'mantra'

 There are a number of Upanishads devoted to mantra. These mantras are our guides to sane and sensible living. Proper rendering of mantra is enough to sustain life and evolve into higher forms- with or without an elemental body covering the Atman. Some yogins have realized this truth and possess enormous powers. Some people devote themselves to mantra yoga (as yogopanishad), and some to pranayama, Hathayoga and kundalini yoga. There are beautiful standard texts such as the 'yoga deepika', agama samhitas, etc. for emancipation, mukti, moksha, or emancipation, that is liberation of the embodied soul.

Almost 180 Upanishads are enumerated in the muktikopanishad where Shree Ramachandra is giving instructions to His ardent devotee Anjaneya. Anjani putra Anjaneya asks his master Ramachandra as to the path of salvation. Sri Rama advises him to read the ‘Ishavasya upanishad’ and that would bring emancipation. He read and did not understand a single word in it. When this failed, Anjaneya goes back to Sri Ram, who in turn advises him to read the selected ten Upanishads- the Ishavasya, katha, kena, mundaka, maandukya, brihadaranyaka, chhandogya, shvetashvatra, taittiriya and the aitareiya. Even after going through these, Anjaneya was not happy and satisfied, and again went back to Sri Ram. This time Sri Rama advised him to read all the 108 Upanishads and he would be liberated whether he understood the meaning of these Upanishads or not. Thus, mukti or Moksha (liberation, emancipation) of the embodied soul is guaranteed from the mere reading of the Upanishads, if one is to believe Sri Ram, the Redeemer. But one must have faith. By reading all these Upanishads, it is no wonder that one will automatically get merged in the higher knowledge, knowledge concerning Atman, the brahmn.

     The philosophers- either the modern or the ancient, have so far not been successful in conveying all that is profound in these Upanishads. Almost all of these great thinkers have failed to bring out the essence of the sacred words, the esoteric meaning of the verses that are deeply symbolic, full of imageries like the two falcons of golden feathers- ‘dva suparna’. Most of them have not realized the importance of the prelims of the ashtanga yoga sutra, such as yama, niyama, pratyahara of yoga sutras in understanding these ancient Texts. There are also stalwarts who profess profound knowledge and say, ‘aham brahmasmi’ or simply, ‘i am’ (so'ham) in this un-tread path of mukti, moksha or Salvation.

 Some learned ones advocate a holistic approach to all these. The seeker has to travel the path and realize by his self-effort through introspection, atma avalokana, a ‘search within’, and get an insight into all these complicated issues! No other person- a guru or teacher, a priest, or pundit, will be able to impart anything in this regard. It is simply not something to be imparted by a teacher or learnt by a student. Svadhyaya  (study of scriptures), satsang (company of learned), nidhidhyasana (focused attention), dhyana (meditation) are advised in this regard and the rest is in the hands of divine grace (daiva anugraha). Nobody can give any assurance in this regard. So, one is left to go on his own without any support and mend his self.  

'aum'

Sound, the Energy of Creation

For centuries, mystics* have been telling us that sound (shabdha) energy (shakti) actually creates matter (dravya). The Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish mystics believe that the Word (akshara brahman) creates and pervades everything that exists.But, the sound by which all things are created isn’t just any ordinary sound. It’s the ‘Word of God’.In the Bible John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Interestingly, in the ancient Hindu scripture, the Veda, we read, “In the beginning was brahmn with whom was the Word, and the ‘Word is brahmn’.”

Mystics believe the world is a reflection of infinite combinations of sound patterns. They say that all things, from the biggest star to the smallest flower, everything is just coagulations of sound waves. On a cosmic scale, there may be evidence that sound has left its imprint on the galaxies. Some scientists argue that the galaxies are not arranged at random but in a regular pattern of clusters Now researchers are suggesting that it was primordial sound God (shabdha brahman), waves of sacred words like the ‘Om’ that helped create this pattern of clusters.¹

In the field of cymatics, Prof. Hans Jenny, a Swiss scientist, found that sound waves passed through various kinds of malleable matter, such as paste and sand, caused the formation of geometric patterns. Following Jenny’s lead, photographer Alexander Lauterwasser photographed the patterns on the surface of water set into motion by the sound of pure sine waves, vocal music and music by Beethoven.

 Looking at these patterns, we can begin to imagine how creation by sound might occur.The more one studies these things, the more one realizes that sound is the creative principle. It must be regarded as primordial. No single phenomenal category can be claimed as the aboriginal principle. We cannot say, in the beginning was number, or in the beginning was symmetry, etc. These are categorical properties which are implicit in what brings forth and what is

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* A mystic is someone who seeks direct contact or union with higher power.

brought forth. By using them in description we approach the heart of the matter. They are not themselves the creative power. This power is inherent in tone, in sound (Hans Jenny).

We can harness that sound force for positive change. Themystics of East and West have connected with the power of creation by repeating spoken mantras and the names of God.Many people are discovering that if they use the energy of sound properly, they can create positive change in every area of life.By ultimate knowledge of sound, man can not only create, but he can also destroy. This is why the masters and gurus of the East require long periods of testing and proving of the chelas before each level of greater power can be bestowed by the giving of the inner secrets of the Word.Nevertheless, the use of sound is available unto anyone who makes the effort—and upon the magnitude of effort rests the degree of control, power and spiritual attunement that comes into our lives. (Elizabeth Clare Prophet). The mystics as well as the scientists agree on the benefits of repeating prayers (purashcharana) and feel that prayer uttering loud is beneficial than silent prayer. The sound of loud prayer is effective on the mind, feeling, emotions and devotion of the people around, whereas, the silent prayer is meant for one’s own benefit.

With Aum we start with a big bang and with Om we go to the end, the silence of Brahmn. The end is immortality, union and peace. Even as a spider reaches the liberty of space by means of its own thread, the man of contemplation by means of Aum reaches freedom. The sound of Brahmn is 'Aum'. At the end of 'Aum' is silence. It is a silence of joy. It is the end of the journey, where fear and sorrow are no more: steady, motionless, never-falling, everlasting, and immortal. It is called the omnipresent Vishnu. In order to reach the Highest, consider, in adoration, the sound and the ‘Silence of Brahmn’. For it has been said: “God is sound and silence. He is nada brahm-Aum.

  "Attain, therefore, contemplation, contemplation in silence on Him." [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 6.22-23. upm, 102].   “Than whom there is naught else higher, than whom there is naught smaller, naught greater, the One, ‘that’(tyat) which stands like a tree established in heaven.”“By Him the Purusha, is this whole universe filled.”. [Krishna Yajurveda, Svet. Upanishad 3. 9. upr, 727].

  The sacred sound OM pervades the universe and is reverberating at all the three levels- the brahmanda (universe), the pindanda (body) and the andanda (body cells).  While the brahmanda consists of galaxies and stars, the pindanda are the replica of the same in elemental body. The andanda (cell) level consisting of the subtle energy particle is capable of multiplying, reproducing, and re-energizing due to this omniscient and -omnipotent nature. The brahmanda consist of the galaxies and multitude of stars are atomic reactors capable of creating anything! The Sun is an example. All the planets including the earth and its satellite, the moon, have immense power (called bhu, shree, Saraswati, Sharada, eulogized in the Rk Veda sukta). Hence, there is no wonder how the multitude of living beings (jiva rashi) are created by the sound (shabda).The sound created by the air, the air we breathe in, the air that circulates within the human body and the air that turn the wheels or chakra in the sushumna nadi are capable of creating the animals, birds, humans and the insects. The structure and function of the jiva (prani) is designed by the sound from the air we breathe! The same creative power is running the jiva from birth to death as an entity of vibrating energy particle embedded in an elemental body. Thus, we can easily explain how the anatomical and morphological features are all created on the earth. The distance of the earth from the sun is the crucial factor in creation of life on earth. A little more of heat or less of it will destroy the life on earth. May be there are several planets like the earth elsewhere in the different parts of our galaxy hosting different forms of life. The sound is the key to creation.

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1. See Sound Waves May Drive Cosmic Structure, Science News 151, 11 January 1997.

Alchemist

    There is a beautiful story of a shepherd who goes in search of gold in a pyramid in the short novel- “Alchemist”, by Paul Coelho reveals the secret to some extent. However, it may fairly be said that,” The Jiva, once it arrived on this earth, goes on its journey (nara yana), runs its life by the engine of ‘desire’ with ‘self-effort’ carrying its luggage of ‘karma’ on the skeletal body, a carriage. The four wheels of the carriage are the dreams and aspirations, hope and faith. The path is full of twists and turns- such as luck, fortune, destiny, mentors, soothsayers, etc. The goal of life, however, when reached will be a big surprise! Thus, this adventure of the soul during its long journey on the earth is full of mystery.

  As a prelude to our brief introduction to this small book-“Advent of the Soul”, that runs almost like an Autobiography of an Embodied Soul”, rather, a “Journey of the Soul” on this planet, we present some passages, verses from the ancient scriptures in the following and then proceed further to introduce ‘the Atman’ as ‘the Self’ of all’ and the Brahmn who is at the cause of all. This ‘Self’ is all, and, is in all, and, as such, this monologue is of every soul that has taken a form, a shape, a name, and an avocation. Hence, there is only one- ‘the Self’, and there is ‘no other’. The term ‘I’ that everybody uses in everyday transaction is nothing else but the ‘Self’. It does not refer to the physical body. However, everybody uses it with reference to the body and makes gestures and signs putting the hand on the chest and makes gesture to that effect. If one realizes this truth it becomes a capital font ‘I’, or it will be a small font ‘i’- the individual’s ego. Ego is a spark of the soul.

   A word of caution is necessary here. The English version of the Samskruta shlokas (aphorisms/verses) and transliteration of Samskrutam into English is not perfect as it gives rise to confusion since there is no capital letter in English. Moreover, the English alphabets are only 26 when compared to the vowels (16) and consonants (35) in Samskrutam. There are only five vowels in English (a, e, i, o, and u) and these in samskrutam (svara) are sixteen; and, the consonants (21 in Eng.) or vyanjana are 35 and the potency of these samskruta syllables is such that each and every one of these is a potent mantra capable of creating the universe! This aspect is missing in any other language in the world. Rather, the world has come out of the word and, “The word was with the God and the word is the God”, as the Bible puts it.

