by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No.99
May: 2009

 


  Atma
 Knowledge
 Creation
 God
 Spiritualism
 sanatan

 Questions
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IN SEARCH OF GOD –The Illusive one- Part 3

Based on lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty

So as we have learnt from the scriptures it is Brahman who is the only ideal and answer to all our developmental needs. Once Brahman comes within the grasp of our cognizance, we need nothing else for life’s fulfillment.

Admittedly, to understand this profound truth in order to put into practice, requires that severe purification of mind- the fire of yoga or tapasya. The doubts of mind keep on gnawing and fighting within us. We keep on asking ‘is Brahman really graspable?’

But we also can not ignore the fact because no other alternative is known to us. Hence the soul’s eternal quest to grasp Brahman the illusive one is part of our existence. We may believe in something but that belief has to be crystalised.

We have a saying ‘seeing only is believing’. The doubts in our mind keep on pushing us to see God so that it can strengthen its belief. In The Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna gave all the knowledge to Arjuna. Yet to come to a conviction beyond doubt Arjuna could not stop asking ‘drastum icchami te rupam’ – I desire to see your form that is behind all the creation around.

That is part of the inherent character of every sadhaka. When he can ‘see’ God his conviction is indeed strengthened.

We all say that Brahman lies within all of us. How deep really this conviction is? Most of us simply stay put with a superficial admission of this fact. How can then our life be influenced by this concept?

Look at it this way. We all know that every bud contains the fragrance of the flower. But until the flowering takes place, we remain unconvinced. Likewise, even if Brahman resides within us until we see him flowering, the doubts linger.

Is Brahman unaware of this predicament of the soul?  On the contrary it is Brahman who is ever concerned with the development of every soul. If He were not, then the very purpose of this creation, the process of evolution and the goal of liberation will stand defeated. Every thing will become so purposeless.

Hence Brahman manifests Himself all around us and says: pasya me partha rupAni- oh Partha behold my forms and convince yourself.

Iha ekastham jagat krtsnam pasya adya sacarAcaram

Mama dehe gudAkesha yat ca anyat drstum icchasi.

 See now Oh Gudakesha in my form the entire creation consisting of all that moves or moves not or whatever may be in your mind and you wish to see.

What is purported to be conveyed here is that, you see Brahman in every thing around you. Look at the star studded expanse of the sky and you will see Brahman. Look at the germinating seedling in the soil under your feet and you will see Brahman. See the man, see the animals, see the flying birds, and you see Brahman. Buddha saw the miracle in a single flower. From the anguish of a miserable life to the innocence in a child’s smile, from raging fire to a crackling stream, between great successes and abject failures, the same Divinity is revealed. There indeed is nothing whatsoever that is not Brahman – within or without. Once you express your desire to see, you see Him.

The word ‘seeing’ or ‘act of seeing’ as we speak in the english language is a little limited and short of conveying the true meaning as we say in Sanskrit. The sanskrit word is darshana, the same word that is also used rightly for the english word philosophy. Seeing Brahman is not like seeing an object in front of one’s eyes. One has to see philosophically. ‘Philos’ conveys love and ‘sophos’ conveys wisdom. The dictionary meaning of philosophy is the love or pursuit of wisdom, the study or science of the truths or principles underlying knowledge. A sanatan philosopher always darshati or sees in a philosophical way.

What does he see? He sees God in everything and everywhere. In Sri Aurobindo’s words ‘whatever we see and hear, whatever we touch and sense, all of which we are conscious, has to be known and felt by us as that which we worship and serve, all has to be turned into an image of the Divinity.’

Our scriptures say and those who have lived by it and experienced the truth have vouched that seeing Brahman in everything –gross or subtle, manifested or non manifested, thought, felt and imagined is the panacea for every misery and unhappiness of existence.

Is it not rather far fetched? How can it address all my problems? If it is so why can not every one see as the scriptures say?

