Bliss, Satchidananda and Samadhi
Author: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Description: The experience of ananda in savikalpa samadhi has to cease before you can have the deeper nirvikalpa samadhi. Agitations of the mind are released by the attainment of shanti in the anahata and vishuddha chakras. Only human beings can experience Satchidananda, the all pervasiveness of God. Understanding where we are in consciousness. The realization of one's self as a soul is the first stage of Self Realization, then Satchidanada, then Parasiva. Master Course, Merging with Siva, Lesson 365. Master Course, Dancing with Siva, Lesson 1. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Cessation of Bliss.
Transcription:
Good morning.
Few quotes from yesterday's Merging with Siva lesson from Gurudeva. Lesson 365 on the eternal questions.
"Many people think of the realization of timeless, formless, spaceless Parasiva, nirvikalpa samadhi, as the most blissful of all blissful states, the opening of the heavens, the descent of the Gods, as a moment of supreme, sublime joyousness. Whereas I have found it to be more like cut glass, diamond-dust darshan, a psychic surgery, not a blissful experience at all, but really a kind of near-death experience resulting in total transformation.
"The bliss that is often taught as a final attainment is actually another attainment, Satchidananda, an aftermath of nirvikalpa samadhi, and a 'before-math.' This means that Satchidananda, savikalpa samadhi, may be attained early on by souls pure in heart. It also means that one need not gauge the highest attainment on the basis of bliss, which it transcends."
Nice clarification there from Gurudeva. Interesting in the world of Patanjali's terminology which we've been studying a bit. The lower form of samadhi is savikalpa samadhi and has four qualities.: vitarka, vichara, ananda or asmita. Well we won't look at those four, that would take up too much time. But one of them, ananda, is the same word we're talking about.
So, what he's, what Patanjali says is: You need to give up ananda. The experience of ananda has to cease before you can have the deeper samadhi. So, he's saying the same thing that Gurudeva is.
"In my experience, the anahata chakra is the resting place of dynamic complacency..."
That's a great phrase, right? "Dynamic complacency." You're satisfied, you're complacent but you're dynamic. So, it's not just a passive complacency it's a dynamic complacency.
"...dynamic complacency of thought perception (Right?)... dynamic complacency of thoughtful perception and quietude. Those of a lower nature arriving in the bloom of this chakra are released from turbulent emotions, conflicting thoughts and disturbances. This to many is the end of the path, attaining peace or shanti."
Well, it shows what's there to be attained in the anahata chakra. We're released from what's below it in the lower chakras: "...turbulent emotions, conflicting thoughts and disturbances."
Or said another way: If we find ourselves experiencing turbulent thoughts, conflicting, turbulent emotions, conflicting thoughts or disturbances it means we're not in the anahata chakra. Maybe we can work with ourselves to move our awareness up there. And then we're above these agitations, that's what I like to call them. Agitations of the mind. But we're not supposed to stop there.
"Once one attains shanti, as just described, in my experience, this marks the beginning of the path, or part two, the second level. It is from here that the practices of raja yoga take hold, once shanti is attained. In the anahata chakra and the vishuddha chakra, Satchidananda, the all-pervasive being of oneness, of the underlying being of the universe, is attained, experienced."
So man is in a unique position there. In other words, the all pervasive being, by definition, pervades everywhere, right? That's what it means, all pervasive being.
We just acquired two new cats. They're very playful and young. So Satchidananda permeates our playful cats but can they experience Satchidananda. No, of course not. Only man can experience Satchidananda so it's what makes us unique. Satchidananda permeates everything but a rock can't experience it, a cat can't experience it, a cow can't experience it. Only man can experience Satchidananda, the all pervasiveness of God.
"Does Self Realization bring bliss to the realized one? Self Realization is in several stages. Realizing oneself as a soul--rather than a mind, an intellectual and emotional type or a worthless person--gives satisfaction, security, and this is a starting point."
Well that is a very important starting point. Thinking of one's self as a soul as a divine being. And such an important starting point that the first sloka of Dancing with Siva, which I think will be tomorrows lesson, today has Lesson 366. Doesn't have lesson 1, has Lesson 366.
So, the first one, which I'll quote. The first sloka.
"Rishis proclaim that we are not our body, mind or emotions. We are divine souls on a wondrous journey. We came from God, live in God and are evolving into oneness with God. We are, in truth, the Truth we seek. Aum."
So that's an important first stage. As Gurudeva says: Self Realization is in several stages. Realizing one's self as the soul is first stage. So this sounds easy but sometimes we have negative thoughts about our self. I'm an unworthy person, I'm a this, I'm a that. And if any of that's still lingering there then we're not thinking of ourselves as a soul. So, we have to get rid of that. Get rid of any limiting thoughts about ourselves to claim ourselves as a divine being. It doesn't mean we're a hundred percent a divine being. No, it means we're one third a divine being. Cause we have three phases of the mind: instinctive, intellectual and superconscious. So, looked at simply we're one third instinctive, one third intellectual and one third superconscious.
So, one third of us is a divine being but that's the part that carries on, the important part.
"Realization of the Self as Satchidananda gives contentment, a release from all emotions and thoughts of the external world, and the nerve system responds to the energies flowing through the vishuddha and anahata chakras."
So Gurudeva's indicating that's phase two.
And phase three:
"Realizing the Self that transcends time, form and space, Parasiva, is a razor-edged experience, cutting all bonds, reversing individual awareness, such as looking out from the Self rather than looking into the Self."
So, that's an important point there, that last one that the realization of Parasiva, the Self, is what causes the serious transformation. Everything else is matter and nice but it's not causing this transformation of reversing our self. So being better, looking in for something, we're looking out is what Gurudeva's saying there.
So, to summarize the idea, it's a simple idea that realizations come in different stages. And understanding the stages helps us understand where we are in consciousness. Understand the different possibilities. And therefore, we can try and move deeper having in mind this knowledge.
Thank you very much.