  One has to be very careful while reading the transliterations. A small mistake in pronunciation of a word in samskruta bhasha will give altogether a different meaning like- the ‘eternal’ becomes ‘dead’ (‘amruta’ and ‘mruta’), ‘existent’ becomes ‘non-existent’ (‘bhaava’ and ‘abhaava’) or for that matter, word (pada) and feet (pAda), and so on. It is absurd and dangerous to use the capital letters in English while writing the Samskruta pada (words). Many words in samskrutam have different meaning and connotations and should be used very carefully. Unless a person has knowledge of deeper esoteric meaning of samskrutam, the philology, the symbolism and metaphors it is very difficult to convey anything of that in English.

Jiva on its Errands?

Salvation is not a wishful thinking. It needs a practical approach through yoga. The only way to get rid of the whimsical nature of the mind is to tame it and use it for the purpose of liberation of the soul from eternal bondage. Some people say, the soul is always free and it is the ignorance that makes it feel. It is exactly, this ignorance that one has to remove with the help of divine knowledge (divya-jnyana) that is within the embodied soul that the seeker should find out. Salvation lies in transcending all the barriers of time, space, causality, influences of mind, buddhi, and ahankara, establish oneself in his true self, the atman. One who is established in his Self has attained his Self.

  Nobody knows, for certain, what is the ultimate truth. There is no well laid path to salvation, or for that matter, is there anything such as salvation, at all? Salvation for whom, some people ask?  Let’s make these points very clear from the sacred text of Bhagavad-Gita. This world is compared to an inverted Banyan, fig tree (urdhvamula ashvathha vruksha). All jivas, including the devi devata (Gods and Goddesses), tapo-janah inhabit this tree above and the insects and germs occupy below. By their good deeds, a man may go up the ladder to reach the realms of manes, devas, and Rishis and brahm, or go down the ladder to animal, insects and germs to be crushed any moment. The human being is stated to be a ‘blessed-one’ that reached this level by right thoughts and good deeds. However, nothing precludes the lower jiva from reaching higher and higher levels of consciousness and thereby attain to godliness. Even plants and animals, birds and things, such as, stones and metals attain to these divine levels and get worshiped!  For example, a mall plant like tulsi, bilva, or a tree like the fig tree (Oudumbra), the banyan (Peepul) are considered sacred and worshiped; so also, the birds and animals like cow and bull, rat, peacock, crow, lion, or tiger and even horses, pigs and dogs are divine creatures. There are the sandalwood carvings, stone sculptures in marble, Shalagrama or Basalt, copper, brass or alloy-metal (panchaloha) engravings of idols worshiped. These come under archavatara of Gods (Pancharatra). There are many animal-faced Gods/ devi devata like Narasimha, Varahi, Ganapati, and Hayavadana.

  Thus, nothing precludes living beings in this world from attaining to divine status. Divinity is inherent in all moving and non-moving beings. The purpose of creation of jiva is thus believed to be to bring out the divinity inherent in it and make it realize its true nature. However, there is yet another level of understanding here; it is either that of scepticism- what if, or ‘nothing counts’! This is ignorance. Ego rules the roost and diversities and dualities do not end. Hence the jiva should drop all its idiosyncrasies. There is nothing like good or bad here. Whether one does good or bad deeds, anyway, the jiva has to come back here to experience the fruits of its action. But, if the account is closed once and for ever, there is no need to visit this mortal realm. The Atman is free to roam about as a micron, an ionic energy particle, or a photon forever. Till the embodied jiva attains to this pristine state of purity it has to struggle on this earth. Hence, all the Jnyanis try to cleanse of their karma kleshas, remove the vasanas, samskaras, and memories and become pure like a crystal that can refract whatever light that falls on it and prove nothing as its own!

   The perturbed jiva now can look into its past with the help of this narration- journey of the soul, an autobiography, and try to get released from all bondage. All the Upanishad statements quoted here are intuitional knowledge of great sages derived in a transcendental state, samprajnya Samadhi. These are as good as one’s soul’s reverberations, antaratma dhvani. One has to remember the fact that as long as we possess a bank account we have to run to bank whether to pay back the loans with interest, or collect the FD/CD interest. So also, the jiva has to repeatedly take to birth again and again until all its karma kleshas are cleansed by yoga, dhyana, meditation and, even the good deeds here will only bring attachment and bondage. This is the reason why some saints and sages have given up worldly activities and take to solitary living. There is no gainsaying the fact that good deed and service will help liberation, mukti or moksha. Here lies the difference. Even the so called ‘self-lessness’ is inwardly strengthening ego that thwarts liberation. Nothing but the total abnegation of the self will help here. The blemished soul, smeared with karma kleshas, moha, lobha and antahkarana should revert to its pristine purity cleansing off all its stains.

     The soul is bound to acquire pollutants such as gunas-tamas, rajas and sattva, attachment, desire, anger, selfishness, greed, avarice, ego, etc. as long as it is attached to earth- depending on food, water and air. This has prompted many a yogins to stop taking food and water and controlling breath. This is the secret of advanced yoga. One cannot be here as well there; it is like riding the two horses- suti and the asuti, worldly and the other-worldly, aihika and the paramarthika or ‘Self’ and ‘the other’- one of total liberation, and the other an eternal bondage.

