My spiritual Sadhana

Due to the events which took place in a previous few days, I feel I should write something more about my Diksha Guru who very recently left this mortal world and went into a Mahasamadhi, Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Though spiritually we should all be happy when our Guru leaves off this mortal coil, I feel both, sad and happy, sad with a part of my humane nature and happy for his going to eternal abode. At the age of 19 I started practising TM, a well known spiritual technique to us westerns. I had a major change in my life and felt immense benefits from the practice, though my reasons for learning TM were purely spiritual. I attended other courses such as TM sidhi, advanced techniques in the years to come. Later on with the blessings of meeting and studying Jyotish with my Guru Pt. Sanjay Rath, I learnt and understood the techniques of TM better. What I will be saying is from my own perspective as a Jyotisha, so please understand it that way.

According to my knowledge, Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has done a standard thing what is advised as per Mantra Shastra. All practitioners are given Bija mantras of either Devi, Krishna, Rama etc as per the selection which is advised by Mantra Shastra, revealing deeply traditional background and approach to meditation teaching.However, as per my understanding the point lies in the technique itself, which should be learnt from qualified Tm teachers around the world. In the later stages of bijas are “expanded” into a mantra which is again as per the advice of mantra shastra. Thankfully to the teachings of my Jyotish Guru in Puri, Orrisa, I had a chance to realize that this part of teachings of Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has some links with “Shri Vidya” a secret teachings of the Rishis. The mantras used in this path are known as napunsaka bija which are used in bhakti towards the Devata with the goal to surrender to the will of God, on the level of atman or soul-napunsaka. So, mantras in TM are nothing new, but the technique I must admit radically differs from almost all meditation types which were offered to western people. The point in meditation lies in the specific type of “diving” with the Self, which has to be strainless and effortless, and compeltelly natural, without any type of concentration or contemplation. Therefore, Tm is a very powerful technique allowing the mind to settle down in its own source, self-awareness, in compliance with the Patanjali Sutra of Yoga definition. The problem in human mind is that people (particularly in the west) always expect a powerful technique which will enlighten them, not realizing that prior to such enlightment, heart and mind must be pure enough.

Shri Maharishi has dedicated his whole life to us people in the west. I remember back, those days when I started meditating as if I had woken up, and started breathing after a long, long dream… There is nothing in the world you can offer to your Guru, for what He has given to you…He has everything, you have nothing…so, what can I offer, but my eternal thanks and some words on the paper… Therefore, I will continue writting,  a small and unfair contribution to what I was given from Him…

So, Guruji, may your soul find eternal peace in the hearts of all those who follow your words and teachings…

Jai Guru Dev

To be continued…

During the first years of meditation, bija mantra will start to fade away, therefore going towards the path of ajapa-japa. The mind becomes more flexible and stress free which becomes the good condition for further spiritual growth. Thus the person is ready for further diksha where bija mantra gets expend into the mantra (as per the rules of Mantra shastra) while a sadhaka is taught as how to enliven the heart chakra-anahata. The meditation then becomes strongly focused on the heart chakra, where according to Jyotish Shri Krishna in the form of Ishta Devata resides. In further phase of medititation, sadhaka is taught as how to perform technique similar to Yoga nidra alongside with Mantra, which enlivens all chakra, and raises kundhalini enlivening Ida and Pingala as well as their junction points-chakras. Those who are pure enough will at this stage experiance long periods of transcendental awareness or self-refferal consciousness (turya or samadhi), as well as various coulours will be seen by inner eye. As long as the colour of their atmakaraka is strongly seen, a sadhaka or practicioner cannot merge into samadhi fully, until the pure white light (colourless) light becomes experience of a lot of papa is removed from the soul.

The goal of meditation is what Shri Maharishi Mahesh used to say “cosmic consciousness” or “bhavatitta chetana” which is known in classic literature as Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Jyotish shastra recognizes this stage of consciousness, as “Shivo Ham” state of self identity with Shiva, eternal Soul. This is full stage of AtmanGyana.

Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi never hid the fact that this is not the end of the human perfection, nor that this state is known as moksha. Here, again he follows the traditional line of teachings of advaita school of Shankara, whereas some parts of his teachings fully telly with other schools such as Dvaita-Advaita. Jyotisha paramapara also states that Moksha cannot be attiained without the mercy of Vishnu-Sarva Vyapakeshvar Devata. Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi speaks of higher level of consciousness than Atmangyana, such as Bhagavad and Brahmi Chetana, where the devotee sees God in Everything and everything in God- Sarva Vyapakeshvar Devata. Fairly speaking, he never enter much the long debate on impersonal or personal aspect of God, just stating in his commentary on Bhagavad Gita, that it is up to devotee and God to determine such relationships on that high level of cognition, and from our conceptual level of thinking, we should not discuss such high-level realization, due to inability of our mind to comprehend it….