This realisation of the Self in its pure nature, undressed of all its matter envelopments, is the final goal of spiritual seeking and there are more ‘paths’ than one, prescribed for this Divine Achievement. Integration of a human personality must start from the point where an individual finds himself to be at present. No education can be successful unless the students are given graded lessons.
A totally disintegrated individual must also be given a ‘path’ which he can easily follow with his restless equipment. Spiritual unfoldment cannot take place merely because of an intellectual appreciation of the theory of Perfection. Evolution actually takes place only when a corresponding change in the very subjective life is accomplished. Therefore, an active, intelligent and enthusiastic participation of the seeker in controlling, directing, and re-educating his thought-life is necessary — hence the difficulty in accomplishing inward spiritual unfoldment in every individual.
The great spiritual scientists of the past, discovering ways of evolving the entire mankind, consisting of different types, evolved various “roads” — all converging at the same goal. Each ‘path’ is the fittest for the one who is walking it. No ‘path’ can be said to be nobler than the other. In a pharmacy there are different medicines; each one serves a definite type of patient and the medicine prescribed for a given disease is the fittest medicine for that patient as long as his ailment continues.
The difference between the various seekers is the difference in their mental equanimity and intellectual equipoise. The lesser ‘paths’ are mainly meant for purifying the inner equipments, and when the mind becomes steady and concentrated, when the intellect is redeemed from its wasteful habits of wrong imaginations, then the equipments are ready for Higher flights through the “Path-of-Meditation.”
BY MEDITATION SOME BEHOLD THE SELF — MEDITATION CONSISTS IN “WITHDRAWING, BY CONCENTRATION, ALL THE SENSE ORGANS AWAY FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE SENSE-OBJECTS INTO THE MIND, AND THEN WITHDRAWING THE MIND INTO THE INNER INTELLIGENCE, AND THEN CONTEMPLATING UPON THE HIGHEST.” It is a continuous and unbroken thought-flow, like a stream of flowing oil. In order to pursue this path, naturally, the individual must have a dynamic head and heart — both least disturbed by their own subjective defects.
To “behold” does not mean to see the Self as an object, which would then mean something against the very assertion of the scriptures. The Self is the “SUBJECT”; therefore, the term “behold” is used to mean only ‘an inward experience of a total subjective re-discovery.’ The experience is so vivid that it is comparable to our unshakable knowledge of anything after we have once objectively SEEN it ourselves.
BY THE SELF IN THE SELF — The subjective experience of the very core of our personality is accomplished by the head in the pure heart. Shankara explains the portion: “By meditation, the Yogins behold the Self, the Pure consciousness, in the Self (Buddhi), by the Self — by their own intelligence, that is, by the Antahkarana, refined by Dhyana.” All sincere attempts at meditation with steady mind-and-intellect, and the steady mental-pool of thought, with its passions and vasanas subsided, and to an extent, even eliminated, provides a clear reflected surface in which the glory of the Self is seen reflected, and this is recognised intuitively.
One may wonder why the same term is used to indicate the instrument of recognition (Atmani), the subject recognising it (Atmana) and object recognised (Atmanam). The reason is, in the final realisation, it is experienced that the intellect, the mind, the seeker and the sought are all in fact nothing other than the One Self. The waves, the ripples, the foam are all nothing but the ocean. The dreamer, the dreamt, and the dream are all nothing but the waker’s own mind. In this sense, in our scriptural lore, we often find the term “Atman” used to indicate even our outer-personalities brought about by our identifications with the matter-envelopments in us.
This ‘path’ of quietening the mind, steadying the intellect and with an integrated mind-and-intellect, contemplating steadily upon the transcendental Self, is not a ‘path’ that is available to all, as it calls forth certain mental and intellectual perfections which are not commonly seen in everyone. Those who have these qualifications are considered as the highest type of aspirants. The seekers of the best type — who have developed in themselves a sufficient detachment (vairagya) from the sense objects, and a ready discrimination (viveka) to distinguish the permanent from the impermanent — alone can steadily walk this Highest ‘path’.
OTHERS BY THE ‘PATH’ OF SANKHYA YOGA — In the case of those who have not the required amount of steadiness in mind and intellect — not because of any lack of aspiration but for want of right understanding of the Goal (viveka) — their sense of detachment (vairagya) waxes and wanes. Naturally, sometimes they are good at meditation, and at other times, they experience a tremendous amount of restlessness and agitation. For such seekers, the only remedy is a more intelligent and enthusiastic study of the Shastras. The term ‘Sankhya’ means “the sequence of logical thought through which we reach a definite philosophical conclusion, unassailable by any doubts any more.
This deep study and reflection (vichara), since it provides the seeker with a better understanding of the text, and therefore, a deeper conviction of the goal, will discover for him a very healthy and steady self-application and a divine equipoise in his meditation. Since vichara can safely take us to the Yoga-of-Meditation, and help us to establish ourselves therein, the very study of the Shastra and reflections upon it (Sankhya) is here called as ‘Yoga.’ That which ultimately takes one to Yoga is called Yoga, just as a vehicle is often named by the destination to which it is proceeding. “9. 30 is Delhi departure time” does not mean that at that time the capital-city is packing off from our country and going to the Nicobar Islands! It only shows that a train will be leaving for Delhi at that scheduled time. The seekers, who are not fit for steadily following the ‘path’ of deep meditation, are advised to steam themselves up by the Sankhya Yoga: by the ‘path’ of deep study and reflection.
OTHERS AGAIN BY KARMA YOGA — There is still another type of seekers for whom even study of the Shastra and effective reflections upon it becomes almost impossible because their inward personality is so much poisoned by the existing hosts of sensuous vasanas. They are in a state of mental agitation in which no dynamic and effective meditation is possible. The instrument is not fit for it, and therefore, the selfless activity in a spirit of Yajna is prescribed for them. When the “Path-of-Action” is pursued for a time, as contemplated in the Geeta (III-30), the existing vasanas exhaust themselves and more and more quietude and tranquillity are experienced by the seeker. A mind, thus steadied, is fit for delving into the deeper significances of the mantras, and when the conviction of the goal is intensified in the individual, as a result of these reflections, his meditation gathers a momentum and a dash which can take him to the Highest Peaks.
In short, seekers with the noblest Sattwic qualities need only practice meditation; seekers of a slight Sattwic temperament with a large share of agitations, must develop the “creative stillness” in themselves through the “Path-of-Perfection”; those who are suffering from the worst mental oscillations, created by the vasana-disturbances, must through Karma Yoga, develop Sattwic traits, nurture and nourish them through reflection, and thus gain enough Sattwic dynamism and steady meditation.
IN THAT CASE, WHAT ‘PATH’ IS PRESCRIBED FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMPLETELY STEEPED IN “TAMAS” — MENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL INERTIA? THEY TOO ARE SERVED. LISTEN:
