Eventually, the question is how to cleanse the mind of its मल mala or impurity. Of course the Yoga SUtra says this should be done by tapas. But this body obtained by the mind as a fruit of past karma has its own time scale. Why try to strive for a perfect body or divya deha, when ultimately the body is merely a vehicle that has to be transcended?
But if one's true nature as the Self is believed in on the basis of श्रद्धा (shraddhA, which is faith in the words of vedAnta and the Guru) and if it is known through even one direct experience to be beyond time, then turn the mind inward away from the "I am the body" idea and ask "Who is this I?"
This naturally leads inward through all the panca koshas to that which is beyond the koshas and also their very substratum: the Self.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Limits of sense perception
Teaching heat transfer to students the topic of Thermal Radiation and electromagnetic radiation in general brought to mind the limitations of perception.
Although we take the colors we see as 'objective truth' to the extent that we would be upset if our laundry or dry cleaning failed to remove some stains on our clothing, when we understand the science of radiation and color perception, it rapidly becomes clear that color is not intrinsic to any object. It is merely the absorptive properties of the material that make it absorb all wavelengths of radiation incident on it, other than the frequency band that corresponds to the color we ascribe to it.
So the first thing we learn from this important scientific fact, is that we are not seeing a lot of the spectrum of radiation itself. In other words, our perception is very limited. When we see objects through infrared imaging they look very different because in that frequency band it is the temperature of the object that determines its 'color'. Now that infrared image has to be converted to a 'false color' for us to see it. And yet, how much blind faith we have in 'seeing is believing'. How dead sure we are that we saw so and so do this, or someone in that color car get away from the scene of the crime! Of course this all has its place in the empirical dealings with the phenomenal world, but the true sAdhaka should ponder on this limited perception.
The second important point to take away is that, different people perceive the same object differently. The whole issue of color blindness is exactly about this. This should really make us question the assumption in classical science that the object has some 'reality' that is independent of the observer (quantum physics does take some steps to remedy this, but I am not an expert in that subject beyond a rudimentary understanding of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle that brings in the role of the observer in experiments). In fact, this is what Yoga Science has been saying from times immemorial: that the object perceived is not independent of the observer, but is colored by the observer's mind. In fact, the object has no existence outside the mind of the observer, something that Zen Buddhism also points to through its koans.
Consider how unreliable the senses are. SwamiJ's website had an interesting article on synaesthesia that is a condition where the sense channels get mixed up so people can feel colors, and so on. Within the same species our sense perceptions are not invariant and consistent. Even when a 'normal' person has a common cold you can quickly tell that your sense of taste is strongly affected if your sense of smell is impacted. So there is a small level of synaesthesia between the gustatory and olfactory perceptions even for so-called 'normal' people.
So what we call "normal perception" that is commonly agreed on in society is only a "coherent madness" in my opinion. This alone should alter our perception on 'race relations' and the notion of color in society.
If we consider other species such as dogs, science tells us that they hear and see differently.
So, perception is not of one objective reality but even species specific.
For a sAdhaka, one of the main lessons to take away from this is that affirming the false objective reality by conventional speech is dangerous and highly counter-productive to jnAna. Hence the great deal of emphasis placed on mounam (silence of speech but more importantly mind), and caution against engaging in prajalpah (gossip).
It is bad enough if during the course of conversations in the external world we have to restrain the senses and be aware of the Self by not seeing the difference between one and the other. Two are bad enough, but gossip is the worst because it gives false reality to a third non-existent object that really deviates the mind from the Self.
No doubt all of this will sound like madness to the unawakened. Cf. the Bhagavad GItA says YA nishA etc
Therefore, in the HaTha Yoga PradIpikA, SvAtmArAma says to keep the secrets of Yoga, gupta (or secret) and to appear ignorant for sake of appearances.
In summary, the mind is nothing but a bundle of habits. Even the perception of good food is also a habit. It can be changed. But sattvic food helps the mind see through the fakery and brings it to the first mahAvAkya: Brahman satyam jaganmithyA (The Self is Real, the world is Unreal).
Although we take the colors we see as 'objective truth' to the extent that we would be upset if our laundry or dry cleaning failed to remove some stains on our clothing, when we understand the science of radiation and color perception, it rapidly becomes clear that color is not intrinsic to any object. It is merely the absorptive properties of the material that make it absorb all wavelengths of radiation incident on it, other than the frequency band that corresponds to the color we ascribe to it.