  In fact, when i set out on journey to earth, as a speck of stellar dust, many Great Sages who were shining Stars of different magnitude warned me to be careful as to where I am going. They too had visited this Mrutyu lok once. They got rid of this shackle with great difficulty. Dhruva is one such great who chanted the name of Narayana all the way to the heavenly abode. All others hold him as a model and follow him.

    In the following paragraphs the jiva reminiscences how it met the learned sages on its way, who advised him/it to be careful while visiting the earth. It says, “I met the three sages, Kapila, Jaimini, and Charavak, and, the first one Sage Kapila is said to be the most learned. Sri Krishna says, “I am Kapila” in Vibhutiyoga. Sage Kapila advised me thus,

   “My child, you are embarking on a dangerous journey, a journey of no return. Anyway, be careful. The world you visit is full of attractions and there are some such things that your eyes are riveted and cannot take out. There is plenty of food, drink, and opportunities to dine and dance. they enslaved you and make you an addict and a wreck. It is almost a glassware shop with variety of delicate things of dazzling colours, shapes and sizes. You touch you pay. Do not touch any of them. Just see, be happy, and come back at the earliest. Take to virtuous life, respect elders. Tread a moral path and take to yoga. Think you are visiting a zoo and come back.”

   “Then i met sage Jaimini who advised me likewise, but with a slightly different warning. He did not forbid me from enjoying, eating the forbidden apples. He only said, “My child, you are intelligent. You can think what is good for you. Use your discretion. Just taste a little bit and be happy. There is so much to see and experience that you cannot enjoy everything. Also, there is no end to this wandering spree and lust. Be aware! The earth is a land of hunger, thirst, misery, ageing, diseases and death. Don’t you ever indulge in sensuous life and be spoiled. The temptations are such that you will lose sense of discretion. You will be in eternal bondage and it will be difficult to escape the power of the invisible forces like attachment (moha), desires, miserliness, selfishness, egotism, jealousy, avarice, greed, etc. The knowledgeable ones try to take recourse to yoga, and return to their ‘Father in Heavens’ at the earliest”, whereas others forget Him.    

     The soul soon forgot all the advice given by higher Knowledge on its way down to earth. It reminiscences, “When i was just thinking about Kapila and Jaimini, i met Charavak. He is a very interesting person, albeit, a little different from the other two. He talks so sweet; you will be mesmerized. You are carried away by his philosophy and outlook towards life.” Further, he said, “My friend, you are so lucky! You are entering a heavenly abode where everything is available to spend a life-time in the company of your beloveds, friends and relatives. It is virtually a storehouse of food, drink and, there is no dearth for things for entertainment, including pets, servants, and sports. Enjoy as you like. Do not regret later.”

    Charavak went on to advise, “Dear, the inhabitants of the earth are all fools. It is a fools’ paradise. These stupid people do not know what is right and wrong. They believe in rebirth, karma, and worship the dead and idols. There is nothing like these karma or rebirth. Just enjoy whatever comes your way. There is no fear for the daring, go ahead!”

  The soliloquy of the soul continued: Which advice is the best? What should i do?

    “Finally, this last advice was so appealing that i fell for it and now i am in a state of extreme misery. I am paying for my indulgences in all sorts of physical and mental ailments. I know not how to get out of this miserable plight of my own making. What all i thought as happiness is a mirage. Whom all i thought as my best friends turned out to be worst enemies. The wealth i possess is the root cause of envy. Now, i realize what all Charavak said is to enslave me in my sensuous life and trap me in a world of lust, disease, ageing and death. There is nothing that is worthy of a great soul here and, i find it is a land of births and deaths with no end in sight.”

   “Suddenly, a flash came to me. ‘I am what i am’. Nobody can change me.” But, as soon i entered the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, rain drops and reached the water and soil on land, i lost all my memory of ‘who i am’. I blindly entered plants as their very essence, and entered animals, became food, strength, desire, blood, bone marrow, semen, and entered the jiva- as a microscopic germ, the spermatozoa, Germ-cell, the energizing aspect, to appear in different forms. Thus, the ‘Advent of the Soul’ begins. The jiva is now on its long, long, everlasting journey, with no goal, no exit in sight! An important question, often asked here is: “What makes the Jiva run its errand?” Is it the luck, destiny, fate, fortune, free will, or karma that is important? 

    

Illusory Existence?

Rishis, discoursing on Brahman, ask: Is Brahman the cause? Whence are we born? By what do we live? Where do we dwell at the end? Please tell us, O ye who know Brahman, under whose guidance we abide, whether in pleasure or in pain. Should time, or nature, or necessity, or chance, or the elements be regarded as the cause? Or, he who is called the purusha the living self? [Yajur Veda, Sveta. Upa. Part I, Chapter 1, 1-2].

