ॐ
AUM
1.
meditation is the constant contemplation of that.
meditation is the constant contemplation of that.
2.
cessation of the cause of all actions is aawahanam -- the invocation.
cessation of the cause of all actions is aawahanam -- the invocation.
3.
non-wavering knowing is asana -- the posture
non-wavering knowing is asana -- the posture
4.
the upward flow of the mind is paddyam -- the water of divine worship.
the upward flow of the mind is paddyam -- the water of divine worship.
5.
mind constantly arrowed towards that is arghyam -- the offering.
mind constantly arrowed towards that is arghyam -- the offering.
6.
to be centered constantly in the inner illumination and in the infinite inner nectar
is the preparatory bath for the worship.
to be centered constantly in the inner illumination and in the infinite inner nectar
is the preparatory bath for the worship.
7.
the feeling of that everywhere is gandha
-- the only fragrance.
the feeling of that everywhere is gandha
-- the only fragrance.
8.
to be established in one's own witnessing nature is akshat
-- the unpolished and unbroken rice used for the worship.
to be established in one's own witnessing nature is akshat
-- the unpolished and unbroken rice used for the worship.
9.
what are the flowers for the worship? -- to be filled with consciousness.
what are the flowers for the worship? -- to be filled with consciousness.
10.
to create the fire of awareness in oneself is dhoop, the incense.
to create the fire of awareness in oneself is dhoop, the incense.
11.
to be established in the sun of awareness is the only lamp.
to be established in the sun of awareness is the only lamp.
12.
accumulation of the nectar of the inner full moon is naivedya, the food offering.
accumulation of the nectar of the inner full moon is naivedya, the food offering.
13.
stillness is pradakshina, the movement around that for worship.
stillness is pradakshina, the movement around that for worship.
14.
the feeling of i am that -- so-aham -- is the salutation.
the feeling of i am that -- so-aham -- is the salutation.
15.
silence is the prayer.
silence is the prayer.
16.
total contentment is visarjan, the dispersion of the worship ritual.
one who understands so is an enlightened one.
total contentment is visarjan, the dispersion of the worship ritual.
one who understands so is an enlightened one.
17.
i am that absolutely pure brahman: to realize this is the attainment of liberation.
i am that absolutely pure brahman: to realize this is the attainment of liberation.
ॐ
(Atma Pooja Upanishad)
ॐ
1.
aum, may my speech be rooted in my mind,
and my mind rooted in my speech.
o self-illumined brahman, be manifest unto me.
speech and mind form the basis of my knowledge,
so please do not undo my pursuit of knowledge.
day and night i spend in this pursuit.
i shall speak the law; i shall speak the truth.
may brahman protect me;
may he protect the speaker, protect the speaker.
aum, shanti, shanti, shanti.
and my mind rooted in my speech.
o self-illumined brahman, be manifest unto me.
speech and mind form the basis of my knowledge,
so please do not undo my pursuit of knowledge.
day and night i spend in this pursuit.
i shall speak the law; i shall speak the truth.
may brahman protect me;
may he protect the speaker, protect the speaker.
aum, shanti, shanti, shanti.
2.
the sage sankriti once visited adityalok,
the abode of the sun god,
and bowing to him he worshipped him
with what is known as chakshusmati vidya.
the abode of the sun god,
and bowing to him he worshipped him
with what is known as chakshusmati vidya.
aum, salutation to the sun god
who illumines the organ of vision!
salutation to the sun who is a great warrior!
salutation to the sun who represents the three conditionings:
tamas, rajas and sattva (dark, red and white)!
who illumines the organ of vision!
salutation to the sun who is a great warrior!
salutation to the sun who represents the three conditionings:
tamas, rajas and sattva (dark, red and white)!
o lord, from untruth lead me to truth,
from darkness lead me to light,
and from death lead me to the eternal.
salutation to the sun,
the son of aditi,
who is the light in our eyes.
from darkness lead me to light,
and from death lead me to the eternal.
salutation to the sun,
the son of aditi,
who is the light in our eyes.
and we dedicate all that we have
to the sun who rules the universe.
to the sun who rules the universe.
much pleased with being worshiped with chakshusmati vidya,
the sun god said:
a brahmin who recites this vidya -- knowledge -- every day
will not suffer from eye diseases,
nor will anyone in his family ever be struck blind.
the power of this vidya is obtained
if it is taught to eight brahmins,
and knowing it one achieves greatness.
the sun god said:
a brahmin who recites this vidya -- knowledge -- every day
will not suffer from eye diseases,
nor will anyone in his family ever be struck blind.
the power of this vidya is obtained
if it is taught to eight brahmins,
and knowing it one achieves greatness.
