For us Hindus, Moksha deliverance from Ajnana, (ignorance) has been the only highest aspiration for millennium. Thinkers past and present have held that as the supreme goal one should aspire to reach in this very life itself. The prescribed path is to approach a truly Brahmanishta Shrothriya Guru, with the age–old practice of holding ‘samidhas’ in both hands as an offering and to obtain his kind grace for being initiated by him on the path to attain the goal. Every one of the Rishis and shastras affirm that the goal is reached when the initiate himself becomes Brahman. For Brahma-vid Brahmaiva Bhavathi’ says shruthi.
It is our good fortune that our Guru is Parashakthi incarnate. There is none higher than Parashakthi. For these two reasons quite much more is expected of us. Firstly our life has to be set to a key of the Model Grihastha, so that those who see us and our mode of living would be spreading the most high principle taught us by the Divine Mother Sree Rama Devi and be spreading among mankind Her Glory on the Universal basis.
The mode of life prescribed is simple living and high thinking practiced intensely in the service of Divine Mother which is true service to humanity that will bring ideal Peace all around. So long as our faith is firm this is easy enough. Yet it becomes necessary to very carefully examine every action we perform meticulously, to get to the roots by the process of intelligent logical enquiry without allowing the faith to become credulity. Scripture declares the Truth and Philosophy argues out the same. Even then God is not comprehended easily at all times, though he is so closely hidden in the darkest caves of our own hearts in everyone of us, because he is not apparent unless we seek him deep down in ourselves. The fact that our Divine Mother Herself is the manifestation of Parabrahma is forgotten because of the Avidya Avarana. Therefore it is that the holy upadesha that we got from Her has to be constantly reflected and meditated upon before the God-vision becomes permanent. Deep reflection has to be followed by meditation and contemplation until we grasp the reality within us and life is recreated.
Worship is an aid to contemplation. In worship there is the worshipper and the worshipped also. The worshipped is the Divine Mother, the Parabrahman in form. This form in the course of worship is transcended into the Formless, when the trio worshipped, worshipper, and worship merge into the one and there is no separateness experienced. At such times one feels the stillness, a calmness without ripples of mind waves or any kind of thoughts.
Meditation is not an argument; it is just holding oneself steadily face to face with truth. All our energies are focused on the goal and every other thought excluded. The idea meditated upon is allowed to expand and grow; all distracting ideas, disturbing influences retire to the background and one continuous thought alone flows viz:- the thought of the Guru. This is called ‘Nidhi Dhyasana’ and is described as Ekaartha Vritti Pravaaham’. Every aspirant therefore must have his Guru.
The Guru teaches about the Truth upto a certain point after which the individual should assimilate the Truth conveyed by his own personal effort through self-discipline, which makes the union with the Parabrahman permanent and everlasting. The self-discipline, meditation, and self-effort are called by the name yoga.
It is stated in the Shvetashwataara Upanishad and elsewhere that when the awakening takes place scripture no longer is necessary for the awakened person and therefore may be discarded, just as when after the threshing the grain is collected and the chaff discarded, or after eating dinner the leaf on which the dinner was served is thrown away, meaning thereby that once ‘Anubhavam’ is got, scriptures which were necessary as the preparing ground for obtaining that experience are no longer wanted by the person. This no doubt is true but is a partial fact. For one does not throw away the baby from the wash basin along with the water that bathed it clean, a lurking danger that exists when thinking ceases and action is likely to become routine liable to error creep and thus land one into a dangerous situation unwillingly. Therefore almost all the great and wise teachers have cautioned and laid stress on worship even after one has become a Muktha. For the sake of himself as well as for lokasangraha even after the final Beatitude is obtained one should continue Upasana i.e. worship, and Swaadhyaya i.e. study of the holy scriptures. Otherwise there is always a possible danger of one slipping into the abysmal depths of ignorance as many unfortunates have in the past. That is why the great Achaaryaas of yore, who have spoken highly of Atma Pooja have themselves composed stotraas and worshipped images of deities in different forms not withstanding their firm belief in the Adwaitha which they preached in all its serious aspects to their own immediate disciples. They have stated that gods like Indra become very jealous of mankind that try to obtain Brahma knowledge and throw in the path of such aspirants obstacles to divert them from their aspirations. The case of Vishwamitra’s tapas being rendered useless is a well-known instance. Thus it is that Upasana should not be given up even after final Beatitude has been attained lest in the maayic world one slides down into Avidya, and Vismriti caves into him enveloping him into deep forgetfulness. It is at such a juncture that the all-kind and gracious Sadguru comes to the aid of the disciple to save him. It is precisely for this reason one should have a Sadguru and not depend on his own capabilities, for learning by trial and error is a costly affair when one can get easily all the care from the teacher. As far as we are concerned we are fortunate in as much as our Divine Mother looks after us every second wherever we are. She has advised us to perform Bhajan, read scripture, practice meditation, to worship daily, contemplate at all times so that the continuous flow of Ekaagratha is not lost sight off. By these everyone who has come to the sacred feet of Divine Mother must reap the richest reward viz:-attain Poornathwa.
The whole process by which Atma Saakshaatkaara is got is somewhat like that of seeing the expressions on one’s own face by watching the image in a plane mirror. One cannot get the idea of the face he possesses unless he looks in good light into a reflecting surface like water which is still or a plain mirror which is clean. The source of bright light may be the Sun or a lamp. When he is at a correct distance from the mirror one gets the best glimpse of his face though it is laterally inverted i.e. a reversed image is what one sees. The impression is good enough but not exact, yet that is how others see him. The Guru is the source of light, the sun. the mirror is the mind of the aspirant that has to be calmed or stilled and kept free from ripples or violent, turbulences, or agitations, which is achieved by the practice of the methods prescribed by the Guru outlined earlier, i.e.Bhajan, worship, reading of scriptures, meditation etc. For us the object of worship is the Divine Mother or Her images or Pictures taken on different momentous occasions. Her declarations and letters to devotees as well as disciples are our scriptures that should be studied assiduously, and meditation prescribed is the rule. Her leelas which are manifold have besides a normal simple meaning, a profound adwaitic significance that needs to be discovered and explained to our fellow travelers. The recent messages and declarations of Divine Mother published in Dharmadesam, and the letters that have appeared in print in the publication — ‘Path to Beatific Peace’ need the most careful study for such of those who cannot follow English easily proper renderings in our own languages like Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam etc., are the immediate need. Group study and discussions in mandalies on topics contained therein would be extremely profitable, for they contain the cream of Her declarations and pronouncements full of lofty enriching enlightenment. Are they not shruti, for they are words emanating from the ‘mukha-padma’ of our Divine Mother, the Parashakthi Herself? In these days when Dharma has to be salvaged not only in Bharat but the whole world has to be saved from the chaos, it is our first duty to master Her techniques which she has given us and be ‘best equipped to be the instruments that can carry Her advice to those who are groping for light and guidance in the vast world around us. We should lead them to the sacred feet of Divine Mother. Let the whole of humanity look up and come to Her sacred presence and get their shares of the ever flowing boundless Grace is my fervent prayer.
– Basroor Venugopal Rao