Dhyana Vahini

Dhyani (Meditator) considers the realisation of Atmic bliss as important; but, the promotion of the welfare of the world is also an equally important aim. For carrying out that aim, the welfare of the world, he must bring under control certain physical, verbal and mental tendencies. These are usually known as the ten-fold sins: the three physical, the four verbal, and the three mental. The physical sins are: injury to life, adulterous desire, and theft. The verbal sins are: false alarms, cruel speech, jealous talk, and lies. The mental sins are: greed, envy, and denial of God. The Sadhaka (Spiritual aspirant) intent on following the path of meditation must take every care that these ten enemies do not even approach him. They have to be eschewed completely. Man must speak, think and act only Subham (Good), for Subham alone is Mangalam (Auspicious), and Mangalam alone is Sivam. This is what the Sastras (Scriptures) also say. Isn’t it? To speak, think and act Asubham (Evil) is against the Dharma (nature) of man. If man is to merge in Sivam, Subham is his instrument. Through Subham or the good, he can achieve welfare in this world and the other heavenly worlds. Welfare is the fruit of knowledge; illfare is the fruit of ignorance. Through welfare alone can peace, joy, and progress be attained. The very basic duty of man is the welfare of all beings! Promoting it and contributing to it, is his right task. Living out one’s span of life in discharging this task is the path ordained.

Buddhi (Intellect) in us is the witness to all things. Being an active witness to everything, it pervades the mind and exists as Chaitanya (Consciousness). The substance or basis of Sarvabuddhi (all inner instruments) is Maya (Illusion), and so, Ishwara (God) is the Chaitanya (Pure Consciousness) separated from Maya. Therefore, in order to reach the stage of Ishwara, it is important to separate Maya. How can one separate Maya? - Through Vicharanashakti (Power of Inquiry), that is, Vivekam - discriminating and distinguishing things according to their true properties. For such Vivekam, sharing in the task of promoting the welfare of every being in Nature is essential. Jagat (Entire world), this passing show, is based on Maya (Illusions). That is why it is branded as ‘Asatya’ (False). But, man will not obtain the highest truth by a mere recognition of the falsity of the world or by the awareness of his shortcomings. He can never achieve progress due to the complete absence or being free of Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas). Perhaps, he may obtain the Ksetra-yogyata (worthy-field), i.e., cleansed or purified mind, to achieve that progress. Upon such a worthy-field, i.e., purified mind, sow the seeds of sterling qualities and irrigate with the waters of Vichaksana (Discretion); the plentiful harvest will be ready in due time! On lands where the seedlings of good qualities are not planted and tended, useless weeds multiply, and where orderly gardens could have been formed, thorny bushes create a jungle of impenetrable confusion.

Even if a person becomes free from Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) and obtains the worthy-field of purified mind, due to Avivekam (lack of discrimination) and Ahamkaram (blind conceit), if he does not strive to cultivate good qualities with earnestness and efforts, he cannot taste the excellence of life and conclude that his life is a waste and its worth is nil. In such a condition, the mind, by sheer force of these opposing forces (of Avivekam and Ahamkaram), gets lost in confusion and is unable to develop on the right lines. Such a depressed mind might cause indescribable evil. All progress won by the Sadhaka (Spiritual aspirant) might be destroyed by such a mind, in an unguarded moment, like a spark falling, during a minute’s negligence, on a keg of gunpowder!

There are some who only try to be free from Gunas; but, they become inert, high and dry, and achieve only living death. Their pale faces resemble the face of a dead person, revealing only lack of zest and interest. This is because of unreasoned haste due to Avivekam (lack of discrimination), in spite of having earnestness. As a result, they unknowingly run into troublesome situations and resort to suicide! Therefore, first, one must accumulate wealth of character full of sterling qualities. Since they evinced no interest in earning this qualification, even many stalwart Sadhakas (Spiritual aspirants) have lost their way and not regained it in spite of years of effort! Others have slipped into the morass through which they were wading!

