Saturday, February 5, 2011

Welcome to the 2011 Saraswati Puja issue of e-Sanai


by Sri Sandip Dasgupta

Welcome to the Saraswati Puja issue of e-Sanai. This is the same day on which our Master had decided to take on the form of Sri Sri Babathakur and bless us with His Realization and teachings. So intense was his Love for humanity, that he urged each and every one of us to take steps to attain the same goal of Self-Realization – and He had the following advice for the overseas bhaktas.

Back in 2008, Sri Sri Babathakur had met with a group of overseas bhaktas after the Guru Purnima function in Kolkata. He urged us to start chapters of the society in North America and begin spreading His words. He asked us to start discussion groups amongst ourselves and also to begin the publication of a hand written magazine through which we could all “express” ourselves and engage in spiritual discussions. We translated these discussions into the publication of a blog which would promote these objectives. We even showed him a few drafts of our first issue prior to publication and sought his guidance. As you can see, the whole venture was begun under his direct guidance.

It is now time for us all spiritually minded folks (whether you knew or met Sri Sri Babathakur or not) to step up and begin “expressing” yourself on spiritual topics. We shall all benefit by engaging in these regular virtual discussions. Perhaps some of us have the same questions that you personally may have at some point of time – and you can show us that light. After all Sri Sri Babathakur repeatedly reminded us “All Divine For All Time As It Is”. The Divine that is in you is the same Divine that is within my individual I-Reality. Hence, we should all be prepared to learn from each other’s experiences – because they are all experiences of that same Brahman/Atman/I-Reality.

So, please come forward and share your spiritual experiences with us. It can be as simple as “I read the following article or biography and I felt so and so” – just like we all discuss in detail about every movie we see or after every sports match that we witness. That is the least that we can do to show gratitude towards our Master who put in so much efforts towards showing us the Divine Path.

I would also like to make a couple of announcements:

The North American Chapters of Saccidananda Society will be conducting Satsangs on special days throughout the year. Each Satsang is about an hour long. Several revealed bhajans of Sri Sri Babathakur will be sung, followed by readings from His books. Attendees will use a telephone bridge line for the Satsangs. Anybody interested in attending the satsangs can contact
Mr. Partha Guha (Canada – 416-432-1194) or myself (USA – 408-390-5114) for further
details.

Saccidananda Society, Kolkata has just published their 2011 calendars. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact either Mr. Partha Guha (Canada – 416-432-1194) or myself (USA – 408-390-5114) as soon as possible.

Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur!

Thus Speaks Sri Sri Babathakur


by Sri R.N. Mohanty

Philosophy is essential for our understanding but that philosophy which is a product of our intellectual convictions is not original and hence not permanent. That which is not permanent is unreal. “Unreal” is subject to changes and modifications. What is permanent and real is eternal, spontaneous, and ever existing. “Unreal” is dependent. “Real” is independent. Unreal is mortal. Real is immortal. Unreal is non-self. Real is self. Unreal is undivine. Real is divine. Unreal is apparent, visible, enjoyable, and it is the source of pleasure and pain while real is From the stand-point of the Absolute, no division or no distinction has been admitted, nor are they possible. There is only Infinite one, the real existence. That is one real ‘I’, the absolute ‘I’, the Absolute Self. I am the essence of all. I am pervading all and illumining all, identifying all, embracing and accepting all as a “Whole I am,” as
a “Whole myself” and none else. ‘I-ness’ of the Absolute being part-less or second-less is the supreme reality, ultimate essence/truth.

• You need not engross yourself in the effects. Try to trace out the cause. Once you trace out the cause, try to get at the cause of the cause the causeless cause which is the supra-causal essence. Shift from gross to subtle, from subtle to causal and from causal to supra-causal, i.e. the self, and thou art that. You are verily the self. You will reach at your self who is already there, ever-shining, ever-luminous, and ever-free, who is beyond the idea of bondage and liberation.