So the first thing we learn from this important scientific fact, is that we are not seeing a lot of the spectrum of radiation itself. In other words, our perception is very limited. When we see objects through infrared imaging they look very different because in that frequency band it is the temperature of the object that determines its 'color'. Now that infrared image has to be converted to a 'false color' for us to see it. And yet, how much blind faith we have in 'seeing is believing'. How dead sure we are that we saw so and so do this, or someone in that color car get away from the scene of the crime! Of course this all has its place in the empirical dealings with the phenomenal world, but the true sAdhaka should ponder on this limited perception.
The second important point to take away is that, different people perceive the same object differently. The whole issue of color blindness is exactly about this. This should really make us question the assumption in classical science that the object has some 'reality' that is independent of the observer (quantum physics does take some steps to remedy this, but I am not an expert in that subject beyond a rudimentary understanding of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle that brings in the role of the observer in experiments). In fact, this is what Yoga Science has been saying from times immemorial: that the object perceived is not independent of the observer, but is colored by the observer's mind. In fact, the object has no existence outside the mind of the observer, something that Zen Buddhism also points to through its koans.
Consider how unreliable the senses are. SwamiJ's website had an interesting article on synaesthesia that is a condition where the sense channels get mixed up so people can feel colors, and so on. Within the same species our sense perceptions are not invariant and consistent. Even when a 'normal' person has a common cold you can quickly tell that your sense of taste is strongly affected if your sense of smell is impacted. So there is a small level of synaesthesia between the gustatory and olfactory perceptions even for so-called 'normal' people.
So what we call "normal perception" that is commonly agreed on in society is only a "coherent madness" in my opinion. This alone should alter our perception on 'race relations' and the notion of color in society.
So, perception is not of one objective reality but even species specific.
For a sAdhaka, one of the main lessons to take away from this is that affirming the false objective reality by conventional speech is dangerous and highly counter-productive to jnAna. Hence the great deal of emphasis placed on mounam (silence of speech but more importantly mind), and caution against engaging in prajalpah (gossip).
It is bad enough if during the course of conversations in the external world we have to restrain the senses and be aware of the Self by not seeing the difference between one and the other. Two are bad enough, but gossip is the worst because it gives false reality to a third non-existent object that really deviates the mind from the Self.
No doubt all of this will sound like madness to the unawakened. Cf. the Bhagavad GItA says YA nishA etc
Therefore, in the HaTha Yoga PradIpikA, SvAtmArAma says to keep the secrets of Yoga, gupta (or secret) and to appear ignorant for sake of appearances.
In summary, the mind is nothing but a bundle of habits. Even the perception of good food is also a habit. It can be changed. But sattvic food helps the mind see through the fakery and brings it to the first mahAvAkya: Brahman satyam jaganmithyA (The Self is Real, the world is Unreal).
TyAgarAja's lament
TyAgarAja and other poets and saints sang "Why have you forsaken me my Lord?"
This mind's question has always been "O mind! Why have you forgotten the Lord?"
This mind's question has always been "O mind! Why have you forgotten the Lord?"
Prism and total internal reflection
In an article on समाधि samAdhi in the companion website the mind was likened to a prism that refracts Pure Consciousness as white light into the seven colors of the world.
There is an interesting connection between the scientific concept of total internal reflection and meditation, in particular pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works).
In the scientific concept of total internal reflection, there is a critical angle of incidence (of light generally) with respect to the perpendicular direction of a boundary between two materials (such as air and the glass of a prism), such that if the angle of incident light is increased beyond this critical angle, the light wave does not pass through but is completely reflected!
This is a very excellent analogy for Consciousness operating through the prism of the mind when the practices of pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works) are employed.
By changing the angle of our thinking from a worldly one to a spiritual one, the angle of incidence of Consciousness on the prism of the mind is changed. It becomes less outgoing (refractive) and more ingoing (reflective).
The senses are the routes of the outgoing mind. In pratyAhara, the senses (karmendriyas and jnAnendriyas) are meditated on and restrained from going to their objects by turning the mind inwards towards a mantra or meditation on the Self. Initially this is done in meditation with the eyes closed until jnAna is attained.
Then the same practice must be brought into play even with the senses turned outwards, for as mentioned in the TripurA Rahasya, one cannot sit with eyes closed in meditation always. That is not the complete jnAna. One needs vijnAna, that is to see the Self or Atma or Brahman even in the jagat.
For this, the excellent shAmbhavI mudrA is to be practiced. This is undoubtedly a very hard mudrA, but it is related to a post on 'Seeing "not seeing"ly'. In this mudrA, the mind is turned inwards even though the senses are allowed to roam in the sense objects. This is a very advanced practice in the humble opinion of this author, but it is a very important practice (reference to verses in the Bhagavad GItA regarding this are also found in the same post).
There is an interesting connection between the scientific concept of total internal reflection and meditation, in particular pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works).
