Swami Chidananda on Self-Realisation
Q. Vedanta philosophy clearly states that the goal of life is to
attain the state of Self-realisation. What is this state and why is
this the goal of life?
The Vedic rishis found that everything in the world that blooms is
also subject to ultimate decay and dissolution. So they wondered—are
we, human beings, endowed with intelligence just to live a brief
life span and then pass away? They reasoned that life cannot be
devoid of some higher purpose, especially when we are the only
species of living beings who have the ability to think and reflect.
After generations of investigations and after having raised their
consciousness to a very subtle level, they came to the Truth through
direct experience. They declared that beneath this mortal body seen
by the world of man is an immortal spirit unseen by the world of
man. And that Eternal in the non-eternal body, that Imperishable in
the perishable body is actually part of a vast, infinite, eternal,
beginningless, endless, cosmic Spirit. Timeless, beginningless and
endless. It exists. It does not exist as an inert piece. It is
Consciousness. Very much aware that it exists. It knows—I exist. So
it is conscious existence. Existence is Sat, Consciousness is Chit.
So it is Sat Chit.
And in that state of pure Sat chit (Existence-Consciousness) many
are the imperfect, negative experiences man is subject to once he is
born in this mortal world—heat and cold, pleasure and pain, loss and
gain, honour and dishonour. All these things assail man. But all
these travails that man is subject to in this mortal world have no
access to that lofty, sublime, transcendental realm, where abides
only peace and bliss. There is Ananda in that Sat Chit. So it is Sat
Chit Ananda. That is the nearest way you could define or describe
that state of eternal Existence, which is also referred to as
Brahman. And to realise and enter this state is called Self-
realisation.
Self-realisation is the goal of life because in that state there are
no sorrows. Once you discover that you are the infinite,
imperishable, eternal reality—you are liberated from all sorrow. In
that state, there is only pure and permanent bliss and joy. Isn't
that the goal of each and every one of us?
Q. But there is joy in this mortal world, too?
Yes, but it is neither pure nor permanent. If a thing is capable of
giving you a pleasurable sensation, that same thing is capable of
giving you a painful sensation also. A man marries—he's is in
seventh heaven. Then if she runs off with someone else, or she dies,
then he plunges into sorrow. This happens because the world is
imperfect and man is imperfect. In one sloka in the Gita, the advice
is that pleasure is the womb of pain. In seeking pleasure, you have
already created your pain.
Thus, pleasure in worldly objects and people is neither pure nor
permanent. If you want real, continuous happiness that does not
change or end—then rise above petty desires and seek the ultimate
Reality. There is supreme Bliss, supreme satisfaction in it—an
indescribable joy and peace.
So make use of this life. It is a golden opportunity. While
fulfilling your duties here, be a seeker of Truth, seeker of
Brahman. Seek Self-realisation. In the word, `Self-
realisation', `Self does not mean your little self. It means your
supreme Self. This is why Self is written with a big `S'. Know your
real Self.
Your mortal body is only a vehicle given to you to function upon
this earth. But you are distinct from it. You are an immortal part
of divinity. And when that is realised, one realises that I am
aware, one with that limitless ocean of Sat-chit-ananda. I'm a
little wave, but I'm part of the ocean. There's no difference
between the wave and the ocean. The wave may appear separate because
it has a size and a form. But that is momentary and then it goes
back into the ocean. From the ocean it arises, for a moment it
exists, and then it goes back into the ocean.
Q. How does the world appear to such a Self-realised person?
The world appears just as it is. But he realises that the fabric of
the world is not what he thought it was before. He realises that it
is nothing but the Brahman principle.
Q. And how does his own body and mind appear to him?
Same thing. He sees it as part of Brahman. He is completely
objective.
Q. Is Self-realisation within the reach of every human being?
It is birthright of every human being. Because he has been born as a
human being. It is not within the reach of any other creature in
creation. The moment you reach the status of a human being, the goal
of Self-realisation becomes open.
Q. At any given time, roughly how many Self-realised people do you
think there are in the world?
It's impossible to say.
Q. Roughly?
(Laughs) You may be a realised person, I do not know—because they
don't grow horns and spread wings! Or they don't come down and
say: "Oyee, I'm a realised person. .....!"
Q. But what would you estimate? Would they be in three figures or
four figures or five figures.....?
You see, three figures could be 999! (Laughs) You see! Similarly. So
they are between three and four figures in the world. And a great
proportion are in India. Doubtless. Because that is the quest of
India.
