Surat Shabda yog

A sadhaka has written that his condition is peculiar since two months. “I was feeling that there is a sound of bell from a distance while performing evening Sandhya, during the month of December. I did not pay any attention towards that. But since then my condition is such that I am hearing that sound at about 8 P.M. daily, when ever I am alone, whether I pay attention to it or not. The sound was towards the right ear. I could not know the reason for that. I was thinking that it was possibly from guru, for some time. Later on I thought it was due to the effect on my brain cells, because of my restless condition. I was happy that I was performing Sandhya as long as I can with out paying any attention to it. Even now the condition is same, but not so severe. I feel it while standing and sleeping. Nowadays, the sleep is also less. The only problem now is that I am feeling it only when I sit for Sandhya. There will be a difference in the meditation on the Feet.’’

Answer: Your condition is like that because you had less chances of hearing such matters during the satsangh. Their conditions and places are not known from the beginning and nobody referred any book to know it. This is a gift from God and it is a happy thing that sound is heard with out putting the fingers or any object in the ears. This is called “Surat Shabda Yog”. The mind center is opened on its own accord, by the God’s grace. Although this is the first sound, the subsequent sounds will be heard, if His grace is there. It is not proper to write the details of their names, places and conditions, for the present. The attention need not be diverted from this sound and hear them if they are natural, but this is not the goal or the real thing. These things which come on the way are the indications for our movement towards the goal.

Kisi nadanist ki manjil gaye mashook kajast,

Em khadra hast ki bagain zarish bi ayad.

{Translation: No body knew the dwelling place of that Lover but it is known to the extent that the sound of the bell is heard.}

The details of it have been written with praise in the religious books. Perhaps knowing the details in the beginning itself is beneficial some times, but in some conditions it is a loss. Example; the matters seen in the books and heard, will safely remain in the memory. Some times, these matters come out of the mind during the meditation and appear to be real and we are immersed in that condition, although it was an imagination but not real. It is neither the result of sadhana nor the grace of God and it is merely a deception. Although the strength of imagination will not remain long and will disappear with one stroke but the real will not disappear. But all the abhyasis are not intelligent enough to know the difference between these two conditions. They unnecessarily become the victims of ahankar, because of doubt and wrong notions. There is no interference of doubt, if the abhyasi gets the condition with out hearing or seeing. Therefore we feel it is better not to express the condition in advance and wait till the abhyasi experiences the real condition and acknowledges it and there is no scope for doubt. May God bless us with His mercy and grace.

Question: My disposition is uniform and good, since I returned from your place. I was feeling pricking sensation on the right and left side of the chest and then feeling of jerks at different places. They are predominantly on the upper part of the fore head, back side of the head and in the middle of the left palm and fluttering in the right ear for some days and feeling of cracking noise inside the ear. In addition to that I was hearing sound during puja and in the night. I was feeling the sound of a whistle and swishing.

Answer: the chest and heart chakra are the places of Rudra, fourth place from below and the lower three places are of earth, water and fire (Sthool triputi) and the upper place is of air, which is subtler and finer than these three. The summary and essence of these three is in the chest and the aksi summary and essence of the places above the chest are also in the chest. Therefore the chest is the middle part of this pind body. This is the meeting place of animal essence and the real/prakrtik. Therefore it is considered as an important place. Feeling the pricking sensation continuously for three days in the right and left side of the chest, means that they are at the places of essence of each Tatva, which have been placed as a summary in the chest. New and warm life has started. The places which are in a sleeping condition are awakened and flow of Sat coming from above gave a jerk and produced warmth, which is a sign of awakening of chakras. The essence of these intermediate places have been wetted by the flow of Brahmandi Amrit and gave a jerk to the special places. It has not only gave a jerk to the places in the chest, but it has also affected the places and chakras of mind, just as you have written the condition of opening of Sahsradal Kamal, in your letter. You have mentioned about the hearing of sounds, which have been already written in the previous letter. I will show the details of the places of chest and mind as per my convenience. Now, this prayer has been written as a gratitude to God for His grace, mercy and blessings. There is hope in His grace. If these places are opened in an aksi way, destined to enter the real matters, some time with His mercy and grace. Having the hopes of grace, mercy is His support. May Guru Maharaj bestow mercy.

***

It is an admitted fact that the condition of the world is not the same always. It changes its colour always. When a man bears its waft of cold and hot air continuously, he becomes an experienced person and he starts telling;

Deha darey ka dand hai sab kahoo ko hoya.

Gyani bhogey gyan sey bhogi bhogey roya.

One of my relatives had the sour experience of the world, for the first time. He expresses his frustration through a letter that the matter in the letter is an expression of vairagya but it appears as an incarnate of gyan and a glittering figure internally. The photo of his thoughts can be seen from the following letter. As per my thinking, the word love is used with a cover of wrong meaning, other wise the word love has remained only for the use, like a phoenix.

1. Love of the parents is with the idea of their comfort.

2. Love of friends and others is with the idea of a helper.

3. Love of the wife is with the idea of fulfilling her desires.

4. Love of the children is with the idea of giver of comforts.

5. Love of the guru is with the idea of propagating his name.

6. Love of Paramatma is with the idea of following His instructions and remembering Him.

Where is the unselfish love?

