The Cleansing Process

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, on the occasion of Vishu [Kerala New Year], gave the following discourse in which He explained how to cleanse our minds. He said that man has to prepare himself for the first and the best group—discovering his faults and ob­serving only excellences in others. This is the most desirable sadhana.

Cleansing the mind of dirt,
Grow in it pure and holy thoughts
You can then view the world
With wisdom vision, as right, and light.

No fruit can grow on tree without a flower;
It cannot ripen into sweetness
Without emerging small
Disciplined work alone can grow
Into devotion; and that alone
Can transform into wisdom deep.

Embodiments of divine love!
As the core of this universe about which we speak and describe, there is a Paramatma (Overself) about which we cannot speak, and which is beyond all de­scription. Both the cognizable and non-­cognizable have emanated from the same One indivisible consciousness. Each is full and complete in itself. The individual consciousness is the manifestation of the cosmic consciousness. When the material sheath falls off, it merges in its source. The Vedasdeclare, “That is full; this is full. From the full emerges the full. When the full is taken from the full, the full remains full.” So the cosmos, the world, and the individual—all are embodiments of the full. Nothing can be fractional or incomplete.

The Pranava

The symbol of the full is Om, the pranava (the original sound). The Vedas announce, “The one indestructible sound Om is Brahma, the Universal Absolute.” The moving and un­moving everywhere are only paraphrasing Om, elaborating its nature, and illustrating its potentialities. The past that has gone, the present that is here, and the approaching future are all three its characteristics. The three gunas or modes and the stage beyond them are also Om. The pranava is the name (nama), and Paramatma is the named, (the nami). The two are not separate. “Sarvam khalu idam Brahma” All this is indeed Brahma (Paramatma). But, this awareness of the immanence of the Universal can come to man only when the I consciousness is forgotten; when the I disappears, we become fit to know the non‑I.

In order to delve deep into the principle represented by the pranava (Om), four steps have been demarcated in sadhana [spiritual practice]. One may doubt how the eternal unique integral Om can be understood in stages! The steps, however, are designed to help the identification of the principle itself.

Wakefulness, dream, deep sleep, and the “fourth” are the steps. They are known as jagrata, swapna, sushupti, andturiya in the Shastras. Jagrata means “being awake”, “exterior alertness”, or “outward vision”. The consciousness is gross while in this stage. Swapna is the stage when the experiences and impacts of the waking stage are recollected or rehearsed by the consciousness in its subtle form. In the waking stage  and in dreams, the impressions that impinge on the consciousness are re­flections and images of the truth. In the sushupti or deep-sleep stage, the individ­ual is not conscious at all; he is just a witness, who acknowledges later after awakening that he slept nicely. The consciousness is not aware of itself. It is pure unaffected prajna or awareness. It has no contact with the objective world or the senses, outer and inner. It is pure Brahma Consciousness, “Prajnanam Brahma.” The last stage is turiya. It is the stage when the consciousness is fully aware of itself. It cannot be identified as such by any means! We can try to delineate it a little by saying that it is the silence that prevails after one Om and before another Om that follows it.

The Deities

These four stages of pranava are associat­ed with the deities Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra, and the Paramatma. Vishnumeans that which is omnipresent. The visible universe is suffused with beauty, and beauty is God. Since the universe is the body of God, the Supreme Person, Vishnu, is also describ­ed in the scriptures as “He who delights in decoration” (Alamkaara priyo Vishnuh). The material universe is saturated in har­mony, law, and symmetry, and is therefore charming and fascinating. Through this attraction, the external world, the universe, draws man into various paths and exertions. The five elements, the five senses, the five vital airs, and other phenomena teach man various lessons to mold his nature. So the objective world can be taken as his guru. Vishnu is the deity who fosters and feeds, who molds and masters. Moreover, He is the guardian of the Cosmos, the Jagadrakshaka. The scriptures teach man to sanctify the waking hours—jagrata stage—for they belong to Vishnu and are charged with the Vishnuprinciple. They exhort man to avoid wicked deeds, polluting thoughts, and all types of errors and failings.

During the dream stage, we can experi­ence holiness and bliss only when we eng­age ourselves while awake in steady pure unselfish activities. In dreams, we see diverse objects and persons, strange worlds of skyscrapers and castles. Wherefrom did these emerge. Through whom were they presented? “Prajnanam Brahma” the Supreme Consciousness is the basis for the creation of this variety of dream appearances. Brahma is the deity that creates. So the dream stage is the Brahma phase of consciousness.

