SAMADHI AND IT'S VARIOUS STAGES

       It is interesting to note that in Hindu religion, we talk of Samadhi. The meditation is done to achieve the Samadhi and ordinarily we talk of Samadhi -some one took Samadhi at age so and so. Sometimes it's called LIVE SAMADHI  and sometimes when some great spiritual person dies we called it Samadhi too. But in real sense the Samadhi is a state which is achieved ultimately with the instruments that re given to us ,namely Mind , Intellect etc. 

   In Patanjali Sutra Yoga , the samadhi is divided in to 2 main types ,ASMAPRADYANT AND SAMPRDYANT . In a way one leads to other . ASAMPRADYANT SAMADHI happens when one has perfected SAMPRDYANT. The SAMPRADYANT SAMADHI is related to the instruments that are given to us by Nature or PRAKRUTI . The SAMPRADYANT  samadhi is divided in to 4 stages . Each stage is going deeper and deeper and then when the last or the 4th stage is achieved , it leads to ASAMPRADYANT SAMADHI. The SAMPRADYANT SAMADHI creates impressions or SAUNSKAR  and so some people call it CONSCIUS SAMADHI. The ASMAPRADYAT is sometimes then referred to UNCONSCIOUS SAMADHI.

    This all may sound confusing . So let me try to make it simple 

   When the meditation is started ,we have it at the level of MIND and so we have lots of doubts and so this is at the lowest level and is called SAVITARK SAMADHI. Then when we go deeper in to it we are at the level of INTELLECT and we have some ideas or thought and so it is called SAVICHAR -VICHAR is thoughts. Then we go beyond and now we are at the level of CHITTA and we experience some happiness though transient and so it is called SANAND -ANAND is bliss or happiness . When one has experienced bliss linger and we go deeper then in ego or 'I'nes it is called SASMIT- ASMITA is ego or self awareness. In all these 4 stages we are AWARE of ourselves and so these stages are part of SAMPRDYANT SAMADHI .

     The impressions that are created by theses stages lead finally to the highest level , where we have dissolved MIND -INTELLECT - CHITTA AND EGO OR AHANKAR OR SELF AWARENESS and that is called ASMAPRADYANT SAMADHI - Here we are not aware of separation of our physical body mind intellect and CHITTA - all that is part of PRAKRUTI and we are one with the PURUSH or SPIRIT. 

REFLECTED CONSCIOUSNESS -CHIDABHAS

   IN the last blog post ,I wrote about the Ganga drowning her 7 kids and what does that mean to us or the explanation. One of the children is ABHAS CHAITANYA OR also called reflected consciousness. So what is this reflected Chaitanya or consciousness and does it die with death or is it carried or is it destroyed? The reflected Chaitanya is reflection of the consciousness. The examples that are given by many to explain are that of sun light and moon light. As we know ,the moon has no light of it's own and so what we see as Moon Light is actually the reflection of the Sun light. There won't be any Moon light ,if there is no Sun, even though we do not see the Sun. The same way if there is no Moon, there won't be an object o reflect the Sun light and there won't be Moon light . So we need the Sun and the Moon to have the moonlight. The sun light has some qualities and they  are there in moon light too. The same holds true of the consciousness and the the reflection of the consciousness. The Reflected consciousness is called CHIDABHAS. We all as physical bodies and the subtle bodies and causal body combination have the reflected consciousness . Without this consciousness - though reflected - we could not do any thing. The reflected consciousness shines light on mind and  so we can think. It shines light on intellect and so we can do intellectual decisions. 

    Everything in this universe has the reflected consciousness . The plants have the reflected consciousness and the animals have it and even the stone or table and chair etc. all have reflected consciousness . But in chair or table , there is no mind - intellect and so there is no 'thinking' . or intellectual decision . The plant and animals have  some evolution of mind and intellect and so there is some thinking and decision making ability. 

    Upon the death - actually physical body dies . But the ASTRAL - SUBTLE BODY or also called Subtle body or SUKSHMA SHARIR, continues it's journey along with the CAUSAL BODY -KARAN SHARIR - and so there will be the reflected consciousness . The standard example given is that of pots with water and reflected sunlight in them . If a pot breaks - leaks - the water can be poured in a different pot and then there will be reflected sun in it. This is what happens when we die and are reborn . We have new POT - new PHYSICAL BODY , but there is no change in reflected consciousness. The consciousness or the reflected consciousness DOES NOT do anything . It is Mind - Intellect that does the actual work , but they could not do anything if there is no shining by the reflected consciousness.

    We can look at a mirror It has a glass and there are chemicals applied to the glass and there there is a frame.So the frame is like physical body and the glass is like subtle or SUKSHAM SHARIR  - body. and the chemical applied is like Causal or KARAN SHARIR At the time of death the FRAME is broken - gone - nonfunctional. Butthe glass and the chemical applied to it is still there  and so the SUN can still be reflected in the mirroor ,even though there is no frame or the physical body.. 

