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by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No. 71
January 2007
THE DWELLER IN THE INNER LOTUS AND RELATED TOPICS - Part 2.
Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty
So the sanatan philosophy can rightfully claim to have discovered, before the advent of any other spiritual philosophy, this original concept that Brahman is deeply seated in the innermost sanctum of every created being in this cosmos. Brahman, the ultimate essence of everything is to be found within everything.
Is this a mere philosophical or intellectual imagination to give an exotic aura to the sanatan dharma? It is far from it. The sanatan philosophy being a life science of a very developed order there flows some direct benefits from such a concept. How this shapes and enriches our existence is our topic of this discussion.
As we concluded, the central focus of every one’s existence in all the various dimensions- physical, mental and psychic – is Brahman that is deep within.
Earlier, in our discussions on meditation, (see the articles On Meditation Parts 1-4 on July to November 2001 issues of AHWAN) we have seen that the focus of our yoga sadhana, the very object of our meditation, is nothing but The Brahman.
Meditation is Brahma chintan, meaning thereby “fixing one’s mind on Brahman”.
Tadeva jneyam Tadeva dheyam Paramam dhamam sarva shanti sukham.
Only that –meaning the Brahman alone is to be meditated upon and known, being the eternal abode of peace and bliss.
So if one has to meditate upon Brahman, obviously one must look at where Brahman is. That explains why in meditation one is called upon to concentrate within one’s own self. There lies the Brahman the essence of all existence, all knowledge and all bliss.
Every other advanced philosophy also believes in looking ‘within’ for self realization. Only the sanatan philosophy provides an acceptable rationality, as to why we should be looking within, by identifying the presence of Brahman within ourselves.
The immediate benefit of the feeling of Brahman within is that of ‘self regulation’. I know Brahman to be my source, controller of my actions and my greatest benefactor. He then becomes my constant support, and the bench mark for me, to be able to evaluate, mould my actions, my character and my development. I have within me my greatest ally, my friend, my philosopher, guide to my destination, my Guru for all purposes. In my darkest hours, I have the light to show the path and uplift my spirits.
As more and more of His presence seeps unto me, I gain ‘self confidence’. His power imparts a sense of fearlessness making me face the troubles of life unruffled, and effectively. With such a powerful force within me what could ever undermine my self confidence? There are always two types of people who exude confidence in themselves. The utter conceited fools and the conscious wise ones. The former eventually perishes and the latter always succeeds.
The self-confidence leads to ‘dignity of self’. Brahman being my intrinsic self, my true identity is also Brahman, Brahman the pure, Brahman the perfect, Brahman the divine. If I can realize this within me, my nature will not allow me to degrade myself by indulging in or entertaining evil.
But the greatest of all benefits accrues when this wave of consciousness starting from within moves like the concentric waves and spreads beyond the individual. Meditation, although it begins being inward looking (antarmukhi), very soon expands from within to outward to encompass all and becomes vishwamukhi. The space within the pot realizes its true identity with the all pervading space outside.
The implication of this truth is far reaching. When the Lord brought us into existence, He implanted us in his own creation as an essential element of this vast expansive viswa or universe. The fact that we all have a role in the running of the entire universe, seldom crosses our mind. Even a single act of ours – how insignificant it may appear, alters and influences some activity some where in this grand design. Earlier we talked in this forum the interconnectivity and interdependency of all constituents of this vast matrix, this creation. Does that not impose on us a responsibility to take into account what effect even a small action will have on another person, another life, another system of which we are parts? This is how the Sanatana philosophy imagined shedding all narrowness of mind. I see myself in the viswa and the viswa in me, I am the viswa, I am the Brahman.
Brahman is within me. The same Brahman is within you, within all. Hence Brahman is the uniting thread that connects every one in this creation. (Remember that description in the Bhagavad Gita: ‘Mayi sarvamidam protam sutre maniganA iva’. All this is strung on Me as clusters of gems on a string.)
The inseparable connection is thus established between every being of all kinds, shapes, forms and names. The ancient seers visualized all as nodes of an interconnected matrix, or members of a single group –vasudheiva kutumbakam- the concept of one family, one unity even in our diversity. Universal brotherhood, compassion for plants, animals et all, respect for environmental elements, all these lofty but essential thoughts come out from this concept that the same Brahman indeed lies within all.
