HARI! OM!
Q. 1. What is the cause of Samsara ?a)Punya Papa b) Karma c) Ignorance d) Objects. A.1. The cause of Samsara is option c) Ignorance
Q. 2. Which Veda does Mundakaupanishad belong to? a)Rig Veda b) Yajur Veda c) Sama Veda d) Atharvana Veda. A.2. Mundakaupanishad belongs to Option d) Atharva Veda.
Q.3. The knowledge of the 6 Veda-angas are known as which vidya? a)Para vidya ; b) Samsara Vidya ; c) Apara Vidya ; d) Moksh Vidya A.3. The knowledge of the 6 Veda Angas are known as Option c) Apara Vidya.
Q.4. 4. What is the means to Moksha ? a) Dharmaanushtaanam ; b) IsvaraDhyanam ; c) Karmopasana; d) Guru shastra Jnanam. A.4. The means of Moksha is Option b) Ishvara Dhyanam.
Q.5. What are the characteristics of Sravana? a)Listening to Shastram; b) Understanding it well. c) Taking Sanyasa ; d) Clearly understanding the import. A.5. The characteristics of Sravana is Option d) Clearly understanding the import / purport.
Q.6. What is the generic cause of all? Explain about Para vidya and Apara vidya as explained by Swami Vidyaranya. A.6. Generic cause of all is Avidhya. Para vidya is spiritual realization, which is knowledge of the Self, Brahman, or the Absolute. It has Reality as its content and possesses a unique quality as the Ultimate, which is singular and free from reason, senses. Para Vidya is the knowledge of liberation & Brahman and of Higher order.
Apara Vidya is the knowledge
of the world. It has the phenomenal world as its content.
The knowledge which comprehends the Vedas along with their six auxiliary works
is the one of lower order and Apara Vidya.
The path of liberation is from Avidya to Apara
Vidya and then to Para Vidya in that order. Apara Vidya enables knowledge of
the Worldly texts, Vedas & Vedangas etc. But mere knowledge or Mastery of
the texts is insufficient. However, Apara vidya, prepares us for Para vidya
through concepts of Detachment, Purifying our mind, Universal love etc.
Q. 7. Explain about the characteristics of the Akshara brahman that is known through Para Vidya? A.7. By the higher knowledge the immutable is known which is nothing but Akshara Brahman. And when it is known, the entire world becomes known because it is the self of every object of the world.
It is a term applied to AUM and so it is
called Akshara, the symbol of God who is the lord
of all created things. It
is a descriptive synonym of Brahman & who is said to have arisen from
Aksara.
Akshara is
an unchanging reality. Akshara Brahman is the
essence of Sat-chit-ananda — Eternity, Consciousness, Bliss. It is unseen but
sees, unheard but is the hearer, unthinkable but is the thinker, unknown but is
the know-er of all and everything.
Q. 8. Explain with example and import
about the meditation through the enquiry into Omkara as explained in Anubhuti Prakasha
?
A.8. "ॐकार मूलमंत्राढ्य: पुनर्जन्म दृढ़ाशय:। गोभक्तो भारतगुरु: हिन्दुर्हिंसनदूषक:॥ “Omkara Moolamantraadadcha punarjanma dradashayah. Gobhaktho Bharatgururhindurhimsandhushaka”
The ‘AUM’, or Omkara, pronounced as ‘OM’ is the
holiest Vedic sound in the Sanathana tradition, explaining various religious
and spiritual ideas. The syllable has sound, meaning, application and
efficiency. It is the apt symbol of the Supreme. Of all the syllables, the most
powerful and the most significant one is the single syllable, called the
Pranava or Omkara..
Everything begins with an Om and ends with the Pranava. Every mantra and
all mantras have an Om into it and the Om give all the life giving breath to
the Mantra.
When we chant the mantra Om,
the process covers the full range of vocal elements (from larynx to lips) that
produce the sound of any language. Om represents whole phenomena of sound
producing. Also, it is the mean of the entire range of sound phenomena. It is
the matrix of all the various sounds. Thus it pervades all words (Shabda
Brahmatmitka). Hence it is recognized as seed centre of all sounds.
It is without cause and effect, without inside or outside, and without
decay.
The Pranava (AUM) is a
combination of four parts, namely, 1. A (Akaara), 2. U (Ukaara)
3. M (Makaara) and 4.Bindu and Nada.
These parts are symbolic of 1.Creation, 2.Preservation, 3.Dissolution and
4.Deliverance, which form the eternal life-death rhythm which goes on in
endless cycles. Thus, Pranava is the sound manifestation of God.
With awareness of this introduction to the Pranava, in meditation-seat one has to continuously
keep on chanting AUM in his or her mind. While chanting, he or she must observe
the sounds of the syllables rising, falling and dying away. As the sounds rise
up, one should superimpose the waking-state-ego, the dreamer and the sleeper
and ultimately folding up the waking state into the dream, and the dream into
deep-sleep-state merging ‘A’ into ‘U’ and ‘U’ into ‘M’ – he or she must
take the identification to the ensuing silence between two successive AUMs.
One should ‘Soak the mind with the roar of AUM; Identify the mind with
the sound of AUM; One who is always unified with AUM shall have no know fear
whatsoever.
The three letters Akaara, Ukaara and Mkaara
correspond to the three states, Jaagrat, Svapna and Sushupti.