GANGA AND HER 8 CHILDREN

      In the story of the Mahabharata, there are things that are well known but not well understood. The story starts with the King Shantanu , who  wanted to marry Ganga and she had a condition. She will marry him but when children are born, he cannot ask him any questions. He agreed and they got married and then she had a child . She took it to the river Ganga and drowned it. He could not understand , but said nothing. Then she had second nd third and then 7th and she drowned them one by one after their birth. Shantanu was frustrated ,When the 8th  child was born, he questioned her behavior and then she left him . This last child is none other than BHISHMA This whole story does not make a sense for us mortal and there must be a hidden meaning to the story . I will try to tell that meaning , This is ot my interpretation, but the one given by Paramhans  Yoganand.

    The Brahman is vast and limitless and we call it PARABRAHM. It is infinite  and so it cannot be divided . So, it splits in to 2 . One is SPIRIT and the other is NATURE or matter . We call it PURUSH and PRAKRUTI . In the beginning of the universe, the PARABRAHMA splits in to these 2 elements . Shantanu represents Parabrahm and then the part of the CONSCIOUSNESS OR PURUSHA OR SPRIT is what is GNAGA in the story . The nature is Satyavati. The supreme consciousness is the governing inelegance . There are 3 bodies for the universe . One is Physical - STHUL SHARIR, then SUBTLE or SUKSHAM SHARAIR and then the KARAN OR CAUSAL SHARIR OR BODY. 

  In past I have given the example of of electricity, which may be the closest that I can think of. The electricity is needed for the light bulb to give light , electricity is needed to start the fan, electricity is needed to start AC and same electricity is needed for heat and to produce heat. The electricity does not PRODUCE heater light or cold air . The electricity does not work on computer or dial or start phone . But without the electricity these instruments will not work

  So the same is true of consciousness . Without the consciousness shedding the light on the entire universe, they will not work. The 3 bodies at micro level and their parallels macrocosm has 3  corresponding universes. So in all and all there are 6 things , which need governing inelegances and thay rea submerged and so theses children are drowned . The KUTHAST CHAITANYA -has to shine in everything - and that is reflected CHIATANYA or consciousness and that is called ABHAS CHAITAINYA . This is the seventh child.

  The  presence of ABHAS CHAITANYA when combines with mind- intellect in an individual person - body it creates' I' ness and that is AHANKAR . This is the 8th child - the  PITAMAH BHISHMA. 

3 GUNAS AND FORMATION OF KARMENDRIYAS AND DNYANENDRIYAS

   When we talk about the organs of ACTION which are called KARMENDRIYAS as we do KARMA with them and organs of perception or DNYANENDRIYAS as we get KNOWLEDGE o of the out world with them. There is a concept as to how these are formed and how the 3 Gunas are used in the formation. There is a combination of 5 Great elements or PANCH MAHABHUTAS and the Gunas in the formation of the senses. With RAJASIC GUNA combining with 5 Great elements , we get organs of Action or KARMENDRIYAS The organs of action or organs that do the KARMA are 5 ,namely HANDS, LEGS, PROCREATION, EXCRETION AND SPEECH. It is interesting to note that speech is organ of action as what we say is an ACTION or Karma. The Karma happens when one does any action knowingly and also has DOERSHIP with it -I DID IT type of thinking. The activity of liver or kidney or any other organ does not have DOERSHIP and it is on autopilot. So though stomach digests food and liver is involved in metabolism , it is not considered as KARMA. The speech on the other hand is done intentionally and so it has Dooership-'I' DID. and so it is a Karma. The SATVIC GUNA combines with PANCH MAHABHUTAS or 5 great elements and forms the organs of PERCEPTION or DNYANEDRIYAS. the organs which give us the knowledge of the outer world. These are EYES,SMELL(NOSE),HEARING(EARS) TOUCH(SKIN) and TASTE(TONHUE). The TAMASIC GUNA  is involved in the formation of substrate for the organs of PERCEPTION or SENSES -DNYANENDRIYAS.These are -ROOP-shapes and forms for EYES,GANDH or smell for the NOSE, SHBAD or Sound -words for Ears to hear, SPARSH - TOUCH for skin to perceive and last one RAS or Taste for Tongue. We get attracted to the taste of food, pleasure of listening of music , visions of attractive things ,pleasant touch and aroma or fragrant of things. So that attachment is due to TAMASIC GUNA.  

PANCHIKARAN OF GREAT ELEMENTS

     In Hindu religion, we have a concept of the 3 stages of the universe namely the CAUSAL-KARAN , ASTRAL OR SUBTLE -SUKSHM AND GROSS OR PHYSICAL -STHUL. Everyone knows the physical body and also the Subtle body. The mind , intellect and ego are part of the Subtle body. But we also have concept of GREAT ELEMENTS called PANCH-meaning 5 and MAHABHULAS means elements. But the Great Elements are changed when we talk about PHYSICAL Universe. These are EARTH-PRUTHVI ,WATER -AAP,ENERGY-TEJA,WINDOR AIR-VAAU,SPACE OR ETHER -AAKASH. But the great elements in Subtle forms are changed when it comes to these in physical universe. This was explained originally by Adi Shnakarachary in book PANCHIKARANAM and then his disciple did additional work in explaining that.

