Tripur Rahasya

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TR-17

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17. Uselessness of Quick Samaadhi and the Way to Wisdom

Dattaatreya Jee further said - "O Bhaargav, Now I tell you what conversation took place between the King Janak and Muni Ashtaavakra.
Ashtaavakra said - "Please tell me in detail what you call the fleeting (quick) Samaadhi in the waking state, so that I can do the enduring Samaadhi."
Janak Jee said - "These are the examples of this state - when a man is unaware of in and out for a very short period and is not asleep; OR when a person is in ecstasy of joy; OR when he is embraced by his love in purity; OR when a long awaited thing is got; OR when a lonely traveler suddenly faces a great danger; OR when one hears about the death of only son who was in the best of health, in the prime of life, and at the apex of his glory. They are examples of Samaadhi in raptures of happiness or of pleasure and in spasms of fear or of sorrow.

There are other states also of Samaadhi which are in between the periods of waking, dreaming and sleeping; at the time of sighting a distant object - so you should carefully watch such states of your mind. These intervals should be expanded because if they are the same, all happenings will be standstill if the intelligence will be the same. These happenings are possible only when there is a certain harmony in intelligence which happens normally when it is at broken intervals. O Son of Kaahod, If one is aware of these intervals. no other Samaadhi needs to attract one."

Ashtaavakra again asked - "If people can get such momentary Samaadhi so many times then why don't they get liberated? Because Self is pure intelligence, why doesn't it recognize itself and remain always liberated? Ignorance is dispelled by pure intelligence, which is Samadhi, and this is the immediate cause of salvation."
The King Janak replied - "I tell you its secret. The cycle of births and deaths is from time immemorial caused by ignorance which displays itself as pleasure and pain and yet is only a dream and unreal. Being so, the wise say that it can be ended by knowledge only, not by mere experiencing the expanse of unqualified knowledge as in Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi. because this type of knowledge is simple light, the objects are manifest by and in it. By what kind of knowledge? That is by the wisdom born of realization: viz., "I am That"."

Comment - An aspirant for wisdom first turns away from the pleasures of life and absorbs himself in the search for knowledge, which he learns from a master. This is hearsay knowledge. In order to experience it, he ponders over it and clears his doubts. Then he applies the knowledge to himself and tries to feel his immortal being transcending the body, mind, etc, he succeeds in feeling his Self within. Later he remembers the Vaidik teaching imparted by his Guru that the Self being unqualified, cannot be differentiated from God and experiences his unity with the Universal Self. This is in short, the course of wisdom and liberation.

Ignorance cannot be removed just by Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi. It is like canvas for painting. Canvas remains the same and paintings are changed. Unqualified knowledge is simple light, the objects are manifest by and in it.

Nir-Vikalp and Sa-Vikalp Samaadhi
The mirror is clean when there is no object is seen in it, so also the Self is pure intelligence and clear when there are no thoughts to contaminate it - this state is called Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi; but when it is soiled by thoughts, it is called Sa-Vikalp Samaadhi.

But ignorance or delusion should not be confused with the Sa-Vikalp state - for ignorance is only the original contamination (ie cause) continuing as effect. The original cause lies in the knowledge of perfection in the Self. The idea of perfection is due to absence of parts. Parts can appear only with time, space and form. However, the sense of completeness appears without these agencies, implying a yearning for them - thus giving rise to the sense of want. Then and there limitations come into being, and the fundamental cause of ignorance manifests as 'I am'. That is the embryonic seed from which shoots forth the sprout of the body as the individualized self (growing up to the gigantic tree of the cycle of births and deaths). The cycle of births and deaths does not end unless ignorance is put an end to. This can happen only with a perfect knowledge of the Self, not otherwise.

Such wisdom can destroy ignorance in two ways - directly and indirectly. Knowledge is first acquired from a master and through him from the scriptures. This knowledge cannot fulfill our objective, because only theoretical knowledge cannot bring results. To taste the fruit, the practical knowledge is necessary; and that comes through Samaadhi. Knowledge through Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi generates wisdom by removing ignorance and objective knowledge.

In the same way, the casual Samaadhi alone does not serve the purpose either in the absence of theoretical knowledge. It is like this as a man cannot recognize an emerald just by reading its description with our seeing it before; and in the same way cannot ignore it even if he has seen it and does not have its theoretical knowledge. Thus ignorance cannot be removed by only theory, or by only casual Samaadhi.

To keep an eye on the objective is another is another advantage. Attention is very important, An inattentive person cannot recognize ever-recurring Samaadhi in his life. he is like a man ignorant of the treasure he holds in his hands but wanders around begging for his food. Thus Samaadhi is useless to such people. Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi is certainly never going to remove ignorance, that is why Sa-Vikalp Samaadhi must be practiced. God inherent as the self is pleased by meritorious actions which are continued through several births after which the desire for liberation dawns and not otherwise, whether one has to take millions of birth for this."