1. Parents are worried, if the son is inefficient.

2. Friends disappear when there is no money.

3. When there is poverty and disease in the house, the house wife weeps and harasses.

4. If the children are treated harshly, they do not show their face.

5. If an inefficient disciple gets bad name to his guru, guru is displeased and

6. Does not remember him and does not obey his orders, lead a evil life and ready to go to Hell.

Want to know the good and bad ways, but helpless.

In the reply to the previous letter, details may be given, from your point of view. It is better to say that only one point of view was taken and made a sketch. Let me give other side of the reflection.

1. Children’s love towards the parents is with a view to their bringing up and comforts.

2. Motive of friends and others love is to be included one after the other.

3. Motive of the husband’s love towards his wife is to satisfy his sensual desires and help in house hold works.

4. This has come in the first clarification.

5. The motive of disciples love towards his guru is to get over his defects, deficiencies and to get a name.

6. The motive of bandha’s love towards Paramatma is to get over the defects of this and the other world, long life, complete knowledge and happiness.

Let us know, from the Chandogya Upanishad, about the discussion regarding the above rules, between Yagnavalkyaji Maharaj and his wife Maitreyi.

Yagnavalkyaji Maharaj has expressed his views in the following way.

1. In the view of a woman, husband is not dear to her in the capacity of a husband but dear because of Atma.

2. In the view of a husband, wife is not dear to him in the capacity of a wife but dear because of Atma.

3. In the view of the parents, sons are not dear in the capacity of sons but dear because of Atma.

4. Brahma is not dear in the capacity of Brahma but dear because of Atma; etc. etc.

Now think deeply, whether the body is Atma? Whether the mind and Pran are Atma? Whether the Ahankar is Atma? If the body is accepted as Atma, it is an essence from the body of the father, material from the body of the father. This order is eternal and continuing from olden days. Desire, hatred, happiness, misery, effort and gyan, appears to be the qualities of Atma and it becomes conscious and lifeless after death. Entire humanity is one expression rather entire creation appears to be one. Destiny and coincidence/ chance(samyog), has created different forms. People have generally formed different ideas, thinking about this reality. Therefore Brahma will not accept a person who does not know the reality of Atma. Because, when he can not discriminate the Atma, which is with him, how can he distinguish between good and bad.

In the above conditions and in the different bodies of father, brother, son, wife, guru, friend and others, Atma is existing and it is one. They appear to be different, according to the matter and Nature and according to the individual needs, habits, destiny and disposition. There is only one thing in the son, father, guru, disciple etc. etc., that causes the movement. What is this movement? It is existing in different forms in different places; such as, electricity, fire of the stomach, fire, light, oxygen, strength of reproduction, flow of thoughts, mental tendencies, wonders of intellect, gyan and vigyan, marfat, points of reality, Sun light, form and colour, love, company, love for the beloved, Atma, trigunas, Brahma, Parabrahma. The matter of interest, place and time and with the relation to Nature is the love, which is Atma, becomes the concern/interest and talent will be hidden where there is the interest.

God is love which is our Atma. It becomes a blemish, with the inclusion of selfish love, but the interest is also the necessity of Nature, which is not with out interest. Here interest is duty and responsibility. The other name for it is dharma. To nurse this dharma, with out any thought of compensation is the real dharma. This is called Nishkam karma. Every dharma is done merely for the sake of our Atma. Our Atma and other’s Atma are one. Therefore the practice of transactions is continuing. If we give any thing to others, it becomes necessary to take from others similar or a different kind of thing, knowingly or unknowingly. The two lines of plus and minus are doing their work correctly, whether we keep the account or not. The practice of transactions will not stop. What is the benefit from it? Nature makes us helpless to perform like that. This is our ignorance and stupidity that we remember every body but forget our Atma completely. If this is not understood, there is a story which is for exploring the result.

Some people forming a group, proceeded on a journey for some work. They had to cross a river on the way. There was a boat or not, they crossed the river and reached the shore. They wanted to check whether all the persons are there or any body has drowned in the river. Every body started counting the group but forgetting to count him self. Therefore there used to be one person less. They started weeping loudly. People asked for the reason, but nobody could settle the matter. At last an experienced sadhu came and settled the matter in the following way. He made them stand in a line and asked a person to count them in his presence. They started counting in the same manner. Then sadhu asked the person who is counting, as to why he is not counting himself and he is always forgetting to count himself. They have realized their mistake and satisfied with the explanation given by sadhu and dispersed. The matter is clear now. It is to be understood that karmendriyas, gyanendriyas, mind, intellect, chitta, ahankar and Atma are present in every body. While working, he counts keeping every body in front of him, but forgets himself who is a complete Atma and complete love.

Worldly people are unable to solve this problem. But a sadhu comes and imparts the knowledge of Atma and peace, like a guru and leaves with out any compensation and this is the only work for him. When the jiva is reformed, there is no interest for him.

When I am there then guru is not there, when guru is there I am not there

Love lane is very narrow which can not accommodate two.

Guru does his work till there is deficiency and development of gyan in the disciple, as per his dharma. When disciple has become complete, what is there to teach him. When the work is over they part their ways. This is the dignity of interestedness and disinterestedness. When this dignity and its glimpse is seen in every brother, relative, bandhu, then every work and duty will become selfless and love will be expressed in its true colour. Why should we accuse unnecessarily, our selves and others. There are no charges and there is no accused and it is only a twist in understanding. Therefore brothers go on doing your work. May Paramatma bestow real knowledge.