Transforming Conciousness-Indian scriptures views-Adi Shankaras’ strategies

By Dr Hemant Anant Sant MS, Vadodara.

August 2008

Many modern books reveal to us great new strategies to change our attitudes ,to achieve what we want to and cannot...all of the 'old ' ideas of past geniuses cannot be all that ''wrong""??

please read on ...

Any sort of ‘PAIN’, real or perceived from an external source or from ‘within’ makes ONE realize a need to transform our consciousness to reach a painless blissful state. PAIN can be a actual bodily harm, fear of a harm or debility- disease or the commonest, of the, Death. Pain can be of a dissatisfaction of ones present physical or spiritual state, guilt, fruits of an action or inaction, inability to over come a situation, helplessness against a unassailable situation due to external or a cause within. Whatever may be the apparent cause of the pain perceived, one tries to modify its effect on us by trying to fight the external situation or modify ones own perception of the same WITHIN.

Most of times ones own or others’ six ‘enemies’ identified by most of the theologies ,paths- Egotism , Greed, Desire-lust, Anger, Jealousy and Hate were found to be at the fountain head of all the pain caused by others to us or by ones own making. We could fight this Externally by a timely or sustained ,thoughtful, guided ACTION or change the perception and adapt to some of the torrents of these sources of pain, by arousing our ‘MIND’ =consciousness as we know, to take control over itself and our actions .

Ancient scriptures and geniuses of the world especially Indians had gauged very early that Man is managed by his own mind .External worldly Changes and adaptation WITHIN requires a similar TRANSFORMATION of the mind and its attitudes too to survive, achieve the desired goals and live well. Every few generations or a millennium had a genius or an avatar guiding them as well as the society as they went through major upheavals and changes. These wise men tried to give to the masses an manifested external action approach to face these challenges and also reaching still Ahead, to the fountainhead of our ‘mis-actions’, advised the transformation WITHIN by learning adaptation techniques for the MIND. They gave them suitable instruments, scriptures or a methodology to make such changes in the consciousness to survive adapt and then live with bliss.

One such upheaval produced the emergence of Adi Shankara in 682 AD .His method was a method drawn from wisdom already present from Vedas, Upanishads and Brahma sutras .His approach was 15 fold YOGA –APAROKSHA ANUBHUTI- joining of our true inner selves with the divine force that CAN recharge, TRANSFORM us from withinThe force to change is latent but Omni present in all living beings and can modify their thoughts and subsequent actions. All the external threats and challenges were to be faced by projecting them outside ones selves.

‘JOYFUL detachment’ and the reward and punishment attitudes natural to animal instincts were to be conquered by instruments he listed. He added seven more aspects to be taken care of to the sankhya’s, Patanjalis’ YOGA SUTRA known to all then.-

Adi Shankaras’ SEVEN unique additions are ..

a.Tyag=give up our exclusiveness, we are all inclusive, ONE with the divine FORCE

b.Maun=total silence of words spoken and within. Without the end of self created turbulence how can you see through these waters?

c.Desh= state or place where one is physically and spiritually, helps or defeats us of our purpose.

d.Kaal=Kaalna=life is made up of splits seconds of TIME as we close and open our eyelids-nimisha- use it well ,perpetual alert climb to the top of the states of mind.

(. Aasan=difference here is HE recommends sahaj asan NOT a particular discomforting posture-padmasan etc.SIT in bliss easy only then can you relax .Why impose external painful discomfort unneeded for HIGHER gain?)

e.Samata-samatwam-equipoise,balance un shaken by external or internal events sthitpragna.NO unneeded anguish creation by unneeded Rules and regulations which can distract us and make us follow them in circles at a lower plane rather than rise above such mundane tenets.Use all mana and body Indriyas instruments are ‘ aligned straight’ in unison towards HIM for purpose of self understanding and transformation for better.

f.Dristhi sthirta=eyes external and inner has to be focused without distraction cultivate that ability to be focused at the instant of the need and then perpetually..

g.Muul bandh=When one is revealed that Brahma HIM is the fountainhead source of all that exists and the mind gets fixed with the notion that concentrates all of your energies like a lens focuses light of sun to alight a FIRE .Also revealed is the muul-the source of ignorance and ‘mis directions’- nescience, which has been binding our mind and its well directed climb to the top of all its own ‘states’.

