Imperience - Centre for Research and Training in P.A.M
 
 
 
  

Reality dawns upon him alone who goes back along with Nature making himself subtler and subtler.

Sri. K. C. Srihari

 

The topic of the seminar taken from the message ‘Peep into Reality’ at Raichur in 1970 stresses the importance of making ourselves subtler and subtler.  Master Sriramchandraji Maharaj of Shahjahanpur, U.P, India continues in the message saying “Unless the grossness is completely off, we cannot even peep into Reality.  For the impediments if any, we alone are responsible.  Until and unless these things are removed we cannot expect the advent of Reality.  To realise the Subtlest Being, we should adopt only subtle ways.”

 

As a first step towards this in the system of Natural path, we are asked to meditate on the Divine Light. Master in the article Rajayoga explains this by saying “The process greatly helps us in throwing out the grossness of our being and in assuming a state of highest subtleness. We know that God is completely devoid of grossness, so the realisation of God must mean the attainment of a state of similar subtleness to the last possible degree. This is what we aim at in Natural Path. The system helps an abhyasi free himself from grossness that has settled round him in the form of coverings.”

 

“The technique though quite simple, is often beyond common grasp, since it adheres closely to the absolute Reality and proceeds along subtlest lines. It prescribes meditation on the heart, supposing the presence of Divine Light there. But the abhyasi is directed not to try to see the light in any form or shape. If he does so the light, if perchance it appears to his view, will not be the real one but a projection of his mind. An abhyasi is, however, advised to take it in the form of mere supposition. In that case it will be the subtlest, and we shall thereby be meditating upon the subtlest.”1

 

It is clear from the above few sentences as to why one has to become subtler and subtler.  When we meditate the initial minutes are spent in struggling with our tendencies of the lower nature.  Even as a merry-go-round whirls, the thoughts keep coming one by one.  Lower nature thoughts may be thought of anything that takes away our attention from the thought of the Master.  The suggestion given by the Master to ignore the thoughts that arise during that time has to be followed rather than giving them attention thereby making them stronger.  In the words of our Master “When we are attentive to the thoughts, their power develops.  If any of you breed the divine thoughts, mind will grasp it and will not eject them because, it is the real nature of mind since it has come from the real Artery”2.  Following the suggestion takes us to higher levels of consciousness and subtlety.  Becoming subtler means growing out of a thinking that is self oriented all the time.  It is true that all of us have shortcomings, but it is incumbent upon us to yield to the Divine totally and integrally.  We are provided opportunities to face our difficulties with courage and forbearance. Expecting the difficulties to vanish would be going against the law of cause and effect.  The impediments as Master says are of our own making.  Any amount of justification by our petty minds will not grant us peace.  Our minds have got the capacity to buffer our egos with such logic as may appease us.  The subtleness required for this awareness is made possible only by the repeated assistance of Pranahuti that tells us that it is possible. 

 

Pranahuti brings the purest state of consciousness in touch with the grossest level to transform it so that the grosser gets moulded in terms of subtle, the subtle in terms of subtler and the subtler in terms of the subtlest.  We must understand that it is possible to stay at a higher level of consciousness and that the way to overcome our lower nature is to think of the higher.  Companies that take us away from this higher must be discarded as refuse without a second thought.  The way to develop subtleness is to constantly cultivate it.  Just as we cultivated grossness by indulging in such acts, we must cultivate subtleness by indulging in such acts that develop it.  Any act that reminds us of our Master must be pursued with a zeal that overcomes all others.  A single pointed resolute determination helps keep our goal in view.  Listening to the Master, reading his works, participating in seminars, training programs, thinking about Him, discussing about Him are a few of the ways that one can keep in the thought of the Master in addition to our meditations and satsangs. 

 

Master says “There are stages in the cosmic regions which we have to cross and indeed we proceed to a certain length.  Afterwards the power of the abhyasi fails to get at the subtle force.  It is very difficult to cross it unless and until a push is given to the next step and that is the master’s work”3.  The solution therefore is to repent and yield to the Master unconditionally.  Once this happens, the power of Master through assistance of Pranahuti destroys any illusions that we may have about ourselves.  The individual mind is made to realise the greatness of the Divine inspite of all its shortcomings.  We are made to realize it is love that is our true nature.

 

In one sense we are dead to the world, but in another we are alive with a new purpose working relentlessly for the mission of the Master.  In the words of Rev. Dr. K. C. Varadachari, “According to some this linking up would involve or must involve the extinction of the individual manas and the individuality itself being swallowed up by the Great Manas (mahat).  All that may be expected would be that the individual manas would have merged in the Cosmic and Supra-Cosmic Manas and become of their nature.  Such a person would have become a cosmic man or one having supermind or vijnana or buddhi or any such manas which has gone beyond the limitations of the individual and particularised gross mentality.”4

 

The reason we need to become subtler is so that the Divine can express itself in all planes of our existence.  The more subtler we become, the more we become aware of our lowliness and insignificance.  The Reality that dawns upon us is that it is the Master that is the common thread in all of us and we by ourselves do not have any significance.  The awareness of the presence of Master in all there is leads us towards conditions of simplicity, fraternity, purity along with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.  A life dedicated to His service is all that we know and become.  In the words of Revered Dr. K.C. Varadachari “The individual elevation in consciousness is but a step in the greater task of Divinisation of Man.  If every abhyasi really believes in the Master, he has the onerous responsibility of shedding through his actions and behavior the Radiance of the Divine Personality deeply imbedded in him.  He should be conscious of the fact that he is walking temple, in as much as Master is present in his heart.”5

 

Pranams

 

References:

1.  Showers of Divine Grace, October 2006 Edition, pg 91

2.  Showers of Divine Grace, October 2006 Edition, pg 32

3.  Showers of Divine Grace, October 2006 Edition, pg 33

4.  Complete works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari Vol 1 – pg 590

5.  Complete works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari Vol 1 – pg 583