Therefore, the path of “achieving the absence of qualities” is strewn with dangers. One cannot exist without activity; so, one must act through ‘good’ qualities. One must put down all desires and become free. The mind filled with good qualities will help in getting rid of envy and bear others' prosperity gladly. It will give up injuring; it will seek opportunities to help, to heal, and to foster. It will not only tolerate, but it will also pardon. It will not incline towards the false, it will be on the alert to always speak the truth. It will remain unruffled by lust, greed, anger, attachment and conceit; it will be free from delusion and will always seek the peace and welfare of the world. From such a mind will flow an uninterrupted stream of pure Love.

When this mind matures and attains fruition, it easily becomes free of all qualities. It can then be said as quality-less, placid, calm, and pure. Such a trained mind easily merges in the one Atma, without a second.

Unfortunately, though human beings have the unique chance of tasting the inner peace that such a mind can grant, due to lack of acquaintance they are strangers to the qualities such as real peace, equanimity and truth. Dhyanam (Meditation) is the only island of Truth that provides solace in the ocean of life tossed on the waves of desires, attachments, doubts, dread, and despair. The Vedantic truth must be perceived in the mind, even while the world of Visaya (objects) is being attended to!

Consider the condition of this world hundreds of thousands of years ago. At the time of creation, this entire globe was the scene of two things only. On one side was the fiery lava which poured forth from the volcanoes and crevices that scarred the surface of the earth. The flood of destruction descended on all sides and spread fear and death in the regions around, as if the end of everything had come. On another side, the scarcely noticeable molecules of living matter, the microscopic animalcules floated on the waters quietly or clung to the crevices among the rocks secluded, keeping the spark of life safe and well protected. Of these two, one, boisterous and bright, the other, quiet and secluded; upon which would you have built your trust? At that time, surely no one would have considered that the future was with the animalcule or the amoeba! Who could have foreseen that these minute specks of life could hold out against the gigantic onslaught of molten lava and earth-shaking upheaval? That speck of Chaitanya or Life-consciousness won through, nevertheless. So, none can know how things would change with time. Unheralded by fire and dust, by swooping gale or swallowing floods, the microscopic animalcule, in the process of time blossomed into Pranashakti (Vital life-force), into a repository of Divine wealth of goodness and strength of character, into art and music, into song and dance, into scholarship and martyrdom, into sainthood and even Avatars of Godhead! In all these, this history of the Earth is found summarised.

So, though Chaitanya or Life-consciousness appears quiet and placid, it is more powerful than the boisterous force of deluge. At times, though many are deluded by the attractions of the bright and boisterous force, and place their trust in it, this is only temporary; it will not last. If man is able to fully engage himself in the above-mentioned calm, quiet and placid state, he can surely enter into the atmosphere of delusion-less consciousness (i.e., Maya-less Chaitanya); there is no other attainable position higher than this. The Prasanti (Undisturbed inner peace) he tastes there is subtler than the subtlest. He must ascend to it through effort guided by reasoning and meditation. When he reaches that atmosphere of Chaitanya (Consciousness) and enjoys the fruit thereof in full, it is no other than the Status Divine, the coveted goal of life. People do not generally strive for it, because they know nothing of its supreme attraction. Meditation gives them the first inkling of that bliss.

Therefore, it is the duty of everyone to make the mind aware of the kind and nature of bliss and peace it can experience in the atmosphere of delusion-less consciousness and to strengthen the mind to ascend to that state. Otherwise, there is a likelihood of the mind discarding all effort to reach that state, what it now dismisses as “empty” and “useless”. But, once the mind is convinced that the moment of attunement with the Chaitanya (Consciousness) is a moment of complete power, suffused with Shakti (Divine power), then the effort will not be slackened; the Sadhaka (Spiritual aspirant) can gradually ascend and gain the true experience of Atmic realisation.

With this as the ideal, carry on Dhyanam (Meditation) and Mano Japam (mental repetition of the Divine name), henceforward. The step immediately after Dhyanam is Samadhi (Total Absorption). Dhyanam is the seventh of the eight-fold Yoga. So, do not give up this royal path of Dhyanam which is so close to the sacred goal of Samadhi. Dhyanam is the very basis of all Sadhanas (spiritual practices).