Class Notes by Bhargavi
“A tranquil mind is as potent as God!”- Gurudev Sw. Chinmayananda. A tranquil mind is like having no mind. We feel our mind the most when it is heavy and filled with thoughts. When the mind is free of thoughts, it is as if the mind does not exist. By letting go of what we are not, we are able to hold on to what we are, which is God. When we sit near and below God, our mind becomes tranquil. Sitting near and below the teaching that God is the cause and all else including ourselves is the effect, helps us to relate to the effects more. For example, when we meet someone at the airport who remembers us and expresses that to us, our relationship with them changes. They no longer remain as strangers. Knowing the cause (of the relationship), changes the effect (our relationship with them). If we sit near and below Bhagavan and know He is always looking after us, we start to learn from all because I know that every circumstance that Bhagavan brings to me is to bring me closer to Him.
Review of last class: Withdrawing is evolving. Evolving from the grosser to the subtler, from individuality to the total, living for the minimum to living for the maximum and to start to feel that our life does not belong to us. The mantra we explored was focused on shifting from mind to the Intellect to the total mind. When we zoom into our mind, we notice that the Tamasic mind has thoughts of dislike. Rajasic mind has thoughts of likes and the Sattvic mind has thoughts that are not labeled as likes or dislikes. Tranquil mind is past thoughts and is tuned into awareness. Most of us are predominantly with rajasic mind. In order to tune into the total mind, we can start off by trying to have less likes with articles. When that is strong enough, it will transition into less likes with beings, and eventually with circumstances and results. Those whose minds are predominantly Sattvic can tune into the intellect and the total mind by directing the thoughts to the teachings like Awareness is uncaused and does not cause anything either. Therefore, our thoughts are less real and relevant. They are just thoughts! This can be practiced best during Dhyana. When immersed in deep Dhyana, the inconveniences of the body, breath, etc become just thoughts!
Our journey to joy begins with Bahikarana sadhana (lifestyle oriented), sleeping and waking earlier, buying less things, speaking less, etc. It is a lifestyle revolving around purity. Once this is achieved, we shift to Antahkarana sadhana. It is no longer about our lifestyle, it is about us, it is about equipment, not about the experiences. Antahkarana sadhana include Sravana (for the mind), Manana (for the intellect) and Nidhidhyasana (for the ego). Sravana is inspiration, Manana is reflection and Nidhidhyasana is contemplation. Fulfillment of all of these is Samadhi (meditation). Samadhi= well and fully placed. When the ego is well and fully placed in the spirit, it is called Meditation. This chapter is about Dhyana Abhyasa (practicing contemplation) and the culmination of this is the knowledge that we are the peace we are seeking.
When one is practicing contemplation, withdrawing is facilitated by knowledge. Deeper the knowledge, deeper is the withdrawal. This teaching can be beautifully explained using the example of an embroidery on a cloth. A particular design is within a scene of the embroidery which in turn is within the cloth. If we think about the deepest part of this entire embroidery, is cotton. That design is the Jeeva (deepest level is cotton), scene is the Jagat (deepest level is cotton). The cloth is Jagadeesvara (deepest level is cotton). The truth of everything we are experiencing is existence. In chapter 10 verse 2 of Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna says that the devas (creation) do not know that He (creator) is the source for them. But in the very next verse, Bhagavan says He is not born and therefore does not give birth meaning cannot be a source or creator of anything. He is saying here that He is Consciousness! All that we come across requires reflection and contemplation for us to reach joy. If we don’t experience this joy, we will come back and be born into limits again. Sw. Tejomayananda is therefore teaching us to withdraw from experiences to equipment, equipment to ego and ego to existence. We can practice this in everything we do, by having the insight that there is a difference between ‘I am’ and ‘I have’ the body/mind. If ‘I am’ the body/mind, whatever is happening, is happening to me. If ‘I have’ the body/mind, then whatever is happening, it is happening to them. The text ‘Drig Drishya Viveka’ teaches a way to practice this by being the ‘Sakshi’ or the witness. By watching , we are separating the experiences from the equipment. The fulfillment of Nidhidhyasana is Samadhi. Samadhi is described as ‘sleepless sleep’. Sleep is a wonderful experience as it is limitless. Being awake while asleep, experiencing sleep consciously is what is meant by Samadhi. When Prince Arjuna saw Bhagavan and realize how unaccomplished he was compared to Bhagavan, he realized even though Bhagavan’s life was worse, He was always smiling. When we are in the presence of someone great and we have the same Arjuna feeling, we should remind ourselves that we are Bhagya (fortunate) just to be in the presence of someone of that stature and just like Prince Arjuna who became Bhagavan Krishna, we too have hope. We should convert dejection to inspiration. This is the way of experiencing Sleepless sleep. We are putting to sleep futility and waking up to utility.