Divine Ecstasy
When Sumit Bhattacharya, my one-time class mate and now a colleague and friend, informed me that his father has invited me to discuss on religious matters, I was both surprised and scared. Sumit’s father, Sri Shivapada Bhattacharya’s erudition is well appreciated amongst scholars of the society. Large religious conferences remain incomplete without Shivapada-babu’s lecture. He draws great respect amongst all knowledgeable people for his skills in explaining the intricacies of scriptures and as a writer of books on religious matters. As I have no such reputation to my credit nor had the occasion to study the scriptures and religious literature, the invitation from such a scholarly person gave rise to both fear and surprise in me. I do not have enough knowledge to extract the gist from the scriptures by reading them and, secondly, I did not feel inspired enough to go through these literatures. Hence, the proposal to discuss religion with such a scholar on scriptures gave rise to this mixed emotion.
However, on the appointed day I reached their house towards the afternoon with Sumit. I was given a seat in the drawing room of the palatial building. It was a huge room, neatly decorated. The walls were adorned with pictures of great men. Large number of books was stacked in several book cases – almost like a small library. I was closely scrutinizing the surroundings when Shivapada-babu entered. A tall and broad frame with bright and intelligent eyes. After a momentary searching glance, he asked with a smile, “Oh, you are Nilanjan? Sumit always speaks about you. You are quite young but I heard that you lecture others on religious topics? Have you ever studied the scriptures? Have you read the Vedas & Upanishads?” Shivapada-babu barraged me with one question after the other. I remained silent. Shivapada-babu recited some shlokas (hymns) from the scriptures. It was pleasing to hear the rich and resonant voice with impeccable pronunciation although I could not decipher the inner meaning of the shlokas. Probably comprehending this Shivapada-babu asked, ‘Could you follow the shlokas?’ ‘I am not well versed in Sanskrit’, I answered. Pleased with himself, Shivapada-babu said, ‘Look Nilanjan, by generations we are spokesmen of religion. Sanskrit and culture flows in our veins. How can you discuss about religious topics without going through the scriptures?’ I said, ‘look sir, I am nothing like what is known as a spokesperson of religious matter. I discuss with people like friends, relatives, colleagues and those who have a thirst for religion. The topic of discussion is invariably religion. Like, who am I? What is illusion? Who is Brahma? Where was I, where have I come and where shall I go? How shall I properly utilize this human birth? I discuss the way and the processes to reach the answers to these questions in a informal manner. Behind all this are the advice and instructions of my revered Gurudev Sri Madhab. Sri Madhab says, ‘However little you have digested the message of Truth distribute them amongst all.’ He says, ‘whatever knowledge you acquire through listening, seeing or reading is known as apara vidya (materialistic knowledge). The knowledge of the Supreme cannot be acquired through this knowledge. Moreover, no one can be assisted along the path of religion and knowledge with this skill. The sound emanated out of apara vidya reverberates within the boundaries of the mind, chitta, intellect and ego and dies away like a line drawn on the surface of water which vanishes within a second. Para gyan ( the knowledge of the Supreme) is not acquired knowledge but is a knowledge that sprouts spontaneously within. The vibration of para gyan crosses the barriers of the inner mind and resides in the heart. This sound never fades away but, on the other hand, it gradually echoes in mind and body. It is impossible not to respond to the irrepressible call of this para gyan, whose power rectifies character and makes a man gradually tread along the righteous path. Day by day he becomes pious and dedicates himself to the service of all as a true human being. The sound or the vibration in which the seed of making a person follow the righteous path, remains inherent is the message of scripture (Shastra). Sri Madhab says, ‘ Sha means greatest and shastra ( sha+astra) means the greatest weapon (astra)’. The question is why greatest weapon? This is because it is this weapon that can remove the layers of ignorance that has gathered in human beings over the ages. The weapon that helps in awakening humanity is definitely the greatest weapon. Like ancient religious literature, the messages of saints, holy men and guru are also shastra. Guru is one and the same. He awakens in a suitable body in order to distribute His weapon-like messages that cut away the accumulated gloom. Rich and the poor, scholarly and the illiterate, old and the young, all possess the right to take up this weapon irrespective of caste or religious faith. But the point is that shastra is not only to be read, recited or heard. It has to be used. As such, one has to follow the messages of shastra so that it reflects in one’s thought, deed and behaviour. Then the mind’s gloom can be removed with the weapon of shastra, blooming and exposition of humanity will be made possible and the knowledge of the Supreme will emanate. As by carefully stowing away a sharp garden tool, the weeds cannot be cleared, similarly merely reading the shastra can never wipe away the darkness of the mind. The revered Sri Madhab says that instead of reading a large number of scriptures, if one endeavors to practice even single one of the messages of the shastra in one’s life, it is much more fruitful.
