Wearing Out

by Sri Ramen Basu

The mortal life of this writer is wearing out. The memory of yester-years comes back when in pensive mood.

Sri Sri Babathakur advised a long time ago "Live in my words". Although it seems that it was just the other day that I heard those words, they aren't easy for me to follow. Incessant vigilance seems the only mean to reach at least some of the way towards Self-realization. But, how much vigilance can one exert when the mind more often than not is engaged in worldly affairs? One of the advices from Sri Bhagavad Gita that Sri Sri Babathakur would often refer to was to not lose heart and get bogged down by self pity. Instead one ought to attempt to recognize the impediments on the spiritual path, and then rectify them with conscious awareness. In order to actually apply this conscious awareness, one needs to know what impediments one must overcome. Here I take the help of the scriptural text named Panchadasi by Vidyaranya Muni, in which the following impediments are

mentioned:

- Attachment to the object of senses.

- Dullness of Intellect

- Indulgence in improper and illogical arguments

- Deep conviction that Self is an agent and enjoyer.

There may be many others obstacles on the way, but the above four advices are found to be suitable for me. Basically there are three main paths to Self-realization: The path of Knowledge, the path of meditation, and the path of devotion. Action as such, falls under the purview of the devotional Path. In the treatise ‘Vivek Siddhi’, Sri Sri Babathakur summarized with the following words... “one must rid oneself of these impediments through Self-enquiry (Vichara), discrimination(Viveka) and dispassion (Vairagya)”. However in order to get the proper result, one needs to practice all three aspects incessantly and with full awareness... and this is not an easy task.

Knowledge depends on what object/subject to know and the depth of to which one must know about these. Meditation depends on the will and power of concentration of a person, and devotional love is the capacity to see the Self in all and all in the Self. One in One is the acme of all that i.e. identified with the Self. The enquiry needed to realize the Self leads to the question 'What is Self' and how to overcome the impediments mentioned above to enable one to identify with the Self. Again the scriptures outline general methods such as mind control, satsang, listening to Sadguru as intensely and carefully as one possibly can, and finally to reflect on the Indivisible One Brahman... and then be immersed in that. But, one has to start with Self enquiry. Without even being consciously aware of the Self, one has an inborn and indirect knowledge of the Self/Brahman. If one reflects consciously, without break, a habit is formed. One needs to become steady with this habit consciously. One Akhanda-Kara Vritti (thought of indivisible Brahman) will lead to Direct Knowledge through deep meditation and subsequent Samadhi (Total absorption) where the body and mind dissolve. When Self-realization dawns, our problems created through worldly living change from perceived miseries to challenges

needed to be overcome. Meditating on One in One is a formless meditation, a return to the formless from the form, from guna to Nirguna. As one becomes more and more aware of the Self through the previous steps, perfection is attainable.

Devotional love needs an object of love. But non-dual love is one where the love experienced for

others is essentially for the sake of and through the Self. Thus - all in all, all in one, one in all and one in one becomes a Reality. All these steps however can happen simultaneously, making the process an Indivisible Whole... Hari Om Tat Sat.