Sriramchandra.org - Sruti | PAM's Encyclopedia

SRUTI - PAM's Encyclopedia

I am not in favour of japa which is exclusively external in character, though I too advise japa in certain cases, but they are of different type. These are really the means by which an abhyasi is to try for his growth himself. (SS-28)

I am not opposed to japa but I do not approve of the ways in which it is generally practised. Japa does not mean parrot-like recitation of certain words or phrases without any understanding of their real significance, and without any collaboration of thought. In our system too japa is sometimes advised when required, but it is of a different nature, and practised in quite a different way. For example, Gayatri japa is one of the essential features of general Sadhana and is practised by most, irrespective of other japas which might have been advised at times. The way in which it should be done is as follows. The abhyasi is to sit in a meditative mood, repeating the mantra mentally twice or thrice, keeping in view the sense it conveys. He is then to begin meditating upon the sense. The words will naturally go out of his Consciousness and the thought alone will remain in his mind. After some time when he gets absorbed in it, the thought too shall vanish and nothing shall remain except absorbency in the prayerful mood. That is the proper way. Japa practised in this way will be of highest value and immensely helpful to the spiritual growth of the abhyasi. (SS-62,63)

My humble opinion is that few persons perhaps might be knowing the correct process for practising japa. Most of those who happen to come to me are found to have created in their heart a rigid knot by their wrong way of practice, so that it becomes a very hard task for me to remove its effect settled in their hearts in the form of solidity and grossness which, in certain cases, I have not been able to wash off over the course of years. So long as the method of practice is not subtle, the realisation of the subtlest can never be possible. (SS-265,266)

Japa - Mechanicalness

JAPA, people do without even knowing how to do it. Similarly there are other modes of worship which they do in order to please themselves, but not to please God. I want to create naturalness in you but you prefer mechanicalness. In this way, you see the mirror from its back. (SDG-63)

JIVA

Jiva, the individual soul, becomes cognizant of its being when it assumes individuality, and that becomes the basis of its existence. Originally jiva and Brahman were quite akin to each other, and it is only the individuality of the jiva which effected a difference between the two. Now jiva as a soul bound up within the ego or individuality came into existence. The sphere it was in also began to cast its effect upon it. Various hues, one after the other, began to settle around it, giving it a new colouring. In a way diversity began to settle in and, step by step, the ego began to develop and grow thicker and denser. Feelings, emotions and desires began contributing their own share to its grossness. Thus jiva, like a golden bird, got itself completely enclosed within the iron cage of the body. All this resulted from the effect of actions and counteractions of thoughts, emotions, feelings and desires (in the zone of ego), which went on adding to its opacity. This is in brief the whole history of the jiva. Now happily if it happens to come into dynamic contact with one who reminds it of its origin, then it begins to cast off the coverings one by one. (SS-511,512)

For further reading please see BRAHMAN.

JIVAN MOKSHA

Activity of course serves for a medium for Divine grace. If activity resumes its absolute state, the impulse drawn from it will also be of the purest and the finest nature. When one secures expansion in it, his thought force makes further headway towards potentiality. If however the aspirant still maintains his flight onwards he goes beyond potentiality and acquires the state of jivan moksha. (SS-337)

You will ask how the things which are called troubles, or the reverse of the Original, get power. The answer is that the power of Consciousness or chaitanya shakti makes them powerful in proportion to our paying attention to them, and gradually so much force is created that that thing appears to over-power us or our thought. The same is the case with bhakti (devotion) or worship. If we divert our attention towards the Original, towards God, then, because God Himself is Power, the power begins to come in bhakti also. Then this other power, namely the power of God, begins to descend, and the undesirable things automatically begin to grow weak. Since these things are under us, we give them power. And because that thing is under God, it receives power from There. What is the purport? If we turn our interest towards God in the real sense, then all these things fade out in the end, and gradually the result will be that condition which Lord Krishna has described. What is that condition? Man begins to feel himself actionless and this condition, when it grows and reaches a high level, stops the formation of impressions or sanskaras. And if one ever stepped into this condition and went on further, then what remains? One part of it will be what is called the state of liberation in one's lifetime called jeevan-mokshagati. What a word which people are trying to prove in many ways! But dear brother, what a light and easy thing it is! And be assured, to attain this alone is very easy. An easy thing is always attained quite automatically or easily.