In the scientific concept of total internal reflection, there is a critical angle of incidence (of light generally) with respect to the perpendicular direction of a boundary between two materials (such as air and the glass of a prism), such that if the angle of incident light is increased beyond this critical angle, the light wave does not pass through but is completely reflected!
This is a very excellent analogy for Consciousness operating through the prism of the mind when the practices of pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works) are employed.
By changing the angle of our thinking from a worldly one to a spiritual one, the angle of incidence of Consciousness on the prism of the mind is changed. It becomes less outgoing (refractive) and more ingoing (reflective).
The senses are the routes of the outgoing mind. In pratyAhara, the senses (karmendriyas and jnAnendriyas) are meditated on and restrained from going to their objects by turning the mind inwards towards a mantra or meditation on the Self. Initially this is done in meditation with the eyes closed until jnAna is attained.
Then the same practice must be brought into play even with the senses turned outwards, for as mentioned in the TripurA Rahasya, one cannot sit with eyes closed in meditation always. That is not the complete jnAna. One needs vijnAna, that is to see the Self or Atma or Brahman even in the jagat.
For this, the excellent shAmbhavI mudrA is to be practiced. This is undoubtedly a very hard mudrA, but it is related to a post on 'Seeing "not seeing"ly'. In this mudrA, the mind is turned inwards even though the senses are allowed to roam in the sense objects. This is a very advanced practice in the humble opinion of this author, but it is a very important practice (reference to verses in the Bhagavad GItA regarding this are also found in the same post).
व्याधि (Illness) and प्रयाण काल (time of departure)
व्याधि (Illness) is one of the severe tests of साधना (sAdhanA). As long as the mind is rooted in the "I am the body" idea, it gets severely affected by bodily illness. In the Yoga SUtra, व्याधि (illness) is reckoned as the first obstacle to Yoga (among 9 such obstacles). Yet, illness can also be a very interesting time to experiment in the inner laboratory. The very nature of pain can be examined, and slowly through the practice of प्रत्याहार (pratyAhAra), one can start to see pain at a distance and its connection to the perceiver of pain. Recall that in the Bhagavad GItA II.14, SrI KRShNa tells Arjuna
Recall in this context, SrI Adi ShankarAcArya's Bhaja Govindam verse
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्ण सुखदु:खदा: ।
अागमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
The contact between the senses (which are the measurers) and the sense objects (the measures, hence मात्रा:), O Son of Kunti, result in cold and heat, or pleasure and pain. They have a beginning and end (they come and go) and are transient, therefore endure them, O BhArata!
At the time of illness the mind should be made strong. Swami ShivAnanda has wonderful advice on how to do this when the mind becomes weak during illness and can more easily succumb to desires of various sorts. Strengthening the mind during illness is a preparation for प्रयाण काल (the time of departure from the body). In the Bhagavad GItA, SrI KRShNa tells Arjuna that whatever a man thinks of at the time of his death, that indeed he attains after leaving the body. Therefore, meditation on प्रणव (PraNava) or OmkAr is highly recommended at the time of leaving the body. This certainly leads to Brahman. However, how will the mind be made firm in this remembrance if it is not steady at other times?
Slowly in sAdhanA it is realized that the times when the body is hale and hearty are the best times for sAdhanA that should not be wasted. Those are the times to make the mind firm in meditation on प्रणव (PraNava). Times of illness are like 'dry runs' when the mind's firmness is tested. One may sincerely pray that the time of departure be painless and that the mind may easily rest on प्रणव (PraNava) or one's इष्ट देवता (Chosen Ideal), but it is wiser to practice and not assume it will be so.
Recall in this context, SrI Adi ShankarAcArya's Bhaja Govindam verse
मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं हरति निमेषात्काल: सर्वं ।
मायामयमिदमखिं हित्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविशविदित्वा ॥
Do not be proud of wealth, people (relatives and friends) or youth for Time steals these in the twinkling of an eye. Knowing all this to be MAyA (that which is not, hence Unreal on account of being transient) and giving it up, enter the state (or feet) of the Lord.
When bodily afflictions destabilize the mind it is indeed difficult to maintain equanimity, let alone focus on the object of meditation. But it seems critical to keep up the practice to the maximum extent possible, irrespective of external circumstances, for the reasons noted above. Of course, it is only through practice towards the goal of having the mind rest on प्रणव (PraNava) or one's इष्ट देवता (Chosen Ideal) at the time of प्रयाण काल (the time of departure from the body) that the ultimate goal of सहज समाधि (sahaja samAdhi) resulting in जीवन्मुक्ति (jIvanmukti) is attained.
Should one save oneself or save the world?
Should one save oneself first or save the world?
This is a question that can plague many well-intentioned sAdhakas. The advice of jnAnis is always the same on this point.
