ONE DAY, Babaji made several critical remarks regarding Purusha and Prakriti. His exposition was as follows:
“The mind has many states; all these states depend upon the fluctuations of the mind. When all fluctuations are completely restrained, that state is ordinarily called nirodha (restraint or cessation). Laya (dissolution) and Nirvikalpa Samādhi (non-dual absorption) occur precisely in this state.
In the philosophy of Prakriti, this nirodha is nothing more than the mind attaining the state of Purusha — that is, when the mind becomes completely still, you should understand that the mind has assumed the nature of Purusha (pure consciousness). Again, when the mind becomes active, you should understand that the mind has assumed the nature of Prakriti.
The earlier statement that the mind attains the state of Purusha in Nirvikalpa Samādhi is not the ultimate or final state of the mind. Even after attaining this state, this mind that has taken the form of Purusha must be turned back into Prakriti and repeatedly set into motion. Only then will the mind, becoming active again and again, continue to function.”
“This realm of nirvikalpa samādhi is the ground of Pure Will (icchā-bhūmi). Before the Nirvikalpa state, the power of the Will (icchā-śakti) cannot truly awaken. Yet even this movement (gati) will eventually be restrained, and the centre (kendra) will develop. Then desire will no longer remain mere desire — its name becomes ‘the attainment by desire of the state of Purusha’. At that point, desire is fulfilled, and desire and non-desire become one.
Babaji used to say:
“In the space of feeling (bhāva-ākāśa), the image of every feeling remains present. The space of feeling exists both inside us and outside us. Through the influence of a feeling situated in the external bhāva-ākāśa, or through Yoga, the image of that feeling suddenly manifests in our own inner bhāva-ākāśa. This is what is called the development or evolution of feeling (bhāva - vikāsa). When this development occurs, Light (Jyoti) arises. From Light arises Sound (nāda). From Sound arise all kinds of tendencies and activities (pravṛtti and kriyā).
Sound and activity belong within creation (sṛṣṭi); Light is beyond creation. Creation emerges from Light. If one cannot exert force greater than the force that originally brought creation into being, one cannot pierce or transcend that Light (jyoti-bheda). If one fails to pierce the Light, sinking into the Light — or into the Void (śūnya) — becomes inevitable. Therefore, the so-called attainment of nirvāṇa is not desirable on the path of full perfection (pūrṇatva). Yet, although it is not desirable, for those who lack the power there is no other way.
From this Light or Void one must again come out and re-enter a fresh creation. Only at this stage does one obtain eternal equanimity (nitya-sthiti). Until the entire universe is liberated, there is no way for one to obtain one’s own real and final liberation.”
In the context of jñāna (knowledge), Babaji used to say:
“I REGARD KNOWLEDGE ITSELF AS THE GURU, or as the very nature of the Self. By itself, this Knowledge is the Radiance of Knowledge (jñāna-jyoti). Below this there is a certain state that is obtained through knowledge-and-vision (jñāna-darśana). When that state is reached, many sādhakas become corrupted and fall.”
Vision (darśana) can also occur through pure Knowledge (jñāna) alone, completely bypassing the mind. The vision obtained through the mind and the vision obtained through Knowledge are not exactly of the same kind.
When one sees heaven (svarga) through the mind, heaven appears as something separate — one experiences the existence of a heaven that is outside oneself. But when one sees heaven by completely setting the mind aside — that is, when heaven is seen through pure Knowledge alone, the experience is as follows: “I myself am right inside heaven.”
Thus, vision through the mind is vision-with-difference (bheda-darśana), whereas vision through Knowledge is vision-without-difference (abheda-darśana): this is the essential distinction.
Besides these, visions and similar experiences can also arise from the sāttvika light (sāttvika-āloka), but that is still lower. Performing miracles like foreseeing the future etc., happen precisely within this sāttvika light. Ordinary visions also take place in the sāttvika light, yet there is some difference. When one can simultaneously see everything from the orb of the sun, that should be understood as vision in the sāttvika light.
Beyond Knowledge lies only Nirvāṇa, or the Great Void (mahā-śūnya).
Nirvāṇa means “devoid of boundaries” (vāṇa-hīna). Vāṇa is to be understood as boundary or limit (sīmā or gaṇḍī). The bow (gaṇḍīva) of existence has five such boundaries or sheaths. Knowledge itself is one particular sheath; in Nirvāṇa, even that no longer remains, because if Knowledge is not complete and perfect, true Nirvāṇa cannot be attained.
When one is able to plunge fully into Nirvāṇa, one directly realizes an unbroken, indivisible Existence (akhaṇḍa-sattā). That alone is called Bhāva (the state of pure Being or the Absolute Reality). From Bhāva, creation of motion gradually arises once more. Apart from Bhāva, which remains stainless and untouched (nirañjana) for the very reason that it is Bhāva itself.
Nirvāṇa and Nirañjana are not the same. Nirvāṇa is of the nature of negation or absence (abhāva-ātmaka), whereas Nirañjana is beyond even Bhāva (the transcendent, stainless Absolute).