   So, for the Great Elements or called MAHABHUTA in subtle forms to become Pancha-Mahabhuta in Physical forms. But that transformation is called PANCHIKARAN. In this process the subtle form of each of these great elements splits in 2 halves and then one of the half splits in 4 parts .So each part is 1/8th of the original Element. Then 1/8th of 4 elements come together with 1/2 of one element and then the PHYSICALE Element is formed . This process is called PANCHIKARAN. So the example will be the water of the liquid state that we SEE in physical form has 1/2 of Subtle element water -AAP and 1/8 of space - ether or AAKASH,1/8th of air or VAAU , plus 1/8th of energy or TEJA, plus 1/8th of earth or PRUTHVI. As one can see each gross element has qualities of all 5 Great elements or Panach-Mahabhutas. 

DNYAN AND VIDNYAN--ज्ञान -विज्ञान

       DNYAN AND VIDVYAN OR VI- DNYAN or in Sanskrit ,it is called  ज्ञान -विज्ञान are often used in discussion of HINDU religion. And I have found some confusion and one is confused with other. The prefix VI  -वि sometimes means SPECIAL  So now let see if I can explain which one is SPECIAL n which one is nor SPECIAL 

   As we have talked about PURUSH and PRAKRUTI or SPIRIT AND NATURE are 2 separate entity for the understanding though in ADWAITYA OR or NONDULE - NOT TWO, the both are same . But for the practical understandings we separate 2 . The Spirit has ENERGY and no desires as it lacks any GUNAS or qualities . The nature on the other hand has all Qualities or GUNAS.  The Spirit is also referred  as consciousness . The consciousness has no limitations of DESH - KAAL VASTU or Location - time or identity. We have what would be called REFLECTED consciousness or ABHAS CHITANYA . So we as individuals try to focus on supreme Consciousness ,and perceive it, then we have the EXPERIENCE which is our KNOWLEDGE of the supreme and that is called DNYAN or knowledge. But we have to come out of the SAMADHI or mediation and then we are in THIS WORLD which is nothing but creation of  NATURE and it has reflected consciousness. But with our EXPERIENCE  we have the DNYAN or Knowledge and then we realize that the nature is different and is always CHANGEING and also has RELATIVITY. The knowledge of NATURE it's creation is SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE and so it is  called VIDNYAN -SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE. So roughly speaking Knowledge is DYAN and knowledge of nature and the it's creation which is this universe or VIDNYAN..Sometimes people have knowledge of the universe  including chemistry and medicine and things that are related to the nature's creation is also called VIDNYAN. When we say Lord GANESH you are ज्ञान -विज्ञान   we are saying that you are both the spirit and nature .  

CAN ONE DESTROY EFFECTS OF KARMA?

   This has been a question by many including me . If we believe in Law of Karma -and if you want to know more about that please see my book on Amazon under Shirish Kirtane as author, then one realizes that we collect millions of karmic effects and it feels that that pot will never be empty. So then there is no MUKTI OR end of cycle of Life and death. If all karmas will have effect and we have to  face that, then how can small number of lives will be enough? It bothered me and had lot of questions , when I did YouTube video on Mysticism of Mahabharata and stated that DRONA is past karma SAUNSKAR. He was killed by DRUSHTDHUMNA son of DRUPADA. DRUSHTADHUMNA came out of fire when DRUPADA  was insulted by Drona and he started doing penance. So the question is can one destroy Karmaic effects with penance? I think the answer is in understanding the 2 types of karma. 

    One continues to do action or karma ALL THE TIME. One cannot stop that. But if one looks at that carefully one will realize that there are 2 kinds of karmas. When I love / eat / drink- food -alcohol-i GET ATTACHED TO to that . Let us say if we enjoy alcohol The impression from the taste of alcohol or effects of the alcohol, and that leads to my attachment and then i have more intense desire to do action of drinking more alcohol and that leads to more effects .So in my next life I will be born with DESIRE to drink alcohol. But I CAN RESIST THAT and not drink . So I can destroy that effect. These type of karmic effects can be destroyed by meditation and penance. But then there are other types of karmas that the effects may not be easily destroyed or may be never destroyed and one will have to face that. If I kill or beat someone or hurt someone then that karma has effects on SOMEONE ELSE and not on MY MIND. So I don't have that effects on myself and so I cannot DESTROY that only person who can destroy that is if the victim forgives me or I will have someway of repaying that. This type of karma will HAVE TO REPAID and cannot be destroyed by simple meditation or penance etc.

  This is my answer .If you have not watched my YOU TUBE videos , please watch on JUST A TALK@justatalk2648.