāmnā
anyāṁśca hasta caraṇa śravaṇa tvagādhīn
prāṇān namō bhagavatē puruśāya tubhyaṁ.
(Dhruva stuti)
(My Lord, I make my prostrations to You. You are the One who has entered into me as my inner soul making me speak. My speech has been dormant all along. You are the One who makes my ears hear, my hands work, my feet walk, my tactile senses to feel, my life to vibrate - all by your Glory, my Lord, who wields Infinite Power.)
I salute The One who is directing my mind the ultimate centre which is stimulating my vocal organs or vaak, organs of karmendriyaas, organs of action, All are forces acting in different ways.
We have had a detailed discussion as to why minding is not the paramasthiti, but the penultimate state. We have also noted that minding state is duhkasthaana. It is a taxing phase. Whereas, the ultimate state is a comforting state. Here, we can once again recollect the sloka of Kenopanishat, Yan manassaa na manute……..You come to the minding state the moment you fall from Brahman. The very first fall from Brahman is the minding phase. If you bring in naidhaanya in every karma you do, by adopting neutral activities like sweeping the floor, dusting the room, soft activities like japa, repetition of manrtraas which does not excite the mind, then it is possible to retain that vistaarata.Even if a research scholar, were to mentally decide to adopt this naidhaanya then his performance capabilities increase many folds. LET GO-ing or non minding is very much my nature as fixing. I had to struggle for ten years in my course of knowing Brahman finally to know the futility of focusing or minding.
Whatever you were prior to hearing, seeing, etc, know that as Brahman. Focusiing was the blunder I was doing during all those years. Minding does not take one to tne moola or the source. In minding one is in the creativity phase. So what is to be done?
सर्वस्यैव करणकलापस्य यदर्थप्रयुक्ता प्रवृत्तिः
तद्ब्रह्मेति प्रकरणार्थो विवक्षितः.
sarvasyaiva karaṇakalāpasya yadarthaprayuktā pravr̥ttiḥ tadbrahmēti prakaraṇārthō vivakṣitaḥ.
(Ke Upa, Sh.Bha -.21)
Stop or drop those obstructive after positions of thinking, seeing, listening, etc, the activities of sense organs and sit to go back to the source. Drop or discourage minding and go to your source.
संशान्त सर्व संकल्पा या शिलावत् अवस्थितिः,
जाड्यनिद्रा विनिर्मुक्ता सा स्वरूप स्थितिः स्मृता.
saṁśānta sarva saṁkalpā yā śilāvat avsthtiḥ,
jāḍyanidrā vinirmuktā sā svarūpa sthitiḥ smr̥tā.
(Sl.3-9-95)
(The state in which all the desires have become extinct, in which one remains motionless like stone, in which one is free from inertness of sleep or dream, is known as the state of abidance in Consciousness.)
A definition has been given regarding the mind which is without any sankalpa at all. To give more importance they give the comparison of a stone – _śilāvat avsthtiḥ _- there is no chitta in any inanimate object. Chitta is very small in plant kingdom. It is slightly improved in animals and exclusively in humans. Although he is a human he remains like a stone (amanaskaha). As far as mind is concerned he is non-functioning as a stone. A saadhaka gets a hint that he should go to that much of non doing like a stone. There is no trace of any sankalpa at all in a stone.
jāḍyanidrā vinirmuktā – But his state is rid of the inertness or jaadyaamsha found in the stone. Though there is no sankalpa, there is a very small spandana in the stone. Science postulates that there is nothing in the universe which is in no motion state. Everything vibrates. This is an undisputed concept. In a static stuff there are so much of held up forces which are at extra ordinary speed. Why is not visible then? It is not in the displacement way. There is only terrible to and fro motion without any displacement and thus is not visible. We cannot say that movement is not there, if there is no displacement.