Q. Would you say that more than half of them are from India?
Yes, yes, yes. No doubt about it. I'll put it that 60% are from
India. This is because people from other cultures don't have this as
their supreme goal.
Q. Since a Self-realised person is one with the Infinite and
eternal, does he have supernatural powers?
You see, from your relative point of view, these powers are
something special, something very fascinating. But from the Self-
realised person's point of view, they mean nothing. They are a
natural part of him. I have got five fingers. I don't crow about it—
"I've got five fingers! I've got five fingers!" These supernatural
powers are as natural to the supreme being as having five fingers.
Theoretically, of course, Self-realised people have all powers.
There is nothing that they cannot do. But they are generally not
interested in doing all these things because they know that the
whole world is a myth, a dream. From myth, they have been awakened.
So why would they be interested in doing anything in a dream world?
You see, when a person has dreamt a number of dreams one night and
woken up in the morning—what value has the dream got for him?
Similarly, once the Self-realised person has woken up to the supreme
Reality, this mortal world is a dream, a myth.
Q. But looking at it from our point of view—if a Self-realised
person has all powers, why can't he use those powers to solve all
the problems in the world?
Why should he solve all the problems in a world that does not exist
in his state of Consciousness?
Q. No, but from the human being's stand point?
But he is in that standpoint. You are referring him to a world to
which he would say where is this world where you want me to solve
the problems?
Okay, if you oblige him to come to your state of consciousness and
ask him this question, he will say that the world is God's creation.
It has been here thousands of years before I came here and he has
been looking after the world in His own way and the world has been
going on. And if I leave the scene tomorrow and go away, the world
will continue to go on. My being there or not being there will not
even be noticed.
See, if somebody gets diarrhoea the doctor says, "I `won't give you
any medicine because some inedible things have gone into your
intestines and so nature is flushing your system clean. So let us
not come in the way of nature. Just eat light things and don't come
back to a normal diet until your system has come back to its normal
state." You see, the point is that you see things in a fragmentary,
segmented way—but He sees the whole thing.
Q. Can a Self-realised person change another person's destiny?
He can mitigate another's destiny. But he will not change it because
that destiny has been ordained by God and the Self-realised person
has no interest in contradicting God. He would rather try to be in
harmony with God.
Q. How does he mitigate another person's destiny? What is this power
to mitigate?
Read the life of Shirdi Sai Baba. He had an ardent devotee who had
completely surrendered at Shirdi Sai Baba's feet. But due to some
past karma, the devotee was destined to be executed by impalement
with a spear-like object. But this man had completely transformed
himself. So one day when this man went into the fields, a very sharp
thorn went very deeply into his foot. He suffered terrible,
agonising pain and became unconscious. Half of the thorn in fact
broke inside and other people had to put a sharp instrument inside
to remove the thorn. The man underwent terrible agony. But by going
through this, he was saved from the impalement that was due to him.
His destiny had been mitigated.
Q. How does one recognise a Self-realised person?
When you are beside a Self-realised person—no matter how bothered,
troubled or worried you are—you will, for the time being, experience
peace. Your mind will be serene and it will be directed towards the
person before whom you are sitting and not towards the other people
who may also be sitting there.
Q. So in general, how do Self-realised people benefit the world?
A lot. They are fragrance where there is bad. Vibrations of goodwill
emanate from them because Self-realised people have nothing in their
heart except that all should be happy, all should be free from
suffering. Day after day, they wish the well-being of all living
creatures. That is the only thing they have in them—they have no
other desire. This thought and this feeling goes out in waves from
them all over the world. And thoughts have power. Evil thoughts sent
to someone can disturb the mind of the person to whom they are sent.
In the same way, thoughts of cosmic love and peace have the effect
of mitigating the sorrow, suffering and negative thought currents in
the world.
Q. There is a stage referred to as the `dark night of the soul',
which a Sadhaka (spiritual seeker) goes through during his inward
journey towards Self-realisation. What is this?
John Bunyan has written a book called "Pilgrim's Progress", where he
traces the seeker's path until he attains God. Along the way, there
is a stage where the seeker falls into the quagmire of despondency.
At another place, he is caught by despair. So he goes through
despondency, despair, doubt and confusion. He feels he won't attain
it at all. He thinks his life has been a waste. St. John of the
Cross has also talked about this stage.
Q. Do most Sadhakas go through this?
Yes. Most people go through this.
Q. And is this despondency spiritually related or can it be to do
with other things in life?
Spiritually. All are connected with spiritual life.