Yes, that is the paradox of all paradoxes. Every one is not able to see Him. But that does not prove that He is beyond cognizance. Experience of those – even if few in number – tells otherwise. Seeing Brahman all around, indeed ushers peace. If some could, then what is it that obstructs others?

By which yoga it is simpler and easier to see Brahman as one with everything? – they often ask.

It is not that a particular type of Yoga which is superior to other forms in this respect. Yoga – that integrates all aspects of sadhana is ofcourse the solution and sadhakas following any path eventually achieve same results.

Whenever a sadhaka wishes to see Brahman through his eyes of wisdom, i.e by using the power of his intellect, Brahman is always there for him to see. The Isavasya Upanishad confirms: IsavAsyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyAm jagat. The entire phenomenal creation around us is Brahman. Open your eyes and see.

Why then we keep on asking ‘where is God?’, ‘where is Brahman?’  Why can we not see him? The obvious answer is that we always want to see an object by a rupa or by limiting Him to a pre-conceived concrete form. Since all forms are forms of Brahman and He can not by definition be limited to a particular form and has to be seen in His totality, we get confused.

This confusion can only be removed by knowledge that will open our inner eye of wisdom. The keys here are knowledge and wisdom. To see Brahman we have first to acquire the basic knowledge and wisdom. This aspect can be understood if we try to take a lesson from the structure of the great epic –The Bhagavad Gita, the way it unfolds.

Look at the very structure of Bhagavad Gita.When Arjuna was favoured with the revealation of Brahman’s all encompassing form, It was deliberately done after Arjuna has been gradually prepared and brought to a stage where he can appreciate the profound truth. In sanatana dharma tradition, no grace is bestowed on any one until he is ready for it. Even a shishya waits for a long time before a Guru gives him the knowledge lest he will misunderstand and corrupt the knowledge that may throw him off the sadhana. The chapter on the revealation of the cosmic form – viswaroopa darshana appears after ten preparatory chapters through which Arjuna has been led.

First there is this crisis in the mind of Arjuna. Although Brahman is to be seen both in misery as well as in happiness, for an uninitiated soul – the common person- a time of crisis is often the time when he is most vulnerable and seeks guidance. When what to do and what not to do can not be answered with the help of one’s viveka or intellect and despair (vishAda)  and abandoning any action (na yotsa – I refrain from action as Arjuna implied)  overcomes us, that is when most definitely Brahman comes to guide the sadhaka.

This is a great lesson. It urges all of us to look at all crisis in life in a new light. The time of crisis is invariably the time when you are nearest to Brahman. Getting overwhelmed in a crisis and not recognizing the presence of the helping hand of God is no wisdom. Every crisis is the harbinger of knowledge and a higher understanding. Realisation is often strongest after every crisis. Every crisis is eventually overcome by the grace of Brahman. But whether at the end it leaves you a wisened person or not, depends on your ability of understanding. The unpalatable truth is, every crisis is part of a natural process in our journey of spiritual development. A sadhaka is not to get perturbed over a crisis, knowing its true role in the process.

Brahman never fails us when we turn to Him. With an indulgent smile (prahasan) signifying His satisfaction that the sadhaka – as in this case with Arjuna-  has now taken the right turn He even guides him deeper into the midst of crisis and explains: If you seek after Brahman to deliver you from the crisis you must first understand the characteristics of the forces of ignorance that land you in a crisis and the characteristics of that power that lies beyond your ignorance. If you are under the influence of the forces that indeed trying to bind you permanently and chose to remain trapped within your imaginations how can you aspire deliverance? How can you conceive of another state of mind?

What you think as your lot is indeed not your lot. The bliss that lies beyond misery is what you should act for. The right actions in this direction will lead you there. Compose your self with steadyness of a wise mind. Right actions for the right purpose is karmayoga. Karma is yajna, the endevour. In yajna Brahman is established. Through karma or right actions you approach Brahman.

