A seeker often has the notion that everything takes place through actions, through effort; therefore, one should do good deeds. This is a good assumption, but the deeds are dependent on the doer. Therefore, as is the doer, so are the deeds performed through him. Even Karmayoga does not take place from selfless actions, rather it takes place through a doer who does not have any selfish interests. Thus, remembrance, loud chanting, repetition of the Divine Name, meditation, study of Holy texts etc. is a great thing, and should be done. However, there is one way where repeating the Divine Name, meditation etc. takes place on its own, and another, where these must be done. So long as there is no bhāv (feeling that I am God’s) in the aspirant, till then, he will have to do japa, meditation etc. However, on having the bhāv, the japa, meditation etc. will take place through him naturally, speedily and on its own. How does an aspirant develop this bhāv? Let us think about this.
Where we naturally assume ‘I am’, there itself assume and accept that ‘I am God’s’ When the feeling is unfaltering and resolute in the ‘I-ness,’ that ‘I am God’s’, then bhajan (worship, adoration, devotion, love, remembrance of God) will take place automatically and without interruption. At present, the house (worldly) work takes place on its own, and it takes place day and night, all the time. Just as when you are doing a job, you go on time and you return on time, in the same way, japa, dhyān (Meditation) etc. also get done at the proper times. It means that japa and meditation are bound by the limits of time. If we have the bhāv that ‘I am God’s and God is mine’, then just like your housework, God’s bhajan will take place day and night, and all the time. You will be unable to stay without bhajan, and it will take place like the house (worldly) work and like your job. Therefore, when there is change in the ‘doer’, there will be a natural and quick transformation in the deeds performed by him.
The mistake that a spiritual aspirant makes is that in the place of ‘I am’, he places his name, varna (Order of life), āshram (Stage in life), jāti (Class), community etc., and believes ‘I have this name’, ‘I am of this varna’, ‘I am a Sādhu (Ascetic)’, ‘I am a householder’ and so on. Due to such assumptions, there is delay in the aspirant’s accomplishments. The reason being that these assumptions and beliefs are in the ‘I’, and God’s worship and bhajan remains in the karma (actions). A spiritual aspirant should want that ‘I am God’s’; that is, place God in the ‘I’ and place the varna etc. in his actions. This means that from within ‘I am only God’s’, but outwardly like in a play, continue to abide in the duties of the varna etc.
Wherever a seeker assumes ‘I am’, there God is present (situated) in an even more subtle form. ‘I am’ the ‘kshetrajna’, i.e. the knower of the ‘kshetra’ (Body, field) (says Gītā 13/1); and the Lord also says in all the ‘kshetras’, I am the ‘kshestrajna’, the knower of all the bodies.
‘क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत ।’ (गीता १३ । २)
kṣetrajñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata
Meaning: And O Bharata (Arjuna) ! Also know Me as the kshetrajna (Knower of the field) in all the kshetras.
This means that the kshetrajna only maintains affinity with one body, but the Lord who is present in the kshetrajna, has no affinity with any of the bodies and due to being all-pervasive in everyone, the Lord has affinity with everyone! That Lord is, in fact, our very own. The body we consider to be ours was never ours, is not ours and will not remain ours. However, the Lord was ours, is ours and will always remain ours. He has never become disinclined from us. Only we have become disinclined towards Him. By believing that the Lord is very sweet, very dear and He is in us, He will be remembered, even without trying to remember. Even without doing bhajan, His bhajan will take place, even without thinking and meditating on Him, His contemplation will go on. There will be such fondness for Him, far greater than fondness for one’s body and also greater than wanting to stay alive.