As an illustration Sri Madhab says that every scripture lays down the directive to carry out all work with a goal to please one’s deity (istendriya priti ichha). While explaining the meaning of istendriya (ista+indriya) ista is the divine and the infinite creation is like His indriya (senses). As such if someone practices working for the pleasure of the entire creation and analyses all such work to find out whether they are being carried out through the influence of humanity, that is, whether his work evokes joy in others, this kind of selfless work increases the broadness of the mind. The path towards divine knowledge will definitely widen if one gets habituated in working with a broad mind for the pleasure of all, because divinity encompasses all creation. Hence, if everyone is happy it also makes god happy. On the other hand even if an ant remains displeased then the person can never have divine revelation. As such, it can be seen that the practice of following the messages of shastra can make the reading of shastra fruitful.
Shivapada-babu said, ‘I accept your statement. You are young. Whatever you said was well stated. But remember that there is an effect of reading shastra. Moreover, repetitive studying of shastra evokes religious inspiration in a person’. I said, ‘I also accept your statement but can you tell me at what stage people feel the inspiration to seek the company of saints, monks and guru?’ Shivapada-babu sat for while with eyes closed. Then with a slight smile said, ‘today you speak. It feels good to listen to your speech’. Meanwhile a few listeners have taken seat. The room was filled with a sweet fragrance of incense lit by someone. I started to speak. The way mankind is forced to spend a helpless life dominated by desire and influenced by the tamasic and rajasic elements has been explained by Sri Madhab with help of a very nice example. He said, ‘you must have witnessed harir lut (distribution of sugar candies during religious function when the priest throws the sugar candies towards the devotees who scramble to collect them). You must have observed how old and young people rush and scramble around the person distributing the batasha (sugar candies) who stand helplessly lifting high the plate of batasha while everyone surrounds him reaching out for it. When they get some in one hand they stretch the other for more. When this hand receives it again the other hand comes up. The distributor has no scope to move. When all the contents of the plate becomes exhausted, he shakes it upside down to show that it is empty and one by one all leave the distributor. His path now becomes clear. Each of us mankind are helpless like the distributor as long as our actions are dominated by desire. We are also immobilized holding the plate of batasha. Innumerable vrittis (propensities) of the mind as a ‘doer’ and ‘consumer’ are giving birth to many other innumerable vrittis in the arena of the chitta in order to satisfy their hunger. The instant they are born they stretch their hands out for gratification of the batasha-like objects of desire. We are helpless under the influence of the vrittis and not even have the scope to think. They stand as barriers on our way towards our forward path, the path of humanity, the path of truth – these numerous vrittis like shara ripu, astapash etc. If ever we get back to our senses by the compassion of Sri Guru and through introspection, repentance and the desire to know the source of all our deeds and their final outcome arises within us,- in that state a person hesitates to fulfill the wish of the ripus. Gradually he stops providing the vrittis the objects of their gratification and then the vrittis also leave and stays away from him. His path of progress and light becomes clear. Mankind steps forward to the path of religion. It is just in this state when a man feels the urge to know himself and God and becomes enthusiastic to study shastra, offer prayers in temple, mosques, churches etc. and obey the directives of monks, saints, imams, priests and guru. The journey along sadhan path (the path of religious pursuit) commences. He progresses along the different stages of sadhana on the compassion of Sri Guru. Sri Madhab says that the process of sadhana can be divided into three stages. These are: a) Prakaran, b) Upakaran and c) Karan.