Then is the deep sleep stage. Here the experiences gained during the waking hours or gone through in dreams do not impinge on man. They have all been extinguished. Rudra, the deity into whom the Cosmos ultimately merges, is therefore associated with the sushupti phase.

Next, we have the turiya or the fourth stage, the stage of atma consciousness. When the salt doll is dropped in the sea, it reaches the bottom and is dissolved. The same happens to the seeker of the atma. He is dissolved. He becomes one with that which he sought to know. He cannot return and describe the experience.

OM

“The A of AUM (Om) is the Vishwa [Cosmos]; the U is tejas [effulgence]; the M is prajna [integral higher wisdom]”—this is another interpretation of the scriptures. Vishwa is the waking [stage], tejas the dream [stage], prajna is the deep sleep stage. The pranava sadhana (the spiritual exercise of meditation on Om) is therefore very important for seekers. The Vedas prescribe the repetition of the pranava while studying holy texts, reciting the name of the Divine, carrying out daily duties, and offering gifts.

The pranava is the essence of sustenance, the embodiment of rasa [vital essence]. Of all creation, moving and unmoving, the Earth is the rasa; of the Earth, water is the rasa; of water, physic (oshadhi) is the rasa; of the physic, the human person is the rasa; of the human person, the word is the rasa; of the word, the Rik (Scriptural hymn) is the rasa; of the Rik, Sama is the rasa; of the Sama (Veda) Om is the rasa. These eight rasas, the Earth, Water, Physic, Person, Word, Rik, Sama, and OM lead to the ninth ananda (bliss). These are the navarasas, the nine essences, the nine sustainers. Ananda [bliss] is the goal that man is seeking, the aim of his life.

Three Seekers

Man struggles to attain ananda. Ananda is the height of happiness, the embodiment of joy. It is sought in three different ways. According to the innate quality of the seeker—the satwic [pure], the rajasic [passion, active], and the tamasic [dullness, ignorance]. The satwic path is `poison in the early stages and nectar while coming to fruition.’ It invol­ves firm control and regulation of the senses of cognition and action. This will be very hard to accomplish. But as one progres­ses in practice, the joy increases and bliss is attained. How can such a goal be secur­ed without undergoing hardships? The scriptures say, “Happiness cannot be won only through happiness—Na sukhaad labh­yathe sukham“. Happiness can be won only through misery. Pleasure is but an interval between two pains. To achieve the satwic happiness that is positive and perma­nent, man must perforce take on trials and tribulations, loss and pain.

Now about the second type—the rajasic. In the early stages this path is nectarine, but later it slides into misery, for the happiness is derived through the senses from objects of the external world. The pleasure soon reveals itself as unreal, false, and exhausting. Once the process starts, it drags on with no facility for rest. Man becomes too weak to pursue the goals of dharma (righteousness), artha (prosperity), kama (wish‑fulfillment), and moksha (libe­ration) that are laid down for him. His intellect, imaginative skill, intuitive facul­ty—all are rendered lame. Man can even lose his humanness. The blind pursuit of objective sensual pleasure has today resulted in this very calamity. Man has forgotten his true divinity and surrendered his life to unholy activities.

Lastly, we have the tamasic path. People who prefer this way of life are un­concerned with the problems of the world, they sleep away their lives, deriving joy in sloth and darkness.

Of these three paths toward the goal of ananda, man must accept the satwic road, whatever the hardship, the loss, the misery, the anxiety, and the labor. He must attain the awareness of Divinity, the experience of Godhead (Bhagavan), and he must establish in ananda.

Bhagavan

What is the inner meaning of the expres­sion, Bhagavan? The Vedas say, “Brahma iti, Param‑Atma iti; Bhagavat iti shab­dyate” (The Bhagavan principle is the same as Brahma, Paramatma). Bhagavan is the ultimate, the full. Bhameans `having full auspiciousness and prosperity’. Ga means, `deserving praise and adoration’. In the Ramayana, Bhagavan is described in clear terms. He sustains the universe using His creative power as the means. He creates and fosters what is created. So He is sambhartha or bhartha, He who raises, He who rules, and saves. Bha also means light and splendor. Bhagavan is He who sheds and spreads light. Bhagavan is jyoti‑swaroopa, embodied light, efful­gence. Since He can and does illumine all things and beings everywhere at all times, He is Bha‑ga‑van.