• I know no death, no doubts, no caste, no differences, no father, no mother, no birth, no friend, no guru, no disciple. My true self is Sat-Chit-Anand. I am only the Lord of lords. I am self-consciousness. I am changeless, formless, second-less, ever-free, pure and all pervasive like

• Your mind has created all that you see and enjoy. Your mind gives you pleasure and pain. It is diverse. By spiritual practice, mind becomes single-pointed. thereafter ‘pointless.’ only a reflection of Prakriti. Prakriti is a reflection of Purusa, which is self-effulgent. It is the source. It is the Cause of cause. All else are super-impositions, unreal and non-self.

• The best way to self-realisation is to remain aware of one’s real existence which is beyond all energy functions. Realization is verily the spontaneous awareness of “Awareness” itself and nothing else. Realisation is not a condition, quality or limitation but the eternal sub-stratum which is ever-luminous and ever free from any mixture.

• Realisation is the knowledge which does never experience But that’s not enough. Mind is a reflection of the intellect. Intellect is It has to be the ‘Not-knowledge’. You are the divine-self which is the essence of realization; self-divinity is the uncompromising entity which is itself the
immortality and infinity.

• Oh the self-divine! You can reveal as you like but you cannot hide your existence.

• Divine self in His dream state appears as innumerable Jiva and Jagat but in reality He is eternally alone and second-less.

• The Divine Self in His sense plane is human, in His inner plane He is super-human; in His heart plane he is spiritual Divine and in His core of Heart He is Super divine. The Super divine is the only substratum which knows no
second, no condition, no limitation and no quality. He is One alone in Him, of Him, from Him, with Him, to Him, and beyond Him.

• For many-ness Prakriti is needed. For one-ness, Prakriti is to take complete rest. The same one divine self plays the double role

‘Becoming’,

‘Purusha’

and

‘Prakriti’,

‘Spirit’

and ‘Matter’, ‘Essence and expression’.

• You are the self-divine playing with your self-nature acting as innumerable individuals without having a little bit change of true nature of Oneness. The self-ness of the self illumines itself alone but its shadow appears as the mysterious phenomena of creation.

• Intellectual conviction is a comprehension of Reality but not a realisation. The more you will cultivate your intellect, the more it will spread out and unfold the excellence of energy’s demonstrations, completely concealing the background reality. Your energy is the veil to
your self but your self is the essence of all.

• Oh Dear self, I do never think that you are a bound soul, i.e. you are finite, conditioned limited qualified and non-self. All these are defects of intellect. All these are the superimpositions of ego/intellect

• Oh Dear Man! Forget not your divine nature. In fact there is no divine other than your own Being.
appearance only which is non-self, product of nature, hence unreal. A man is not only a man in appearance but also a man in depth perfectly divine self and none else.

• Oh my Dear man! Have you forgotten your true nature? Then, remember your real nature. How? As you have forgotten, so you remember that you have forgotten.

• Ah! The most interesting is that your true self does never and can never forget itself still your intellect acts like that. It is a figment. I is a dream of your ego. It is a false identity of the intellect with the real Nor, are you really a man in Your God is your being. You will never find Him anywhere and in any thing until and unless you are satisfied with yourself. When you are at rest, you are in peace. When you are restless you are peaceless. The difference between imperfection and perfection, non-realisation and realization, the contradiction and identity is the
problem of psychology while the reality of each of them is verily your

• Divine Self loves Self alone and not the non-self. Self is the only divinity which is the embodiment of Sat Chit Ananda and you are verily

• Never one should bother about the Self and the non-self, about the perfection and imperfection. To do so is an act going against one’s You being the Self alone cannot find another self for realization. It is like committing suicide when one considers oneself away from the Divine Self and seeks to be unified with the latter.

From Sri Sanai, , February 2006, No. 1 (Shreepanchami), pp. 77-78.

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.