Sri Aurobindo’s observations in this regard makes one see the deep significance. He explains in the article ‘The origin of falsehood and evil’ in ‘The Life Divine’. Every one talks about understanding, balance, harmony, sympathy, good-will, kindness, fellow feeling, self control, rightly ordered and harmonized action etc. But these are only mental expressions and can not be fully exploited as long as they remain limited by the mind’s limitations. But the total solution for the humanity ‘is beyond our present capacity’. He says; “the true solution can intervene when by our spiritual growth we can become one self with all beings, know them as part of our self, deal with them as if they were our other selves; for then the division is healed, the law of separate self-affirmation leading by itself to affirmation against or at the expense of others is enlarged and liberated by adding to it the law of our self-affirmation for others and our self finding in their self finding and self realization.”
This realization can only come when we can totally identify ourselves with every one and everything else around us, thinking that we are all one. The only uniting force towards this oneness is the presence of same Brahman residing within one and all.
We recall that beautiful sloka from The Kaivalya Upanishad.
SarvabhutasthamAtmAnam sarvabhutAni cAtmani
Sampasyan Brahma paramam yAti nAnyena hetunA.
When it says ‘sarvabhutani’, it first takes into account the entire group of ‘beings’ that exist in the universe. It says: see the presence of the Lord – the real self – residing within every such being and, also understand every individual self to be within the Lord. The underlying emphasis here is the concept of oneness of all. The essential identity of one and all, is nothing but that of the supreme self, the Paramatma or the Brahman.
The positive impact of such attitude governs, influences and eliminates many selfish actions that we do every day knowingly and unknowingly. That is how the quality of living gets refined. There will be fewer actions, which we instinctively do and regret later. The result is greater peace of mind. ‘I am the Vishwa’ –“viswoham” does not then become a mere japa or meditational practice – but a moral guideline for practical living.
The Isavasya Upanishad says:
Yastu sarvAni bhtAni Atmani eva anupasyati
Sarva bhutesu ca Atmanam tatah na vijugupsate
Seeing the self in all and all in self all feelings of hatred are eliminated. That is an excellent advice for peaceful co-existence and elimination of animosity.
The source of conflict of any kind what so ever, arises when two entities are perceived and the link of oneness is forgotten. For a man shrouded in the darkness of ignorance, the predominant feeling is fear. As an ignorant child is fearful of everything in a dark room, so is the ignorant man in the darkness of his mind. He lives in fear of all, afraid that he will be challenged, or deprived, or harmed and eliminated. As Sri Sankaracarya lamented; Tvayi mayi ca anyatra ekah Vishnuh, vyartham kupyasi mayi asahishnuh. You do not see the same Vishnu in you and me and unnecessarily becoming annoyed and impatient with me.
Harbouring ill feelings towards anyone can only harm myself eventually. The concept of oneness brings to focus the interconnectivity and interdependency of all like the different limbs of one body. How can one part of the body harm another part without harming itself? Each one of us is a support to each other in our quest for ultimate development. How can my growth take place if I do not recognize and eliminate my very support? On the other hand once I realize the role of others for my own benefit, how can I have negative feelings towards any one?
He who can perceive everywhere all existence as the self and the same self within all, feels no ill feeling for anything. How can he hate? Whom can he hate?
Swami Chinmayananda also said that “in realizing thus, the individual gets permanently divorced from all his mental ideas of repulsion, shrinking, dislike, fear, and hatred and such other perversions of feelings which arise only from the sense of division and plurality. ….Sri Aurobindo in his commentary on Isa Upanishad, in a footnote, explains this idea very vividly. He says: jugupsa is the feeling of repulsion caused by a sense of want of harmony between one’s own limited self formation and the contacts of the external.”
Hence this oneness with all has to be realised by us at all costs. The Isavasya Upanishad again confirms:
Yasmin sarvAni bhutani Atmani eva abhut vijAnatah
Tatra kah mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupasyatah
In whom, this realization of the Supreme Self as the source of all has seeped in, what delusion, what grief can he have?
There lies the solution for shanti or peace and harmonious co-existence for the humanity and the universe handed down to us from the beginning of time by the seers of sanAtan dharma.
Whether others see it or not, that indeed is the only solution for peace for the humanity. All other efforts are merely games that we play in the name of statecraft, social justice, samaritanism and what not.
Some may argue that it is too idealistic and too impractical and wishful. The scriptures also provide the answer to that. Even a limited practice of the same shall bring immense gain beyond expectation. Swalpasya api dharmasya trAyate mahatobhayAt.
One who has failed to recognize this oneness of all beings within this creation of the Lord, will never be in peace with either himself or with others.
No other solution exists.
And all this flow from that central concept:
Ishwarah sarvabhutAnAm hriddeshe’rjuna tishthati
O’ Arjuna, The Lord dwells in the inner sanctum of all beings.