Take the case of a ’Top’. It rotates against an axis. Earth’s motion around the sun is displacement, but the axial motion of the earth is not visible. Simple harmonic motion and axial motion are the two best examples we come across every day. Similarly the forces of the mind are like that. Jaadya is the characteristic of jagat and not of Brahman. That means in jagat there is a movement in the form of prana. There is a movement in the world which is not visible to the naked eye. That is called tamas or jaadya which is a held up spandana. Whereas, in swaroopa there are no vibrations, neither forces of motion as in rajas nor held up forces like in tamas. A sadhaka has to note and recognize this point. That is, softening of pranic vibrations should take place resulting in emptying of chitta. With this development the confinement should go. Our sadhana should be to defocus and merge in the expanse. Then all possible types of activities are eliminated. Does it mean that we should just vegetate? No there is a world of difference. Matter has a more horrible state of existence than mind. Mind has some capability to move back and forth and is not totally caught as matter. It is the mid state. It is not utterly helpless either. But, it is still not released from bondage like that of svaroopa. Chitta which has the quality of expansion is sliding towards coning resulting in confinement. From the view point of saadhana we have to see these two which are compliment to each other. Since we are always in the need to know, there is a confinement which is getting us into a focal point. That is the difficulty of the mind. Prajna, praana, aakaasha are all synanimous.
यो वै प्राणः सा प्रज्ञा या वा प्रज्ञा स प्राणः.
yō vai prāṇaḥ sā prajñā yā vā prajñā sa prāṇaḥ.
(Kaushitaki Brahmana)
The Upanishad is asking us to understand that, wherever the word prajnaa is used, infer it as prana. Similarly, wherever the word prana is used take it as or understand it as prajnaa. These are softer and softer states. Prana spandana is there in minimal levels in akasha. It is the least activity state. Thus it is still kaarya brahma. A very soft spandana of prana is called as aakasha. Let us not go deep into the aspects of creation, etc, which will be of no help at all in our sadhana. These details in no way reduce our duhkha.One should always keep in mind that we have to go from gross to subtle. A saadhaka has to keep this in mind. To bear with the unpleasant responsibilities without getting disturbed, perturbed, irritated, etc. is Yoga and that purifies the mind to a great extent. Even when you are in karma, keep up the expansion and slowness in that state. The whole purpose is to reduce the spandana that gives rise to speed and focusing. This means that manas is going towards satva.
Let us try to understand the meaning of:
तत्सृष्ट्वा तदेवानुप्राविशत्
tatsr̥ṣṭvā tadēvānuprāviśat
A more freedom carrying Self has tagged on with a less freedom carrying element that is the body. Body is made up of matter. There is static motion which does not carry the element of displacement. It is taamasic in nature. .Scientifically taken there is hectic activity in our body cells which is nothing but pranic vibrations which are confined and there is no displacement. The more freedom carrying element in us is my mental plane and the plane of prana. When compared to svaroopa this is a coarser, fallen level as I have entered minding phase. We also need to get the three dimensional spread.
- The movement of prana is purely linear with just up and down movement in the prana sharira.
- With a certain degree of chittashuddhi the feeling of linear movement of praana will be replaced with the feeling of spreadness or a wider coverage.
- That is, when prana comes to manas tatva it looses its confinement and gets diffused and spread.
- The activity in chitta is not linear. It is everywhere. My coverage or existence in chitta is everywhere. So, the praana of chitta is more superior to praana of praana.
- The praana of Mahattatwa is still diffused.
- When you touch Avyaakruta it is much more diffused.
- But when you touch SWAROOPA the diffusion is so much that it is not even aware of the praana movement.
See this point. Vyaana is attached to the body. But chitta is everywhere not connected to the body alone. If I conceive a mountain my chitta or mind has become the mountain. The whole panorama I view is my chitta. Cittashuddhi has already started in the vijnaanakosha because of the capability of discrimination. Therefore a controlled chitta is vijnaana. A purified chitta is vijnaana.
Tasya shradhiava shiraha is the most important statement of the Upanishad. But mellowing of raaga, bhaya, krodha is happening inside although focusing is there to a degree. Scattered attention has come to a single point action because of the purification. In addition to the one pointed way, it has acquired certain virtues. Uncontrolled thinking has become controlled thinking. The western world thinks that performance is the best way of displacement. They do not know that it can lead to burdensome state, although their mind is regulated or channelised. They have not understood the point that non doing is a better state than doing state. The notion that one has to give up the action of mind has not occurred to them at all. This is most important to note that chittashuddhi is very important. Any mechanical work should not displease you once you remove the aspect of irritability attached to it. Vaasanaa kshya is very long drawn process.