@ Yam ,Niyam,Asan,Pranayaam,Pratyahaar,Dharnaa,Dhyaan,and Samadhi =*8 fold Patanjalis’ yoga is known to all. Togather with the seven above , is the instrument to mind transformation -15 fold “Aparoksh anubhuti” of the ADI SHANKARA.

WHY NEED FOR A TRANSFORMATION?

1.WHY? You are lucky to be born human ,so honor that commitment to use the body, mind for the good of self and society by timely thoughtful action and ‘inaction’ in some events.

2.Find true self by dissolving the worldly self by practice of mental exercises and thought projections made easy by a catalyst –DEVOTION .This is must ,can be acquired by VARIOUS MEANS according to ones attitudes and sanskaras-a total make up including local ways of life and thoughts. This gives you Anta karan shuddhi-purity of soul heart-doubtless blissful state where a focused, directed, timely action by self is possible now. Next thing that devotion gifts you is NISCHALTA.. a steadfastness ,determination to travel the path now illumined by the GURU or self. Devotion is a sea of passage only, one should not to be drowned in it or go in circles around the worship. Devotion has only this limited role to take self to the next step.

3.Thoughtful ,timely, guided action KARMA with so much focus on just doing it that one should not be thinking of results while you are at it, or you would fail. JOYFUL detachment with value to the TIME and self attribute management .How to acquire qualities=GUNAS which one would need ,and would not possess and to give up behaviors that had given punishment to the self by inner transformations.15 FOLD ACTION PLAN HELPS ONE ACHIEVE THE KARMAS ALIGNED WITH HIGHER GOAL.-WISDOM AND BLISS IT GIVES ..

4.’Smart’ Karma then Leads you to ‘Jnana’- true wisdom of the lives, that this world and our existence is ‘false’ a maya –not permanent so one should not grieve what one misses and loses nor ones self be bloated by what one possesses and acquires .These defense mechanisms were needed to be ingrained in the minds to over come an upheaval or a change , diseases, or a death. This trains one to be able to in state of ‘Madhurya’inner blissful peaceful state –stressed in Atharva veda, any time whatever the events happen externally. This training of the

minds allowed one to strive hard for perfection and actions needed for living well but prepared them too for a sudden mishaps and failures.

5.HOW?-A manual according to each need is then prescribed by ADI Shankara for this ultimate aim, for each of the three steps-devotion, action and wisdom- leading to fully ‘’trained’’ mind ready to face the ups and owns of the ever changing ‘external world’ , transforming itself from within according to the challenges faced .One must be ‘qualified’ for such training by showing ones’ intense desire and abilities to grasp and follow doubtlessly what a learned man shows us.

6.The sadhaan’s the fourfold states gained -by various instruments of the training are described as VIVEK-ability to discern –acquired by sat sang-continuous efforts to learn from the wiser sources and improve self ; Vairagya-ability to have joyful detachment; Six Properties-sham, dam,Uparati,titiksha, shraddhha,and samadhan; and finally MUMUKKSHuta-self discovery by being unbound by wisdom from the ‘PROJECTED SUPER IMPOSED restrictions LIKE EGO, HATE,BIASES,JEALOUSY,EMOTIONS ’ that ACTUALLY binds us down in pain .

7.3rd state to be gained by instruments =THE ‘’SIX ‘’PROPERTIES-in detail-

A..SHAM=UNDISTRACTED FOCUSED CONCENTRATED EFFORTS

B.DAM=GATHERING OUR MIND-SENSE AND MOTOR ORGANS STEADYING THEM.

C.UPARATI= NOT LETTING OUR MIND LED AWAY FROM DISTRACTIONS

D.TITIKSHA=TO TOLERATE PAIN AND WORRIES OF EXISTENCE WITHOUT RESISTANCE.ABILITY TO PERCIEVE THEM AS DIFFERENT FROM BLISSFUL STATE WITH WHICH WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE-A PROJECTION TECHNIQUE.

E.SHARADDHA=DEVOTION,DOUBTLESS NON VACCILITATING FOLLOWING OF THE TRAINING MANNUAL-THE SCRIPTURES OR INSTRUCTIONS OF A SAD GURU!