In ‘I am’, the ‘am’ has to do with the body. In that ‘am’, there is only ‘Paramātmā’ (God) in the form of ‘IS’-ness. You are, this is, that is and everywhere only Godis present in the form of ‘IS’-ness. In insentient and sentient, in immovable and movable, in born-sustaining-perishing, in existent and non-existent ‒ everywhere, Godis as it IS. If an aspirant renounces the ‘I’, i.e. wipes out the egoism ‘I’, and becomes established in the universal existence (which in fact he IS) and accepts as his own, the Paramātmā who is ever-present in the form of ‘am’, then He will never be forgotten. Even japa-dhyān (Repetition of the Divine Name and meditation) will take place on their own, nothing will have to be done. Our Lord is naturally present (IS), He is not unnatural. What is the delay in turning towards Him who is automatically and spontaneously within us? Who is that seer, that sees the Lord within himself? He who sees the kshetra (Body), that same one sees the Lord within himself. He sees that Lord of whom he is an ‘ansh’ (Fraction). The moment he sees the ‘anshi’ (The Lord), he merges into the Lord.
There are two ways to merge with the anshi ‒ through disunion (अभेदपवूक) and through union (अभिन्नता-पूर्वक). First there is disunion, and then there is union. In the separation (or disunion), there is some fragrance of the union, but in inseparability, this scent does not remain. Inseparability is natural. This inseparability is in ‘bhed upasana’ and in the ‘abhed upasana’. In the ‘ansh’, there is inseparability just as when a boy from some place and a girl from some other place come together, unite and set up a household life, and though being separate, there is a feeling of inseparability between them. In the same way, there is inseparability between two friends. Though being separate, to become inseparable is ‘gyān’ (Knowledge), and though being inseparable, to become separate is ‘bhakti’ (Devotion).
The ‘swaroop’ (Self) is inseparable from Paramātmā, but due to affinity (assumption, accepting relation with) the world and the body, it perceives separateness from God. Thus, become disinclined to the body and the world, that this is not ‘me’ and not ‘mine’; and ‘I am God’s and God is mine.’ In this manner, the moment one becomes inclined towards God, one becomes inseparable from Him. After becoming inseparable, there is striking, singular and exceptional Anānd (Bliss). It is even more beautiful than monism-dualism ‒
‘भक्त्यर्थं कल्पितं द्वैतमद्वैतादपि सुन्दरम्’
There is a heap of Anand, Anand and only Anand over there, a spirit of frolic, an intoxicating feeling. If you wish to attain this, you can surely do so, today itself! What is there to be attained, it is already attained. Only our sight must go towards it. There is nothing as simple, straightforward and great as this point. God says in the Gītā‒
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥
(१८ । ५५)
Bhaktyaa maambhijaanaati yaavaanyaschasmi tattvatah
Tato maam tattvato gnyaatvaa vishate tadanantaram ||
(Gītā 18/55)
Meaning: Through that supreme devotion he comes to know Me in reality, what and how great I am; and thereby knowing Me in essence, he forthwith enters My being.
By the term ‘vishate tadantaram’ the purport is to know God in reality, in essence, i.e., after realizing Him, there is not even a split-second gap in realizing the inseparability with Him. The moment the assumed affinity with this body-world breaks off, one realizes the ever present AS-IS Paramātmā. On realizing this, immediately that separateness is wiped out. In fact, there is no separateness at all; rather it is washed away. If there was genuinely a separation, how would one feel the lack of that real ‘IS’ (Sat)?
The attraction, the fondness that one has towards the unreal (meaning, the world) is called āsakti (Attachment). The moment the attraction towards wealth, sense pleasures, family etc. gets directed towards God, devotion takes place. In fact, when there are impressions of devotion within, there is automatic attraction towards God; however, on having affinity with the unreal and establishing a relationship with it, one develops pull and attraction towards the unreal. On having the aim of realizing the goal (Paramātmā) the attraction for the unreal will altogether be wiped out.
अब के सुलताँ फनियान समान हैं,
बाँधत पाग अटब्बर की ।
तजि एकहिं दूसरे को जो भजै,
कटि जीभ गिरै वा लब्बर की ॥
सरनागति ‘श्रीपति’ श्रीपतिकी,
नहिं त्रास है काहुहि जब्बर की ।
जिनको हरि की परतीति नहीं,
सो करौ मिलि आस अकब्बर की ॥
नारायण ! नारायण !! नारायण !!!
From book ‘For Spiritual Aspirants’ by Shradhey Swamiji Shri Ramsukhdasji Maharaj
www.swamiramsukhdasji.net
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