MIND : Its Mysteries & Its Control - Chapter-37 Continued , Swami Sivananda.

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Saturday, December 30, 2022. 06:00. 

CHAPTER -37 : ESSENCE OF JNANA YOGA

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Soham Dhyana :

The effort to keep the mind always concentrated on Atman or Brahman is what is calledAtma-Vichara.

Till the blissful Jnana dawns on you, you should do constant and intense Sadhana. Youmust not stop thinking of Brahman (Brahma-Chintana) even for half a second, even for thetime taken for one winking. You must become Nididhyasana-Parayana (one whose sole refugeis meditation on OM with feeling and meaning). Then only Brahma-Jnana is possible.

You will have to destroy the Jiva-Bhavana by entertaining the opposite ‘Aham Brahmasmi’Bhavana. The Jiva-Bhavana is created by the Vyavaharic Buddhi. You will have to destroythis kind of Vyavaharic Buddhi by developing the Suddha Buddhi or pure reason.

Although you see your body and the world, they really exist not. Never move a fractionof an inch from your established position in Atman. Constantly think that you are theall-pervading Atman (Chidakasa). Even if you are in the mouth of a machine-gun, repeat”Soham”-“Soham”-“Aham Brahma Asmi.” Roar like a lion. Fearcomes only when you identify yourself with this perishable, fleshy body. If you identifyyourself with the infinite, eternal immortal Atman, you will become at once absolutelyfearless. Fear is an imaginary modification of the mind of an Ajnani.

Find out your centre. Rest in your centre or equilibrium. That centre is Atman orBrahman or the One Truth that is shining in your heart from eternity to eternity. If youcan rest in your centre, neither trouble nor tribulation, neither loss nor disappointment,neither grief nor sorrow can affect you and throw you off the balance.

If you can keep yourself up in tune with the Infinite, you will have a poised andbalanced mind. Nothing can hurt you. You will be always in joy, because you areidentifying yourself with Atman. You are resting on the Highest Self. Even though Mansoorand Shams Tabriez the great Sufi Jnanis, were flayed alive, they never felt any sort ofpain. They simply uttered ‘Analhaq’ (I am He). Every drop of blood that fell down alsouttered ‘Analhaq.’ They were always in the bliss of Atman. Look at this marvel. These arethe real Jnanis. They showed their power and knowledge of Atman.

A small fishing boat is tossed about severely hither and thither even by ordinary wavesof a river. But, a big steamer remains unshaken even though violent waves dash against itwith tremendous impetuosity. Even so, a man of the world with a fickle mind is tossedabout hither and thither even by the small waves of Raga-Dvesha of the mind; whereas asaint or a Jivanmukta with a balanced and serene mind remains in the world quite steadywithout being in the least affected by the stormy waves of troubles, tribulations,miseries, afflictions, etc. He is always resting peacefully in the perpetual calm of Atmanor the Absolute Self.

you are much worried, whenever you get heavy depression, whenever you getsevere attacks of pain, think you are Atman, full of Ananda. Withdraw the mind fromobjects and worldly thoughts and fix it on Atman. Enter a solitary room and assert:”I am Anandamaya Atman. How can there be pain there? Pain belongs to the mind. It isa mental creation. I am above mind. Atman is an ocean of Ananda. Atman is a storehouse ofAnanda, power and knowledge. I feel that I am Suddha Chaitanya, all-pervadingconsciousness which is at the back of all these forms, at the back of mind. I am Atman. Iam all Ananda.” You will derive immense joy, power and exhilaration by this practice.

Strangle every thought of deficiency, imperfection, weakness, inferiority. Even if youhave nothing to eat, no cloth to wear, even if you suffer from a terrible incurabledisease, cling tenaciously to the ideas, “I am God. I am perfect. I possesseverything. All health I am. All joy I am.” Remember that to be your right mentalattitude. What you habitually think prepares a pattern which the life-processes areconstantly weaving, outpicturing in the life.

“I am that Atman or Brahman which is Eka (One), Chidakasa, Akhanda (without parts,indivisible), the Self of all beings (Sarvabhutantaratma).” Try to get established inthis Bhava with all efforts (Prayatna). Then the Chanchalata of the mind will vanish. Thenyou will get eternal bliss. You will become a Jivanmukta. There is not an atom of doubt onthis point.

Imagine that you hold the whole world in your womb, in the physical ether which isagain supported in your own Svarupa (Chinmaya) body (Chidakasa, Jnana-Vigraha). Then theideas of externality and separateness will vanish. There is nothing outside you. There isnothing outside Brahman.

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Next
Apavada-Yukti Of Vedanta
To be continued

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