F.SAMADHAAN= NOT A SATISFYING OF SOME DESIRES BUT MAKING SUSTAINED EFFORTS TO STEADY OUR MIND INTELLECT ON THE TRUE BLISS FUL STATE ONE HAS ONCE REACHEDBY CONTINOUS PRACTICE KEEPING ALL OF THE ABOVE IN MIND.

SO A ‘SAD’GURU IS NEEDED TO KEEP A TAB ON US WHEN WE TRAVEL UP THIS PATH

How to find a real teacher…?

HOW TO IDENTIFY FIND A SAD GURU A REAL TEACHER?

(read SAMARTH RAMADAS’ DASBODH for all such questions.. (dashak 1.S-4))

1.The one who ''unites this JEEVA with SHIVA''-meaning the one who makes YOU realise your FULL potential and makes YOU feel as if you too are a part of the great Universal creative Force energy.How can You be different from what you are really made of??

2.On mundane front HE SHE shelters you or strengthens you to face the troubles which the life throws at YOU daily from all sides..

3.The ocean of wants and desires which we all have to live with as we live can drown YOU.The GURU prevents you from sinking in your own weight of wants-desires unfulfilled..or not.YOu will be able to enjoy the most without falling victim to them If you have sadd guru to guide you.YOU will float and swim with ease with him.-his teachings which you perpetually keep focus on.

4.Reveals the true simple meanings of the complicated weave by the heaps of wisdom and books around YOU. All the analogies eulogies and poetry which has shrouded the real plain truth needed to keep us all ahead as civilized ones ,are cleared by the sadd GURU with one bold swipe. The curtains and shrouds fall off and true wisdom to lead life and make decisions are clear to the devoted shishya.Light dawns on him /her.

5.Opens your eyes and all senses to SEE and absorb -grasp TRUTHs and facts from heaps of information and ''wisdom'' flung at you by half baked ''revealed ones'' who read out from texts or who have no shame in getting ones' own self venerated rather than the PATH he follows.

Perpetual BLISS = '' madhurya'' -of Atharva veda- then resides in you and YOU are never bitter..that is the ultimate aim or pinnacle of your existance..non bitterness and bliss after climbing the mountain of life reaching somewhere where YOU feel YOU are on the top ..

As the path above seems INTANGIBLE and difficult for the masses to ‘some’ of the enlightened ones, another path for transformation external and internal-supposedly espoused by Shankara was popularized - the yantras tantras and mantras!!

Here the focus of the worship is to an idol seen in its full superhuman glory,motherly figure eager to teach guide and coax one on the path of ‘devotion’ The seen and tangible forms of her super human abilities to change things are projected onto the media of the yantras tantras and mantras .The follower is ‘guaranteed’ fruits of the efforts which are needed to lead a normal stress free prosperous life. Many used this to stoke the fire of the six enemies that were supposed to be contained by the efforts! So most never reached the goals espoused by these paths and are still caught its vortex never able to extricate themselves .These are those who attract others who are still free to slip into this never ending circle-a slippery whirl pool of desires and wants seemingly fulfilled by some super human deity and tangible efforts to please HER..They call it an easier path to the divine but masses cannot get themselves to be disentangled like experts can with help of an awakened guide.

So later on GURUS of most OF THE paths espoused NAAM JAAPA – compulsory CONTEMPLATION on a name of the deity one loves by counting on a ROSARY or else a SATSANGA= Bhajan -KIRTANS TO MAKE ONE BE WITH EASE PHYSICALLY WITH THOSE WHO ARE TRAVELLING THE SAME PATH A GROUP THERAPY.

* Devotion-Mantra shashtra-Saundarya Lahari –a external form of worship, one of the many paths/ ways of devotion for the worldly gains .It was created just for NOT allowing a down ward unregulated dehumanizing slides, in these kinds of ‘’seeking worship for gains’’ followed by the masses then and today.. The stress was always on ,at each levels that after or as you train by these methods for a GAIN never ever forget the impermanence of the gains and what are HIGHER gains one should seek. Many seekers realized THAT as they travelled on this path of tantra ,yantra and mantra and then realized self and true wisdom while most were drowned in its viscious circles as a realized sad guru was absent and true sat sanga was not searched for eagerly by them. That is separate topic path for our exploration .Whether the original mantra and tantra filled ‘Saundarya Lahari’ with its glorification of feminine divine body parts and tantra plates worship was propagated by ADI Shankara is doubtful for many experts who have studied his works of vishisth ADVAIT well.