== ONLY PRACTITIONERS OF DHYANA CAN UNDERSTAND ==
Namaskar,
We have all heard and read about how Baba says that we are to 'sit on
the lap of Parama Purusa'.
Baba says, "One is sure to reach one’s destination. And what is the
destination? To merge into Parama Purus'a, to sit on His Lap." (AV-22)
This He has repeated in numerous discourses.
However, to understand its inner meaning and true import, one must be a
sadhaka of dhya'na and have a high intensity of love for Parama Purusa.
This Baba also says. Otherwise it is just an empty show or play of words
to say, 'sit on the lap of Parama Purusa'.
So this letter is only geared towards those who are pointed
practitioners of dhyana.
The idea being, without one's sincere practice of sixth lesson, the
phrase 'sit on the lap of Parama Purusa', will remain misunderstood, if
not a mystery.
That is why some wrongly conclude that the phrase, 'sit on the lap of
Parama Purusa', is only related with the mantra from our AM shraddha ceremony
or that it only could happen in PC with Baba. They do not realise how it
is also related with dhyana. They do not understand that one can sit on
Baba's lap in sadhana.
On the whole though, there are countless sadhakas who are quite familiar
with the inner idea & true import of sitting on Baba's lap in dhyana.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF 'SITTING ON THE LAP'?
As we know, the phrase 'sitting on the lap of Parama Purus'a' is not
meant to be taken literally. Taking the phrase at face value is to lose
the inner import.
The question then remains, what does the phrase imply. What is the
actual meaning and inner intent behind the phrase: 'sitting on the lap
of Parama Purusa'. How is it possible for this to happen in dhyana? What
form does it take.
That is what this letter aims to discuss.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Before moving ahead, here are a few important points to note:
1) One attains salvation by sincere dhyana or exclusively by His causeless grace. In
proper dhya'na Guru is gracing the sadhaka.
2) From the human perspective, all we can do is dhyana and ask for His grace.
3) With first lesson one can only get mukti (liberation) through savikalapa samadhi but by
dhyana one can attain moksa (salvation) through nirvikalpa samadhi.
VARIOUS STAGES & DEGREES OF DHYANA: Part 1
As most any practitioner of dhyana will admit, the practice of 6th
lesson is not easy: It demands sincere and proper effort, and, most
importantly, His grace. Without devotion, all those steps in dhyana are
mechanical, or may even seem to be fruitless.
Depending on one's devotional feeling and quality of mind there are
various phases one may undergo in dhyana.
First, if one's mind is down and one is not feeling love towards Parama
Purusa, then that sadhaka will not even like to practice dhyana. Rather
sixth lesson will seem boring or mechanical, and one may just do it for
one minute at the end of sadhana, or even not at all. And in that
condition, they will not even like to talk about Baba in a devotional
manner. In every sadhaka's life this type of feeling may come at one
time or another.
In contrast, when one loves their own child then they will always be
thinking about the welfare of that infant and they will always discuss
their darling baby with their friends and family members.
So in the next phase of dhyana, when one feels more love towards Parama
Purusa, then one gets the idea that 'I should talk to Him and do
something for Him'. In that flow, when doing dhyana, one tries to serve
and please Him. Yet even in this stage, His image may come and go in the
mind, and one might find it difficult to concentrate. This seems to be
the common experience of many sadhakas.
In spite of that, if a sadhaka goes on practicing and struggling in
dhyana, and asking for His grace, then that will invariably lead one
towards the next tier in dhyana.
VARIOUS STAGES & DEGREES OF DHYANA: Part 2
Finally, when by Baba's grace one feels immense love for Him and a deep
yearning to get Him, then one will like to practice dhyana more and
more. The sadhaka will feel a strong surge of love and wish to hold Him
tightly and embrace Him in dhyana. And when this feeling reaches its
climax and culmination, then by constantly thinking about Him and Him
alone, and using one's dhyana mantra and calling His name, then one
unique moment comes when one forgets oneself, by Baba's grace. That is
the stage of losing one's identity wherein one's mind remains absorbed
in Him.
