Instant Enlightenment

In these days of instant coffee, time-saving devices, and quick service restaurants, some people are impatient. They want fast results - instant Enlightenment. So they turn to psychedelic (mind expanding) drugs to chemically precipitate an instantaneous shift to higher consciousness. But more and more people are realizing that drugs are not the way to self-realization; they are only a faint reflection, a shadowy glimmer, of that blissful, all expanded state of consciousness. Many of the "Gurus" of the psychedelic movement in the West have widely spoken of their own realization of the limitations of drugs: Drugs opened the door for us into the mansion of the mind, and we saw there are so many rooms inside. But then we found that drugs could only give us a glimpse of the interior - they could not lead us inside to explore. For that, we have to meditate - there is no short-cut .Richard Al pert (Ram Dass), one of the pioneers of LSD use who later turned to Yoga, described his psychedelic career: "It was a terribly frustrating experience, as if you came into the kingdom of heaven and you saw how it all was and you felt new states of awareness, and then you got cast out again.

 Many experimental studies have shown that meditation is a superior replacement for the grug "high", as 85% of drug users in some studies - even drug abusers - who start practicing meditation completely stop taking drugs (psychedelics, amphetamines, opiates, and alcohol). One scientist commented, "One sees many long-time drug users give up drugs for meditation. But one does not see any long-term meditations give up meditation to become acid-heads. This observation supports the contention that the highs obtainable by meditation are better than the highs obtainable through drugs.

Indeed, sometimes sudden drug-induced glimpses of higher consciousness may even be dangerous. When one abruptly penetrates into the powerful super-conscious realm and the tremendous energies of that state are suddenly released, if the mind and body have not been carefully prepared to receive them, the result may be a "bad trip" - or even psychosis. Many mediums whose minds are very sensitive to super-conscious influences are constantly fearful of "evil spirits"; but what they call "possession" is actually their loss of control over their own overwhelming supra-mental forces.

Artistic geniuses like Blake, Verlaine, Coleridge, Baudelaire and Ban Gogh, who worked in a state of super-conscious awareness, often suffered greatly trying to integrate this break-through to higher realms with the "reality" of their everyday lives. Van Gogh constantly felt himself going mad; he painted his last painting of a road ending abruptly in the middle of a cornfield and after he finished it, killed himself in the cornfield.

Thus, Yogis have always emphasized the importance of the gradual and careful preparation of the mind and body to receive and control the unlimited powers of the super-conscious state. One master told his disciple, who had begged him to give him the experience of higher consciousness, "as a small lamp bulb would be shattered by excessive voltage, so your nerves are unready for the cosmic current. If I gave you the infinite ecstasy right now, you would burn as through every cell where on fire". Through centuries of experimentation, a scientific physical and mental system was developed to safely and easily attain the bliss of higher consciousness and then integrate these expanded states with normal, waking consciousness, to live life with fuller awareness.

Like hypnosis, drug-induced altered states of consciousness lead us not out of bondage but further into it - for the goal of every human being is liberation through consummate self-control.

Inner Transformation and Virtuous Elevation

The extraordinary changes, transmutation educed by Gayatri Sadhana are first experienced in the inner self. These inspire the Sadhak's mind thoughts and sentiments towards the righteous path. Gradually, the evil assimilation the vices, the weakness of mind are waned out with a simultaneous increase in virtuous potentials and inner strength. This way, the Sadhak gets endowed with enlightened personality and talents that make his life more blissful, successful and peaceful and nurture righteous progress on the materialistic as well as spiritual fronts.

