Significance of OM

Pathanjali's Yoga Sutras: Samadhi pada

Sutra 27: 'Tasya vaachakah pranavah'

The word which express Him is Om.

Sutra 28: 'Tath japah tath artha bhavanam'

This word must be repeated with meditation upon its meaning.

Sutra 29: ' Tathah pratyaka chethana adhigamo api antharayabhavah cha'

Hence comes the knowledge of the Atman and destruction of the obstacles to that knowledge.

Explanation:

A verse from Rig Veda states: "In the beginning was Brahman, with who was the Word; and the Word was truly the supreme Brahman." The philosophy of the Word may be traced, in its various forms and modifications, down from the ancient Hindu scriptures through the teachings of Plato and the author of Fourth Gospel. Truth may be rediscovered independently, in many epochs and places. The power of the Word, for good and for evil, has been recognized by mankind since the dawn of history.

Words and ideas are inseparable.You cannot have the idea of God without the word which expresses God. But why necessarily, use the word OM? The Hindus reply that, because God is the basic fact of the universe, he must be represented by the most basic, the most natural, the most comprehensive of all sounds. And they claim that this sound is OM (or AUM as it should be properly pronounced). To quote Swami Vivekananda: "The first letter A, is the root sound, the key pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or palate; M represents the last sound in the series, being produced by the closed lip, and the U rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding-board of the mouth. Thus OM represents the whole phenomena of sound-producing." It has been used by countless millions of worshipers-- always in the most universal sense; implying no special attribute, referring to no one particular deity. If such use can confer sanctity, the OM is the most sacred word of all.

But what really matters is that we should appreciate the power of Word in our spiritual life; and this appreciation comes only through practical experience. People who have never tried the practice of repeating the name of God are apt to scoff at it: it seems to them so empty, so mechanical. The truth is that we are all inclined to flatter ourselves that we spend our time thinking logical, consecutive thoughts. More usually, we are in the state of reverie -- a mental fog of disconnected sense-impressions, irrelevant memories, nonsensical scraps of sentences from books and newspapers, little darting fears and resentments, physical sensations of discomfort, excitement or ease. Because we do nothing to control this reverie, it is largely conditioned by external circumstances. The weather is cloudy, so our mood is sad. The sun comes out our mood brightens. Insects begin to buzz around us, and we turn irritable and nervous. Often, it is as simple as that.

But now, if we introduce into this reverie the repetition of the name of the God, we shall find that we can change our moods, despite the interference of the outside world. We are always; anyhow repeating words in our minds-- the name of a friend or an enemy, the name of an anxiety, the name of the desired object -- and each of these words is surrounded by its own mental climate. Try saying "war" or "money" ten thousands times, and you will find that your whole mood has been changed and colored by the associations connected with that word. Similarly, the name of God will change the climate of your mind. It cannot do otherwise.

When the mind is so violently disturbed by pain or fear or the necessities of some physical emergency that it cannot possibly be used for meditation or even rational thought, there is still one thing that you can always do; you can repeat His name, over and over. Once you have really tested and proved the power of the holy Word, you will rely upon it increasingly. Through the constant practice, the repetition becomes automatic.

Mere repetition of God's name is, of course, insufficient -- as Patanjali points out. We must also meditate upon its meaning. But one process follows naturally upon the other, if we really understood the meaning under guidance of Sadguru. If we preserve in our repetition, it will lead us inevitably into meditation. Gradually, our confused reverie will give way to concentrated thought. We cannot long continue to repeat any word without beginning to think about the reality which it represents.

This frequent service of the lips imperceptibly becomes a genuine appeal of heart, sinks down into the inward life, becomes a delight, becomes as it were, natural to the soul, bringing it light and nourishment and leading it on to union with God.

The first teacher

Pathanjali's Yoga Sutras : Samadhi pada

Sutra 25: 'Tatra nirathishaya sarvajnatva beejam'

In Him, knowledge is infinite; in others it is only a germ.

Sutra 26: 'Sa poorvesham api guruh kaalenaanavachchedaath'

He was the teacher even of the earliest teachers, since He is not limited by time.'

Explanation:

These two sutras deal with Ishwara's attribute of omniscience. If we admit the existence of knowledge -- no matter how limited -- in man, we must deduce from it the existence of infinite knowledge in God. Further, granted that everybody must have a teacher, Pathanjali reasons that the teacher of the first teacher can only have been God, since He alone, being timeless, was present before teachers began.