Also, these three letters represent the Visva, Thaijasa and Praajna personalities
in us at the microcosmic (vyashti) level. Further, they represent
Virat, Hiranyagarbha and Eswara at the
macrocosmic (samishti) level. These personalities are nothing but
the superimpositions on the fourth state, namely, Turiya which
is Eternal, Immortal and absolute Knowledge, nothing but “Bliss”. Thus Omkara is
a symbol of Atman. The seeker has to find in
the various letters of AUM, the three personalities and to realize the
soundless part of AUM as the goal, which leads to the pure Atman in us.
Q. 9. As explained by Swami Vidyaranya explain about the knowledge that releases the knots in the heart. A.9. The heart is not a physical organ or emotional heart but the Heart in discussion is the central seat of consciousness, beyond Body or Mind and that is the Spiritual Heart and that which transcends all physical and temporal limitations.
And the knots of Heart are the bondage caused by our identifications with body, mind, our ego and the pain it causes
to ourselves and others that we all experience in our uncertain human
existence. These knots consists of thoughts of Ahamkara / possessiveness etc,
getting caught in the turbulent emotional dualities of the outer world and all
their complications.
This Ahamkara forms the basis of the
subtle body and letting it continue through the cycle of Birth, Death and
Re-birth. The releasing of the knots of the heart means dissolution of the
subtle body and going beyond karma. These are psychic knots and are held by
deep-seated karmas and samskaras not ordinary emotional entanglements.
Serving to Release or cut the knots is to
gain direct perceptual knowledge of true self, ie. The Atma Vidya. Once we know
our true self, beyond all external identifications, then we can let go of all
the burdens of thought and emotion because they only relate to an unreal entities-The
Ego, Body or Mind and not to what we really are, ie. The PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.
For this a process of introspection, meditation and self-enquiry is the recommendation. We would discover, this self-enquiry roots back to the Heart. This is Hridaya Prana Yoga. Healing this heart, the spiritual Heart is the ultimate source of well-being, a deep-seated radical change of awareness.
This awareness requires tremendous
determination, motivation and an intellect with an intelligence as sharp as a
razor’s edge. And with this attitude one has to shift the thought process of
identifying with the SO CALLED WORLD,
PEOPLE, UNIVERSE ETC to THE SELF OF INFINITE INTELLIGENCE, from
within, with focus on the Pranava & the Hradya Mantra, ie HREEM.
Q.10. 10. Explain about sadhana for Brahma Jnana? Also explain about Videha mukti as explained by Swami Vidyaranya? A.10. Brahma Jnana means the identification of the GOD who comes in your medium (human incarnation for human beings). It is said by Spiritual Masters that unless the mind is completely purified (Chitta Suddhi), one is not eligible for Brahma Jnana or Jnana Yoga. This means that unless the mind gets rid of the impurities, which are egoism and jealousy, one is not eligible to identify the GOD. The biggest problem in this Brahma Jnana comes only when the preacher Himself reveals that He is the GOD.
Brahma Jnana or Realisation of
Brahman is regarded as the highest of all knowledge. A strong and wise man who
is endowed with the four means (Sadhana Chatustaya) only can attain
Self-realisation. That is the
eligibility for Brahma Jnana.
The four means of practice of sadhana
chatushtaya are as follows:
1.
Discrimination or viveka - this
describes the cultivation of the ability to discern between what it real and
what is not real, as well as between what is the self and what is not the self.
This is also an integral principle of the classical yoga philosophy outlined in
the Yoga Sutras.
2.
Non-attachment or vairagya - once the
practitioner has discrimination they can reduce their attractions and
aversions, helping them to become more dispassionate.
3.
Six virtues or shatsampat - these
attitudes and areas of mental training are cultivated in order to bring
equilibrium to the mind and emotions. They are tranquility, training of the
senses, withdrawal, forbearance, faith and focus. Together these allow the mind
to enter deeper states of contemplation and meditation.
4.
Longing or mumukshutva -this
is the great desire for enlightenment and liberation which eventually subsumes
all other more superficial desires.
The above 4 enables one
towards, Stillness, Silence, Fasting, Celibacy, Conquest of sleep, Sravana
(Listening), Manana( Contemplation), Nididhyasana( Meditation)
Withdrawing the senses,
looking within and searching your heart, one can dive deep into the deepest
recess of the heart through deep meditation on the innermost Self, by virtue of
the AFORESAID SHADANA CHATUSTAYA. One can undoubtedly realise the identity with
Brahman and get to the heart of the Infinite joy and bliss. He who truly
realizes his unity with Brahman realizes immortality.
Videhamuktha is a term that is used for a
person, who in death has found liberation and realizes the non-duality of their
own atman or individual soul with Brahman, the universal Consciousness and
ending the cycle of Re-birth.
Videhamuktha experience infinite knowledge power and bliss. They are
pure and without a physical body but having an external atman that is invisible
and without a limit.
Videhamukthas are associated with
absolute freedom from the bondage of their empirical existence& unbound by time and space. They are called
Moksha, Kaivalya, Apavarga, Brahma Nirvana etc.
For an example just as rivers merge into
the sea, leaving their names and their separate identity, videha Mukthas go
into eternal state, leaving behind the world of name and form.
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