The excelling of mental tendencies is also accompanied by a positive orientation of attitude that inspires welcome change in every act of life. Straying of mind in agile passions of the sense organ begins to reduce with this healthy development. The greed of the tongue and associated irregular and excessive eating habits come under control. The attraction and stimulation of carnal desires diminish and the mind gradually learns the importance of chastity for protection of vital energy. The cravings and excitement the tongue and sex-organs are said to be the major impediments in the practice of self-realization and refinement. Disciplining these too becomes easier by the psychological impact of Gayatri Sadhana and the path to health and vigor gets shorter thereby. The flickering of mind reduces and thus helps organized transaction of daily chores. Cleanliness, orderliness and industriousness take place of negligence and lethargy. This accelerates the progress and enhances the likelihood of success in the work at hand.

The mental cleansing and cultivation of intellectual or creative talents naturally controls and melts the untoward instincts of impatience, fury, jealousy, anxiety and addictions. And, self-discipline, endurance, courage, modesty, contentment, benevolence, etc grow in corresponding proportions. This internal reshuffling of the mental field liberated the Sadhak from the smog of illusion, blemishes, and worries. Many problems and complexities of his life are thus resolved without any extra effort. The behavioral qualities of humility, punctuality, sincerity, integrity, generosity, service, etc bring him co-operating interactions from other also. People often like and respect such a person. The consequent expansion of benevolence (goodwill), amity, gratitude and fruitful collaboration in his life enhance the flow of content and serene love in his heart that gladdens his soul too. This way, he begins to enjoy heavenly bliss in the same 'ordinary' life Thus Gayatri Sadhana bestows divine bequests in the Sadhak's life by educing a grand transmutation and enlightenment in his inner personality.

Generally people accept the concept of immortality of the soul on the basis of inherited faith or tradition, but there lurks a doubt about its authenticity. Let us not accept this concept blindly without reasoning. It could be hearsay? If you are told to sit for meditation and are asked to conceive; "I have died", it may appear a dimple proposition; but when you actually begin to do so, it would be impossible to think that you as individuality have ceased to exist. It would not be difficult to have such a simple imagery for those who have been practicing the elaborate exercises of one think about one's death, although an image of one's dead body is formed in the mind, at the same time there is awareness. "I am standing aside looking at it". This "I" is ever vigilantly, ever present. Try as one may, one cannot conceive the death of this "I" - the seer. The analytical faculty of one's intellect (Vichar Buddhi) thus insists that the soul ("I") is immortal. In this way deep within human consciousness is entrenched an unwavering faith in the immortality of the soul. By no endeavor whatsoever can this intuitive faith are rooted out. It is based on numerous past experiences of death (of the body) in earlier births, beyond which the soul has continued to exist. When a person becomes unconscious because of shock or under the influence of drugs, this "I" remains wide awake and alert. Otherwise, on regaining normalcy, how could a concerned person know that he had been unconscious? Firm faith in one's real self as indivisible, immortal and beyond the reach of physical, sensory perceptions, is an essential pre-requisite for starting on the path of self-realization. Until the seeker develops such a faith, one cannot have unqualified, absolute belief in immortal and eternal existence of one's Real-Self and keeps on relapsing to the old accustomed narrow outlook, in which one considers the body as the self, thus rendering all efforts for Self-Realization meaningless. Hence the seekers are advised to concentrate on developing a deep conviction of immortality of the Inner S elf - the real "I". First become fully convinced of the immortality of the soul, only then take up spiritual Sadhana. Even in the course of progress of Sadhana it is advisable to periodically remind oneself about this reality of the Inner-Self. Later such perception will prove to be of great help in experiencing. Awakened Awareness of one's soul (Atma-Swoaroop Sakshatkar).

The Inner-Self is immune to physical forces

During meditation visualize that your Real Self is getting separated from the body, that it has the potentiality to overcome the constraints imposed on it by the five basic elements of which the body is constituted, namely - Aakash (either), Vayu (Air), Agni (fire), Jala (water) and Prithivi (earth) respectively.  Scriptures tell that these five are the everlasting primordial constituents of all forms. Conceptualize that your Inner-Self is no longer confined by the body.