Ishwara and Brahman

Pathanjali Yoga Sutras: Samadhi pada

Sutra 23: 'Ishvara pranidhanaadva'

Concentration may also be attained through devotion to Ishwara.

Sutra 24: 'Klesha karma vipaakaashayai paramrushtah purushavishesha Ishwarah'

Ishwara is a special kind of Being, untouched by ignorance and the products of ignorance, not subject to karmas or samskaras or the result of action.

Explanation:

Here for the first time, Pathanjali introduces the idea of God. According to Vedanta philosophy Ishwara is the supreme Ruler of the universe - its Creator, Sustainer and Dissolver. Brahman, the ultimate Reality, cannot properly be said to create, sustain or dissolve, since Brahman is, by definition, without attributes. Ishwara is Brahman seen within Prakruti.

What is important is the concept of devotion. Liberation as we have already seen in previous two sutras, can be reached without devotion to God. But this is a subtle and dangerous path, threading its way through the pitfalls of ambition and pride. Devotion to a personal ideal of God brings with it a natural inclination to humility and service. It sweetens the dryness of intellectual discrimination and calls forth the highest kind of love of which man is capable. We cannot even imagine Brahman until the moment of our liberation, but we can all imagine Ishwara, according to our different natures -- for Ishwara has attributes which our minds can recognize. Ishwara is all that we can know of the Reality until we pass beyond Prakruti.

If we set ourselves to serve Ishwara, if we dedicate our actions and surrender our wills to Him, we shall find that He draws us to Himself. This is the grace of God, which Sri Ramakrishna compared to an ever-blowing breeze; you have only to raise your sail in order to catch it. And in the Gita, we read:

"Whatever your action, food or worship;

Whatever the gift that you give to another;

Whatever you vow to the work of the spirit;

Lay these also as offerings before me."

This kind of devotion requires, perhaps, a special temperament. It is to be able to feel it is great blessing, for it is the safest and happiest way to liberation. Ishwara, it has been said, is God as He appears within Prakruti. But it must be remembered that Ishwara is Prakruti's ruler, not its servant.That is why Pathanjali describes Him as "a special kind of Being". A man is the servant of Prakruti. He is subject to ignorance of his real Self (the Atman) and to products of this ignorance -- egotism, attachment to sense-objects, aversion from them (which is merely attachment in reverse) and a blind clinging to his present life: the various forms of bondage which constitute misery. Ishwara is not subject to ehis ignorance, or to its products.

Man is subject to the laws of birth and death, the laws of karma. Ishwara is unborn, undying. Man is subject to his samskaras -- the deeply rooted tendencies which drive him or to further actions and desires. Ishwara is free from samskaras and desires. He is not involved in the results of action.

Man, it is true, may become liberated. But even in this he differs from Ishwara -- for Ishwara was never in bondage. After liberation , man is one with Brahman, But he can never become one with Ishwara (Indeed the desire to become Ishwara, the Ruler of universe, would be the most insane of all egotistical desires). In the state of union with Brahman, both Ishwara and His universe are transcended, since both are merely projections of Brahman.

Success in Yoga

Pathanjali Yoga Sutras

Sutra 21: 'Theevra samvegaanaam asannah'

Success in Yoga comes quickly to those who are intensely energetic.

Sutra 22: 'Mrudu madhya adhimatratvaath tathopi visheshah'

Success varies according to the means adopted to obtain it -- mild, medium or intense.

Explanation:

Theoretically, these is no reason why we should not achieve the state of perfect yoga within the space of a single second- since the Atman is eternally within us and our ignorance of this fact could be instantaneously dispelled. Practically, however, our progress is retarded by our past karmas, our present fears and desires and the relative strength of our energy. No one can generalize about the period required -- it might, in any individual case extend over months, years or lifetimes. All we can say is this -- no effort, however small, is wasted, and the harder we try, the sooner we shall succeed.

The concentration can be through....

Pathanjali's Yoga Sutras

Sutra 20: Shraddha veerya smruthi samadhi prajna poorvaka ithareshaam

The concentration of the true spiritual aspirant is attained through faith, energy, re collectedness, absorption and illumination.

Explanation:

"Faith" is often used by agnostics as a term of abuse. That is to say, it is taken to refer to the blind credulity which accepts all kinds of dogmas and creeds without question, repeating parrot-like what has been thought, and closing its ears to doubt and reason. It is compounded of laziness, obstinacy, ignorance and fear. Because it rigid and unyielding it can quite easily by shaken and altogether destroyed.