3.
the sage sankriti then said to the sun god:
o lord, please teach me the supreme knowledge.
o lord, please teach me the supreme knowledge.
the sun god said:
i shall now explain to you this most rare knowledge,
upon the attainment of which
you will become free
while yet dwelling in this body.
see in all beings the brahman,
who is one, unborn, still, imperishable,
infinite, immutable and conscious;
so seeing live in peace and bliss.
do not see anything except the self and the supreme.
this state is known as yoga.
i shall now explain to you this most rare knowledge,
upon the attainment of which
you will become free
while yet dwelling in this body.
see in all beings the brahman,
who is one, unborn, still, imperishable,
infinite, immutable and conscious;
so seeing live in peace and bliss.
do not see anything except the self and the supreme.
this state is known as yoga.
rooted thus in yoga, carry out your deeds.
the mind of one who is thus rooted in yoga
gradually withdraws from all desires,
and the seeker feels blissful
while engaging himself each day in meritorious acts.
he has no interest whatsoever
in the contrary efforts of the ignorant.
he never betrays the secrets of one to another,
and he occupies himself solely with lofty deeds.
he performs only such gentle acts as do not disturb others.
he fears sin and does not crave any self-indulgence.
he utters loving and affectionate words.
he lives in the company of saints and studies the scriptures.
with complete unity of mind, speech and action
he follows them.
seeking to cross the ocean that is the world,
he cultivates the above-mentioned ideas.
and he is called a beginner,
one performing his preliminaries.
this is called the first stage.
the mind of one who is thus rooted in yoga
gradually withdraws from all desires,
and the seeker feels blissful
while engaging himself each day in meritorious acts.
he has no interest whatsoever
in the contrary efforts of the ignorant.
he never betrays the secrets of one to another,
and he occupies himself solely with lofty deeds.
he performs only such gentle acts as do not disturb others.
he fears sin and does not crave any self-indulgence.
he utters loving and affectionate words.
he lives in the company of saints and studies the scriptures.
with complete unity of mind, speech and action
he follows them.
seeking to cross the ocean that is the world,
he cultivates the above-mentioned ideas.
and he is called a beginner,
one performing his preliminaries.
this is called the first stage.
the sage sankriti then said to the sun god:
o lord, please teach me the supreme knowledge.
o lord, please teach me the supreme knowledge.
4.
now follow the traits of seekers of the second stage,
called the stage of thought.
called the stage of thought.
he lives in the care of learned men who explain best
what listening, remembering, right conduct,
contemplation -- dharana -- and meditation are.
having acquired knowledge of such scriptures
as are worth listening to,
he efficiently discriminates between
what is duty and what is not,
and he knows well the division between
a word and the thing it symbolizes.
his mind does not suffer from
an excess of conceit, pride, greed and attachment,
although externally they are apparent to some extent.
he gives up his external impurities
as a snake casts off its slough.
such a seeker acquires the actual knowledge
of all these things
with the grace of the scriptures,
the guru, and the sages.
what listening, remembering, right conduct,
contemplation -- dharana -- and meditation are.
having acquired knowledge of such scriptures
as are worth listening to,
he efficiently discriminates between
what is duty and what is not,
and he knows well the division between
a word and the thing it symbolizes.
his mind does not suffer from
an excess of conceit, pride, greed and attachment,
although externally they are apparent to some extent.
he gives up his external impurities
as a snake casts off its slough.
such a seeker acquires the actual knowledge
of all these things
with the grace of the scriptures,
the guru, and the sages.
