by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 35
January. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 9

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

How does one give expression to this unique experience so that others can understand what is being described. Nothing that we possess in this gross material existence of ours is adequate to describe it as this is an experience totally of the world of pure consciousnes. The nearest ever expression is again that word AUM, with its three different sound expressions followed by a soundless pregnant pause where all sounds merge and rest in silence. A , the first sound of AUM is the sound that comes out before any sound is made. A is the beginning of all sounds which then gets modified or followed by any other sound, like the beginning of the Vedas, the source of all knowledge which starts with 'A'. As the cognizance of the universe and the creation begins with our waking state, the cognizance of all knowledge also begins with 'A'. Thus both these stages are related with Vaisvanara, experiencing the Visva, the entire external environment, this creation.

When the sound A rises higher, the second sound U establishes the travel through all intermediary sounds before the final silence is reached. It signifies an advanced state after A, as the dream state is an advanced state after waking state in its travel towards the final state.

It leads to superior knowledge or produces superior knowledge.

The third sound M is reached after covering and taking measure of the entire sound path and like the susupti state is the state of awareness of knowledge leading to that final silent stage and the stage of knowing.

To put it simply each of these four stages, (jagarita, swapna, susupti and turiya, represented by a,u,m, and that silence) really explain, how our consciousness reaches from one level to another. Each level of realisation is really a realisation of one's one self and its relationship with the supreme self.

All along this total spectrum of realisation process, the self was present within. The supreme self was ofcourse always there. But the merger of identity of the two was not coming forth because of the layers of ignorance or half knowledge was creating barriers of doubt and non acceptance. In the waking state the gross world was the first barrier. When that was discarded, the dream world (dictated by unfulfilled desires) created the second barrier. When that was discarded, there remained no more barriers between the self and the supreme self. This is the moment of final crossing over. The jiva or the individual self now requires the final freedom from any karmic influence or sanskara that still clinges. If the efforts have been sincere, the Lord then extends His grace. One can say that he comes down to pick up his beloved child to his bosom, and the sadhaka merges with that Supreme entity. That is Nirvana. That is mukti.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

THIS ISSUE OF AHWAN HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY Ms Rashmi Singh and Sri N P Singh Rana of Sahibababad

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