But this is not the true faith. True faith is provisional, flexible, undogmatic, open to doubt and reason.True faith is not like a picture frame, a permanently limited area of acceptance. It is like a plant which keeps on throwing forth shoots and growing. All we require is a seed. And the seed need be nothing more than a feeling of interest in the possibilities of the spiritual life. Perhaps we read a passage in a book which moves us. Perhaps we meet someone who seems to have reached some degree of wisdom and tranquility through the practice of meditation and spiritual disciplines. We become interested and intrigued. May be this is a solution for our own problems, may be it isn't. We can't be sure- we ought not, at this stage, be sure - but we decide to give it a try.

Suppose you are subject to indigestion. One day you read a book about diet or meet a doctor who tells you that he can restore you health if you follow his instructions. You do not have to accept the book or the doctor with blind faith, but you do have to have provisional, hypothetical faith. You have to assume that the diet will help your condition.You have to try it before you can say with authority whether it is helpful or useless. So too, with the spiritual diet which the great teachers recommend. You have to have provisional faith in the truth of the scriptures and in the word of you teacher.

Second thing is, you to have energy. Without energy you cannot follow any kind of instructions, day after day, and really test their value. The Buddha pointed out that, if there is any sin, it is laziness. As we know of Gunas, Tamas Guna is the lowest condition of nature and human mind.

But luckily for us, energy is like a muscle; it grows stronger through being used. This is a very simple and obvious, yet perpetually amazing truth. Every creative artist knows those days of apparently blank stupidity and lack of inspiration on which he has to force himself to work. And then, suddenly, after hours of toiling, the effort is rewarded; ideas and enthusiasm begin to flow into him.

In all our undertakings, the little daily effort is all important. The muscles of our energy must be continually exercised. Thus, gradually, we gain momentum and purpose.

As faith increases through personal experience and energy grows through practice, the mind acquires a direction. It becomes recollected, in the basic meaning of the world. Our thoughts have been scattered, as it were, all over the mental field. Now we begin to collect them again and to direct them toward a single goal--Knowledge of the Atman. As we do this we find ourselves becoming increasingly absorbed in the thought of what we are seeking. And so, at length, absorption merges into illumination, and the knowledge is ours.

Diffrent types of Realization

Realization is of two types a). Self Realization and b). Brahman
realization. As per Shri Shankara a) Nirguna Brahman b). Saguna Brahman.

For Saguna realization Upasana/Bhakti/Karmayoga is the way. Shankara showed
the way for this also. But he didnot consider that as ultimate. He
considered Self Realization as the ultimate and Jnana is the way for Self
Realization. Saguna brahma upasana clears Chitta and creates conditions for
Jnana. Ahamkara gets removed with Jnana. Shri Shankara has sung beautiful
hymns about Shakti - Soundarya Lahari, Annapurna stotra etc. For Shri
Shankara creation is Shakti - Lalitambika. For Shri Madhwa, creation is
Laxmi executed through Pranashakti.

As per Shri Madhwa, a). is Mukti - Narayana Darshana b). Vishnu darshana.
Both are synonymous systems with different terminologies/nomenclatures etc.

Language is inadequate to express experience of any kind let alone spiritual
experience which is of the highest order. Discussions/discourses are
happening with Pandits who dont have an iota of idea about experience. I
have interacted with Dwaita Scholars, Advaita scholars, Budhist Monks, Yoga
Masters both enlightened and non enlightened. Bookish knowledge will not
take one any where but confusion. People like Puttur Ajja, Amma, Nithyananda
have not studied Vedanta but they speak Vedanta out of their experience.
This is Pustakada badanekayi Vs real badanekayi.

To put my perspective ( which comes from Engineering background and
experience).

Realizations are of two types
a). Objective which involves body mind complex, sense organs. This happens
when the mental noise drops drastically. Interference of mind in sense
organs reduces drastically. This can be due to Karmayoga or Bhakti yoga
which is purificatory process. In my case, Karmayoga helped. The work I did
in CDOT became my worship. When the mental noise starts reducing,
unactivated part of brain gets activated. This is due to movement of
Pranashakti upwards into nervous system. That is the reason Shri Madhwa says
Hari Sarvottama Vayu Jeevottama. Until that Pranavayu gets activated, you
cannot have this experience. It is called Kundalini awakening in Shaiva
tradition.