But your actions have to be right. Knowledge is what helps you to decide what action is right. Sarvam karmAkhilam PArtha jnAne parisamapyati. Every action undertaken leaves you wiser than before. There is no differentiation between gnosis and Brahman. When knowledge is acquired, Brahman is seen.

But forget not for a moment that the process of acquiring knowledge is the soul’s objective. It is a means to the end and the end is Brahman. When acquiring knowledge only becomes your objective then you become tapped in the prison walls of knowledge. The entire gamut of efforts (karma) and knowledge (jnana) has to be gone through with a detached way like water on the lotus leaf. If you get entangled with the fruits of karma and jnana, they will only bind you stronger and stronger. To remain beyond their grip, yet moving through them is what sanyAsa is. A sanyasi’s mind is God possessed- constantly linked (yukta as with a true jogi) with Brahman alone. A sanyasi knows what Brahman is- not a karmi, nor a jnani. This is what the Lord explains to Arjuna as the next step.

When the concept of Brahman has taken root in the mind, comes the most important and operating part of yogasadhana. It is the in-depth exploration of that concept. It is called meditation or dhyAna. It is similar to nursing a plant to grow after the seed has germinated. The importance of dhyana is that important for our spiritual development. The sanatana dharma recognizes single minded and continuous meditation as the soul of yoga without which Brahman can not be realized.

Yatha dipah nivAtasthah na ingate sA upamA smrtA

Yoginah yatacittasya yunjatah yogam Atmanah.

 Yogi knows that the idea of Brahman which has germinated within him has to be steadfastly held unto by single pointed contemplation as the unflickering flame of a lamp in a windless environment. The idea of sanyasa has to be put into practice. The mind must convince itself that what ever it is after there is nothing more important than the ultimate. ( aparam labham na adhikam tatah). By meditation he becomes certain and without any distraction of mind keeps on brooding over it. (sah nischayena yoktavyah yogah anirvinna cetasAh). Through meditation alone the yogi comes nearer and nearer to Brahman.

So powerful is the act of meditation that practically all religions of substance evolved afterwards have seen its usefulness and taken the yoga of meditation into their own fold. A mind that meditates achieves the purity and clarity to be able to see Brahman.

Meditation leads to all aspects of knowledge. With more meditation the horizon of knowledge expands. Every one knows that contemplative meditation is the only way to increase the level of understanding. The acquired jnana becomes vijnana- the deeper knowledge. The seed of all knowledge is then understood. That is the next step.

When all doubts of mind are systematically removed through meditation the realization comes that beyond Brahman there is nothing and everything indeed is Brahman. The beginning, the end and the in-between – sargAnam adih anthah ca- the knowledgeable yogi sees them all as Brahman.

When that realization comes the yogi in real sense ‘sees’  Brahman. The Lord’s grace which has guided him to this point now reveals himself now. Once the yogi has ‘seen’ Brahman he no more hankers to see Brahman. He now rests in the lap of Brahman with that ecstatic feeling of peace and satisfaction.

Some people rightly ask if Brahman is limitless how much of Him do you see? Is it not just an idea with no practical value?

The scriptures answer that. You see as much as your wisdom eyes can hold. But the exciting part is that, as you stretch and expand the boundaries of your consciousness, you see more and ever more. The wonder never ceases.

What practical benefit you experience? Brahman by definition is all that is ideal and benevolent. When you get transfixed with Brahman, your very character and demeanor changes to emulate Him. The extent of change within a sadhaka is a measure of individual effort that is put. Brahman consciousness or Brahman belief is a sure way that differentiates between a good soul from an evil one.

The simple talisman given by Brahman for every one’s deliverance is ‘manmanA bhava’. By the eye of your mind see me. Open your eyes and look around guided by your intellect and you will see me in everything. As the great devotee Meerabai sang ‘ ghunghatke pat khol re tohe piya milenge’. It needs only to lift the veil of doubts and ignorance and see your beloved in front of you.

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