 Henceforth, in the following discussions wherever the words "I", "MY", or "ME" are mentioned in the test, these refer to the soul speaking on behalf of the individual being.

Conceptualize: Now "I" have acquired independence. Therefore,, "I" can now fly all over the space (Aakash)  like birds., whenever "I" so will. Now the force of air can no more obstruct MY movement or speed in any way; nor can it dehydrate ME. (Sole being a supernatural entity - without water as its constituent).

Further visualize going through a huge column of fire. "I" am passing through it comfortably without feeling any heat or pain. How can the soul, which is supernatural, be burnt? The access of heat is limited to heat-sensing, the inflammable organs of the material body. Similarly, the soul (ATMA) is free from the effects of earth (Prithivi) . In other words, no element of the physical world can touch "ME", nor can it create least the obstruction in "MY" freedom.

Hurdles in Sadhana

Many persons aspire for spiritual progress but do not achieve the desired progress because of their halfhearted, lop-sided process of Sadhana. The goal of Sadhana is to violently shake man out of his body-conscious state of slumber, so that he becomes fully awakened to the reality of his true identity as an Immortal Soul. The holistic therapy for any disease involves treatment of the root cause of the malady. Mere palliatives do not serve the purpose. The same principle holds true in case of spiritual Sadhana. No doubt, the conventional rituals of Sadhana like continence, philanthropy, fasting, Jap, anusthan, yajna, etc. are beneficial as initial steps. Nevertheless, they do not constitute the totality of Sadhana. These rituals do enhance purity of mind, positive traits and nobility, but these alone do not lead to Enlightenment, which reveals the illusory and transient nature of the phenomenal world and our free identity as immortal souls - sparks of the Divine. The purpose of this passage is to help and guide a spiritual seeker to awaken to the presence of his indwelling Divinity. A person of awakened awareness of the spirit effortlessly lives a life of nobility, righteousness and loving kindness.

Once this paradigm shift of consciousness is accomplished, the confines of "I" and "MINE" expand infinitely to encompass the whole of the universe. Such a realized soul feel that he has far greater responsibilities to shoulder than mere caring for his narrow physical-self and related persons and things. As one climb higher and higher on this spiritual ascent, one's sense of belonging expands accordingly and finally, looking around as far as one can from the top of a hill, one discovers that he is none with all existence. Earlier, a person had to take care, perhaps, of his children, siblings, a few relatives, a few employees, some possessions, etc., but now these thousands upon thousands of things and people around appear needing his personal care. In other words, as one's field of vision widens on climbing a hill, so does the perspective of self on self-realization. The tiny egocentric, body-confined sense of I-ness vanishes for good.

Let us try to understand this concept through an analogy. Let us consider the air in a balloon as the limited-self. Blowing air in this balloon expands it and it occupies more and more space, till it bursts. The air in the balloon becomes part of the vast expanse of air surrounding the earth. In the same manner, progressive expansion of self identity ultimately leads to the realization that it was inseparably connected with all creation. It was the body-consciousness (the balloon), which was creating the illusion of an isolated, independent existence of one's own. In a nutshell, this is the vision of Self-realization. This is the basic tenet of the super-science of spirituality, which constitutes the core of the various religious faiths and mystic paths all over the world. In nutshell, this is the core of all disciplines of spiritual practices, irrespective of the people, places, or variety of worship.

Once having a glimpse of the true self, the seeker can never return to the confines of the old narrow perspective of self. In common human life in each moment, there is a lurking worry and fear of a possible disaster. Man is in desperate search of a perennial source of happiness, but he is seeking it outside of himself - in possessions, pelf, power and relations. When one dying of thirst in a desert finds an oasis of cool water, would one ever think of returning to the wasteland of scorching sand? ""Yadgatva Ba Buyartate Taddgan Oarnan Nan" proclaims the Divine Teacher in Bhagwadgita. It means, "Having experienced the bliss of Self-Realization who would like to come back for suffering mundane worldly woes?" Having reached the destination, the question of losing direction does not arise. Does one forget the way back to home after homecoming?