Prakaran means preparatory work. In this stage sadhak studies shastra, goes on pilgrimage, worships images, seeks the companionship of holy men (satsanga) etc. These are necessary to convert the inclination of the mind for worldly matters due to its distractive, restless and ignorant nature, into introspection and thus take into a single-minded state. This requires discipline and concentration in sadhak. At the first stage, sadhak must take the support of form as he is under the influence of the mind. As one must take the help of Howrah Bridge to go to Howrah Station, it is inevitable to take the support of forms or images to reach God. As a child is taught the letters by showing an apple for ‘A’ and on learning the letters the apple is no longer required, similarly the perishable form disappears on realization of God who is formless and eternal. The sadhak who is dominated by the mind cannot meditate on the formless; spontaneous meditation on the formless occurs when the domination of the mind is overcome. In order to reach this state one must be free of the vrittis. Restraining the desires of the heart is the only way to gain freedom from vrittis and the primary work that is necessary for this purpose is to practice prakaran. In this regard it may be mentioned that men, in the name of religion, take the shelter of the rituals of prakaran, inspired by the vrittis for the purpose of self-gratification and as a toxic outcome of these rituals, superstitions and ungodliness have gained entry into the religious functions. The objective of all religious functions should be to clear away the dirt, to be tolerant of other’s views, that is, its aim is universal welfare. Keeping this in mind, the time has come to be vociferous against all those rituals or functions that are enveloped in superstition, discriminative and communal. In this regard it can be mentioned that in all religions there is a system of sacrifice. Due to our selfish and superstitious nature we misinterpret the messages of shastra and kill animals and even at one time we did not hesitate to offer sacrifice of human being, the cream of god’s creation. In this context Sri Madhab has said that, ‘if you want to offer sacrifice you should sacrifice those who are against religion (bidharmi). The animal propensities (vritti) within you are bidharmis. Sacrifice that beast-like inhumanity at the altar of your deity. Sacrifice your ego (aham buddhi), if you must. Sacrifice your perception of ‘I am the doer’ and your materialistic outlook. Carrying out the processes of prakaran with this objective is the only thing that is acceptable according to shastra, universal and assists in upliftment along the path of sadhana.
The Second Stage: Upakaran:
The action of prakaran initiates prominence of sattva guna (the primal quality of virtuousness). The mind gets the inspiration to be introspective due to the prominence of sattva guna. It feels the urge to turn towards its own abode. Sadhak progresses towards the elevated state. In the word upakaran, the upa means near. Near to whom? Near to God. Therefore, it can be seen that the meaning of upakaran is the work (karan) that should be done to come close (upa) to God. Now a question may arise as to who is God within this human body? The answer is Kutastha Chaitanya (the Supreme Consciousness or Chaitanya, who is enshrined within the limits of the body or kuta). Chaitanya means the power of karshan, akarshan and vikarshan. This means that the power through which this infinite universe is in the state of action while hanging in space (akarshan), through whose tilling action (karshan), new creations take place continuously (sristi) and again whose repelling action (bikarshan) leads to dissolution of the Creation unto its source (laya). On one hand this Supreme Consciousness (Chaitanya) keeps the body active and full of vitality as consciousness (chetana) and on the other, it inspires the attitude of service, peace and love. Darkness engulfs the world with setting of sun, similarly when Chaitanya is in the dormant state ignorance overcasts the mind. Chaitanya is Ananda (divine bliss or ecstasy) and this ecstasy can only be perceived with the help of the chetana awakened in the heart as humanity through the compassion of Sri Guru (Guru kripa). Sadhak tries to carry out all his work necessary for his existence with a sense of duty remaining continuously associated with the thought and search of this ecstasy or chetana. Driven crazy by the beckoning of the Truth he feels the necessity of Guru in utmost eagerness. Mankind cannot have any idea about his source of existence or about his final destination and the means of reaching it through material knowledge. The person who has knowledge about the principal elements constituting the creation (tatwa), he only can give information about the right path. He is Sri Guru. Sri Guru is enthroned in the disciple’s heart as nam (devoted recitation of the name of one’s deity) Nam is the identity of the one whom it belongs or the nami. The greatness of nami remains latent within nam. Musing on Nam, its rumination, its recollection gradually makes the greatness of nami take a firm position in the mind and soul of sadhak in the form of ecstasy.