This is the cherished state. It may continue for some time such that one
will not even realise that the time is going by, until at some stage one
may again gain their unit awareness.
However, at end of one's life, after finishing their worldly duties, a
deserving sadhaka gets the special grace of Parama Purusa and leaves
their body and becomes one with Him. In that case, they do not come back
or take rebirth.
Whereas, when experiencing this high state in dhyana, one does come back
into their unit existence after sadhana.
And even if one does not experience this type of merger in dhyana during
their life, but by grace of Parama Purusa that feeling can come at end
of life, as per Baba's guideline in Supreme Command.
Here it should be added, that these above realisations in dhyana are
essential for understanding the meaning of the phrase, 'sitting on the
lap of Parama Purusa'.
MAKING OUR DHYANA SUCCESSFUL
WITHOUT LOVE, DHYANA IS MEANINGLESS
So dhyana has various stages and degrees; even then it is not uncommon
for a sadhaka to complain that they have no such feeling or experience
like this of Baba in dhyana.
Here we have to understand that doing dhyana is a difficult process and
we should furthermore understand why it is difficult.
Being human, we have all come from from animal life and to some or more
degree we all cultivate animalistic desires. The more prevalent these
desires are, the more they prevent us from moving towards Him in dhyana.
That is why doing sadhana can seem like a uphill task. Even then the
goal of life is to realise Him in our sadhana, and for that reason we
must continue and persevere in this endeavor. Otherwise one will just be
stuck on the treadmill and endless cycle of life and death. Indeed the
illusion of maya keeps us in the dark and makes us unaware of the divine
truth. The only way to escape this cycle is to go close to Parama
Purusa. This earth is not our permanent abode-- our ultimate destiny is
to realise Him.
And on the very practical level, if our dhyana is not good, then we have
to sincerely ask ourselves if in our daily routine we are practicing
shravan, manan, niddhidhyasana. For only with the support of these
practices can dhyana be done. For more information about this please
reference our AM books.
So as sadhakas, the main thing we should remember is to cultivate more
and more love for Him. In its broadest sense, dhyana is the culmination
of all one's activities. So we are to remember Him always from morning
till night, singing His name, listening His discourses, serving His
creation, and doing His sadhana. Plus, we should always request Him to
grace us with more and more love for Him. Then, with His divine
compassion, our quest in dhyana will become successful.
Otherwise, if we live our lives in a mundane way and just think by
closing our eyes for a few minutes in the morning and evening that
magically we will get Him in dhyana, then our practice will not be
fruitful.
Baba says, "Dhya'na is withdrawing the mental propensities from all
extroversive entities, and then collecting those withdrawn mental
forces, mental propensities, and urging them towards the Supreme Entity.
If there is no love for the Supreme Entity, this movement cannot be
done. Where there is no love, the mind will not run after Him. So
dhya'na also becomes meaningless." (AV-1)
So love is an essential requisite for true dhyana, and that love gets
cultivated by thinking more and more about Him, by including Him in all
our thoughts and movements through the day. Then our love for Him grows
more and more, and by His grace our dhyana becomes successful.
CULTIVATING THAT STAGE IN DHYANA
In our worldly lives, we generally achieve something by this common
step-wise process. First an idea comes in the mind, then one develops
the desire of having or achieving that thing, and then finally one gets
that object or outcome. This we have all experienced in our own personal
and professional lives.
Similar is the case in dhyana. First the idea comes to think about Baba,
then one feels a strong urge to get Baba, and then by His grace after
continued effort one receives Him in dhyana. Then one has truly fallen
in love with Baba and it is in that depth of love that one may lose
their own existence while doing dhyana.
This happens by His grace and by the constant effort of wanting to merge
in Him.
CONCLUSION:
THE REAL MEANING OF, 'SITTING ON THE LAP OF PARAMA PURUSA'
This then all leads us to the real meaning of 'sitting on the lap of
Parama Purusa' and how intense dhyana is an essential requisite.