Scheme of Liberation
"Know O Braahman that the mobile creation is a very small part of all this immobile creation; and human beings are still a very small part of mobile creation. And even among all human beings, most people are ignorant of good or bad or right or wrong. Among the sensible people also, the best part of their life goes in running after the worldly pleasures and fulfillment of their desires. From among these sensible people, only very few people long for Heaven after their death. Among these people, most people are covered by Maayaa and cannot comprehend the oneness of all (creation and the Creator). This Maayaa does not allow them to see the Truth, they just justify their practical actions by false arguments. Only those people who win that Maayaa through devotion to Devee, succeed seeing the Truth.

Now you listen to the scheme of liberation. One learns the devotion to God in thousands of meritorious lives after spending a long time in worshiping God. This arises the feeling of dispassion towards worldly pleasures, and the person gradually starts longing for the knowledge of truth and become absorbed in search of it. He gets a Master and learns from his the theoretical knowledge - this is Shravan.

After acquiring theoretical knowledge, he starts thinking over it on the basis of his own practical knowledge - this is called Manan.
After considerable thinking over it when the person is satisfied with the theoretical knowledge, he starts to bring that theoretical knowledge into practical - this is called Nidhi-Dhyaasan.

By doing this he starts experiencing the Inner Self, identifying the Self with the Supreme - a step towards removing his ignorance. Gradually the Inner Self is realized, and this state of realization is called Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi - this is called Pratyabhin Gyaan. This destroys the root of ignorance, instantly and completely.

This gradual contemplation (Dhyaan) goes in a progressive stages as Sa-Vikalp Samaadhi (or qualified Samaadhi) and Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi (or unqualified Samaadhi). This Dhyaan leads the man to think that the mind in its purity is only the Self. Although in the beginning thoughts disturb this Dhyaan, but the practice goes on by the name of Dhyaan and gradually the same Dhyaan becomes uninterrupted by thoughts and thus becomes Sa-Vikalp Samaadhi. When it goes on without thoughts for some time, it becomes Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi. The Inner Self glows in all its purity, in the last stage.

Dhyaan has been said to develop into Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi and it signifies its unified nature; whereas modification signifies the many sidedness of the Consciousness. When the mind does not create any picture due to thoughts in its unmodified states, which is its primal and pure condition. When a picture is removed from a wall, the plain wall remains - no other work is needed to restore its original condition. In the same way when thoughts are removed, only the pure mind remains. Therefore the unqualified state (Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi) is restored if the present disturbance is needed. If one has to keep the most holy condition, nothing else has to done. Nevertheless even learned people are deluded in this matter owing to Maayaa.

Three Types of Aspirants
There are three types of aspirants - best, medium and the lowest.
Among these three, the best type of aspirant realizes the moment he hears the truth - this is all simultaneously with their learning. He does not have to make any effort to do this. I tell you my own case. One summer night I was lying on a soft bed with my wife, that I heard some soft sweet songs of the invisible aerial beings who had taught me this Oneness of the Self - of which I was unaware of till that moment, I instantly thought over it, meditated on it, and realized it within one hour. I remained in Samaadhi for one and half hour in Supreme Bliss. When I woke up I rethought over it that even Brahmaa could  not have that Bliss, I had wasted my life in other pursuits in the same way, as a man begs for food holding Chintaa Mani in his hand. In the same way people have bliss inside them and they search for it outside. Delicious foods, soft beds, beautiful ornaments etc are just repetitions, with no novelty or originality in them. I have another idea struck to my mind.

Individual bodies, their senses, minds etc are similar to visions in a dream - they are projected from me. Controlled or uncontrolled minds appear only to mental eye. Even if all minds are controlled, my mind remains free, because my mind is like an infinite space, how can one control it and who is going to control it?

Let the body do whatever it wants, thinking thus I live in my own bliss, that is why I always live in the state of perfection and remain unblemished. My experience is of the best aspirants. Wisdom is attained in many lives by the lowest aspirant. If the aspirant is of middle class, he can attain wisdom in fewer or in the same life, but slowly and gradually. This will be according to the scheme - (1) learning the truth, (2) firm belief in that, (3) meditation - qualified Samaadi and unqualified Samaadhi, (4) finally Sahaj Samaadhi - to remain unattached even being involved in the activities in the world. This last state is very rarely found.

Why to fall in Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi without gaining of its wisdom, even if somebody has experienced several times and he would not liberate? Because Samaadhi in the waking state are fruitless. A man should live a normal life and check every incident as the projection of Self, not of his own self, he cannot be free from handicap of ignorance. Nir-Vikalp Samaadhi is known by the experience of the true Self, or pure intelligence. Although it is eternal, but it seems that this Abstract Intelligence did not exist. Abstract Intelligence is the background on which phenomena are displayed, and it is necessary that they should be displayed in all its purity. In the absence of its purity, they may first look new but they remain unrecognized because they are not distinguished from the phenomena displayed by it. When they are erased, it becomes clear. This in short is the method of Self Realization."

Dattaatreya Jee said - "O Braahman, Think over what you have learnt and you will realize that with the realization of that wisdom, you will know the Self and will be liberated." After giving these instructions to Ashtaavakra, Janak Jee sent him away. Ashtaavakra went away and he soon became Jeevan Mukt.

End of the Chapter 17