“That which has been spoken of as the Guru in the form of Light (jyotiḥ-svarūpa Guru) – that very thing is the Bindu (the Point, the supreme nucleus).
In the human head there are twelve such Bindus. If the sādhaka’s emotional nature (bhāva-prakṛti) is not perfectly aligned and purified, union (Yoga) with the (true) Bindu does not take place. Whichever Bindu one unites with, a corresponding degree and kind of ānanda (bliss) is obtained.
To rectify and perfect the bhāva-prakṛti, the very first necessity is the construction of the bhāva-kuṇḍalī (the coil or spiral of one’s emotional being). Once the construction of this kuṇḍalī is complete, it transforms into action exactly according to one’s will.
Although all actions have their root in desire (icchā), in the ultimate analysis, it is only one’s own specific bhāva-kuṇḍalī that unfolds and develops. The very meaning of “taking birth” is the formation of this bhāva-kuṇḍalī. Nature (Prakṛti) herself brings it to perfection.
In the ordinary human state, there are three phases. At the root of this state lies only the play of Prakṛti. After this comes sādhana (spiritual practice). The sādhaka has to pass through ten intermediate states (daśa-daśā). After that comes the Siddha (perfected) state.
Even within the Siddha state, under the domain of Bhāva, there are nine sub-stages. In reality, these nine intermediate stages are closely linked with the nine planets (navagraha); in each of these stages, one particular planet performs its function. Only when the work of all nine planets has been successively and completely fulfilled does one finally touch the Sun (Ravi) – the Primal Sun of Praṇava (Oṁkāra-Sūrya). It is at that precise moment that Siddhi (perfection, realisation) manifests.
This alone is the true state of the Siddha.
“If the kuṇḍalī (the coiled structure of one’s karmic-emotional being) cannot be transformed, no real change can occur in the stream of one’s life.
At the time of Upanayana or Dīkṣā (initiation), the Sadguru completely extracts or dissolves the old Kuṇḍalī.
During this transformation of the Kuṇḍalī, the prior identity or existential formation ceases to exist; this very cessation is what is called death.
Immediately thereafter, a new birth takes place, which is ordinarily referred to as the second birth (dvitīya janma).”
“Praṇava is an extremely distant reality. To attain it, one must pierce through the Viśva (the universal totality or the Cosmic Being).
But until one first enters the Viśva, the question of piercing it does not even arise. To enter the Viśva, one must first pierce through the Jagat (the ordinary world we live in).
This Jagat that we constantly see and experience is nothing but the body-form of one Cosmic Puruṣa (Virāṭ-Puruṣa).
We can go out of our individual body either through the Brahmarandhra (the aperture at the crown of the head) or, in a partial way, through the navel centre. There is no other exit.
Yet even when we thus ‘go out,’ we still do not reach beyond the Jagat. The Jagat we directly experience is contained within the greater Cosmic Body (the Virāṭ-deha). Only by piercing that Cosmic Body as well does entry into the true Viśva become possible.
Thus, after the Jagat comes the Viśva, and after the Viśva comes Praṇava.
When one finally reaches this Praṇava, Siddhi (complete perfection and realisation) is attained.”
“And one more thing. Many people speak of attaining the ‘bodiless’ or ‘beyond-body’ state (videha-avasthā). I feel that attaining the videha state is extremely difficult.
Without first crossing the Rādhā-chakra (the spinning wheel at the crown), one cannot become a videha. To cross it is an extraordinarily difficult task; it keeps revolving ceaselessly with a most terrifying and violent velocity. To pass beyond it, one has to emerge through the narrow hollow path right at its centre. If one fails, that very wheel (endowed as it is with tremendous speed) tears the mind to pieces. The result is total inertia or stupor (jaḍatva).
The Self (Ātmā) is conscious only as long as it remains in conjunction with the mind; where there is no mind, there is only inertia.
The Rādhā-chakra is situated immediately above the seat of consciousness, that is, very close to the spot in the head where the ‘crown’ is traditionally shown. It is from this very place that consciousness is distributed and circulated throughout the entire body.”
Babaji further said: “If you can gather and draw all the movements and energies of the body upward and concentrate them completely in the hollow cavity at the top of the head, that is called establishing the śavādhāra (the seat of the corpse). That very place is the true cremation ground or abode of the corpse (śmaśāna or śava-sthāna). If the consciousness-force (caitanya-śakti) is to be taken out of the body, it is absolutely necessary first to transform the body into a corpse-like state (śava-rūpa).”
He also used to say: “When you go to a place of pilgrimage or to a temple for a darśana of the deity, you must go while constantly keeping your mind absorbed in thought of that deity. When this happens, a fresh power begins to flow into the body, because it is the deity himself/herself who draws you. The actual experience of being pulled or drawn comes only when, through continuous remembrance and contemplation of the deity, you become completely empty of yourself.
Then you can clearly realise the meaning of this profound phrase: ‘It is the deity who is pulling me.’”
Series Concluded
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