Vices like lust, anger, greed, infatuation and cravings for sensory pleasure keep man always entangled in the cobweb of misery. On account of the ever-changing nature of material world, one can never have lasting peace and happiness on this plane. Throughout life man keeps on lamenting for loss, craving for more and more of what he considers pleasant and getting frustrated on denial of his wishes. The attachment to the pleasant and repulsion the unpleasant are two root causes of retrogression, which drag the being to births in sub-human species of animal kingdom. (Laws of science of spirituality state that in course of its progressive evolution, the soul of a being inhabits bodies of successively higher more evolved species of biological kingdom and birth as a human being is the culmination of this evolution. It is further stated that indulgence in aforementioned animal traits sets the clock of progressive evolution backwards). The methods prescribed in spiritual practices in various faiths are meant to rise above the pull of these beastly tendencies. In the Bhagwadgita, human mind is personified as Arjun. In the battle of Mahabharata, which symbolizes the perpetual inner battle between the good and the evil within our own selves, he is exhorted by God-incarnate, Sri Krishna, to fight against the annihilate his own intimate relatives (evil traits) personified as the Kauravas. We will discuss latter that simple exercise for elevating the level of consciousness of man to a super-conscious state where he becomes totally free from degrading traits of worldly life. Self-Realization endows the seeker with celestial virtues of divinity. As mentioned earlier, progressive expansion of the ego-consciousness and the individual being attains at-one-ment with the omnipresent Supreme Being. Some scepters may interpret this path of soul-growth as the way of the recluse or the ascetic, who wants "Nirvana" (deliverance) or who desires to be detached from worldly life for altruistic pursuits. One may argue that this Sadhana is only for those who are interested in the benefits of life beyond death, whereas all efforts of a common man are focused on the pleasures of this world only; that most of the time of man in his daily routine is taken up by such things as business, job, education, entertainment, etc. and he has little or no inclination or time to think of and provide for life beyond death.

It is natural to have such doubts since in today's world, the confused mindset of man rreats well-being of self in this world and in the worlds beyond death as two different pursuits, whereas factually these cannot be compartmentalized. What pertains to this world is also covertly related to the other. These are inseparable like two sides of the same coin. The subject matter of this writing does not permit dealing in detail with this misconception. Suffice it to say that the cultivation of Self-Awareness is the most efficacious method of success in practical life of this world as well. All progress in this world goes hand in hand with the progressive evolution of human consciousness. One, who is endowed with the inner-strength of soul, has the capacity to succeed in all avenues of life.

The simple and natural method of communion with God is in knowing one's true immortal self, appreciating dignity of human life, finding out the specific role of human species in the creation of God, and thereafter starts functioning without any ego-centered motive as the Manager of His estate; whatever part of it has been entrusted to your care. There can be no more Soul-Satisfying art of living than this.

There should be no ambiguity in understanding this plain truth that there are two root causes of success or failure in any human endeavor: One - a correct appraisal of one's capabilities and shortcomings; and two- knowledge about availability of means and resources required to complete the assignment. In spite of being endowed with the best of intellect, one cannot arrive at the right decision in the absence of hard facts about these variables.

Spiritual masters say: Remember! The soul in you is indestructible. You are not a non-entity, but a magnificent creation of God.  Do not feel weak in any respect. Nor beg for anything. You are immensely powerful. There is no limitation to what you can do. The potentials with which you have appeared in this world can undoubtedly overcome all obstacles in your way to success. Your capabilities are more powerful than the obstructions to be overcome. Success and happiness are your birthrights. Wake up! Identify your true self; assess your means and resources and wisely go ahead towards the set goal. You will find that there is nothing that you aspire for is beyond your reach. You are the "Kalpavriksha" and "Kamdhenu" (heavenly tree and cow) of heaven, which grant all wishes. You are success personified. Come forward and take charge of what is your due.