You have come to a minimal level of purification if you have given up kaama, krodha etc. But the purification has to happen at a sub minimal level. You have to bring down the existence of mind and even you have to reduce the level of turbulence of prana. When we say minimal level of praana, it means the extra pressures like the hurry and impatience which are the acts of praana, and also the fretting and fuming have to be done away with. When that happens, the rate at which the praana movement is taking place becomes subtle. One has to try for that. Even the no minding is a softer state of minding. It is going to the purification of mind rather than going to a no mind state. If you jump from trupti to no mind level it amounts to forgetfulness, since trupi naasha cannot happen so quickly. The removal of the aspect of quickness is trupti naasha. You have to watch the seer and tell yourself that even the seer should see slowly. Then you can say that even the act of seer has come down.
Instead of dismissing abruptly the focusing and go to a non focusing stage tell yourself that the act of focusing shall also happen slowly. Everything that is arising in the chitta, if done in a toned down way by reducing the hurry element to conquer it, you are in real saadhana. It is not going from thought to no-thought state. This, we are doing in sleep already. A quick shifting does not eliminate or soften the forces. Why should you feel helpless when you sit in non doing way? Tell yourself that you should be able to tone it down slowly or absorb it. Then the growth takes place. You annul the focusing tendency as it is shaping. Such type of diffusion gives you a relief that you feel so happy and relaxed.
This is very nicely shown in Taittiriya Upanishad in that saama veda chant - haaavu haaavu haaavu ahamannam ahamannam ahamannaado etc One need not go Himalayas. Wherever you are and in whatever posture you are, you have to diffuse. It is not your wife and children who are responsible for the burden that you are carrying inside you. Learn to sit peacefully leaving the urge to get that peace. Niadhaanya is the tool you have to apply and adopt everywhere including your karma. Bhagavad-Gita again comes to our rescue.
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया,
यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति.
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्,
वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः.
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः,
यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते.
yatrōparamatē cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yōgasēvayā,
yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyannātmani tuṣyati.
sukhamātyantikaṁ yattadbuddhigrāhyamatīndriyam,
vētti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaścalati tattvataḥyaṁ.
labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyatē nādhikaṁ tataḥ,
yasminsthitō na duḥkhēna guruṇāpi vicālyatē.
(BG..6-20,21,22)
(In the stage of perfection called trance, or samadhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to experience the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.)
It is a wonderful statement for saadhana. Even in the midst of terrible un-abatable forces of duhkha, one do not move out during sadhana. Such a person remains steady. Even if he is cut with a knife or sword he does not get perturbed. This exactly is the state when anesthesia is administered in a surgical operation. This is a test for jeevanmukta. Such a person gets himself unrelated to the body to such an extent that he remains in the state of anesthesia effect. It is possible to wake up a man who is sleeping, but the one who is under anesthesia effect it, is impossible to wake him up. This is the yardstick. The deha abhimaana raahitya is not a notion. It is a psychological fact. We are getting a number of hints to understand swaroopa. Let us now see one more aspect.
अहन्तांशेक्षते शान्ते भेदे निष्पन्दचित्तता,
अजडा या प्रकचति तत्स्वरूपमिति स्थितम्.
ahantāṁśēkṣatē śāntē bhēdē niṣpandacittatā,
ajaḍā yā prakacati tatsvarūpamiti sthitam.
(SL.3-9-96)
(When the ‘I’ notion has been erased and when the duality has been got rid of by the restraint of the mind, the illumining consciousness that manifests is known as Self.)
ahantāṁśēkṣatē - When the spurana of I, gets destroyed - The I in us exists in three forms _kartru, jnaatru and bhoktru _(the doer, the knower and the enjoyer). The state of mind as a cogniser or perceiver is jnaatrutwa, to grasp the details of the vastu. This is one aspect of ‘I’. The other aspect of ‘I’ is to like and dislike cognized stuff and act emotionally. This is bhokrutwa. In order to get it or reject it one has to involve in karma or activity. This is kartatwa. These three aspects of ‘I’ need to get extinct.
śāntē bhēdē – Then the division of experience and the experienced dies. One becomes akaashamaatra, staying in a very care free, expansive and spread region. When cognizing stops the other two stop. To look for details is the burden state that one should smash as it is not the road to ananda. But, unfortunately the world glorifies capturing of details which is ridiculed by shastra. What a tragedy? What a folly?