5.
after this the seeker enters the third stage of yoga
which is known as nonattachment.
which is known as nonattachment.
he fixes his mind unwaveringly
on the meaning of scriptural words. he lives in the monasteries, ashrams,
of saints well established in austerities.
he occupies himself with the discussion of the scriptures
and sleeps on a rocky bed.
thus it is that he lives his life.
because he has attained peace of mind,
the man of good conduct spends his time
in the enjoyment of pleasures that come naturally to him
from his excursions into the forest.
he remains detached however,
from the objects of desires.
through the ritual of meritorious deeds
and the cultivation of right scriptures,
he attains that clarity of vision which sees reality.
on the meaning of scriptural words. he lives in the monasteries, ashrams,
of saints well established in austerities.
he occupies himself with the discussion of the scriptures
and sleeps on a rocky bed.
thus it is that he lives his life.
because he has attained peace of mind,
the man of good conduct spends his time
in the enjoyment of pleasures that come naturally to him
from his excursions into the forest.
he remains detached however,
from the objects of desires.
through the ritual of meritorious deeds
and the cultivation of right scriptures,
he attains that clarity of vision which sees reality.
on completing this stage,
the seeker experiences a glimpse of enlightenment.
the seeker experiences a glimpse of enlightenment.
6.
there are two kinds of nonattachment:
the ordinary and the sublime.
that attitude of nonattachment to the objects of desire
in which the seeker knows
that he is neither the doer nor the enjoyer,
neither the restrained nor the restrainer,
is called ordinary nonattachment.
he knows that whatever faces him in this life
is the result of the deeds of his past life.
whether in pleasure or in pain, he can do nothing.
indulgence is but a disease and
affluence of all kinds a storehouse of adversity.
every union leads inevitably to separation.
the ignorant suffer the maladies of mental anxiety.
all material things are perishable,
because time is constantly devouring them.
through the understanding of scriptural precepts,
one's faith in material things is uprooted
and one's mind freed of them.
this is called ordinary nonattachment.
the ordinary and the sublime.
that attitude of nonattachment to the objects of desire
in which the seeker knows
that he is neither the doer nor the enjoyer,
neither the restrained nor the restrainer,
is called ordinary nonattachment.
he knows that whatever faces him in this life
is the result of the deeds of his past life.
whether in pleasure or in pain, he can do nothing.
indulgence is but a disease and
affluence of all kinds a storehouse of adversity.
every union leads inevitably to separation.
the ignorant suffer the maladies of mental anxiety.
all material things are perishable,
because time is constantly devouring them.
through the understanding of scriptural precepts,
one's faith in material things is uprooted
and one's mind freed of them.
this is called ordinary nonattachment.
when thoughts like:
"i am not the doer, my past deeds are the doers,
or god himself is the doer," cease to worry the seeker,
a state of silence, equilibrium and peace is attained.
this is called sublime nonattachment.
"i am not the doer, my past deeds are the doers,
or god himself is the doer," cease to worry the seeker,
a state of silence, equilibrium and peace is attained.
this is called sublime nonattachment.
7.
the first stage,
to which contentment and bliss impart sweetness,
springs from the innermost recesses of the seeker's heart,
as if nectar has issued forth from the heart of the earth.
at the inception of this stage the innermost recess
becomes a field for the coming of the other stages.
afterwards the seeker attains the second and third stages.
of the three, the third is the highest,
because on its attainment all the modifications of will come to an end.
one who practices the three stages finds his ignorance dead,
and on entering the fourth stage
he sees everything, everywhere, equally.
at that moment he is so strongly embedded in the experience of
nonduality -- advaita -- that the experience itself disappears.
to which contentment and bliss impart sweetness,
springs from the innermost recesses of the seeker's heart,
as if nectar has issued forth from the heart of the earth.
at the inception of this stage the innermost recess
becomes a field for the coming of the other stages.
afterwards the seeker attains the second and third stages.
of the three, the third is the highest,
because on its attainment all the modifications of will come to an end.
one who practices the three stages finds his ignorance dead,
and on entering the fourth stage
he sees everything, everywhere, equally.
at that moment he is so strongly embedded in the experience of
nonduality -- advaita -- that the experience itself disappears.
thus, on attaining the fourth stage
the seeker finds the world as illusory as a dream.
so while the first three stages are called waking ones,
the fourth is dreaming.
the seeker finds the world as illusory as a dream.
so while the first three stages are called waking ones,
the fourth is dreaming.