First know your true nature and then if necessary (!) you can set about saving the world.
The humor is in the italicized words above, for those who know what is meant here will recognize that after one's true nature is known there will be nothing more left to do.
When Sri RAmakRShNa was asked a similar question by someone who wanted to build hospitals and engage in other philanthropic activities, he too replied in like fashion: First know who you are and then you can set about helping others.
Elsewhere it has also been noted that svadharma is the duty of every sentient being to know the Self. The other dharmas such as vaidika dharma (deriving from the Vedas) and laukIka dharma (corresponding to the empirical or phenomenal world where the norms change according to time and place) are secondary. They derive from svadharma, and if that is not established, they are likewise misinterpreted and followed incorrectly.
Once one knows one's true nature as the Self, then two seemingly paradoxical things happen:
1) The genuine help that one offers to others ends up being help for oneself (for, in truth there is no other!), an example being this blog itself, and
2) All things the jnAni appears to do for himself or herself ends up being for the benefit of others. Cf. BG sarva bhUta hite ratAh (ever engaged in the welfare of all beings).
Although I know very little of Buddhism, it seems from discussion with one of our local experts, that this difference in approach (save oneself or save the world) may distinguish HinAyana (the lesser vehicle) from mahAyana (the greater vehicle). In truth they lead to the same end, for saving oneself is nothing less than saving the world. The world is the mind and when the mind is purified the world vanishes like a mirage, or like pictures on a movie screen.
Therefore, although the effort to know one's true nature may seem very selfish at first, when this sincere effort comes to fruition, the aspirant seems to carry all others along with them to wisdom. How tangible these effects appear to others depends on the past karma of the aspirant, but the jnAna that the mind attains is uniformly the same. Some appear to become great spiritual leaders with large followings, some appear to be shopkeepers (such as Nisargadatta Maharaj), some like Janaka rule as kings, some like Raikva drive a cart, etc. From the perspective of the jnAni, everyone is nothing but the Self and so no such differences are perceived in Truth. But in the dual world when the mind declares its ignorance, help may be offered to the mind that is ripe and ready.
This is a question that can plague many well-intentioned sAdhakas. The advice of jnAnis is always the same on this point.
First know your true nature and then if necessary (!) you can set about saving the world.
The humor is in the italicized words above, for those who know what is meant here will recognize that after one's true nature is known there will be nothing more left to do.
When Sri RAmakRShNa was asked a similar question by someone who wanted to build hospitals and engage in other philanthropic activities, he too replied in like fashion: First know who you are and then you can set about helping others.
Elsewhere it has also been noted that svadharma is the duty of every sentient being to know the Self. The other dharmas such as vaidika dharma (deriving from the Vedas) and laukIka dharma (corresponding to the empirical or phenomenal world where the norms change according to time and place) are secondary. They derive from svadharma, and if that is not established, they are likewise misinterpreted and followed incorrectly.
Once one knows one's true nature as the Self, then two seemingly paradoxical things happen:
1) The genuine help that one offers to others ends up being help for oneself (for, in truth there is no other!), an example being this blog itself, and
2) All things the jnAni appears to do for himself or herself ends up being for the benefit of others. Cf. BG sarva bhUta hite ratAh (ever engaged in the welfare of all beings).
Although I know very little of Buddhism, it seems from discussion with one of our local experts, that this difference in approach (save oneself or save the world) may distinguish HinAyana (the lesser vehicle) from mahAyana (the greater vehicle). In truth they lead to the same end, for saving oneself is nothing less than saving the world. The world is the mind and when the mind is purified the world vanishes like a mirage, or like pictures on a movie screen.
Therefore, although the effort to know one's true nature may seem very selfish at first, when this sincere effort comes to fruition, the aspirant seems to carry all others along with them to wisdom. How tangible these effects appear to others depends on the past karma of the aspirant, but the jnAna that the mind attains is uniformly the same. Some appear to become great spiritual leaders with large followings, some appear to be shopkeepers (such as Nisargadatta Maharaj), some like Janaka rule as kings, some like Raikva drive a cart, etc. From the perspective of the jnAni, everyone is nothing but the Self and so no such differences are perceived in Truth. But in the dual world when the mind declares its ignorance, help may be offered to the mind that is ripe and ready.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
The potential to appear attractive or repulsive inheres in all objects perceived.
The potential to appear attractive or repulsive inheres in all objects perceived in all the seven lokas from bhUloka to satyaloka, but if the mind can be made to hold on to the realization that all these are nothing but the One Consciousness appearing as Many through Its Power Shakti, then the mind becomes indifferent to opposites and attains samyagdarshana [equality of vision]. Would that this mind rest forever in that Blessed State!
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