Once that happens, everything you see through sense organs becomes
magnificient due to reduced noise and heightened awareness. Tears start
flowing, body starts shaking with joy. The place where you are becomes
Vaikunta/Kailas. Everything including stone, air appears like living -
animated by Prana and Living being is Hari.

You start experience as a single living being - whatever name you call -
Hari, Brahma/Shakti etc. The whole universe is activated by Prana shakti -
like electricity. This experience is unforgettable. Even a momentary
experience is sufficient to wipe out Karma of lifetimes.

In this experience the Seer through your eyes/Hearer is Hari. He alone Sees
Himself in the world. But the experience gets recorded in Chitta memory
system. The individual ego "i"
which is nothing but you and me - bundle of psychological memories uses the
memory to say I saw Hari in the world. Since Jnana is not complete, "i" has
not disappeared. There is duality.

b). When we dont use sense organs/nervous system ( to a minimum extent) and
enter into Samadhi, we reach a state of Pure awareness. This is Narayana. To
reach Narayana you need to remove the concept of "i" in Psychological
memory. This process is Called Jnana by Shri Shankara, Self Enquiry by Shri
Ramana and Linga Deha Bhanga by Shri Madhwa.
Madhwa states unequivocally that Linga Deha Bhanga happens due to Jnana.
This is state of Mukti. This is state off Realization of Narayana. A
thoughtless Awareness where Narayana experiences himself but memory Chitta
records experience. This is what Shri Shankara calls as Nirguna Brahman and
Shaivas call Shivanubhuti. Gautama Buddha calls this as Nirvana - point of
no return.

All that I can say is experience cannot be discussed through words. If
someone in Dwaita system has to comment on Advaita or Buddhism or Vice versa
he should surrender to enlightened Master in that system ( not a scholar in
that system) learn the system humbly realize before commenting anything. It
has not happened in History !!

Except that Acharya like some Advaitins were converted by Shri Madhwa who is
a Realized soul. This is perfectly alright. Scholars when they meet realized
Master they learn their inadequacy. But scholars arguing with another
scholar is never ending business.

I would put Shri Madhwas teaching in simple words of Shri Kanakadas - "Nanu
hodare hodenu". Please remember Kanakadasa was not a scholar. In Shri
Vadiraja Tirthas shishyas there were hundreds of scholars perpetually
arguing about Shri Hari. Neither Shri Purandara Dasa nor Shri Kanakadasa
were scholars.

Now please read Harikathamrita sara any Sandhi. And please tell me who is
the Teacher Shri Madhwa/Shri Shankar speaks through the words of
Harikathamritasara. You cannot findout whether it is Dwaita or Advaita.

When the Wisdom is spoken through Love, Bhakti - it is Shri Madhwa. When
Love spoken through language of Wisdom it is Shri Shankara.

Realized souls like Buddha, Shankara and Madhwa are Universal beings. But
when they speak they speak for certain students. Even a Nobel Laureate if he
addresses the 10th standard student he has to speak their language.

When Jesus had speak he had to speak the language of Shepherd. "Lord is the
Shepherd you are the Sheep" because he was addressing such community.

Peace,
Prabhu

Cognitive meditaion

Pathanjali's Yoga Sutras, Chapter 1: Samadhi Pada.
Sutra 17: Vitarka vichara ananda asmita anugamat samprajnatah

The cognitive meditation or realization of the Self
is accompanied by logical reasoning, deep a-rational inquiry, an experience
of bliss and the sense of 'I am'. Even at those times, there is
consciousness of the subject-object relationship and knowledge of the
physiological and psychological states, experiences and deeds. This is
called Samprajnatha Samadhi.

Sutra 18: Virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara sesonyah

There is another meditation different from the previous one
is, the practice that is based on cessation of all effort even at
meditating. This practice leads spontaneously to tranquility. This is the
practice of mental suspension until only subtle impressions or memories such
as 'me' remains. Here 'me' impressions in the sense, body consciousness
remains.

Sutra 19: Bhava prathyayo videha prakrtilayanam

When such impressions remain, one retains
the possibility (and the cause ) of birth again, even after being freed from
the present body and after merged in unitive consciousness or becoming
integrated with one's own or the cosmic nature. For them, such impressions
or memories nurture and continue the awareness of continued
personal existence.

Sir,
I could not make up the meaning of these sutras. Please explain me.