The Third stage: Karan:
The only means of self-realisation is through the action of Karan. Karan means meditation. One can locate the object of meditation through meditation itself. Sadhak cannot reach the state of proper meditation without the compassion of Sri Guru. Sri Guru has implanted his own name (nam) in the womb-like heart of the disciple. Sri Guru is Chaitanya. He has spread himself as the infinite universe. All form is His form; all attributes is His attribute. In spite of this He exists as the Formless within the Form, the Attribute-less within attributes. The mind is under the influence of form and attributes and, therefore, it cannot get an idea of the divinity that is formless. Due to this, on reaching beyond the region of the mind and its attributes, the Sadhak has to perceive Chaitanya as the state of ecstasy in the consciousness (chetana) awakened through the compassion of Sri Guru. Now the question is under what situation, the mind, which is the king of the body and its ruler, get into the state of renunciation (nivritti) and waits for his commands in complete control of the sadhak. In this regard Sri Madhab had said that mind’s nature is to take decisions (sankalpa) and seek alternatives (bikalpa) which means that in the form of the propensities of thought and worry the mind flies like a bee from one flower to another or from one worldly matter to another in search of gratification. Incessant is its movement. Like the honey bee that remains listless inside the honeycomb attracted by the gathered honey and intoxicated by it, if the bee-like mind gets attracted by the nectar of nam stored in the heart by the compassion of Sri Guru and loses itself in it, then it starts to revolve around the enclosure of the body – all external, worldly outlets closes for it. Again like the bee that drowns and dies in the gathered honey, the bee-like mind loses itself in the nectar of ecstasy stored in the inner core of the body’s enclosure. The mind gets immobilized in this dormant state. The arena of the mind becomes listless, calm, solitary and companionless. In this solitary state of the mind, ecstasy swells from within the inner core and inundates the entire arena of the mind and the body to its tiniest atom like the huge mass of water that gushes out of a broken dam. Losing himself in this ocean of ecstasy sadhak reaches the state surpassing the state of material and bodily knowledge and trembles with the realisation that the entire universe is his body and the entire creation is his eternal existence (satta) and inexplicable flow of ecstasy takes it to the abode of joy. It is at this time that with the compassion of Sri Guru the realisation that he is indistinguishable from Truth dawns within the disciple.
It was quite late into the night. Everyone was in such an engrossed state that no one thought about the time. This is a typical characteristic of divine discourse. There is no exhaustion in such discussions, and, as such, there is no boundary of time. Shibapadababu told me,’ it is late. Let me accompany you’. Coming out of the sitting room and crossing the big flower garden is the main entrance to the house. Standing face to face near the entrance Shivapada-babu said, ‘Well Nilanjan, have you discovered divine ecstasy?’ Further he added, ‘I have reached the dusk of life discussing and lecturing on shastras. But I have no hesitation in admitting that I have not known what Ananda (ecstasy) is. I am still burning in the fire of the three primal afflictions (tri-tap – spiritual, material and supernatural) as before.’ I said, ‘I really don’t know whether I have found ecstasy or not but I no longer feel helpless under any circumstances. I feel happy in whatever I get within my means and never feel the absence of anything outside it. I feel like loving all and making everyone close to me. I do not get distressed or sad by anyone’s improper or boastful behavior. As everyone compromises with the drunken behavior of an intoxicated person thinking that his senses and conscience have been dimmed by the hypnotic action of the drink, similarly, knowing this, I try to turn those, who behave improperly under the hypnotic influence of propensities like shara ripu and asta pash, towards the path of virtue to the best of my capabilities instead of being displeased. Above all, the realisation that Sri Guru is alive within me and I am following his instructions and commands as a servant and carrying out his work is gradually taking a firm shape in me. Probably this is the reason that Sri Guru has kept me a little distant from the three primal afflictions of this worldly life.
Shibapadababu embraced me. Bidding him farewell I stepped out. It was deep into the night. The streets were desolate, serene, and solitary as if the world is in deep meditation. The wide expanse of the sky was dotted with innumerable stars like blossoming flowers. Streams of moonlight gushed out and descended from a large shining moon. The moonlight playing a game of hide seek among the leaves of the trees trembling in the slight breeze. So beautiful, so charming is this world. God himself has donned on Him this exquisite attire. I also am someone within this, and again He also exists within me. I and Him, one and indistinguishable. When the outlet to the external world has closed during this train of thought I did not realize. I lost myself in the symphonies of the twanging sound of GuruBrahma Name created in the harp within my inner being. Drinking the nectar of immortality when I reached my house in drunken steps, I did not realize.