    The supreme Lord manifests in numerous forms. In the Bhagavad-Gita, He asserts that, “maya is created in my seeing. People are mesmerized by this maya. ‘My’ maya is so sweet, a person cannot understand how very sweet is this ‘I’ is. Oh Arjuna, do not forget me; is you do not forget me, maya will not be able to do anything to you.” Further, He, the Lord goes on to say, “See the characteristics of maya! She created a huge lake and birds and insects! Observing this, it all appears to be true, but it is nothing. There is no escape from the hands of maya. Yet God saves one who takes refuge in Him. That person alone whom God bestows his grace can escape the hands of maya.”  This ‘i’ is the maya. The jiva goes on saying ‘i did this’, ‘i did that’, and ‘i am so and so’, etc. It disappears as soon gets into deep sleep (sushupti) every night or day. The moment one gets out of sleep, this ‘i’ appears! None has understood where this exists and when it makes its appearance. All the problems of the jiva are created by this ‘i’- the ego (ahankara). The moment this ‘i’ disappears (as saint Kanakadasa said), the jiva is liberated from the clutches of maya, that binds the jiva due to ignorance. Thus, ‘i am’, ‘i is’, i only, is the maya. This i merges in Brahman every night when we are deep sleep and the jiva enjoys a blissful existence unaware of the world! This i only will come out ignorance refreshed after a night-long sleep.  “This gross body of liberated souls will decompose; yet, even if the body goes, their powers remain; it does not go.” The vasanas, karma kleshas form the seedlings for next birth. People unmindful of this quarrel themselves. They create divisions. So long as there is divisive thinking, divisive actions, so long will people create sects. If the divisive attitude departs, the upadhi, false identification, is destroyed. At the destruction of the upadhi, one becomes aware of one’s divine consciousness. The realization comes when one realizes that “One Brahman has manifest as many. When one becomes pure, one will have the understanding that: I am verily Vishnu. I am a child of Vishnu.”

    Our existence on this planet is almost a miracle. Mysteries surround our birth and death. So far, no plausible explanation is forthcoming for our existence. It seems ‘no purpose is served merely eating and sleeping, whiling away time in seeking joy in extraneous things’. Moreover, all our thoughts and actions, behaviour, problems of hunger, disease, old age and death are not in our hands. Life is full of and probabilities. Nothing is certain here. What we see and believe may not be true at all! Things have to be seen in the background of an unstable earth, a vast expansive universe that is ever on the move, a universe of no known magnitude or dimension, and of illusory nature bound by Time and Space. In fact, this Time that creates Space by its movement is by itself an illusion! If Time is illusion, the space created by it as well as the objects that fill it and endure are also illusion. Illusion of illusion is delusion. Thus, there is no end to this delusion, ignorance. We, as the humans, should realize the fact that we are nothing but specks of dust, star-dust at that. These jivas or vibrant life-forms are like sparks of fire flying out of flames. Once we realize ‘who we are’, where do we come from, and where do we go from here when we die, or how we give up one mortal body and take another soon after, the ‘Reality’ dawns on us. We are truly the spiritual entity- the atman, embodied in an earthen shell like a pot made of clay susceptible to leakage and breakage. Symbolically, a pot filled with water is broken at the time of cremation of the dead bodies. This signifies the fact that the inside and the outside separated by an earthen shell is no more, and everything is one! 

    However, the purpose of our existence is yet to be defined. The ancient scriptures are our best guides. But, we neither have the complete texts of these, nor do we ever understand their coded language. The story of the arrival and departure of a jivatman on this planet is narrated here. It is an autobiography of the soul. Thus, the soul only speaks here. It is an intuitional knowledge obtained from parame vyoman in yogic trance.

     This spiritual study, like any other discipline calls for determination, steadfastness, keen interest, focused attention, concerted effort, and serious practice of yoga, and devotion to Guru. There should be a sense of purpose in life in order to attain to the highest level of existence and enjoy supreme bliss that is possible for any human being. Spiritual journey is more arduous than the journey in the material and sensuous world. Material world is also hazardous full of uncertainties, failures, disappointments, disillusionment, and frustrations. It is endless, with countless wants, insatiability, cravings for more and more, and finally, ordained to repeated births and deaths. The spiritual path is no less unpredictable and hazardous- full of unknown twists and turns and glaring mysteries, secrets, and coded secret words (mantra) that may often lead to doubts and disbeliefs, and sudden loss of faith and interest.

   Another hazard of this spiritual journey is that the sadhaka moves slowly away from the lower, ’here’, the concrete, the sensible, logic and sensuous gibbering towards the higher, ‘there’, abstract, nonsense, rather senseless(?), and silence. Worldly people are prone to treat this as madness. Most of the teachings of GreatMastersare based on these principles and still people run to them! It seems paradoxical that people want solace in times of their distress and look to these renunciates, but do not want to follow their teachings in their daily life! For instance, if one tries to become a Raghavaendra Tirtha, one should follow in his footsteps and take to sanyas at the early age. If one follows his footsteps, the first casualty would be his wife and the next, his mother. As we know, Raghavaendra Swamy’s wife Saraswati Bai committed suicide and his mother died in distress. In fact, most of the mystics have undergone untold misery and sufferings in their life before looking to higher spiritual power for solace. 