8.
on the attainment of the fifth state,
the mind of the seeker ceases,
like clouds in an autumn sky,
and only truth remains.
the mind of the seeker ceases,
like clouds in an autumn sky,
and only truth remains.
in this state, worldly desires do not arise at all.
during this state all thoughts of division in the seeker are stilled
and he remains rooted in nonduality.
on the disappearance of the feeling of division,
the fifth stage, known as the sushuptapad -- sleeping --
draws the enlightened seeker into its nature.
he is perpetually introverted and looks tired and sleepy,
even though externally he continues his everyday activities.
on the accomplishment of this stage,
the desire-free seeker enters the sixth one.
both truth and untruth,
both egoism and egolessness
and all sorts of mentation cease to exist in this state,
and rooted in pure nonduality,
the seeker is free from fear.
as the entanglements of his heart dissolve,
so all his doubts drop.
this is the moment when he is completely emptied of all thought.
without attaining nirvana,
he is in a nirvana-like state
and becomes free while yet dwelling in the body.
this state is like that of the motionless flame of a lamp.
and then comes the seventh stage.
during this state all thoughts of division in the seeker are stilled
and he remains rooted in nonduality.
on the disappearance of the feeling of division,
the fifth stage, known as the sushuptapad -- sleeping --
draws the enlightened seeker into its nature.
he is perpetually introverted and looks tired and sleepy,
even though externally he continues his everyday activities.
on the accomplishment of this stage,
the desire-free seeker enters the sixth one.
both truth and untruth,
both egoism and egolessness
and all sorts of mentation cease to exist in this state,
and rooted in pure nonduality,
the seeker is free from fear.
as the entanglements of his heart dissolve,
so all his doubts drop.
this is the moment when he is completely emptied of all thought.
without attaining nirvana,
he is in a nirvana-like state
and becomes free while yet dwelling in the body.
this state is like that of the motionless flame of a lamp.
and then comes the seventh stage.
9.
in this seventh stage, the state of videhamukti,
liberation while living in the body is achieved.
this stage is totally silent
and cannot be communicated in words.
it is the end of all stages,
where all the processes of yoga come to their conclusion.
in this stage,
all activities -- worldly, bodily and scriptural -- cease.
the whole universe in the form of
the world -- viswa, intelligence -- prajna, and radiance -- tejas, is just aum.
there is no division here between speech and the speaker.
if however any such division remains,
the state has not been attained.
liberation while living in the body is achieved.
this stage is totally silent
and cannot be communicated in words.
it is the end of all stages,
where all the processes of yoga come to their conclusion.
in this stage,
all activities -- worldly, bodily and scriptural -- cease.
the whole universe in the form of
the world -- viswa, intelligence -- prajna, and radiance -- tejas, is just aum.
there is no division here between speech and the speaker.
if however any such division remains,
the state has not been attained.
the first sound 'a' of aum, stands for the world,
the second 'u' for radiance
and the third 'm' for intelligence.
before entering samadhi,
the seeker should contemplate on aum most strenuously,
and subsequently he should surrender everything,
from gross to subtle to the conscious self.
taking the conscious self as his own self,
he should consolidate this feeling:
i am eternal, pure, enlightened, free, existential,
incomparable, the most blissful vasudeva and pranava himself.
since the whole visible world comprising
a beginning, a middle and an end, is sorrow-stricken,
he must renounce everything and merge into the supreme.
he should feel that he is blissful,
taintless, without ignorance, without appearance,
inexpressible in words,
and that he is brahman,
the essence of knowledge.
the second 'u' for radiance
and the third 'm' for intelligence.
before entering samadhi,
the seeker should contemplate on aum most strenuously,
and subsequently he should surrender everything,
from gross to subtle to the conscious self.
taking the conscious self as his own self,
he should consolidate this feeling:
i am eternal, pure, enlightened, free, existential,
incomparable, the most blissful vasudeva and pranava himself.
since the whole visible world comprising
a beginning, a middle and an end, is sorrow-stricken,
he must renounce everything and merge into the supreme.
he should feel that he is blissful,
taintless, without ignorance, without appearance,
inexpressible in words,
and that he is brahman,
the essence of knowledge.
this is the upanishadic mystery.
ॐ
(Vedanta, Seven Steps to Samadhi - Akshya Upanishad)
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