Q. How much before Self-realisation does this happen?
Only when one is mature and advanced in one's Sadhana (spiritual
practice), these things begin to happen. Otherwise a person is not
worthy of going through all these various deep emotions. You don't
know all these things.
Q. When one eventually does attain Self-realisation—can one slip out
of it?
Once you get full Self-realisation, there is no coming out of it.
You will always be in that state. There is no coming in and out.
Q. But isn't there a stage where one slips in and out of that state
until one gets established in it?
There comes a time when the Sadhaka, in a state of very deep,
intense, continuous meditation, gets this Atma jnana (Self-
knowledge). The deep, intense, continuous meditation suddenly stops
and one goes into a stage where there is no more meditation, one
just is in a certain state. He is in Samadhi. The Sadhaka has
reached there by dint of great perseverance and effort, reached this
height of being. But he may not be able to remain in it for a long
time. After sometime, he may come back.
Then starts again. Again he may go into Samadhi—and come back. Then,
from that stage onwards, he is no longer practicing meditation—he's
practising Samadhi. You get the difference? He's practising samadhi.
He's practising to remain continuously abiding in that same state of
Consciousness, into which he is currently going in and coming out.
Eventually, he gets well established in that state. The state
becomes natural to him both during meditation and in the time of
normal activities. It becomes a spontaneous, natural state for him.
This is called Sahaja-samadhi. `Sahaja' means it becomes part of his
natural, effortless, spontaneous being. Until then, he has to keep
on trying. But once this stage is attained, it is Self-realisation.
Q. That is Self-realisation?
That is Self-realisation. No more rebirths after that. No more
slipping in and out of that state.
Q. So that means Self-realisation doesn't happen in one specific
moment?
It can, in some cases. Sometimes people get illumination. Ramana
Maharshi never did any Sadhana. One day suddenly, when he was around
16 or 17 years old, through no effort of his, suddenly he felt that
he was not the body, that he was the deathless Self.
Effort is necessary in the vast amount of cases. But there are a few
such people to whom there has been this spontaneous Self-realisation.
It has been explained that someone could have done all the effort in
his previous life. He was almost ripe. But just before he could
attain Self-realisation, his body's Prarabdha was finished and he
passed away. So when this birth happens, he takes up from where he
left off in the previous life and there you are.
Q. So such a person, in his previous life, was already at a stage
where he was perhaps practising Samadhi and was slipping in and out,
but hadn't quite reached Sahaja-samadhi?
He was almost there. Maybe he was slipping in and out or maybe he
was just about to get into that state for the first time.
Q. In one. of Swami Sivanandaji's books, there is a mention of a
void before Self-realisation. What is this void?
You see, until the point where you attain Self-realisation, there is
still a trace of the human personality—human personality identity
consciousness. One still feels that I am so and so. Even though he
says God, God, God, God—there is also a little bit of I with God.
There is 95% divinity and 5% this I. And this I is a myth. You are
actually a part and parcel of God. You are 100% divine. So this "I"
has to go. As long as it is there, that Consciousness is not
complete and perfect.
Let me give you an analogy. A river flows, flows, flows, flows. At
last, it approaches the sea. And then it enters into the sea. But
even after having entered into the sea, till quite some distance,
the water still tastes sweet. Because the river has not left its
river-ness completely. It still retains its river-ness, although its
two banks are finished. Bank-less, it is already in the sea. But
after it goes further into the sea, a time comes when the water is
no longer sweet. It is the salt water of the sea alone. That stage
when the river is gone, but the vastness of the sea has not yet been
attained, that interim period when it is neither the river nor the
sea—that is the void.
Let me give you another example. You come to a point where there is
nothing but the edge of a precipice and yawning chasm. And the
actual experience is on the other side of the chasm. Unless you
leave this precipice, you cannot go to the other side. So there is a
point where ultimately he takes the leap. When he takes the leap, he
is lifted up into the air. But he has not yet landed there. So there
is a point where he has left this precipice, but not yet landed on
the other side. In between, where is he? Nowhere. That nowhere is
the spiritual void. At that time, neither is the human ego there nor
has the divine Consciousness come. At that time, they say there is a
void. But, of course, in the spiritual context, the duration of the
void may be a little longer.
Q. When he lands on the other side, is that Sahaja-samadhi or is he
at a stage where he can still slip in and out?
It is the ultimate state, the ultimate Samadhi. Until that stage
there is still duality, a trace of duality. Once you are there,
there is absolute non-duality. You are one with Brahman.
Swami Chidananda on Self-Realisation
www.dlshq.org/messages/self-realisation.htm
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