  The teachings of Acharyas like Shankaracharya, Madhava (Vidyaranya), or Badarayana can never be understood unless one experiences the times and way of life they lived. Shankara experienced untold misery and things have changed over time. It seems thus impossible for a common man to come to spiritual field, adhyatma, giving up the hearth and home, sensuous worldly life. Nobody wants to leave the cosy life of comforts and take to a life of a recluse and do severe askesis (tapas). Hathayoga is out of question. Even those who have tried and succeeded to some extent have suddenly fallen from grace!

Jiva Arrives on Earth

How the Jiva arrives on Earth:

   The Bhagavad-Gita explains how the jiva arrives on earth. All the living beings survive on food which comes from the soil. Plants depend on Rain for germination of seeds. Rain comes from clouds. Clouds are formed from evaporation of water from oceans due to sun’s heat. Thus, it is the same ‘solar energy’ that lies in the form of water vapor in the clouds that produce rain due to cooling and condensation. This ‘solar energy’ is the ‘life–force’ that we get from the sun as well as the distant stars. Each jiva is an ‘ion’, a subatomic particle, a photon, a stellar dust particle, in this sense of the term.

    This life-force or ‘prana’ is at the root of all jivas (prani). Water, heat, and soil play a very important role in germination of the seed. Vedic Texts say, “purusha’ (brahmn) is the seed. In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’, energy inherent in spirit, the soul that is unborn, eternal and immortal. The soul is eternal, in the sense that, ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed’. How can an entity that is invisible, unborn and eternal create a physical body of biological entity called ‘cell’ and function within the limitations of time, space, and causality? In other words, how can the ‘non-existent’ (‘asada’) become existent (‘sada’), and again revert to the state of ‘non-existence’? This is the mysterious universe. This has been explained in the concept of ‘maya’.

Who created the Universe? 

    In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’, energy inherent in spirit as we as matter that is unborn, eternal and immortal. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is derived from sun, also known as Aditya (and distant stars, too,) as far as earth and its living beings are concerned. The Sun is the chief source of energy for us. As regards the actual process of creation or evolution of life forms, there are a number of sources and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the important ones. Some of these details are given later. However, in brief, it is stated that “Eighty-four thousand species are created by cosmic force Adi parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal and opposite are created as Satyarupa (Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa, the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu. From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma, Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan, ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic Devata. The human beings are created by svayambhu manu, the manifest forms of Aniruddha, the mixed impure sattva!

   Kashyap and Aditi while all others including the demons are created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara neutralizes the forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity- brahma, vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the ‘Atman’. The Atma is the chaitanya of vishnu, intellect and creativity comes from Ishvara, and, finally the humans can cognize and realize Atman and experience sat chit and ananda only through self-awareness. There are no physical entities or parents and off-springs as such here. Body, mind and intellect as well as the soul spontaneously generated tuned to cosmic energy of the supreme spirit sol, paramatman. The scientists are still busy in finding the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes are all now known but for the exact source of their energy component, may be traced to an extraneous source that can never be described! The following illustrations will give us some idea about these. 

Who Am I?

‘Who am I’?

    Before answering this significant spiritual question, it is important to note what Bhagavan Sri Krishna says about the three constituents of the human being (jiva)- the adhibhoutika, adhidaivika and the Adhyatmika. The human body has four main components- physical body (sthula sharira), the mind (manas), nervous system (nara-nadi), and the soul (Atman). The nervous system consists of an extensive network of nerves and neurons, although included in the physical body as a gross entity such as the alimentary canal or the food pipe, the wind pipes, blood veins, and smaller and smaller veins that constitute the subtlest of subtle aspects of the jiva that carries signals like sentiments, emotion, pain, pleasure, love, compassion, and many other invisible forces!

    The outer material body or the earthen shell is made of soil and water, rather food, and support the tissues, organs and the body that comprise of small invisible cells numbering about several trillions! As a matter of fact, the jiva is a gross body (sthula / adhibhuta) made up of the five elements- (a) pruthvi /earth/soil and minerals (food), (b) jal- water, (c) agni-fire, (d) vayu/air, and (akasha) space.

   The second one is the Mind (manas / adhidaiva); it is both gross and subtle according to its changing states- mind and mood (chitta). Mind and mood play a very dominant role in the life of the jiva.

    The third one is the subtle causal spiritual entity (karana sharira / adhyatma) which normally does not play active role, unless activated by the Mind (manas) and the Intellect (buddhi). This the subtler aspect of the jiva. It is a complex system of nerves and neurons that carry all that is subtler and vital to the very survival of the jiva. These are partly visible and partly invisible carrying currents of sensation, life-force, thoughts and feelings, emotions, and, as such, very little understood by the jiva. The entire body is a network of these nerves and neurons numbering 36 000 on each side of the body totaling 72 000. One central nerve only branches out into a hundred, which in turn each one into a hundred and thereby cover the entire body. These nerves and neurons play a very significant role in the life of the jiva conveying the life-forces, emotions, signals and enable the organs to function. Of these four major constituents of the jiva, the outer physical body depends on food, water, and air. It is controlled by the Mind that interacts with and through the physical instrument of brain located in the head. The Mind, however, is greatly influenced by food, drinks, and the objects of the world including the waves and tides! However, the soul remains a mere spectator, unless called for with the help of yoga with the help of a learned spiritual teacher. 