When do we need light? Not during the day, but when night prevails. Then we need a lamp, a flame, or the moon. So, too, until wisdom enlightens us, we need sadhanas; until we experience the one unified Divine, we have to accept and practice disciplines, regulations, and sadhanas.

Ignorance is the night. Knowledge is the light. There are nine lamps that can illumine the mind and free it from dark­ness—shravanam (listening), kirtanam (adulation), smaranam (recollection), padasevanam (worshiping the Feet), vandanam (adoration), archanam (ceremonial wor­ship), dasyam (service), sneham (compa­nionship), and atmanivedanam (surrender).

Seekers

We must shape ourselves into fit instru­ments for the spiritual pilgrimage. There are four classes of persons: those who pay attention to their own faults and the excel­lences of others (the best), those who highlight their own excellences as well as the excellences of others (the middle ones), those who pay attention only to their own excellences and only to the faults of others (the worse type), and those who present their own faults as excellences and the excellences of others as faults (the worst). Each one can discover for himself the group to which he belongs. Only re­member this: when one is yearning to become aware of the full, the sacred, the prema, the atma, the Bhagavan, he has to prepare himself for the first and the best group—discovering his faults and ob­serving only excellences in others. This is the most desirable sadhana.

Man is suffering today because he is en­grossed in the external world, with no sadhana or steady faith to correct his vision. What can ten baths a day do to cleanse a person when his mind is fouled by evil thoughts? What can the shaven head and the ochre clothes do to foster spirituality when his mind is riddled by desires and wants? You may rotate a ball of sweets round the mouth, but unless it is put into it and eaten hunger will not be abated. So develop sincere longings, cleanse the mind, purify the thoughts, and put the precepts into practice. In the Vedas, this process is mentioned as karma-marga, the path of activity.

There is no fruit without a flower; there can be no devotion without karma. The fruit ripens and becomes sweet. Bhakti [devotion] ripens into jnana (wisdom). We must first take up holy activity with clean inten­tions. One sadhana that is cultivated on a large-scale today is dhyana (meditation). Bu, the dhyana that is done is not in consonance with the principles of Bharatiya [Indian] culture. In the absence of a purified mind, dhyana can never achieve the mergence. How can a house be built without brick and mortar? It is said that one can succeed in dhyana by indulging in it whenever a little time is available and that one can be engaged in this sadhana whatever the habits one is prone to, whatever feelings and thoughts reside in you, and whatever path you follow. But this advice is not correct. If one has to remain quiet for some time without being distracted or disturbed by fear or anxiety, one could indulge in drink or consume opium. Dhyana must have far higher aims and far stricter credentials. Or else the culture of Bharat will suffer great damage. Therefore, fine virtues have to be cultivated first and good thoughts have also to be enter­tained. One should uphold the true glory of man.

The Primal Seed

Many people come to me distraught and pray, “Swami! I have no peace. Give me peace.” But peace cannot be got from the outer world; it has to be sought in the heart. Wicked desires breed misery; bene­ficial desires result in joy. The removal of desire ensures peace, shanti. When desire after desire multiply in the mind, how can peace be gained? After bhajan [devotional singing] and dhyana, you repeat shanti thrice, praying for physi­cal, material, and spiritual peace. But the awareness of the atma being the reality‑in­-all can confer shanti. A single mango seed is planted; the tree yields thousands of fruits, and in every fruit you find the seed! The same atma is in every being! The Lord is the seed that manifested as thou­sands of seeds. “Ekoham (I am One) Bahushyaam (shall become many),” said the Lord. When we posit differences and distinctions due to ignorance of this fact, we are afflicted by fear and shanti dis­appears. When man doubts and disbelieves brother man, how can shanti prevail?

The New Year

Nowadays, the mind of man is tending toward evil. The mati [mind] has become dur­mati (bad mind). The year that begins today, Sunday, is named Durmati and people apprehend that evil may increase. The year begins on the day of Sun who is, according to ancient astrological texts, the King for the next 12 months. The Sun is also the Lord of the people, the Lord of rain clouds, and the Lord of curative herbs. Moreover, the moon is His mantri or minister. Since the moon has no independent source of light and energy, the King and the minister will move amicably and so the year will be a happy and prosperous one.

But whatever astrology may indicate, you can direct your mind (the moon) and your intellect (the Sun) into propitious channels of peace and prosperity. By sadhana, you can correct your faults and mold your excellences and ensure shanti for yourselves, your society, and your country. Pray every day for the welfare of all the worlds “Loka Samasthaa Sukhino Bhavantu“. That is My message for the New Year.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, May 1981