To a friend who after a bout of depression
took to antidepressant drugs and underwent courses of ‘Art of Living' – felt that
he had attained to universal love (apanapan with all living beings and
prakruti), became a watcher (sakshi) and developed confidence and that his ‘mission’
now is to help others to come out of their suffering.
Your intellectual
understanding of state of meditation – of being a watcher – is perfect. This is
a very significant first step in the process of one's evolution.
But a little caution here –
mind is very cunning and tends to make one believe that one is established in
what one intellectually understands.
In this context, I would
like to share what transpired in my recent meeting with Mungale Sir. I asked
him if the awareness of body and / mind which I experience is the experience of
mind – one part of the mind observing body or another activity of the mind – or
is it the observation through consciousness or witness or Sakshi. He replied by
saying that as of now it is observation and experience of mind only. After 5-7
years (I feel, he may
have actually meant 5-7 lives) witness may become a reality and at that stage,
mind has no role to play - observation will be effortless. I am very happy if
it can come so soon – in 5-7 lives.
I would also like to share
experience of another close friend of mine who experienced love towards
everyone and everything around and felt like hugging them all on taking a drug
called Ecstasy. You are aware that excess or deficiency of certain chemicals in
the brain can cause different behavioural attributes like aggression,
depression, hatred, hallucinations, fear, love etc. Production of certain
chemicals and hormones in adolescence creates irresistible attraction towards
member of opposite sex.
It may perhaps also be
useful to refer to a post by Shraddha on Facebook and my response to that. Both
are reproduced below.
Shraddha : "I have
just began my quest into "spirituality" with great Sufi poets, Rumi
and Hafiz. Not that I didn't understood what "being spiritual" means.
But never tried to explore it in its real meaning. The growing emotions of
anger and fear in individuals across societies and nations and their
manifestation into violence and crime that we are witnessing in our daily lives
led me into thinking if the erosion of spiritual and human values from our
lives contributing to the present state of anxiety and misery. I never ardently
believed in the existence of God so never found Sufism (as a school) very appealing, perhaps
for the simple reason that I confused it being confined to "union of man
with God". But as it unravels before me and I am thinking beyond
narrower meaning, I am mesmerized by its essence and its application in
all walks of life, both personal and political. The need is to understand and
imbibe the deeper meaning of "Spirituality" and be a better and truer
human. This requires immense soul – searching, will-power, and character
-building through self analysis and reasoning. ...
...
My response : As usual,
beautifully written!
'Understanding and
imbibing' spirituality through mind is only the first step in experiencing
mysteries of life. Gurus like Rumi inspire us to go on an unending
journey.
Deeper one goes in one's
search, one is overwhelmed with freedom and joy and at every stage one finds
that this is just a beginning! This is what infinite or eternal means.
Love and best wishes!"
The actual experience of
oneness of everyone and everything – comes only after repeated experiences of
Samadhi – state of transcendence of mind.
Swami Virajeshwara Ji had
his first experience of Samadhi after intense one-pointed Sadhana under his
Guru. When he narrated his experience to his Guru, the Guru remarked that yes
your experience was real but it was only a first glimpse of reality / God and
now you are back in your mind – now you are seeing this table, trees and
persons around as real. He asked him to continue his sadhana till manifest
world (a projection
of one's mind) permanently
dissolves and one is always established in the experience of oneness of
everyone and everything. Thereafter, Swamiji sat almost alone steeped in
sadhana for next 30 years before guiding a handful of his disciples in last few
years in his body here – all through he continued to stay alone and did not
allow anyone to stay in his Ashram.
His instruction to us was :
always chant "Shri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama" and "enjoy
your solitude".
While on the subject, I
would like share a basis truth - His creation is perfect. What it means is that
no one can and no one needs to try to improve upon it.
Mun, buddhi and ahankar
(ego) are the works of Maya. Illusion of 'Mission' of one's life –
helping others to come out of suffering and making this world a better world to
live in – arises from one's ego. It is also a work of Rajoguna (urge for action and ambition).
Very idea of helping others
is also a trick of the mind to shift attention from itself and avoid its
transcendence / annihilation through Sadhana / prabhu smaran.
Before I conclude, one
thing more, shastras unequivocally proclaim that doing good to others is Punya
Karma and one gets its reward in this life or lives hereafter. That
privileged position allows one to strengthen one's ego and indulge in action
resulting in accumulation of negative Karmas. The cycle of birth and death thus
continues to reap their fructification. Positive Karmas are thus also
bad.
When one transcends mind
and reaches state of being a watcher mentioned in your write up, he finds His
creation to be perfect and reaches a state of Akarma – whatever happens through
such a person is not his doing – it is just like fragrance of a flower – he has
no "mission".
Focussing attention on
mechanics of our minds and Prabhu Smaran alone has to be the
"Mission" of our lives – rest all is deception created by our mind or
His Maya.