   The fourth component is the Soul, Atman, the core of the jiva. The living being, jivatman, is a noble aspect of creation. It is the invisible essential part of the entire system! In fact, it has all the knowledge, information and technology, ability to create and transform whatever it needs! This is the divine aspect of creation, may be, the Creator only! There is nothing besides this in all the universe and entire universe is the manifest forms of this invisible powerful divine entity! 

  What is mysterious about the jiva, as a living entity, is the system of living cells- pindanda. This unique biological phenomenon is a conglomerate of a very complex system of intelligent cells (andanda)! These cells, almost invisible to our naked eyes, perform wonders! Each biological cell (jiva kosha) is equipped with Consciousness (chit), knowledge and intelligence (jnyan and buddhi), and an immense capacity to function in multifarious ways, such as, understanding, considering, discerning, disseminating, connecting, coordinating, conducting and conveying (without itself moving!), diligently organizing, dividing and destroying, etc. These cells, initially, one single entity consisting of amino acids, ribosomes, di oxy ribonucleic acids (DNA), enzymes, vitamins, genes, Harmons, chromosomes, and a host of other invisible forces and power that can execute the signals such as desires (ichha), dreams, imaginations, and the like of the jiva!

    Each and every organ of the jiva is a complex system of tissues made of cells. The cells that constitute the heart, the lungs, the kidney or the liver, the brain, the nerves and neurons, the bones and bone marrow, the blood, the skin, and all the minute organs of the body are nothing but the pulsating cells, and nothing more than that! More than all these, the cells have the innate capacity to construct or destroy whatever they deem fit and the decision making capacity is inherent in each cell, thereby, the body grows, matures, deteriorates, and dies!

    The scientists are working out the ways and means of making these cells constantly rejuvenate endlessly, keep the body young without ageing and deteriorate and collapse. However, it is difficult for the maturing cells to go back in time- from old age to childhood!

   As far as the activities of the jiva are concerned, almost all spend their entire life in acquiring some knowledge and skill so as to enable oneself to get sufficient food and live comfortably. There is hardly any time left for any other pursuit, much less to know about the very purpose of such a living! The neglect of the soul by the ignorant jiva has created a mess and little does the jiva knows about this. Only a few sensible persons have ever thought about it and pursued the knowledge of the soul, Atmajnyan. Almost all the people die without knowing this simple truth. The tragedy is that the most successful persons in public life who achieve laurels like Nobel Prize, and national recognition like the Bharat Ratna, die without knowing who the real person, ‘purusha’, he/she is! So far, none has ever given a thought to how the jiva arrived here on earth as a sub-atomic particle (an atomic energy particle), in the form photon, (particle of ‘Light’) emitted by a distant star; it entered the clouds, rain drop, soil, food particle and became a ‘spermatozoa’ It entered the would-be mother’s womb and, remember, the chance of impregnation is almost nil! What all the jiva, as a human being, later attains (as a famous doctor or engineer, scientist or philosopher) is just a faculty (bit of material knowledge, that too, an insignificant part of the total knowledge) of their selected field of interest, or by force of destiny and chance!

    Once a person realizes the ‘truth’, who he/she is, the objective phenomenal world falls off like a house of cards! The jiva is liberated from its repeated cycles of births and deaths, metempsychosis’ the moment it realizes who it is! All the attachment to the worldly objects disappears. This is the end of all desires and attachments. Here is an anecdote from the Jataka Tales. When Gautama became the Buddha, he was brought to his father’s Palace and introduced to his father, wife, and son. But, the Buddha did not recognize anybody! He said, “I have no father, wife, or son”! 

   Then, one of them asked Rahul, son of Gautama, “Who are you since your father disowns you? He also said, “I don’t know! I have not seen my father ever since he left before I could see and know him, nor do I know anything about my father’s mother! I am told she was already dead by the time my father could see her!” This gives us an idea about how we all are attached to the world due to ignorance of our true nature. The phenomenal objective world is transient and subject to death decay and dissolution. There is nothing permanent about it and we somehow cling onto it!

    The same is the story of many a orphans, forlorn children abandoned, or sold for a price, or adopted by some foreigners, or for that matter, even those saved from a hospital fire, or accident site. These kids do not know anything about their antecedents. 

    And, Lo! There are people who boast of their religions, caste and creed, and belief systems and harm others who do not follow them! All these are eye openers to a person who is enamored by attachment, greed, ego, and suffers from ignorance.   

    But then, “Who am I?” This question is persistently asked by every jiva when it gets puzzled as to its role in life. It is confused. It is always somebody and not the real self. Hence it seeks an answer. What is the answer? The answer is very simple and direct. When all that are called ‘me and mine’ are discarded what remains is ‘that’ pure self. This pure self is inexplicable. It is pure bliss, total awareness of the true self. This state is found in deep sleep as well as a state of samadhi yoga. It is not an unconscious state; it is total awareness of the self and everything else within its self. 