In my view you are not merely a body, nor like any other less evolved species on earth, but are a manifestation of attributes of God. Body and mind are your tools. You are not a slave of your sensory organs. Animal-like habits cannot enslave you. The pollutants of thoughts cannot withstand your inner strength. In essence, a human being is an embodied soul, with the body as an instrument. Understand this distinction clearly and unambiguously. When man regards the "self" as his body, the soul cannot use the body effectively. The distinction enables the soul to make use of the body as an instrument of Self-Growth. This is the task before man. Any task can be successfully accomplished if there is clarity of vision and purpose. This is the Yoga of perfect skill in works (Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam -Gita). Diligently aspire to be such a Yogi.

The purpose of this writing is to motivate you to make your due contributions to the real well-being of this world and the world beyond, leading you to the supreme goal of Self-Realization. --- May God enlighten your path

How to Dissociate From Body-Consciousness?

In order to overcome the confusion between the narrow lower self and the Real Self, in the state of meditation visualize that you and your body are two separate entities and you are using your body as your garment or a tool. Try to understand your body as you consider your garments. Visualize that your "I" would continue to exist even after the body has been discarded. Conceptually leaving the body, look at it from a higher level. Look at the body as though it were a hollow nest, in which you live and could easily come out of it. Consider yourself as the caretaker of this house, who is responsible for its sanitation (keeping it pure in thoughts and deeds), strength (keeping it strong) and functionality (physical activity). You are the master of the body and are using it as per your own free will. In this way, conceive: "I" am not this body. It is only My tool. "I" am using it only as a rest house. This body is built up with five basic elements of nature collected by "ME" (my real self) for giving it a desired appearance. (Scriptures tell that soul acquires a body and environment conforming to the traits brought forward from previous births i. e. the inherent traits from previous births are the building blocks of the mind and body of the new born.) During meditation, totally forget about your body and concentrate your thoughts and emotions on "I" as an independent conscious entity. Then you will become aware that the soul has an immortal existence independent of the body. Having had this awareness, whenever you will say "I", this expression will have an altogether a new meaning for you.

(However, it does not mean that you are required to ignore your body. Doing so will be disastrous. Considering body as the temple of soul it is your solemn duty to protect it in every way and keep it healthy and strong).

Paranormal visions and experiences

In the initial stages of Sadhana, the foregoing practice of dissociation from body-consciousness remains an entertaining and relaxing exercise, but as this imagery begins to take roods, the practitioner may feel as though he had actually died and may have such visions which one has at the time of death. There may be flashes of paranormal visions of those things, which are not physically visible at the place of meditation through normal sight. Hazy images of the extra-sensory world (sookshma Jagat) may be seen. Many other-worldly forms and heavenly scenes may appear. It may frighten the beginners, though there is nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes acceleration in the process of Sadhana, because of virtuous traits brought forward from the previous births and latent memories stored in the deeper levels of consciousness (also from previous births) become suddenly activated. This acceleration uplifts the mind to higher dimensions of awareness. With the passage of time, the Sadhak gradually becomes accustomed to paranormal experiences and such occurrences no more surprise of frighten him. With steady progress, the seeker acquires the capability to dissociate the soul from the body at will which, rising beyond the body, becomes aware of phenomena beyond physical sense perception. In this state, however, the soul of the practitioner does not actually leave the body but, like a person sticking out his neck out of a window to look outside and then withdrawing it at will, is able to transcend the limits of the body, without serving connection with it.

 The beginners are advised not to be in a hurry to have occult and paranormal visions and experiences. It would tantamount to violating the natural process of gradual spiritual advancement. In due course, worthy seekers will be initiated into the technique of accessing the domains of paranormal visions (Paroksha Darshan). Here a passing reference to such experiences is considered necessary, so that when such visions do appear the Sadhak does not get frightened or nervous.