The phrase, 'sitting on the lap of Parama Purusa, is characterised by
one's strong urge of wanting to become one with Him. The phrase 'sitting
on the lap of Parama Purus'a' parallels the idea of 'merging into Parama
Purusa'. These two phrases express the same concept: That of a sadhaka
losing oneself in dhyana, wherein the mind actually loses its own unit
identity due to great love for Him.
Initially, a sadhaka feels love for Parama Purusa and one feels separate
from Him. And then, as that love mounts more and more, a certain moment
may come when one completely loses their individual identity and becomes
one with Parama Purusa.
When, by His grace, the loving attraction and divine pull towards Baba
becomes so great that one forgets their own existence in the pursuit of
getting Him, then one is 'sitting on the lap of Parama Purusa'. Thus
'sitting on the lap of Parama Purusa' and 'merging in Him' mean the same
thing; the only difference being, the first is a devotional expression
whereas the latter is more philosophical.
Baba says, "One is sure to reach one’s destination. And what is the
destination? To merge into Parama Purus'a, to sit on His Lap." (AV-22)
In more technical language, when one loses their own individual
existence in Cosmic Self, then this is nirvakalpa samadhi. That is also
the meaning behind the phrase, 'sitting on the lap of Parama Purusa',
i.e. becoming one with Him.
And this merging only happens in dhyana, when by His grace, one calls
Him and yearns for Him with such love, that one loses their own unit
identity.
Thus sitting on the lap of Parama Purusa occurs only at the zenith point
of one's dhyana practice. And it refers to that high stage of dhyana
wherein one has forgotten their own unit existence and become totally
absorbed in Baba.
WHAT SHOULD ONE DO
Here Baba gives us His recipe for how to attain Him and sit on His lap.
Baba says, "What a good man should do, what an intelligent man is to do,
what a spiritual aspirant to do, is always to remember his loving
Father. And this is what meditation is. Why should he always remember
his loving Father? Because he will have to keep in the closest psychic
and spiritual touch with the Supreme, because He is the Supreme abode of
all. And finally one will have to sit on His lap. That is the final
Desideratum." (AV-12)
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, He has blessed us by bringing us on that path of tantra
sadhana and filling our hearts with innate love for Him. By this way, we
are sure to sit on His lap and become one with Him. That is our
birthright and our destiny.
Baba says, "Whenever anyone develops an intense desire to merge in Him,
Parama Purus'a immediately arranges to impart lessons how to move
towards Him, how to merge in Him." (SS-11)
Baba says, "One who loves Him will merge in Him, will become one with
Him." (AV-5)
Namaskar,
Nagendra
Note 1: BECOMING ONE WITH HIM
By Baba's grace, it is our birthright to become one with Him: To shed
ourselves of all unit qualities and merge with His divine Self.
Baba says, "Each and every entity has the right to move towards Him, and
to be one with Him. And when the mind becomes one with Him, the mirror
is lost. There cannot be any more reflection. There cannot be any more
Jiiva'tma'. Jiiva becomes one with Shiva. “Pa'sha baddha bhavet jiiva,
pa'shmukta bhavet Shiva” – Jiiva will become one with Shiva. This is the
human goal. This is the Desideratum." (AV-3)
Note 2: OUR GURU'S MANDATE
Some in the Marga may not yet have all their sadhana lessons, yet Baba
says not to delay. According to Guru, every sadhaka should practice
sincerely and get all their sadhana lessons.
Baba says, "Human life is short. It is wise to get all the instructions
regarding sa'dhana' as soon as possible." (CC-2, 'Sadhana')
So every AM sadhaka should get all their lessons, including dhyana, as
quickly as possible. Every sadhaka then should be sure to consult an
acarya about this and make proper arrangements to get their remaining
lessons.
Because it is only in dhyana that one can realise what it means to sit
on the lap of Parama Purusa and become one with Him.