   A living being, jiva, rather, an embodied soul, will ultimately find out who he/she is after a long introspection, quest, taking an inward journey in search of truth! It (the jiva) discovers that it is an embodiment, acquisition of a material gross physical body and it is constantly changing with time; hence it is not the ‘sat’, true self. So also, the fickle mind is always thinking about this and that, called ‘manovikalpa’, or’ chanchala chitta’, together with the perverted intelligence (vipareeta buddhi), is not the true self. The ‘ego’ (ahankar) that rules the jiva, too, is not the self. All these- manas, buddhi and ahankar, are at rest when the jiva when the jiva goes to deep sleep. So, the jiva finds that all these appendage- physical, mental or psychosomatic entity that is of no avail to find out the true ‘Self’, that is covered by avidya.

     Finally, a Guru (Yogacharya Shree Krishna) comes, as if by divine providence, to help the confused jiva (Arjuna) to redeem it from all this mire of mental or physical, earthly existence. However, it is not that easy; this needs a bit of carryover of the fruits of action (karma phala) carried over from the past (purvarjita), God’s grace (anugraha), and the blessings (ashirvada) of the departed souls, teachers, and elders. 

     The jiva has to prepare for this long journey taking recourse to yoga through spiritual practices (adhyatma sadhana), satsang, and study of scriptures. Finally, the jiva comes to know that it is not ‘this’ and this’. It finds out that the true nature of the jiva is nothing but the ‘truth, consciousness and bliss (sat-chit-ananda) and, it is finally redeemed. This may happen instantly or may take several lives! This is a big question mark? It is all a question of discarding what all is acquired from birth, rather than adding accumulating wealth and appendages, prefixes, affixes, and afflictions to the name, form, and function or revel in the mire of earthly existence, enjoying a sensuous life that is transient.

 Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)

   The need for Self-Realization arises as a result of the limitations set by time-space-causality, on the one hand, and the acquired qualities of the jiva due to its earth-bound state depending on the food derived from its soil, on the other. The jiva finds itself in an eternal birth-death-rebirth syndrome and suffers hunger, thirst, ailments and old age during its short span of a hundred years or less of its life. This ‘realization’ (if at all it comes?), it is hoped, would open a new vista as to the awareness of the true nature of the jivatman that would erase the ignorance and pave way for enlightenment! This will not happen as long as the jiva is working outward. Thus, the need for an inward journey leading to realization of the Self, atma sakshatkara arises.   

    What exactly happens when the jiva contemplates on itself is- ‘the realization of its true nature’. After a long contemplation, the jiva realizes that the body it has built over a time from food, say a few drops of milk or a spoonful of baby food, starting from the day it is born to its ripe old age eating breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a few drinks in between holding is nothing but a earthen pot! It is the same food that is converted into cells, tissues, organs with blood and bones. It is almost 70 per cent water and 28 per cent earth (food), the rest being air, fire and space within. Thus, the microcosmic jiva is a replica of the macrocosm. That is the reason why the scriptures say; as is the macro, so is the brahmanda (micro) so is the pindanda (microcosm). The miniscule organic entity that constitutes the jiva as the ‘cells’ (jiva kosha) plays a vital role here. The blue print of the entire jiva is held in a jelly like protein-covered cell consisting of the amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, hormones, chromosomes, the Ribose nucleic acids (RNA) and the DNA. The entire plan and the path of journey of the jiva’s journey is mapped here. In fact, every aspect of birth, growth and death is clearly laid down in a zipped manner like a computer memory chip! This realization is ‘Atma sakshatkar’.

     The jiva, in the course of its deep contemplation in a state of transcendental meditation, suddenly gets a flash, realizes that it is not the physical body, the senses and mind, the buddhi or the ahankar, but a divine spark, an ion or photon.  It is not even the torso, the limbs or the head that matters in day-today life. The mind itself plays a dominant role in life of the jiva, much to its disadvantage! Mind is the cause of misery and the jiva suffers due to its ignorance. Almost like a divine intervention there comes a turning point in life when the jiva realizes the true nature of its self. It realizes that the jiva arrived as an energy particle, a particle of Light, photon, reached the earth and got embedded in an earthen pot, a gross body, The horoscope give the exact location of the star in the sky. It is not difficult to decipher all these secrets from a horoscope provided the astrologer is also an astronomer! Otherwise, it is just a pastime.

     The Bhagavad-Gita also gives these details how the jiva is not a mortal body but an unborn, eternal and immortal entity as the soul, Atman or ‘jiva jyothi’ embodied in an earthen shell; Life is not just a journey from the date of birth to the date of death. It is the eternal journey of a particle of Light is space. This Light contains knowledge, consciousness (Chit), having all information in a zipped chip form, with the ability to transform objects and run a course in different forms and functions. 

     Thus, LIFE is a manifest form of several subtler forces such as Light (Knowledge), Intelligence, Force (Shakti), and Energy (Prana). It also contains the essential ingredients of a divine nature, the ‘sat’, ‘chit’, and ‘ananda’. It is capable of visualizing its true nature. This is called ‘Shiva’ in the scriptures. Shiva is not only aware of Himself as the Self, but also, as ‘another’, another not much different than the Self. The world, ‘prakruti’, or Shive is the creative power of Shiva. Thus, the jiva is nothing but Shiva. 'Shiva is prakasha' (Light), Shiva is also Shive, vimarsha, the analytical aspect, the universe. The combined aspect of Shiva and Shive, as Shivayuvati or ardhanarishvara is one. Thus, everything is the manifest form of one’s own, the Self.