The thing is so easy that, if tried, it can very easily be achieved by multitudes. The way of achieving this condition has generally been told by folk who really do not know the path, nor have they ever tried through somebody who had really entered this kind of sphere in life. They seek the remedy with the persons who are fresh enough merely to speak always on the subject. They are moved greatly by the people who speak extempore on the platform. The real thing is in the innocent hearts of the persons who have mastered Nature, so to say. Rarely will people find this thing. Why? Because they do not try to gain the simple thing by a simple method. May the day dawn when the people may taste this nectar of real life unattainable even for devatas. People are busy thinking always of their own tales. Sit in loneliness for some time, and think of God with at least as much power as you have bestowed to your own difficulties. What then? It is as easy to realise your own God as it is to realise the worldly things in crude form. (SS-460,461,462)

For further reading please see VIDEHA MOKSHA.

JNANA/JNANI

The word in the ordinary sense means knowledge, which may be of different kinds, physical, mental, material or spiritual. In the spiritual sense the term is applied so vaguely that often it becomes very difficult to understand its true significance. The range it covers extends from the baser level of common understanding to higher level of inner enlightenment. This gives rise to a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. A man who has learnt a few scriptures, another who can argue and assert things on the basis of his book knowledge, still another who recites every moment set phrases like ‘aham brahmasmi—I am Brahma’ etc., claims to be a jnani or the enlightened and is accepted as such by the masses, irrespective of his real inner state. Jnana in the real sense refers to the inner condition of the mind, which an abhyasi develops during the course of his pursuit, while passing through different spiritual states at different knots or granthis. Jnana is in fact the realisation of the conditions prevailing at each knot. Now since the knots are innumerable, the knowledge gained is also different according to the level of approach of the abhyasi. Thus it is almost meaningless to call one a jnani without defining his level of approach or the limit of knowledge realised by him. This is the main point, which is meant to be elucidated to the readers through the contents of this little book. (BWS-304,305 footnote)

But now having been acquainted with momentum and undergone its pleasing effect to a great extent, the thought of search for peace began to creep up in our mind by itself. When we started the search, our attention was transfixed upon calmness, which we understood to be somewhat more pleasant. But so far we knew not what it actually was nor had we any taste of it. Experience promoted our understanding and we began to feel that it is undoubtedly something worth achieving, though we had not experienced it as yet. This is what may be presumed as the preliminary level of jnana or knowledge. People may, however, call this understanding as true knowledge but actually it amounts only to recognition that there is a state known as peace or tranquillity. This is generally the level of a common man where he gets enlisted as jnani (agnostic) merely for the reason of knowing so much. That is the only significance of jnana (knowledge) in the eyes of a common man. (BWS-304,305)

The real state of enlightenment comes when we get into full consciousness of the condition of enlivenment and after imbibing its effect, secure our merging in it. When we develop this stage and merge into its consciousness we come to know all about it and thus become jnani i.e., enlightened upto that extent. The blissful state so brought about tempts our heart to go ahead and our touch with it offers inducement to enter into the next stage. Our courage intimates to us the happy tidings of our onward march towards the real life which follows every layavastha - state of merging. We get into it. It helps us further and we begin to advance towards the next point. The feeling of restlessness is no doubt there, but if our will is strong and our efforts sincere the next condition, which is superior to the previous one shall dawn without doubt. Though in fact we have to go nowhere, everything being close at hand, yet we have to arrive at the final state definitely. If we get a good guide who pulls out the inner poison then the nectar alone remains. (BWS-307,308)

The real knowledge of a state means complete identicality with the state we have merged in. It brings us to full consciousness of the condition and for this very reason it is interpreted as the real life, which can be experienced only by an animate being. Being thus encouraged we now begin to aspire impatiently for further knowledge. (BWS-315)

It is of course certain that our religious books speak a lot about it {Jnana}, but unfortunately the (quack) commentators of the later period have on account of their wrong understanding misrepresented the facts in such a way as to drown the very sense. (BWS-289)

Sruti

Daily Inspiration