The Process of Yoga : 2.9. - Swami Krishnananda.

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Sunday, August  21, 2022. 08:00. 

Chapter 2: The Structure of the Universe-9.

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And so, before the fundamental laws are studied, there is no use asking any question. “Why does God create the world?” “Why do I suffer?” “Why did my mother die?” These questions cannot be answered until the original constitution is studied. According to that, everything is perfectly all right. And, when that Supreme Centre, or the basis of the manifestation of things, is studied and reached by the consciousness within us, we are said to be liberated. Liberation is nothing but the recession of the effect into its cause, the returning of the object to the subject – or to put it more precisely, the returning of both the object and the subject to that point from where they emanated. God is the explanation for all things. In one word – the word ‘God', ‘Ishvara' or ‘the Absolute' – we have answered everything and said everything. God is. That is the final answer to all things. That is the liberation of the soul; that is the freedom from samsara. That is kaivalya moksha, for the attainment of which we have to practice the spiritual discipline called sadhana.

Sadhana, or spiritual training, is nothing but the attempt of the soul to gradually free itself from all the principles of objectivity, so that it may enter into that original principle of Universality – mahat-tattva, Ishvara-tattva, God-consciousness, or the Absolute. When that state is reached, we will see the world with one glance. With one glance, we can see everything within and without. That is the state of God, mahat-tattva, the Creative Principle. Now we have to see things by succession, one after another. If we cast a glance over things here, we see one thing after another thing. But there we have a simultaneous knowledge of all things. A mere glance is an instantaneous knowledge of everything that can be anywhere at any time. Past, present and future are all laid before us. The entire Mahabharata and Ramayana, which took place long ago, and the beginning of the Solar System and the stars – everything can be seen as if it is taking place just now. Not only the past, but also the infinite future which is going to be, is also seen as an eternal present, as Arjuna was supposed to have seen the whole panorama of creation – past, present and future – in the Visvarupa. Puruṣa evedaṁ sarvam yadbhūtaṁ yacca bhavyam (Purusha Sukta 2): Whatever was past and whatever is going to be, all that is purusha only. In that supreme purusha, or Purushottama, all that is commingled. So when we reach that ocean of Purushottama, we know everything that was, right from the beginning of creation until pralaya, the end of creation – whatever is going to be, and whatever is at present. All this is given to us as an amalaka on the palm – hastamalakavat. As we can see something kept on our palm so clearly, we can see the whole of creation – past, present and future – as an eternal present, and not as something that took place or something that is yet to take place. We see it as it is just now. To Ishvara's eyes, the Mahabharata is a present. It is not a past event. And all those who are going to be born in the future are also a present to him. He sees them as if they are just now. There is no evolution, no involution there. There is no object, no prakriti, and no involved purusha to see them. Eternity and infinity get fused into a single focus of Universal Presence, kevala astittva, That Which Is.

The moment this is brought into our consciousness, we get liberated even here itself. This is what we call jivanmukti. Being here in this very world, we can live a life of freedom. There is no such thing as this world and the other world for a state of liberation because this and that are spatial distinctions, just as past and future are temporal distinctions. The spatial difference of this and that or here and there gets negatived, even as the temporal distinction of past and future gets negatived in an eternal presence and an infinite here.

It is very difficult to conceive this in our little brain, but this is the object of our supreme meditation. We will be simply thrilled even to think of this Reality. Our hair will stand on end. Hunger and thirst get quenched; it will appear as if nectar is flowing through our throat, and we will be in ecstasy of joy beyond comprehension. Here we will stop speaking altogether, and we will be an eternal mauni, forever. When God enters the jiva, nothing remains to be said or done. We will become kritakritya, praptaprapya and jnatajneya. Everything that is to be known is known, everything that is to be done is done, and everything that is to be obtained is obtained. This is perfection.

Wonderful is this goal which is ahead of us still. Though it is eternal and infinite, it looks as if it is in the future to us, just as the waking state looks like the future to the dreamer, though it is enveloping the dream condition from all sides, within and without. So to our mortal individual consciousness, God-consciousness, moksha or kaivalya appears to be a future event to take place, though it is already enveloping us within and without, from all sides, like the ocean.

Therefore, we have to be awake to this birthright of ours, to this original, primeval status which is our own, and not somebody else's. This awareness which is instilled into our hearts can make us healthy, wealthy, prosperous, powerful, and most blessed in this world. I am giving you the description of a condition which is not merely to take place in a far-off future, but is a condition which can come to you even today itself, if only you want to have it.

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Next-Chapter 3: Recognising the Independent Status of Things.

To be continued .....

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